In today’s Hospital Pass, we reveal the real reason why Gaelic Football has become so negative, and why Jack O’Connor and Alex Ferguson are kindred spirits.
Many GAA pundits are at a loss to come up with an explanation as to why the game of Gaelic Football has become so negative in recent times.
Most of these pundits, of course, are sitting in comfy chairs in comfy studios and sampling prawn sandwiches during the half-time interval rather than attempting to make a difference at the coalface, but they are dumbfounded as to why today’s inter-county teams can’t simply put boot to ball and horse it up the field instead of concentrating on endless hand-passing and blanket defence.
Is it negative influences making their way into the game from American Football or rugby league? Is it an obsession with statistics? Is it simply the fact that skilful Gaelic Football is a relic of a past when the aforementioned pundits played the game the way it should be played?
In fact, it’s none of those things. Dublin legend Tony Hanahoe is on the ball and knows the real reason for the descent of Gaelic Football into defensive dourness. That’s right; it’s all Giovanni Trapattoni’s fault.
“The game is taking an adverse turn, as far as I’m concerned, if we are moving towards a negative defensive Italian soccer-style game,” Hanahoe said yesterday.
“I wouldn’t have any interest in it. Its negativity might have a long-term damaging effect on the game. I still think there is a huge amount to be gained from the long, accurate ball. That is effective and gives you a higher percentage – if you want to talk about statistics – of scoring than this laborious hand-passing, slow build-up.”
Hanahoe mightn’t have mentioned his name but we all know he’s talking about Trapattoni.
The Ireland manager often comes in for abuse for watching potential members of the Irish squad on DVD rather than in person, but his absenteeism isn’t because he’s at home with the remote fast forwarding Andy Keogh’s latest performance for Leeds United, it’s because he’s been doing the rounds of the counties preaching the gospel of catenaccio, GAA style.
A far-fetched theory perhaps, but it explains the packed defences, the stifled creativity and the lack of ambition that we have seen on all too regular basis this summer.
First the Irish soccer team and now the GAA, both infected with the same negative virus. Trap, you’ve a lot to answer for.
Jack O’Connor and Fergie – kindred spirits
Given the success of both teams, Kerry could be described as the Manchester United of Gaelic Football, but Jack O’Connor won’t have endeared himself to those who are a teency bit jealous of the Kingdom’s success by making the actual comparison himself.
O’Connor was asked if Kerry fans would accept what vaguely resembled a game of Gaelic Football in the Dublin v Donegal semi-final and channelled Ole Red Nose when responding that such a style of play wouldn’t cut the mustard with the Kingdom faithful.
“All I know is that if we tried to play as defensive as that, it’s not the opposition that would be booing us, it’s our own fans that would be booing us – so it wouldn’t be a runner in Kerry,” he said.
“I’m not disrespecting the football that any other crowd are playing. I’m just saying the tradition in Kerry is to play attractive, attacking football.
“That’s what the fans expect and that’s what we do. It’s like Alex Ferguson with Manchester United, the tradition is there.”
