Italian soccer-style tactics are killing Gaelic, fears Hanahoe

CATENACCIO went out of fashion in Italy along time ago but former Dublin player and manager Tony Hanahoe believes Serie A’s ultra-defensive mindset is alive and well in Gaelic football and threatening the very fabric of the game.

The sound of ex-players bemoaning the state of their chosen sport has long been a familiar state of play but Hanahoe’s concern is one shared by observers of various generations as a result of tactics employed by a number of sides this summer.

Donegal’s 14-man defensive unit has shipped the brunt of the criticism in recent months but other once-flamboyant sides like Mayo and Laois have turned their backs on a previous commitment to free-flowing football in favour of more constrained systems.