Euro 7s. This is the third year we have entered a team and the whole thing is motoring along with scary efficiency.
The panel was picked by end of July. The hotel was booked. The flights refunded. With the exception of one or two injury withdrawals we appear in good shape.
Timmy played two years ago and we were talking about it on the way home in the car from training last night. We reckon that panel had 5 Hague lads and 4 Belgium lads. The quality was there but whatever way we dress it up, we probably aren't two clubs who are overly enamoured with eachother. Its funny enough looking back that we actually all agreed to it!! It was the first year though and the lads had to pull it together fairly last minute. It was hoped the familiarity would bring some benefit but we didn't click.
Last year, Shay (Euro Football Officer) who is also a referee on the 'circuit' pulled together a much more varied panel representing many clubs. On paper the team did not seem as strong but the chemistry was right from the off and we lost narrowly in the Shield final after an epic seven game run.
This year looks to be the strongest team yet but again but you can't read a whole lot into that. Guernsey, Stockholm and Hague are well represented whilst Belgium and Malmo complete the group.
The 7s game has grown on me and I'm looking forward to this weekend. Its one of the rare occassions I can just rock up and play ball without having to consider anything else.
The noon start time is also a welcome change. We played our first game at 9am last week!
Naturally there will be a few pints afterwards and it will be a good opportunity to catch up with the former Belgium contingent based in Dublin as well as the current players heading home for the All-Ireland.
Hopefully we will have a shiny medal to show off to them.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Down But Not Out
We own third. I hate third. Third generally means you either weren't good enough or that you made a balls out of something along the way. Third allows you a way out though, it can gloss over the mistakes of the day and send you away from the tournament at least on a positive note (means you won a 3rd/4th game). Repeated thirds can breed some sense of complacency.
Last year I could better stomach thirds. It was a small victory for consolidation. This year I hate third. It is meaningless and two spots away from where I believe we can be. I hate the word and all that goes with it.
On Saturday, the Championship panel rocked up close to full strength. We started with a victory over Stockholm, 2-5 to 0-4, after a shaky start against stubborn opposition. We followed that by blitzing Amsterdam in the first half against a gale force wind, striking 1-3 without reply. We closed out for a 7 point win.
Then the wheels came off. We suffered a blitzkrieg in reverse, being whipped by the Hague - six points was the gap at the end. It sent them ahead of us to top the group on points difference (they had earlier lost to Amsterdam). We came second with A'dam losing out on points.
We badly wanted to win the group to try and get an 'easier' draw in the semi i.e. 2nd place from the other group. Instead we would face off against Guernsey, impressive winners last year and looking good again this year.
I felt very down after the Hague game and was struggling to shake it. I was coming at it from two sides.
One was my own performance. I'd skipped the Stockholm game, played a half against Amsterdam and then came on in the second half against Hague. I was still struggling with a dead leg and was preserving myself in the hope we would be in the shake up at the business end of the day. Dead leg aside, my back, hamstring and achilles can't start play a 9am and finish at 6pm anymore. They've just had too much wear and tear over the years.
Against the Hague, I let my man roam too deep unattended and they were able to launch attacks successfully from there. I should have known better. Last week, in an in-house game, I sought Paddy out to mark. I wanted the challenge of marking a runner. He played the exact same way and orchestrated every attack. I let him go deep and pick up ball, deciding to drop in front of the full back line as cover. However, it created the opportunity for an overlap out the field and problems for the lads. Paddy was the main difference between the teams whilst I had minimal impact on our team.
The second one nearly ate me up more. Tactically we are all over the shop and the buck for that rests with me. Last year, we religously rehearsed our half court press at training and it was very effective. Fellas loved knowing what was expected of them and we were relentless in our approach.
This year we have a better team and we wanted to be more attack minded. Early on in Benelux we experimented but it was tough because we were always down a lot of guys so never had a strong enough hand to pull it off. We ended up reverting to the half-court press but didn't dedicate enough time at training to it. The new players don't understand the nuances of it and as a result it breaks down.
Whether I take the training on a given night or not, I give the direction and the message hasn't been consistent or clear in recent months. We're no longer sure how we play.
