MICHAEL MCMULLAN: Fitting the bill

By Michael McMullan

I was as shocked as anyone when Gabriel Bannigan stepped down as Monaghan manager.

The vibes from interviews afterwards suggest there were issues going on in the background.

My surprise came from my perception of Monaghan. It has always struck me as a county where everyone was united.

As a Derry man with our chopping and changing of managers, the togetherness the Oriel County radiated was something I was envious of.

The fact Bannigan referenced senior players and changing goalposts painted a picture of a situation not easily resolved.

That said, getting to an Ulster final and blooding new players should’ve been enough to have secured his future as manager.

We are not privy to what is going on, so it is hard to gauge the overall thoughts of the squad. In my opinion, these things should be sacrosanct anyway.

From any dealings with Gabriel, he came across as someone with Monaghan’s interests at heart. The performances of his team suggested a group who would fight you lying in their back.

It seemed to be the perfect partnership but that ship is well out to sea at this stage.

The appointment of John McEntee as manager last week was a great fit for a number of reasons.

He has a deep knowledge of the local club scene and he was well respected as a player with the medals to back it up.

From the way he played the game, he’d have fitted the Monaghan team perfectly. He was a strong and had excellent basic skills.

A head up footballer. The first instinct was to kick for scores or to the inside line. Having come through the Crossmaglen coaching structures, moving the ball with the foot is something Monaghan have done in recent years.

It has worked a treat but it is just a pity they don’t have Bobby McCall to lead their attack as an attacking axis. Gary Mohan and Jack McCarron have the tools to play in the inside line.

The first decision any new manager has to decide is on the goalkeeper position and Monaghan have that position nailed down. Rory Beggan is the best in the business.

If anything, they need to be planning for a number two for the hour he calls time.

Rory is involved in underage coaching in the county, so perhaps he will have put extra emphasis on the goalkeeping pool.

His loss in last year’s championship was there for all to see. He was irreplaceable and the new management team will possibly need to get some league minutes into another ‘keeper in case they need a plan B when the fat is in the fire.

Having managed Clontibret to a championship and spent time at the helm with Inniskeen, McEntee will have a handle on both clubs. The planning for opposition means he will know the strengths and weaknesses of the rest of the county.

The appointment comes ahead of the latter stages of the intermediate and junior title races.

There is also the plus of how the county have their underage structures in line. Of the minor group that reached an All-Ireland final, players such as Tommy Mallen and Max Maguire have the tools to step up.

Cameron Dowd was an unknown but found his feet. Oisin McGorman followed what Dylan Byrne did the previous year by having an excellent breakthrough season.

The only issue John will have, something any new manager was going to have, is dealing with any cloud that surrounded Bannigan’s exit from the position.

He is an excellent communicator and, like any team, the onus is on everyone to fully invest in what comes down the tracks.

There is a saying that if you keep looking backwards as you walk, you’ll more than likely fall over.

Monaghan have their man in place and in place at the right time to get the preparations in place.

Their issue will be the competitive Division Two they are going to meet. Dublin also came down from the top flight.

There is an Ulster feel to it with Derry, Tyrone and Cavan there too. Add in Louth who have plenty of Ulster influence, including McEntee’s former Crossmaglen goalkeeper Paul Hearty.

A colossal loss

Last week, this column was writing about how Naomh Conaill have continuously managed to regenerate their senior squad.

One of the central pillars to that has been youth. Within that, Finnbarr Roarty was their star man who is now on his way to the AFL.

I felt he was going to become one of the all-time greatest defenders in our game. He possesses both pace and power. He is strong and combative. He can mark men and get forward. He can also kick off both sides and score.

That’s quite the checklist. He is a savage loss to Naomh Conaill, Donegal and the game of football in general.

That said, my take on the players being snapped up by the AFL remains the same. It’s impossible for anyone to turn down an opportunity like this.

I do think AFL clubs snapping up players should be reimbursing the club back home in some way, making donations towards club development. That could be for a gym project or any equipment they need to better their players.

I also feel that AFL clubs should be forced to offer more than a rookie contract.

As it stands, they don’t really have to take a chance on a newcomer to the sport. A two-year deal is small fry.

It’s far too easy to cream off the best of our players without really knowing who will make it in the AFL. Roarty ticks plenty of boxes though.