logo
Horan: ‘Pressing is one of the key parts of the game tactically, technically, and psychologically'

Horan: ‘Pressing is one of the key parts of the game tactically, technically, and psychologically'

Irish Examiner02-06-2025

One of the most pleasing aspects of the new Gaelic football rules is the increase in pressing, according to former Mayo manager and current Football Review Committee member James Horan.
Across the recent rounds of the 2025 inter-county championship, there have been numerous examples of teams pressing high from kick-outs and from play. It resulted in a host of turnovers on Sunday in the Galway versus Derry game and Dublin's defeat against Armagh.
Speaking on the Irish Examiner Gaelic football show, Horan welcomed this development.
'The pressing, I think it is one of the key parts of the game, tactically, technically, and psychologically. A team that goes out and presses aggressively, they have talked about it during the week. They have prepared that way. They are going out with that mind-set. I just think it is completely different.
'If you go back to last year, the amount of uncontested kick-outs given up short, out to a corner-back and they could mess around with the ball, stand and solo, walk out. The other team were set up. That is not so long ago.
'You could hear the groans from the ground when a team dropped off to set up and compress while another team strolled up the field. I can remember, through the FRC, looking at clips of that happening. We looked at hundreds of games. It was just incredible. If you compare where we are now on the kick-outs, the majority of teams are pressing.'
He continued: 'I think teams are seeing the benefits of it now. What it does, the impact it has. If you continually press a team, you psychologically wear them down and put pressure on them.'
This was particularly evident in Celtic Park. Derry hounded Galway whenever they could. Niall Loughlin set the tone with an early strip tackle on Liam Silke.
For Derry boss Paddy Tally, this was one of the significant changes from their previous loss away to All-Ireland champions Armagh. He said as much during his post-match interview.
'I think we approached the game differently today. I think last week we were passive a bit. We stood off a wee bit and were disappointed because we hadn't planned to be passive.
'There were times last week we looked grand, but it wasn't until late in the game. In fairness, I think Armagh in the Athletic grounds are very, very good in there. We just couldn't get our hands on the ball.
'Today our midfield was much better. When you win midfield, the game looks different. I think when you're losing, like we were last year, a period of the game, it's just very difficult. But there was also energy, real energy today. There was a great bite in the team.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to play together first two rounds of US Open
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to play together first two rounds of US Open

Irish Times

timean hour ago

  • Irish Times

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry to play together first two rounds of US Open

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry will play together for the first two rounds of the US Open at Oakmont Country Club. The Irish duo have been drawn to play together at 12.40pm Irish time on Thursday (7.40am local), and at 6.25pm on Friday (1.25pm local) alongside former champion Justin Rose. The good friends, who have won six Majors between them, practised today at Oakmont and won a PGA Tour team event together in New Orleans last year. World number one Scottie Scheffler will play with Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa at 6.25pm on Thursday and 12.40pm on Friday. READ MORE Other notable groupings include Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau and Jose Luis Ballester at 12.29am on Thursday and 6.14pm on Friday, and Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Dustin Johnson at 6.14pm on Thursday and 12.29pm on Friday.

Seoirse Bulfin steps down as Westmeath manager after one season
Seoirse Bulfin steps down as Westmeath manager after one season

RTÉ News​

timean hour ago

  • RTÉ News​

Seoirse Bulfin steps down as Westmeath manager after one season

Westmeath hurling manager Seoirse Bulfin has stepped down after one season in charge. The Limerick man's resignation was confirmed in a statement by Westmeath GAA this afternoon, in which they thanked the outgoing manager for his "hard work and commitment" throughout the season and said the search for a successor would commence in the coming weeks. In 2025, Bulfin's Westmeath side was relegated to Division 2 in the Allianz Hurling League after just one win from six in their Division 1B campaign. They subsequently won two from five games in their Joe McDonagh season, shipping seven goals in a heavy loss to Carlow in Round 4 though they did easily avoid relegation with a 12-point win away to Kerry in the final round. Bulfin previously worked as a coach with Davy Fitzgerald in Waterford, Clare and Wexford, forming part of the 2013 All-Ireland winning management team. He subsequently managed Meath, guiding them to the Christy Ring Cup victory in 2023 before their relegation from Joe McDonagh in 2024, after which he assumed the Westmeath hotseat.

16 becomes 12: All-Ireland SFC Round 3 permutations
16 becomes 12: All-Ireland SFC Round 3 permutations