Last year I was preaching about believing in our system. There would be periods in games when teams would get on top but we were not to panic. Whatever way you play, that will happen. Keep believing in it and stick to the plan. No-one deviated.
This year though, we have become somewhat rudderless and I am supposed to steer the ship in that regard. I was very down. I could hear everyone saying that we were still in it and that we needed to lift it for the semi but the message was taking its time to get through to me.
As I said, part of last year’s plan was about calm and structure, no ranting or raving. We needed a quick fix now though and we needed to get back to basics. No more long ball, no more changing our style of play depending on the wind. Work the ball up the field quickly, support the man in possession.
Most of all though, understand where our motivation lay. To win we knew we would more than likely face Guernsey at some point. With them being defending champions, it was an easier game to get up for mentally than if we had played Luxembourg. Meaning no disrespect, we are sick of the sight of them and the other Benelux teams and it could have been more difficult to find the motivation.
Ross took over for the warm-up and everyone was buzzing. I never remember such a lively and energised warm-up at that stage of a tournament.
Then there was a bang. Within two minutes we were 1-1 down, playing into a massive wind. It was a colossal blow to ship but it didn't look like it took anything out of the lads. If you have to concede a goal, what better time than in the first minute. You have the whole game to recover. Guernsey hit a hot streak though and I don't think they put a wide with the 1-3 they kicked in that half. We kicked away chances for fun at the other end. Still, 1-3 to 0-2 at half-time. We managed to settle the ship.
The second half was a mighty struggle as they used all their experience to keep us at bay. We had mismatches in many areas of the pitch and when they goaled for a second time it was curtains. I had come across to try and make a last ditch block on both their goals and my finger tips felt both pass by. That's how close they were. Not even inches. Very frustrating because when you are that close you can’t but think you should have got there.
The result left us with a 3rd/4th playoff against Hague, losers to Lux by a point in the other semi. We changed things up a little bit and went man to man in defence, no dropping off and letting them spray it around. After they kicked a couple of early wides, we motored on to win convincingly 1-7 to 0-1, their score coming from a free in front of the posts.
I never left a Championship tournament last year feeling we blew an opportunity but on Saturday I definitely felt like that. We had enough chances to win the Guernsey game, bottom line.
The points I mentioned above bring a lot of the issues onto my shoulders but the lads know well that it is a collective thing. We have the players and we have the will but we need to figure out how to get the best out of ourselves.
After a few days reflection, I’ve a fair idea of what needs doing this month. We start again tomorrow night. Third is good enough if you aren’t good enough. I’m convinced we’re up to it though and the challenge might just be enough to light my spark again.
...Shield, Ladies and the rest to follow in coming days...
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Copenhagen - The First Step
Big week and little time to think about the main event. A dead legged picked up last weekend has limited me to one gym session. The rest of my time has been spent either at my desk or in my bed.
I’m hoping both will play into my favour. A week off training probably won’t do any harm and work is keeping me distracted.
Saturday is massive, one of the three biggest days of the football year.
There was a time mid-summer when I was very down about the whole thing. I’d never seen numbers drop so consistently low and I wasn’t sure we could pull it together.
However, since lads returned from the summer break, the whole thing has been building and we head into the weekend feeling like we have prepared as well as possible.
There are 29 lads travelling to Copenhagen, an incredible number considering the expensive destination. Ross and Mull are injured so will look after the line and the other 27.
You could joke that the draw for the Championship is like a group of death. We’re in with Scandanavian champs Stockholm, Benelux winners Amsterdam and The Hague, Euro Champs in 2009 and 2010. However, looking at the other side of the draw you see current Euro champs Guernsey, along with Jersey, who topped them in the regionals. Lux fill the final slot and they are a team I’d expect to have a big say.
Considering all that, I think it’s going to be a very competitive day. There’s no point in talking ourselves up or down. I’ve no idea where we are at against the rest but definitely feel like we are starting fresh after a disappointing regional series.
All I can say about us is that we have a balanced panel which is very tight as a group. Last year we played to our potential on each occasion. All we can expect this year is to do that again and see where it takes us. You can beat your chest as much as you want but that’s the bottom line.
