AFTER the weekend there has been a huge outcry about no Leinster teams in Division One next year, but outside of Dublin is it really that big a surprise?

For years I have said the lack of tactical awareness and quality of coaching in Leinster teams in general was very sub-standard, and bar Harte and Devlin’s touch of organisation in Louth it still probably remains the same. For me, one of the reasons Ulster teams are so competitive is the standard and quality of coaching and tactical awareness throughout the large majority of counties, probably six out of the nine Ulster counties.

Sometimes the actually quality on the field may not be at a premium but nearly all the counties on their day will be competitive and can give themselves a chance to win the game and it makes the Ulster Championship so enjoyable and attritional.

Last year one of the best games in the Ulster Championship was the high-scoring encounter in Newry, when Monaghan beat Armagh on a score line of 4-17 to 2-21 with Conor McManus displaying all his experience and guile late on in a thrilling encounter that had everything, played in baking sunshine.

Herein lies the issue for me and the stigma attached to Ulster football. It is perceived as being predominantly defensive and unfortunately in the analysis of our game, good defensive displays don’t get the same recognition as good offensive displays.

It takes a good balance of both for a team to be successful and takes an enormous amount of hard work and coaching on the training field.

For me, offensive play in Gaelic Football takes the form of two patterns, you either run the ball through the hands or you either kick the ball. You cannot attack any other way and the top teams will be able to do both effectively, hence why you seen from the likes of Armagh, Tyrone and Monaghan in the National League operating the likes of O’Neill, McCurry, Mohan, McCarron – to name a few – as point men to give themselves that option to kick long if needed.

There are obviously a number of offensive strategies that teams like to adopt when they play. Some teams will play a ‘two and two’, which means two players on the 45 and two inside, with the two wing-Forwards nearly operating as extra midfielders.

Some teams will like to play with a traditional three inside encouraging lateral movement and encouraging early direct ball, others will favour a triangle formation with a one on the 45 and two inside, some will go the opposite and play two and one.

Dublin’s offensive strategy was very interesting in the past, they nearly operate in a basketball type mentality, you can now see the influence of Donaghy and basketball with Armagh.

The key symbolising the D, there is a basketball offensive formation called ‘four out’, where four players are outside the key moving the ball around the cordon at speed with a player inside vacating the key and being replaced by one of the four making an incisive run through the key.

You can clearly see when Dublin attacked, particularly against zonal defences, they used a lot of basketball type plays including the one I just explained, incorporating serious width in attack, speed of ball movement is top notch and the multidirectional running is sensational to watch at times.

So what aspects of attacking play are we as coaches looking to develop in our team? I feel the following five aspects are important:

1. Depth – It’s vital to have depth in attack, an outlet, a point/target man which will give your midfield/half forward line options, also a number 11 who provides a crucial outlet across the oppositions 45 is another pivotal aspect of depth in attack and something that is currently scarce in the modern game.

2. Penetration – Either passing or carrying the ball at pace in your own half and the oppositions half of the field, the quicker you make the transition from defence to attack the less chance the opposition has in setting up any defensive cordon or shield.

3. Multidirectional movement – A static/linear forward is easily marked, players who pull defenders wide and create space for others are vital in the attacking third, watch the top forwards in the country, they make three or four decoy runs before the decisive run. Changing the angle of the attack is also important in any

4. Inventiveness – Players, who do something instinctive, outside of the norm, change style and position during the game, a real creative flair player should be encouraged to play the game as they see it not tied down in a rigid offensive system, let them express themselves particularly in the final third of the field.

5. Communication – Vital everywhere in your team but particularly up front, even a hand signal or a point showing where you want the ball can be critical. Communication between your front men, knowing when/where to make that run.

All the above aspects of attacking play can be improved in conditioned or small sided games, straight line drills will not improve those aspects of attacking play and should just be used in your warm-ups.

One such game involves using 3v3 inside and 5v5 inside the two 45-metre lines. Play starts with the coach throwing the ball in, players inside must make three multi directional runs before the ball can be delivered inside. Once in possession, the three men inside must either make one pass between themselves before scoring or off load to a runner coming from deep. As soon as that play ends, a coach is beside the goals to feed a ball to the defending team to work on that quick transition from defence to attack. The team now in possession are heading back out towards the half way line where they have two portable goals with two options of a score.