We’ll really have to up our performance for the Leitrim game.
Also Bandage, according to the radio reports yesterday the sending offs were short (Limerick had 2 men sent to the line for soft fouls based on the bible according to spratt).
Bradley will be a huge loss but I think Rory Stafford was one of the water carriers yesterday so hopefully he’ll be back soon
[quote=“Mac”]We’ll really have to up our performance for the Leitrim game.
Also Bandage, according to the radio reports yesterday the sending offs were short (Limerick had 2 men sent to the line for soft fouls based on the bible according to spratt).
Bradley will be a huge loss but I think Rory Stafford was one of the water carriers yesterday so hopefully he’ll be back soon[/quote]
Yep, Bradley will be a really bad miss for Leitrim but Stafford’s back in training and that’s good news. We actually have 20+ players that could do a job in the starting XV this season as opposed to last year when Bealin brought on a few untested guys from the junior panel in the semi-final against Laois.
Feel free to wind up people from Leitrim on the guestbook section of their official site ahead of the game:
[quote=“Bandage”]Yep, Bradley will be a really bad miss for Leitrim but Stafford’s back in training and that’s good news. We actually have 20+ players that could do a job in the starting XV this season as opposed to last year when Bealin brought on a few untested guys from the junior panel in the semi-final against Laois last year.
Feel free to wind up people from Leitrim on the guestbook section of their official site ahead of the game:
http://www.leitrimgaa.ie/guestbook.php?s=gb[/quote]
Ah I wouldnt like to upset both the lads who are posting there. We should extend a warm hand of welcome to them down to our fair county. God knows when there’ll be a music festival or some national event in Leitrim that we’ll all be walking the streets of Carrick on Shannon looking for a place to stay.
Mac, no disrespect but the only chance we have of beating a slick outfit like Leitrim is if we up the intimidation stakes to the absolute max. I’m taking my inspiration from the likes of the Galatasaray and Dinamo Zagreb ultras and plan on ‘unleashing hell’ on them both on the guestbook and then in the stands of Wexford Park.
I’ll give that course of action due consideration over the next few days Bandage and see what happens.
Another gone it seems…
Ruth hangs up his hurl
18 March 2008
Wexfords vastly experienced centre back Declan Ruth has called time on his inter-county career.
John Meyler is due to meet the Ruth later this week, but the Wexford manager is unlikely to force the Rapparees man into a rethink.
Ruth, who made his championship debut in the 1998 Leinster semi-final defeat to Offaly, said: "Ive virtually decided not to come back.
"Ive been on the go for a long time. As well, Ill be 32 next month, and my knees are starting to give me a bit of trouble.
“The commitment and time demands of inter-county players are increasingly all the time, and youre also under huge pressure in the centre back position. As well, the game at inter-county level is getting faster by the year.”
Ruth has been arguably one of Wexfords best players over the past decade, but apart from a Leinster championship medal won in 2004, has precious little to show for his efforts. Unsurprisingly, he ranks the thrilling win over Kilkenny in that years provincial semi-final as one of the highlights of his career.
“That was a great day, and the fact that we won the game with Michael Jacobs late goal made it even more dramatic. But it was very disappointing that we never managed to make it into the All-Ireland final.”
Best of luck to Skippy - he had many, many outstanding displays in Croke Park in the sacred purple and gold jersey.
Thanks for the many years Skippy. The KK match in 2004 stands out where he hurled Shefflin off the pitch and especially last summer where he battered the wall off the Hogan Stand tunnel before returning against Tipp for one of his finest games in the purple and gold. Would undoubtedly have played many more games at no. 6 but its not that easy to displace someone like Liam Dunne.
I’ve been trying to think of changes Wexford can make to bring about the improvement that’s needed both in terms of personnel, positions and tactics. Here’s some of what was on my mind so far - what do you think?
Keith Rossiter is now our best player by quite a distance. At the moment he’s firefighting in the full back line while we’re getting outhurled further out the field. I would play him centre back where he might actually be able to dictate the game more and get us on the front foot instead of having to deal with a relentless barrage of ball coming in on top of him.
Malachy Travers is one of our better players and doesn’t lack in commitment but he gets exposed the odd time in the full back line and tends to get too tight to such an extent his man spins him and he concedes quite an amount of frees. He plays in the half back line or midfield for his club and I’d release him to play out there where his touch and vision would come more into play.
