What I've learned from this year watching the championship is that teams need to break from their "traditional" game and instead learn to adapt to play their opposition. The panel needs to be built to play in a manner of different ways. If we look at the teams that made the semi's this year we can see the reasons why Kerry are All Ireland champions.

Dublin have built a fantastic attacking team but they have put all their eggs into this basket and forgetting the defensive side cost them against Donegal.
Donegal play a defensive, counter attack game but in the games against Monaghan, Armagh and Kerry when the opposition also set up defensively we found that the plan B wasn't available and ultimately it cost us the AI.
Mayo play a fairly traditional set up with maybe one or two half forwards playing between the 45's but when they have come up against a defensive set up they are also in a struggle.
Kerry are champions because they have different options of play. In the Mayo game they went toe to toe with Mayo, varied the long and short ball into their forwards and just squeezed by. In the final they set up defensively and had the option of the long ball to Donaghy with others feeding off.

Forget traditional styles of play. Teams need to play what will get them success and the fact that some commentators can't call a spade a spade is disappointing. The argument that the best players will overcome the best system is valid but only if they are organised into a system of their own to achieve success.

On a finishing note last night was the hardest night of my GAA life. Seeing the Donegal players breaking down on stage was very tough. To see a man like Michael Murphy unable to contain his despair and to have to leave the stage was terrible to watch and just like to say that we are very proud of our team and no amount of abuse from outside will change that. Next year will be a very different Donegal so to this team all we can say is thanks for the memories!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 23/09/2014 10:54:05    1655772

The best system is always a balanced one. A team that concentrate on defending/attacking alone, will sooner or later come undone against a balanced team that can think on their feet. Look at Barcelona in the soccer, fine for a while, but, while boasting 3 of the 4 best players on the planet at the same time, got crushed by a Bayern team who found the weaknesses in their unbalanced system. By definition, an unbalanced system will have weaknesses. It is just a matter of time before these are found.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts: 16187 - 23/09/2014 11:30:03    1655806

Wouldnt disagree with you there.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 23/09/2014 11:34:59    1655811

I'm not so sure. I mean what exactly is this plan B? Go attacking? Is that not the worst thing you can do against a defensive system? People always complain about needing a plan B in hindsight...were we not praised against Dublin for sticking to the gameplan and not panicking? But now when we do that and it doesn't work people are saying we had no plan B? Doesn't make sense to me.

I keep harping back to this bit I wrote but once again it becomes relevant after Sunday
[url=]http://bigsportingblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/game-theory-and-gaelic-football.html

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 23/09/2014 11:47:16    1655835

Thats a pretty good piece Benjjy. All out attack is not the option either as we seen against dublin but look at what Donaghy added to the mix on Sunday. When Kerry got the space to deliver accurate ball into Donaghy he caused all sorts of havoc and no matter what anyone tells me Michael Murphy is a far superior player than Donaghy. When we moved Murphy in to the edge of the square on Sunday he was making runs and instead of receiving a ball I seen two or three occasions where the man in posession didn't release and instead turned inside or back. Look at the first goal v Dublin and the first goal of the All Ireland in 2012.
Michael Murphy is a fantastic footballer anywhere on the pitch but he is the best full forward in the country. Donaghy stayed on the deg of the square on Sunday. What if we were to leave Murphy on the edge of the square and have Mc Brearty and possibly Mc Hugh feeding of him. This would have countered a defensive set up like our own.
At the end of the day Jim Mc Guinness is a fantastic manager and I'm not going to question his logic but I just feel that all teams will have to adapt to various styles of opposition and that includes Donegal.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 23/09/2014 12:08:23    1655858

I agree but unfortunately our biggest problem (which has been glossed over and hidden well through tactics) for years now is the lack of playmakers. I have been saying this for ages and I know you have too Tir Connail but we dont have enough players who can pick their heads up and deliver accurate ball to forwards. In fact, the person who is probably best at it is Michael Murphy himself! If we leave Murphy in the square all game the chances are that we are wasting him because he wont get any decent ball in to him. At least out the field he can still influence him. McFadden has also suffered from lack of service (although this year he has not done enough with the ball he has got)

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 23/09/2014 13:35:07    1655941

I'm not so sure Tir Conaill Abu. We've been attacking all year against Cork, Galway and Mayo twice. Fitz in fairness put a plan in place over 3 weeks. It's not an approach that has been worked on over 3-4 years. The footballers have to be there to implement it. A number of teams have tried something similar as Kerry did on Sunday. Many were predicting before the game that the game would slip away from us by at least 5 points.

Commiserations again. It's tough and we've been through it. Enjoyed the craic with ye're crowd on Sunday. Our counties will lock horns in battle again in the near future.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7842 - 23/09/2014 17:46:03    1656171