You have a thing for that type of player, lehane, glesson et al. Lovely hurlers but unfortunately the modern game requires workrate and application aswell. Systems dont allow anything else.
Tont kelly has been accused of the same when the game wasnt going his or clares way.
Waterford have been a shambles the last few years, outside of Gleeson
He has, but he still does what he can to contribute and whilst it is unfair really this year to use a comparison, but it always seemed to me from the outside that Kelly adapts to situations and works to involve himself in games. It may not always go his way, but I never saw him as one to shirk off and just give up.
and yes, Waterford have been poor, but that isnt on Gleeson. But he has done little to push on from where his breakout year had him.
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Kelly’s work rate previously could be patchy and led to inconsistent performances. Not that he would be lazy but more so in drifting out of position and back the field when things weren’t breaking his way rather than standing his ground and keeping the team shape
There are a lot of very talented intercounty half forwards who play the game on their terms and don’t win or compete for a lot of dirty ball and rely on others to do the heavy lifting for them. Kelly up to this year could be put in that bracket, Noel McGrath, Bubbles, Jason Forde, Aussie Gleeson, Conor Lehane, Padraig Mahoney to name a few of the better ones over the last 7 or 8 years but all of them are inconsistent and while they all have provided moments and performances of sheer quality they also have had plenty of games where they have been nullified fairly easily.
Of all those players mentioned Aussie Gleeson probably has the most talent in terms of physical tools when it comes to size, power and pace yet he chooses to use it sparingly and stupidly at times in my opinion. He could he every bit as effective a hurler as TJ Reid but I don’t think he has the mentality or application to ever even get close to that level apart from the odd fleeting moment.
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I haven’t a thing.
I’ve a thing about lads running them down for a lack of effort or aptitude which is a pretty shitty thing to say about a senior intercounty player.
I’m sure they are doing everything in their capabilities to win
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Its an observation from watching games and a discussion thereafter. Its not about running lads down.
@Big_Dan_Campbell post above sums it up best.
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Saying lads haven’t the application or willingness to work is running them down whichever way you want to paint it.
If they weren’t working hard enough they wouldn’t be picked
Ah come on now. There are loads of cork lads picked on pure hurling ability.
Flanagan came on for Casey about 5 mins after I called it you gowl
You were the Winning of the match in fairness
Loads?
Have the last word mate.
The Kilkenny campaign to take down Limerick has started already
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Great interview, thanks.
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The thing with Glesson for me is he has a free role, he can go where he wants, so in theory you can pop up in dangerous places all over, but in reality he’s popping up in the wrong places constantly, like a reverse TDB.
It’s a cunt of a role to play, I think he’d be better off playing a defined role as an orthodox half back or half forward, then at least he’ll be in the right place some of the time.
It’s a criticism I would have had a Kelly as well until this year. Everywhere and nowhere, and then some days it worked and he’d catch fire. Not entirely sure what Kelly is doing differently this year, but he seems to have the role figured out or Lohan has figured out how to get the team playing around him. But there is no doubt in my mind Glesson is capable of being a Tony Kelly. But he isn’t. Yet, at least.
I will say in his defence no manager seems to have figured out how to get the best of him. Maybe he’s just not coachable, but I don’t think that’s it. But a career can pass by in the blink of an eye and no one might figure him out.
Graham Mulcahy spent 8 years playing for limerick before a system fell for him that suited. 8 years they were firing the ball over his head and he was living off scraps looking a very average player. Seanie Tobin was basically the same player in the other corner and just as good IMO, but he got chopped before the new style came in and never got the same chance.
I suppose a lot of it is luck.
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Perseverence too. Mulchahy is the heart of that team in many ways
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I don’t think that Mulcahy’s upturn in form is due to a system around him or luck. His work rate and attitude without the ball definitely changed and he hits a lot harder and is far more dogged which has led to him getting into better scoring positions too. I assume he was told in no uncertain terms by Limerick management what was needed to make the team as he was struggling for game time in the 2018 league and took the feedback in the best possible way and bought in. He hasn’t looked back since.
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He has the dog in him. He does more defending than a corner back
He’s a great example of what Kiely and Kinnerk have brought to the table. My point is more if he was three years older or he never got Kiely and Kinnerk he’d have been the small lad that played corner forward for limerick for a few years instead of being rightly recognised as a fantastic hurler
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