An interesting article in The Irish News yesterday talking about
selfless and selfish GAA players by Danny Hughes.

To illustrate his point he talked about Mickey Linden placing
James McCartan for a goal in the 1994 All Ireland final
with the goal at his mercy.

According to Hughes "over the last decade,Dublin could
and should have won at least five All Irelands,but the
habit of individuals opting for their own score has cost
them Championships".

Do people agree with this or is it incorrect????

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1619 - 27/08/2015 09:50:15    1776912

Do you agree with it?

superbluedub (Dublin) - Posts: 2839 - 27/08/2015 09:56:18    1776916

Dublin would've won 5 all Irelands in the last decade if they where good enough, They weren't, They didn't, end of story.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 27/08/2015 10:03:20    1776920

I think it was a bit harsh Superbluedub.Like Dublin have some
excellent individuals but I think most players in the team would
pass if they felt it would help the team win.

According to Hughes"Alan and Bernard Brigan,Michael Darragh
Macauley and Barry Cahill have all been guilty of shooting when
it was easier to pass it to a team mate in a better position".

Niall Morgan was also mentioned as a player showing
selfishness for not dropping that free into the square to
try to get a draw.

"You coukd see the other players frustration when,with
time almost up,Morgan went for a point instead of
lobbing the ball into the square".

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1619 - 27/08/2015 10:07:19    1776923

I think it was a bit harsh Superbluedub.Like Dublin have some
excellent individuals but I think most players in the team would
pass if they felt it would help the team win.

According to Hughes"Alan and Bernard Brigan,Michael Darragh
Macauley and Barry Cahill have all been guilty of shooting when
it was easier to pass it to a team mate in a better position".

Niall Morgan was also mentioned as a player showing
selfishness for not dropping that free into the square to
try to get a draw.

"You coukd see the other players frustration when,with
time almost up,Morgan went for a point instead of
lobbing the ball into the square".

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1619 - 27/08/2015 10:07:58    1776924

Put the article up please. One things for sure I wish O Gara against Donegal was selfish.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 27/08/2015 10:11:41    1776928

A good question.

A bit unfair on the Dubs as they seem to carve a lot of teams open anyway. As for Linden in 94, I thought passing made more sense. He had a small portion of the goal either side of the keeper to score. James Mc had an empty net ....

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6480 - 27/08/2015 10:13:47    1776929

http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2015/08/26/news/down-situation-a-total-mess-240811/

Lazy journalism.

'Over the last decade, Dublin could and should have won at least five All-Irelands, but the habit of individuals opting for their own score has cost them Championships.
Alan and Bernard Brogan, Michael Darragh Macauley and Barry Cahill have all been guilty of shooting when it was easier to pass it to a team-mate in a better position.'

They won 2. Was not passing to a player in a better scoring position the reason they didn't win 3 more? Perhaps they were beaten by better teams, just a thought.

For an act of selflessness he goes back 20 years ago to find an act by a player from his own county. Linden is a legend all the same but could he not find an act of selflessness more recent ?

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7387 - 27/08/2015 10:14:28    1776930

Bit of a nothing statement really, doesn't back it up in any way.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12133 - 27/08/2015 10:34:23    1776940

to be fair I have rarely seen Alan Bogan pass a ball.
I think Colm Cooper will always play the right ball.
I think the 2 O'Sheas for Mayo tended to be very selfish in possesion and cost their team scores in the past but they have improved of late.
from my own county the dual star Seanie Johnston was a very selfish player. He always scored heavily but when he didn't play the team scored more overall.

the tyrone forward McAnespie would want to start improving his decision making too as he cost his team 2 points v Kerry.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 27/08/2015 11:43:42    1777000

Kevin McStay was a selfish player. Conor Mortimer the same.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7387 - 27/08/2015 11:48:00    1777003

s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 3659

1777000 to be fair I have rarely seen Alan Bogan pass a ball.

Sure he passes to Bernard all the time.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12133 - 27/08/2015 11:57:55    1777011

1777011
s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 3659

1777000 to be fair I have rarely seen Alan Bogan pass a ball.


