FINAL STEP IS REGRET IN COUNTY
‘NUDIE’ HUGHES’ view is that you have your day and you can only live through that era.
That’s his answer when people ask if he has any regrets, or if he would have liked to be a footballer in this modern era, with the opportunities the players have to dedicate themselves so fully to the game.
“I had a great innings in the game,” he said.
But there is one itch that remained unscratched. “The only thing I would have loved was for Monaghan to have reached an All-ireland final, to see how you’d react on the day,” Hughes said.
He starred in the side that, in 1979, won Monaghan’s first Ulster title in 41 years. They lost the All-ireland semi-final to Kerry. It was the same outcome in 1985 – though they took Kerry to a replay – the year in which they also won the National
League title. Three years later it was Cork who did for their All-ireland dream at same stage.
“We performed well, as the present team does, and maybe if the Championship is knockout this year Monaghan could get there,” Hughes said.
“We played in the Centenary Cup (in 1984) – we played in five, won four, lost the final to Meath, and that was the inspiration for the success we had in ‘85 and ‘88, in “86 in reaching the league final where we lost to Laois.
“We played against all the greats, the great Kerry team. We were unfortunate that we always met the Munster champions when we came through, we never met the Leinster or Connacht champions.”
After a lean two decades, Monaghan won Ulster titles in 2013 and ‘15, but Croke Park has been a graveyard to their championship hopes and Conor Mcmanus won’t be around forever.
“Monaghan is still producing players, at underage they’re holding their own very well structure led by Paul O’connor in Castleblayney,” Hughes said.
“Monaghan are able to play that type of football that’s capable of winning titles but they haven’t sustained it long enough, like against Dublin in the League earlier in the year, when basic mistakes were made.
“Conor is the main man, but a variety of players were getting scores that night, which is what they need to take the pressure off him.
“Conor is in the twilight zone of his career but the few months off can work in his favour. If he learns to play smarter he will benefit and be there for another few years.
“Some of his point scoring is unreal – he’s up there with the scoring greats. But we need to be capitalising more when he’s still with us,” stressed Hughes.