The new Fermanagh Senior Ladies manager believes there is plenty of talent to get the county out of Division Four and Junior Football and to consistently compete with the top teams.

Dromintee native, James Daly was appointed by the Fermanagh Ladies County Board on Monday and the former Armagh, Cavan and Longford is to the point when he says his goals are to win both a league and championship title.

“Seeing the job I thought to myself, I’ve looked at it and thought they are back in Junior football, back in Division Four.”

“I don’t think they should be there. I think there’s a better bunch of girls there than that. I mean, I’m sure Covid didn’t help them last year either, but it is what it is. I just thought I could definitely add something to the programme here and I applied for it," said Daly on his reasons for applying for the job.

Daly says he does not take a job to go through the motions and his aim over the three year term is quite simple - to win.

Daly already has former Armagh Ladies footballer, Caoimhe Marley, on his backroom team. and is in the process of finalising the rest of it and he hopes to have it all finalised by the end of November.

With Fermanagh failing to win a game last year, confidence may be low and Daly will look to get some of that back: “Losing can be a habit, winning can be habit. It's getting the right stuff to play with the right bunch of girls and then believing in themselves.

And Daly will be expecting his players to go that extra mile to ensure they perform to the level they are capable of: “Everything outside of training I’d say that is what makes you a better footballer. Your lead up to the game, how you behave as a footballer, as a person with, you know, eating and drinking and preparing yourself for the games.”

Daly praised the work of his predecessor, Jonny Garrity for his work over the last three years, and like Garrity, Daly’s first job is getting back into Intermediate football.

“There’s top, top footballers in Fermanagh. And there’s top, top footballers in Fermanagh who go out and produce and show it week in and week out. Right now there’s just not enough of them doing that.

“It’s about getting girls to be confident that we are good enough to go to intermediate football.

“My goal is going to be is to win the Junior Championship back up to intermediate, and start competing and start pushing on and going further.”

One of the first things that may come up for Daly will be the fall out from the end of last season between players and the county board.

Daly wants all the best players to play for Fermanagh and he hopes that will be the case for 2022.

“I’ve heard an awful lot of what has gone on in the county in the last couple of weeks, last month or so and honestly I don’t really want to know about it.

“I mean I’m a firm believer players should play football. The manager, it’s his job is to look after everything on the field and off the field.

“At the same time like it’s still an honour and a privilege to play for your county not a God given right.

“I’ll do everything that I can get for my players.

“You know, if there is some ill will about well I’m hoping that I can smooth that over,” Daly concluded.