2011 All Ireland final Alan Brogan hand passes the ball to Kev Mac the rest is history.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 27/08/2015 12:10:06    1777020

Alan Brogan is the most selfish player ive ever seen play for Dublin.For that reason,ive never particularly liked him.I dont know what his shot conversion rate has been over the years,but i wouldnt imagine it is very high.I do remember M D McCauley racing through on goals in a couple of games in recent years,with a free man in a great goalscoring position,and then fisting the ball over the bar.Weve commented on this on the Dublin county page.I dont have much time for selfish players.Glory hunters,if you like.To be fair to Kerry,their players generally will always take the selfless option.I dont think their fellow team mates,management or,indeed the fans would tolerate a one man show pony.
The Tyrone forward who raced through on goal in first half last week,and decided to shoot for goal himself with a free man beside him infront of a gaping goal,was in a similiar to position to Mickey Lindens all those years past.I posted on the significance of this spurned oppurtunity almost immediately last Sunday.It was a selfish decision,that let Kerry off the hook.To say we would have won five All Irelands though is silly stuff.How did he come to this conclusion?Our goal conversion rate has been poor,but a lot of it has been down to bad finishing,plain and simple.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 27/08/2015 12:11:20    1777022

Alan Brogan is a selfish footballers, i wouldnt dispute that in a million years, he just is
But, bernard...?? Thats a load of complete rubbish.

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 27/08/2015 12:16:57    1777027

I always thought Kieran McDonald sacrificied himself for the team too much.

He was regularly found close to Mayo's defensive 45 searching for the ball to bring it back up the field and he used to run hmself into the ground at times.

I always thought if he stayed closer to the goal and didnt move too far away from the centre forward position Mayo would ahve benefitted as his passing would have been abale to create even more socirng oppurtunities for his team mates and he would have got a lot more scores aswell.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 27/08/2015 12:26:19    1777032

Michael Murphy completely unselfish and always does things in the interests of the team.

supporter (Donegal) - Posts: 205 - 27/08/2015 12:28:56    1777033

uibhfhaili1986, Im not sure about that. McDonald went back that far to get the ball, but I think there was an element of selfishness in that -it wasn't always the best thing for the team. You never seen him making a dummy run, taking two defenders with him, and creating space for someone like Alan Dillon, who although not as flamboyant, was just as creative. Similarly, quick ball wasn't something he really did, even though his targets inside - Mortimer - would generally do much better with quick ball. I thought he indulged himself at times, always trying the extravagant pass, when a simple move done quickly might create a goal chance, so I suppose that is a selfish act.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 27/08/2015 12:58:54    1777044

Like most of Danny Hughes' articles, I thought it was a load of rubbish.

Morgan, poor game though he had, was clearly caught in 2 minds with the last free, hence he didn't really commit to doing anything with it, it and pulled it miles wide. I don't believe for a second that he would have tried for a point if he had been fully aware of how much time was left, knowing that this would have cost his side any chance of a draw. Morgan made a mental error, but it was not selfishness.

McAliskey was the another Tyrone player who it was implied was selfish, for not passing to McCurry in the first half 9as Linden did for McCartan many decades ago). i felt that McAliskey lost control of the ball at a crucial moment, and the chance to pass was gone. And in the 2nd half, Mark Bradley's decision to shoot when through on goal was the right one.

Actually, making a nonsense of Hughes' whole theory was Tyrone's first attack, when Peter Harte was too unselfish, passing the ball to McAliskey when he was better placed to go for goal himself.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 27/08/2015 14:21:50    1777099

I'm not having that with Morgan. Absolute BS.

Any Tyrone player could have dropped the ball into the square. Morgan was told to come to put it over the bar. You don't bring the keeper up to strike a free into the square or to work the ball short. It wasn't selfishness at all. He was obviously told to go and take it.

Alan Brogan has been selfish in the past, Gilroy knocked it outta him somewhat and he had his best year for Dublin in 2011. He looks to have returned to his old self a little this year though.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13724 - 27/08/2015 14:58:24    1777130