Sport

Down flounder as Roscommon revel in their top flight status

Down's Stephen Turley and Luke Howard watch on as Roscommon's Cathal Cregg shoots wide in last year's NFL Division Two final at Croke Park<br />Picture by Colm O'Reilly&nbsp;
Down's Stephen Turley and Luke Howard watch on as Roscommon's Cathal Cregg shoots wide in last year's NFL Division Two final at Croke Park
Picture by Colm O'Reilly 
Down's Stephen Turley and Luke Howard watch on as Roscommon's Cathal Cregg shoots wide in last year's NFL Division Two final at Croke Park
Picture by Colm O'Reilly 

EVERY team is judged on their Championship season and a good League campaign will not be viewed as progress unless it is followed up with success in the summer months.

Bar the top few teams, the majority do not target an All-Ireland title in September. Dublin, Kerry and Mayo are clearly contenders for the All-Ireland title. It’s open to debate whether anyone outside of those three can claim Sam in September.

For me though, Donegal, Tyrone, Cork and Monaghan are ahead of the rest and failure to reach the quarter final stage of the All-Ireland would be considered a major disappointment. The difference between those seven teams and the rest is in their ambitions for the season.

The remainder would be delighted to still be playing football in August. Making that leap from a team hoping to reach the last eight to a side expecting that every year is extremely difficult. A lot of teams can do it in a single season with the right draw and some momentum.

Teams like Fermanagh and Armagh have reached the quarter-final stage over the last few years, but few have done it on a consistent basis. However, to do it over a three- or four-year period is what the majority of managers in the country are striving for.

For the teams below the top tier, the danger of slipping further off the pace is just as great as the possibility of progress. Improvement through the League is the obvious way for a team to develop, but it can also have a negative impact on which way a team goes.

Down are a great example of this at present. Division Two of the NFL was extremely competitive in 2015. Both Down and Roscommon could both be considered fortunate to have gained promotion. In 2016, both teams would have viewed retaining Division One status as a good platform for Championship success later in the year.

The contrast between Down and Roscommon is clear to see. Roscommon are assured of Division One football next year and a place in the semi-final is a strong possibility. If they continue their good form for the rest of the campaign, they will go into the Connacht Championship in great shape and confident of breaking the Mayo stranglehold in the province.

In contrast, Down have had a disastrous league campaign to date. Last weekend’s eight-point defeat to Dublin was considered an improvement - that in itself reflects how badly results have been going.


They look certainties for relegation at this stage.

Results are not overly important in their remaining league games away to Mayo and Cork. What Eamonn Burns really needs is improved performances so the players can regain some much needed confidence.

Losing is a difficult habit to break and it can take hold of a team. A team that lacks confidence will always find it tough to turn around negative things that undoubtedly will happen during the course of a game. They don’t have the positive experiences to fall back on.

Eamonn Burns had a tough job at the outset, but his case has not been helped by the number of absentees. The absence of the likes of Conor Laverty, Caolan Mooney, the Johnston brothers and Brendan McArdle has been tough to cope with.

Down needed to have all their best players available to be competitive in Division One. With the number of absentees I always felt relegation was inevitable, even if I didn’t think they would struggle to the extent they have. 

Looking at Down this year, it appears they are struggling to get to grips with their system of play. Every team needs a solid defensive foundation to be successful. The more defensive the set-up, the more important it is that you have a top quality forward or two to get scores.

In recent seasons, Down have lacked top forwards and missing their better attackers during the League has only made the problem worse. I’m sure they would love a younger version of Benny Coulter and also for Martin Clarke to return to the set-up.

To date in the league, they have scored 0-7 against Donegal, 0-11 v Monaghan, 0-6 in defeats to both Kerry and Roscommon, and just 1-7 against Dublin. An average of only eight points per game makes them the lowest scorers in all four divisions by quite a distance, behind even London.

It’s stating the obvious to say that level of scoring will not win games. The lack of scoring power could be excused if it was matched by a stingy defence. However, Down have conceded 5-80 in their five games which is one of the worst in the country.

Against Dublin, they got numbers behind the ball, but the Dublin forwards were still able to win possession with ease. Having the correct mental approach is vital when setting up defensively. With the extra cover provided, defenders need to attack the ball rather than allowing the opponent to win possession. Down’s defenders haven’t shown the necessary aggression to challenge for possession that we see in the likes of Ronan McNamee, Neil McGee and Johnny Cooper.

With hindsight, Down would have been much better off plying their trade in Division Two in 2016. To improve, you need to compete against better teams and test yourself, but in the wrong circumstances it can destroy a season.

Roscommon are evidence of a team who were ready to compete. They have a new manager who has brought a fresh tactical approach, inside forwards capable of getting scores and a virtually fully fit squad.

Down a division, Eamonn Burns would have learned more about his players when they were competing against sides at a similar level. In normal circumstances, if Down were to come up against Derry, Cavan, Fermanagh or Armagh in the Championship, I would give them a realistic chance of winning. However, with the exception of Armagh, they would appear to be behind all of those sides at present.

Eamonn Burns and his team will ultimately be judged at the end of the summer. The problems being highlighted on the pitch on a weekly basis are not their only concern. The mental scares from the heavy beatings may prove just as difficult to correct.