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Replying To 1951andwaiting: "I know it's early days yet, but trying to get a handle on a Galway team for later in the league and championship.
1. Gleeson, regardless of Flaherty getting game time, PJ will stick with Conor for the championship
2. McGrath will be the corner back
3. S Kelly. Best position for him
4. Glynn, Not 100% convinced, but imo better than the others for number 4
5. D McHugh, best position imo, keep him there during the league, and be ready for the championship
6. ????? big problem area, not convinced by anyone I've seen play there
7. ?????/ Same as 6, maybe O' Flaherty, but think he plays better coming off the bench, Play Coggers in League and see
8 Maher
9. McDaid. Where is Patrick Egan ? best young midfielder in Galway. Maybe McDaid to 7 & Egan to midfield
10. M Tierney
11. Thompson, but Mulhern, until he returns from the US, great experience for him
12. Darcy
13. Finnerty
14. Fionn McDonagh, keep him at 14 for the league, and if he performs like he did v Mayo, championship starter
15. Oisin McDonagh... good shooter and confident, same as Fionn, give him plenty of league games and could be a championship certainty
That gives plenty of options off the bench, ie, Conroy if he returns, Comer, Walsh, S McGrath" Excellent assessment and like the look of the team. I think we will have to think out of box for a 6. Its a pity that injury has curtailed John Daly from kicking on after his All Star year. I would be inclined to try mcDaid at 6. He is not a natural 6 i know but he could do a lot of attacking from there. Pull matt tierney back to midfield and get him competing in the air...he is well able. The slot that this would free up in the attack is for Shane Walsh. For me Shane is still the first name on the team sheet. Looked a bit extra conditioned on Sunday but still showed that he has the pace, and ask any opposing team would they prefer to play us with or without him and i can guarantee you the answer. Damian Comer would be some boost if he was to regain fitness but its good that we are starting to realise that we cannot be banking on him, and maybe, just maybe , Fionn McDonagh can go a long way to filling that void. One other note. We seem to have a lot of left footed attackers, finnerty. Mcdonagh, thompson, mulhern. When have we seen that before.....
anotheralias (Galway) - Posts: 1023 - 28/01/2026 10:18:40
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Replying To 1951andwaiting: "I know it's early days yet, but trying to get a handle on a Galway team for later in the league and championship.
1. Gleeson, regardless of Flaherty getting game time, PJ will stick with Conor for the championship
2. McGrath will be the corner back
3. S Kelly. Best position for him
4. Glynn, Not 100% convinced, but imo better than the others for number 4
5. D McHugh, best position imo, keep him there during the league, and be ready for the championship
6. ????? big problem area, not convinced by anyone I've seen play there
7. ?????/ Same as 6, maybe O' Flaherty, but think he plays better coming off the bench, Play Coggers in League and see
8 Maher
9. McDaid. Where is Patrick Egan ? best young midfielder in Galway. Maybe McDaid to 7 & Egan to midfield
10. M Tierney
11. Thompson, but Mulhern, until he returns from the US, great experience for him
12. Darcy
13. Finnerty
14. Fionn McDonagh, keep him at 14 for the league, and if he performs like he did v Mayo, championship starter
15. Oisin McDonagh... good shooter and confident, same as Fionn, give him plenty of league games and could be a championship certainty
That gives plenty of options off the bench, ie, Conroy if he returns, Comer, Walsh, S McGrath" Walsh will 100% be on any Galway 15 come champo if fit. Our spine is a problem 3 & 6 and I agree Kelly is pick as noone beter for there. 6 is a dilemma and one we ae no closer to solving. Had great hopes for Egan too and still do but not sure where he is is he inj or those PJ not fancy him?
Eire89 (Galway) - Posts: 461 - 28/01/2026 11:19:52
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Replying To smallfrank: "Watched the game back.
23 Galway Kick Outs, we won possession from 7
12 in the first half we won 5
11 in the second half we won 2
20 of the 23 went long and we won possession on 4 of them.
Won 3 from 3 on the short ones.
