Back to basics: Keeping faith in way of the Cross

WHEN the hype and the euphoria which accompanied Dublin’s All-Ireland victory fades, we are left with the reality of modern football.

The stark facts are that negativity wins. Defensive systems succeed. And he who dares — loses.

This is not a criticism of Dublin’s finely-tuned 12-man defence. Pat Gilroy would never have achieved glory without it.

Not that Gilroy will be concerned. Pundits are in the entertainment business. They can get paid good money to moan about the quality of football on offer.

Managers like Pat Gilroy are in a results business.

And any manager with a modicum of wit has long since observed that teams defending in numbers are the ones winning the trophies.

Let’s not forget that Donegal, with just one forward, could have beaten Dublin.

Ultimately, the future for those who prefer to see football played along more traditional lines appears depressing.

Why would a manager advocate kicking the ball, when all the evidence suggests that fist-passing is the safer? Why would a manager go man-to-man when zonal defensive systems have been proven to be so effective?

All this leads to even more pressing questions: Is the game as we used to know it dead and gone? Maybe. But maybe not. Those seeking solace or evidence that alternative strategies can reap rewards should look no further than Crossmaglen. The reigning All-Ireland club champions retained their county title on Sunday with a facile 2-22 to 0-3 victory over Ballymacnab.

Tony McEntee is the joint manager. Confident, bright and articulate, McEntee is a man of cast-iron certainties. Not only does he prefer the kicking game, he is also completely convinced that it remains the most effective way to play football.

So much so, that short, sideways hand-passing gets Tony extremely irritated.

Unlike other teams programmed to retain possession through an endless diet of hand-passing drills, Crossmaglen have adopted a totally different approach.

They never use hand-passing drills (except in a warm-up) or play small-sided games. The rationale is simple. McEntee and his joint manager Gareth O’Neill want their players to kick the ball.

Their opposition to small-sided games stems from their belief that footballers become so accustomed to looking for the three-yard lay-off they don’t consider the direct route.

Crossmaglen also shun the sweeper system. When confronted with it, they go man-to-man and play with seven forwards.

Again, such tactics could be interpreted as gung-ho or foolhardy, but we are talking about the reigning All-Ireland champions. Their refusal to swallow modern coaching methods is further demonstrated by their gruelling sessions in Gosford Forest Park.

Many of the new breed consider long distance runs to have gone out with the ark.

The new gospel has been all about quick bursts of high intensity. But McEntee doesn’t subscribe to this theory. He reckons teams that train in short bursts tend to play in short bursts.

As a former county footballer who can think for himself, he appreciates the vast majority of players are constantly on the move. Most will cover around six miles during a game.

Players are running all the time. The only thing that changes is their speed. This explains Crossmaglen’s ‘fartlek’ sessions on a forest trail; this training method involves the players covering a six-mile route at a variety of speeds.

Crossmaglen’s unwillingness to adopt much of today’s accepted wisdom is refreshing. Moreover, their ability to succeed is extremely heartening, particularly for those who are deriving less enjoyment from the modern game.

Of course, it could be argued that Crossmaglen have won All-Ireland titles with a variety of teams, systems and managers. This is true.

But, we can also point to Culloville’s recent victory in the Armagh IFC, managed by Tony’s twin brother, John.

While the McEntee boys might express themselves slightly differently, they share the same ideas of how football should be played: fast, direct, and preferably with the boot.

It works for both sides. And if Kerry had embraced the same recipe, last month’s final might have ended very differently.

Four points up, and in complete control, a needless fist-pass in the centre of the pitch proved to be Kerry’s undoing.

With Kieran Donaghy in such commanding form on the edge of the square, there was no need for such intricacies in the middle of the park.

The outcome of this year’s All-Ireland final will have reinforced Tony McEntee’s fist-pass distaste.

And the Crossmaglen changing room has obviously been converted.

Aaron Kernan, a footballer who has played under some very astute managers, is a devout disciple.

After Sunday’s final he said: “These boys are not into the fancy stuff. I’ve learned so much about Gaelic football in the last two years just doing things the simple way.”

Simple things like kicking the ball. It still works.