If there's one thing I've learned from listening to Cyril Farrell and his comrades in the world of hurling analysis it's that all matches are decided on one aspect: 'hunger.'
It's simple; the team that wins was hungrier, the other team didn't want it enough.
However after Eamon O'Shea's comment on Tipp FM yesterday, I don't know what to believe any more as he argued that Tipperary lost to Limerick because they were TOO hungry.
O'Shea said:
We did tense a bit in terms of what we wanted from the game and as the game closed out.
Some of that anxiousness comes from a desire to win – we have a huge desire to win and to get over the line. I do think sometimes it restricts some players. These players are very focused on winning and maybe we were too focused on winning.
Now this may indeed be a salient point from O'Shea but what does it mean for hurling analysis? Maybe the generic 'they didn't show enough hunger' get-out-of-jail insight will no longer cut the beef? I await the next installment of The Sunday Game with pessimistic anticipation.
hat-tip: Independent.ie
