BY COLM BRADLEY
PLAY WITH INTENSITY
Malachy O'Rourke was quick to point out that in the first half of the Cavan game Fermanagh lacked the same intensity that they had delivered against Down. This was true but it was not the case that Fermanagh simply did not bother. It seemed to me that the Fermanagh players were burdened with expectations during the first 35 minutes. It has been a problem for a number of years now and there is no doubt that when under real pressure and expectation Fermanagh can be hit and miss.
On Saturday night Fermanagh will be slight favourites but with the dead weight of the Anglo Celt gone from around their necks they should be able to play with more freedom. Fermanagh need to be always at 100% to make an impact and they should be able to do so on Saturday with no fear of consequences. The Ulster title is gone and while that is still what everyone craves the Fermanagh players have a duty to themselves to go out and win the game and prove that they are still a side to be reckoned with.
FORWARDS PLAY AS FORWARDS
Fermanagh have better players than Wicklow. There is no doubt in my mind about that statement. So it is time to dispense with the sweeper and play orthodox 15 against 15. Wicklow will be predictable and will go on an all out attack. Mick O'Dwyer will have them flying fit and jumping out of their skins but this enthusiasm can be met with similar doses of exuberance by Fermanagh and once the game settles down Fermanagh should have the better players. The introduction of Seamus Quigley to the squad is an interesting call from O'Rourke. The Roslea attacker has been in fine form throughout the club league season and has posted some serious tallies and I would expect he will see some game time on Saturday night, in fact I would expect that both he and Owens will start in the full forward line. Even without Quigley however the Fermanagh team have the forwards in the squad to make hay with the Wicklow defence. Which brings me on to my next point......
MOVING THE BALL AT PACE
Stats can be misleading and while there is no doubt that Fermanagh shot a lot of wides against Cavan there is some debate as to whether these shots should have been attempted at all. A number of the shots were of the snap variety and from impossible angles. Much of the reason for this was the laboured and congested approach that Fermanagh adopted. Against Cavan it was hand pass after hand pass all the way up the field and most of these passes were received by players who were standing still. There was no pace or taking the ball off the shoulder and as a result Cavan were able to usher the Fermanagh players wide and into positions where pot luck shots at the posts were the only option left.
As Tyrone demonstrated against Derry there are two ways to play the game. One is to let in long early ball to the forward line while the other is to use a shorter approach but to do so with blinding pace. The first option is more difficult if you have only three or four forwards actually in the oppositions half and this was particularly evident against Cavan when Fermanagh found it almost impossible to get the ball to the inside line who were double marked most of the time. The man on the ball needs options but too often only one green jersey was available down field against Cavan and as a result he had to turn back and recycle possession with lateral passing. So if Fermanagh are to persist with dropping players back into defence they must ensure that they break at blinding pace. This was achieved against Down but not against Cavan. In Breffni Park there was not the same urgency to get forward and as a result we looked laboured.
Against Wicklow Fermanagh must move it quicker, whether through the hands or into a forward line that contains at least four to five of their forwards.
DEFENDERS MUST BE TOUCH TIGHT
To be fair to Malachy O'Rourke he has tried to play a more expansive game on occasion this year but when he has done so Fermanagh have been destroyed. Laois forwards ate them alive in the league and last week in a friendly Donegal did likewise when Fermanagh went man to man. This is certainly worrying because until recently Fermanagh were famed for their mean defence and could count on their six defenders doing good jobs on the opposing forwards. The defenders need to get their ruthless streak back. Each starting defender should set himself a target of keeping his man to one score from play over the course of the 70 minutes. After that he should ensure that any ball won by his direct opponent will be under pressure. Further out the field the midfield and forwards have an obligation to ensure that 50/50 ball is delivered into the Wicklow forward line so as to give their defenders a chance.
Sometimes I think that the style of play that Fermanagh have adopted - men dropping back - allows our defenders to approach the game with a sort of zone defence in mind. Opposing forwards are winning the ball too handy in front of Fermanagh defenders. The Wicklow attackers need to know from the first ball that they are in for a rough ride.
PLAY WITH CONFIDENCE
Fermanagh need to have a go on Saturday evening. Confidence is the key to playing well and our boys must believe that they are still a top tier team. They must approach the game with the confidence that if they work hard good things will happen.
Individual forwards need to know that they can hit scores from play and defenders need to know that they can mark their men without a helping hand from half their forwards.
