It’s become an age-old question. The new-age question.
Where do you get the best out of Aidan O’Shea? Where does he get the best out of himself?
They mind throwing him around the place in Mayo. In the space of 25 minutes, the Breaffy man could find himself at midfield, at centre forward, on the wing and then at the edge of the square.
Sometimes it feels like Mayo want three Aidan O’Sheas. Someone to win them the ball and act as a guard of their own gates. Someone to take the ball off that same man and bulldoze his way forward to give to the third Aidan O’Shea who can rip the net.
They don’t have that luxury and, as a result, it seems that he’s used as a firefighter sometimes.
We’re winning no ball inside – get Aidan in.
We’re winning no ball in the middle – bring Aidan out.
That multi-purpose effect doesn’t always work but O’Shea still hasn’t settled in the team under Stephen Rochford. He’s there, he’s useful, but he just hasn’t been Aidan O’Shea yet. It’s hard to do that when you don’t have a position. But then some people like that he doesn’t have a position – some people want him being more flexible.
So, on a heated GAA Hour podcast, Amagh legend Steven McDonnell got into it with Colm Parkinson and Conán Doherty and he has only one place in mind for the big man. So, too, does Wooly though.
CP: Their half forward line is overstacked.
SMcD: I wouldn’t have him there.
CP: Midfield?
SMcD: I wouldn’t even have him there. I’d have him as a target man. Put him in full forward. We’ve seen the threat he posed in there a couple of seasons ago.
CP: Against Dublin though, it doesn’t work because he gets crowded out.
SMcD: He gets crowded out but he’s still a massive strength and force. If 10 balls go in there, you expect something to come off from seven of those balls. He makes things happen and he’s got so much physical presence that he can steamroll his way through opponents sometimes. They would generate more goal-scoring opportunities with him in there.
CP: I think it was the drawn All-Ireland, he started in there and there was some stat that came out in the first half – five or six balls went in and they got nothing out of any of them. Philly McMahon was spoiling him, Cian O’Sullivan was doubling back around on him. I’d say, fair enough play him in there but it doesn’t seem to work against Dublin.
CD: I don’t see what he was giving them out the field – especially last year – that suggested that they couldn’t do without him out the field so why not just keep him in there?
CP: I think he’s a natural midfielder – I think that’s his best position. I think there’s too much pressure on him in the forwards to score when he’s not that type of player.
Listen to full exchange from 26:45.
McDonnell elaborated on his point.
“If you have someone like Cillian O’Connor playing off him, getting the timing right, they’d cause serious problems,” he said.
“I think if they have those guys consistently playing inside with each other, they’ll get to form a better bond and a better understanding with each other’s games and I think more scores will come from that.
“I do believe that, from midfield and half forward, they have plenty of options already.
“I would certainly be looking with Aidan O’Shea – like Michael Murphy with Donegal – put a man with that presence in at the edge of the square and let’s start using the ball in.”
Do you agree?
