League is big winner as condensed season focuses minds

While we are in the habit of a saying 'It's only the league, it’s all about the championship’ there can be no doubt that the Allianz League is playing a more significant role in the calendar for inter-county coaches and managers than ever before.

Managers can no longer experiment and make wholesale changes. Each division is real dog-eat-dog.

We are far removed from the days of the drawn out league which started with three games before Christmas and a huge break between the league and championship.

League schedules are now far more streamlined.

Finals are due to take place on the 2-3 April with provincial championships starting on 16 April when Fermanagh play Tyrone. The Connacht Championship starts the following day with New York taking on Sligo and London playing Leitrim. The Leinster Championship kicks off a week later and the Munster Championship starts the following week.

An advantage of the present format for inter-county management teams is that they have their players for an uninterrupted period from the start of the league and as a result don’t have the worries and distraction of players going back to their clubs.

Momentum is massive for teams. That momentum can be positive or negative. With league games coming thick and fast, a few wins in a row, back-to-back clean sheets or scoring goals in every game have a galvanising effect on team confidence.

In the midst of a run of victories managers tend to experiment with more substitutions and team selections. This has a massive knock-on effect. Players believing they have a real chance of game-time means more competition in training sessions and ultimately a stronger group.

A poor league leads to doubts about team selection, motivation, tactics and fitness. Everything is