*Limerick GAA news/discussion thread*

pajoguy

independent11 wrote: »

If you look at my original comment, that's where the blind faith is. Not so long ago Limerick may have been "as good as any team on their day" but not now.

And based on last nights performance i would agree. Although in champioship we might be able to do it once off but we need to be able to do it 3-4 times at least to win Liam and I also dont see it happening.

Vanolder

Time to start planning for 2016 with Daly in charge.

paddy no 11

Vanolder wrote: »

Time to start planning for 2016 with Daly in charge.

Does anyone else think daly is a spoofer?

Still despondent after last night, we've learned and built nothing in the league.

I know last year kilmallock left plenty in the locker early in the year especially against Na P and were primed for the final. Obviously we are going down the same route for clare but you'd be seriously worried that we havent done enough in the league. Looks like we'll be going with the same as last year with a marginally stronger bench and will give it a lash come the summer. It wont be good enough.

pajoguy

paddy no 11 wrote: »

Does anyone else think daly is a spoofer?

Still despondent after last night, we've learned and built nothing in the league.

I know last year kilmallock left plenty in the locker early in the year especially against Na P and were primed for the final. Obviously we are going down the same route for clare but you'd be seriously worried that we havent done enough in the league. Looks like we'll be going with the same as last year with a marginally stronger bench and will give it a lash come the summer. It wont be good enough.

I suppose the last two years we accepted it as we were starved of championship victories but this year there is a certain amount of expectation to push on from last year and last night doesnt inspire confidence. Supporters want silverware. Another munster would be nice but the AI is the holy grail. I dont think we have added enough during the winter. Surprised we were so tactically naive last night with our full back line exposed but also not helped by our septic half forward line.

TCDStudent1

paddy no 11 wrote: »

Does anyone else think daly is a spoofer?

Still despondent after last night, we've learned and built nothing in the league.

I know last year kilmallock left plenty in the locker early in the year especially against Na P and were primed for the final. Obviously we are going down the same route for clare but you'd be seriously worried that we havent done enough in the league. Looks like we'll be going with the same as last year with a marginally stronger bench and will give it a lash come the summer. It wont be good enough.

His book definitely gives the impression of a professional set up under him with Dublin. Then again, I guess his book would. But I think he would be a good option for Limerick at some stage in the future. Not sure how interested he would be in it though.

sasta le

How much money is Daly costing Limerick?
As in he is a full time employee on the books

Fireball07

Fantastic win for the Limerick footballers; 2-10 to 1-5 against Clare. Still need to beat Louth to stay up, but a fantastic victory. Goals from Seanie Buckley and a late one from Peter Nash to get the win.

Stonehall9

Lads were division 1b for a reason,and yesterday only proved that,the reality of it is we are building players up on paper to be hero's before they have a ball pucked, Declan Hannon was a disgrace yesterday, they shifted him all over the field and he didn't want to know about it, his first strike of the ball came in the 43Rd minute!!! Are we coding ourself or what? This isn't the first time he has failed to deliver in coke park either? We did the same with him against offaly , when the chips are down we need a bit of honesty and we saw none of that yesterday. Sad but true

paddy no 11

Waterford streets ahead of us

What exactly have been doing at training. Not fitness, not working on a game plan as there is no discernible one. Touch was poor. Players making mistakes that any coach should be able to eliminate. The players are there but not the coaching imo. We're going nowhere.

Vanolder

paddy no 11 wrote: »

Waterford streets ahead of us

What exactly have been doing at training. Not fitness, not working on a game plan as there is no discernible one. Touch was poor. Players making mistakes that any coach should be able to eliminate. The players are there but not the coaching imo. We're going nowhere.

