Counihan in the Spotlight

Sunday's Munster Final is Conor Counihan's big test as Cork Manager. Sure, people might point to last year's All-Ireland championship win and the challenges overcome,  but there was a certain air of inevitabilty about the whole thing once Down disposed of Kerry and cleared a path for the almost reluctant Rebels to stagger across the line.

Early in his managerial career, Counihan was outhought and outmanoeuvred by Jack O'Connor in the chastening and still-painful All-Ireland final of 2009. Tadhg Keneally led Graham Canty on a merry dance around Croke Park and created an acre of space for Colm Cooper to dart into.

Questionable decisions were made both in terms of team selection and defensive matchups.

Kerry's blanket defence was not anticipated and there was no change in tactics to counter it.

Two years on, and two years wiser, Sunday's game is Counihan's and Cork's to lose.

Comparing the present day Kerry team to that of 2009, it is blatantly weaker:

Ivan Drago and the Lord of the Dance are a fortnight ahead of us in Home and Away.

Dara Ó Sé and Diarmuid Murphy have retired.

Tomás Ó Sé and Paul Galvin miss through suspension and injury.

Their relplacements, respectfully, are not of the same calibre.

Cork, on the other hand, are arguably stronger in every area besides perhaps the corner back position, where Athony Lynch has had mixed fortunes with Colm Cooper over the years.

So, in many ways, the game is Cork's to lose, but there is that lingering suspicion in the back of Cork supporters' minds, a sense of slight mistrust, a fear that Cork have to dig a hole for themselves before reacting and getting into gear, both on the field and on the sideline.

Disappointed more so than shocked would be a Corkman's reaction if Michael Shields started on Kieran Donaghy, if Ray Carey started on Cooper, or indeed if Ray Carey started ahead of Eoin Cadogan. Half expected. 'Sure we'll change things after 20 minutes if they aren't working out.'

The same couldn't be said of Kerry expectations, or of Jack O'Connor. He will conjure and connive his way to getting the maximum from his 20 players, but it shouldn't be enough.

           Time for Conor Counihan to step up to the plate. If he does, I can only see this game going one way.