Football

KING of the HILL

UNLIKE many of my journalistic colleagues I welcomed the news that Davy Fitzgerald hadn't attended the Clare press night which was held before Sunday's All-Ireland final. I don't know why Davy didn't turn up, but part of me hoped that he stayed away because he wanted the spotlight to shine on his players, not him. Because that's the way things are now.

Players no longer win matches. Managers win them. Subsequently, players - even great players - often tend to live in the shadow of the man who stands on the sideline. While the media have helped to create the cult of the manager, supporters have wholeheartedly swallowed the concept which contends that the single most important person on the team bus is the manager. Those who might doubt this claim should be in Croke Park on All-Ireland final day when the announcer lists the names of the players and the manager. In recent years, the biggest roar has usually been reserved for the managers. Henry Shefflin is the only player who possibly outscores his manager on this decibel test.

As a journalist, I have been at functions which have been attended by the All-Ireland winning manager and some of his players. It is not uncommon to see the successful general surrounded by fans and well-wishers while players are left to their own devices. Although All-Ireland winning players could never admit it, I would be amazed if some of them aren't extremely resentful of the adulation and celebrity enjoyed by their managers. Think about it. You are the player, you devote your life to training, and it is you who crosses the white line. It is you who makes the tackles and takes the scores.

Then, when it's all over, it is the man giving the orders who walks into the limelight while you are relegated to the shadows. He gets the book deal and a regular slot on the after-dinner circuit, while you get to hand out the medals at the U12 presentation ceremony. Should Cork or Clare win this year's All-Ireland hurling title, either Jimmy Barry-Murphy or Davy Fitzgerald will receive most of the acclaim. One of them will be pictured more often and quoted more often than any of his players.

Interestingly, the same scenario mightn't necessarily unfold if Dublin, the favourites for this year's All-Ireland football title, beat Mayo on September 22. A victory for Dublin would bring a return to older times, because if the Dubs come out on top, it will represent a triumph for the talent on the pitch rather than the managerial expertise that resides on the sideline.

Of course, Jim Gavin is a fine manager.

Yet, if there was an award for football manager-of-the-year, he wouldn't be on my shortlist. James Horan (Mayo), Eamon Fitzmaurice (Kerry), Mickey Harte (Tyrone), Malachy O'Rourke (Monaghan), Terry Hyland (Cavan) and Paul Goggins (London) would all rank above him. Gavin has many admirable qualities and he has been widely praised for eschewing the blanket defensive system. But his positive approach still doesn't excuse the mistakes he has made in this year's Championship. There is being positive, and there is being reckless. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry, the Dubs conceded 3-5 in the first half. That's crazy. It's also inexcusable because it

could have been avoided without taking any recourse to a screen defence or a sweeper system. Those three goals and five points didn't come out of the blue.

The alarms bells were ringing at full volume since the National League final, but Gavin refused to pay any heed. In the League decider against Tyrone, Ger Brennan couldn't handle Sean Cavanagh, who kicked 0-3 from play. Brennan is a fine leader and a good footballer, but he's not a man-marker.

Yet, Gavin has persisted with him at number six, pitting him against players who he had no chance of stopping. The policy of playing Cian O'Sullivan at midfield has also been difficult to comprehend.

When Meath and Kerry pressurised Stephen Cluxton's kick-outs, O'Sullivan was rendered redundant.

Unable to win placed kick-outs, he was out-muscled in the air. Admittedly, O'Sullivan's ability to break forward is an asset, but he only tends to score the odd point. His real value lies in defence where his stunning pace can neutralise the best forwards.

Finally, there's the full-back line that was taken to the cleaners by Meath and tested to the limit by Cork. Yet, despite the many flaws that were exposed, Gavin declined to make any changes. Gavin only started to act when the crisis was in full-flow. After James O'Donoghue had scored 1-2 from play, Philly McMahon was brought on for Kevin O'Brien.

After Colm Cooper had set up two goals and scored 0-2, Cian O'Sullivan replaced Ger Brennan at centre half-back. Denis Bastick took over from O'Sullivan at midfield while Ger Brennan was substituted. Those three switches changed the game. In the first half, Kerry scored 3-5. In the second half, they managed 0-6. Had Jim Gavin been pitted against a younger Kerry side, it would have been a different story.

Imagine if Tómas Ó Sé, Paul Galvin and Kieran Donaghy were at their peak, and if Kerry's defence included players like Tom O'Sullivan and Mike McCarthy. Gavin's crisis management would have come too late. The wealth of talent at Jim Gavin's disposal has provided him with the luxury whereby he can make fairly fundamental mistakes but still come out on top. Managers in charge of weaker squads must work within much smaller margins of error. Nevertheless, despite his unwillingness to make changes, Gavin has still marked himself out as a leader of some distinction. In a game in which nearly every one of his peers was packing men behind the ball, Gavin refused to follow the herd He devised his own gameplan. He went man-for-man, placing his emphasis on attack rather than defence. Without Jim Gavin we would never have witnessed that festival of football which left the country glowing with joy. Forget about Dublin's flaws. Their football has been fresh, daring and scintillating. It has sparked our imaginations and provided a vista of what our game can be.

Yet, as things stand, Jim Gavin will still not be hailed a great manager. If Dublin beat Mayo, he will certainly not receive the same credit as some of his predecessors.

However, he might occupy an even greater standing. Rather than being feted for his services to Dublin, he will be hailed for his services to Gaelic football.

Ultimately, that's a much greater glory.