Ger Brennan: Louth have players who could walk into most Division 1 teams
Louth's Sam Mulroy and manager Ger Brennan celebrate after the Leinster semi-final against Kildare. Picture: ©INPHO/Bryan Keane
Louth boss Ger Brennan says he can't argue with the claim that Group 4 of the All-Ireland series, with Kerry involved, is not so much a group of death but a group of the already dead.
The Wee County, along with neighbours Meath and Monaghan, have been tossed into a four-team group that looks set to be dominated by the Munster champions.
The Kingdom are already up and running following last weekend's demolition of Monaghan while Louth will host Meath in the other Round 1 game this Saturday.
Asked how he felt about that 'group of the already dead' comment and if he felt it was disrespectful to back-to-back Leinster finalists Louth, former Dublin defender Brennan shrugged.
"Statistically speaking, it's the truth," said Brennan. "It's a challenge to Louth I would say. You can't argue with facts. It is what it is but that's the opportunity and the challenge for Louth, to be able to compete at the top table.
"We'd love to have gotten to Division 1 this year but it wasn't to be. Now we've gotten to the All-Ireland series and we'll get the chance to play two Division 1 teams from this year.
"We had a great and competitive game with Meath in the National League so they're all going to be close games. But yeah, Kerry, statistically speaking, you can't really argue too much with that statement."
The two-time All-Ireland winner will be privately telling his players that they're a match for anyone on their day, as the four-point provincial final loss to Sam Maguire Cup holders Dublin suggested.
And he was up front about his ambitions for the improving group with a place in the All-Ireland preliminary quarter-finals, at least, a clear target.
To get there, Louth will need to take at least one big scalp. They competed alongside Meath in Division 2 this season but haven't beaten the Royals in the Championship since 1975 while Kerry and Monaghan competed in Division 1 this year and Louth haven't beaten a team from a higher division in the Championship since 2014, when they overcame Westmeath.
"Really we need to start competing in the All-Ireland series and getting to the latter stages of the Championship," said Brennan.
"Even looking at some of the teams that Louth have beaten in the Championship since 2018, we have only beaten London, Carlow, Westmeath, Offaly, Wexford and Kildare so, outside of those six counties, Louth has not beaten anyone else. Now is a wonderful opportunity to compete against Meath, the old enemy for Louth, and to try to get one over them.
"I think there was evidence in the Leinster final that our group has learned quite a bit from the previous experience of last year's Leinster final so time will tell but you would certainly like to think, after how well they applied themselves, that over the next three games, and Kerry is going to be the last game, that we can come out with two, three points out of those three games. That is progress and that is an opportunity to get into the knock-out stages."
Meath have hit some famous match winning goals against Louth over the years, from the Graham Geraghty (2002) and Joe Sheridan (2010) strikes to Mathew Costello's more recent wonder goal in the league in February.
But Louth have hit 19 goals themselves since the start of the league, including six against Fermanagh, four against Wexford and two against Dublin at Croke Park, so could turn the tables this Saturday evening.
"When you look at the individual talent that some of the Louth players have, it's Division 1 quality," said Brennan. "It's players who could walk into most Division 1 county teams around the country. So you have to allow the lads to show off those natural skills and those inclinations that they have. James McCartan has been a massive influence as well."
Meanwhile, Brennan backed away from his post-Leinster final criticism of the GAA regarding Louth's plans to build a new stadium in Dundalk. With slow progress on the development, they've had to move Saturday's game out of the county to Inniskeen in Monaghan and Brennan said after the Dublin game that the GAA could give 'a bit more support and get boots on the ground in Dundalk'.
"To be fair to the executive and to John Horan in Croke Park, I was probably a bit excited chatting to you after the match, given how close we came," he said.
"I really have to leave those things to the executive. I do know there's an awful lot of work going on in the background. So it was a bit of a loose comment from me.
"Because it was unfair on Croke Park and unfair on (Louth chairman) Sean McClean. Yeah, I was a bit excited.
"I'm just trying to focus on the football now and the next couple of games ahead."
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