The Shield team is in a group with Paris/Lyon and Gothenburg. It’s impossible to call the quality there. We are the only club with a second team entered and there isn’t a ringer amongst them. Unless you count Pearce! I think he avoids training so I don’t pick him!
The challenge being a club’s second team is significant. Regardless of the opposition, you know they will always have a handful of very experienced players and our guys can’t match that. Again though, the lads share the strengths of the Championship team; balance and togetherness.
There was a time I’d give the ra ra speech. A lot of guys actually like that. However, my thinking has changed and a more calm and focussed approach is my preferred starting point. You can’t maintain the gusto throughout a tournament and manage the breaks that come with it.
Saturday is the first of three big days. Nerves, excitement, curiosity. They are the three main emotions experienced in the build up. Hopefully it will be elation in the aftermath.
I’m hoping both will play into my favour. A week off training probably won’t do any harm and work is keeping me distracted.
Saturday is massive, one of the three biggest days of the football year.
There was a time mid-summer when I was very down about the whole thing. I’d never seen numbers drop so consistently low and I wasn’t sure we could pull it together.
However, since lads returned from the summer break, the whole thing has been building and we head into the weekend feeling like we have prepared as well as possible.
There are 29 lads travelling to Copenhagen, an incredible number considering the expensive destination. Ross and Mull are injured so will look after the line and the other 27.
You could joke that the draw for the Championship is like a group of death. We’re in with Scandanavian champs Stockholm, Benelux winners Amsterdam and The Hague, Euro Champs in 2009 and 2010. However, looking at the other side of the draw you see current Euro champs Guernsey, along with Jersey, who topped them in the regionals. Lux fill the final slot and they are a team I’d expect to have a big say.
Considering all that, I think it’s going to be a very competitive day. There’s no point in talking ourselves up or down. I’ve no idea where we are at against the rest but definitely feel like we are starting fresh after a disappointing regional series.
All I can say about us is that we have a balanced panel which is very tight as a group. Last year we played to our potential on each occasion. All we can expect this year is to do that again and see where it takes us. You can beat your chest as much as you want but that’s the bottom line.
The Shield team is in a group with Paris/Lyon and Gothenburg. It’s impossible to call the quality there. We are the only club with a second team entered and there isn’t a ringer amongst them. Unless you count Pearce! I think he avoids training so I don’t pick him!
The challenge being a club’s second team is significant. Regardless of the opposition, you know they will always have a handful of very experienced players and our guys can’t match that. Again though, the lads share the strengths of the Championship team; balance and togetherness.
There was a time I’d give the ra ra speech. A lot of guys actually like that. However, my thinking has changed and a more calm and focussed approach is my preferred starting point. You can’t maintain the gusto throughout a tournament and manage the breaks that come with it.
Saturday is the first of three big days. Nerves, excitement, curiosity. They are the three main emotions experienced in the build up. Hopefully it will be elation in the aftermath.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Comeback Kids
Quite the comeback. Brussels is still shaking after the rattle it got from current and former Belgium G.A.A. players this weekend. The grand experiment was a resounding success.
There were two main things which could have made or broke this thing. One was if Friday descended into a chaotic session and the other was if the game was not competitive.
Friday night went off without incident. Despite the searing temperatures, we congregated in the sweat box that was The Old Oak. Fellas wandered in from work and from flights at various times. The buzz was in full evidence as lads caught up and others were introduced. The pints of water to pints of beer ratio was pretty much 1:1, everyone watching each other and not wanting to do anything that was going to give an opponent a head start the next day.
Brussels' weather is notoriously unpredictable but on Saturday the sun came out in full force. The temperature dial was edging towards 30 degrees as we arrived to watch the end of the Ladies in-house tussle.
Ross was manning the whistle in that game and also for the lads match, a heroic effort for someone so sensitive to the sun.
