Siege mentality adding to pressure on Kildare

Back towards the turn of the century, during an Armagh boot camp that involved a raft race, Oisín McConville was more than a little tentative at the back of a craft because he couldn’t swim.

He dipped a paddle into the water on one side, then the other, and tried to find a semblance of balance to calm his mind. That was until Kieran McGeeney turned from the front of the boat and shot him a look that screamed ‘faster’. A choice between the ire of his leader and drowning was easy so McConville started to row as hard as he could.

It’s always been McGeeney’s way. Until management, that was fair enough as McGeeney was the trend-setter in a time of football upheaval. But in his latest role, his need to control and his distrust of authority have resulted in a personal persecution complex and, by extension and proximity, a squad-wide world-against-us mantra in Kildare.