We are going to miss Walshe big time if he doesn't play i seen nothing last Sunday in centerfield to come close to him Lennon was only one who looked as he might make step up but looks completely unfit at moment needs a lot of training.Gaffney and English looked very average footballers when they came on as i expected having seen them in Club competition.I hear Power has retired from Inter County football and he is going to be a huge loss,but cant say i blame him with all the derisory negative comments comments that have been on this site about him.

pistelero (Wicklow) - Posts: 1719 - 21/01/2010 15:24:05    538999

Would be a pity if Power retires , we arent flush with fullbacks in the county .

Have to admit I thought he was a confidence player - if he caught the first couple of balls or won clean possesion early in games he was off to a flyer and tended to do very well for the full 70 . However if he got off to a poor start he never seemed to recover .

Although he will be a big loss , Dara O'Hannaigh if he continues where he left off last year will fill in admirably . Question is then - who is likely to nail the No.6 spot ? .. I'd prefer someone with a big physical presence , I thought McGrath done Ok(ish) at times there .. dont know if he is long term solution though ..

Square_Ball_15 (Wicklow) - Posts: 2662 - 21/01/2010 16:04:01    539047

Iagree time to let go of Thomas Walsh bored with it all We are a sad little County with Micko putting out B Team thats degrading to other County Teams as if our A team is much beter Please Micko give the hole County some thing to talk about

loughnanne (Wicklow) - Posts: 50 - 22/01/2010 19:16:00    540314

Loughnanne we are in the top 12 in Ireland, not a sad little county.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 24/01/2010 14:17:18    540968

Sponger
If ye are in the top twelve in Ireland, then where are Carlow and even more to the point Athlone IT.
On a serious note, if we are as bad as you say, then whether this is Wicklow's first team or not you must be seriously worried. Micko might be great for the cameras and the soundbites, and choccy biscuits, but he is not building a sustainable footballing infrastructure within your county. Its not his direct job, but his overreliance on Championship will see ye high and dry in a few years, maybe even these year, and when he's gone........

getonwithit (Carlow) - Posts: 527 - 24/01/2010 15:38:35    541005

Depends what way you look at it Getonwithit.

Micko is only interested in the championship. Do I care if Carlow beat us in the league or yesterdays result ? No.

May is another matter.

Micko should never be questioned.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 24/01/2010 16:04:04    541021

Sponger i dont agree with Loughnanne that we are a sad little County we are trying to get up the ladder,but we are far from being in the top 12 football County teams in Ireland,yes we did get to the last 12 in the Championship last year and i hope we can do as well or better this year,but going on League placings we are 29th out of 33 with only Clare,Carlow,London and Kilkenny behind us,and Clare and Carlow beat us in the League last year,we wont be in the top 12 until we can get a couple of promotions up the Divisions.Wexford got to an All Ireland semi final last year fair play to them,but you could hardly call them a top four side.

pistelero (Wicklow) - Posts: 1719 - 24/01/2010 18:42:59    541183

I agree with you about the league. We may only win half our games.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 24/01/2010 19:37:20    541244

Can we read too much into our shield or league meetings with Carlow though, with regard to the upcoming championship meeting ?

Not sure that I can.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 24/01/2010 19:45:10    541255

SPONGER
REgarding your assertion that Carlow people are obsessed with Wicklow, we were not all over your forum last Sunday banging on about losing to Athlone IT the same day ye took a beating off Louth. Vinniejones are you out there or back under your rock? Savage name on a GAA forum!
Think for what you're paying Micko should be questioned.....
Answer a few questions for me, genuinely.
1. Wicklow had most of their first 15 from last year playing yesterday, more frontline troops than Carlow, what will change by May?
2. Can you see someone coming in and filling Micko's shoes? Is there a team there for whoever follows?
3. When he leaves as he certainly will, will ye win a championship match that year?
4. Would Walsh have helped yesterday seen as Brendan Murphy ran amok at midfield?
5. Whats your opinion on pre match stretching?

getonwithit (Carlow) - Posts: 527 - 24/01/2010 21:28:05    541379

1) Difference is May will be a championship match. We played 6 last year and that gives us the edge.

2) Who could fill Micko's shoes? . I expect a high profile name though.

3) Yes. see 1)

4) Walsh would help any team. Murphy is one player.

5) Depends what you are stretching........

I would not question Micko. Laois did that and look where that got them after he left.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 24/01/2010 21:50:36    541413

SPONGER
1. I was looking for details as to what will change, so as to learn from ye. 6 games last years counts for very little this year..
2. PLenty of counties prosper without "high profile" managers, is the profile important, do you like the papers?
3. No details given!
4. Walsh is only one player too funnily enough!
5. Micko believes stretching is responsible for many of these "modern" injuries. So there is a start for you on the questioning of Micko!

getonwithit (Carlow) - Posts: 527 - 24/01/2010 22:02:40    541430

In answer to questions :

1. Wicklow had most of their first 15 from last year playing yesterday, more frontline troops than Carlow, what will change by May?

Simple - Speed , Sharpness , Loads of ball work , couple of additions to starting line up . Most importantly , the focus will be 110% instead of 10% yesterday. Wicklow had about 8 out yesterday of what will be starting line up in May.