Played in four fifteen minute quarters, both teams started at full strength and it was the All-Stars who were full of early running. They were foiled by rustiness more than once as they kicked away the opportunity of gaining an early initiative. At the other end, we were much more efficient, tacking on a few scores and drawing frees. We led 1-4 to 0-1 at the break thanks to a mix-up in the square after a long delivery in which led to a goal.
For the second quarter we rolled out the Shield team and their fresh legs would see them maintain our leading at the interval.
The visitors had lost Rochey at this point with a pulled hamstring and we were coming to grips with their main attacking threat, Michael Hough. Tempers began to flare and there were a few slightly animated exchanges (mainly involving Udson) as we started to pull away entering the fourth quarter.
All day our opponent’s performance had been about more than making up the numbers. They tracked well and tackled hard all over the pitch. The game looked beyond them as they trailed by nine points entering the last few minutes. They needed something urgently and the self-proclaimed 'Antrim Maradona' delivered by plundering his much promised goal. Then Jonny O struck and suddenly there was a kick of a ball in it. However, time was up and it was just as well for us as the momentum was firmly in the hands of the All Stars. The final score read something like 3-8 to 3-11.
The girls had stayed on after their match and were joined by other friends and former players which enhanced the sense of occasion. We couldn't have got a better day for it and the game itself was more than worthwhile.
By half seven we had convened on a terrace down town with grand plans for an epic pub crawl. It was the only part of the weekend that didn't go to plan as we never managed to move again, finally getting thrown out sometime after 4am. After that everyone scattered, some for food, some for Celtica and others to bed.
On Sunday, there was a club BBQ arranged in de Valera's and despite the hangovers, we had another bumper attendance. Seventy people joined in for the food with plenty more piled in for the match.
I've avoided the chest beating hum drum as much as possible but the weekend was a solid stamp of approval for many things about the club. I mentioned on Friday how lads travelled from five countries to be here. Ricky is a great example. He worked a double shift on Friday, finishing around 11pm and getting the midnight bus from Clare to Dublin so he could catch the 06h50 Saturday morning flight. He stayed in the country a little more than 24hrs. A big pat on the back goes to Shane Griffen who rallied the troops so well.
The success of the weekend gives the whole thing credibility. There will certainly be a repeat and we'd hope that next year, more lads will get on board and we can turn it into a mini-tournament. That's for another day though. We need a few more just to recover from the weekend.
There were two main things which could have made or broke this thing. One was if Friday descended into a chaotic session and the other was if the game was not competitive.
Friday night went off without incident. Despite the searing temperatures, we congregated in the sweat box that was The Old Oak. Fellas wandered in from work and from flights at various times. The buzz was in full evidence as lads caught up and others were introduced. The pints of water to pints of beer ratio was pretty much 1:1, everyone watching each other and not wanting to do anything that was going to give an opponent a head start the next day.
Brussels' weather is notoriously unpredictable but on Saturday the sun came out in full force. The temperature dial was edging towards 30 degrees as we arrived to watch the end of the Ladies in-house tussle.
Ross was manning the whistle in that game and also for the lads match, a heroic effort for someone so sensitive to the sun.
Played in four fifteen minute quarters, both teams started at full strength and it was the All-Stars who were full of early running. They were foiled by rustiness more than once as they kicked away the opportunity of gaining an early initiative. At the other end, we were much more efficient, tacking on a few scores and drawing frees. We led 1-4 to 0-1 at the break thanks to a mix-up in the square after a long delivery in which led to a goal.
For the second quarter we rolled out the Shield team and their fresh legs would see them maintain our leading at the interval.
The visitors had lost Rochey at this point with a pulled hamstring and we were coming to grips with their main attacking threat, Michael Hough. Tempers began to flare and there were a few slightly animated exchanges (mainly involving Udson) as we started to pull away entering the fourth quarter.
All day our opponent’s performance had been about more than making up the numbers. They tracked well and tackled hard all over the pitch. The game looked beyond them as they trailed by nine points entering the last few minutes. They needed something urgently and the self-proclaimed 'Antrim Maradona' delivered by plundering his much promised goal. Then Jonny O struck and suddenly there was a kick of a ball in it. However, time was up and it was just as well for us as the momentum was firmly in the hands of the All Stars. The final score read something like 3-8 to 3-11.
