Donegalman

We didn't invent the blanket defense. Dublin set up very similar in 2010 under Gilroy. I remember being at the quarter final against Tyrone and it was clear the tactics. They played with 2 sweepers at all times, didn't contest the short kickouts but took everyone back to their own half before engaging. They blocked off the kickpass to the forwards with extra men and turned over so many balls by interceptions.

Granted our system was a bit more organised in that if a back wen forward, a midfielder or half forward would fill the gap so there was always cover and our communication in doing this was top notch. We also brought it to a new extreme against Dublin in 2011. But it wasn't an entirely new concept by any stretch.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 10/11/2016 09:27:07    1933212

It is not black and white no matter what arguments people put forward. It can make a little difference to athletes of all levels, whereas others might not need it. And those saying I haven't seen an average team being turned around due to a top psychologist are missing the point, it isn't that simple. In fact, more often than not it is the teams at the very top who are looking to make little gains from using them, no matter how small. As I said, there is good and bad out there, I have seen some of them in action, but sometimes taking on board 3 or 4 things you never thought of and keeping them with you can make a big difference to a player over the course of a season.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 7900 - 10/11/2016 11:31:38    1933264

It is a load of shite especially for a team sport. Can never see with 30 guys that they would all buy into it.
Maybe it is needed for someone like Padraig Harrington but he is a different species to most!

Joe Brolly's article was very good but the same can be said of his own sports analysis where a lot of it is just spoofing throughout the year.

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 10/11/2016 12:09:03    1933281

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 10/11/2016 12:48:31    1933307

Every manager down the years, at all levels, has had to work on the mental attitudes of players - the approach ranging from the proverbial 'kick-in-the-arse' to the 'arm-around-the-shoulder. It all added to the manager/coache's load and maybe, when things were not going well for the manager, he wasn't in the best frame of mind to handle it. No wonder then that we had such a development but, as many would argue, it seems to have got out of hand. (I wonder what a sports psychologist would have made of Joe''s running along the sideline blowing kisses to the crowd.)

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 10/11/2016 16:43:20    1933380

with all the talk of sports psychologists and guru's etc, why is it that the average margin of defeat across both codes has lengthened so much. I'm not that old but i remember the day where an 8-9 point defeat was a walloping, This last few years Meath were being branded brave for getting within 8-9 points of Dublin. The point I'm trying to make is that you'd be expecting games to be getting tighter and the drive in teams to be of the scales with all this extra mind performance work!! how many games this last few years did you find very hard to call? a handful perhaps......If anything i feel this can be damaging towards not just the player but also the person. Sports psychology is often perceived as this miracle that will ''get you across the line''. what happens if it doesn't. a player could feel like they've invested so so much and still come up short! where do they go from there to reach there goal if that was seen as the last port of call? the player should be encouraged to come up with their own solutions and learn from their own mistakes in order to improve performance,

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 10/11/2016 17:27:01    1933396

WestsideWarrior (Galway) - Posts: 24 - 10/11/2016 20:56:05    1933444

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 10/11/2016 21:23:46    1933451

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 11/11/2016 12:40:17    1933562

theweanling (Cavan) - Posts: 414 - 11/11/2016 12:40:30    1933563

joe brolly the new russell brand
very very interesting article this week by mr brolly
well worth a read

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/joe-brolly-time-is-running-out-to-save-the-gaa-from-going-the-same-way-as-rugby-soccer-and-the-united-states-of-america-35210564.html

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 13/11/2016 21:48:42    1934024

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 13/11/2016 22:20:47    1934029

sports psychologists, mind gurus, self help talkers, run your own business bull sh*tters, witch doctors, radical preachers, hypnotists, American evangelical preachers, religious cult leaders the common denominator being they all can talk the talk and able to brain wash to me personally the weak minded those that want / need to be brainwashed to find that perceived little bit extra. Have any of them actually done/won anything of significance or do they see the easy money whilst this fad is in vogue. Bullsh*t artists the lot of them.

bulmccabe (Tyrone) - Posts: 361 - 13/11/2016 23:06:45    1934035

It possibly works for some people and those trying to make sporting break throughs against a background of history and continued failure.

However in my opinion the good coach or manager is his/her own psychologist. I doubt Brian Cody ever needed the services of a sports psychologist. Couldn't see any of the O'Sés, Tommy Walsh KK etc needing it.

Maybe mercurial, confidence players who lack consistency might benefit from having their minds focused.

Laois76 (Laois) - Posts: 1270 - 14/11/2016 18:32:13    1934216