I would stop fannying around playing people out of position and get David ‘Doc’ O’Connor back in the full back line. Sure he’s gangly, awkward, slow and ugly but he’s done a job there in the past and can do a job there again.
I would get a presence in midfield. For the first few league games we had John O’Connor and Michael Jacob playing in there and neither are capable of stamping their authority all over a game. Gizzy Lyng needs to get back hurling the way he was in the league last year and stop believing in his own hype - his performance off the bench on Sunday was encouraging in this regard - and I would partner him with Darren Stamp who has the mix of physicality and skill to compete with Derek Lyng and the likes, if he’s bothered doing so.
Eoin Quigley’s injury is unfortunate as his league performances so far were very impressive. We need him back to lead the attack as he has the combination of speed, workrate and ball-winning ability.
As for the rest of the forwards, well it’s gets hard to think of a quintet to accompany him that will trouble the best inter-county defences.
What is clear is there’s no point persevering with players who simply haven’t performed to the requisite standard for a considerable length of time.
Stephen Nolan deserves an opportunity to hold down a place in the side at full-forward and David Redmond has done well in his debut season so far and might still be holding down a position come championship time.
But what’s the story with the likes of PJ Nolan, Stephen Doyle and Des Mythen? Do these lads want to play for us or not or are they going to always be carring injuries and having slight niggles? Show a bit of fooking fight and get yourselves ready.
I’m also sick of hearing about how good Rory Jacob is in training and in challenge matches. He’s been appointed captain this season and he needs to show maturity and leadership. I want to see his decision-making and awareness improve and I want to see a desire and hunger to get on the ball in his movement off the ball rather than hanging back behind the corner back waiting for him to miss.
We played into the breeze after winning the toss against Kilkenny two weeks ago. Beside the point that it was ridiculous to allow a slick machine to build up a lead and immediately concede the advantage to them we never brought a forward back to sweep up around the half back line or did anything in the first half to prevent them from putting the game out of sight.
I also see sweet fook all combination or link-up play when we’re attacking. Do we do forwards / attacking drills in training? Our first touch needs to be much better and that would be the starting point in terms of our forwards winning possession.
But even when we do win the ball I rarely see a clever popped handpass or somebody running in support at speed to give the man in possession an option or interchanges in position at pace or whatever.
It’s all so static, formulaic and easy to defend - 6 forwards standing there beside their markers and giving no options to the defence other than to lorry the ball forward with no more than a 50/50 chance of retaining possession.
I want to see us using crisp short 20-yard stick passes through the midfield. I want to see forwards spreading the play and a mixture of low sprayed passes, long direct passes into Nolan as well as the ball being carried forward with support runners offering passing options. I don’t want to see our forward reacting late to knock-downs or breaks. I want to see them constantly on the move and feeding off the main attacking ball winners.
All this forward play should be happening on the training ground but fook knows if it is.
Anyway, I’ve waffled on for longer than I intended but this is the kind of team I was thinking of (I’ve probably left out someone really obvious):
Fitzhenry;
O’Leary; O’Connor; Roche;
Kehoe; Rossiter; Travers;
Lyng; Stamp;
PJ Nolan; Quigley; Redmond;
Lambert; Stephen Nolan; Rory Jacob.
Wouldnt have DOC full back. Hace seen him there a few times and he’s been cleaned out of it. (Apart from his U21 days).
Was never comfortable with Rossi centre back. When he played there, he was ok but he had a terrible habit of going backwards when making a clearance. Rare you’d see him burst through. He lays well there for Oulart but I think he doesn’t get much of a challenge in the club scene. If we did have to change him, then I’d switch Roche to Full Back as I’d think he’d do a job there.
The man I think is made for centre back is Richie Kehoe. Can’t believe he hasn’t been moved there. I think he should be and persist with him there too.
Travers seems like he’d fit better on the wing or indeed midfield where he plays for Ballyboden.
Redmond I like the look of since day 1 and again should be given the chance to shine.
