Connolly has more strings to his bow.. Can play him anywhere IMO

unclegerry (Mayo) - Posts: 1222 - 07/06/2016 14:09:52    1862821

Hard to compare the two given the different roles they play for their counties. Connolly plays a little deeper and is involved in Dublin's build up play while he also drifts forward to score. He's a fantastic all round player and has performed on the biggest stage for club and county. For Monaghan, McManus is without question the main man everyone looks to up front and as such he is usually the furthest up front and usually scores the most. He has excelled in suffocating conditions where there have been two and three men watching him and he can still influence a game. It's not a direct comparison really but both are among the very best forwards of recent years.

Though I would definitely disagree with those who say there's not more to McManus's game and he couldn't play elsewhere. I've seen him play on the 40 before, and he has fantastic vision and ability to pick out a pass. You never see him there for Monaghan though as he's the man who you want on the end of the passes. He's an underrated tackler too and has a brilliant workrate. Sometimes in those tight games where we're under the cosh, you might see on the half-back line putting a challenge in for the ball. It's not where you want your main scorer but he works hard for the team. Sure when he was first breaking onto the senior team first he was deployed as a wing-back. I've heard Oisin McConville talk about when he marked him in a Crossmaglen - Clontibret game about 10 years ago and he gave him a tough time of it. Good article from Oisin in the Examiner today about McManus actually where he mentions that.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 936 - 07/06/2016 17:01:22    1862979

I think people do forget (or perhaps never knew in the first place) that McManus was doing plenty of the dirty work back in defence in his early days. He wasn't always the flashy forward, kicking ridiculous scores from here, there and everywhere. There's definitely more to his game, it's just that why would you waste a sublime scoring talent like that by keeping him in defence?

ZeitChrist (UK) - Posts: 154 - 07/06/2016 18:32:34    1863059

Both are class acts. Antrim could do with either, I'd probably take Connolly over McManus just becomes he's a more of an all rounder.

If I had to take one player in Ireland though for us I'd probably go with Murphy. Again just because he's such a great all rounder.

I love to be able to see how good we'd be if we did have someone of their calibre.

As for who's better. They are quite different. McManus has probably been more spectacular on a consistent basis but Connolly doesn't need to as he's better players around him. It'd be detrimental for Dublin if Connolly played more for himself than he does currently.

Whammo86 (Antrim) - Posts: 4226 - 07/06/2016 19:02:11    1863082

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJNiJSSdiH0

A moment of class from McManus in that youtube video ,

2 very different players but two brilliant players

MonaghanGlory (Monaghan) - Posts: 738 - 07/06/2016 19:34:44    1863104