Colm Bradley talks to Budapest resident Che Cullen about what he has learned from Rory Gallagher and Fermanagh's upcoming clash with Donegal...
FERMANAGH manager Rory Gallagher was an accomplished soccer player in his day. A Northern Ireland schoolboy, a stint with Blackburn as a youth player and a regular with Portadown in the Irish league. A silky forward on the Gaelic field, Gallagher was an imposing centre-half in soccer, although he was stylish when the occasion presented itself.
Perhaps the Erne boss gave some tips to Che Cullen before the Belnaleck man headed back to Budapest after his last trip home. Cullen is working in the Hungarian capital for Morgan & Stanley, but has been regularly boarding a flight back to Ireland to play for Fermanagh in the National League.
He played in five of the seven games as Fermanagh just missed out on promotion. Since returning to his central European base, he has graduated from five-a-side soccer once a week to turning out for a Budapest-based soccer team in the Hungarian league.
“I actually played a game in the Hungarian lower leagues for a local university side,” Cullen says.
Centre-half we presume Che?
“Centre-midfield actually. It was probably my first game of 11-a-side soccer since I played for Enniskillen Rangers when I was 14, but it was good,”
When he is queried as to the quality of his first touch, he laughs: “Better than you would think.”
Cullen’s commitment to the Fermanagh cause has been admirable. Fans in the Lakelands believe him to be the best full-back in the game. An Allstar nominee last year is evidence that many agree. He was tasked with marking Conor McManus and Michael Murphy in back-to-back Ulster Championship games - assignments he relished.
“It was nice for Rory to show that sort of faith in me. Someone has to mark these players and it was great going toe-to-toe with some of the best forwards in the game. It was a challenge and I enjoyed it,” he adds.
He didn’t shirk the challenge of McManus and Murphy last year and, this year, he hasn’t shirked the long plane journeys home to pull on the green jersey: “I wasn’t sure I could play because of the travelling.
"I had come home for a few games for the club and it was tough. But it didn’t take too much persuading by Rory, to be honest. Sure, what else would I be doing, playing the PlayStation in my flat in Budapest?”
And speaking of Budapest, Cullen is in his element: “It is great and the weather is getting better too. It’s a beautiful city. I’m loving it over here, but enjoy getting back for the football.”
He loved it around the large square last year too. His performance against McManus in the Ulster semi-final as Fermanagh shocked Monaghan was exemplary and although he was asked to wander further from home in the Ulster final against a roving Murphy, he can be pleased with his performance against the Donegal captain.
On that day, however, things just didn’t go for Fermanagh. In front of goal, they misfired and two moments of brilliance from Ryan McHugh undid them for two green flags. By half-time, they had a mountain to climb. On reflection, 2018 had its ups and downs for Fermanagh.
“I think it was a mixed bag really," Cullen says.
"Obviously, reaching an Ulster final for the first time in 10 years was good and promotion was so important because I think, if you want to go places in Championship, you need to be playing in Division Two at least. But there was also a lot of disappointment. I would say we had the same number of attacks as Donegal did in that Ulster final, they were just more clinical than us. And that was the difference really."
Fermanagh will meet Donegal again in Ulster this year when the sides clash in the first round. And of course, Cullen is doing more than playing the role of midfield general in the odd soccer game to keep himself primed. He might joke about not missing the twice weekly trips to Lissan, Fermanagh’s training facility, but he has been working hard while away to ensure he is up to speed when he steps off the plane.
“You can never replicate the intensity of training, but I have been working hard on programmes given to me by Leon [Carters], our fitness coach, and I actually feel a lot better than I thought I would.”
He has looked it too. Despite his lack of ball training, he has been in imperious form in the Fermanagh defence, with twin brother Lee an equally impressive figure in the rear-guard. On the first round opener with Donegal, Cullen is pragmatic enough to know that Declan Bonner’s men will be favourites, but there is no inclination that there are any lingering scars from the one-sided nature of that Ulster final.
“Home advantage is important," he admits.
"Ballybofey is a tough place to go and win, so obviously we are happier the game is in Brewster Park. I think we do have a little bit of a point to prove. It’s not about revenge or anything like that, but more just that we want to show what we can do.”
And Cullen has seen enough in the National League to tell him that Fermanagh have improved. Before a ball was kicked, not even the most optimistic of supporters would have envisaged that promotion would be a possibility going into the last game, but Gallagher’s men were right there.
“We were disappointed with not getting promotion, but there were a lot of positives in the league," Cullen says.
"I thought some of the younger players really stood up, the likes of Johnny Cassidy and Ultan Kelm in defence. But we found out a lot about ourselves. As I said before, the league is so important and you have to play at as high a level as you can."
In respect of his own game, Cullen has been playing at the highest of levels for the past number of years. If Fermanagh are to get past Donegal, they will need Cullen at his best. He might have to curtail his central midfield play making role for the next few months.
But what is Hungarian soccer’s loss is very much Fermanagh’s gain.
Picture by Séamus Loughran Fermanagh posses quality in the middle of the field in the shape of Eoin Donnelly
Picture by Séamus Loughran
STRENGTHS
Fermanagh may have lost their last two league games in the National League, but there is no doubt that, when they were operating at their best in the league, it was a near impenetrable defence that was the foundation of their success.
Against Kildare and Donegal, it was working at its zenith. It will need to return to these heights for the Championship if the Erne men are to get over an incredibly difficult first round hurdle. Tenacious and disciplined tackling and an excellent shape are all traits of the defensive set up.
Fermanagh have also a better panel this year, a point Rory Gallagher has alluded to on several occasions. New players have come in and brought a freshness to proceedings. Often criticised for having no real attacking strategy, this is a lazy analysis. There has been an evolution this year and Fermanagh have moved the ball from defence with great pace and commit numbers forward when they do.
Around the middle of the field they possess experience and quality in the shape of Eoin Donnelly and Ryan Jones. Both good in the air and both able to drive forward and score, they should be able to break even in any company.
WEAKNESSES
Fermanagh’s biggest weakness is their ability to score. This should not be confused with the notion that they do not attack. Against Cork and Tipperary and again against Meath they were, at times, woefully off target in front of goal.
Against Meath, they could have been eight or nine points up after 15 minutes. Chances were created, but Fermanagh were converting in the 30 per cent range in some of those games. They picked up just two points from a possible six against those three teams.
When they were more efficient, they won. And that is something Rory Gallagher is no doubt working on. But while they have been able to create chances, they have not had a huge amount of variety to their attacking play and have missed a reliable ball winner inside. It has meant that the vast majority of their attacks come from hard running. It is a tiring way to play. If Fermanagh can generate a greater mix in their attacking play, they may just find their conversion rate stays at a more consistent level.
As ever, it is the balance that must be right. And that is what Gallagher is searching for.
