Richieq - Donegals performances against Cork , Dublin etc in last few years was as good as anything the 'purists ' of Meath ever produced . If you think Meaths sinister approach ie: Mayo match 96 was beautfuil , then you are seriously disillusioned . The blanket is not pretty to watch but neither were Meath . There are too many examples to name !

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 01/04/2015 19:44:57    1709611

fabio8
County: USA
Posts: 1650

1709596
ritchie what pundits said kerry and mayo last year wasnt anything but a brilliant match?..you sound like the ultimate football snob to me who is still stuck in the pub talking to people about meaths glories in the 80s and 90s hoofing it in aimlessly to the full forward line.....it shows you have lack of understanding for football more than anything..the tyrone sides of the 00s played football on a level that meath could only dream about...kerry did the same

Eh well if you read my postings correctly you will see that I highlighted Kerry v Mayo and Donegal v Dublin as the only quality matches last year, and I think quite a few share that view. No I don't spend my time speaking of past glories in fact your more likely to hear me bemoaning present inadequacies within my county, but recently given the poor fare on offer I often reminiss about some great matches of the past like Meath/Kildare in '97, Galway/Kildare in '98, Galway/Kerry in '00 and '08 etc, games that showed the skills of the game at there best. Your being very biased in your opinions of Meath's style of play, you should really look up some DVD's of that time so you can correct yourself. Perhaps you forget that we beat Tyrone in 2007 so we were capable of doing more than dreaming of their style of play, we actually bettered it. Your the second person to refer to me as a snob, well if being a snob is wanting to see to skills of Gaelic football properly utilised and if being a snob is wanting to go to a match or watch one on TV and actually enjoy it then fine, I'll gladly accept the title of snob, my understanding of football is fine as is my memory however I dkmt think we can say the same about yours.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 01/04/2015 19:49:57    1709613

Wouldn't be MH's biggest fan in fairness.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 01/04/2015 20:05:33    1709622

I think defensive football and cynical football are being tarnished with the one brush here. There is nothing wrong with a team playing defensively if it chooses or if the need arises, if the opposition or analysts don't like it tough, no team should set itself up to be hammered to please the "purists".
Cynical football is a total different ball game and should be analysed on its own.
I have always been of the opinion that Tyrone developed their system because of cynical play being used against them. Someone on here rates the 90's as being the best era for football, I wouldn't disagree, but the Tyrone team of that era was arguably the best footballing team around and whether people like it or not they were the victims of some cynical tactics when they left Ulster in 95 and 96 and won nothing. When they returned in the 00's with arguably a better team they were ready for it and brought with them a system that was unbeatable at the time Micky Harte brought team work and work rate to a new level hunting and harassing in packs all over the field, positions meant little and opponents couldn't cope with the "system". This was not cynical play, puke football or anything else the "purists" called it at the time. It was genius in one respect. Jim Mc Guinness brought a new element into this system whereby he brought everyone bar 2 or 3 behind the ball. This is not cynical but it is moving into the realms of puke football (very hard to watch and I know we do it as well now sometimes). During/since this time the rule makers within the GAA should have acted to free up the game. What they did was add to the problem by (a) not regulating the tackle properly (preventing 2,3,4 and even 6 man tackles) and (b) introducing the black card (another method to increase cynicism in the game)). Imagine having a system where a team can start a game with all its subs on, systematically take a black card to do a job, and end up with its first team on the pitch to see out a match. Now this is cynical but it is catered for within the rules as it stands.
I said it before, send players off if a TEAM systematically employs cynical tactics, and, re-define the tackle in such a way that favours the player in possession, I would be in favour of only allowing one player to tackle at a time others would have to stand off or be penalised.
Regarding M Harte and Brolly. Brolly was wrong to tell anyone to f off, it is an amateur game after all, he should spend his time coming up with solutions rather than simply commentating on what every one Knows is homecoming a problem in the game, any gobshite can do that.

