I’d say this has gone up in order of likelihood.
O’Rourke has done a very fine job with Monaghan but he’s brought them as far as he can.
That 2013-2015 double Ulster-winning team just about got the back end of the careers of old stalwarts like Vinnie Corey, Dessie Mone, Paul Finlay, Dick Clerkin and Tommy Freeman. They’re all done now.
Conor McManus isn’t going to get any better.
They’re a level below the top and aren’t ever going to bridge the gap.
It’s starting to be a specialised position nowadays thanks to cluxton and the introduction of the mark
Yeah I’d say monaghan have peaked.It’ll be back to lower div 2
I dunno, a fresh approach may help.
Were they not missing that bearded midfielder today btw?
Some serious potential in FF line
In fairness he was looking to the future today by bringing on Dessie Mone and Vinny Corey as his last two subs.
I was only thinking that today during the second half. How hard that monaghan side have worked and how good they are ND how they’ll walk off the field knowing they’ll never compete with that Dub’s side. Heartbreaking for them I’d say.
Conor McCarthy is a lovely player. But Monaghan will never have enough players of the standard required.
They had no answer to Dublin’s movement and athleticism in any area of the pitch and no idea how to work the ball forward despite winning the vast majority of their own kickouts relatively uncontested. Their attempts to work the ball forward were reminiscent of Dublin during the 2010 league when Brogan and McManamon were marooned on their own up front and neither they nor their team-mates had any idea how to bring them into the play.
Dublin weren’t anywhere near peak form and were profiligate enough. Con O’Callaghan didn’t have a very good outing and will be under pressure to hold his place. But Fenton was back to his imperious best.
Neil McAdam? He’s fallen down the pecking order. Didn’t start the last two games and came on at the end today.
Great to see Tyrone in the flesh for the first time this season.
2-1 (or was it even more?) for Mulgrew after coming on.
Fantastic to see their set up. Harte is surely the most influential GAA manager ever.
Very hard to figure out their system. But they’re essentially playing three forwards in a 1-1-1 with Harte-Cavanagh-Bradley.
I can’t see anyone stopping them.
It’s regular enough for young fellas to struggle at the business end of a season when they break through. The year McCaffrey and Kilkenny came through they disappeared for the semis and final having been feted as superstars. They get noticed and then get heavily marked for the first time at that level or the game just passes them by. Its rare that a young fella carries that shit through for a whole season* Ò Callaghan had one game Ffs sake è.
I am interested to hear more - I have not seen them live. What else do you have on it?
Mannion too, although he did get a goal in the 2013 semi-final.
Kilkenny actually got three points from play in the 2012 semi-final against Mayo in his first senior start, but he hadn’t been slogging it out over course of the season.
I don’t remember O’Donoghue being very good in the 2011 final which was his first season.
Colm Cooper pretty much carried his form through the whole of his first season in 2002, but even then he fell away in the second half of the final after a good first half, although that was a function of Kerry fading in general.
Ronan Clarke is one who didn’t fade and ended up being instrumental in winning that All-Ireland for Armagh at just 19 years of age.
Mayo drawn game 2015
Is Fergus in danger of a ban, two reds in two games via 2 yellow card offences in each. Daft stuff considering Tyrone were cruising in both, he needs to reign it in or he could turn into a liability.
I have a feeling he’s not right in the head.
Not much. As far as I could tell Harte, Cavanagh and Bradley are the only players with limited or no defensive responsibilities. Although sometimes Bradley was the only player in the opposition half.
Basically Donnelly plays in midfield with Conall McCann. Colm Cavanagh drops back and protects the D but then sporadically goes forward too. Both wing forwards play in their own half but then bomb forward when they turn possession over (e.g. Mulgrew today when he came on). Sludden as “centre forward” follows the ball around and uses his intelligence and pace to get on it. He’s really fast and can break forward to great effect from deep.
Sometimes Sludden and Harte swap positions when one needs a breather. The other thing is they very much look for Tiernan McCann when they’re pouring forward because he’s a brilliant passer and ball carrier.
When the 12 (or 14 if Harte and Cavanagh are in position to) funnel back then the cunts really sprint back and they all know where to be. Obviously the man marking defenders are still very tight but the others take up their zones so they always have lots of people around the ball to make tackles and blocks.
When they go forward in unison from their own half they look class.
Today they were almost like this:
1;
2, 3, 4;
8;
5; 6; 12;
22, 9, 11; 15;
7;
14;
13.
A fantastic post, but a sad reality for the GgA
Do you not see the linitations of it against a good team?
We’ll see.
They could do with someone bigger than Bradley if they’re forced into delivering the ball in earlier.
But their pace and cohesion going forward and defensive organisation are both fantastic.
All Ireland champions elect.