A few observations from yesterday and I guess, from this year to date.
We still concede huge scores and have not improved our structure defensively. This isn't just a problem under Ryan, it goes back to 2013 and seems to be something we refuse to take a firm grasp of. We can outgun most teams under the right conditions, but not when we are so open. Clare had acres yesterday behind our half back line, even before the sending off. Fundamentally, if you concede 30+ every week, you're making life incredibly difficult for yourself. We were wide open after the sending off, the goals Clare scored then were on the cards ages to all in the stadium, with the half backs trotting back to help their overworked and isolated full back team mates. Until we can successfully nullify opposition attacking threat and defend danger as a solid unit, we're not going to win a championship over the course of 6 or 7 score-fests, it's a recipe for failure.
The sending off had a massive impact on the game but it's arguably one of the few calls Owens was actually right about on the day. He was awful throughout but we played into his hands and lack that cuteness that the likes of Duggan and Cleary had. Both of those lads could have been done for GBH at various stages but didn't get caught in the act, more power to them for it. High tackles, lazy hands on backs, a ref who loves the spotlight is only too glad to take such gifts.
Puckouts - Collins was simply not good enough yesterday, but this has been his form all through the league and a worry for most Cork supporters. Clare were gifted possession far too often, particularly at a key stage of the second half when we had stretched the lead. It's not that he didn't have runners, he did, but the balls were way off target on multiple occasions. At this level, restarts are crucial, we're falling way short here.
The biggest and glaring thing for me is that we don't know our best 15 over a year and a half into this management groups tenure. Ryan and co. need to start finding this soon if they are going to build a championship winning unit. It's been clear for some time we need to bed in youth and give them opportunities to learn. We're very close but those last few percent are the hard ones to find and bank. Patience is something we're all probably lacking here after a 20 year drought, I was fit to explode walking out of the south stand yesterday. But we must be realistic and know it will take us time to get there and the timeline can't be defined. Worryingly, we have numerous examples of young players with potential who get half a chance or are thrown in at the deep end. They won't be a 9/10 every day but they might get there given the chance to learn on the job, I fear we've lost a year or two for some of those players already. How Brian Roche hasn't been developed from last year is criminal. His brother had a solid league as well and has plenty to offer. Tommy O'Connell, arguably most consistent player throughout the league, now considered an unused sub yesterday? They made a lot of changes from last week and a number of them paid off in comparison to last week perhaps, but we can't keep going into Munster each year not knowing what our best team is.
Unfortunately our subs didn't make much of an impact yesterday, I thought last Thursday that our bench was top heavy with a lot of similar type forwards and no game changers outside of a half fit O'Flynn and Kingston, both only returning from injury. We didn't carry enough defenders to switch things up and paid for it dearly when you saw how Luke Meade got incinerated by Fitzgerald for the nail in the coffin goal.
Despite all the doom and gloom and the stark likelihood that our year is done again on the 19th May, there's still a hell of a lot to be positive and confident about for the future (yeah, that again). Connolly, if we can feed him with enough ball, is as good a forward as there is in the country. Eoin Downey, Ciarán Joyce and others have plenty upside yet.
We have to continue to battle for what has the makings of a bright future if everyone has the stomach for the fight. We're very close, but we need to learn to be ruthless if we're going to be winners in the years ahead. There's more ahead of us than behind us. Keep the faith Rebels.
