Limerick GAA. Don't be sad. Another 45 won't be so bad. Limited heartbreak

Well I reckon that settles that one

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Ooooooffffffttt!!!

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Flanagan is a stylish player, heā€™s a lovely striker of the ball. Iā€™d say he must be one of our most accurate shooters, I can only think of two missed points in last yearā€™s Championship.

You would like him to be a bit more direct sometimes. As a full-forward, he comes out in a big loop before he heads for goal. And while that creates chances when he offloads and also gives him good opportunities to take a point, when he plays more direct, there are goals to be got.

A serious hurler though, the performance against Cork was sensational and he had a brilliant final.

Fully agree with that, thatā€™s something to work on in his game, when he gets the ball heā€™s often running away from goal (see the point he got in the All Ireland final). When Gillane gets it heā€™s nearly turned before heā€™s landed and is always going direct to goal

Did he not mishit quite a few scoring chances in the league?

Gillane turns so fast he canā€™t bring the Hurley with him

Iā€™d rather he caught the ball more too, rather than trying to control it instantly on the hurley.

Iā€™m not too sure about the directness. I love the way he takes opposition full back for a trip to the wings every minute. Tears the heart out of the opposition defence. Iā€™d rather he kept that up and left Gillane inside to be direct.

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He did. He needs to work on his touch. Plus he needs to get a little more selfish.

The thing is that when he has completed his arc and does start heading towards goal, heā€™s got a few extra gears and serious power- see the Dublin game in the League. Also, the ball he broke onto against Kilkenny before fluffing the handpass.

Not that I can remember.

I could be forgetting, but Iā€™d have always said he was one of our best shooters.

Yeah, his touch ranged from absolutely unbelievable to just shit.

Iā€™d be an advocate of players getting the ball into their hand as quickly as possible across the board, itā€™s what makes Gillane so effective, for example. He stoops to take balls into his hand that most would touch onto their hurley. It gives him a split second extra to work with.

I have no problem with him taking backs on tour, it was a central cog in our gameplan. But when he gets it into the hand, he could go straight at the man the odd time, mix it up a bit. Because he is a very powerful runner.

Although watching a player like that wheel outside and split the posts is a joy to behold too.

And how many goals did he directly create in Championship- final pass for Hegartyā€™s against Waterford & Lynchā€™s against Cork and a big part in Mulcahyā€™s in the final too. Should have buried one himself against Kilkenny & Galway though.

Perhaps I am completely wrong but I think he missed a good few during the league, I have impressions of shots dropped short and goal chances spurned.

Agreed. improve on that and he will be a serious serous forward.

Iā€™m sure the stats are available somewhere, I might take a look.

He was absolutely brilliant in the final. I was behind the Galway goals in the first half, his movement was brilliant and seriously upset the Galway back line. He was my man of the match (if he had controlled that ball and goaled heā€™d have maybe got it!..)

sure twas only the league!

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Agreed. That movement out the field creates space for others.

I seem to recall him being a bit hit and miss shooting wise in the league, although the overall performance was impressive. Hit a good few wides vs Clare and Tipp I think but was far from the only one - see Diarmaid Byrnes. Stepped up in the championship then.

youā€™d have the remember the league was SFā€™s first IC experience. He came on a ton in the Championship and with some better touches and experience to run for goal, could have buried a couple.

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The reason Flanagan runs out from goal so much is that he has to touch it the way heā€™s facing. He touches it out in front of himself and has to run out after it. He has a poor touch all told for a senior inter county hurler. He makes up for it with effort, honesty and physical attributes and a good brain.

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Heā€™s effective but heā€™s about as far away from a stylish hurler as an intercounty forward can be

The big arc he makes occasionally leaves a 30 yard gap through the middle so even if his touch improved itā€™s worthile continuing that method at least some of the time.