Vienna

Vienna. A city with many a good memory for me. My parents lived there in the mid-noughties for the bones of four years and I got down there regularily enough. It ranks highly on my list of favourite cities. With that in mind, it was great to see it confirmed as one of the hosts of a Pan-Euro round this year.

All things considered, we head there in good shape. We had one drop out on Sunday but it still leaves us with 32 guys travelling and not a weekend transfer/ringer in sight. In five years I've never seen numbers like it for a tournament involving a flight and a day off work. Even for local tournaments, I could count on one hand the number of times we've had these kind of numbers.

In that group, we also have Mull and Ross who are injured but will manage the line on the day.

We learned a fair bit in Copenhagen and I referenced it in the post-tournament blog. We definitly made mistakes in the build up and on the day in terms of setting our game plan and adjusting where necessary. This is a fact of life and happens at every level.

In the Sunday Independent last weekend Kieran McGeeney put his hands up when talking about things he got wrong over the last couple of years. There is a time and a place to acknowledge things like that. In the high profile world of intercounty football, it can also help deflect the heat off the players.

Even in our context it is important. In Copenhagen, I was ok to take a chunk of the blame on my shoulders. The mood in the camp was good, the fitness was good. Those boxes were ticked but the most important one wasn't - lads clearly understanding their role.

That is a more complex thing to solve then it may seem. A player has many many roles in both attacking and defending situations, with and without the ball. Through exchanges with the lads I could identify over ten areas where we need to improve but you can't tackle everything at once.

With that in mind, we narrowed it down to a couple of key points in the last month. There is a temptation to move on and work on other things after a couple of sessions to 'freshen things up' but we stuck to our guns. Thursday will be our seventh session since Copenhagen with an in-house game bringing the number of gatherings to eight.

There is no need to bore you or benefit you with the details but we recognise a need to change our style of play and focus more on our strengths rather than protecting our weaknesses. We need to be more responsible individually and front up to the challenges we face, not relying on others to bail us out.

The plan is painfully simple but for the first time all year, it is has been beaten into lads over a consistent period.

We have ticked an important box that was left blank the last day, thus shifting the onus onto the players. Of course there will be calls to be made on the day but the better the plan is implemented by the players, the less challenging calls will have to be made.

It's win or bust at the weekend - real Championship.

Euro 7s Just Off Pace

I went home for the 7s a couple of weeks ago intent on enjoying the weekend whatever happened. I couldn't but feel a bit disappointed coming away from it though.

The weekend got off on a good note. Arriving at Dublin Airport shortly before 22h, I even treated myself to a taxi to the hotel. I was in with the Nordic duo Mal Kenna (Goteburg) and Niall Scullion (Stockholm). I knew Niall but not Mal - both turned out to be good company. Expecting the talkative Mr. Scullion to be one to ramble in his sleep, I had the ear plugs at hand. However, to my surprise, a silent night it was.

Shay has had us staying in the Louis Fitzgerald in Newlands Cross for the last two years. It’s handy to get to the pitches and they do a magnificent breakfast. We met up with the other lads in the hotel, Dec (Stockholm), Shay (Maastricht) and Corkman Michael Lynch (Malmo). The noon start meant we could relax and catch-up without any great rush.

At the pitch, we met up with the rest of the lads; Conor McGugh & Aireey Cleary (Guernsey), Danny Cravan & James Flavin (Hague) and Brian Stokes & Mark O'Kane (Stockhom). It’s always a tough situation to be thrown into, even more so having crossed swords just a week previous in Copenhagen.

Up first were St. Judes, big scorers in their first game and clearly well drilled in the nuances of the 7s game.

The first couple of minutes were a horror show. Straight from the throw in they fired a rocket in over my head. I barely had my gloves on!! I was pissed off because I would have definitely saved it later in the day but I was like a rabbit in the headlights for that one.

We settled thereafter and despite being totally out of sync with 7s tactics, we were managing to keep in touch. We'd lined up in nearly a 2-2-2 formation and it was killing us. The lads at the back were getting exposed continuously and they got a share of goals from balls over the top in 2v1 situations.

