Eye on the ball

It never ceases to amaze me watching a GAA team being hammered in midfield, their defence crumbling and the opposition raking up the scores and the first bit of remedial action sees them take off a corner-forward who hasn't seen the ball all day!

The GAA response to the question of player burnout is a bit like that. They know things aren't working as they should and that improvements are needed.

Moves have been made to ban collective county training and challenge matches pre-Christmas, while third level colleges have become the 'corner-forwards' of this debate.

Colleges, second and third level, have played a huge role in the development and popularity of Gaelic games. They bring together players from clubs all over the place and give them an opportunity to play at a representative level.

Many the player from a junior or small rural club who got a shot at performing on a provincial or national stage that he would never have were it not for colleges' competitions.

Eoin O'Donnellan and Maurice Sheridan who, unlike most club and county managers, are operating in a voluntary capacity in training NUIG this season, have plenty experience of the various grades.

O'Donnellan, who guided Salthill/Knocknacarra to the All-Ireland club title two years ago and was a selector with Galway manager Peter Ford, says that colleges participation in the FBD League and the like facilitate county teams as it allows managers to try out more players.

GAA bosses worried about player burnout would do well to listen to the likes of O'Donnellan rather than taking the easy option and taking off the corner-forward!

Big Sam, small shame

Is there any other walk in life where an employee gets fired, presumably because they were not up to the task, and the person is immediately linked and recommended for similar posts elsewhere?

Last week Sam Allardyce was sent packing by Newcastle, just 24 games into a three-year contract. Newcastle's inability to hold on to managers is matched only by their inability to win trophies, but that's another story.

They are soccer-mad on Tyneside and while they are constantly duped into believing the silverware is around the corner, they tolerate the barrenness once attacking and flowing football is played. It was a major flaw for Big Sam not to spot this and his dreary football in search of draws and 1-0 wins meant he was always going to struggle to win the Toon army.

Why then, having failed to appreciate such a glaring requirement, should so many people feel he is qualified for the Irish manager's job? Commentators here who should know better started going on about his 'availability' as if his sacking was an endorsement rather than the black mark that it is.