McEneaney: Reduce training ban

MONAGHAN manager Eamonn McEneaney has proposed the winter training ban be reduced to one month — but to include colleges — and further suggested the pre-season competitions be played off in November.

The Castleblayney man, who was appointed as Seamus McEnaney’s successor at the start of last October, was able to get the Farney County’s pre-season under way on January 1st after the two month moratorium on collective inter-county training.

On top of that, he has had to make do without almost 20 players because of injuries and college commitments.

Monaghan lost to a strong Queens University side at the weekend and while this evening’s opponents Cavan are in a similar boat McEneaney feels a winter training ban should also apply to third level teams.

“I agree that there should be a break but that everybody should get a break for a full month,” he said.

“All the college and county teams should get a full month off with no collective training. They can still do any wee bits and pieces that they want to do but I would be suggesting that December is that month.”

To complement thatrecommendation, McEneaney feels the pre-season competitions such as the McKenna, McGrath and O’Byrne Cups as well as the FBD Connacht League should be pushed back to November. It, he claims, would provide managers, especially newly-appointed ones, with a window to assess players before naming a panel for a month-long pre-season training in January.

“New managers should get an opportunity to see their players earlier than January,” he explained.

“Playing off the pre-season competitions in November is one idea I would have. That way managers could try out lads and then in January the training could begin properly because you would know your panel. Having four or five weeks’ training with no competitive games and with all your players available to you would be a proper pre-season run into the National Leagues.”

McEneaney isn’t certain about Roscommon club Elphin’s motion to bring back the pre-ChristmasNational League start, which will be voted on at Congress in April.

However, he is adamant the status quo doesn’t work and something has to be done. “I’m not in favour of the current situation,” he said. “I don’t think it serves the purpose it was introduced for. Who it is protecting, I don’t really know because the guys that are in college here are in the most need of protection. They’re at that (age) of 19, 20, 21 years of age and they’re playing for everyone.”

McEneaney has also admitted he won’t be too perturbed if Monaghan’s interests in the McKenna Cup ends in Inniskeen this evening.

Home advantage will help andCavan also suffered defeat in their Section B opener, losing to Derry, but McEneaney isn’t too concerned about the outcome.

“I’m not sure how much of a level playing field it is when we’ve only two starters from last year (Paul Finlay and Dick Clerkin) available but I’m not concerned about winning the McKenna Cup or getting through to the final.

“I’m more realistic about where we are and the 18 or 19 players we’re missing because of colleges or injuries.

“However, it is an ideal opportunity for lads to get into the panel for the National League and we’re happy with the enthusiasm they’re showing.”

McEneaney has been thrilled by the reaction of the players who had previously worked under his namesake Seamus for six seasons and were disappointed when he was overlooked after requesting a two-year extension.

“People are taking on board what’s going on. They’re responding to how we’re doing things differently.

“People always respond to new ideas and we’re seeing that at this early stage of the year. They’re enjoying what we’re doing. We’re in a race against time to get players back for the National League but we’re hoping to have some for the start of it.”