Limerick GAA - We get knocked down šŸ

Sport
21559

Itā€™s hard to know where to begin.

We played ten games in league and championship this season. We didnā€™t produce one decent 70 minute performance. The second half against Waterford and the ten minutes after half time against Tipp were two of the only times we played with fire and intensity.

The only players to emerge with some credit from this sorry campaign are Gavin Oā€™Mahony, Seanie Oā€™Brien and Seanie Tobin (when he is not suspended, injured or bizarrely left out). That so many other key players can be so below par for so long is very damning. Something is seriously wrong. This is not idle gossip or innuendo - this is after seeing the performances since February with my own two eyes. Bad tactics, bad team selections, bad decision making have all been constants this year.

People will blame the ref or whatever but the fact is a mediocre Dublin team beat us fair and square. The defeat today spared us an absolute tanking in the quarter final. We have plodded along all season long and got exactly what we deserved - sweet fuck all.

Failed to get a settled half backline, failed to rectify ball winning issues in the half forward line, playing a challenge match against Kilkenny the weekend of club chpionship matches, allowing a round of club games to go ahead a week before a knockout championship match, badly out of form and/or unfit players continually being selected, zero squad depth for certain positions and lack of Plan B - it just goes on and on. Litany of blunders all season long.

The frustrating thing is that we have a group of players who can compete with the best on their day. Got some smashing players who if used correctly can have us challenging. But the hard calls havenā€™t been made all year long, until it was too late.

That was awful to endure today. Good honest group of lads in that squad but something is really amiss when they are not firing.

A terrible day was compounded by the two cunts (limerick fans ironically) sat a few rows behind me in block 207 of the Kinnane Stand who berated everyone all through the match- the ref, the dubs, our own players. Probably the two gobbiest, mouthiest pricks Iā€™ve ever encountered at a match. They just added to the dismay of the day which started with a monumental hangover and ended up waiting an hour to get out of the car park beside Semple Stadium after the Cork - Clare match to get home. Just one of those days that we should be accustomed to by now.

On a separate note congrats to JBM - a gent of the game.

Anyway we get knocked down and we get back up. Hopefully the minors and u21ā€™s can lift our spirits this week. The only way is up after today anyway.

6 Likes
21560

Anyone know what happened in the old stand with about 10 minutes to go in the limericks match? Was there a row or something

21561

We seem to be able to put in only 15 minutes in any half.

This has been a problem for the past 2 years, but became a huge issue this year.

I like TJ, I have supported him to date, but I am sad to say that taking todayā€™s collapse and the collapse in the final 15 minutes against tip, we cannot continue down this road.

The fans, but more importantly the players deserve better.

21562

Old stand, beside sarsfield clubhouse ?
I was in 207, in section 206, a guy stood up and started firing abuse at the ref, the people 10 rows behind and in front of him all stopped and laughed.

Must have been funny, whatever he said :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

21563

Yes, I was in 203. A player was down injured and half the stand was standing up looking over that direction. Assumed by all the rubbernecking that something happened

21564

It was clear as day from the Waterford match on 14 February that things were not right with us and so it went all through the year. Management are simply not up to it and Iā€™ll say no moreā€¦I stand by my comments earlier , I was genuinely relieved when we lost tonight, it has been so painful I just wanted it over.Iā€™m in no way dejected, as bad as this year was I think Limerick hurling is quite healthy right now as compared to other bad years but we need the right men in charge to over see the influx of young players that are bound to join the senior ranks in the next two years. I did think the ref was an absolute joke tonight but not the reason we lost. Dodge, Walsh, Breen Wayne Mac and Paudi may have had their last serious campaign with usā€¦

2 Likes
21565

Cut it out myboyblue

21566

They were sat about three rows behind me. Two lads, one old fella and the other in his early 40ā€™s. Two of the biggest gimps you will ever encounter at a match.

A Limerick player was coming out with the ball and hand passed it away before getting clattered by the Dublin lad. It was a yellow and nothing more. The two boys started calling for a red, calling Mcallister every name under the sun. Then they turned their ire to Johnny Ryan, the linesman. A full blown two minute tirade. It was embarrassing to hear the two of them, like kids in a school yard looking to shout loudest to be heard. I think a couple of people may have told them to shut the fuck up for a finish.

21567

I wonder weā€™re they the same geniuses who made a b line to give Teege abuse at full time.

