John Fogarty
IF the two Horans James and Maurice want it that way, Mayo and Limerick’s Croke Park dressing room walls will be plastered with newspaper cuttings on Sunday.
The night before, they could meet up to watch a rerun of last week’s Sunday Game and hear how Joe Brolly wrote off their chances of reaching an All-Ireland semi-final.
On the way to the game, their iPods could be filled with the collection of dismissive comments made about them that filled the airwaves during the week.
Not since 2004 when Mayo and Fermanagh were written off against Tyrone and Armagh have the prospects of two last-eight teams playing in different game on the same day been thought of less.
Mayo have been propelled by the amount of criticism that has come their way this season. Aidan O’Shea made a point of thanking pundit Liam Hayes for providing them with the motivation to beat Roscommon in the Connacht final this month.
Limerick stalwart Stephen Lavin all but dedicated their fourth round All-Ireland qualifier win over Wexford to the team’s detractors.
“I want to say this, and I want you to print it — screw all those people who have written us off,” Lavin said.
“Martin McHugh saying we don’t deserve to be in the last eight, Pat Spillane saying we’re not a good enough team, sub-standard footballers – this win is a message to them.”
Lavin is an honest man, an honest footballer too. As much as they said they don’t, players and managers read newspapers, listen to the radio and watch the Sunday Game.
Kieran McGeeney is like a hawk. In almost every post-match conference this championship season he has referred to a criticism of his team. Not enough natural finishers. Robots. Only a second-half team.
Kildare are such a stage that they shouldn’t need the words and opinions of others to inspire them – but anything helps.
All-Ireland champions Cork themselves got an unusual one on Wednesday’s The Committee Room when Mick O’Dwyer gave a journalist a withering look when he tipped Cork to retain the Sam Maguire Cup.
Again, Cork don’t need such factors. Even if Brolly’s comments about them last weekend had supporters up in airs, they’ve long learned not to be upset by the Derry man.
Both Michael Shields and Alan Quirke were asked in the wake of the quarter-final win over Down if they had read Brolly’s comments. Both said no.
You take them at their word but even if they had perused what the RTÉ pundit wrote in his Gaelic Life column and later reported in the Irish Examiner, they would hardly have bated an eyelid.
Two years ago, Kerry read with glee at how much Dublin were building themselves up in their quarter-final. On the way up to the capital, they took mild offence to how Dublin were posturing with one particular newspaper interview with current Dublin captain Bryan Cullen doing the rounds.
Kerry had been down at the time but their low-key build-up to the game suited them perfectly and Dublin were taught an invaluable lesson, losing by 17 points. It was an unusual position for Kerry to be in but they themselves know where Limerick will be coming from this week.
It wasn’t too long ago either that Cork’s chances of winning a Munster final against Kerry were rated as rank slim. Following the 2007 All-Ireland final trimming, the Munster Council offered two tickets for the price of one at their 2008 provincial final between the sides at Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Such was the lack of belief among Rebel supporters in their own team and Kerry fans’ indifference.
Cork won that game, another example of how success can be gleaned from the “we’ll show them” approach. But there remain doubts about how sustainable it is.
Before they beat Roscommon, Mayo had it in the neck. David Brady was scathing following the extra-time win over London and he was followed by Hayes after the Galway win.
There’s new material this week but how long can a team go to the well aiming to prove people wrong?
Hayes’ comments about Roscommon winning by five to seven points spurred on Mayo no end and they got new material this week but is it enough to rile them once more?
Or should they and Limerick not go out with the mindset that they have nothing to prove to anybody but themselves?
That seems the more valid attitude to take because only so much can be gained from it before there’s a defeat.
As McGeeney points out: “It’s never put to bed listening to some of the punditry! Somewhere along the line you’re going to lose and what they say about you is gonna be right.”
It’s good that Mayo are taking offence at those who under-rate them. It’s good that Limerick are taking umbrage at the brickbats flung their way. So long as they channel it to their advantage. So long as they win.
But as long as there are games left to play, expressing vindication runs the risk of told-you-sos.
Their majority of their motivations have to be self-perpetuated. Teams proving themselves right is a much more potent catalyst than proving people wrong.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/shC8fOcbhFE/post.aspx
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