The hurling side of things can be worked on in 7 weeks... The conditioning not so much. They can improve fitness yes but the serious gym work should be almost done, it looks like we haven't even started. It's not a coincidence that we are picking up so many injuries, that comes from your body not being primed. Dodge and Hickey will miss most of the seven weeks prep now... I'm usually an optimist and don't put much stock in the league but for the reasons outlines I have serious reservations about the championship and do not think we will beat Clare. Way too much to be done and I don't have faith in management to get it done. I'm not gonna attack individual players but some lads do not look interested while others have been at the pies, that's atrocious heading into April. As I said you should be primed and ready to tackle the hard stuff over the next seven weeks not starting from scratch. I can only conclude by saying they 1. Are looking to peak way further in the year and with the draw this year don't mind if it's front door or back door or 2. They've let a good performance against Kk get to them and think all they have to do is hurl and not put in the hard work.

glasagusban

I'm more annoyed off about missing promotion than the performance today which was meaningless. Lads need to recall we've been dire at this stage of the year the last few years and it hasn't affected us come summer. In particular, certain lads have been fairly badly out of shape at this stage the last few years, but they'll be flying by summer again. It shouldn't be that way but it is.

I thought going into this year we needed to find three more players, a half back, a corner back and a forward. I'd have moved hickey out but Condon may do at half back, I'd have had Dempsey given a shot at a starting place but I think walsh is a good defender, and lynch up front is ready I think. Unfortunately I wouldn't trust most of the other players we've tried to come in and thrive come summer. I think management are holding their breath until a few more minors finish school.

I think we'll be competitive again come summer, I think we'll have the beating of most teams on our day and we'll reach a semi final again. But I don't think we've improved enough to seriously challenge for an AI.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of this league is the lack of sophistication in our play compared to other top teams. Most teams have some semblance of a plan about them, we have none. It might be we can sort this out come summer too, I hope so because I think we have 6 forwards that can shred any defence if out team is prepared right.

paddy no 11

glasagusban wrote: »

I'm more annoyed off about missing promotion than the performance today which was meaningless. Lads need to recall we've been dire at this stage of the year the last few years and it hasn't affected us come summer. In particular, certain lads have been fairly badly out of shape at this stage the last few years, but they'll be flying by summer again. It shouldn't be that way but it is.

ok

I thought going into this year we needed to find three more players, a half back, a corner back and a forward. I'd have moved hickey out but Condon may do at half back, I'd have had Dempsey given a shot at a starting place but I think walsh is a good defender, and lynch up front is ready I think. Unfortunately I wouldn't trust most of the other players we've tried to come in and thrive come summer. I think management are holding their breath until a few more minors finish school.

I think we'll be competitive again come summer, I think we'll have the beating of most teams on our day and we'll reach a semi final again. But I don't think we've improved enough to seriously challenge for an AI.

This

Perhaps the biggest disappointment of this league is the lack of sophistication in our play compared to other top teams. Most teams have some semblance of a plan about them, we have none. It might be we can sort this out come summer too, I hope so because I think we have 6 forwards that can shred any defence if out team is prepared right.

...

Twoman Fullbackline

A woeful end to the league. Not the first time either, and you can take some solace from that, but the reality is if we are to have serious ambitions then we should not be putting out practically our first team in Croke Park and watching them getting hammered, no matter how lackadaisically we are approaching it. The line "Limerick are a championship team" being bandied about a bit, as if the cabinet is bulging from the glories of previous summers and other counties are going gung-ho in the spring and couldn't give a hoot about championship.

We bemoaned the lightness of the bench last year - ask ourselves honestly, who have we added? Cian Lynch looks to be on the brink, Stephen Walsh, hardly a newcomer, will start in the corner and Tom Condon will probably start at wing-back - these are the changes we can expect come May from the side that played KK last year. Reidy, Fitzgibbon, Morrissey have gotten token cameos here and there throughout the league, Seanie O'Brien looks like a go-to man to plug a number of holes all over the pitch. Other than that, there were some questionable inclusions and omissions to what was a threadbare panel for much of the league. We put out a strong 15 for the final game, but some of those were clearly off the pace fitness wise and hurling wise and rather than give a real chance to players who might bust a gut in an attempt to make the team, we watched certain players who were MIA for the entire 70 mins. Our panel is no stronger than last year, of that I am sure, and without a strong panel it matters not how much potential we think we have in the first 15.

