AGAINST THE BREEZE
"There are a lot of tired bodies there and fatigued minds. There was a serious shift put in and we had to approach the game that way. It took us a long, long time to break Monaghan down."
-Dublin manager Jim Gavin
"Come on. Do you think Jim Gavin actually means that? Come on. Let's get real."
-RTE pundit Joe Brolly.
IF Jim Gavin really wants to see a good example of people with "fatigued minds" then he should take a long hard look at the journalists who attend his press conferences.
Jim's press briefings are excruciatingly dull. And when I say dull, I mean dull. But Jim wouldn't have it any other way. His deeply uninteresting interviews are a very deliberate ploy.
When watching Jim Gavin talking to the press, it reminds me of a scene from 'The Naked Gun'. While bombs are exploding in the middle of a city, Detective Lieutenant Frank Drebin tries to usher the public away from the area by assuring them: "There's nothing to see here."
Every time I walk into the auditorium in Croke Park where Dublin's press conferences are held, I think Frank Drebin should be posted outside the door.
There is a very sound logic to what Jim Gavin is doing. The Dublin manager is an intelligent man and his media strategy has been painstakingly thought out.
In essence, Gavin's main objective when talking to journalists is to say nothing of any interest whatsoever. The top priority is to avoid controversy. Another key goal is to deflect attention away from himself.
Wherever possible, Gavin praises his players. He praises their attitude and their ability. He never talks about his tactics or the challenges facing the management team. It's always about the players.
The rationale behind Gavin's media policy makes sense. As a former Dub, he appreciates that the Sky Blues are the most scrutinised team in the country. Any drama, no matter how insignificant, has the potential to snowball into a story that will cause distraction.
Gavin helps to keep Dublin out of the headlines by never saying anything that is actually newsworthy. He doesn't criticise referees and he never makes a negative comment about the opposition.
Considering the huge reservoir of talent at his disposal, the Dublin manager knows that in order to keep winning All-Ireland titles, he simply has to keep the blue train on the tracks.
It's internal forces that have the potential to de-rail Dublin's journey to unsurpassed glory. Gavin is smart enough to realise that Dublin's biggest danger is themselves. So long as they don't implode, nothing will stop them. And what type of booby-trap could lead to this self-inflicted downfall? Well, jealousy could do it.
We now live in an era when the manager reigns supreme.
It's no longer Clare. It's Davy Fitzpatrick's Clare. It's no longer Donegal. It's Jim McGuinness's Donegal.
In the long-term, the celebrity status attached to managers can foster resentment and envy. Players can feel short-changed. They are doing all the training. They are putting their lives on hold. But it can feel like the manager is getting all the credit. It is the manager who is being feted. It is the manager who is picking up cheques from a variety of extra-curricular activities.
It is no coincidence that Jim Gavin has managed to avoid this particular pitfall. By revealing as little of himself as is humanly possible, Gavin has kept himself out of the spotlight.
It will be a source of huge satisfaction to Gavin that his players receive the bulk of the acclaim. The longer Gavin can maintain a happy and united changing room - the better it will be for Dublin - and their very astute manager.
So far, Gavin's strategy is working extremely well. However, he needs to exert some caution.
In his studied efforts to avoid conflict, Gavin is in danger of causing offence.
Following Sunday's 2-22 to 0-11 victory over Monaghan, a respected journalist from a national newspaper asked Gavin if he would have preferred a closer game in the last quarter.
Gavin responded by saying: "I think that was a stern examination there today."
While Gavin is a clever man, he needs to credit the public with having a bit of wit as well.
If an underage team won a game by 17 points and one of the boys described the match as a tough test, he would be considered a bit of an idiot.
Jim Gavin is no fool, but he shouldn't treat other people like they are. A valid question warrants a valid response.
When Dublin travelled to Omagh in the League, Gavin's team bore no resemblance to the side that was announced.
A player, who wasn't even listed in the programme, lined out on the starting team. Quizzed about his bogus selection, Gavin, who served for 21 years in the Irish Air Corps replied: "That would be outside my sphere of influence". This must be the military equivalent to Father Ted's: "That
would be an ecumenical matter." Of course, Jim Gavin is perfectly entitled to adopt his 'there's nothing to see here' approach to the media.
But he must realise that unless he is genuine, the entire process will eventually be regarded as a meaningless façade.
In the wake of last year's All-Ireland final, Gavin provided a glimpse of the man who is kept hidden from the public view. Once the Sam Maguire Cup was lifted, the Dublin boss claimed his players were the victims of unsympathetic refereeing, and not just in the final, but throughout the entire year. "It's not only today. We probably held our counsel for most of the games but that has been the trend in all the games," said Gavin.
In that outburst, Gavin showed that he is every bit as biased, subjective and paranoid as the bulk of other men who don the bainisteoir's bib.
For the bulk of last year, Gavin revealed that he was holding his counsel. It can be assumed this season is no different.
That's fine. Say nothing. Trot out the standard clichés.
But don't tell us that a 17-point hammering is a "stern examination".
It sounds disingenuous. For a team like Monaghan, it must also come across as being slightly patronising.
By all means, Jim Gavin can be as guarded as he likes. For a manager in his position, it makes sense.
But if Gavin wants to be taken seriously, he at least needs to be sincere.