The girls had stayed on after their match and were joined by other friends and former players which enhanced the sense of occasion. We couldn't have got a better day for it and the game itself was more than worthwhile.
By half seven we had convened on a terrace down town with grand plans for an epic pub crawl. It was the only part of the weekend that didn't go to plan as we never managed to move again, finally getting thrown out sometime after 4am. After that everyone scattered, some for food, some for Celtica and others to bed.
On Sunday, there was a club BBQ arranged in de Valera's and despite the hangovers, we had another bumper attendance. Seventy people joined in for the food with plenty more piled in for the match.
I've avoided the chest beating hum drum as much as possible but the weekend was a solid stamp of approval for many things about the club. I mentioned on Friday how lads travelled from five countries to be here. Ricky is a great example. He worked a double shift on Friday, finishing around 11pm and getting the midnight bus from Clare to Dublin so he could catch the 06h50 Saturday morning flight. He stayed in the country a little more than 24hrs. A big pat on the back goes to Shane Griffen who rallied the troops so well.
The success of the weekend gives the whole thing credibility. There will certainly be a repeat and we'd hope that next year, more lads will get on board and we can turn it into a mini-tournament. That's for another day though. We need a few more just to recover from the weekend.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Belgium Welcomes All-Stars
For want of a better name, we will refer to it as Project X. I promised not to bring it up again but to give you the background for the weekend, I can't avoid it.
'Project X' was a kind of survival mission. We needed to find a system and players to help us survive after all the departures of 2011. Shane Griffin was like the poster child for this. Raw and somewhat uncontrollable up until then, he made the step from Shield to Championship panel and become a key member of the team.
In late spring he declared he was leaving Brussels and naturally I was none too pleased. He softened the blow by agreeing to lead an inititiative which I had wanted to get moving for a while.
Some day I will sit down and try and write a list of all the players who have togged out with us since 2008. I remember in 2009 alone, that figure was 60+. We must be twice that now, if not more. Very few would say they didn't find playing with the club to be a very enjoyable experience.
This leads to an obvious opportunity which we want to tap into - the idea of an annual fixture, pitting current v past players. For me there are three reasons to do this. The first is to provide us an additional competitive fixture in our calender. The second is to keep the former players close, so we can tap into that pool for fundraising and other such items!! Finally, its a great opportunity to catch up with fellas who made your time in Brussels so enjoyable. Thankfully Griff took the oranisational challenge on.
The past players are travelling with a strong panel, reflecting each of the five years the team has existed. The class of 2008 contributes Micheal O'Flynn, Keith Stephens, Cluxton, Phil Roche, Ollie O'Callaghan and Michael Hough. Ciaran Hudson, Ruairi Duffy, Jonny O'Riordan and Jim McGrath arrived in 2009. 2010 provided Shane Griffin, Brendan Lynch, Andrew Shorten and Ricky Collins. Fergal Ellis had a fleeting visit in 2012. (Apologies if my timing is a little out!).
It is a great cross section of players and they will travel from different parts of Ireland, England, Holland, Germany and Switzerland to play.
We had no big plans for the weekend beyond a match on the Saturday and a session that night. However, a few events will be added now; a casual meeting in The Old Oak on Friday night, the girls will play an in-house game before us on Saturday and there will be the session in the evening. On Sunday, there will be a club BBQ in de Valera's where everyone will gather to watch the All-Ireland final.
The success or failure of the game will depend on Friday night. This weekend's game gives great opportunity for guys to prepare for Copenhagen. We travel there with two teams and a lot of selection decisions to be made. I would expect the current players to practice moderation. The past players discipline will be tested. Currently, they have the best of intentions but I've seen this go wrong many times.
Assuming everyone turns up sober on Saturday, it should be a very competitive game. They travel with 15 players whilst we will have a panel of over 30. The game will be played in four, fifteen minute quarters. Our panel size will allow us keep things fresh and that should be an advantage in that sense. On the other hand, it could upset the momentum.