Gizzy need to get back to midfield and back to the form where he was the best player in the country this time last year (until his poor championship)
Saying all that-I’m hugely disheartened with Wexford hurlers these days. No fight in the hoors anymore. A massive big, steel toe cap up the hole might do a better job than any personel change or training drill these days and I have a shiny black pair back home with Mick Jacobs name on it.
Bandage, would agree with what you say in principle but would have the following problems based on your numbers:
Rossi is better with all the play in front of him. KK exploited this to the max in the Leinster final last year. Only when he went back to no.3 did it shore up the defence. I’d love to see him as a 6 but I think he’s better as a 3.
I’d like to throw him in midfield but then a 39 year old Liam Dunne ran rings around him in the club championship. Possibility at no. 7 though.
No, plain and simple. Antrim - Quarter Final in 2003 is all I need to say. Unfortunately dont know where this fellas best position is anymore and I’d say his confidence has taking a battering. I’d keep him away from the defence until a new management team can come in and get the better of him. This fella needs a good man manager to revitalise his career and deliver on his early promise and All Star nomination in 2001.
Agreed but both need to get the finger out. Gizzy is gone to pot and Stamp doesnt seem bothered.
5 & 6. Stephen Doyle is not inter county standard. Dessie Mythen is our most naturally gifted forward but Mick Kinsella not sending him for an MRI scan is going to have long lasting effects on him. Dont know what the story with PJ Nolan is. Stephen Nolan deserves a shot at 14 for a few games. Rory Jacob is the captain for the season? I think I’m officially depressed after hearing that. Also, Mick Jacob should be fooking dropped and Im sick to the teeth of saying this.
My team
Fitzy
AN Other, Rossi, Roche
Doran, Kehoe, Travers
Stamp, Lyng
Rory Mac, Quigley, Redmond
Lambert, S Nolan, R Jacob
Not a million miles away from yours Bandage but Im not sure about M O Leary at corner back and to be honest I dont know anyone else good enough to play there. Doc, no. Morton, no.
Although this Farrell fella from Bunclody seems to be ok so maybe he’s worth a few games.
Edit: I knew there was one thing I was forgetting to say. I think we need to return to the '96 game plan - keep the ball moving forward no matter what. If it cant be gathered cleanly first time then hit it on the ground to keep it going forward. Kick it even if necessary. George O didnt hit one clean ball in the air in the AI final but hit about 10 ground strokes. It requires huge levels of fitness but we managed to win an All Ireland with limited hurlers on the team so I think its worth a shot. Its simple and easy to implement.
i seem to remember Wexford playing that crisp short passing clever brand of hurling at times during the first league game against Waterford. Did they ditch it after that?
Some very good ideas and aspirations here…but unfortunately i really believe much of the problem is with John Meyler. at times he looks bereft of ideas and just stands there feeling sorry for himself.
the last three games we have had fook all of a game plan. lump it in on stevie has basically been the best we can come up with. he probably is our best option at full forward but the lad has just finished a fitzgibbon campaign against some of the best hurlers in Ireland and it was pretty much agreed that he was the best centre back for the duration of the competition. dont know who was in wexford park on sunday but the Dublin centre back gave quite an exhibition, Tomo Brady, and Nolan kept him out of the centre back berth in UCD, with Brady having to settle for full back. not alone is he extremely effective under puckouts but he scored three of four points every game for us. anyway Meyler was at most of the games and if it hasnt had any effect by now it’s not going to.
I think PJ Nolan could well get a shot midfield when he returns to full fitness. played quite well there so far this year and has a good engine and an excellent touch as well as a decent hurling brain…something which alot of wexford players seem to be sorerly lacking of late.
i agree with most of what bandage and others have said above but my confidence and faith in the players and management has taken a real battering in the last three weeks.
My favoured team…
Fitzhenry
Brendan Travers Rossi Roche
Richie Kehoe Stephen Nolan Gizzy
Darren Stamp Malachy Travers
PJ Nolan Quigley Des Mythen
Barry Lambert Rory Jacob David Redmond (at the moment…cant think of anyone else)
dont know what has happened to the teams gameplan since the opening game, but I was at it thinking, maybe this year, looks like we have a gameplan and players are finding good passes and doing alright. Whatever the hell has gone wrong since I dont know.
All that talk about 22 players turning down places on the panel is shite. There is no one outside the panel, let alone in the panel who could really challenge for places. We are seriously short in depth.
