Cahill: Players would not mind managers being paid

While losing an eight-point second-half lead to fall to Cork by a point in the Allianz Football League final may represent failure in some eyes, Dublin’s Barry Cahill doesn’t see things that way.

Cahill feels that Pat Gilroy’s side will not suffer a collapse similar to that experienced by Mayo after losing to the Rebels in last year’s league decider, and instead is focusing on the positives.

"I know people might have said that after the match, but our whole 2011 season wasn't based on a league game in April,” he says.

“At the end of the day it was just a National League final for us. It was great to get there having not been there in 12 years.

"Overall we look at the national league experience as a positive one for us. We managed to win six games, drew one and lost the other one by a point. I think there are a lot of positives to take from those eight league games.

"We got to play five of them in Croke Park as well - which is beneficial for a lot of the newer and younger lads coming into the team. Hopefully, that can stand to us later in the summer.

"Cork have built up a lot of experience over the last few years and they showed composure as well. They are able to not panic and see out the game. It's something we'll have to try to learn from and move on into the summer."

Nonetheless, there is still work to be done by Dubs manager Gilroy if the 16-year wait for an All-Ireland is to be ended. Cahill would not have a problem if his, or any other, boss was to be paid for their work.

"It wouldn't bother me one little bit whether they got paid or not," he says.

"From a player's point of view, you do put in a huge amount of effort. But what a manager has to do could be double that.

"He has to go around to loads of games, he's putting in a huge amount of work to organise all the training sessions and the whole schedule behind that. It can be very difficult for lads to do that. I don't really think any player would have a problem with managers being paid.

"The managers are a bit older and if they're married with kids and have a family it can be very stressful for them at times. It's not something that's easy.

"People see them on the sideline at matches, but there's a huge amount more that goes into it. It's 11 or 12 months of work, round-the-clock preparations and it can be a lot of work.

"Players realise the demands of being an inter-county manager. Managers have to think seriously when they are offered a job because putting in all these hours, you probably should be getting something back for it."

Having played a lot of the league at midfield, Cahill took to his new role with relish.

"Maybe it does suit me playing there because you are able to get on a lot of ball, get forward and get back," he says.

"There is a lot of hard work playing around the middle third, but it's something I enjoy."

And he doesn’t see a lack of height as a disadvantage in a position normally dominated by the taller players.

"The days are gone now where goalkeepers just put the ball down and boot it 70 yards out the pitch,” he says.

“Even from a size point of view, Anthony Tohill, Ciaran Whelan who would have been 6' 4" or 6' 5", there are not many of them around now.

"A lot of teams now would play one big man and one slightly smaller man to do a lot of the running and be more of a line man. I suppose that's a role I would see myself being able to play. Shane Ryan did it very well for us for a number of years.

"I don't think there is as much emphasis on the middle two any more, it's more about the middle eight. With kick-outs in particular, we have a very good goalkeeper in Stephen Cluxton, and he's able to place them, whether it's short or long."