‘Tactics have place, but we just go and play’
ALL-IRELAND SHC FINAL REPLAY:
Clare V Cork
Paralysis by analysis is a pretty common affliction, a state of inertia brought on when someone micro-analyses a situation to such an extent that they render themselves immobile.
There’s a perception out there that this is how Clare senior hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald operates, micro-analysis, micro-management, and that because of this he can bring his team to a state where they are simply unable to play.
Not true, he says, not even remotely true.
“Everyone else reads into stuff, we just go and play,” he said.
“We might throw two or three points at them, that’s all we do. People read so much into tactics, it’s crazy. We’ll have a meeting on Saturday night that will last about 10-12 minutes. We’ll go over stuff. It’s not going into massive depth.
“We’ll pick a few little things and let the boys off and express themselves and that will be the way it will go.”
One of the ‘little things’ Clare threw at Cork in the drawn All-Ireland final of three weeks ago was a return to convention. In their quarter-final and semi-final wins over Galway and Limerick respectively, Clare had used team captain Patrick Donnellan as a sweeper to great effect and it was widely expected they would do so again for the final. Instead, Clare went six backs, two midfielders, six up front and caught everyone off guard.
This week again the conjecture is rife. Will Clare do the same and go with the sweeper or will they come up with something completely different?
Grist to the mill where the media is concerned, of course, likewise for the supporters, as there’s plenty to discuss. It’s not about keeping Cork guessing though, says Davy.
“I try to look at the opposition and see what you’re playing and Cork are a very good ball team so you can read into that whatever you want to read into it. Cork are a really good ball team and I think they’re really good hurlers.”
This, he says, is why he didn’t play a sweeper the first day, not even in the final quarter when Clare were protecting a five-point lead.
“I know exactly how it would have gone and I’m not going to go into that now, I’ll tell you another day. All I’ll say to you is look back on a lot of games and where Cork get a lot of their scores from and it will answer that question for you because I’ve it [analysis] done.”
Cork are a free-scoring side is his point, many of those scores from long range, which would have made the sweeper redundant. Worse, he says, with an extra man in their own defence Cork would have had time to pick out their shots and pick out those who would take them.
“That [sweeper] would be inviting them on. They pick scores at will. You look at Patrick Horgan in the first half. Where did he get his score from [halfway, wide right]? If we do that they’re going to pick score after score after score.
“That’s only my opinion, maybe it could be different but you look at them, they’re able to shoot.”
It makes perfect sense, of course, and doesn’t involve any massive analysis either. Having seen Clare work that system for two consecutive games Cork would have prepared and probably would have countered it.
As it was, and again this probably came from simple analysis, Davy and his management felt full confidence in the ability of his six backs to do their job against the Cork attack. It worked too, worked a treat, the Clare half-back trio of Brendan Bugler, Patrick O’Connor and man of the match Conor Ryan totally dominant, the inside trio of Domhnall O’Donovan, Cian Dillon and David McInerney also having storming outings.
Three slips cost Clare, three goals conceded that were down as much to Cork genius as Clare error. And this is a good Cork team, Davy’s respect for them very evident.
“They could have ended up with five goals the last day and my own honest opinion is that they didn’t get the credit they deserved. I thought Cork played pretty decent, especially in the second half. I think they had only three or four wides.
“That shows any ball they had the last day, they used it pretty well. I know everyone is saying that Cork are going to play way better the next day. If they do, Jesus, we’re going to have to do some unmerciful rising of our game again so we will.
“What are Cork going to do? They’re going to get the ball and run at us every chance they get. They’re going to be going for goals and 21s and that’s what we expect is coming.
” If I remember right, I did an event with ye [media] before the league started and I said it to you then, I thought Cork would be in the shake-up. Go back and check it.
“I think they’ve decent hurlers down there, really decent, and they’ve shown it, they’ve beat some great teams this year.”
They’ll have to beat one more, however, if they’re to be crowned this year’s All-Ireland champions, and Clare will not be making it easy for them.
“We know them fierce well at this stage but I think we’re two hurling teams, very little dirty strokes between ourselves and Cork the last day, very little. We hurl, we go out, we work hard, two big work-ethics, but I also think there’s a lot of skill involved in both teams.
“Playing them a sixth time? Let the hurling do the talking out there and I think that’s a good way to be.”
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