Good stuff Joemo and Holy!

JayoCluxton (Dublin) - Posts: 2688 - 02/02/2009 13:36:53    195890

All constructive criticsm is always welcome Paddy
I endeavour to keep as many of my loyal readers happy

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 02/02/2009 13:48:28    195898

I enjoyed your posts holymoly and joemo two entertaining and informative reports.

nialldo (Tyrone) - Posts: 81 - 02/02/2009 14:23:24    195930

I liked Joemos better

Derry_ledd (Derry) - Posts: 2093 - 02/02/2009 14:24:55    195933

Have we got a better picture of how this years championship will run after 2 rounds of the league? As impressive as some victory's have been for some teams, I wouldn't go booking rooms in the Gresham for September just yet. Its hard to gauge just how strong the league is as an indication of how teams will do come championship time. You could argue that you only have to look at Kerry and Tyrones record in the league over the last 10 years to show that league form is very much relative to championship form. But then you have seasons like 2007 where none of the final 4 from the league made any impact in the championship whatsoever.
So far in the first 2 rounds, its Kerry that are making all the right moves. Tyrone dazzled us all in Croke Park and although losing yesterday, they gave a great account of themselves in getting an 11 point lead down to 3 in the end. Westmeath and Dublin are struggling so far, Derry look sharp and are giving a very good account of themselves as league champions. I still don't know what to make of Donegal and Mayo.
Which brings me on to Galway. They are motoring well, their link up play looks very good at times and just like they showed against Kerry last year, have a really potent forward line. Granted, some of their goals were handy enough yesterday and they are yet to play meaner defences like Kerry, Derry or Tyrones but they took their chances when the opportunity arose. Perhaps its still early days to gauge this new Dublin back line which looked very sloppy yesterday or perhaps the early round rustiness is still hampering the basic skills for Dublin but Galway didn't give them any respite yesterday. Midfield has been a bit of a problem for Galway since Kevin Walsh's retirement some time ago but make no doubts about it they seem to be getting a firmer grip on this area as they proved yesterday. Their full back line looked very tight yesterday but like their will be tougher assignments ahead as the competition gets stronger and the opposition forwards start getting sharper.
Perhaps it might be helping a forward unit like Galways but the yellow card rule is proving to be applied very inconsistenly so far. In a number of games so far, there have been a lot of calls for fouls that were yellow cards being let off with very lenient black cards. Referees seem under pressure not to spoil a game while players are afraid to tackle sometimes in the worry that they'll be yellow carded. One strange one yesterday was Colm McCullagh picking up 2 ticks yesterday but no yellow. Again, we'll all still be shouting that was a yellow while the referees will simply give players ticks while it will be the opposite way in the next match with another referee. Like we've all said before with officaldom in the GAA, consistency is probably its weakess point.

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 16/02/2009 10:37:54    207894

Have to disagree with you slightly there Holy on Galway's defence....they allowed Ciaran Whelan and a Dublin defender (cant remember his name, no.7 I think) run straight through and from midfield and have a shot on goal. They were good under the high ball but Galway need to tackle more, get stuck in. Mullahy is a good addition at wing back for this purpose I think....happy with the result though

Flanders (Galway) - Posts: 604 - 16/02/2009 10:57:31    207914

The Cork Strike discussion has been done to death at this stage but I feel compelled to throw in my two cents on it just one more time. I for one am now more confused over this thing than ever. According to the Irish Times today, the cork clubs have emphatically backed the players in striking over Gerald McCarthy's third year in control over the Cork county hurling team. They have also overwhelmingly backed them on a second proposal that club delegates to the board would be allowed time to discuss with their clubs any proposals of major importance before votes are taken at county board level.

What started off as a case of players not wanting to play for a particular manager has now turned into a full fledged war against the county board and their handling of this current affair along with demand for change in the current set up.

Where I get confused is where on earth have the clubs been over all this? Lets forget Frank Murphy, Gerald McCarthy etc for a second. The clubs are the lifeblood and are the voice of the countys GAA public. Many of us have asked the question on here before, that if there was such a problem between the players and the county board then why hadn't the clubs got involved. Numerous posters have mentioned that Frank Murphy and the CCB do not have to answer to the Cork clubs and therefore have free reign to do as they please. This definitely seems to be the case if the county board can vote one way and the Cork clubs to feel so dramatically opposite.

I think the attitude of where a lot of us who were against the 2008 panel came from the fact that we couldn't see why it should be these 30 lads that should be dictating terms to a county board. Why haven't the clubs been fighting this instead of the players? Why are they now only speaking up over this? Why couldn't the cork hurlers speak their cause through the clubs instead of having to take such dramatic action as striking and putting Gerald McCarthy in an incredibly bad situation. I find it hard to believe that had the clubs stood up and got involved in this problem in the first place (since the previous strike) Cork would not be in the current situation that it currently is in.

