Tyrone at least gave one example of how not to deal with it yesterday!
No decision. He is one of best players in the country. You tell him to cop on and you play him. At times Donegal had two players talking shite to him during stoppages in play. I think first yellow was just a high tackle which is a yellow but not like he is knocking lads out off the ball
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I think they can afford to drop him but won’t. However we don’t know his personal in-house temperment or how the players and management view him. I missed the 2nd half yesterday so would have to see that. Was he rightfully put off? He rubbed some guys head yesterday early on, thought it was dumb as fuck.
I think Gavins nature is to back his boys to the hilt. I am sure his view is this is a battle field and shit happens. I think he will have that approach. Work on Connolly mentally more than anything.
The thing i would consider doing is playing him full forward. I would get Aidan O’ Mahoney out of the middle of the pitch and into the full back line where Connolly is less likely to be involved so much and AOM is less effective in the physical stakes. Kerry already lack physicality around the middle so removing him could have a double reward.
Its not aomething that can be solved in a couple of weeks, so why bother? I think i would take the risk. He tends to improve the bigger the game mentally.
Is this not something they’ve been doing going back to 2014, at least? Mayo’s early season championship performances over the last couple of years have been unimpressive enough but they’ve built incrementally over the season.
Greater experience and know how at this level got them through yesterday rather than a great performance.
I like how Rochford is using Dillon.
Couldnt even think about not starting without him if available IMVHO. Completely right about his discipline but id say even with his sending offs his contribution still well in the black. hes a serious loose cannon alright, was two YC he was sent off for as well.
Agree he is if not the best at the moment. But what use is he if he spends half the game on the bench?
Not sure, but last year one of the players issues was they went too hard too early.
Agreed on Dillon, and Parson in turn.
What chance do you give Tipp against them
A very good one. But i think Mayo will treat them with the respect they deserve and i think Mayos physicality and maturity will win out after 40 or so mins.
Could be an amazing first half though.
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Completely correct sending off. both YC probably avoidable though. 2nd was a ridiculously stupid around the neck challenge that he was possibly lucky only to see yellow for.
A donegal player got yellow for similar, if not far worse in first half where he absolutely cleaned a Dublin players clock. I think both were borderline red, Connollys far less serious of the two.
The scandal is how he’s being targeted. Dropping him is an utterly daft idea and it’s something Gavin surely can’t be considering.
He’s one of the greatest players of this generation and the GGA are allowing the hatchet men to ruin the game with their snidey dark arts.
Do you think bernard brogan doesnt get similar?
Its a sad reflection if he is a great player. Scored two great points but should have scored 2 goals
The GGA is full of hatchet men and hammer throwers pal. Diarmuid is one of the few players with a bit of skill, and the jealous Muldoons and Nordies hate him because of it.
I agree he is being targeted. I was just interested in other opinions out there. Good an all as he is, you are now at the stage of the championship where you have to take his temperment into consideration before picking him.
He gets targeted as bad playing for vins in Dublin , often by his colleagues .
He has moments of greatness but fair point compared to the rest he is a God
He’s been sent off in two All-Ireland semi-finals.
Connolly is outrageously talented but when you look at his contribution over the years I don’t think he’s in the top 5 forwards in the country in terms of actually producing the goods when it matters, ie. knockout All-Ireland games. The spectacular nature of a lot of his scores perhaps tends to make his contribution appear bigger than it really is. Kerry in 2013 is really the only time he’s taken a game by the scruff of the neck when Dublin needed him. He was very good in the first half of the 2014 semi-final too but apart from that, has been largely contained in big matches. Obviously him being such a threat can often allow Dublin forwards to get more scores than they would if he wasn’t there.
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Discipline needs to be practised like kicking off your bad leg. Its a skill and mentality and that can be trained. He has decided its not important enough yet.
I got a great lesson very young in relation to this thru boxing. My first ever fight was down in Macroom, as it turned out i was fighting a traveller from Liscarroll. Him and his mates came up and threatened me and another lad that if we beat them they would hammer us outside after. I said this to the coach, he casually said “if he’s at that shit he obviously is a dreadful boxer and is afraid of you. Thats his own fear” (or words to that effect). He duly was poor and i hammered him. You should be delighted with special attention. Cannot understand how this has not got thru to Connolly yet.
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What semis?