Jackie Tyrrell: 'The kitchen is the only place I’ve done a bit of sweeping'

Jackie Tyrrell is adamant that Kilkenny will never go down the sweeper route, insisting: “The kitchen is the only place I’ve done a bit of sweeping.”

Tyrrell’s Cats colleague TJ Reid said in the wake of their Allianz league semi-final defeat to Clare that the back-to-back All-Ireland champions might have to break from tradition and consider deploying a seventh defender.

“We’ll have to definitely look at it. I definitely think it’s something we’ll have to implement in training and get our heads around,” said Reid.

Clare, Waterford and Limerick have all had success with a sweeper system this year, but nine-time All-Ireland medalist Tyrrell made his feelings clear on the subject.

When asked if Kilkenny have experimented with a sweeper in training, as Reid suggested, defender Tyrrell shook his head: “I don’t think it is the Kilkenny way. You play to your strengths and I don’t think a sweeper is Kilkenny’s strength. It might be for other counties and that. I suppose there is a lot of talk out there about sweepers and nobody was really giving out about it when Clare did it in 2013.

“When they won that All-Ireland, there was nothing said about it. Waterford won a league title, there was nothing said about it then. It only seems to be in the last while.

“I can see the reasons why you’d use a sweeper. I know the games aren’t as exciting then, but I don’t know what the answer is. In terms of us, I don’t see Kilkenny using a sweeper or going down that road.”

While not deploying a sweeper specifically during Cody’s 17-year reign as manager, Kilkenny have consistently dropped half-forwards and midfielders back into defensive positions when they’re under pressure.

“I suppose other teams pick one person specifically as a sweeper, we would probably say we put all of ourselves there,” said Tyrrell. “It can be so amazing if a half-forward runs 10 yards to pick up a midfielder’s man, very inspiring. If you do that you can have so many bodies back. That is the way we work it. Brian puts the emphasis on workrate, desire, intensity to play for the team, to be in the right position. I can’t see that changing.”

Offaly legend Michael Duignan revealed his frustration with modern defensive tactics yesterday and questioned the road that the game is going down. Tyrrell said the jury is still out on whether the game is going down a positive or negative route.

“It depends who wins the All-Ireland this year,” he said. “If you have a team winning that doesn’t use a sweeper, then that is seen to be the best way.”

Tyrrell missed Kilkenny’s Leinster semi-final win over Dublin with a hamstring injury.

He said he will return to full training shortly ahead of the July 3 Leinster final with Offaly or Galway, who meet on Sunday.

Tyrrell said it’s no done deal that Galway will win, as expected, to set up a repeat of last year’s All-Ireland final.

“You can’t think like that, you only have to look at the Tipperary footballers last weekend, but I’m sure the motivation to get over Offaly for Galway would be to get another crack at us.”