Better late than never, few notes for the programme. Nothing a lad who ever hit a ball in anger will not have noted already.
Ah the big leagues….
Some obvious strengths to Glasagusban selection but ultimately in a very limiting capacity reducing the potential potency of the overall side.
Lets address the obvious first; Ken McGrath, a colossal of the game placed at right half back is akin to purchasing a Ferrari for your daily commute on the M50. In such limiting circumstances he can be avoided and given his favour to veer right when driving out. I think we’ll see him out over the line on several occasions. Conor Clancy not renowned for ceremony.
Lynch & Carey is a lovely idea midfield, realistically productive but over sentimental. They may have a nice moment or 2 but they are not getting the better of one of the best end to end players of the last 25 years in 6 time All Ireland winner Derek Lyng and come to think of it former hurler of the year Jerry O Connor was no shrinking violet either. The Patrickswell men will well and truly know their in a battle here. Life Question really, the chips are down and you need to claw and fight your way out of a situation, the options are Lyng or Carey? That was a rhetorical question.
The Lynch/Carey tandem subdued we reflect on the subsequent outcome this has on the offensive selection. It is a blunt tool. Whilst I love the idea of a Seamus Prendergast type to work and break things up, without at least one grade 10 and/or 12 type player no synergy exists. Essentially what you have here is a forward line of mediocrity, no blend of steel and class. All 6 have seen many more days than they would like to admit where they lacked either graft or genius, some both. Their lot facing a full back with a cumulative accolade of 10 All – Star awards for duty served looks ominous for a line that either never had the chance or worse fired blanks on the biggest days.
Further back the field Glasagusban has assembled a useful full back line but neither corner men are equipped with the prerequisites to handle a DJ Carey or an Eoin Kelly. The sight of both an extremely uncomfortable prospect. Indominable damage.
With McGrath castrated for want of a better phrase on the wing, Mcinerney is tasked with the head on collision that is Seamus Prendergast. However, at this end; Gold is the reward for Pender’s mining; Messrs Carey & Kelly feasting on ball given to hand close to goal. 3 time All-Ireland winner Timmy McCarthy indulges in a similar operation on the right wing with an added scoreboard ticker given Dalys propensity to lash out when beaten. Kelly points erringly all day from placed balls.
Daly’s temperament and leadership were very good in fairness to him, he was a hurling wing back in the sense that he was always happy to go out and hurl as opposed to try and stop his man or make it a physical battle. Meant he would often cough up a few points to his direct marker but would hurl plenty of ball himself. Johnny Dooley and him had some great hurling battles
Your comment was “very strong players”, I wouldn’t consider Dotsy O’Callaghan or Andrew OShaughnessy
to be very strong players, Cloonan was quality but had glaring flaws too
Luke O’Farrell is the real weakness in Eoghan’s team. All the other twos you can make the argument that every dog has it’s day and can pick out a handful of Championship performances where they played well. O’Farrell has no real championship pedigree and i would fancy every back that was listed for overall selection to dominate him
Maybe for the Sunday Game, O Farrell played consistently and filled a purpose in limited Cork line for a number of years. To employ him in a more balanced forward line and for him to contribute is not over imaginative.
Not my fault the lads printing the programmes didn’t refer to management, the change is adverted to early in the thread, above.
Reale marked Kelly in quite a few games. I’m not going to list them for you. For an all time great and marquee forwaed, which he was, Kelly never did much damage from play when marked by Damien Reale. If you want to take these ratings as any measure, which they aren’t, Kelly as a 12 point player was ridiculously ineffectual against Reale, who is apparently a two point player.
You were tagged like everyone else in the quarter finals. The gap between your games is the very same as everyone elses. The only person to blame for your team not being right in the first post is you.
