Paul Clancy praises attitude of Galway's squad on journey to final

Michael Bolton

The last time Galway were All-Ireland football champions, Paul Clancy was part of the squad.

The former Galway footballer won All-Ireland titles with the Tribesmen in 1998 and 2001, but it would be a long time before Galway would be part of football's biggest show-piece.

However, this young team have changed Galway's fortunes, competing in their second All-Ireland final in three years, and winning three Connacht titles in a row.

For Clancy, he has been impressed by how Padraic Joyce has built a young, exciting team to compete among the best in the country.

“Getting to the All-Ireland in 2022, I thought we had a huge opportunity to win that one", said Clancy.

"Everybody was disappointed after that, but he has built the team. I think he recognises what he needs to win the All-Ireland, he has been building a team and panel over the last number of years. I think we've a lot more strength in depth, that we mightn't have had in 2022.

“When you see the players that have come in this year and developed. Also, I think we've done well out of the U20 team, a lot of those lads are coming through.

“You've mentioned our group coming through from minor and U21 as it was at the time, when you go into a senior panel, and you've a large number of lads that you played with underage, it can translate quite nicely into senior football.”

For Galway, the theme of this season is not knowing when they are beaten.

In April, a shock looked on the cards in the Connacht semi-final, before a last minute goal rescued victory against Sligo.

In the final, Mayo looked set for another win in Salthill, but Galway dug deep, with goalkeeper Conor Gleeson kicking the winning score.

In arguably the biggest shock of the season, Dublin looked to be in control in the quarter-final, before Galway came roaring back in the second half in Croke Park to blow the championship wide open.

"I think it is a great trait for them to have. They were nearly gone against Sligo, and then Damien Comer comes on and turns over the ball and Rob Finnerty gets the goal.

"Even against Dublin, it was hard to see where that was going, where a performance was going to come out of it. They just seemed to find a series of passes, a turnover, and it just sparks them into life.

"They just don't give up. They don't go away. It is a testament to their conditioning and their fitness and their belief that they just stay going and they don't give up.

"They have carried a lot of injuries this year, and they haven't complained at all. They have just brought people in and continued to play their match."

Injuries have played a big part in Galway's season, with key players such as Damien Comer and Sean Kelly missing in vital stages of the season.

Galway has backed the players who stepped up in the league, and have ultimately delivered big moments in the championship.

Clancy claims Galway have shown how the game has changed and why such a big squad is needed for success, and praised the attitude of players who have come into the team.

"I think it says a lot about their mindset, because if you are not ready at that level, you are feeling sorry for yourself or think you should be starting, if you are not ready you are no use to the team.

"I think it is testament to their mindset that they have a role to play, and they are ready to do it. It just shows how ready the lads have been who came in.

"The team has evolved in one or two places every game. It has been tweaking the team to try to get the best 15 that will give you the first 60 minutes, and who is going to come on and finish it off.

"The hurling showed at the weekend you need an awful lot of bodies to get over the line for 70 minutes with the intensity teams are playing at.

"I have noticed in some of the interviews after games they are now saying we have 40 in the squad. The panel is 42 layers in some of the squads, which is a big number.

"We could end up with an NFL roster with the way things are going."

In the last three seasons, this has been a fixture that has delivered entertainment, with so little to separate the sides.

Galway won the quarter-final in 2022 on penalties, with Armagh winning the group stage game in 2023. This season they were in the same group again, with another entertaining draw.

Clancy claims it is unlikely we will see either manager produce a surprise, and we could be in for another tight game between the sides.

"I think there could be a risk there. I don't think either manager will throw caution to the wind. You will see all the main protagonists on the pitch.

"It will be how they can get an advantage down the stretch or even if it goes to extra time."