DUIGNAN AND O’MAHONY’S EXPERT VERDICTS
IBUMPED into Anthony Cunningham at a recent coaching day in Meath, one in which Tommy Dunne of Tipperary also took part along with Clare’s Christy O’Connor who gave a goalkeeping workshop. What struck me that day was the interest on the ground with over 100 coaches turning up.
My first question was: ‘Why are we all here today?’ A few looked a bit puzzled but the answer was a simple one: ‘because of a love for the game.’
There was a lot of passion in the room and Cunningham talked about management – and its pitfalls. He was noticeably hurt and disappointed when the Galway heave was brought up, but he spoke honestly without going into it in too much depth.
He stated categorically that there was no row in the Galway dressing room at half-time in the All-Ireland final, a rumour that has spread after his team coughed up a three-point lead against Kilkenny and the subsequent coup by the players.
He also said plans were in place to deal with the inevitable Kilkenny backlash in the second half, but things didn’t work out as intended. He also had issues with some refereeing decisions.
However, when he left Croke Park that day, he was looking forward to getting back there because that is the type of character he is.
Instead, he will watch today’s rematch in the Allianz League from the Nowlan Park stands, with Micheál Donoghue now in charge of the Tribesmen.
While the players gave the impression that communication from management could have been better, I felt he was pragmatic in looking for players to take personal responsibility.
He spoke about one player who hadn’t touched the ball in 25 minutes in a game, yet couldn’t understand why he was substituted.
I played in an era when you weren’t spoken to and you didn’t get an arm thrown around you.
Management is about the business of winning, not being best buddies or massaging egos. That’s the mother’s job, or the wife or girlfriend, if they want to take it on.
I felt the Galway players were simply laying the blame at management rather than looking at themselves. It was tough on Cunningham and his family, and I thought the timing was wrong.
After the parting of ways then, I know, if I was a player, I’d be really up for this one against Kilkenny. I was talking to someone in Water- ford recently who said they had targeted the opening round against Kilkenny since last October because of losing to the Cats in the All-Ireland semi-final. It was about the psychological element of beating the champions. The same applies to Galway. That’s twice now they’ve lost All-Irelands to Kilkenny, so they have to be up for it.
They might have a new management team but, so far at least, it has been the same old Galway – they enjoyed a good win against Cork before following it up with a poor performance in their defeat by Dublin.
Given how Cork have struggled since, the opening round result has lost some of its gloss. The display against Dublin represented a complete flip-flop against a team who had taken a hammering themselves in the opening round.
Danny Sutcliffe is not playing and a few other have not been involved and yet Ger Cunningham’s men turned things around quickly.
It just shows that home advantage is a big thing in the competition.
Galway are a team that have spooked Kilkenny from time to time, whether it’s the Leinster final hammering in 2012, the All-Ireland semifinal win in 2005 or going back to 1986 and the ground-breaking two man full-forward line in Thurles.
The back story means this is a big game. If I was a Galway man, this is the time to stand up.
I’m surprised there wasn’t more of a fuss about Johnny Glynn just heading off to America for the season. It is in sharp contrast to the headlines generated by Colm Galvin’s brief stint away from the Clare set-up last year.
It removes a big ball-winning option. I thought he was a one dimensional full-forward until Anthony Cunningham played him at 12 and caused trouble in the Leinster final against Kilkenny.
Galway have plenty of hurlers with a silky touch, so his strength and power will be missed, particularly in offering a second target man option along with Joe Canning.
Watching Ken McGrath on TG4’s Laochra Gael series, he made a point of saying that his career wasn’t defined by an All-Ireland medal – or not having one. Canning’s career has been brilliant in so many ways, but it’s moving on. I’m sure he wants to have that medal to look back on.
As Tipperary found out, Kilkenny are so hard to beat at home. One reason why they might just hold sway.