It was said about Kerry after 2011. And then after 2013, and 2015 and 2016. They managed to stave off collapse, but a decline came in 2017/18. That transition lasted around two years.
Dublin are currently tipping along like Kerry between 2011 and 2017, but I don’t see a David Clifford on the horizon.
lighter than Philly up top…
If anything the problem is even bigger at club level where you don’t have lads who can kick points from 35 plus yards and beat the blanket. Which is why I think whatever the solution is needs to be viable at all levels. I don’t know what that solution is though. Think they need to be very wary of unintended consequences with seemingly good ideas incentivising defending even more
Lightening the ball as said, maybe
But you dim other things with that
They could move all club games to the South African high veldt perhaps.
They could, but as it stands, the coaches have beaten the game.
Enjoying the entitlement of Jude Bellingham here.
Derry played the way they did today because they played 90 minutes last week. They still lost and their last 20 minutes were limp as fuck.
I’d hardly say they beat the game.
The problem with Gaelic football being a one country sport is it doesn’t have the fertility of ideas from across a wide geographical spectrum that association football has. Most coaches are unimaginative dullards.
We had a meeting today of two tactical dinosaurs of the game.
AFAIK, yes. I think the guy’s so obsessive that he couldn’t do anything else. His missus is a solicitor so her salary must keep them afloat and he may have inherited a cafe that his parents owned in Glenties so may be pulling a pound from that, along with any book sales and speaker fees. He’s got the sports consultancy business but I couldn’t see him having time for that. He has six wanes and a big new house. His wife is a sister of his forwards coach so that might soften the blow for her.
With the modern fitness levels of the top teams, the game has changed. The team with the superior athletes and the few quality point kickers generally win. Teams have twigged most players can’t kick points from 40 meters plus.
The game now is having the correct organisation and athletes to stop teams getting kicking opportunities from closer than the 40. Once achieved, regather the ball and then the job is to break up the pitch and get the ball to the scorers.
It’s not easy to get the personnel and buy in to carry this out, but Kerry did it today.
Dublin hadn’t the energy or forwards really.
I couldn’t tell you how good the likes of Cormac Costello actually was but that was a shocking free yesterday that really cost Dublin.
I’d say Costello would kick that free 99 times out of 100 in training. I’d fancy it 90/100 myself. The angle wasn’t narrowed that much by where he was even.
Gary Sice was excellent on Woolies Podcast Saturday evening. Is he still kicking, or is he with a Club? I’d say he’ll be a great manager should he be that way inclined.
Think he is playing again this year
While Lahiffs pass was a bit of the loopy variety, James Mc looked every day of his 34 years as he tried to gather it and chase back a crocked Comer. A battle too far.
He was Galway Club Footballer of the Year for 2023, so there’s every chance he will. That was a phenomenal achievement after burying his wife the year before.
He has a great outlook on the game and a real sharp analysis. He also had little sympathy for the refereeing decisions that went against Dublin, simply dismissing them as what you need to go your way to cancel out the advantages Dublin get from playing in Croke Park.
A serious no bullshit merchant I’d say.
That stood out alright. A lot of Galway football people would have felt the team needed parity in terms of refereeing decisions. There’d be a perception that the Dubs usually tip the scales, especially in games in Croke Park, but that’s probably down to a hugely talented bunch being able to “bring the bit of divilment into their play”, to paraphrase Paidi O Se. I felt Hurson did well and any questionable calls evened out over the 70 minutes, but I might be wrong.
You need an awful lot to go your way to balance things out, but tbf to Galway, they made a lot of their own luck with their bravery and no little skill.
PJ gets a bit of grief in Galway, but it sounds like his chat at half time was vital to their approach in the second half. Not to mention their fitness levels to keep going, and depth on the bench to push over the line.
Gough gets all the hype but Sean Hurson and Brendan Cawley of Kildare are the two Premier Gaelic Football Officials on the circuit today.