Surely to god, the Cork clubs were aware of the fact that their input into county matters was minimal at best. The fact that Cork have had 3 strikes in 7 years not to mention outside involvment from Croke Park to settle these disputes is a terrible inditement on how Corks internal workings appear to be so inefficient and substandard. For that, the clubs are also guilty of not taking a stand over the welfare of Cork GAA.

If this is ultimately what the players were fighting for then I agree with them in principle and perhaps it was the only way to do it given the circumstances in Cork. However, all of this business will leave a teribble scar on structures within Cork. One could argue that Cork could be looking at this whole situation all over again given the fact that the players will have proven that player power is stronger than any other should they win this current strike. Future managers will have to watch their back and who they upset. What happens when one of the big name players is dropped off the panel and it doesn't sit well with the rest of the squad? What happens the next time anything debatable happens with the players i.e. bad training methods or bad equipment. Will we be watching the same thing unfold again?

For Frank Murphy and Co, surely now the game is up for them. I can't see how they can now go back and say that whats done is done and we're not discussing it anymore, McCarthy is the manager like it or lump it. If the clubs feel so strongly over this now surely they can pull the players of the current Cork hurling team out of the team or do something pro-active until this is resolved.

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 09/03/2009 13:50:33    227942

holymoly - an excellent post and I think you have covered all the issues, questions and future problems that this episode has raised.

slayer (Limerick) - Posts: 6628 - 09/03/2009 14:28:43    227999

holymoly
County: Dublin
Posts: 671

This only the start of it, there will be a huge struggle to take over the vacuum left after the F.M. crew gets removed, not without a struggle though.Mr cooney is a product of the Frank Dynasty , so dont expect much change emanating from croke park for a while

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 09/03/2009 20:14:25    228398

A few weeks back I spoke about Galways potential as outside runners for Sam this year, I think Derry can be included in that bracket. Derry have never been the most reliable in terms of consistency. After a great showing in the league last year, they went out in the early of last years championship and certainly did not give a good enough account of themselves against Fermanagh. They were unlucky to draw a tough team like Monaghan in the qualifiers, where, had they got a nicer draw they may have recovered their form and got back into winning ways.
Fast forward to this year and Derrys ball movement / retention, drive and efficiency was top drawer stuff. Some of their fast ball movement was frightening at times, cutting the dublin defence up with players overlapping and always seeming to have an extra man available. The near goal chance which Ciaran Whelan had to clear off the line summed that up. Dublin defenders didn't know who to mark, who to cover etc. What stood out for Derry more than anything was their game plan that they brought - they obviously had one while Dublin obviously didn't. Damien Cassidy was well aware that Dublins biggest weakness in defence is their loose marking and their inability to deal with teams who can move the ball at pace through the middle with quick hand passes. This was compounded with the fact that the Dublin defence is more or less still new and very inexperienced. Derry were playing at a championship level on Saturday, some of the scores they picked off at times were sublime.
I know perspective does have to come into this sooner or later - it is only March and players can look like superstars when given space and time while opposition players are still not up to speed. Its amazing what that little bit of extra fitness and sharpness can make to a performance on a cold March evening.
Going into this game or this years league for that matter, Pat Gilroy and Co would surely have recognised by now that there are still some basic areas where Dublin are just not up to standard yet. If you were to compare the 2 teams in terms of areas that teams should be working on and improving at this time of year, Derry would have scored nearly full marks.
1. Attacking as a team and defending as a team - Derry consistently moving the ball from their defence to attack in full swoop. Some of their defenders such as McCusker and McGoldrick at 6 were romping forward at times, McGoldrick himself picking off a nice score in the second half. Dublin forwards scores well with the scraps they had to live off but are all still playing very much as individuals.
2. Ball retention, passing and movement - Derry players distribution was excellent at times. Didn't over elaborate and let very few passes go astray. Dublins was simply dreadful. So many wayward passes falling back in Derry players hands which they punished. Dublin were far too happy to launch high ball into the full forward line from the half back / midfield instead of trying to work it up the field smartly.
3. Marking - Derry stuck to their men like glue for the majority of the match and defended in packs. After a good start from the Dublin defence, once the game opened up they constantly lost their men, didn't pick up the extra men and just got lazy. I'm not sure if it was a tactic on Gilroys part of dropping Ger Brennan as a sweeper to sit in front of the full back line in the second half or whether it was just that Brennan had got tired and didn't know who to mark, either way it was a disaster. Inviting a team who play fast hand passing game to run at you is suicide.
So roll on next week. Derry face Galway (should be very tasty) who will both be pushing for a top 2 finish. Dublin face Mayo which is now a potential relegation decider. A win for Mayo more or less secures them while Dublin desperately need a win to get some confidence back.
C'mon Crokes, give Dublin football something to cheer about.

