Cracked and am going to match after all. As RD said can't escape the feeling of what if something extraordinary happened and you weren't there. It would be extraordinary though.

No massive shirt sponsorship package(AIG), No free cars(Opel), No free flights for the family(Aer Lingus), No free nutrients (Kinetica), free designer suits (Louis Copeland) or hydration partners (Britvic) or €1 million annual grant (Irish Sports Council) but sure we'll bring up a few free ham sandwiches and our debts from maintaining a training facility and a dilapidated ground and the unhappy clubs who are levied to pay for them and see what happens.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 24/06/2015 13:39:35    1742088

It's hard to make a case for Kildare here, they really haven't flourished under Ryan but having said that it would be nice to see a close, competitive game. Dublin under Gavin just look unstoppable in Leinster, Dublin were maybe 'that bit ahead' of the rest in Leinster from about 05-12 but you'd still have realistic ambitions of beating them, but now the gulf seems to be huge.

Here's all the cliches but they're true, Kildare need to keep things very tight, try to stop Dublin getting goals, get a few goals themselves, hope Dublin have an off day (they've had very few in Leinster over the past few years) and see where they are half way into the second half. If a lot of things go their way then this could be an exciting match, if Dublin turn up and be Dublin then forget about it.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 24/06/2015 14:06:26    1742105

That's the spirit doublehop

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 24/06/2015 14:07:23    1742106

doublehop

Cracked and am going to match after all. As RD said can't escape the feeling of what if something extraordinary happened and you weren't there. It would be extraordinary though.

Good man and 'what if' is one of the greatest things in sport, you just never know for sure :-)

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 24/06/2015 14:14:27    1742115

doublehop
County: Kildare
Posts: 4140

1742088 Cracked and am going to match after all. As RD said can't escape the feeling of what if something extraordinary happened and you weren't there. It would be extraordinary though.

No massive shirt sponsorship package(AIG), No free cars(Opel), No free flights for the family(Aer Lingus), No free nutrients (Kinetica), free designer suits (Louis Copeland) or hydration partners (Britvic) or €1 million annual grant (Irish Sports Council) but sure we'll bring up a few free ham sandwiches and our debts from maintaining a training facility and a dilapidated ground and the unhappy clubs who are levied to pay for them and see what happens.
ah sure its 15 v 15 on the pitch nothing else matters lol....

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2837 - 24/06/2015 15:12:35    1742154

Double,

Ha ha, yeah those Louis Copeland designer suits must be worth an extra 5 or 6 points to us alright.

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 24/06/2015 15:25:31    1742165

Dubsfan28
They're definitely an advantage for a shift in Coppers!

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2991 - 24/06/2015 19:34:05    1742276

Whats the attendance likely to be lads? I reckon Dublin will bring about 25k, Kildare and Meath about 12.5k and Westmeath about 8k. So somewhere in the region of 55k to 60k would be my guess

11jm11 (Kildare) - Posts: 366 - 24/06/2015 21:05:51    1742318

There's not a hope Kildare will bring 12k. We had about 3k max both days in Tullamore.

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 24/06/2015 21:41:37    1742330

doublehop
County: Kildare
Posts: 4140

1742088
Cracked and am going to match after all. As RD said can't escape the feeling of what if something extraordinary happened and you weren't there. It would be extraordinary though.

No massive shirt sponsorship package(AIG), No free cars(Opel), No free flights for the family(Aer Lingus), No free nutrients (Kinetica), free designer suits (Louis Copeland) or hydration partners (Britvic) or €1 million annual grant (Irish Sports Council) but sure we'll bring up a few free ham sandwiches and our debts from maintaining a training facility and a dilapidated ground and the unhappy clubs who are levied to pay for them and see what happens.

Good man glad you are going to the match, I now think you have a great chance of winning after reading that synopsis. The Dub lads will be jet lagged after flying with the family into Dublin Airport the morning of the match courtesy of (Aer lingus) , ah i remember the days when we just went to the matches on the team bus.
When the lads eventually get onto the pitch they will have to try and kick points in those tight Louis copeland suits ( must be seen to promote them ) and if that wasnt bad enough they will have to be seen drinking litres of free britvic energy drinks, sure the lads will be running around like headless chickens looking to get to the toilets and trying to unzip those tight Louis copeland pants, sure how in the name of God could our lads keep their focus on the game, yep its Kildare by 2 for me.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 24/06/2015 21:59:23    1742339

This will be a non event, kildare our v poor, if you put the best players of all of leinster against the dubs they would get stuffed

Yourjoking (USA) - Posts: 706 - 24/06/2015 22:02:20    1742341

Good man dh delighted for you that you going, as i said you just never know the what ifs.
Anyways i tell ye , you bring the ham sambos we will bring the taytos and by jasus we will stuff ourselves with ham and crisps, let them have their fancy suits and free everything, what's more gaa fan than a ham sandwich with crisps ? :) .
Bring them on, and ill be shouting for the lillys.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 25/06/2015 08:07:23    1742343

YourJoking

Well,your joking.....

