It's been a while since I posted anything worth saying, and this probably isn't going to be worth anything in any case.
Firstly, our performance on Saturday evening was awful, one dimensional and fractured at best. I don't think anyone would say anything more positive than that. I can also understand how others would have much more critical assessments.
I was behind the goals at the Cornagrade end of Brewster Park (where the wind was roaring through the branches of the trees). I had the pleasure, and displeasure, of being with about a dozen Fermanagh men from Enniskillen, Irvinestown and Edereny. In fairness all good lads. They all had skin in the game; players from their respective clubs all lined out. There was a real buzz from them before the game and I'd have lost money in the Roadhouse beforehand as each of them were resolute in their belief that this would be a solid win for Fermanagh. Each year, under whatever manager, they'd always be upbeat but this year they were different, cocky in fact. Fermanagh TV were out and about before the game and at least four of them said a five point win for Fermanagh!
There was a move made behind the scenes for Gallagher once McGrath was ousted. He asked for three things, full control of team affairs including personnel, full support from clubs to implement what he needed from players at club training and total player commitment to his standards. He knows what he got into, the limited player resources and the lack of quality in the county. Given this, the fans backed him when he brought Ricey to the mix. The resultant product is a team of club hardened footballers that know their limitations and play low scoring, low conceding, at times toxic containment football. Gifted footballers like Tomas Corrigan, don't fit the machine and sit on the bench. I heard he doesn't work hard enough to gain Gallagher's trust, that may change. Do the Fermanagh followers care? no, not one bit. The result is what mattered! It's dire, turgid but effective stuff. They will give other teams trouble. Is this what we want?
History has shown, and posted on a previous point by another poster, that we, as a county, failed to value the character and ultimately protect the legacy that was built in that 2002 to 2008 unit. It was mismanaged and whilst we had underage success the character and standards set at senior level were being eroded, devalued and frittered away. Banty brought success in bringing a young Monaghan team through but it was O'Rourke and Porter who added to the character created there. There was something to build on. The early character was carefully protected, managed and added to. Jimmy McGuiness had to do this in Donegal. He pushed out the lads with links to previous teams and was resolute in his conviction that this was the right thing to do. What he had however was a successful U21 team, which he coached, to bring through. In Armagh an abyss has been created and whether we like it or not the links with the past are severed and a completely new team has to be created, one with very few links to previously successful teams. To completely rebuild a new team with their own ethos is singularly the most difficult thing to create and I do believe we were going nowhere previously, limping along and thinking more about our reputation than our character. For it's reputation what other people think about you but it's character where you think about yourself. It's why I believe McGeeney pushed the reset button last year, he had to start the process again, build a new character set with those that will fully commit and unfortunately that takes time.
I'm not happy with what I saw, I'm not confident in the near term. However, whether it's Kieran or another, I do know we need to build a new unit, which is totally committed, with a mindset of its own and not one that harks to the past. I can see what he is trying to do and value his hard work in trying to achieve it.
