THE start of the league gives us some clues about how the Championship season will play out.
A good league campaign does not automatically equate to a successful run in the Championship. However, a negative league season can be difficult to recover from as the mental scars from poor results are difficult to overcome.
There are many examples of teams turning around their poor league form when it comes to the real football in the heat of Championship. Tyrone reached the All-Ireland semi-final last year having suffered relegation from Division One, proving this particular columnist wrong in the process. Likewise, Armagh forced Monaghan to a replay and came within a point in the All-Ireland quarter-final in 2014, coming on the back of league results which saw them drop to Division Three.
However, no team will be going into the Championship in a positive frame of mind after a poor league. One manager who will be extremely concerned will be Down’s new boss Eamonn Burns. Losing to Donegal by 17 points at home was a shocking start and they were utterly outclassed from start to finish.
This game would have been one Down had targeted to get two points from. If they continue to get outclassed like this, mentally it will be very difficult to pick themselves up and have the confidence to have a good run in the Championship.
I thought Jim Gavin may take an experimental approach to the league, which would hamper Dublin’s chances of winning a fourth title in-a-row. However, his first line-up in the league against Kerry included nine players who started last year’s All-Ireland final.
Gavin’s comments after the match were very interesting and probably shed some light on Dublin’s preparation. Gavin said he would prefer the league to start after St Patrick’s Day.
I get the impression Dublin have not done much in terms of fitness work. From watching their game on Saturday, the absence of hard training sessions meant they were much sharper than Kerry, creating numerous goal chances by cutting through the Kingdom defence.
Dublin’s management can afford to use the league to give opportunities to more players, try out personnel in new positions and work on varying tactics. They do not need to do the same level of fitness work early in the season as they will be confident of getting a place in the quarter-finals.
The Dubs are in the unique position of being virtually assured of a place in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Leinster is easily the weakest province, with Dublin the only team playing in Division One and just Laois and Meath in Division Two.
In reality, Dublin will not face their first major test in the Championship until August, unless someone in Leinster makes serious progress through the league and Championship.
Cork’s big win over Mayo looked like a standout result when you just see the margin of victory for the Munster men. However, Mayo’s injury list is full of Championship regulars, so there will be no alarm bells ringing for new manager Stephen Rochford.
Teams have different attitudes towards the league depending on the stage of development the team is at. Any team outside of Division One will obviously be focused on gaining promotion, which means they will be placing more importance on results.
In Division One, though, the determination of some teams to do well is not as obvious. The likes of Dublin, Kerry and Mayo have been considered contenders on a consistent basis, likewise Donegal in the last few years.
Managers will have a difficult task convincing players the league is vital when all their thoughts are on lifting Sam at the end of the year. Also, judging a player on league form is not always a fair guide to how they will perform come the summer.
My own motivation for league football changed during the years. When you get called up to the county squad, you are desperate to impress in the league. I didn’t really have an issue with nerves during my playing days. However, I was really nervous making my league debut when coming on as a sub against Dublin. I was just desperate to perform well.
As a young player, you are well aware that a poor performance can mean you spend the rest of the league campaign watching from the bench. It might seem harsh that one poor display can have such an impact, but managers need results and new players need to earn the trust of the manager. It is up to the player to impress in training to get more opportunities.
Once I had won All-Irelands, the league was less of a motivation. If you’re asking me if the likes of Sean Cavanagh, Michael Murphy, Colm Cooper and Bernard Brogan are motivated by the league, the answer is certainly no. These type of players produce their best form in the big games.
Mentally, they are totally tuned in come Championship time, when the buzz of a big game is the reason they keep putting the work in. A league game away to Roscommon or Kildare on a cold February afternoon doesn’t get the hairs on the back of the neck to stand up.
After my first few years, the league was about getting myself prepared for the Championship. I was never unavailable for a Championship match for Tyrone, but missed plenty of league games.
The priority for experienced players is making sure they are as well prepared as they can be for the big Championship games. A lot of older players will find it difficult to maintain form from January to the end of the season.
The smart managers will allow these players a little leeway so that they have them injury free and in top form come the summer. These players know their bodies well enough to manage their fitness. They will not be sitting idle even though they may have limited gametime during the league.
In the league, teams are playing safe trying to win the boxing match on points. When the Championship arrives, they go for the knock-out punch.
