"You need to be going through good and bad games for a period of time..."
March 12, 2021
Dublin players huddle. ©INPHO/Laszlo Geczo.
Former star Joey Boland believes tactical and positional changes to the Dublin senior hurling team are hampering their progress under Mattie Kenny.
The Dubs have yet to find the consistency of performance that helped propel them to the Leinster SHC title in 2013, and Boland reckons this is partly down to some tinkering with the side.
Against Kilkenny in the championship last October, Sean Moran, a tried and tested centre back, was put out to midfield and Chris Crummey, an out-and-out defender, lined out in the forwards.
"I’d like to see Sean Moran at six, and Chris Crummey at five and maybe Shane Barrett at seven. Just leave them there," the 33-year-old physiotherapist said at the launch of the new virtual AIG Health Plus portal.
"You need to be going through good and bad games for a period of time to build that confidence in each other. It happened me a few times, I would be put up to centre-forward because somebody was stuck. You are kind of like a fish out water.
"For the likes of Chris, I don’t think he has ever really played up there. If you are robbing Peter to pay Paul, I don’t think that is the way to go. I’d leave the best players in their best positions.
"Dave Billings told me years ago, if you are good in one position, just leave him there. Let him be good in that position and find somebody else for the hole. Don’t be trying to move things around."
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