2. Can you see someone coming in and filling Micko's shoes? Is there a team there for whoever follows?

Silly question . Someone will come in a and takeover with most of backroon staff in place . Probably someone high profile. There is an improving team for whoever folows . Micko will be here I think for 2-3 more years.

3. When he leaves as he certainly will, will ye win a championship match that year?

Another daft question ... no we wont win a C'ship match after he leaves until at least 2092 . Ask a stupid question and get a stupid answer.

4. Would Walsh have helped yesterday seen as Brendan Murphy ran amok at midfield?

Brendan Murphy is an outstanding talent and on his way to being one of the best in the country . The question is or should be - will Walsh help in May if available . If he's there the answer is a simple yes.

5. Whats your opinion on pre match stretching?

I assume you are referring to your brain ? .. If so , it hasnt worked too well :-)

Square_Ball_15 (Wicklow) - Posts: 2662 - 25/01/2010 10:02:40    541502

typical talk between carlow and wicklow with two very very poor teams.

theclawhammer (Wexford) - Posts: 240 - 25/01/2010 12:47:33    541670

theclawhammer,

Might be an idea to look at your own situation . People in glasshouse can rarely afford to throw stones.

Wexford for a County with a fine and enviable tradition have fallen off a cliff when it comes to hurling . A great run in the football up until 2008 and a return to at best very average in 2009 and most likley similar in 2010 hardly gives you the right to pontificate.

Address your own glaring shortcomings would be a piece of advice worth heeding.

Square_Ball_15 (Wicklow) - Posts: 2662 - 25/01/2010 12:59:37    541693

Square ball, thanks for the reply although you didnt treat some of the questions seriously! 1. Carlow will also hope to have all those aspects and more by May as well. Focus is not something you can turn on and off. Kilkenny dont do it in hurling and they are the best GAA team in the country at the moment. Teams that people admire and respect are the ones that try to win everyday. You cant tell me Wicklow's 15 yesterday turned up not focussed on winning? 2 and 3. I have aired this before on this forum. When Micko leaves he will leave very little behind him. Thats been true of other counties he has managed (apart from Kerry) and will be true for Wicklow. His focus on Championship means that ye will haver avery small player pool when he goes. I cant see him being in charge in 2011. It's not a daft question, it is your county that will be left in the lurch when he absents. Look at Kildare and Laois' records since he left. They are counties with excellent underage standards, ye are not, no more than ourselves. When he leaves, have ye a new team in the wings??? In that case it is possible that ye will struggle the following year. 4. Murphy against Walsh would be an excellent battle, hope to see it. I would be delighted if Walsh togs out for ye, the lift and incentive he would be offering would be huge for Carlow players. 5. How do you stretch your brain? It is a fair question in the context of the game, which is what you're appealing for? Keep it on the ball, practise what you preach there. Finally Bottles no team in the championship will only play one game in the championship this year. As in previous years a backdoor or qualifier system will apply! Stop,you were all over the Carlow boards mouthing off, so if it comes back to you, you only have yourself to blame.

getonwithit (Carlow) - Posts: 527 - 25/01/2010 14:21:59    541795

Wexford's only claim to fame is that every strawberry in the world comes from there.

Theres nothing much to shout about on the hurling or football front.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 25/01/2010 14:28:13    541803

5 all ireland senior football championships and the first county to do four in a row so get ur facts right.

theclawhammer (Wexford) - Posts: 240 - 25/01/2010 15:26:38    541899

Oh come on Wexford are brutal. On both the hurling and football fronts. Total muck.

God help ye against the Dubs.

sponger (Wicklow) - Posts: 2953 - 25/01/2010 15:47:22    541936

Getonwithit

Kilkenny in hurling circles are a rare breed , up until this year when Tipp came close to them , they have been so far ahead of the standards around them they had teams beaten mentally before they even got onto the field . They have been totally dominant for 5 years now . At 50% focus they would be better than most other counties at 100% .

Micko operates differently to Brian Cody - both great managers but in different ways . Kilkenny and Wicklow are also poles apart in terms off expectations from thus year . Kilkenny will aim and quite possibly win everything ( they have set the bar at that level ) - their fans demand it. Wicklow are slowly improving , the current squad will never win an All Ireland and probably not a Leinster . A last 12 again & posiibly a Leinster semi this year would be where the bar is at right now . If we find a few players over the next few years , its not inconceivable that we could win a Leinster in 4-5 years . Everything has to go right to achieve that goal.

Laois decided they knew better than Micko - they left him and not the other way around . Laois have an attitude problem - guys who arent prepared to give the levels of commitment needed to push on and win a Leinster again and All Ireland . There are guys on that Laois panel who are prima donna's and will rue the missed opportunities in years to come .

Kildare were a beaten docket when Micko left - Micko took them as far as he could , and that was miles farther than they had been in decades . Its only in recent years they have started to come good in underage again . They are a force to be reckoned with this year again - mind you they havent exactly fallen to Div 4 levels in recent years either - they have been very competitive every year since he left.

Wicklow have invested a lot of time and resource at national school and underage level - I'm confident we will see a steady flow of decent minor teams coming on stream in 4-5 years .

Micko will move on in time - lets not forget that Kevin O'Brien and the backroom team put in a huge ammount of work - they will remain with whoever comes in after Micko does decide to go .

Anyway - we'll worry about 2010 for now ..

Square_Ball_15 (Wicklow) - Posts: 2662 - 25/01/2010 16:50:55    542032