Antrim is great Hurling County.
The UK media reported that yesterday Brendan Rodgers, a son of Antrim, was taking in a soccer match involving Manchester City.
The speculation is that he was on a scouting mission for defenders.
That he is doing this after Celtic have been ejected from the Champions League is, well, indefensible.
Of course, as regular readers will know that I don’t blame the Antrim man.
I firmly believe that the responsibility for this clusterfuck lies elsewhere.
Perhaps Brendan would have been better sitting in the Hogan Stand watching the Treaty prevail against the Tribesmen.
The Shannonsiders pushed their bodies through the pain barrier to end a 45-year wait to take the Liam McCarthy home with them.
Moreover, had he been in Croker to watch history being made it would have been useful to have Dedryck Boyata at his side.
Of course the all-Ireland hurling final is a showcase of a culture that is very foreign to the Belgian.
Sadly what is also apparently alien to the error-prone defender is a sense of being part of something that is greater than you.
Making a mistake in the heat of battle is understandable, leaving your comrades in the lurch is unforgivable.
Galway and Limerick are two great hurling counties it was tough on the loser, but I screamed for the Treaty with every wing of a camán yesterday.
The last time I was in Croker I was in the green and red of Mayo and our lads gave everything, they always do, but it wasn’t to be.
We gave Dublin two own goals of a start and battled back to level it with the last swing of Cillian O’Connor’s boot.
We lost the replay by the narrowest of margins.
The last time that my father’s county lifted the Sam Maguire he was there in Croker with the young woman who would become his wife.
That was 1951 and Mayo’s long wait still isn’t over.
However, yesterday Limerick were kings of hurling again after 45 years.
They had bossed the final from the start, although those two late goals from Galway had me fearing the worst.
Yet the men from Limerick held on and won.
It was only teamwork and an affection for everything that jersey stands for that got those exhausted limbs over the line.
As I said it would have been a very alien vista to Mr Boyata.
In the dressing room afterwards and in the train home to Shannonside there was only one song for that was suitable to celebrate a historic victory.
I smiled at the thought of the Section 31 types flinching in Donnybrook and perhaps one Limerick chap currently taking the shilling in Scotland.
Of course, both Sam Maguire and Liam McCarthy led lives of unswerving devotion to something that they considered was greater than themselves.
For the avoidance of doubt, such a mindset is beyond the understanding of most professional athletes in 2018.
I fully realise that Dedryck Boyata is an asset in a business.
With that in mind banishing him from the first team squad is likely to diminish his market value.
In fairness to Celtic’s preening CEO, he wanted the Belgian gone in the summer when the defender wouldn’t sign a new contract.
Instead, Brendan wanted to keep the player who he considered to be his best centre back.
A rare error in judgement from the Antrim man.
When the Limerick men had to see out the final crucial seconds of the final yesterday they collectively dug deep.
Guys who get petrol money to go to training showed what it was to be a team player, to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Kieran Tierney conducts himself on the soccer pitch like a GAA player and so does Scott Brown.
As for their unreliable teammate then it really should be a poc fada for him…
Tonight we only have young Ajer, a lad still learning his trade, as a recognised Centre Back. I’m excluding Commper since if I passed him in the street I wouldn’t recognise him.
Who is to blame for the current clusterfuck…??..DD…PL…or BR…??
To be honest…..I neither know nor care…We can all speculate as much as we like…but the truth is…we will probably never know.
What I do care about, however, is the Club…which has…regrettably…. once again…fallen asleep at the wheel.
If we had a quality CB for every time this has happened…we would have a surplus of quality CB’s…and that’s a fact.
The hard facts are… For every diamond we unearth….there are 3 lumps of wood…and this has to stop.
Coupled with the fact that we have been complacent imo…and that is unforgiveable.
Finally…Ajer and Hendry are at a stage in their career…where being responsible for getting us into the CL group stages…is a joke.
They are too inexperienced to be carrying that burden.
The support has been vocal about the CB situation for a long time now…but nobody has paid attention.
Well they had better start now…’cos our patience is at breaking point.
Forget the “players” for the future thing…its the NOW we need addressed.
