Where to now for Clare football?

COMMENT

Even the most ardent of Clare football supporters will admit that a win over Kerry in the All-Ireland qualifier at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Saturday evening last would have ranked as the shock of the championship.

That said, however, few expected the Clare challenge to be so feeble and the loyal followers present – sadly, there weren’t too many – headed home despondent.
The result was a massive disappointment and will, no doubt, add fuel to the argument that the open draw should be dropped even if it’s difficult to understand what difference it would make if the same result occurred at a different stage of the championship.
Over the years Kerry followers haven’t travelled in any great numbers to championship games, outside of All-Ireland semi-finals and finals.
It was quite surprising, then, to note that nearly 2,000 Kerry followers had taken their seats in the Mackey Stand three quarters of an hour before throw-in time on Saturday evening. It was equally surprising to see the Kerry panel out on the pitch at 6.20pm for their warm-up ahead of the game.
By kick-off, the number of Kingdom supporters had swollen to make them the clear majority in an official attendance of 7,388. They cheered loudly for each player as the team line-out was announced and again when substitutions were made during the course of the second half. They reserved the two biggest cheers of the night for Paul Galvin and team captain Colm Cooper, who set a new record as the championship’s top scorer, surpassing fellow county man Mikey Sheehy.
It’s only a matter of weeks since football followers in general and particularly in Clare were wishing that it was this same Kerry team that provided the opposition to Clare in the provincial decider.
The view then was they were not as strong as during the past decade. How quickly views change, as Kerry are now many people’s favourite to win the All-Ireland.
Following Clare’s loss to Cork in the provincial final, there was quite an amount of criticism of the fact the Banner did not take a more defensive approach in that game. It was pointed out that they should have operated a sweeper type system, particularly in the opening quarter.
This time out, Clare placed more emphasis on defence but they ended up suffering a heavier defeat. They did well in the opening 15 minutes at the end of which they trailed 0-4 to 0-3. Yes, they could have been further behind at this stage but for some good work by the backs but once Kerry took control at midfield, a lot of Clare players, sadly, dropped their heads.
The forward line was considered to be Clare’s best sector, yet none of the starting six could manage a score from play in 70 minutes. Clare’s only scores from play came from midfielder Ger Quinlan (0-2) and substitute David Russell (1-1).
When a team’s involvement in a championship race, whether at club or county level, ends, it normally means huge disappointment for the players. Such disappointment was not evident on the faces of a number of the Clare players when the final whistle sounded on Saturday, something which has been commented on by many of the small Clare following that attended the tie.
Where to now for Clare senior football?
Attention switches to the club scene with the start of the various adult championships this weekend and, understandably, the focus will be here for the next two months or so. As the inter-county scene is structured at present, Clare won’t have a competitive senior tie until January 2013  when the McGrath Cup campaign kicks off.
Getting out of Division 4 of the league has to be a priority. If counties like Clare are to give improved performances against the likes of Cork and Kerry, they need to be playing in a higher division. It is a very difficult division to win promotion from.
Will Micheál McDermott seek another term as manager? If not, who are the contenders to succeed him? Will all of the 2012 panel make themselves available to whatever management will be in place? These are some of the questions that will be debated where ever Clare football fans gather in the coming weeks.
The role of the dual player at inter-county level is something that is debated regularly. There are few dual inter-county players presently but there are a number in Clare that could fit into this category. Is there a way to accommodate such as Sean and Paudge Collins, Cathal McInerney and Liam Markham so that they can play both codes for the county. There is little doubt but that they are talented players.
In a week in which the 20th anniversary of Clare’s 1992 Munster final win over Kerry has been remembered, Saturday’s 19-point hammering a few weeks after a heavy defeat to Cork in the Munster final has served to highlight the low rating Clare holds on the inter-county football front.
Most will argue that the talent available in the county should have Clare higher up the ladder. Achieving that must be the immediate task for all in Clare GAA.