Styles clash at heart of United duel with Chelsea
Contrasting takes may well not only decide this game, but top-four race
Saturday February 27 2021 had and ran it by Larry, about the promotion of the young Americans,” she said.
“We could see there was a falloff in numbers, we had 2,600 kids registered under-age and we weren’t seeing them coming through.
“We needed to take a look and identify why, and where was the problem? We put a lot of thought into that. Larry was an advocate of it, a huge supporter of it and getting our youth officers here.
“He single-handedly got our youth officer, Simon Gillespie, here 10 years ago and it was through his hard work. It was Larry 10 years ago that had the foresight to see this and it is coming to fruition throughout the entire organisation.”
After coming over as a player, Mccarthy soon found himself involved in every element of GAA affairs in New York. Based in New Jersey, he has spent years by now sitting in heavy traffic on the murderously tedious Cross Bronx Expressway inching towards the Bronx on Saturdays and Sundays for that day’s programme of games.
Riordan added: “He has a very keen sense of what it means to be a GAA volunteer.
“He knows the book back to front, one of these top-level delegates that goes to Congress every year and knows every rule backwards and forwards.
“At the same time he will be at Gaelic Park on a Saturday morning doing the clean-up if necessary. That’s the kind of guy he is. He is not aloof, not above getting the hands dirty.
“He hits a lot of nails on the head, from that top end of administrative work, to carrying the water bottles with his club Sligo, which is in its own way important, too.
“He is very popular with his Sligo players. I was there at county final day. Sligo lost to St Barnabas in the county final replay, but
Sligo were one of the clubs out here that I admire. Most of their players are based here, a really good vibe and he is very well respected among them.”
The New York scene that Mccarthy joined is no more. It evolved. As the Celtic Tiger raged, young men and women returned home to make serious money.
When the ball was dropped, it was the new frontiers of the Emirates and Australia that lured them. Something of the shine went off America, but the change in philosophy has left things in mint condition.
Henchy stated with obvious pride: “We have six new teams this year!
“I could write a book about New York Gaelic football, I am buzzing about the health of New York at the moment.
“I think it goes back to last year when there was nothing there for people and young guys came to the games and older lads who would have played when they were in their 20s and disappeared when they were 30, they realised they could play a bit of junior football and not get wrecked.
“It’s an outlet and a social life and they gravitate back to their club. There was nowhere for them to go, they couldn’t travel anywhere, but Gaelic games and Gaelic Park offered them an outlet, the socialisation that they needed.
“I mean, we had so much fun down there last summer. It was stressful, but the players enjoyed it more than ever.
“We had people in Gaelic Park every night of the week, every night. It wouldn’t have mattered if you had two cocks chasing each other round the field, they were coming to watch it!”
So, what can the GAA expect from a man who has the job plenty might have coveted, but just not right now?
“He’s fair. Very fair. He listens, takes everything into account. I have always found him to be very straight and open,” said Henchy.
“He’s as hard as nails when it comes to making decisions and he will not waver on them, but in my time with Larry I have always found him to be an advocate for clubs, making sure they are listened to and heard.”
Hard as nails. He’ll need to be for the next three years.
AS Thomas Tuchel has tried to prepare Chelsea for tomorrow’s match against Manchester United, the priority has been clear. That is how to crowd out and stifle Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese is that good. He’s that central to United’s approach. That was only emphasised in how he still started their Europa League game on Thursday, despite the huge 4-0 lead they enjoyed over Real Sociedad.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a bit less time to prepare, but maybe that bit more to figure out.
That is not just because of Chelsea’s array of attackers, since you might even say they have at least three or four potential Brunos.
It is the variety of ways Tuchel uses them. The ideal for how he works is extreme mobility, and any number of attackers suddenly arriving in any position to hurt the opposition.
It is a fundamental difference in approach between the two teams that could enliven this game, and go some way to deciding the top four.
It is essentially collectivism against individualism, a team where the system is the primary playmaker against one where specific players are, and the manager looks to moments of inspiration.
It is true that Tuchel’s approach is cutting-edge, while one recent Premier League manager remarked how Solskjaer’s dependence on a playmaker is closer to something out of the 1980s.
This doesn’t necessarily mean Chelsea are going to be better for this game, or for the rest of the season.
While Solskjaer’s approach requires players to be in the right mood on any given day — or minute — Tuchel’s requires training and drilling over time.
One is just more dependent on the quality of the players, the other on the quality of the comprehension.
It would be wrong to say United’s game is totally laissez-faire, though. There is a looser structure around it, designed on getting the ball to the most dangerous players quickly.
The figures actually reveal a lot in this regard, and almost outline the shapes of the teams.
Fernandes has predictably created the most “big” chances in the Premier League at 17, and the second most chances overall, at 71. Only Jack Grealish — another old-fashioned playmaker — is ahead of him on the latter with 75.
After that, though, there
is
quite a drop in scale to United’s next most creative players. The impressively resurgent Luke Shaw is responsible for 45, showing how United try to get it in quick from the left, with Rashford then on 27.
Chelsea’s stats are skewed by the managerial change, but the figures since Tuchel took over are revealing. There are chances created from everywhere, and everyone.
Cesar Azpilicueta and Hakim Ziyech are responsible for five each in six games, Reece James,
Timo Werner and Marcos Alonso six each. Jorginho is on eight, Mateo Kovacic on nine, and Callum Hudson-odoi 10.
Mason Mount has reasserted his place as Chelsea’s most creative player, and the 14 chances he has supplied in Tuchel’s six games so far actually match Paul Pogba’s number for the entire season so far.
It points to how the game is going to go.
Chelsea are going to try and probe United and speed from all angles, United are going to try to feed it into Fernandes to orchestrate — or just do something special.
It creates a compelling contrast, that will also inform the future of the sides.
Chelsea have probably bought their side for the future, now, but would maybe add a striker. They are one of a number of clubs in for Erling Haaland.
United would still like to sign him, but sources close to the Norwegian say they are not high on the list due to previous tension with Mino Raiola. Haaland himself would prefer to go to Spain.
One of the biggest signings for United would actually be Fernandes agreeing a new deal. He is willing to do so, but does want the club to buy players he feels can make them compete. Joao Felix is a player he loves playing with, and has mooted.
This is likely to be a relatively restrained summer for United, though. They have not currently made in-roads on any transfers, as they are still deciding on targets, and some sources believe the best they will do — if they do much at all — is three purchases.
Some of that is dependent on Champions League qualification.
It shouldn’t be forgotten that that is no foregone conclusion. The top end of the table below Manchester City remains volatile enough.
Neither side has yet found their feet completely. The hope is it makes for a volatile game, with a lot of chances. Those are the merits of both approaches.
(© The Independent)