while iâm not agreeing with that idea of 5 full backs, i am agreeing with that statement.
The crazy thing for Waterford to do the next time they play Tipp would be to play a three man full back line. Madness is continually repeating the mistakes of the past. And playing a three man full back line against a team thatâs hit you for 15 goals in the last three games is madness. Moreover when Waterford tried to counteract this problem before they marked the space in front of the full back when the damage is caused in the apace they create behind the full back. [quote=âcaoimhaoin, post: 593151â]
while iâm not agreeing with that idea of 5 full backs, i am agreeing with that statement.
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Well one option there Fagan is yes bring one man back, but also you could play your keeper out around the 21 all the time as a sweeper. A good athletic keeper (or which there are many these days) is an underutilised player.
Also getting the defenders to play zonal as has been discussed is as good an option as whats happening now as one on ones suit the Tipp forwards. Something like a âfree manâ floats in front of the full back line when the ball is inside the oppositions 65, thus being able to cut out any long deliveries in front of or on top off full forwards. As soon as it leaves or looks like being easily cleared he moves back behind the full back line tracking the ball if its clear he is needed to track a full forward. All the time the regular full backs hold positions tight, close to goal blocking in a major way the straight route to goal.
The ball could be played wide to full forwards, but the full backs donât chase them and also act as a barrier to in rushing half forwards/midfielders, the free man does, and if you give up a few handy points you do, but you donât give them goals, or easy ones at that. The keeper has license to watch breaks from long high balls hit in on top of full forwards.
This extra man at the back may also be used or creates space for their own puck outs to be won short. If its well covered the opposition will have to move their free man (presumably a corner or wing back) up to help with marking & splitting. If that happens the keeper may have a long puck out to half forwards or midfielders who are at least are in 50-50 situations.
Hope thats not too hard to follow, if i had a white board it would make far more sense. 
Fagan, where are you getting the room to play two sweepers behind the FB line? Theyâll end up standing on the small square, while waves of forwards come running at them, delighted at the space theyâve been given to do just that, every forwards dream.
This is a very interesting discussion, but I think talking about tactical changes to full back lines misses the point. The place to make tactical changes is the middle third of the field, HB Mid and HF lines. Thats where the ball is won and lost and where those balls coming into a FF line come from. The Tipp FF line, while they roam about like Wards, McDonoghâs and Coffeyâs at Puck Fair, still have to get supply. Starve that supply and you can negate a lot of their threat as they have to go deeper into the field to win ball.
If youâre playing two sweepers behind (behind? are you sure?) the FB line, youâre either going to play with virtually no forwards at all (in which case Iâll just sit on my HB line all day and have a shooting practice session while no one comes near me) or youâre leaving the middle third seriously undermanned (in which case Iâll start running at you from there and have a field day scoring goals despite your two sweepers).
The basic point that there is a lack of intellectual tactical thought in the game is definitely valid.
From what I remember, Christy Ring thought deeply about the game and had some definite ideas regarding tactics. Does anyone know if he ever put pen to paper on this? Would make interesting reading in the context of todays game if he did.
Fitzy
Waterford tried crowding the middle against Tipp and it didnât work. They conceded 4 goals. The Tipp game plan revolves around the full forwards drifting out and the ball being played or broken in behind them into acres of space. The McGrath Corbett goal last year was a classic example of this. They got at least 5 goals that way against Waterford. Man that space and Tipp have to do something else. Sure they can shoot from out the field but will they shoot the 15 points they got from the goals. I doubt it.
Waterfordâs problem is that they religiously play at least one forward who is a passenger and might as well not be there. Brian O Halloran Brian O Sullivan Eoin Kelly Maurice Shanahan. Surely theyâd be better off playing an extra back or two.
I donât think its a question of crowding the middle, but how you specifically use extra players in there. What seems to pass for tactical innovation most of the time is going to a 2 man FF line and bringing someone âback into midfieldâ - having a extra man there, but to do what specifically? The tactic seems to stop at the idea of having an extra man, but most of the time they actually have no idea what heâs supposed to do there, just be there, thats the tactic.
Davy looking like a gowl here. Ok i think Considine has uneeded swipes at Davy and there is obviously bad blood, but TC has trained teams and has won so he is clearly wrong saying that. He respects journalists who in some cases never played hurling yet doesnât respect TC 'cos he didnât play Senior or IC.
He should be keeping his mouth shut this week. And rising to Babs makes you worse than Babs.
Davy has a cut at every name that comes into his mind, yawn.
I think Davyâs a useless Bainisteoir who was just lucky to have so many exceptional players available who would make any manager look good.
Tipp unchanged from the Munster final
Still no place for Brendan Maher
Wonder what his from is like. They couldnât really drop anyone after the Munster final but heâs still a very important player to leave on the bench. Shane McGrath being back on 08/09 form has made it less urgent I suppose.
Scored 7 points from play for Borrisaleigh in the club championship a couple of weeks ago. Strangely enough he played corner back in a challeneg against the Clare Intermediates recently for Tipp. Big pressure on Gearoid Ryan and OâKeefe now
Youâd assume Ryan and Dunne know what theyâre at, but given how central he was to last yearâs success, it doesnât make sense to be denying him championship minutes if heâs fit. Maybe his form is way back on last year.
Sad news coming out of Derry overnight confirmed by The Irish Times this morning.
RIP and sympathy to the family.
Fitzgerald is compromising himself by continuing his media career and inter county management. I think itâs ridiculous. Clearly it bothers the fuck out of him if he feels the need to mention these people in the papers.
As an aside Iâd say that away from the media and the hurling scene that Davy is a decent little chap.
Davy has been known to do great charity work away from the media glare and is well regarded by anyone who has had dealings with him in this regard. Its such a shame he makes a tit of himself whenever there are cameras/microphones nearby.
He is a deeply paranoid man. Always needs to prove people wrong to get him going. Loves the game and all but I donât think it is doing his health any favours. He has already had heart troubles and has aged an awful lot in the last few years. Actually scrap that he looks awful full stop.
Thatâs very true. Very much a different character in front of the camera. Could do with an investment in media training or just staying away from the cameras full-stop.
what size of a crowd do ye expect will be at croker tomorrow?
Iâve thrown a few euros at the draw for tomorrows match on Betfair at 85.00. Far too big odds not to be nibbled at in my opinion, if nothing else there could well be an opportunity to trade out with a profit in-runningâŚ
The ham sandwich brigade think they are through to the final already so many of them will hold off going tomorrowâŚ