Gutted for all involved but in reality that game played out exactly as I suspected it would. Bumped into a Tipp friend yesterday morning and we were discussing the game. Both agreed it would be a dour, low scoring game. Likely ET and Monaghan would be hard to beat. I don’t know if anyone expected it to be easy but if they did that was very disrespectful to a team who avoided relegation, unlike us. The format of the championship this year has meant that 8 of the top 12 teams in the National league made the 1/4 finals so it is reflective of where teams are at. 2 of the top 6 are in the semis with 1 possible more in Mayo. This means the cream generally rises to the top. We are not there yet despite what people think.
On the game it was a situation of having 2 teams afraid to lose as opposed to going for the win. We played constipated in my opinion and didn’t go for the win. I think if we did then we would have won it out in normal time. The whole concept of results at all costs has meant that teams as a whole have forgotten how to win, apart from the top few teams. Management outside of 2-3 teams won’t let them play and as a consequence you will repeatedly have Kerry, Dublin and Mayo in the last 4 with Kerry or Dublin dominating with the odd breakthrough like ourselves in 2002, the Tyrone team on 2021 and Donegal under McGuinness. Tyrone under Harte were different as they went for it. If we had won in 2003 we would have had another 1-2 as well but unfortunately we are a one hit wonder. I have been a broken record about comparing how Monaghan run their whole systems to us. Smaller playing groups but very well run leagues that are competitive. Strong schools and underage structures which had repeatedly generated solid players. We do not have that and as a consequence no matter who is the manager will always have limits to what they can do. We spent years clapping ourselves on the back after 2002 without doing the proper ground work and as a consequence 2 great under age teams from 2004 and 2009 have been ‘lost’. We have produced more ‘experts’ from 2002 that I’d say any team in history. I think 7-8 have managed at inter county or senior club at a very high level (with very limited success bar 2-3 I might add). I might be wrong but Tony Mc and Oisin are the most consistently successful.
There will be calls for the management to be replaced, and I understand that, but I also think they have been hampered to an extent by an unrealistic expectation of what this group can do. I personally believe there should be new management next year but simply on the basis that I think this group has been taken as far as it can under the current set up. A new voice and new approach may see an improvement but that’s not a negative reflection on the work done in the last few years. I just think it is stale and ‘same voice’ syndrome is there.
An overall rethink of where the county is must happen. We have tried top down for success, it hasn’t worked. I don’t believe we have given bottom up enough work. In terms of the people over the senior team we may need to look outside the county. Look at the improvements to Louth, Derry, and even Kerry bringing paddy tally in. Maybe need to look at a Malachy O Rourke with the right locals around him.