RTÉ News​

time2 hours ago

  • RTÉ News​

16 becomes 12: All-Ireland SFC Round 3 permutations

Roll up, roll up for the annual permutations primer ahead of the final round of the group stage. From next year onwards, it'll be lean times for the permutations eggheads, who are almost as upset as Kieran McGeeney that the format is changing again. For 2026, we are set to return to what is being called a 'qualifier-style series'. Early indications are that the casual punter will have even more trouble getting their head around that one (Alan Partridge's soccer-meter springs to mind). Expect the usual queries of 'are they out now so, or what?' to skyrocket. But that's all in the future. Confronting us this week is the final round of the All-Ireland SFC group stage, which is enjoying a swansong so glorious that many people are seeking to cry 'halt' on the latest format change. Two of the groups are ferociously interesting this weekend, two of them less so. Here, for one last time, are the permutations. GROUP 1 Fixtures: Tyrone v Cavan, Brewster Park, Sunday 4pm Donegal v Mayo, King & Moffat Hyde Park, Sunday 4pm For the first time in the three years of the group stage - five if you want to include the Super 8s in 2018 and '19 - all four teams head into the final round of games on two points. Every team could theoretically finish in any position by full-time on Sunday. Donegal are currently way ahead of the rest in terms of score difference but given the GAA's prioritisation of 'head-to-head' results, this will likely prove a moot point, unless both Sunday's Group 1 games finish in draws. On all known form, Tyrone are in the best position here, having not lost to Cavan in championship since 1983 and dispatching them with considerable ease in this year's Ulster Footbal Championship. Cavan's shock win over a sluggish Mayo side in Castlebar was followed up by a very heavy defeat to Donegal in Kingspan Breffni Park. The best sequence of results for Malachy O'Rourke's men is a win combined with Donegal avoiding defeat in Dr Hyde Park. The prospect of a Tyrone win leaves Mayo needing some sort of result against the Ulster champions, otherwise Cavan will remain in the championship at their expense on the head-to-head. The Cavan/Mayo double would see Jim McGuinness and Michael Murphy dumped out of the championship at the group stage, though both would be considered upsets. Mayo beat Donegal at home in a similar scenario in the final round of the 2019 Super 8s. Another boon for Stephen Rochford's men is that the game is in Hyde Park, a field where they have a much better record than their own home ground. Rundown Tyrone win, Donegal win - Tyrone top group, Mayo eliminated Tyrone win, Mayo win - Mayo top group, Cavan eliminated Cavan win, Donegal win - Donegal top group, Tyrone eliminated Cavan win, Mayo win - Cavan top group, Donegal eliminated Tyr-Cav draw, Donegal win - Donegal top group, Mayo eliminated Tyr-Cav draw, Mayo win - Mayo top group, Donegal eliminated Tyrone win, Don-May draw - Tyrone top group, Cavan eliminated Cavan win, Don-Mayo draw - Cavan top group, Tyrone eliminated Both games end in draws - Donegal top group, Cavan eliminated (on score difference) GROUP 2 Fixtures: Kerry v Meath, Glenisk O'Connor Park, Saturday 4.15pm Roscommon v Cork, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Saturday 4.15pm This one is less open-ended. Kerry and Meath both know they will be progressing from the group, with only the order to be decided. Avoiding defeat will see Kerry directly into the quarter-finals. The worst case scenario for the Munster champions is they finish second and wind up with a home preliminary quarter-final. Meath could yet fall into third place if Roscommon beat Cork while overhauling a +14 score difference between themselves and the Leinster finalists in the process. The Roscommon-Cork game is a shootout to remain in the championship, albeit with a draw saving the Rossies. Roscommon's last competitive win outside of Ruislip was their 14-point annihilation of Cork in Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Round 5 of the league. Cork won the last do-or-die championship game between the pair, the 2023 preliminary quarter-final. Rundown Kerry win, Roscommon win - Kerry top group, Cork eliminated (second place determined by score difference - Ros currently -10, Meath +4) Kerry win, Cork win - Kerry top group, Roscommon eliminated Meath win, Roscommon win - Meath top group, Cork eliminated Meath win, Cork win - Meath top group, Roscommon eliminated Kerry-Meath draw - Kerry top group Roscommon-Cork draw - Cork eliminated GROUP 3 Fixtures: Monaghan v Down, BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Sunday 2pm Louth v Clare, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Sunday 2pm The tamest group of the quartet is the most uninteresting from a permutations perspective. It was precisely with this scenario in mind - two teams on four points, two teams on none - that the GAA controversially insisted on allowing three teams progress, with the preliminary quarter-final stage added. Little of note to say here. The winner of the Monaghan-Down game will progress in top spot, with a draw favouring Down. The loser of the Louth-Clare will bid goodbye to the 2025 championship, with a draw saving the Leinster champions. Rundown Monaghan win - Monaghan top group Down win - Down top group Monaghan-Down draw - Down top group Louth win - Louth survive, Clare eliminated Clare win - Clare survive, Louth eliminated Louth-Clare draw - Louth survive, Clare eliminated GROUP 4 Fixtures: Dublin v Derry, Páirc Esler, Saturday 6.30pm Galway v Armagh, Kingspan Breffni, Saturday 6.30pm The big one... The most fiendishly difficult group in the history of group stages. Not even Stephen Kenny would expect to be dealt such a rough hand as these four. Not that Armagh need worry. Not alone are they through to the knockouts, they have already booked priority boarding to the quarter-final stage. The All-Ireland champions can only be matched in the points tally by Dublin, against whom they already have the head-to-head advantage. The big unknown this weekend is what tack they'll take against a Galway side in desperate need of a win in Kingspan Breffni Park. With the result largely irrelevant to them, will they go all Serie A on us, doing an Antonio Conte in the final round of the Euro 2016 group stage and throw out the reserves? Or will they seek to maintain their momentum and try and eliminate last year's All-Ireland finalists? Galway would probably be wise not to expect any presents anyway. Padraic Joyce's side were perilously close to tipping out of the championship with a game remaining in that wild, anarchic finale in Celtic Park. While they conceded another score on the buzzer to give up the win, any disappointment at that was easily eclipsed by their relief to still be in the thing at all. A win in Cavan will put them through to the preliminary quarter-final, regardless. And they'll be at home if Derry can turn over the Dubs in Newry, provided Paddy Tally's don't overhaul them on score difference. A draw or loss in Cavan and Galway are dependent on Dublin beating Derry. The safest outcome from a Galway perspective would be hearing that Dessie Farrell's side are winning well in Páirc Esler, even if that would mean sacrificing home advantage the following week. Dublin fans will flock to Newry knowing that any combo of results other than a Galway/Derry double will at least preserve their interest in the championship. For Derry, a first competitive win of 2025 will guarantee their progression and leave the Dubs hanging on the result from Cavan, praying that Galway have failed to win. Should both Galway and Derry lose, we will face the prospect of a team qualifying through the group stage on one point for the first time in the short history of the format. Galway have a slight edge in terms of score difference, currently at -1 compared to Derry's -4. Rundown

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store