A comment from Enda McGinley after his Antrim side was hammered by Armagh at the weekend really resonated. On one hand, the hammering was harsh as the Saffrons had matched Armagh for three quarters of the game and should have arguably been ahead at half time.

However, the final margin of victory was also fair because it demonstrated the ruthlessness of Armagh and the fact that Antrim missed too many chances and made a few too many mistakes.

Small margins

McGinley commented after the game on those mistakes. I’m paraphrasing, but the Tyrone All Ireland winner explained that in the modern game small margins and mistakes at crucial times can lead to a mauling on the scoreboard.

He is spot on. 15 or 20 years ago that game would have ended up in a five or six point win for Armagh. But today, it looks like there is a chasm between the sides. But there isn’t. There is a gap, that is all.

When previewing the Fermanagh Monaghan in these pages last week we touched on this point. Here is what we said:

‘Monaghan know exactly what they are doing. Every player is comfortable in the job they have and in today’s game where tactics play such a vital role that is invaluable.

Pundits talk about the gap that exists between teams without every really touching on the role that continuity and tactical understanding plays in the overall functionality of a team. They are both much more important than they were 10 to 15 years ago.

My biggest fear on Saturday is not that Monaghan are laced with oodles of superior talent but rather than they have so much more experience of playing the game the way they want to play it.’

Now, you might say that a stopped clock is right twice a day and that self praise is no praise but what was written last week is exactly what came to fruition. Sticking to the clock metaphors, Monaghan were simply more synchronised than Fermanagh.

That is not a criticism of the Fermanagh players, nor the management but rather an observation of what has happened over a period of years.

Monaghan have a conveyor belt of not only talent but also of players who appear to have a deep knowledge of how to play the modern game. Fermanagh does not have that at the moment.

They have reached three minor finals in a row, winning two and I would back them to win this year too. That sort of run doesn’t come by talent alone. That is only one component.

I’ve had the pleasure of working with both the county under 20s and the minors this past six months.

It has been a great experience and my first time coaching at county level and it has made me more convinced than ever that as a county we have all the talent we need to be successful.

What we need is a plan to ensure the other aspects are in place when players move on to senior level. And, it starts at 15 or 16 by introducing players to a deeper understanding of the game and the fundamentals of team play and for this to be developed over the next five years until they are out of the underage structure.

Depth of knowledge

For those who don’t make it to senior level they bring that depth of knowledge back to their clubs. For those who do make it they are entering senior inter country action on a more level playing field.

I have written before about the need to get things absolutely spot on at the very start of the inter county journey for the player and I believe that now more than ever. Development squads are contentious in GAA circles and some people don’t like them but with our small pick I think they can be a real plus for us.

In addition, we should be able to use our relatively few clubs to our advantage by the county board instilling a sort of coaching evangelism throughout the county. Getting out there and helping each and every club embed within it a culture of excellence.

Some clubs already have this and all clubs are trying their best but extra support will do no harm, especially for those who struggle to produce coaches within their own ranks.

There is work going on at the moment. Clubs are being helped and improvements are being made but I think we can do even better with some innovative thinking that is suitable to our unique situation.

John Wooden, the famous American College basketball coach, created what he called the pyramid of success. It is genius, please look it up. He believed in meticulous planning as well as living in the moment he always looked to the future as well in terms of being better at what he did.

I believe for Fermanagh to be consistently playing to our potential year in and year out we need to look far away into the future.

Then, we need have to have a meticulous plan to get there.

That plan has to be rooted in youth development.

Every year of our young players’ journey should be planned. Nothing should be left to chance.

We must instill a love of our county in our young players of course, and indeed a love for the game. But we also need to make sure that we do everything we can to ensure they have a deep understanding about how it is played and what is needed to be the best.

More and more often that ability is becoming a defining factor.