I’m urging our senior players not to make hasty decisions about future
THERE was no doubt that it was a disappointing result against Meath last week but let me tell everybody loud and clear, that this team left everything on the field. I think anyone at Páirc Tailteann would recognise that. No doubt supporters are asking questions and hopefully I will be in a position to provide an answer here to some of them.
We performed to a high level in all four championship games and with a little bit of luck could have won them all. Instead, while we won two, we lost two and our year is over.
One of the criticisms following the gut-wrenching two-point loss in Navan was that we were much too defensive. The fact of the matter is however, that we have not changed our system since our first outing against New York. What we HAVE done, is gotten better at implementing it and that should be the case game-on-game. You’re always trying to perfect what you are doing.
There is still a message of negativity out there about defending properly but as a management team, your main objective it to limit the amount of chances your opponents have and create enough yourself to win the game.
This takes hard work in training, both on and off the field. Regular readers of this column will have gotten a glimpse of that as I referred to the regular workshops and meetings we have, with the players breaking off into little groups.
It is all about increasing the understanding of what we’re doing, identifying little issues that have come up in games or training and working out solutions. It is the same with the work the management does with video analysis.
Then on the pitch, we try to apply the improvements. All the time, bodies are put on the line and the lads did that in training and in all four games.
So against Meath, defensively, we were very good.
They had no goal opportunity against us and were lucky to have 15 men on the field after 15 minutes played. In contrast, they had at least three goal chances against Donegal on Saturday night so that tells you that yes, Sligo were very good defensively .
Up front, we just didn’t put the finishing touches to the many opportunities that were created, for both goals and points, that would have put the game to bed. It would also have put that myth about us being defensive to bed.
People look at the scores registered for a line but that was about the execution, not the intent or ability to create.
We have always been committed to attack and being good defensively doesn’t mean you can’t go forward too. We create plenty chances but didn’t take enough of them.
David Kelly, Pat Hughes and Johnny Kelly had great goal chances and were only denied by last-ditch defending. Had even one of those been availed off, the game would have been very different. Gerard O’Kelly Lynch scored his goal after a great move up the field that involved some fantastic play from Mark Breheny and Paddy O’Connor
We also missed gilt-edged chances for points, which normally, the boys are so clinical with. Added to that, we dropped five shots short, which is very unlike us.
I firmly believe that the more we play at this level, the more we will learn to take those chances, getting more comfortable with those types of situations.
I keep saying this but I believe this team is improving and going in the right direction. We are competing and if you’re competing it’s only a matter of time before you will taste success.
Just look at Meath and Donegal who played out a similar contest on Saturday. This time Meath got no luck and Donegal edged them out in a thriller. This line of form would suggest that we are not far off.
Looking to the future now, getting promoted from Division 3 has to be a priority and to that end, I urge our senior players not to make hasty decisions about their future.
Sligo need everyone and it will take time for the U21s and minors to develop. You don’t become a senior inter-county footballer in six weeks, or six months for that matter. It takes two years of training at the right level. Of course you will get the odd exception with the likes of Paddy O’Connor, Kyle Cawley and Gerard O’Kelly Lynch but these players are still learning and developing also.
We need experience to complement the youth and we should be careful what we wish for when some are looking for retirements. Talking of youth, Sligo minors just fell short in the Connacht final on Sunday but are still in the last eight so they have all to play for still. These are good times for Sligo football.
In relation to my own future, I haven’t decided to be honest and I’m still getting over the loss. I have to sit down with my family first and talk it through because be under no illusions, this job has to be number one if it’s done right. So that’s one hurdle. The players, county board and of course my management team all have to be consulted as we review our year.
Are we going in the right direction? I believe we are but all major stakeholders need to step it up again and believe me when I say this, that’s easier said than done.