So long as we don't allow ourselves get dragged all over the place - and there is no guarantee that won't happen, see Dan Morrissey being dragged out past midfield against Dublin the other night, allowing Schutte ACRES of space to work with on a hardly-mobile Richie McCarthy - along as that happens I feel we will still have a strong defence. I don't think Wayne Mac is anywhere near as bad as some of our supporters like to make out - he gets roasted for his own mistakes whereas he is often there to save others blushes and gets little credit for it, and will be better for having the stronger presence of Tom Condon beside him this year. I have a bad feeling that TJ will make the mistake of bringing the wrong Kilmallock man into defence this year and will persist with POB at wing-back when GOM is the man who has proven many times that he can play there in the past.

I think our midfield has gone backwards somewhat from last year, Browne and Ryan's use of the ball at times is woeful. I would have liked to have seen POB and Fitzgibbon get a go here alongside one of the more experienced pair, better stickmen who might use the ball a bit more effectively. One of the two stepping up might have released Ryan for a centre-forward role. Our forwards are a disaster at the moment, despite all the potential we think we have there. Dowling has not threatened once at full-forward and having improved his fitness somewhat I think is badly needed at 10 or 12 as we simply cannot win possession at the moment. Any bit of good play I have seen from Dowling this year has been a cameo out on the wing. Lads have been on about Hannon as our no. 11 for the next decade would want to re-evaluate that - when Hannon is good he is very good but too much of the time he is simply non-existant. You can't play a centre-forward who will not impose himself and hassle the opposing half-back line - it is simple not Declan's game to do this. Look at Kilkenny yesterday and the pressure their forwards applied, versus what our own will do. Reidy would nearly be worth a place alone for the amount of pressure he applies to opposing backs compared to the rest of our players. I thought Breen had improved last year under the high-ball but he has gone way backwards again in the league, his positioning under the dropping ball is atrocious. At least he is the one player who will turn and run at goals, he may be more effective at this stage in the full-forward line, certainly he was very good in the first half against Wexford before being moved out. Graeme Mulcahy, who was clearly knackered on Saturday night but still ended up with 0-4, is a certain starter at corner-forward.

I would look at something along the lines following in upcoming challenge matches:

N. Quaid, S O'Brien, R. McCarthy, S.Walsh, T.Condon, W. McNamara, G. O'Mahoney, P.Browne, P.O'Brien, S.Dowling, J.Ryan, D.Hannon, G.Mulcahy, K.Downes, D.Breen

with plenty of gametime (i.e., at least a half - not a token 5 minutes at the end) also given to Lynch, Tobin, Fitzgibbon, Reidy, both Morrisseys and whoever the management bring in for cover for the full-back line (with Hickey out for a few weeks you'd imagine they'll have to draft in one body at least but that could very well be wishful thinking). There are a few names on the starting 15 at the moment who I would imagine are far too comfortable in the knowledge that they will probably start no matter what and you get to certain point where that simply can no longer be the case, no matter their reputation or what the concensus holds that they bring to the team.

glasagusban

Twoman Fullbackline wrote: »

A woeful end to the league. Not the first time either, and you can take some solace from that, but the reality is if we are to have serious ambitions then we should not be putting out practically our first team in Croke Park and watching them getting hammered, no matter how lackadaisically we are approaching it. The line "Limerick are a championship team" being bandied about a bit, as if the cabinet is bulging from the glories of previous summers and other counties are going gung-ho in the spring and couldn't give a hoot about championship.

We bemoaned the lightness of the bench last year - ask ourselves honestly, who have we added? Cian Lynch looks to be on the brink, Stephen Walsh, hardly a newcomer, will start in the corner and Tom Condon will probably start at wing-back - these are the changes we can expect come May from the side that played KK last year. Reidy, Fitzgibbon, Morrissey have gotten token cameos here and there throughout the league, Seanie O'Brien looks like a go-to man to plug a number of holes all over the pitch. Other than that, there were some questionable inclusions and omissions to what was a threadbare panel for much of the league. We put out a strong 15 for the final game, but some of those were clearly off the pace fitness wise and hurling wise and rather than give a real chance to players who might bust a gut in an attempt to make the team, we watched certain players who were MIA for the entire 70 mins. Our panel is no stronger than last year, of that I am sure, and without a strong panel it matters not how much potential we think we have in the first 15.

