National Forum

Kildare v Wexford worst game of all time

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Replying To dubarra:  "Whatever turns you on different strokes for different folks. I went to Croke Park on Easter Saturday to the Donegal Dublin game. What Donegal served up that night was the worst attempt to play football I've ever witnessed in my 50 yrs of watching football. They made apsolutely no attempt to try win that game. Now if that's entertainment you can keep it I for one will not be paying my hard earned cash to watch it."
Dublin lined up equally as defensively as Donegal at times in that game, as a result of the lesson they learned in 2014. Is it somehow OK if Dublin do it but not OK for Donegal to?

greatpoint (USA) - Posts: 427 - 22/05/2016 15:50:56    1857335

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Replying To jonno:  "I remember 2011, not that long ago when the dubs had their banners on the hill, 'Gilroy Out'. They were playing Wexford that day and were lucky to win, in a rubbish game. They had a couple more rubbish games that year yet won the all Ireland for the first time in 16 years.
Kildare don't have the quality to go toe to toe with top teams, so what's wrong with trying something new, as long as it's not a three game strategy, I hope they stick with it and improve, otherwise it's pointless."
Really?

Don't remember any "Gilroy Out" banners in 2011.

Did it happen I wonder.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 22/05/2016 15:51:16    1857336

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Anyone who finds blanket defending entertaining must wear Y Fronts, string vests, enjoy YR Sauce on everything and still goes to mass.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4897 - 22/05/2016 16:01:03    1857341

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Replying To arock:  "Anyone who finds blanket defending entertaining must wear Y Fronts, string vests, enjoy YR Sauce on everything and still goes to mass."
Whats not entertaining about watching a team break at speed with runners off the shoulder from deep. The speed alone is excellent. I'd much rather watch it then some of the crap i've seen on gaa gold.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 22/05/2016 16:13:18    1857344

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It was a fairly poor game wexford did not seem to think they could win it and Kildare tried their best to lose it. People can blame the weather conditions.
But I remember years ago when Galway and Kerry were at the top of their game in the noughties?
It was bucketing rain as well but it did not seem to bother them. Meehan was flying and they still managed to lose
To be honest I cannot think of many worse games then this Kildare - Wexford game. Worse still I was looking forward to it as a neutral I thought the teams would be well matched and play football!
There was no score or move in the game that made me think "jayus I will remember that point/move".

gormdubhgorm (Dublin) - Posts: 990 - 22/05/2016 16:26:07    1857348

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First off, last nights game was very poor, not because it was low scoring, but because it lacked any sense of urgency in the play of either team.
Secondly there is nothing wrong with the blanket defence in whatever form it takes, be it Donegal's interpretation of it or Dublin's version, as long as it is being used as a tactic to actually try to win a game, Playing ultra defensive football simply to lose by less is where the problem lies. It's very hard to enjoy from either a players or spectators point of view if they know from the outset that their team has no interest in trying to win a game, and that approach is what's going to turn people off even quicker than getting a hiding trying to play the game and win.

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 22/05/2016 16:40:57    1857354

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Replying To AHP:  "First off, last nights game was very poor, not because it was low scoring, but because it lacked any sense of urgency in the play of either team.
Secondly there is nothing wrong with the blanket defence in whatever form it takes, be it Donegal's interpretation of it or Dublin's version, as long as it is being used as a tactic to actually try to win a game, Playing ultra defensive football simply to lose by less is where the problem lies. It's very hard to enjoy from either a players or spectators point of view if they know from the outset that their team has no interest in trying to win a game, and that approach is what's going to turn people off even quicker than getting a hiding trying to play the game and win."
100% agree with this post

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 22/05/2016 17:04:48    1857371

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Replying To AHP:  "First off, last nights game was very poor, not because it was low scoring, but because it lacked any sense of urgency in the play of either team.
Secondly there is nothing wrong with the blanket defence in whatever form it takes, be it Donegal's interpretation of it or Dublin's version, as long as it is being used as a tactic to actually try to win a game, Playing ultra defensive football simply to lose by less is where the problem lies. It's very hard to enjoy from either a players or spectators point of view if they know from the outset that their team has no interest in trying to win a game, and that approach is what's going to turn people off even quicker than getting a hiding trying to play the game and win."
Have to agree with you there

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 22/05/2016 17:26:43    1857389

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Replying To gotmilk:  "100% agree with this post"
Very well put.

There was a sequence of play where Kildare handpassed out of their own backline. 60 seconds later they have reached their half forward line. The ball was punched across the 45 for the next 2 minutes l, zig zagging between midfield and the 50. Then a Wexford interception and there's 14 men in white filing back behind the ball. Complete nonsense. Designed not to beat the top teams but to somehow bore them into only receiving a 9 point beating.

Kildare received trimmings from Dublin and Kerry last year from not having the courage to put the hand in, not because they didn't lay out the blanket.

