Sherry not sweet on coaching tactics
November 27, 2011
Monaghan old boy Eugene Sherry says tactics employed in last summer's Donegal v Dublin championship clash may be used as a template by many more coaches going forward.
In his pomp, Eugene Sherry inspired a lot of affection and no little awe either. Part of stream of Monaghan senior football teams who brought determination, ferocity and skill in equal measure to the table, the former Scotstown schemer still commands great respect within the Oriel gaeldom.
During the eighties, he was the epitome of a resourceful, authorative and clinically efficient defender. He played and has watched a lot of football.
His views on the big ball game are insightful, sincerely-held and thought-provoking. The action in 2011 provided him with much food for thought.
In short, the Ulster SFC and NFL medallist wasn't best pleased with the fare served up on occasion, especially in the citadel of the game.
The infamous Dublin versus Donegal All-Ireland semi-final left him with a sour taste in his mouth. He found the football far from palatable.
"It seemed that the whole emphasis in that match was on not giving the ball away and that seems to be the priority common to most teams now.
"Keeping possession at all costs seems to be what it's all about instead of opening up the game and kicking a ball, for instance, 40 yards up the field.
"Being honest, the Donegal/Dublin game was hard to watch. I was all for Donegal when they won the Ulster title but didn't want them to progress after that."
For some football fans, the game's future bears infectious pessimism. Sherry says he fears for football's future on the evidence of last summer.
He reflects on the style of football espoused by Mickey Harte and executed by his charges with profitable results on the biggest stages.
Sherry maintains that while the O'Neill County could also be accused of being disciples of the antithesis of eye-candy football, there is a but.
"But the thing with Tyrone was that they moved forward at speed and their passing was much quicker. There was a distinct difference (with Donegal).
"I think Donegal's style of play in particular this year showed a lack of trust in the old fashioned man-to-man marking system so you had fellas marking space which, to my mind, is a cop out.
"Are managers afraid to trust their defenders to keep their individual opponent quiet in a one-on-one situation.
"Years ago, the manager sent you out to do a good marking job on your immediate opponent and you applied yourself as best you could.
"Coaches like Jim McGuinness are saying 'we have to drop a man back to stabilise things at the back' which is really taking caution to a new level."
Sherry is disinclined to look through the prism of nostalgia to a time when he enjoyed a career that dripped with honours. That doesn't float his boat.
He says Gaelic football is a whole new ball game these days. The notion that current players are much fitter doesn't find a home in his cerebellum.
The modern game, he believes, can be horribly negative with marking space and defending territory taking priority over spontaneity at every level.
"I think football could be in trouble and could end up on the receiving end of a slow death because of the approach of some coaches.
"Supporter want to see the rough and tumble of football where there's physical clashes and the ball is moved quickly towards the goal.
"I'd be afraid for the future of football because this business of concentrating on cutting down space in the scoring zone could ruin the game.
"I'd be fond of most sports but while the profile of soccer and rugby is increasing, the GAA will have to be careful otherwise football will lose out.
"Spectators don't want to see blanket defences and then seeing passes going over and back across the field, often resulting in no end product."
The much decorated former star defender bemoans the poor level of skills on show even on the biggest stages countrywide.
He recalls the many basic errors which have pock-marked even high profile matches during 2011. The quality of football this year didn't impress him.
"In fairness to the coaches and managers, football is becoming an even more results-based business. They're under pressure to win every game."
According to the popular Tydavnet resident, it doesn't hold that the bluebloods are destined to monopolise the Donegal-esque style of play though.
In that regard, he surmises that even the coaches in charge of the so-called weaker counties are liable to follow the McGuinness blueprint.
And, more to the point, he says he wouldn't be surprised if putting the retention of the ball on the top of the hierarchy of team needs trickles down to club level and becomes the norm in that quarter in the coming year(s).
"The game is changing for the worst, in my view. I'm afraid the style of football that we saw from Donegal this summer is going to creep into club football because managers are under pressure to win at that level too."
So will the likes of Monaghan be aping the Donegal modus operandi?
"I hope not but maybe they will be forced to and that they'll have no option because of the opposition's tactics.
"I wouldn't want any team going down the same road that Jim McGuinness has taken Donegal because its a very poor advertisement for our game.
So what would his panacea be to ease the pain for purists or those, at least, who hanker for some semblance of a 'long ball' game?
"We might need to introduce a restriction on the number of hand passes that can be made by a team in any one period of time.
"I think we need to bring in a system of play which penalises or at least encourages the player in possession to release the ball as quickly as possible.
"I'd like to see a return to the time when a player in possession, more often than not, looked up and delivered the ball 30 or 40 yards onto the chest of his team-mate.
"Instead, very often what you see is a fella in possession who's not able to break the tackle and he takes the safe option and hand passes the ball.
"Teams should be using the full area of the pitch with a lot more kick passes in the same way that Crossmaglen do."
For all of that, the erstwhile Scotstown senior selector and underage coach's passion for Gaelic football remains unbridled.
He talks as good a game as he once played it but without the pomposity that some stars from times past can add to the mix.
In reflecting on his career, Sherry admits missing out on an All-Ireland SFC medal remains a sore one 'cause he feels that the Monaghan team of the mid to late eighties had practically all the pieces in the jigsaw to succeed.
In a similar vein, he still pangs for 'what might have been' had Scotstown enjoyed more luck in their All-Ireland club SFC campaigns.
But what of the county's future chances of securing the holy grail of an Anglo Celt Cup and, dare we say it, a Sam Maguire triumph?
"First of all, I think patience will be needed from everyone because success isn't going to come overnight with the new management team.
"Eamonn McEneaney has a tough job on his hands to integrate the experienced campaigners he still has on board with the young talent that has come through over the last couple of years.
"There have been some high-profile players who have called it a day and, for a small county like Monaghan, it is hard to keep coming up with a team from a county with far greater strength in depth and being asked all the time to box above your weight.
"It's vital that we don't drop down a division in the national league this year 'cause staying up will give the manager a chance to eventually put a winning team together."
On the club front, he believes that "sooner rather than later" his beloved Scotstown can beat the best of the rest and regain the Mick Duffy Cup.
"Player for player, Scotstown have as good a squad as any other club in the county and I felt they were a bit unlucky in this year's championship final.
"There's a lot of young players on the team right now. Those lads have won a lot at underage level over the years and if they could get the monkey off their back with a title win in the championship, they could be a force for a long time afterwards."
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