So long as we don't allow ourselves get dragged all over the place - and there is no guarantee that won't happen, see Dan Morrissey being dragged out past midfield against Dublin the other night, allowing Schutte ACRES of space to work with on a hardly-mobile Richie McCarthy - along as that happens I feel we will still have a strong defence. I don't think Wayne Mac is anywhere near as bad as some of our supporters like to make out - he gets roasted for his own mistakes whereas he is often there to save others blushes and gets little credit for it, and will be better for having the stronger presence of Tom Condon beside him this year. I have a bad feeling that TJ will make the mistake of bringing the wrong Kilmallock man into defence this year and will persist with POB at wing-back when GOM is the man who has proven many times that he can play there in the past.

I think our midfield has gone backwards somewhat from last year, Browne and Ryan's use of the ball at times is woeful. I would have liked to have seen POB and Fitzgibbon get a go here alongside one of the more experienced pair, better stickmen who might use the ball a bit more effectively. One of the two stepping up might have released Ryan for a centre-forward role. Our forwards are a disaster at the moment, despite all the potential we think we have there. Dowling has not threatened once at full-forward and having improved his fitness somewhat I think is badly needed at 10 or 12 as we simply cannot win possession at the moment. Any bit of good play I have seen from Dowling this year has been a cameo out on the wing. Lads have been on about Hannon as our no. 11 for the next decade would want to re-evaluate that - when Hannon is good he is very good but too much of the time he is simply non-existant. You can't play a centre-forward who will not impose himself and hassle the opposing half-back line - it is simple not Declan's game to do this. Look at Kilkenny yesterday and the pressure their forwards applied, versus what our own will do. Reidy would nearly be worth a place alone for the amount of pressure he applies to opposing backs compared to the rest of our players. I thought Breen had improved last year under the high-ball but he has gone way backwards again in the league, his positioning under the dropping ball is atrocious. At least he is the one player who will turn and run at goals, he may be more effective at this stage in the full-forward line, certainly he was very good in the first half against Wexford before being moved out. Graeme Mulcahy, who was clearly knackered on Saturday night but still ended up with 0-4, is a certain starter at corner-forward.

I would look at something along the lines following in upcoming challenge matches:

N. Quaid, S O'Brien, R. McCarthy, S.Walsh, T.Condon, W. McNamara, G. O'Mahoney, P.Browne, P.O'Brien, S.Dowling, J.Ryan, D.Hannon, G.Mulcahy, K.Downes, D.Breen

with plenty of gametime (i.e., at least a half - not a token 5 minutes at the end) also given to Lynch, Tobin, Fitzgibbon, Reidy, both Morrisseys and whoever the management bring in for cover for the full-back line (with Hickey out for a few weeks you'd imagine they'll have to draft in one body at least but that could very well be wishful thinking). There are a few names on the starting 15 at the moment who I would imagine are far too comfortable in the knowledge that they will probably start no matter what and you get to certain point where that simply can no longer be the case, no matter their reputation or what the concensus holds that they bring to the team.

Pretty much spot on. I do think Gavin at half forward and Condon to wing back could improve things. I'd rather leave Gavin at wing back though. Like you I don't think Paudie is strong enough there and I think Tom Ryan is a big loss here. Condon and Gavin both play left wing though, one will have to shift across if both are to play wing back, this mightn't suit.

Massive pity Downes is still out and won't be ready for a while yet. I think he could be what we're missing at half forward. Breen has to be left at half forward. I agree with you on wayne and I think Breen is similar in that the positives outweigh the mistakes. But he has to be at half forward, he doesn't do well in tight spaces and his main benefit is winning or breaking ball and driving at defence, he needs space to run into.

You're right we haven't found any new players bar lynch. I like walsh and happy to see him start, maybe less exciting than Condon but possibly a more solid defender. I think lynch has to start in summer. I'd still like to see him at corner forward. Not his natural position but in a roving role his vision could really create things for others when he gets on the ball.

It's disappointing we haven't developed more options but Alan Dempsey and Kevin O'Brien are the only two I really feel have been harshly overlooked. I think Dempsey could have been a starter and o'brien is a better forward than some on the panel. Could have been an impact sub. Ryan is another loss.

