I would be on record here as saying that I didnāt think we were as good as everyone was making out after the league. We were very poor against Kilkenny and Antrim.
History would suggest that when this group of players momentum is knocked in the round robin they fold the tent. The year was very like 2019, when we got to the league final, lost narrowly to Clare in Walsh Park and then let every other team in Munster scutter all over us. Patsy Fanning went from being a tolerable if surly manager to public enemy no1 in the space of a month. This group does not seem to be able to deal with setbacks at all. There are no natural leaders, Brick Walsh types, to say fuck this, we are not going down this road again.
I prefer SOD outside tbh, but would agree that Duggan is better outside. I know he could catch a ball and maybe score a goal if heās full-forward but I think heās better working back into those spaces outside half-forward.
Kelly, Meehan & Galvin would be a dangerous inside line.
SOD played centre forward in 2020 and was very good there. He is much more effective as a half forward given how good his first touch, athleticism and attitude are, he is a very good and unselfish linkman as well. Relatively speaking he is a moderate enough striker of a ball and it often sees him bottled up or not having the confidence to take on what should be straightforward point opportunities as an inside forward.
Will Kelly and Conlon a back for Clare after being dropped from the panel yesterday. Kelly was very good against Limerick but shows how ruthless Lohan is as he dropped him completely yesterday
Cork were atrocious the day we played them and again the next day. Is it a big turn around or are Tipp and Waterford just very shite, and Cork are still awful?
Clare got the bad Cork (or possibly the real Cork)and a Waterford with the soul gone out of them altogether. They got a draw with a somewhat understrength Limerick in cusack park where we have an awful record.
Limericks only very impressive display was agin Waterford and it looks now like they were shit. Though I thought Waterford were very good that day, and left thinking we would indeed be playing them twice more. Game against Clare was an all out war. Our forwards were poor, but so were Clares to be fair (bar TK) it was just that kind of a dog fight.
I donāt know where we stand really. A fully firing Limerick are still ahead of the pack. But we arenāt firing yet, and we arenāt full strength. The longer we go on the better we will get. Clareās best chance of beating us this year is in the Munster final. I donāt think theyāll do it.
Cork will melt when they meet someone decent. Clare and Limerick are well ahead of them, I think Leinster could be week enough though, they could give KK a game. Galway would beat them I think. But in that case KK will have beaten Galway so thenā¦
The form lines in Leinster are bizarre altogether.
Big win for Wexico the last day. A game against Kerry likely awaits, before a match vs Clare or Limerick. Hard to see them beat either.
I think Galway are better than Kilkenny. But if they get drawn into a war with them who knows. I havenāt seen any great tactical nouse from Shefflin so far. He seems to be relying on the Brian Cody method of lash it up to fuck and let the forwards win it. They have decent players, so thatāll get them so far before they are caught out. I think they will be caught out though.
Limerick wonāt follow him. Following him destroys the defensive shape. Kelly is unreal, but he only scored 5 points from play. Limerick kept all the rest of the forwards to 5 points from play. 2 from play from further back. Thatās in fortress Cusack park as well. Limerick will be very happy with that no need to change anything major.
The improvement is needed from the forwards really. Gillane would go a long way on his own. Hopefully Sham Flan much sharper as well. Thatās a different story altogether.
Less frees as well would be helpful.
Harsh on Cork there. I donāt think we really know anything about the Leinster counties yet to rate them until they get thrown into a caldron with Munster teams.
If we could exclusively play Kilkenny in UPMC Nowlan Park you could put Wexford ahead of them. Theyād likely hurl the shite out of us in Croke Park.
Iāve never seen anything as bad as I saw in the Pairc a few weeks back. I donāt believe itās possible that they have fixed everything by moving a few of the same auld heads around the place.
They have resolved their issue at 6. Thats really fundamental. Have they solved 3? Well he wont be as badly exposed if Joyce does his job. They have 2 decent corner backs. With Coleman out of 6 they will be a massive improvement.
