Kingston deserves the credit. He shuffled around and got experts in. He gave guys better more suitable roles.
But Gary Keegans influence is slapping me in the face. Tge language even out of someone like Sully is Sports Psych. So Kingston again deserves huge credit cos he got a pig mule of a stubborn ego like Rock to buy in. Iām astonisged at the tyrn around in this space of time. I expected an improvement, but not that much. Sully is working with the back and in fairness deserves credit for the edge he is giving them. His experience is critical but yseless unless used well.
Myler, who i called for as manager last time round was a clever call as well. The connection to 21 is one thing, but he is a tough nut and thats what alot of these lads needed. A no nonsense approach. Many of them were happy with the adulation of being an IC player. He would be a shit or get off the pot person.
And Ryan is clearly doing a nice job as coach. Hurling is much better and Cork are actually rucking like a team who practice it now.
I still havenāt watched it back in full, but it appears that, like Tipp, Waterford did not get close enough to Lehane.
I know heās fast and in form, but you put someone on him that wonāt let him get off the mark easily. Someone that will just stick by him, annoying him, standing on his toes, little pulls of the jersey and will hit him hard when the ball comes his way. Looked like he had way too much freedom.
With the form heās in, itās definitely worth man marking him; he was getting inspirational scores which will drive on the rest of the team. 4 points from play is too much to concede from one player, limit him and force the scoring emphasis onto the other forwards.
By picking Lehane at centre forward Cork have put opponents in a Catch 22 situation. If the centre back follows him you leave a gaping hole for Harnedy to run into. If you drop a midfielder/ half forward. Cork have Coleman and Fitzgibbon as options with Nash as the taker of the puck outs. The puck out strategy is the key. Stop that and you stop Cork.
The best strategy I have seen is the one above @Fagan_ODowd came up with but you might end up playing with 14 players.
Since Waterford apparently only played two men inside in any case, what did they have to lose by just detailing one man to mark Lehane everywhere he went?
I do think that stopping the puckout strategy is important, and Iām sure that Morrissey and OāConnor (and Cusack) will closely analyse that down to the finest detail but Iām sure Lehane will get a bit of treatment too.
Jackie Tyrell was right. Waterford were too nice. They should roughed up Cork. The team that beats Cork will do that. Tipp wonāt be as nice to them if they meet again.
Cork will hammer Clare on current form, theyāll hardly need to break a sweat, but thereās probably a bit more in Clare and they could surprise me. @Fagan_ODowd outside of hardcore violence I think youād find it tough enough to rough up Nash to the point of affecting his puck outs, unless youāre advocating taking him out of the game altogether which is a massive risk (and pure scumbaggery) of drawing a red card, I doubt youāre serious.
Galway are still a bit ahead of Cork but things could change.