Glenn Ryan interview - No talk of Tailteann Cup...or Sam Maguire with Kildare manager

Kildare team boss Glenn Ryan has been around long enough to know, and realise, exactly what is at stake on Sunday as his team travel to Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow, and a tilt with Oisin McConville's Wicklow in the quarter-final of the Leinster Senior Football Championship.

It is, of course, a Leinster SFC like no other in the history of the GAA.

This year Leinster means Leinster, nothing more, nothing less.

Win it and that is that.

Over.

Finito.

Lose it, and depending on a multitude of other factors, and a team either starts out on an All-Ireland path or into the Tailteann Cup.

No ifs.

No butts.

No excuses.

The Tailteann Cup came into vogue last season and was won by Westmeath, a win that guarantees the Lake County participation in the All-Ireland Series regardless of how they perform at provincial level, or indeed League level as far as that goes.

The Tailteann Cup has been described as a real step forward, an opportunity for lesser counties to play in their own All-Ireland series.

However, practically every county tries to avoid it all costs.

Playing in the Tailteann Cup is, in many respects, a sign of failure, a sign that a county is not good enough to mix it with the top teams.

Now of course the fact that barring four, five or at a stretch six counties, the rest have probably not a snowball chance in hell of winning the Sam Maguire.

But that does not stop counties from dreaming.

Stop counties from hoping.

Stop counties from suggesting that despite their league form, despite the poor displays in recent times, despite not having won the Sam Maguire in God knows when, they still want to be in there with a shout, competing with the best, and so on.

Talking to Kildare boss last week one got the feeling that despite a hugely disappointing league performance, winning just two games but they were vital games, at vital times, wins that ensure Division 2 status was preserved.

But despite that the manager admitted that their (Kildare) form has been so disappointing, that they are certainly not in a position to take Wicklow (promoted from Division 4 to Division 3 this season) for granted.

Is there any talk amongst the management group, of indeed the players of The Tailteann Cup?

“No talk of Tailteann Cup, just as there is no talk of the Sam Maguire; talk throughout the League and I have said this a couple of times, we purely went from game to game, after getting two good wins and we certainly know our form isn't concrete enough to be able to take any game for granted, so the focus now at the moment is purely on Wicklow, our focus has to be on that game and we will see after that.”

What do you think of Wicklow, the league form and their win over Carlow?

“They are well set-up; coming in with huge momentum behind them; did well to get out of Division 4 and battle their way through it; very competitive display against Sligo in the League final; would have been very easy for them to take their eye off the ball against Carlow but they had a slow enough start but came out very comfortable winners so they have a system of play; work very hard for each other; they won't give a damn what we do they will continue to do what has worked for them over the last number of months and try to impose as best they can; they are set-up to give a real good performance.”

Are Kildare in a better place today than say they were a month or so ago?

“I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that” laughs Glenn, adding “it has been tough but players deserve huge credit, and I'm not saying that to try and plamause them; they came in every night and did exactly what was asked of them, and more, and tried to get things right themselves; there was no toys thrown out of the plan.

“We all knew and were aware we were playing football that we did not want to be playing; we all knew we were better than we were showing; we all knew there were performances that were not acceptable but every night came in here (training) there was massive effort on their part to try and get it right, and maybe at times trying too hard; but it was the chicken and egg, the one thing that was going to get us out of the hole we were in was wins and thankfully the two wins at the end and as I often say when you are beaten no one cares who beats you and equally when you win nobody cares who you are beating once you are winning; we won our last two games, particularly the last one.”

That game against Meath was hugely significant said the manager, adding “there was a lot of pressure on us that day from a Tailteann Cup and the Sam Maguire perspective, but also to sign off at St Conleth's Park in a manner that left people with a good memory as opposed to the two previous games, they took all that on board; a lot of pressure.”

LEAGUE

Finishing the league off with two wins, two vital wins at that, must have given everyone a huge boost, both from a moral point of view but also from a training perspective?

“It was good to finish off the League with two wins, that certainly made preparations easier and certainly not the same difficulties we had coming into training prior to that; those difficulties were simply about trying to improve the mood; improve moral; so good to get those wins.

“Having said that It certainly was not through any lack of effort that we found ourselves in the position we were in; we had done a hell of a lot of work during that period even though you might not have thought that but there was a huge amount of effort put in and that work is still there, it is banked and hopefully when the time comes it will come together.”

Maybe too much effort?

“Definitely a case when things not going your way and you're not playing as well as you should be, there are things that go wrong that are probably multiplied, if you were winning those same things might be going wrong but they would not be rearing their heads; you may not be looking at them and you certainly put everything under the microscope when you are not getting the results; maybe over analyse to a certain degree but it is difficult, you are looking for answers and you are not getting the answers;.

“I wouldn't say it was too much work but you are looking at things and everything just seems to be going wrong; those things could have been going wrong last year but because you were winning ...”

NEW FORMAT

It's very stressful; doesn't allow you to enjoy a whole lot, laughs Glenn.

“You are constantly looking over your shoulder; the result down in Clare did not go our way; but everything is still in our own hands; and really what we said throughout the league and that is simply look at and take everything game by game; if we win our games no issue.”

The new format is “not giving us a chance to promote our games the way they should be; to the biggest factor out of this is the teams across the water; our season is condensed into a short period; yet fellows can play here and then go across the way to play and then come back and play with their club.

“In fairness you will only find out the pros and cons of this new format at the end of the season; I wouldn't be against trying stuff; if something isn't or hasn't panned out the way it was hoped; they (Croke Park) should be prepared to make changes immediately rather than wait for Congress to come around every couple of years and drag it out that way; I would't be mad about saying too much of the system at the moment because it might look we are trying to pave a way for ourselves but I do think there is something there that needs to be looked at as regards to the provinces.”

Choosing a panel of 26 for that opening game and then the staring fifteen, that can't be easy?

“In some ways it is very similar to the start of the League, you would like the players to think they are starting with a blank canvas, but because fellas played in the league does not mean they are going to be automatic for the start of the championship, at the same time you want consistency there as well, to create consistency in the panel for fellas to believe and know if they are performing well out on the training pitch they are given the opportunity as well and you are trying to get that fine balance.

“We know it is going to be difficult initially to pick a panel of 26 and then to pick the starting fifteen; choosing the initial 26 is probably more difficult because fellas are being left off who have all put in a massive effort but that is just the nature of the thing.”