Against that we have lynch, walsh, maybe o'brien and Condon and o'mahony in potentially new roles. A few more got good chances but haven't fully convinced.

zombieHanalei

We haven't learned that much since August, as a general rule I avoid being overly critical of players here as we have no idea just how much they give for our county but things have been said here in the last few days which on the one hand I feel to be harsh, but on the other hand I find it hard to disagree with...

We're still a bit one dimensional in terms of how we play, that concerns me because I had been led to believe that improving tactical flexibility was on the agenda of the management this year, and there has been no evidence of any work done on that end except for the failed big target man at full forward experiment with Pat Begley.

Waterford took advantage of acres of space in our defence until James Ryan was brought on, Wexford did likewise, as did Dublin. It was our undoing against Cork in the Munster final last year, and Wexford regularly danced through our defence for the first 20 minutes of the quarter final last year, luckily they had an absolute shocker in front of the posts.

It's happening over and over again, our defence struggles against a dynamic forward unit, opposition regularly find and exploit space in our defence.

We play a third midfielder by withdrawing a corner forward but wonder would we not be better off dropping a sweeper behind because we need someone to fill the gap, tighten things up a bit back there. I don't like the sweeper system but it strikes me that we are absolutely crying out for one at times.

The league was a disaster, you'd have forgiven that performance against Dublin had we finished top and gained promotion, you'd have forgiven finishing second and not securing promotion had we gone out and put in a proper performance against Dublin. But lack of promotion combined with that performance is really hard to take.

In terms of what we learned about the players; given how undercooked we were against Dublin you'd have to question if we got any benefit at all from the league. You have to accept that our hands were tied in many ways, we knew we'd be without the Kilmallock players so no excuse there, but the injury situation was a bit ridiculous at times so it was pretty much a case of scrambling a team together from 22 odd players. Dan Morrissey is looking good to provide competition for what was our weakest line last year while Cian Lynch looks like a useful weapon to bring on from the bench, but you wouldn't say with any real confidence that either of them will be a starter come the summer. However the depth they add is very welcome.

I don't doubt that they will perform to an acceptable level come championship, but anyone who feels this team has gone up another level is only codding them self, and anyone who believes we are capable of doing so for the championship is optimistic to say the least. We're a AI semi final standard team, we've gone back a step or two since August, we can and probably will regain that step or two for the championship, but that only puts us back where we were as a semi final standard team.

paddy no 11

Thats about it. Just have to wait for next 8 weeks and live off of bits of info from challenge matches and the like.

Well done to the footballers over the weekend result almost forgotten in the hurling mess.

Minors against cork next wednesday in pairc ui rinn, will get along to that looking forward to a good competive game.

paddy no 11

And yes you'd have to give some serious consideration to the sweeper system.

cnoc

Based on Clare's performance yesterday (and I know that no two games are the same), they will run rings around Limerick. Whoever plays on Tony Kelly will have their work cut out for them - at times he is almost unmarkable. Shane O'Donnell is very dangerous in front of goal, and will take some stopping. Apart from these two players they have a number of top class players.

glasagusban

cnoc wrote: »

Based on Clare's performance yesterday (and I know that no two games are the same), they will run rings around Limerick. Whoever plays on Tony Kelly will have their work cut out for them - at times he is almost unmarkable. Shane O'Donnell is very dangerous in front of goal, and will take some stopping. Apart from these two players they have a number of top class players.

All we need is two Seamus Hickeys to man mark both.

Browney7

I've held my fire on the weekend shambles until now but Mann coming out to deflect is a bit odd considering what went on last year with OGrady. Anyway, any personal abuse of players is uncalled for but there are plenty of areas that we are lacking the past few months:
1) A sensible game plan. High balls into our giant forwards Tobin and Mulcahy is lunacy. Pure and simple. I can only think the thinking is that management want to play in the opposition half as much as possible which at senior inter county level is nuts. That might work at club junior A where lads make more mistakes. Not here. Just giving the opposition the ball to put pressure on our backs.

2) Our ability to win ball in the air is hopeless at the moment. Getting cleaned out of it.