Unbelievable that he kept going long when you watch it back." That's a startling statistic! Seriously. 30% own kick outs won is an absolute disgrace in Div 1 football, particularly from a goalie so long into his tenure between the sticks for Galway. I really don't know. A few lads around me had reckoned we were around the 30% on kickouts won and it was pretty much bang on. So we lose two thirds of our restarts - one blinding save per game doesn't make up for that. All those lost possessions immediately turning into attack for the opposition is just rocket fuel during a game for those opponents. AI is just a delusional pipe dream if this isn't addressed. It can't go on. We can't keep handing over the ball like this, it's slaughtering us. And as for the free kick! Lord bless us and save us! I know 16 year olds who can land them more assuredly off the deck. Ridiculous. Coaches - open your eyes lads!!
togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 1117 - 28/01/2026 13:38:53
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Is Shane finished with taking frees from the ground since his hip injury in 2024? Don't think I've seen him strike one from the deck since…
gaillimhboy (Galway) - Posts: 398 - 28/01/2026 14:39:01
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Replying To togoutlads: "That's a startling statistic! Seriously. 30% own kick outs won is an absolute disgrace in Div 1 football, particularly from a goalie so long into his tenure between the sticks for Galway. I really don't know. A few lads around me had reckoned we were around the 30% on kickouts won and it was pretty much bang on. So we lose two thirds of our restarts - one blinding save per game doesn't make up for that. All those lost possessions immediately turning into attack for the opposition is just rocket fuel during a game for those opponents. AI is just a delusional pipe dream if this isn't addressed. It can't go on. We can't keep handing over the ball like this, it's slaughtering us. And as for the free kick! Lord bless us and save us! I know 16 year olds who can land them more assuredly off the deck. Ridiculous. Coaches - open your eyes lads!!" Im not saying our goalkeeper is blameless, but it definitely isnt anywhere near all his fault. The short options were not there for him, and when he went long it wasnt as if he was picking out unmarked Mayo players. The way the game is gone you need to fight to win your own kickouts. There will be an odd handy one available but in most cases the best the keeper can do is put it into an area where we might have a 60/40 chance of winning it...and in the main id say he achieved that or at least gave our lads a 50/50. The fact that we didnt come close to 50% suggests that we need to pointing fingers in other directions rather than at the usual suspect.
anotheralias (Galway) - Posts: 1023 - 28/01/2026 14:49:49
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Replying To togoutlads: "That's it in a nutshell. They think good club people around the county aren't aware of their tactics. Our County Board are devoid of ideas and a strategy, and are simply running this once proud footballing county into the ground. A disgrace. Move on - you've had your time and more - please move on." Is the goalie responsible to catch the ball in the middle or win the breaks aswell? The game has changed since the rules, there's much fewer easy short kickouts so the majority are going long so the responsibility is on your midfield, half backs and forwards to win primary possession. Obviously the quality of the kickouts feed into that but football is different in this aspect to what it was two years ago, every team are kicking much more long which look like 50:50 balls
Sean32 (Galway) - Posts: 5 - 28/01/2026 15:12:10
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Replying To gaillimhboy: "Is Shane finished with taking frees from the ground since his hip injury in 2024? Don't think I've seen him strike one from the deck since…" No I've seen him take them with both feet
The one v down into wind spring to mind
jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1911 - 28/01/2026 15:50:45
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100% on kickouts not near all gleeson fault lads out field need to compete better too.
I see a lot suggesting Kelly at 3 which I am open to seeing but one thing not mentioned is he played 3 last for Galway under old rules when he generally had lots of protection
Mchugh molloy sat in and it was very hard be exposed compared to now
I find him even at club level very loose at 6 and vulnerable on turn.
He always had a unique running style but still not sure how well he is moving.
I thought fitz was decent bar been sucked out for 2nd goal.
I think Kelly may be best at wing or corner back
Nobody has mentioned John Daly and what is his situation yet be it injured rested gone?
jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1911 - 28/01/2026 15:59:14
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Replying To togoutlads: "That's a startling statistic! Seriously. 30% own kick outs won is an absolute disgrace in Div 1 football, particularly from a goalie so long into his tenure between the sticks for Galway. I really don't know. A few lads around me had reckoned we were around the 30% on kickouts won and it was pretty much bang on. So we lose two thirds of our restarts - one blinding save per game doesn't make up for that. All those lost possessions immediately turning into attack for the opposition is just rocket fuel during a game for those opponents. AI is just a delusional pipe dream if this isn't addressed. It can't go on. We can't keep handing over the ball like this, it's slaughtering us. And as for the free kick! Lord bless us and save us! I know 16 year olds who can land them more assuredly off the deck. Ridiculous. Coaches - open your eyes lads!!" I think if you stick D'arcy, Maher etc there around the middle you come with a very different stat in fairness to Connor Gleeson.