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 25/06/2015 08:35:13    1742347

Lillywhite,

You will probably get more than a shift in Coppers wearing one of them ;)

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 25/06/2015 09:13:02    1742355

Htaem
County: Meath
Posts: 6461

1742115 doublehop

Cracked and am going to match after all. As RD said can't escape the feeling of what if something extraordinary happened and you weren't there. It would be extraordinary though.

Good man and 'what if' is one of the greatest things in sport, you just never know for sure :-)

Happened me in 10. Missed the game as i went to Killarney for the weekend with the family at the last minute. Still haunts me to this day

chriscart580 (Meath) - Posts: 376 - 25/06/2015 09:46:16    1742369

Let's be honest here, if Kildare can keep the deficit to under 20 I'd nearly consider it a decent day out.

People can talk about getting men behind the ball and parking the bus but if you're defenders aren't able to tackle effectively and your forwards don't take the few chances they'll get, then it's not going to end well.

We played some good attacking football against Laois both days - should have bet them the first day, but to suggest we should go out attacking against Dublin would end as badly as above.

If we had the likes of Keith Cribbin, Dan Flynn, Hurley and Brophy available, there's an argument for saying we have a strong enough panel to start with a good 15, and perhaps more importantly to finish with a good 15. We have the players to play a defensive, counter attacking game. There's pace and mobility available for the middle 8, there's forwards capable of racking up a score when on form and there's defenders capable of getting the better of their men. The problem is getting all that to happen on the one day, to get that system in place and to refine it takes time.

In 2013 we took two different approaches against them in the league and in Leinster. In one game we dropped back, allowed them take short kick outs to the full back line and let them work the ball up through the middle third unopposed. I assume the tactic was to meet them on the 65, or the 45, try to force a turnover and then break upfield. This failed miserable, the half back line strolled through us, and the midfield and half forwards had a field day. At one point Kilkenny skied a shot, it got held up in the breeze and he managed to jog forward 15 yards and catch it himself as it landed.

We also went man to man against them. Didn't drop forwards back, didn't play sweepers and the result was just as bad. Off the pace, unable to win one on one battles and beaten all over the pitch.

There's potential in this Kildare team. Sunday won't be pretty, but it won't define how we fare going forward. For Dublin and Leinsters sake let's hope we can at least make it competitive.

Looking at form and the players available and it's fair to say we're in worse position than we were 2 years ago. 7 players started both games for us back then, 4 of those aren't on the panel anymore while Peter Kelly is out injured. Of the 16 other starters only 5 of them started either game against Laois while a further 7 are no longer part of the panel.

Basically we're f****d.

But that's what sport is all about.

The logic and stats can be completely overwhelming. The odds can be laughable.

But there's always that little voice, full of hope and optimism. It reminds you that sport isn't always a formality. Sport is a test, but for all the odds and stats presented it isn't a maths test. It gives you the sense that today could be that 1 day in 100 where the script gets flipped.

Chances are that voice will be doing a runner at around half 4 on Sunday though…

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3685 - 25/06/2015 09:49:26    1742372

Its a sad state of affairs when nobody can see Kildare winning and very few can see Kildare even giving us a game.
The championship badly needs a revamp.Everyone knows its between Dublin, kerry & Donegal yet they are stretching it out for 4 months!
They could play it off in a month.
Up the Dubs.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 25/06/2015 10:34:30    1742409

chriscart580

Happened me in 10. Missed the game as i went to Killarney for the weekend with the family at the last minute. Still haunts me to this day

Jaysus that was an unlucky miss, sure what can you do, nobody saw that one coming but who knows, we may do it again in the not so distant future :-)

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 25/06/2015 10:50:13    1742425

There are weaknesses in this Dublin team. I don't believe Rock is as good a ball winner as either O'Gara or Andrews, also not sure as to their #6, think it's a guy called John Small. Kildare may be weakened with some injuries etc. but they still have some a lot of good players that can cause lots of problems. They have a decent midfield and their defense can be miserly when in the mood. If the Kildare half forward line can get stuck into Dublin and prevent those free wheeling runs up the pitch, this will be a lot tighter than the bookies are forecasting. Somehow Ryan has to get past all the negative vibes from the media etc. and the players have to believe in their own ability. As John Evans admitted about Ros, they believed their own hype while Sligo ignored it and just went and played the game on it's merits. Similarly if the Kildare players can ignore all the pessimism and just go and play to their ability they've a decent chance. Still expect Dubs to win, but in the region of 5-8, not the cricket score that a lot of people are forecasting.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 484 - 25/06/2015 11:55:13    1742474

Dubs a 1/40 now, jeez, is it any wonder most of the supporters I know, aren't heading to croker Sunday.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 25/06/2015 12:03:46    1742477