3) The apparent disregard for the league is unfair on supporters. I feel sorry for anyone that went to Dublin for that tripe. If the plan is indeed to be crap in the league would they kindly tell us and save us all the hassle and money.

All that said, we're in no position as a county to be disregarding the league. I acknowledge its hard to be at the top of your game and going gung ho from February to September. Obviously we will never be Kilkenny like in our attitudes - Cody instills an unbelievable hunger in them which no other county has.

If the plan is indeed to peak for Clare, I still can't fathom why we are so flat all league unless they are running themselves into the ground every Saturday before games.

The only silver linings at the moment are we were just as bad last year and historically when we tend to do well in the league we fall flat in the championship.

The only good thing about being in 1b next year is it might suit some of the minors from last year but if management have publically stated promotion was the goal, so far the year is a failure.

Big 8 weeks ahead now. All hands to the pump.

Vanolder

Any word on Hickey and Dodge?

Downes is back next week.

Fireball07

cnoc wrote: »

Based on Clare's performance yesterday (and I know that no two games are the same), they will run rings around Limerick. Whoever plays on Tony Kelly will have their work cut out for them - at times he is almost unmarkable. Shane O'Donnell is very dangerous in front of goal, and will take some stopping. Apart from these two players they have a number of top class players.

Seamus Hickey is the perfect man to mark Tony Kelly, it's the kind of role he'll relish. Sadly, there's no way he'll be on him, he'll pick up McGrath inside who, as good as O'Donnell was at the weekend, McGrath is on a different level again- unbelievable forward.


Kelly will probably not be man-marked, he roams too much anyway, so it will just be about our midfield and half-back line being very aware of not letting him pick up space.




No call for personal abuse of players at all, I have seen some on various fora and social media; the players do give it everything. I don't think they didn't try against Dublin, but the intensity just wasn't there. Does seem like double standards from Mann as the performance this year was almost as bad as last year, but there is no call for abusing players. I have faith that they can up it for Championship.

Mehapoy

Fireball07 wrote: »

Seamus Hickey is the perfect man to mark Tony Kelly, it's the kind of role he'll relish. Sadly, there's no way he'll be on him, he'll pick up McGrath inside who, as good as O'Donnell was at the weekend, McGrath is on a different level again- unbelievable forward.


Kelly will probably not be man-marked, he roams too much anyway, so it will just be about our midfield and half-back line being very aware of not letting him pick up space.




No call for personal abuse of players at all, I have seen some on various fora and social media; the players do give it everything. I don't think they didn't try against Dublin, but the intensity just wasn't there. Does seem like double standards from Mann as the performance this year was almost as bad as last year, but there is no call for abusing players. I have faith that they can up it for Championship.

Clare with O'donnell, McGrath and Kelly in top form will test our defence to the maximum, certainly Richie will need to focus now on O'donnell for the next 2 months, he got great ball left and right for Clare against Kilkenny, with the same ball against Richie we'd be torn apart, we've a lot of players out of form on the evidence of the league,
You'd have to give them the benefit of the doubt until May/June though on the evidence of the last 2 years, it'll be going into a first round with more hope than confidence again this year...

mickmackey1

Fair play to the footballers btw, beating Clare by double scores was some long shot

glasagusban

Don't know how much attention to pay to this either, but TJ's comments that they thought they had prepared well and were going to put in a good performance and had selected the strongest team available (which they did). If true, it's worrying. Would suggest management haven't a clue how to prepare or get a performance out of the team which I really hope can't possibly be the case.

zombieHanalei

That clown Oliver Mann has spoken, now him I have no problem personally criticising. He needs to keep his mouth shut and just keep the head down and do his job. His treatment of O'Grady last year was appalling, then there was his narcissistic bizarre speech upon being re-elected combined with the strange personal attack on Martin Kiely, and now this polar opposite reaction to last years poor quarter final exit.... Good man Oliver...

thinkstoomuch1

glasagusban wrote: »

Don't know how much attention to pay to this either, but TJ's comments that they thought they had prepared well and were going to put in a good performance and had selected the strongest team available (which they did). If true, it's worrying. Would suggest management haven't a clue how to prepare or get a performance out of the team which I really hope can't possibly be the case.