I think Travers should be tried in half backs or the middle, dont know why he hasnt yet. Stamp and Quigley are vital to get back fit. Gizzy need to get back form. I also think Rossi is best at full back, was never fully convinced of this tho until last years Leinster Final, and the game previous against Dublin where high balls in destroyed us.
Not looking forward to this year tho
Interesting team there stevie g - I haven’t seen much of Stephen Nolan at centre back but I’d be willing to try anything at this stage. Again, I’ve only seen Brendan Travers in recent minor and U-21 campaigns and he seems tidy enough but it might be too soon to pitch him into a struggling senior side (though I suppose we did that with a raft of players in 2001). I take on board the comments about Rossiter when he was centre back and maybe it’s worth keeping him in the full back line where he’s hurling well. I was just trying to think of some ways / any ways we could impose ourselves on the better teams. We definitely seem to lack depth and there was a good few youngsters like Travers and Lee Murphy in the 24 last Sunday. As for the 22 players who didn’t want to play, can anyone think of any names that aren’t involved but would be useful additions? I don’t mean clowns like Nigel Higgins either.
Team for Sunday’s must-win game in Cork announced. Tommy Dwyer in for John O’Connor in midfield and a completely new half forward line with Willie Doran, Michael Doyle and Michael Jacob making way. Cork have announced a largely experimental side themselves but I don’t retain much optimism ahead of the game:
D Fitzhenry,
M Travers, K Rossiter, P Roche,
R Kehoe, D Norton, C Kenny,
C Farrell, T Dwyer,
PJ Nolan, D Stamp, D Lyng,
D Redmond, S Nolan, R Jacob,
Got pipped down in Cork by 0-22 to 1-17 with John Gardiner knocking over a long range free in the second minute of injury time and Neil Ronan following up with an insurance point after that.
It was a far, far, far better performance than in the previous games according to the radio commentary but the defeat sees us relegated. In fairness, getting beaten narrowly away to Cork isn’t the reason for getting relegated - it’s more to do with the loss in Antrim and the failure to beat Dublin in Wexford Park.
We didn’t line out as selected and I’d heard on Friday night that Doc O’Connor would be playing centre back but I didn’t reveal anything on here as I didn’t want the news to filter down to Cork. You see after exclusively breaking the story about the resolution of their players’ strike 3 days before anywhere else we get an awful lot of hits from Cork.
Apparently Doc had a good game back there and I’m glad to see him back in the defence. Paul Roche was solid again in the corner and Gizzy Lyng, Stephen Nolan and Rory Jacob were dangerous up front.
We need to build on that and go into challenge games and training sessions with that level of intensity leading up to the championship and it was good to see us racking up a proper, respectable score against a good side too.
Also, a superb win for the U-21 footballers today in the Leinster Semi-Final. The final’s on in 3 weeks in Wexford Park against Kildare, who beat Dublin in the other semi.
Great result for the U-21 footballers today. Bet Wicklow by two points and now into the Leinster final.
Will be playing the winners of Kildare v Carlow which is on next weekend.
Lookin forward to seeing the final in Wexford park. Hopefully we get a big crowd for, I know i’ll be there for one.
Seems like I discounted Carlow in the U-21 Football - I expect Kildare will beat them though and we’ll be facing them in 3 weeks times. Ben Brosnan got a straight red card yesterday so is likely to miss the final and would be quite a loss.
Also, the papers today are reporting that there might be a relegation play-off between Wexford and Dublin to decide who goes down to Division 2. Apparently scoring difference isn’t going to be used due to the games where Cork conceded walkovers. However, Dublin are likely to protest against this as both Wexford and Dublin played Cork and completed a full programme of 5 games and it was Kilkenny and Waterford who didn’t get to play Cork. Typically, the GAA haven’t clarified the postition yet.
That hurling stuff defies logic. They both played Cork and Dublin have a better points difference. Even if you discounted the matches against Cork (for no apparent reason) Dublin would still have the better points difference. Deciding on a ruling tomorrow on a league that’s already completed is a joke.
Doesn’t seem like anyone suspected anything other than Dublin would stay in the division until the GAA “clarified” the position - all the talk in the media was that Wexford were down.