Full-forwards in Gaelic football are simply not being given enough ball in inter-county football, according to Tony McEntee.
The former Armagh footballer was speaking to Off The Ball and referenced the comments Billy Joe Padden made recently on Mayo’s lack of efficiency in front of goal.
The Armagh man felt that Mayo’s struggles, as well as the struggles of other teams, largely came from many players inability to make the right choice as they approach the goal.
“I think Billy Joe has a point here and the point in Billy Joe’s message here is that we do not, and the vast majority of teams in this case here are not playing the ball to an inside line.
“I think the reason for that is partly the mass defences, partly because of trying to get long-range shooting around this defence and partly because they’re simply not looking for it.
“One of my frustrations looking at county teams at this stage is that the player in possession is not making the right choice as to when to carry that ball, when to kick it to an inside-forward line or when to actually take that chance and go for a score,” McEntee said.
The Crossmaglen native feels that full-back lines are getting an easy time in inter-county football at the moment, with only Kerry and Dublin adequately applying their inside forward line with sufficient scoring opportunities.
“For me at the minute, it’s inside forwards generally, and that’s a lot of inside-forwards, are not being serviced at all by either first-time ball in or dinking ball in or otherwise.
“Kerry are an exception. Kerry are very good at this and Dublin, to be fair to them, are reasonably good at it. But putting ball to the inside-forward line is something that is simply not being done well by a lot of county teams.
“There are question marks over a lot of full-back lines at the minute and yet they will not be exposed. Because that ball won’t go in, in the first instance, then after that it’s long-range shooting and whatever else.
“Once that defence stops that long-range shooting or at least limits it to outside the scoring zone then they’re doing their job really well. And nobody finds out whether that defence is rocky or not,” McEntee commented.
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