Hail hail
Do you remember Enda McGinley broke his neck in the All Ireland final v Armagh and played on.And he was a doctor.
I too was delighted for Limerick,I thought they could have been pulled back in right at the end.A honourary mention must go to Jp McManus and his backing of the GAA in the Treaty.They were nt scrimping and saving for diesel money.
I’m looking forward to another day out in HQ,Tyrones character means we will have to work as hard as we did against Mayo.
Sorry off topic…..get on you tube Max Keissr financial terrorism (E1269). .ASAP….
Royal Bank of Scotland….not to be missed
Anyone got a big pile of shit that we can go to Charlotte Square to fling at the bastards. ???
Boyata returns from a world cup where he has been playing and spending time with fellow teammates who are at Man City, Spurs, PSG, Barca, Man U, Napoli, Monaco, Real and Liverpool. He returns to a domestic league where 25% of the pitches are poor quality artificial surfaces. Factor in that he has achieved everything he can in Scotland, is it any wonder that he wants to leave and try his luck once again in a bigger league?
This guy has just come from the football equivalent of the all Ireland where he gave his all for his country in the games he played. If your Limerick men could up sticks to some mad new Chinese or Qatari hurling super league for crazy money, I’m sure a fair few lads would consider it.
A camán is the only thing Scott Brown hasn’t used on an opponent. I take it the ONE song had no references to the IRA either. Unlike the songs sung at Parkhead
I think the Celtic supporters are the closest thing in soccer to what a gaa supporters are . The passion and devotion is very similar. The difference being the obvious, like pay. And unfortunately when that enters the equation you will sometimes get players like boyata who get their heads turned by an agent or whoever. Whereas in the gaa it’s one life one team, it’s in your blood, it’s where you grew up. Money can’t buy that. I think the Tierney and brown analogy is fair, wasn’t that what made the Lisbon lions special? You need to grow up with it to know what it feels like!
Was hoping Brendan would bring Jason Denayer back with him but unfortunately he’s signed for Marseilles today !
(Insert sad face)
Denayer was half decent beside VanDyke. Was garbage in Turkey and worse at Sunderland. No better than what we have (which is not a lot)
A double treble, and only Kieran Tierney and Scott Brown mentioned in the context of a GAA players efforts. Disingenuous in the extreme. Have you quickly forgotten Phil the joy your “team” have given you over the last few years.
Two examples, not an exhaustive list.
Trolling attempt noted…
Phil no attempt to troll from me. Happy to agree to disagree. We are in danger of shooting ourselves in the foot. I fine line indeed between constructive criticism, and negativity.
This brings to mind the current AIB_GAA series where Harry Rednapp and Gianluca Vialli get their chance to manage two local GAA football clubs. It is apparent that both men are struck by the dedication and skill of the players as well as the community involvement and and wider social impact of these clubs. The series may be accessed here if anyone is interested in watching: https://twitter.com/aib_gaa
It seems since last seasons winter break. the transfer events have been one error after another. When Fulham came knocking on the door with an offer of 10 million for Boyota we should have taken it, it was a no-brainer, but I believe Brendan was so angry about not getting our target Fabian Lukas Schär for 3 million, he dug his heels in. I don’t think anyone comes out of this with any credit but I can’t help wondering if our Head of Recruitment Lee Congerton ever feels a tad embarrassed when he picks up his substantial salary. It’s all gone terribly wrong since he was appointed head of recruitment. Commpper, Mousonda, Hayes, the McGinn and Boyota fiascos. Sunderland fans warned us. Time to find a new Head of Recruitment I think.
And now Scott McKenna.Imagine him and Hendry together…..shudder
Bit harsh on Hayes given that the Manager rarely plays him in his natural position and on his natural side where he spent 4 good years at Aberdeen as a standout player? (Who attracted Celtic).
Not to mention the fact he’s also deployed both Forrest and Hendry out of position this Season with similar results?
Rodgers also raved about Mousonda and thinks both Hendry and Boyata are that top class defenders they can play across the 18 yard box like Xavi and Inniesta?
I’ll skip the Craig Gordon attempts at being Manuel Neuer spiel for another post…