JFC Final Preview: 'The most important thing is to encourage the players'

The old American football coach Vince Lombardi learned some invaluable lessons during his career and one of them was that to be successful total commitment is needed. "There is only one way to succeed in anything and that is to give it everything," was one of his best known observations.

Niall McLoughlin gave it everything during his football career and he reaped some rich rewards. He was an integral part of the first Wolfe Tones team to win the Keegan Cup in 2006. He also played for the Meath senior team for several years, competing in close combat against the best in the country.

Along the way he picked up some invaluable lessons and now he is seeking to apply them in his role as manager of the Clann na nGael footballers. He hasn't done too badly either in his first year in the role. His troops are on the cusp of claiming the JFC with Kilbride standing between them and the Peter McDermott Cup.

Among the most valuable lessons McLoughlin absorbed from his playing career is how the mind can be a footballer's friend or most deadliest enemy. "The mind," as John Milton wrote, "can make a heaven out of hell or a hell out of heaven." The Clann na nGael manager would agree heartily and he's used such knowledge to help him in his new role.

"Having played myself I know what players are going through and as a manager it's about encouraging them, you work to their strengths because no player any more likes getting shouted at or bawled at, it just turns them away, I know that," he says.

"The best way is to get them to work to their strengths and be positive. The most important thing you can do is encourage players, let them know what they are doing right, not dwell on the things they are doing badly because football can be challenging mentally."

"I was a positive player, I hated losing which I suppose was a good thing. Any game we lost I took it hard. If I had a bad game I knew I had a bad game I didn't have to be told that but you can't molly coddle these things either, you can't sugar-coat these things, you have to go out and sort out the issues in training. So with lads, if they have a bad game you can say, we did this wrong or that wrong but we can improve on it in training and the next day put it right."

McLoughlin is helped in steering the Clannsmen on the right road by coach Fionnan Diver, a Donegal man who worked with teams in the past including Ratoath. The Clann na nGael manager clearly regards a knowledgable, innovative coach like gold dust in terms of being part of a successful management team. He certainly appreciates Diver in his set-up.

"His drills are brilliant and it shows in the team. It's tough nowadays the style of football teams are playing. There are a lot of blanket defences now and you have to find ways to get through teams. In trying to do that and Fionnan is a great help," he adds.

So what are the strategies Clann na nGael have perfected in trying to pick their way through a defence that is as impenetrable as the Wall of China? "Oh we can't give too many secretes away," the Clann na nGael manager replied with a broad smile on his face.

It was a jovial interlude in a conversation that invariably ambled towards the threat posed by Clann na nGael's opponents - Kilbride.

McLoughlin pointed out his team have twice played the east Meath side this year. In the Tailteann Cup semi-final he points out how Kilbride gave his team "a good going over" (1-5 to 2-22) but in the championship Clann na nGael prevailed in a much tighter game, 2-11 to 0-13.

From what he saw in those two games McLoughlin is particularly wary of Kilbride's attacking threat.

"They are quick, very quick and if they get a run on you they will punish you as they did that night in the Tailteann Cup." He likes attacking football but knows you can't leave gaps at the back either. It's about balance.

McLoughlin, who has to plan without the big loss of Eamon and Diarmuid O Donnchadha, knows what winning something like the JFC would mean to the Clann na nGael players. He was there, done that, with the Tones.

"Success with your club is what it's about, it's brilliant, nothing matches that, winning a championship with your mates, for the parish, nothing compares to that, it's special." While McLoughlin won't be playing any ball himself on Saturday.

He would love to but injury forced him to hang up the boots two years ago. Instead he'll be patrolling the Pairc Tailteann sideline, encouraging his charges to follow the advice of Mr Lombardi and give it everything. Everything.