Let’s hope Eoin Bradley hits these heights again in the Irish Cup final.
Coleraine face Linfield as Bradley goes in search of back-to-back Irish Cup final triumphs over the Belfast big boys, following on from Glenavon’s win last season.
The former Derry star was chatting to the Irish News ahead of Saturday’s final and, in the course of a long and entertaining chat, the Glenullin clubman made some stark observations about modern Gaelic football.
A stalwart of the Derry team in the last decade, ‘Skinner’ has focussed primarily on soccer in recent years, making only fleeting appearances in red and white since suffering a cruciate injury in 2011.
While that is partly to do with balancing semi-professional football with full-time plastering and the demands of intercounty Gaelic football, Bradley does not sound particularly like a man too enamoured with the modern game.
“It’s boring to play, to be honest,” he told Brendan Crossan.
“Gaelic football has turned into a depression. Every time I go on to the pitch to play, there are 14 men behind the ball. It just depresses me. You used to have two men hanging off you and that was okay but it’s got worse.
“Gaelic football is just defence, defence, defence. I just get scundered watching it. Every team’s doing it – every single team. It’s a game of cat and mouse.”
The Coleraine striker did identify three footballer he will still tune into watch and they are probably the same three players many a fan would pay good money to witness strut their stuff.
Firstly there is Monaghan scoring machine Conor McManus. Strong enough to win his own ball, talented enough to kick his own scores and smart enough to bring his team-mates into play.
Then there is Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly – another physically commanding forward with the ability to shoot off either foot and a keen eye for a pass.
Finally he mentions Donegal’s Michael Murphy. The physically-imposing Donegal captain who can dominate at midfield or cause havoc on the edge of the square.
There is a trend here, with Bradley name-checking a trio of athletic, supremely talented forwards who have the requisite skills to render defensive systems obsolete.
The man has a type.