Daith (Kildare) - Posts: 1171 - 22/05/2016 17:32:03    1857393

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Kildare pulled off one of the surprise victories of last year when scoring 1-21 in an excellent attacking display against Cork. Playing a defensive game reduces the possibility of a similar victory this year, but also the possibility of them conceding 7 goals in a championship game. That's my problem with many teams defensive tactics, it often seems to be a tactic to reduce the size of defeat rather than increase the number of victories.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 22/05/2016 21:07:57    1857513

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Sat in the Hogan stand enduring this rubbish. A Kildare man behind me described it an constipated football. Not the worst game I've seen but not far off. Wexford didn't believe they could win and Kildare didn't believe they had anyone capable of putting the ball over the bar. Constipated was a good one word description of it.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 484 - 22/05/2016 21:24:46    1857525

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Replying To Soma:  "Kildare pulled off one of the surprise victories of last year when scoring 1-21 in an excellent attacking display against Cork. Playing a defensive game reduces the possibility of a similar victory this year, but also the possibility of them conceding 7 goals in a championship game. That's my problem with many teams defensive tactics, it often seems to be a tactic to reduce the size of defeat rather than increase the number of victories."
I disagree, I think most sides set up in an attempt to stay close and nick a victory. If you can stay close to a side playing defensively there is always the possibility you can catch them. Keep it under 3 points and theres always a chance the ball will hit the back of the net.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 22/05/2016 21:44:37    1857541

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Puke football in Leinster? surely not!!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 23/05/2016 08:08:01    1857561

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The problem with the blanket defence is that if both teams adopt the same tactics then it can lead to a stalemate and poor spectacle. However what are Kildare supposed to do? Their main problem in recent years has been shipping heavy defeats so it makes sense for them to concentrate on their defence. I am sure Cian O'Neill is thinking of a potential clash with Dublin later in the year and settting up his team accordingly. They need to make sure they do not suffer a hammering from Dublin as this just rips the heart out of a team.

By the way not all games with a blanket defence are bad ones. Tyrone play a blanket defence but are good to watch when they pour forward in numbers. That really is the key, when you break out of defence you need to attack in numbers and with purpose. The Kildare supporters need to have patience with their team and if they can get their attacking game going they coukd be a firce in the next few years.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1876 - 23/05/2016 10:35:32    1857623

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Replying To Green_Gold:  "The problem with the blanket defence is that if both teams adopt the same tactics then it can lead to a stalemate and poor spectacle. However what are Kildare supposed to do? Their main problem in recent years has been shipping heavy defeats so it makes sense for them to concentrate on their defence. I am sure Cian O'Neill is thinking of a potential clash with Dublin later in the year and settting up his team accordingly. They need to make sure they do not suffer a hammering from Dublin as this just rips the heart out of a team.

By the way not all games with a blanket defence are bad ones. Tyrone play a blanket defence but are good to watch when they pour forward in numbers. That really is the key, when you break out of defence you need to attack in numbers and with purpose. The Kildare supporters need to have patience with their team and if they can get their attacking game going they coukd be a firce in the next few years."
Agree with that. When Jim McG took over your own county they were ultra-defensive at first and not too pleasing on the eye but the system evolved and changed and eventually became not only very effective but good to watch too, a kind of total football approach and with lightning fast counter attacking. Whether this is what the Kildare manager has in mind remains to be seen though. Ultimately games like this won't do much to get people through the turnstiles.

And I agree with posters who say that this kind of blanket system shouldn't be used merely as a way to keep the score down. If that's all you're going to do then I don't see the point in showing up at all. Play football and have a go and if you're beaten by a better team so be it. But if it's gone to the stage where you're putting 14 men behind the ball so as to lose by 10 points instead of 20 then you'd have to wonder what's the point at that stage, or what's the mentality of the manager who is setting a team up to play with that approach.

aidangalway (Galway) - Posts: 648 - 23/05/2016 14:38:15    1857763

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Every team has to start somewhere. Poor Game, Poor Performance but only thing that matters is the result and they got that. Lets Judge them after the Dublin game and see how far they have come

chriscart580 (Meath) - Posts: 376 - 23/05/2016 15:23:49    1857782

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It is a dilemma on what to do. Probably wrong for Kildare just to think of containing Dublin. Wmeath last year set out 'not to get hammered'. Never had a chance to win nor will Kildare doing the same. However if Kildare want to progress and while the system won't stop Dublin, it may get a win against a higher rated team in the qualifiers. To be anyway effective at the system, ye need the games to get it right. A pity for the game as Kildare generally played nice open football but currently lack the players to win big games.

Not sure on those saying Dublin are also defensive when they quite clearly are not. Most would recognise that Jim Gavin has got the mix right. Well organised defensive structure combined with a very decent attacking force. Surely that's the key to most successful sports teams.

poguemahone (Dublin) - Posts: 365 - 23/05/2016 15:51:56    1857807

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Replying To chriscart580:  "Every team has to start somewhere. Poor Game, Poor Performance but only thing that matters is the result and they got that. Lets Judge them after the Dublin game and see how far they have come"
When do they play Dublin?

m_the_d (None) - Posts: 1099 - 23/05/2016 16:00:00    1857813

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