The past players travel with a very competitive panel. Jim McGrath and Cluxton are two past players of the year. Michael O'Flynn and Phil Roche were mainstays of the 2008 Championship team. As far as I know, nearly all of them are active sports wise so they should be fit.
The game has generated interest outside the immediate circle of players with many friends of past and current players coming down for a look. Some of the kids club will be in attendence too and the ladies will be about after their game, no doubt to see Ollie O'Callaghan work his magic.
Without much hullabalu, a game has turned into a weekend event, as tends to happen in this club.
I've avoided descending into nostalgia for now. There will be plenty of time for that on Saturday.
For want of a better word, there will be a serious amount of pride at stake at the weekend. Everyone will want to show what they can do and no-one will want to be listening to the oppostion mouthing off on Saturday night.
If there is any concern that it might be a timid affair, I need only point to the 2010 intra club league as well as this year's in-house games and even some training sessions. Lads don't face any dilemmas when contemplating holding back. That should ensure everyone gets what they want out of Saturday.
'Project X' was a kind of survival mission. We needed to find a system and players to help us survive after all the departures of 2011. Shane Griffin was like the poster child for this. Raw and somewhat uncontrollable up until then, he made the step from Shield to Championship panel and become a key member of the team.
In late spring he declared he was leaving Brussels and naturally I was none too pleased. He softened the blow by agreeing to lead an inititiative which I had wanted to get moving for a while.
Some day I will sit down and try and write a list of all the players who have togged out with us since 2008. I remember in 2009 alone, that figure was 60+. We must be twice that now, if not more. Very few would say they didn't find playing with the club to be a very enjoyable experience.
This leads to an obvious opportunity which we want to tap into - the idea of an annual fixture, pitting current v past players. For me there are three reasons to do this. The first is to provide us an additional competitive fixture in our calender. The second is to keep the former players close, so we can tap into that pool for fundraising and other such items!! Finally, its a great opportunity to catch up with fellas who made your time in Brussels so enjoyable. Thankfully Griff took the oranisational challenge on.
The past players are travelling with a strong panel, reflecting each of the five years the team has existed. The class of 2008 contributes Micheal O'Flynn, Keith Stephens, Cluxton, Phil Roche, Ollie O'Callaghan and Michael Hough. Ciaran Hudson, Ruairi Duffy, Jonny O'Riordan and Jim McGrath arrived in 2009. 2010 provided Shane Griffin, Brendan Lynch, Andrew Shorten and Ricky Collins. Fergal Ellis had a fleeting visit in 2012. (Apologies if my timing is a little out!).
It is a great cross section of players and they will travel from different parts of Ireland, England, Holland, Germany and Switzerland to play.
We had no big plans for the weekend beyond a match on the Saturday and a session that night. However, a few events will be added now; a casual meeting in The Old Oak on Friday night, the girls will play an in-house game before us on Saturday and there will be the session in the evening. On Sunday, there will be a club BBQ in de Valera's where everyone will gather to watch the All-Ireland final.
The success or failure of the game will depend on Friday night. This weekend's game gives great opportunity for guys to prepare for Copenhagen. We travel there with two teams and a lot of selection decisions to be made. I would expect the current players to practice moderation. The past players discipline will be tested. Currently, they have the best of intentions but I've seen this go wrong many times.
Assuming everyone turns up sober on Saturday, it should be a very competitive game. They travel with 15 players whilst we will have a panel of over 30. The game will be played in four, fifteen minute quarters. Our panel size will allow us keep things fresh and that should be an advantage in that sense. On the other hand, it could upset the momentum.
The past players travel with a very competitive panel. Jim McGrath and Cluxton are two past players of the year. Michael O'Flynn and Phil Roche were mainstays of the 2008 Championship team. As far as I know, nearly all of them are active sports wise so they should be fit.
The game has generated interest outside the immediate circle of players with many friends of past and current players coming down for a look. Some of the kids club will be in attendence too and the ladies will be about after their game, no doubt to see Ollie O'Callaghan work his magic.
Without much hullabalu, a game has turned into a weekend event, as tends to happen in this club.
I've avoided descending into nostalgia for now. There will be plenty of time for that on Saturday.
