Counihan's Cork consistent in chasing after consistency

“WHO KNOWS, we might go blanket ourselves yet,” says Conor Counihan, a sort of cheeky response to being credited as one of the last truly attack-minded teams in the game.

It’s typical of the Cork manager, whose laid-back and apparently unflappable demeanour masks a deadly serious approach. Cork wouldn’t be seeking a third successive league title on Sunday if Counihan wasn’t entirely sure about his style of football.

“Look, I suppose it’s a catch-22,” he adds, more persuasively. “People will have issues in relation to blanket defence and that. I can’t fault teams that play that way, because when you manage a team you play to a system that suits you best, in terms of resources you have.

“But I can certainly understand how people like to see more open and expansive football.”

What Counihan is looking for, not just in Sunday’s showdown against Mayo but for the rest of the year, is more consistency – which might sound a little greedy for the manager of probably the most consistent team of the last four years. No team has won three league titles in succession since Kerry, in the 1970s, and Counihan is actually seeking a fourth league title, as Cork also beat Monaghan in the Division Two final in 2009

“Well, it’s not about three-in-a-row,” he says. “It’s about this one-in-a-row.

“It’s a national title, and we would love to win it.

“But there were stages during the league where we did start poorly. Maybe the last game or two things have improved in that area.

“The reality for us is that our performances haven’t been consistent from game to game. We tend to get on top and then sit back. We need to drive on once we get on top, keep the momentum for as long as possible.”

The one major blip of recent seasons was losing last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final to Mayo – 1-13 to 2-6 – and with that their All-Ireland title: Counihan clearly doesn’t dwell too long on the past, but the absence of so many injured players that day does seem to haunt him, at least a little.

“I don’t think we will ever really know. It was something that happened, you have to deal with it. What might or might not have happened, I don’t get involved too much in that. You have to deal with the reality and what you can control.”

What is certain, he says, is Sunday’s final is not about revenge, nor indeed will it have much resemblance to the 2010 final – where Cork easily beat Mayo, 1-17 to 0-12.

“There’s absolutely no question about that, Sunday’s final will be a lot different. We’re coming up against a very formidable opposition, very hungry, have good form coming into the game.

“I think overall the league has been interesting. We tried to use as many players as possible, while still keeping one eye on qualifying. All teams had an opportunity to try more players because you knew there were two extra spots there to keep you in contention.

“From an outside point of view the last round of games everyone was hanging in – some on the basis of being relegated, others for making the last four, so everybody was interested. So whether it worked by accident or design this year it has been very successful in keeping people interested and involved.

“Then the championship begins after Sunday,” he adds, as if we needed any reminder.