MONAGHAN ace Michael Bannigan insists Gaelic football is getting a bad press for no good reason and feels the game should be allowed to evolve naturally.
Several high-profile pundits have argued for rule changes to stop teams holding onto possession for long periods. Peter Canavan described these extended periods of possession, where there is often no meaningful attacking incision made, as “terrible to watch”.
Joe Brolly has also bemoaned this emerging tactic, while Clare boss Colm Collins has called for the introduction of a shot clock.
In their recent All-Ireland group game with Dublin, Roscommon held possession for almost six minutes that entailed 77 passes, many of which were lateral.
Monaghan were involved in arguably the best game of last weekend as they saw off Clare in a see-saw encounter in Clones which yielded 43 scores, only 11 of which came from placed balls.
Out of the 1-23 Monaghan racked up, 19 of them came from open play.
“To be honest, I don’t see much wrong with the game,” said Bannigan, Monaghan’s classy playmaker.
“I know it’s got a lot of bad press recently but our game [with Clare] was very open; there were 20 scores in the first half and the majority of them were from play. The weather was probably a factor too as it’s very hard to contain teams on a hot day like that. It definitely opened up in the last 20 minutes.
“But I like watching football and find it very interesting how teams set up and how they try to break the other team down. I know there was a lot of talk about Roscommon holding the ball for six minutes; I don’t know what people want Roscommon to do when Dublin have 15 men behind the ball. Are they meant to run into them or kick it to them?”
Bannigan added: “Teams are developing ways to break down teams with 15 men behind the ball. Teams are innovating and working out how to break defences down, so I think it’s a good thing for the game.”
The Aughnamullen clubman would, however, like to see a small format change to the new All-Ireland series, even though the Farneymen advanced to the next stage of the competition courtesy of their five-point win over Clare last weekend.
Out of 16 counties, only four drop out at this stage of the All-Ireland series, meaning the top three teams go through in each group of four.
“I like the groups of four but I’d probably prefer if just two teams qualified instead of three just to make it that bit more competitive,” said Bannigan.
“But, at the same time, it’s not as if games aren’t competitive at the minute, but I’d still prefer it if two teams went through.”
A glowing feature of last Sunday’s spirited performance by Monaghan was just how many times Bannigan linked up with front-footed left wing-back Conor McCarthy.
Their link-up play was bordering on the telepathic at times, with Bannigan inevitably providing the assist for McCarthy’s brilliant 70th minute goal.
“We would work on it in training but both of us have been on the panel six or seven years and he’s on that side of the field and I would go out to that side. It probably helps with a conversation here and there too.
“Vinny’s probably brought a bit of freshness to the whole thing. He hasn’t changed things a lot as the bones of a team are still there, but I like the relationships on the pitch – the likes of Conor and me, or Stephen [O'Hanlon] and me are developing.
“That’s nothing against Seamus [McEnaney, former manager] – that’s just the way things have developed this year. I love that everybody is playing for each other and we’ve probably a better spread of scores this year."
