[quote=“caoimhaoin, post: 801376, member: 273”]Dubs believing their own hype I think. Not working hard enough. Meath working hard getting players to ball.
Cian O Sullivan getting caught out again, but sure he looks great running forward in support.
Meaths decision making up front is atrocious.[/quote]
Agreed, i think this Dublin team while good are over hyped. Mannion is showing well so far & looks a class act.
Peadar Byrne has cost Meath 1-1
Stephen Bray is a super footballer.
Dublin really missing Andrews up front.
Meath are putting it up to Dublin. Bray has been magnificent, almost like a playmaker.
Dublin will win this by at least 5
Goal for Dublin after a good save from the Meath keeper.
Dublin 2-13 Meath 0-13
Good second half performance by Dublin, especially when O’Gara went off.
The O Gara thing is farcical now. One manager thinking he has got something to offer at the highest level is one thing, but I was certain he’d be gone this year.
Positive for both teams I think. Meath did alot of stupid stuff, stuff video analysis would sort out very quick, and mostly from young lads. They certainly seem to be squeezing all they can out of those couple of decent minor teams. Good for them that Reilly can have an average day yet they still play well. They have a bit to go fitness wise but they are definitely on the right track.
The dubs have the exact same issues as ever. But more importantly was they stuck to the plan and played well after been shown up in areas. Cian O Sullivan is still lost at midfield, nothing will change my mind on that, I think I know the role Gavin wants him to play and I have no doubt they can get there, but he is nowhere near it now. Ba stick made a difference in fairness to him.
Might sound silly, but I’d be more worried about the Dubs now than after the Kildare game. They were cleaned out at midfield yet they adjusted and won well in the end. Manion is my favorite present day forward right now, what a player. Great speed, two footed, strong (not soft either), beautiful balance. He has it all really. I thought Burke did as good a job as possible on him today, but he was simply unmistakable. Ciaran Killkenny is showing what he’s all about as well, although Meaths set up suited him today, I thought Manion was better in the sense that he actually had a marker, Killkenny was a free man.
Cork- Dublin would be real interesting. On form they would tear our backs to pieces, but would they get any ball? It would be fascinating.
Brennan, Sullivan (more cos of positioning than anything), O Carroll were all well off the pace and all in central positions as well. Still a massive worry for the Dubs.
Fucking great football though. Beautiful movement from all the forwards.
R3 Qualifier Draw:
Galway v Armagh
Wexford v Laois
Kildare v Tyrone
Derry v Cavan
R4 Draw:
Gal/Arm v Cork
Wex/Lao v Donegal/Monaghan
Kil/Tyr v Meath
Der/Cav v Mayo/London
a lad that lasted 6 weeks in AFL and a lad that couldnt get into the UCD football squad are now the 2 best GGA players:D
[quote=“Blake, post: 801719, member: 1755”]R3 Qualifier Draw:
Galway v Armagh
Wexford v Laois
Kildare v Tyrone
Derry v Cavan
R4 Draw:
Gal/Arm v Cork
Wex/Lao v Donegal/Monaghan
Kil/Tyr v Meath
Der/Cav v Mayo/London[/quote]
Four good matches in store and my nap prediction came up 
London-Derry tie in Round 4 http://www.s2ki.com/s2000/public/style_emoticons/default/UnionJackSmiley.gif:pint:
Round 3 winners - Armagh, Wexford. Tyrone, Derry
Round 4 winners - Cork, Wexford, Tyrone, Derry
[quote=“Blake, post: 801719, member: 1755”]R3 Qualifier Draw:
Galway v Armagh
Wexford v Laois
Kildare v Tyrone
Derry v Cavan
R4 Draw:
Gal/Arm v Cork
Wex/Lao v Donegal/Monaghan
Kil/Tyr v Meath
Der/Cav v Mayo/London[/quote]
Wexford have a great chance of making the quarters.
Kildare and Tyrone should be interesting.
Armagh and Cork in Round 4 looks like it could be a great match.
I hate this shit of having draws over the radio, if you listened to it, the boys all knew Kildare and Tyrone were being paired with each other. Can’t understand why they can’t have it after a match like they used to.
Because they want to fix it?
That’ll do
[quote=“farmerinthecity, post: 801724, member: 24”]Wexford have a great chance of making the quarters.
Kildare and Tyrone should be interesting.
Armagh and Cork in Round 4 looks like it could be a great match.[/quote]
So what were the weaknesses leitrim identified by pushing armagh to the pin of their collar? Thanks in advance mate
[quote=“Sidney, post: 795534, member: 183”]
Scrapping the provincial championships also underestimates their importance of the provincial finals as occasions, and also underestimates the importance of the the provincial championships as competitions in their own right. Winning a provincial championship remains a massive deal for most counties. Perhaps it isn’t for Dublin footballers or Kilkenny hurlers, but for Dublin or Limerick hurlers, Monaghan footballers and pretty much everybody else, it is. These occasions have 100 years of tradition behind them and they matter. [/quote]
Scrap the provincial championships and you scrap days like yesterday.
After yesterdays disgraceful scenes, it is surely time for this heinous excuse of a sport to be banned.
I went to the Leinster Final yesterday with some chums and really enjoyed the game. I have a long held love of Meath football and we’re definitely on the way back. Stephen Bray was exceptional and gave all sorts of trouble to O’Carroll and Cooper at different stages. I disagreed with them moving him out the field when they brought on Sheridan but he shook off Ger Brennan and carried the ball in for that shot which Cluxton saved. So the switch could actually have worked had he brought it in closer to shoot or popped it off to Sheridan or Newman to finish. I was very impressed with young Newman’s skills too and Gillespie had another fine game in midfield, as did Meade.
Cluxton is a great keeper and was very good again yesterday. Kilkenny and Mannion were the other two most impressive Dublin players for me. Kilkenny’s creativity/distribution and point taking was wonderful at times - the only thing is he sometimes has a tendency to hold onto the ball for too long when it’s Dublin’s speed of attacking that opens up teams. Meath played with young Harnan holding his position at centre back so Kilkenny was able to drift around and get lots of possession. A team playing a more defensive system will have someone tracking Kilkenny and another playing holding the centre so he won’t always get space like yesterday.
Mannion was top class with his finishing throughout really and some very good movement too. Bastick has a very good midfield cameo when he came on too and his presence made Dublin stronger in this sector. It must be a nightmare for the opposition to see the likes of McCaffrey and McCarthy pouring forward relentlessly but it was actually O’Brien from corner back who had the initial shot for the second goal.
All in all, a very entertaining game for the neutral.
