Lowndes and Small are significant downgrades on McCarthy and McCaffrey. Full back issue is not entirely solved either I suspect.
Agreed.
I still think that Dublin defence is infinitely better than Kerry’s however and I feel the fear Kerry have of Dublin has the result decided before the game has even started.
That’s settled it so.
Galways All Ireland
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Id have a passing interest in big ball but Christ id fucking love it if Galway won the all Ireland football title before Mayo.
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Classic Joe, I’d no idea who Withnell was before that semi final too, but he destroyed Kerry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0l6imDx2No
Things that stand out about that clip.
- O’Rourke having no idea who Withnell was.
- O’Rourke believing a goal was a long time coming despite it being 10 minutes gone
- The classic Down jersey
- Barry Breen head strapping, classic GAA of the time
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Cluxton is world class
McMahon is a fine player but somewhat wreckless. I look forward to the day somebody (probably Kerry) decide to leave 4 players up in a diamond. Its a very simple tactic i have used myself and for periods of games can cause consternation in defences. McMahon is suceptible to this as he likes to bomb forward and he also likes big and/or static players as he is very good in the “battle”.
Cooper is a decent corner back, fine footballer and excellent defensive attacker. But he is not a full back or an outstanding marker. He is being asked to do too much i feel for his own skills.
Byrne - decent but top class forwards will kill him.
Lowndes - judging on limited viewing he seems headless. His positioning is awful and is not a great “defender” in the true sense of the word. Seems like a good club midfielder to partner a big lad, certainly not (yet) a top team IC half back.
Cian Sullivan - Class, but i think teams are starting to figure out how to nulify him.
Small - Very average. Poor decision maker, dodgy on the ball.
MDM - Looks tired. Not as energetic as in the past. Blown away sunday by WM midfield.
Fenton - Brilliant young player. Has it all, could be a great.
The forwards are ridiculous though. And that might be enough. Although i really saw a mental weakness the last day in the first half when Westmeath got into them.
I have never been overly impressed with Dublins recent underage teams and they haven’t been producing very good IC standard backs. 21’s this year were “handy”, nothing more. I think like gilgamboa said, the quality they produced in last 6 years was as freakish and cyclic as anyone else gets.
I wouldn’t put any money on this years AI at this stage. Nicely poised actually. Would be good if Cork, Mayo, Tyrone and Donegal really step up in CP and maybe a Tipp or a Cavan as well. Shake it up a bit. If Cork beat Donegal i genuinely would not fear Dublin. I would bet on dublin, but i would not fear them.
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Fuck thats average
O’Beaglaoich is going to the top
I’m trying to picture this. Can you explain? I presume you mean one in FF , 2 corner forwards out wide but further from goal and a centre forward?
I watched the 1991 All-Ireland final from Barry Breen’s goal to the the end on YouTube last night. Fuck me but it was some match, the kind that once you dip into it, you can’t turn off. Unrelenting action.
Down v Kerry in '91 was the first All-Ireland semi-final I ever attended.
O’Rourke was dead right that that early goal had been a long time coming. Down were all over Kerry from the start, had missed a penalty and smacked the crossbar.
Most often played with two hard-working wing forwards who channel back, the one on the side being attacked looking to get double-teamed on a ball-carrier and turnover while the other side sits second centre-back, or in the D.
The remaining front four rotate and stretch the defenders with a wide diamond. An alternative is leaving three up and letting them line-up in s straight line in the middle of the pitch from the 14 to the 65 leaving the wings empty. Defenders really hate this one.
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world class bogballer? wtf is that nonsense.
He is a way way below average football goalkeeper so what is he good at? kick outs?
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Mate read the piece about Withnell there for a laugh
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Looked really shit from what I saw in the league.
Diarmuid O’Connor looked pretty shit in his first few games for Mayo in last year’s League.
TFK is nothing if not about snap judgements, digging in ferociously, before rowing back at a later date.
Yip absolutely. It takes a bit of work and discipline. None of the forward 3 are allowed leave the oppositions 65, ever. The No.11 has a small bit more freedom but is encouraged to stay in it as well.
Its all about movement. Not just standing in those positions. As i show in pic they all have options to run to. However after a while of playing together it becomes more fluid. They kinda try to eun to space or replace a position a team mate has vacated.
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That’s some blanket defence set up behind them.
Can you please assign names to numbers 1-9 when you have a chance.
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What are you on about now?
Explain yourself clearly cos i don’t think you are very good at it.
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