Down manager Jim McCorry did not enjoy last weekend's McKenna Cup clash against Cavan, and not just because of the five point defeat.
The sweeper system, once regarded as a bewilderingly innovative phenomenon to those reared on honest to goodness six-on-six football, is now old hat. Many teams are now adopting a radical new strategy heading into 2015 - one which marks a significant break with the sweeper system. It is called the 'double sweeper' system.
And the new ultra-defensive kid on the block (every Ulster county seems to own this tag for a couple of years until someone else ups the ante) are Cavan. The team who Joe Brolly last year described as 'the black death' and accused of playing 'the most horrible, defensive football the game has ever seen' are in the firing line again.
McCorry told the Belfast Telegraph that it would be 'terrible' if every county began playing like Cavan.
Against Cavan we came up against a sweeper and a double-sweeper at times while we instead wanted to play open football.
I think it would be terrible for gaelic football if this is the way it is to be.
Cavan won the match 2-11 to 1-9 (in fairness, not a scoreline that suggests appalling negativity) but McCorry is adamant he will not deviate from his attacking strategy against Monaghan the next day.
Read also: Joe Brolly Vs Cavan Football
[Belfast Telegraph]