Finally you begin to actually realise this, with greatest respect I said this from day one and despite as now been proven a one off over rated moral defeat to kilkenny that were below standard produced all Ireland, yet my view was often dismissed as reptive and same old stuff when genuinely I never meant to offend any limerick fans but all I doing call spade a spade

Ryan was outstanding full back one my favourite all time up their with the rock only jj ahead them
But he never ever top manager elite intercounty and winning poor county intermediate cork is not sign he had the standard
There from day one has been signs this set up was poor
Talks game plan changed and half back line changes etc imo it will not happen this set up and expect most team started v KK will indeed play again v clare and the usual one dimension style long ball up to the forwards which will be meat and drink to clare double sweeper as hsve no doubt clare will play not one sweeper but two from what I saw training while back clare and limerick despite clare having problems st full back won't get enough possession
Davy does need to reign in a bit but imo I'd hsve more faith in him than the current limerick set up as Clare set up imo well proven


Some here that now questions tj despite glaring signs all last year and league ist games show some problems why limerick have in they refused to entertain any critsom current set up before yet now complete questions him now
Imo appointment from day one should be questioned as he'd terrific passionate gaa man and great servant to limerick but he's judgement imo is purely as a manager now and term under twenty one manager showed signs he had lot to prove before been given the top job but then after one good performance v KK and tipp imo lucky to win he gets three year deal
This set up has the players but it craves a tactical mastermind
Only team do well imo is under twenty ones as I saw another challenge match recently and there flying playing lovely variety of play
Minor will be competitive but won't beat cork next week as balance management imo not great in limerick hsve two manager and no coach and also one key key forward is huge doubt
I hope that young lad plays as such talent I like see talented hurlers like him play in big games
Limerick have one big game in them but that's about it imo this team unfortunately is going backwards and it'd sad to see as the hurling is there and better players are not being picked should be

Fireball07

glasagusban wrote: »

Don't know how much attention to pay to this either, but TJ's comments that they thought they had prepared well and were going to put in a good performance and had selected the strongest team available (which they did). If true, it's worrying. Would suggest management haven't a clue how to prepare or get a performance out of the team which I really hope can't possibly be the case.

Comments were slightly worrying. But they did get things right for the Tipp, Wexford and even KK games last year.

Fireball07

Mehapoy wrote: »

Clare with O'donnell, McGrath and Kelly in top form will test our defence to the maximum, certainly Richie will need to focus now on O'donnell for the next 2 months, he got great ball left and right for Clare against Kilkenny, with the same ball against Richie we'd be torn apart, we've a lot of players out of form on the evidence of the league,
You'd have to give them the benefit of the doubt until May/June though on the evidence of the last 2 years, it'll be going into a first round with more hope than confidence again this year...

I do think that Richie has what it takes to mark O'Donnell though. O'Donnell is a livewire for sure and has a lot of pace but McCarthy has marked better players. I can't see him being skinned as he was by Schutte but it's a wake-up call for him.

We can't leave so much space in front of the full-back line either, it was a problem last year too. There is the option of playing a sweeper, which would probably help that but I'm still not 100% sure we have inside forwards suitable to leave them isolated. I'm also not sure who the sweeper should be... Hickey would be ideal but can't afford not to have him man-marking. Browne would also be ideal but need him in midfield. Maybe someone like Paudie or Seanie O'Brien. Weirdly, we are a lot more comfortable when teams withdraw one of their inside men, it allows one of our full-backs to pick up that space in front. Clare often do that, and it could help us.

The other option is to drop the centre-back deep and we did that against Kilkenny to some extent although that may be the weather conditions. Dodge did it against Cork too, and it also showed the weakness of it, McCarthy picked off 5 points from play. You'd need the midfield to drop very deep too (which they can do)... I reckon that might be what they do. It doesn't solve the issue of not winning ball though, that's a personnel problem as well.

glasagusban

Fireball07 wrote: »

Comments were slightly worrying. But they did get things right for the Tipp, Wexford and even KK games last year.

Agreed. In championship their record has been good. TTM is still banging the same drum but record last summer was good. I'll judge the management at the end of this summer, they deserve the benefit of the doubt for now.