Through sheer endeavour we found ourselves leading by a point in the second half. We had a goal chance when I made my way into some traffic around their 20m line. The hand pass in was slightly over my head but catchable all the same. I didn't think I'd be afforded the time to pull it down and with Michael Lynch bearing down I looked to palm it into his path. If that comes off it looks fantastic. If it doesn't you look like a complete prick. I did a good job of impersonating the latter. Should. Know. Better.

Our defensive frailties caught up with us with the concession of a couple more goals and in the end we lost a lively shoot out 5-4 to 3-5. Bad start but considering how far we were away from playing a suitable system, it felt fixable.

Shay and Niall pulled us in and their reflections were on the ball. The system was adjusted and we had a quick turnaround to face Shercock of Cavan. We looked a different team as we battened down the hatches at the back and created plenty of chances up front. It still wasn't smooth though and we were struggling to turn possession into scores. Poor shot selection and slow movement of the ball into scoring positions meant we did not capitalise. I think the game finished something like 1-7 to 0-6.

Things were getting serious at this stage in the sense that even qualifying for the Shield was coming into some doubt. We would play Bredagh of Down in the third game. They're the home club of our very own Paddy Cassidy so I was eager to go home having thought them a lesson. It was looking good too for a long period. We were getting up a head of steam, lads were carrying out their roles effectively and the communication was up. Standing in goal I had the best view of it all and it was clear our understanding of the game was increasing.

We led from the off and by 4 points in the closing minutes. Inexplicably we managed to concede 1-1 in the last couple of minutes. The equalising point was particularly annoying. Down one end, Aireey was blatantly tripped - the referee waved away our protests with his standard response of, 'sure, ye're all at it'! - Bredagh broke and pointed from a free. We had a free with the last kick to win it but it was not to be. 1-7 to 1-7.

The score line against Shercock and Bredagh were uncharacteristically low for 7s. We had great discipline in defence but it also showed some attacking issues. Our interplay up there wasn't as smooth. Defending you can just park the bus which is pretty easy to do. However, when you attack, the team play comes into it more and the unfamiliarity was showing a bit which was natural.

Our final game of the group was a must win against a Wicklow team with a complicated name. Together with Bredagh we were all vying for a spot in the Shield. A tactical masterstroke saw us set-up camp in the top goal, in hope the other team would just agree to 'play as we are' giving us the hill and the wind in the opening half. It worked and all at once it clicked and we gave them a proper hiding - three goals in it in the end and third spot secured.

We hadn't played anyone that I felt had better footballers than us. Judes looked to be the best team in it and I reckon if we played them again we would have been more than up to it. We were ready for a serious tilt at the Shield.

The quarter-final was a game against a Limerick side. I think they were called Herbstown Hospital. The scores flowed and we headed for the semi.

There we would play O'Donnells of Belfast. We'd beaten them convincingly last year at the same stage but remembered well that they were a particularly mouthy and unsavoury bunch of Belfast lads. 0-5 to 0-1 at half-time - thank you very much. Their heads appeared gone and we looked sorted. Maybe that got in our heads and brought some complacency.

They goaled just after the break and it gave them a serious boost. We just imploded. It’s hard to put the finger on it. Even after the goal, their keeper pulled off two incredible saves which would have given us enough breathing space to close it out. After the second they stormed down to raise the green flag again. We were chasing the game, something you don't want to be doing in your sixth game of the day. They deserved their win after such a comeback but it was a bitter pill to swallow.

There in lies the disappointment. We had a serious team, plenty of assistance on the line too. It's an 'if' that isn't worth mentioning but I will - if we had some match practice, specifically 7s, together prior to the tournament, then we would give the Championship a serious rattle, never mind the Shield. That's impossible though so I guess the key is to have some consistency in the panel year on year with one or two fresh faces brought in. As one of the lads mentioned after, playing in the Maastricht 7s in August would be a big help too.

Overall it’s a great weekend if you go at it with the right attitude. We didn’t do as well as we would have liked at the football but we had good craic over the course of the weekend and it was good to get to know some of the lads, especially those from outside Benelux who you would not know so well.

7up

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.