Sort of agree with you on last years best team because I don't think it was Kerry but I don't think it was Dublin neither. I think your doing Donegal a massive injustice there for sure. They smashed the Dubs off the park with a fantastic performance in the Semi which was so reminiscent of there form of 2012. But then they blew it against Kerry in the worst final I have ever seen.. If there was ever a match which backs your theory up it was the final last year it was horrible so I don't totally disagree with you Richie about how defensive systems can turn into laboured boring affairs..;) But hey I've seen many poor games when teams go man on man, that's just the way football goes..
Mayo also I felt left it behind them against Kerry in the other Semi so hard calls between those 2 for me in 2014… But in the end of the day history will show the Kingdom were the boys to beat & TBH it has been a toss of a coin between the top 4 for some time now..;)
I had to laugh in the minor SF when Kerry pulled 13 men behind the ball at all times. a whole generation of Kerry footballers will be raised that way. And why? Because it nearly always will work.
Only solutions would be to adopt a basketball shot clock (unworkable, low scores, people playing for territory), the Brolly-idea (seems hard to police, slow the game down), or perhaps force the defensive team to keep 3 or 4 players in the opposition half. The latter possibility seems do-able with the responsibility upon the line men to police.
How would handicapping short kick outs work? Long punts doesn't pull the defending team out and if they forwards aren't pushing up on defenders now what do you think taking them away as receivers will do?
1780423 Anybody notice the change in language on RTE? When it's Donegal playing over last few years it's been 'blanket defence' and and how to beat the blanket etc. Now I've noticed recently a subtle change in language. When Dublin, Mayo and Kerry pull men back it's called a 'sweeper system'!! Much more sophisticated!
I seen on TG4 Fitzmaurice didnt mention playing us playing a sweeper system. However he did say it was necessary to play a "scubadoir" on some occasions.
1780423 Anybody notice the change in language on RTE? When it's Donegal playing over last few years it's been 'blanket defence' and and how to beat the blanket etc. Now I've noticed recently a subtle change in language. When Dublin, Mayo and Kerry pull men back it's called a 'sweeper system'!! Much more sophisticated!
I seen on TG4 Fitzmaurice didnt mention playing us playing a sweeper system. However he did say it was necessary to play a "scubadoir" on some occasions.
Mayo have not learned much from watching teams like Donegal / Tyrone set up. Had they any kind of system today they could have won. Conceding three goals in such a short time is very poor defending and just look again at the first Dublin goal. I don't care what anyone says on here but it takes time to prefect a proper defensive system Donegal had it in 2012 and to a certain extent they had it last year I think this year they lacked runners probably a few have not got the legs anymore. Tyrone this year have a similar system to Donegal and I can see tyrones system even getting better. Looking at how the game panned out tonight you can reason why Donegal players drop deep nearly all the time. I think they conceded one goal in Ulster ( to Tyrone) and the two against Mayo were all they conceded in the championship. Tyrone were similar as until they met Kerry they just gave up one goal. Over the last four years Donegal played Kerry / Dublin on two occasions and conceded 3 goals The three were to Kerry but Dublin scored no goals against us in 2011/2014. So I think there is a lot to be said for properly organised defensive systems Mayo's failure to adopt has cost them IMO.
My main problem with the defensive system is that the key skills of the game are neglected, constant hand passing mean lads don't even have to be able to kick the ball anymore!
I know a lot of people don't like defensive football but we need to be careful about introducing new rules. We were told by Brolly & co that the black card would spell the end of the blanket defence but it hasn't worked out that way. I honestly believe forwards are getting better at beating the blanket, they are showing more patience and waiting for an opportunity rather than taking on rash shots. The game has evolved to become more defensive but it will keep evolving and at a more rapid pace than we have been used to. In 5 years time we might be complaining about the game being to attacking and poor defending lol
You did not perfect it at all. Both teams were pretty poor on the day. Donegal controlled the first half after the first 5 mins after being 1-1 to 0-0 after 4 mins to being level at half time. You only scored 1-8 in the remaining 70 mins including a gifted goal and a couple of handy enough frees. I certainly wouldn't call it perfect but it was good enough on the day.
Anyway I've seen Kerry playing very defensive other times. I remember against Cavan in 2012 you set up very defensively. The style shouldn't be hard for a team like Kerry to implement anyway because they are all intelligent footballers and very good at keeping possession because they are all comfortable on the ball - a must in any team that plays a defensive counter-attacking system.
Kingdom I think you are having a joke. Kerry were having plenty of men behind the ball long before the 2014 AI final. Indeed I was at that Cavan v Kerry game plus if you think back to 2011 final v Dublin was it not the Kerrycentre half forward who gave the ball away inside his own half and was rounded a few seconds later beside his own penalty area as Dublin goaled I think it would take at least six months to perfect a system Now Donegal had it off to a tee in 2012--- I think it was three goals they conceded that year, one a penalty rebound v Cavan , one late on v Kerry and the same v Cork when a bit of messing with the ball went wrong In the last five years the really defensive game I saw was Donegal v Tyrone in 2012 Ulster semi. 12 points to 10 I think was the score. If you can watch it watch it again to see the type of game it was We were probably near 2012 last year but unfortunately we could not produce our form we displayed against Dublin in the semi and IMO none of the two teams played well in last year's final. As we were drawn against Tyrone in four of the last five Ulster championships we had to have our system right as everybody knows Tyrone were going to mirrow us I think J MC G got it right in 2012 with a quick counter attack and indeed it worked against Dublin in the semi finan last year. If it could be played like that all the time it would games very interesting. I'd have defensive football any day compared to what happened Mayo last night , conceding three goals in about ten minutes. When Donegal were going well they were masters at closing down games and them four /five points up.