WRITING in his newspaper column on the Saturday before Cork played Waterford two weeks ago, Ger Loughnane unloaded both barrels of about six shotguns in the direction of the Cork management.
Loughnane said that what happened in the aftermath of Cork’s league final defeat to Kilkenny – when Cork made six changes in every line – was a complete over-reaction and “cast serious doubts over the acumen of Jimmy Barry-Murphy and his backroom team”.
When he turned to the team picked for Waterford, Loughnane said that it “beggared belief” and “smacked of panic”.
After calling Cork “flaky” and stating that Barry-Murphy’s perceived investment in youth was false because he was “going back to the old guard”, Loughnane delivered the most hurtful line directed at the Cork squad: “I get the impression that Cork, once again, is not a happy camp.”
Along with the stability and feel-good factor Barry-Murphy has brought, given what Cork have been through with all the strikes, and the lengths the players went to ensure disharmony never infects them like a virus again, that line surely cut deep into the bone. Even after Cork came back from three points down late on to win by three points, Loughnane wasn’t convinced in his column the following day. “The win hasn’t vindicated what Barry-Murphy is doing as the Déise threw the game away.”
Loughnane did make a couple of fair points. Making so many changes from game to game is not conducive to settling a team and developing fluency. The difficulties Cork had with trying to settle a defence which leaked 8-77 against Kilkenny, Tipp, Offaly and Wexford was because positions rotated like a carousel throughout the summer.
When Cork looked like they had settled on their defence during the league, Kilkenny tore it to shreds in the final and forced Cork to start all over again.
Then, after three games and radical reconstruction in the process, Cork tore up the page again for the Waterford game and selected five of the six defenders which started the league final.
The likelihood now is that Cork will have a new centre-back again for Sunday. Eoin Cadogan had not been well in the lead up to the Waterford game, while the difficulties combining his dual commitments have become more evident in his hurling as the summer has progressed.
Cadogan made just nine plays against Waterford (the same amount as the Wexford game) before he was taken off. Once again, he highlighted his reluctance to strike the ball. When John Gardiner came on, he made just one play but he had a solidifying effect and Seamus Prendergast was not as effective on his beat.
If Gardiner does start there now on Sunday, his lack of game-time this summer has to be another concern.
Darren Sweetnam will have to start after making nine effective plays when he came on against Waterford.
Cathal Naughton’s contribution was also massive but it proved that he is at his most effective when coming on as an impact sub. Naughton should be held back, despite the problems Cork had in their half-forward line against Waterford.
Niall McCarthy was ineffective when making just six plays. Cian McCarthy made just nine plays but was unlucky to be hauled off after scoring three points. If Conor Lehane does return, Cork need to reconsider him as the ball-winning option that he was in early spring.
Cork may also need to alter their puck-out strategy from just continually going long. When the game turned in the first half, Waterford won 10 Cork puck-outs out of 11. The puck-out stat in the first half was 18-7.
In total, Waterford won 18 Cork puck-outs. Indeed, it was only when Cork got on top in that sector in the last quarter, when they won seven Waterford puck-outs, that the game began to swing back in their direction.
The fact that Cork could not get their hands on the ball in the middle third for long periods added to the recurring theme all summer of failing to get their inside forwards on the ball enough.
The stats are worth examining. Patrick Horgan made four plays in the opening 12 minutes. As well as scoring one point, he had two wides and had a goal chance blocked. Yet for the remaining 60 plus minutes, Horgan made just five plays, two of which yielded points.
From five first-half plays, Paudie O’Sullivan almost had a goal, he set up Jamie Coughlan’s goal, created another goal chance and scored one point. Yet he had to wait until the 48th minute to make his first play of the second half and he made just two more plays after that.
From five first-half plays, Luke O’Farrell had a goal chance saved, while he set up two points and won a free. In the second half, he struck the ball just twice from five plays.
Cork need to be a little more direct because it is obvious when those players are on the ball that serious things are happening.
Looking at how well Cork have done this season and the progress they have made through being forced to develop this team on the hoof, Loughnane’s criticisms certainly have been over the top. Cork have a serious chance on Sunday if they can get enough ball into their full-forward line.
But if Galway reproduce the same form, intensity and physicality from the Leinster final, they won’t be beaten.