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1044 - 01/04/2015 20:41:01    1709633

TheRightStuff
County: Donegal
Posts: 562

1709611


Richieq - Donegals performances against Cork , Dublin etc in last few years was as good as anything the 'purists ' of Meath ever produced . If you think Meaths sinister approach ie: Mayo match 96 was beautfuil , then you are seriously disillusioned . The blanket is not pretty to watch but neither were Meath . There are too many examples to name !

Didn't say they werent, they were very good because Donegal adapted and became offensive as well as defensive, now look don't be ridiculous and accuse any of our teams of being sinister, that's just plain unfair, have a look back at what started the brawl in '96 and come back here when you'r ready to correct yourself oh and by the way I never said we were purists, in fact I don't believe we were but we played better football than what I see at the minute as did several other teams of those years, I've listed games to reference my points, I've listed teams who became successful without blankets or systems so come on if you want to have a craic at Meath back up your argument, your wrong on the one you were able to provide so give us a few more and if your right your right but if your wrong I'll politely correct you, how's that for fairness??

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 01/04/2015 20:52:15    1709639

waynoI
County: Dublin
Posts: 10314

1709622
Wouldn't be MH's biggest fan in fairness.

It's not about being an MH fan or not Wayno its about whether you believe Brolly was right or not, as I stated before some of our northern brethren dont like criticism and refer back to a period that was dark and horrible for them, the 70's and 80's, because they couldnt produce a team good enough to outperform brilliant Dublin or Kerry teams, just because of that all football of that era was sh**e.

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 01/04/2015 20:57:17    1709643

so derry and dublin go out and both play an ultra defensive game of football and joe brolly blames mickey harte...you couldn't make it up!

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 01/04/2015 21:03:39    1709645

Muineachan abu
I'd agree with a lot of your post. Particularly the tackle. I hate seeing 3/4/5 players surrounding a player. There is no way out. A scurge on the game in my view.
Another one is when a player hits the ground with the ball. We constantly see this player being surrounded and kept on the ground. It is almost impossible to get up and inevitably a foul is given away.
If rules were brought in to negate this stuff we would see a different game.

Plasticman (Dublin) - Posts: 26 - 01/04/2015 21:22:53    1709647

Who said we were in disagreement about what brolly said? some of us are, some of us are not. I do agree that football systems have now run their course, and are damaging the game. Its not that hard to admit, or see for that mater. We will see some changes this year, I would be fairly sure of this.

But i wouldnt take criticism from a person who never managed a team in his life, nor anyone who told Mickey Harte to F off. Brolly will very swiftly find someone or something else to criticize.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 01/04/2015 21:24:44    1709649

you beat tyrone in 2007?..well done but what relevance has that?..when it mattered in the 00s tyrone blew teams away and won 3 all irelands..what had meath to show for it?..its fanboy type behaviour.....its funny how the days you speak of largely have to do with a period in which your own county was going well..biased much?...look at the success of recent years and explain to me how meath have supposedly bettered tyrone?...all meath seem to be doing these days is moaning about the dubs and all the advantages they have yet meath enjoy the same advantages over the smaller counties in leinster....be a bit objective next time..there are plenty of good games on show...stop focusing on the negative all the time..donegal were excellent to watch in 2012 and donegal v dublin last year was a superb game...kerry mayo last year was as good a game as you will ever see

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 01/04/2015 21:30:46    1709653

or maybe there was something going on in the north during the 70s and 80s?..did you take the time to consider that before making petty cheap shots..and im from leinster

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 01/04/2015 21:32:01    1709655

so your not allowed to use tactics richie?...what did meath do v tyrone in 96?..what was that about?...its like you want every team to play the exact same way..sure where is the excitement in that?..its completely boring and incredibly naive

