Kildare have drawn 'line in the sand' after disastrous league campaign says O'Callaghan

It has been a bleak 2024 for the Kildare footballers thus far, but much like fans are attempting to do themselves, the players are hoping to put the 100% league loss record in the rear-view mirror.

The stretch in the evenings is back and it is Championship time once again and there is no Irish spirit that can’t be lifted by having a little light still at 8pm. For all the talk of Tailteann Cup and Kildare’s potential placement in the competition, The Lilies lie just two wins away from another Sam Maguire campaign.

The issue of course is that two wins seems like an awful lot based on what has been seen so far. However, Kildare’s midfield man Kevin O’Callaghan has underlined the need for this team to put their relegation to Division 3 behind them heading into Leinster Championship action.

“The only thing we can do is draw a line in the sand and separate it. The Championship is a completely different animal. When you set out at the start of the year nobody is looking towards the league, they are looking towards the Championship,” O’Callaghan said.

“We just need to build on it and we got better as the games went on. Obviously the results didn’t go our way, but some of the performances towards the end we can definitely build on. All roads lead towards the Championship now.”

These are sentiments that are clearly being echoed and relayed to the entire squad as O’Callaghan explained that manager Glenn Ryan had a similar message to his men ahead of facing Wicklow in a Leinster quarter-final.

O’Callaghan’s infectious positivity is certainly comforting, but fans that watched on throughout Kildare’s Division 2 campaign will be hoping for much more than what they saw even in their ‘best’ game.

“A bit of hindsight now, maybe we should have looked into Cavan with a bit more respect. Obviously a Division 3 side coming up, maybe a little bit of complacency,” O’Callaghan explained.

“We were unlucky the next day against Fermanagh and it snowballed from there. Look, it's history now and we look forward to the Championship and we still have a good chance to keep ourselves in the All-Ireland series.”

That chance relies upon beating Wicklow and then defeating the team that emerges from Louth vs Wexford. On paper, it all seems so incredibly doable and is certainly cause for optimism.

A couple of years ago you may not have questioned such results coming. However, after a dismal league showing that included a loss to potential opponents Louth, all while Westmeath achieved Division 3 final glory, those games now make the stomach turn more than they did before.

Nevertheless, the current Kildare squad undoubtedly has the potential to reach a Leinster final this year, but changes have to be made.

O’Callaghan said, “Our defensive structure was very good in the last few games. If you watched us we were well-organised in those matches. We probably let ourselves down in terms of our shooting efficiency or the taking of our chances, but we are creating as many chances as the team we are playing and we are defending really well.”

It is true that Kildare have had men back in numbers in recent fixtures. However, a minimum of 15 points conceded in the last three games (Louth 1-12, Donegal 0-17, and Cork 2-15) doesn’t feel like huge strides have been made in that department. Stats are only a good indicator, but it would also be misleading to say that the defending has passed the eye-test either.

Nevertheless, maybe this Kildare team can spring into life at the other end of the field. 1-12 doesn’t look that bad if you kick 1-15, you might not even notice (or care). Hope springs eternal with sport and Kildare are the ultimate test of that resolve.

The opening months of 2024 have undoubtedly been tough for all concerned with Kildare GAA.

Disappointment over results and performances have sent many fans to social media to voice their frustrations. Unlike most players, O’Callaghan cannot switch off from the faceless voices of criticism from social media, due to his work as an online coach.

“It’s been tough, you just have to look at it with a pinch of salt. Some people are commenting hate or saying negative things online from a place of insecurity or sadness in their own lives,” he said.

“Sometimes you just have to pity them, sometimes you have to look at it that they might not have much and they have paid money to come and see us and left disappointed. I have been the brunt of a lot of abuse online as well and I don’t mind that either, the main thing is that if I don’t know someone personally I am not going to take their opinion on board. If things were going fantastically well you are not going to be listening to praise and outside noise.”

Analysis and criticism of this Kildare team's performances thus far have had to be done. It has not been good enough, least of all for such a talented bunch.

However, more personal attacks have begun to become more frequent online and despite O’Callaghan’s positivity in the face of it, the abuse of intercounty footballers online or in person is nothing short of cowardly.

In spite of all the noise, all the pessimism, just two wins for Kildare could change the whole mood of 2024. The first chance to turn this year around comes against Wicklow on April 14.

The game will take place in Laois Hire O'Moore Park at 1:45pm on Sunday and will be streamed live on GAA GO.