Michael Murphy: ‘The League gives you an opportunity to respond’
Donegal footballer Michael Murphy spent a week in France recently.
By Cian O'Connell
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Considering the raft of high profile retirements, Donegal's Allianz Football League start has been satisfactory according to Michael Murphy.
An opening weekend loss to Kerry proved to be a disappointment, but a win over Roscommon was followed by a gritty draw with standard bearers Dublin.
"I've been thinking and analysing in my head since Sunday evening," Murphy says about dividing the spoils with Dublin. "We could have won, we could have lost. Four points up going into the second half with an opportunity to really push on.
"I didn't think we played all that well in the first half and we were still four points up. Only for the two goals that kept us in it, we didn't really attack well in the first half. I think we attacked better in the second half and created more opportunities but our execution wasn't good.
"To concede the goal, coming up against Dublin with the amounts of threats they are always going to have a patch. Probably they were missing a couple of players from what they would classify as their full strength team and they were trying out new things. There was definitely a possibility of getting the two points there.
Murphy, though, is encouraged about how Donegal's youngsters have adapted following the Kerry defeat. "All in all, especially after the start against Kerry, the two responses have been positive.
"That's what the League tends to do, it gives you the opportunity to respond. You don't have to wait around for a month or six weeks. You can respond week on week and you can get a reaction.
"If there's something that was going wrong one week, you can put it right the next week. It's fresh in the head to do and that's been one of the positives.
Michael Murphy during the Allianz Football League Division One draw against Dublin on Sunday.
"The things that didn't go so well one week, we've took the learnings and improved the following week. The problem is some of the learnings and things we've improved upon, other things are going down the swanny.
"That's all part of developing a new team and we know that and we know the scenario we're in.
"To beat the likes of Dublin and to be consistent and to be up at the top level and win three games out of three, you need to be on the money with all the facets of your game, not just up in one and completely down in the other."
Donegal captain Murphy relished the opportunity to train with Clermont Auvergne in January. “It was brilliant now,” Murphy admits.
“Just delighted that everything came together between the time of the year over here, being captain I didn't want to miss too much with Donegal. Rory (Gallagher) was fairly understanding.
With the week that was in it, it was perfect. It was a good bit before the League so I was able to get back and get a week's training in with Donegal before the first game. I was delighted I did it.
“Don't know if it was something I would have done when I was younger. I probably would have just went in to my shell and be afraid it was too much. Just the learnings, comparing and contrasting the individual training we're doing and what we're doing with Gaelic Football in comparison to what they do. It was good to do.”
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