Banner must get rid of baggage and drive on
Perhaps we should look to the history books for some pointers. In 1995 Clare won an All-Ireland title against all odds, much like happened last year.
In 1996, Clare’s epic battle in the Munster championship with Limerick was decided by a fantastic late Ciarán Carey point. It was an excellent performance by the losers but they had no complaints and accepted they were beaten by a better team on the day. And that is where their season came to a grinding halt as there was no backdoor and no second chances. But they came back in 1997 winning Munster and All-Ireland titles.
The difference now is that Clare are still in the championship, and are still the reigning All-Ireland champions. So how do they go about resurrecting their challenge?
First things first them must get themselves right in the head. That’s the most important thing of all, more important than any training, than any tactics, than anything they might do in Cusack Park over the next couple of weeks. They must dump all this rubbish about referees and hidden agendas and all that, and forget especially about enquiries – I think Clare people already know the value of enquiries. Worthless. The only enquiry that should be held should be within the four walls of the Clare dressing-room. Let Davy Fitz, Louis Mulqueen and Mike Deegan and the players look at themselves, examine where they went wrong, and get it right for the next day.
Focus on the next game, nothing else. That’s how Clare won the All-Ireland last year, going from game to game, doing what they had to do to win those matches.
The big difference this year, they’re All-Ireland champions, and even after losing last Sunday they carry a weight of expectation. Deal with all of that.
Mistakes were made on the line last week – there isn’t a management team anywhere that’s perfect, that doesn’t make mistakes. The thing for Clare now to do is to admit to those mistakes and learn from them.
Learn especially from the opposition. Did Cork have the same team out last week as started the All-Ireland final? Not at all, they moved on, brought on new players and those players made a difference.
Clare started with 12 of last year’s team and that’s fine if those 12 were going well. But were they? Were the management team too loyal to certain players in starting them, did they stay too loyal during the game, take off the right players? Having said that, can a case be made now for a couple of those from last September who didn’t start, for Patrick Kelly and Domhnall O’Donovan particularly?
None of us out here are privy to what exactly is going on inside the panel setup but those who are need to have a hard and honest look at what was done last Sunday and at how it was done.
The players too need to look at themselves, a lot of them weren’t at the races last Sunday. They looked flat. Should Podge Collins ask himself about trying to be a dual player? Should Davy Fitz now lay down the law?
Two of Cork’s best players last Sunday are also dual players, Damien Cahalane and Aidan Walsh but look at the difference in physique between them and Podge Collins. Those two Cork players have the build to inflict physical punishment, Podge absorbs it and that’s the difference. Then there’s the way Podge plays; as much running as he does in hurling, he does more again in football. I’m not saying all or any of this has to be done, I’m saying that these are the kind of things Clare should be looking at this week.
The All-Ireland title is still there to be won, all three champions are still standing – Leinster (Dublin), Munster (Limerick) and All-Ireland (Clare).
Clare did it the hard way last year; it will be twice as hard this year and this is now the real test.
Get yourself right, be ready for anything – no matter where it comes from — and September beckons again. No fear, no regrets.