For want of a better word, there will be a serious amount of pride at stake at the weekend. Everyone will want to show what they can do and no-one will want to be listening to the oppostion mouthing off on Saturday night.
If there is any concern that it might be a timid affair, I need only point to the 2010 intra club league as well as this year's in-house games and even some training sessions. Lads don't face any dilemmas when contemplating holding back. That should ensure everyone gets what they want out of Saturday.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Tuning Back In
Blog entries have been scarce so far this year. I can't put my finger on why. Maybe it was the move from laptop to ipad which made it less convenient to churn out a post. It could have also been an intentionally more relaxed approach to the first portion (Benelux Championship) of the year. Whatever it was, things are beginning to heat up now.
All year, the focus has been 100% on the Pan-Euros. Too often, we have invested too much in Benelux and had nothing left for the business end. This year we harassed guys less to train and be available for tournaments early on. We had many injuried but all the prognosis' pointed to September returns. It just felt right that our season would start now.
That’s not to say we didn't burst ourselves to try and win in Benelux. When we got onto the pitch we wanted to win every game but found ourselves off the pace, ending as the only team without a tournament victory. The form of others wasn't overly consistent either as no-one seemed to arrive with a full compliment of players on any one day.
In that sense, its hard to judge where we are now. The above win stat would suggest we are off the pace but two months (basically the gap between Benelux and Pan-Euros) is like an eternity in European G.A.A. Our injuries are clearing up and our panel is increasing in size. Training numbers are back up and the intensity is leading to some of our feistiest sessions.
There is a feel good factor in the group at the minute. Guys are beginning to believe that we have assembled two panels to compete in the coming months. If we can wrap up some remaining travel issues, we should travel to Copenhagen with 14/15 guys all capable of contributing equally to the Championship panel.
It remains the unknown though. We were bottom of the pile in Benelux Championship. The individuals won't necessarily make the difference. Our strength is our depth and we must use it. That means guys will need to buying into doing particular jobs and understand that it is not the number of minutes they are on the pitch that counts, its the contribution they make when they are on.
Our Shield team faces the biggest adjustment. In Benelux they squared off against Lux and Amsterdam's second teams as well as Dusseldorf who are in the start up phase. In the Pan-Euros, the opposition will be established first teams from clubs. That makes the challenge a significant one.
I like this time of year. The games matter most. Three tournaments in eight weeks. Everything becomes about one thing.
All year, the focus has been 100% on the Pan-Euros. Too often, we have invested too much in Benelux and had nothing left for the business end. This year we harassed guys less to train and be available for tournaments early on. We had many injuried but all the prognosis' pointed to September returns. It just felt right that our season would start now.
That’s not to say we didn't burst ourselves to try and win in Benelux. When we got onto the pitch we wanted to win every game but found ourselves off the pace, ending as the only team without a tournament victory. The form of others wasn't overly consistent either as no-one seemed to arrive with a full compliment of players on any one day.
In that sense, its hard to judge where we are now. The above win stat would suggest we are off the pace but two months (basically the gap between Benelux and Pan-Euros) is like an eternity in European G.A.A. Our injuries are clearing up and our panel is increasing in size. Training numbers are back up and the intensity is leading to some of our feistiest sessions.
There is a feel good factor in the group at the minute. Guys are beginning to believe that we have assembled two panels to compete in the coming months. If we can wrap up some remaining travel issues, we should travel to Copenhagen with 14/15 guys all capable of contributing equally to the Championship panel.
It remains the unknown though. We were bottom of the pile in Benelux Championship. The individuals won't necessarily make the difference. Our strength is our depth and we must use it. That means guys will need to buying into doing particular jobs and understand that it is not the number of minutes they are on the pitch that counts, its the contribution they make when they are on.
Our Shield team faces the biggest adjustment. In Benelux they squared off against Lux and Amsterdam's second teams as well as Dusseldorf who are in the start up phase. In the Pan-Euros, the opposition will be established first teams from clubs. That makes the challenge a significant one.
I like this time of year. The games matter most. Three tournaments in eight weeks. Everything becomes about one thing.
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