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 16/03/2009 11:32:45    233085

Holy, is that a CV for a shot at being a panelist on the Sunday Game !! Epic.

Summerofsam (Kildare) - Posts: 157 - 16/03/2009 14:27:20    233223

Well sam, I felt I let my fans down with my first monday supplement of the year, so I've been trying to keep my standards up ;-)

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 16/03/2009 14:48:01    233241

Holy while normally I thoroughly enjoy your supplement I have to say I got no enjoyment out of this one! Not your fault though!

Fair play its an excellent assessment and painfully true from a Dublin perspective. I am clinging to the belief that Giller is an intelligent bloke as is Mickey W - and everything is being noted and will be ironed out before summer .......

Dubinmeath (Dublin) - Posts: 1123 - 16/03/2009 15:17:32    233276

Instead of the usual ranting and raving from myself over another poor Dublin performance I thought I'd relax this week and talk about us, the GAA supporters. Having been to my first away league game in a couple of years (bless me father for its been 2 years since I last left the capital for a football match) it was a nice change of pace to be soaking up the non-dublin footballing culture (or whatever you want to call it) in a different place. As a member of the GAA season ticket, it was essential that I go to at least one away game in order to keep my name in the hat for all-ireland final tickets should Dublin make it that far. On this years form so far, thats highly unlikely!!

Having a few friends out west, the Mayo match was the designated choice, the brochure for Ballina certainly looked the most appealling. Unfortunately, I didn't get to take in much of the sounds, atmosphere and taste of Ballina as most of my time spent there was between the Bard pub, Supermacs and bed!! Needless to say, I wasn't in the best states of mind to appreciate a Mayo vs Dublin league match after celebrating the Grand Slam victory the night before. Only getting out of bed at 1 left us in a bit of a scramble to get to the game as well as getting in the appropriate pre-match breakfast. It wouldn't be a proper GAA breakfast if it wasn't bought out of a petrol station and eaten out of the boot of the car - when in Rome wha!!!

I'm glad I wasn't in the best state of mind for watching that game, as I'm pretty sure the hangover pain would have come back with the torrent of bad kicking and passing that both teams were guilty of. It is no surprise that both teams are in a relegation battle after a performance that school boys would be able to better. The trip home was made all the better knowing that the hurlers had pulled off a massive victory against Waterford.

Granted its rare that Dublin fans make the trip out of the pale in the championship but I think it should be mandatory that Dublin play at least one game in the championship out of the comfort of Croke Park. When we have had to travel during the championship, we have always brought the numbers. The joys of travelling around the country and experiencing old school GAA life should be inherrent to the up-bringing of the new and current GAA fans. Not only will it save time and money for other county supporters for a change but it will give some Dublin GAA supporters a bit of appreciation for the time and travel that other supporters need to do for every game. I think of the Tyrone fans in 05 who had to play 10 championship games, a large number of which were a long drive away. Mixing with other fans is the best part of being a GAA fan, god forbid that we ever end up like English soccer supporters who have to be segregated for matches.

Should Dublin make it to the quarter finals this year, lets go back to Thurles or another ground depending on the opposition to give us another day out. Anyway, I found that sausage rolls and potato wedges taste better out of the boot of the car with the smell of manure wafting in the air (or maybe it was that ten guinness I had the night before)

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 23/03/2009 10:31:47    236891

Fine piece as always holymoly--Monday would not be the same without your ideas,thoughts and exploits.

Auldfella (Meath) - Posts: 472 - 24/03/2009 12:53:53    238018

Cheers Auldfella
Always want to do the best for my fans ;-)

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 25/03/2009 11:54:01    239040

Well that was a bit disappointing wasn't it. For all the hype that surrounded the fixture and the big climax, the days of Dublin and Meath matches serving us up games of real passion and intensity are most definitely long gone. Regardless of what the critics may say about the big game, it wasn't too different than what I was expecting.

Granted, I was expecting some basic shooting and fisted scores to be executed far better than what I saw yesterday, this game went very much to type for Dublin's first game of the championship. Here's a little form guide for you which no one seems to have mentioned about Dublins first few games in the championship for the last 5 seasons - 05 Beat longford by a huge score, but narrowly beat Meath in the next round. 06 Barely beat Longford, 07 Drew with Meath and just got past them in the replay, 08 Beat Louth well but struggled against Westmeath in the next game.