Not.A.Quelly (Galway) - Posts: 96 - 28/01/2026 16:06:58
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Replying To Sean32: "Is the goalie responsible to catch the ball in the middle or win the breaks aswell? The game has changed since the rules, there's much fewer easy short kickouts so the majority are going long so the responsibility is on your midfield, half backs and forwards to win primary possession. Obviously the quality of the kickouts feed into that but football is different in this aspect to what it was two years ago, every team are kicking much more long which look like 50:50 balls" Mayo early kickouts they always seemed to have a man or two free our movement was non existent
so for someone to put it on the keeper doesn't add up albeit he doesn't seem to have a mid range kick
jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1911 - 28/01/2026 17:07:21
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Replying To anotheralias: "Excellent assessment and like the look of the team. I think we will have to think out of box for a 6. Its a pity that injury has curtailed John Daly from kicking on after his All Star year. I would be inclined to try mcDaid at 6. He is not a natural 6 i know but he could do a lot of attacking from there. Pull matt tierney back to midfield and get him competing in the air...he is well able. The slot that this would free up in the attack is for Shane Walsh. For me Shane is still the first name on the team sheet. Looked a bit extra conditioned on Sunday but still showed that he has the pace, and ask any opposing team would they prefer to play us with or without him and i can guarantee you the answer. Damian Comer would be some boost if he was to regain fitness but its good that we are starting to realise that we cannot be banking on him, and maybe, just maybe , Fionn McDonagh can go a long way to filling that void. One other note. We seem to have a lot of left footed attackers, finnerty. Mcdonagh, thompson, mulhern. When have we seen that before....." You'd get tinkermen I'm sure who'd swop every left footed player in the current Galway squad, if you gave them Joyce, Savo and Ja instead.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4527 - 28/01/2026 18:33:08
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Replying To jm25: "No I've seen him take them with both feet
The one v down into wind spring to mind" Very sparingly. He took a load off the deck in '22. Several against Mayo and that infamous one in Croker against Derry spring to mind. More often than not goes off the hands these days. He hasn't taken that many long range ones in the past two seasons.
galwayman2 (Galway) - Posts: 1346 - 28/01/2026 18:35:39
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People completely missing the point on the kick outs, ah it will grand when big lads are back. We were all in Pearse Stadium last summer, massive Galway press and Cluxton picks out Lahiff through the eye of a needle and Dublin work the score to win. That is the standard. Not just lumping it out to the middle.
When we were getting wiped he tried to find Silke who broke to the terrace side and Gleeson couldn't find him and kicked it out over the line for a Mayo line ball.
smallfrank (Galway) - Posts: 569 - 28/01/2026 19:50:18
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Replying To togoutlads: "That's a startling statistic! Seriously. 30% own kick outs won is an absolute disgrace in Div 1 football, particularly from a goalie so long into his tenure between the sticks for Galway. I really don't know. A few lads around me had reckoned we were around the 30% on kickouts won and it was pretty much bang on. So we lose two thirds of our restarts - one blinding save per game doesn't make up for that. All those lost possessions immediately turning into attack for the opposition is just rocket fuel during a game for those opponents. AI is just a delusional pipe dream if this isn't addressed. It can't go on. We can't keep handing over the ball like this, it's slaughtering us. And as for the free kick! Lord bless us and save us! I know 16 year olds who can land them more assuredly off the deck. Ridiculous. Coaches - open your eyes lads!!" Great post and you are seeing the same thing I'm seeing. Not comfortable on the ball either. Teams are targetting our kick out at this stage
smallfrank (Galway) - Posts: 569 - 28/01/2026 19:52:00
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Was in Belfield this evening to see University Galway knock out the favourites UCD in sigerson quarter final. Great turnaround in the second half after being six down at half time. Couple of two pointers in the second half swung it. Davoren really good at midfield. Liam O'Conghaile made a difference off the bench. O'Curraoin was in and out of the game but kicked two lovely ones towards the end. Brian Cogger probably the best from a Galway view county point. Great bit of stuff at centre back. Mark McInerney from Clare a good outlet in at full forward. Big turnaround from where they were a few weeks ago when they were nearly gone out of the competition and weren't playing well at all. It's not a star studded panel by any means but they got the result tonight anyway.
galway19 (Galway) - Posts: 1043 - 28/01/2026 21:05:06
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