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 01/04/2015 21:37:33    1709659

donegal dublin kerry mayo twice cork-mayo monaghan-kildare...those are just a few examples of good games last season..most of the problem in last years championship was the lack of competitive encounters more than anything..even armagh meath i felt was quite a decent game..galway kerry was also decent enough albeit a clear winner..using analysts isnt exactly the strongest argument as most people on here do nothing but give out about the poor analysts out there...most people in the media are only interested in the negatives hence why games like cork kerry and donegal kerry in the league are ignored over both dublins league matches v tyrone and derry

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 01/04/2015 21:50:09    1709668

well said donegalman...what does brolly actually know about the game?..how many teams has he managed?..ruled need to be changed but we had people like brolly came up with this black card nonsense which does nothing to improve the game..what we need is people who are actually involved in the game and not writing in some newspaper or on tv....some of mickey hartes teams have played some of the best football i have ever seen...2005 springs to mind and it was truly spectacular stuff...who can forget their display v the dubs in 2008 yet some nobody on tv who is increasingly becoming eamon dunphy like knows better?

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 01/04/2015 21:52:55    1709669

I also think it is exciting that some teams are more defense and others play attacking football....Gaelic is better now than in the bleak 70's when it was more lobsided.
Brolly is a hater.

maroondiesel (Mayo) - Posts: 1196 - 01/04/2015 21:54:24    1709671

You see what i don't get is what connection there is between what brolly said the state of football etc and the Meath team of 80s and 90s? The only connection is that people are peed off that i a Meath man started this thread and that a few of my county men have agreed with brolly, so while some feel frustrated that we actually have a opinion, lets not go back 20 years to try to bring something up that is wholly inaccurate and irrelevant. Don't deflect and try to make it about something else.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/04/2015 09:42:45    1709691

fabio8
County: USA
Posts: 1657


well said donegalman...what does brolly actually know about the game?..


The man was a highly rated and talented player - A potent forward on a great team

Won every major prize - Ulster, National League, All Ireland title

Playing a significant part in landing Derry it's only AI title

I reckon he's well versed and knows quite a bit about the game actually...

In fact a damn sight more than you or I will ever know

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 02/04/2015 09:58:20    1709698

Thats rubbish fabio8.
Brolly is very tactically aware. he is an annoying so and so, no doubt, but he is a superb analyst of the game.
the black card is not nonsense. the only reason its not having the desired effect is because refs dont have the courage to apply the rule consistently.
mickey hartes Tyrone have played some beautiful football, but they have behaved awfully at times too. The diving and feigning injury, the incessant trash talking,the pulling and dragging.
Youre saying that Brolly has no right to question Harte because of what harte has done? well ill bet Brolly has achieved more in the game than you, so by your logic you have no right to question him.

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 02/04/2015 10:01:01    1709700

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 7136

1709691
You see what i don't get is what connection there is between what brolly said the state of football etc and the Meath team of 80s and 90s? The only connection is that people are peed off that i a Meath man started this thread and that a few of my county men have agreed with brolly, so while some feel frustrated that we actually have a opinion, lets not go back 20 years to try to bring something up that is wholly inaccurate and irrelevant. Don't deflect and try to make it about something else.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 02/04/2015 10:03:44    1709702

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 7136

1709691
You see what i don't get is what connection there is between what brolly said the state of football etc and the Meath team of 80s and 90s? The only connection is that people are peed off that i a Meath man started this thread and that a few of my county men have agreed with brolly, so while some feel frustrated that we actually have a opinion, lets not go back 20 years to try to bring something up that is wholly inaccurate and irrelevant. Don't deflect and try to make it about something else.



It stemmed from the fact that some meath posters made the point that the current donegal team would not have won the all ireland if it were not for the system. It is a fair and interesting point to make. Making the point re meath's successes being reliant on dirt rather than pure football is a good way of giving similar perspective to a team who may or may not have won sam without using it..Has this anything to do with blanket defenses? no. But it may offer a fresh perspective to some people who think they are above and beyond criticism.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 02/04/2015 10:09:19    1709704