Considering Dublin were fielding a few new players and Meath who are a team bereft of the talent they once held, you would have been quite foolish to have been expecting a classic. I'm not surprised Spillane came out with some of his usual soundbites about Leinster football standards and all that yap since there wasn't much else to talk about as the game was hardly too enjoyable for a neutral, especially the second half.

I honestly do believe that Dublin can only get better though. To surmize Dublin's ability and potential for this years championship based on one bad game is very short sighted. I don't think that we'll be winning Sam this year but I do think the team will get better from what we saw yesterday. Probably quarter finals will be as far as we get. Meath on the other hand don't look like a team going far. They have a couple of handy players but nothing like their teams of yesteryear. Midfield was very bad and their half back and half forward line struggled to win breaking ball.

On a side note it would be very hypocritical of me to ignore Ger Brennan's actions yesterday. I am amzed that he didn't get a red card, not just for his strike but also the fact that he made some reckless challenges after he was booked not to mention the fact that the referee was very fond of dishing out yellow cards yesterday. I would be expecting some disciplinary action from the CCCC soon enough.

Overall, disappointed with the basic standard but not surprised. Roll on Wicklow / Westmeath

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 08/06/2009 10:22:59    304511

Quality thread.

His Holiness is a quality poster.

Loyal2TheRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 4522 - 02/07/2009 15:23:34    329962

Well here we are folks in the real business end of the championship. We've seen some good games, we've seen some bad games, we've seen some ugly games and we've seensome just down right brutal games but you can all relax, the real good stuff starts here.

The conspiracy theorists will, I'm sure, be out in full force after the quarter final draw. If the GAA wanted to generate the most revenue from possible fixtures for the quarter finals, they've got it. Kerry vs Dublin will be a stand alone match which will more than likely have a full house. Kildare vs Tyrone would get a good 50 or 60 thousand alone as well, with Cork vs Donegal making up whats left. At the moment there is talk that Dublin vs Kerry will be played on bank holiday monday, I for one hope not but I'm guessing that they want to give Croke Park as much time to recover and have the pitch in good playing condition after the U2 concert.

So what way do you reckon those matches will go Uncle Holymoly?

Let me say right here, right now that I fancy Kerry to beat us. I know it sounds very defeatist but look folks, we've been here before haven't we. Looked red hot coming out of Leinster only to play a team who are in desperate need to regain their form and a team that usually play their best stuff in front of a full Croke Park. This game suits Kerry better than it suits us. Regardless of all the talk of unrest in the camp and who is fighting with who, Kerry are at their most dangerous when you write them off. Sure, they haven't been playing with the same swagger as the last few seasons, but that has a way of coming back to you when players click on big days. That being said, Dublin will probably never have a better chance of beating this Kerry team. The Brogans are in fine form, midfield is playing well with great options on the bench, and defence is doing ok so far. The full back line played better than I expected when serious questions were asked of it in the Kildare game.

Verdict: Kerry on this one, from there they'll probably pick up some momentum and find themselves in another AI final.

Tyrone vs Kildare is a very tasty match. Although Tyrone are still everyones favorites, understandibly, they still haven't really been tested. Kildare will be well up for this one as they have been every game so far. The midfield battle is key. Dermot Earley has been having his best season in a long time although he didn't impose himself in the Dublin match when Kildare most desperately needed it. The same questions will be asked against Tyrone who's midfield isn't too shabby either. But look, Kildare are where they want to be and I think Tyrone will look forward to a good hard contest which will have them set up well if they do pull out a win against them. I'm really looking forward to this one.

Verdict: Tyrone, too much in the tank and will have too many scoring threats for the Kildare defence

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 27/07/2009 11:23:08    363684

Continued


I don't know what to make of Cork vs Donegal and to be honest I don't think this game will be a great spectacle for neutrals. Thats nothing against either teams ability, Cork are still most definitely one of the top 3 teams in the country and Donegal proved what a tough outfit they are by beating Derry and Galway. But the way that Donegal play 12 men behind the ball means that you could have a real war of attrition. Cork played fast efficient football against Kerry in both games while they struggled against Limerick who defended in packs - Donegal play a similar style as Limerick so expect a similar game.

Verdict: Cork to march on and give us a dream semi final against Tyrone

Meath seem to be gaining a nice bit of momentum in the back door. It won't bother them at allover the quality of the opposition as they are now just one game away from a quarter final against Mayo. Their forwards seem to be clicking again but their midfield would still be their greatest concern. With John Galvin in the middle, I would expect Limerick to win a lot of ball. Their half backs were flying against Cork. Sure they lack a bit of nautral ability in the scoring department as they would be short on scoring forwards but they are a fit and determined team. Sometimes thats enough.

Verdict: Limerick to carry on

holymoly (Dublin) - Posts: 757 - 27/07/2009 11:23:24    363685