Teegeā€™s carry on after he fell over was gas. Rather than just getting up and getting on with it he kept on fist pumping and jumping up and down for a good 30 seconds. Serious commitment

2 Likes
21568

gas to see all de lads giving out about mcallister now. Yet when I posted warning about him, what happened? All the eejits flagged. More in yere line to pay attention to people who know about dese things.

this team was fatally wounded in the GG by the premier boys. it was interred today

21569

Imo Shane Dowling was taken off because he wasnā€™t playing well. He had missed a lot of frees and had contributed little or nothing from play. Seanie Tobin came on, scored all the frees and got a point from play. It was the correct decision from TJ Ryan.

End of debate, move on!

21570

the biffo syndrome strikes again

21571

Strange about Dowling, he was taken off in Westmeath last week after about 55 minutes as well.

He again had missed a number of frees. Seemed to be hitting the ball quite low and wide for the past 2 games.

Strange considering how good his free taking has been for the past 2 and a half years.

Something not right there at all.

21572

Dowling wouldnā€™t be alone in contributing little or nothing. Tough to single him out for the crooked finger. The entire FF line were starved of any ball.
If I can drag myself to watch it again Iā€™ll probably find he worked hard off the ball.
Half forwards all taken off, none of their replacements helped matters. I state this more to suggest management hampered us than as a criticism of individual players.
Our first touch and the pace of the game were light years behind the cork-Clare game. Conditions were probably worse for the second game yet there was less digging for the ball.
Cian Lynch gets worse the longer heā€™s on the senior panel.
All season plan A has been to go route 1, but we canā€™t even launch the ball to the edge of the square properly anymore. The amount of topped or ballooned deliveries was farcical.
Clare start brightly before fading in every match. We do the same but never get to the same peak. Iā€™d love to get the stats for distance covered or intensity of runs made - Iā€™d reckon our workrate is down massively on 2013.
What in the name of Christ is wrong with Jimbob? Graeme?
No pace whatsoever, only Browne looks close to his peak level of fitness.
Fcuk it anyway, only consolation we have is Galway would destroy us.

21573

Lynch is good, but maybe his trickery is being quashed by better opposition at inter county level. Tries hard, maybe tries to be too fancy rather than just tipping the ball over the bar. It seems like he is under orders to run at goal every chance.

Mulcahy is no worse this year than other years, Tobin should be starting before him. Tobin did ok when he came on today.

Think you are being hard on James Ryan, he did on today, won a lot of ball, cleared a lot of ball but the forwards were not good enough to win his ball up to them.

We need some of the last 2 minor teams to be added to the panel. We should look to add 3 or 4 to the starting team / panel for next year.

21574

Mulcahy got no break at all with kilmallocks run to the all Ireland.

Throw in the fact that they were hammered prob doesnā€™t help either.

21575

I should have phrased that better - ryan isnā€™t breaking tackles or stopping lads in their tracks. Just not able to cover ground as much? Weā€™ve nothing like the physicality we tore into KK with.

21576

Not people, just you. You should get it by now but you probably wonā€™t because youā€™re a weird little creep.

21577

It is the same as always. Taking too much out of the ball, not taking their scores. Breen is the biggest culprit. Cian Lynch won two great balls and there Is no one moving on his shoulder, he runs down an alleyway and gets dispossessed, he is a fine hurler but he is best in space. James Ryan has the worst first touch around. Downes had two great scoring chances and fooked both of them. Mulcahy is bereft of confidence, he wonā€™t go past his man, he has offered little for two years. A special mention to the backs, with our lazy forward line they are always under pressure. I thought McCarthy, Oā€™Brien and Oā€™Mahony were excellent.

21578

@Evileye, donā€™t agree on Dowling. He got on more ball and worked harder than most of the forwards from what I saw. Iā€™ll stand corrected when I watch it again. He did far more than Hannon anyway. He had a few misses but he generally recovers from those. It was just dumb to take him off.

@treaty_exile, youā€™re being way too harsh on Lynch. He was good. Canā€™t do it all on his own though. You might be expecting too much from a lad straight out of minor.

Mulcahy got on loads of ball, mostly out the field from his usual corner forward spot though. Again, he had a good game.

Ryan Iā€™d bet had more possessions than any other limerick player. Was back to his old self again I thought. His use of possession is possibly another story altogether.