Galway GAA discussion thread

aidan24326

Always_Running wrote: »

I don't think Pad Duffy overly cared if it was a success or failure. He and his pals at HQ had to come up with a solution on the falling attendances and this new format of more games equals more money. He is also was responsible for getting rid of good U21 AI championship and replaced it with a diluted version that few had much interest in. Had no time for him and his bluff talk just a pity he didn't step down sooner.

The changing of U-21 and minor was such a terrible idea and I hope it's reversed. Last weekend we had Mayo and Kildare playing in an U-20 final that almost no-one even watched because it was clashing with the Galway-Clare replay. Not to mention that it was played in a near-empty Croke Park. They've made a total mess of that.

meriwether

aidan24326 wrote: »

The changing of U-21 and minor was such a terrible idea and I hope it's reversed. Last weekend we had Mayo and Kildare playing in an U-20 final that almost no-one even watched because it was clashing with the Galway-Clare replay. Not to mention that it was played in a near-empty Croke Park. They've made a total mess of that.

With the Kildare seniors having played in killarney the day before too. Unbelievable scheduling.

threeball

meriwether wrote: »

With the Kildare seniors having played in killarney the day before too. Unbelievable scheduling.

It's been the most terrible year for the gaa I can remember. The only saving grace this year has been the hurling. Apart from that it's been as disaster on and off the pitch. We even have refs chucking it in. Congress should be focused on a clean out but instead it will faff about with a rule or two.

threeball

It's hard to see how we win today. I don't think we can sit back, absorb pressure and break. We tried that in both league games. Dublin reeled us in in salthill and kept a comfortable gap in croker.

We simply have to leave our full forward line up and our centre forward in midfield as a link, ideally Shane Walsh. Everyone else can drop back when we lose possession. If we can't defend with 11 then we can't defend.

We simply can't have McMahon, Cooper etc rampaging up the field cos their man has dropped deep. We have to keep them honest.

I think we've set up not to do that all year however so I can't see it changing today.

Doctors room ghost

Best of luck to the footballers today.
I'm sticking with my original bet and Galway to shock the dubs and beat Tyrone in the final but either way it's been a good year for Galway football and the team should be proud.fair play to them.
Now plough on in Dublin

Doctors room ghost

And just to add I think it's wrong that an all Ireland semi final is being played on a Saturday evening.fair enough if it was a replay but it's not fair on players and supporters and I think it takes away from the atmosphere and build up.it should be a prime 3pm Sunday slot.i don't like the new timetable at all or round robin thing.
If you travel from out west say maam cross or further and you drive up what time of night would you get home?and the possibility of extra time.i know a lad not going incase time went over and he missed the last train.

threeball

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

And just to add I think it's wrong that an all Ireland semi final is being played on a Saturday evening.fair enough if it was a replay but it's not fair on players and supporters and I think it takes away from the atmosphere and build up.it should be a prime 3pm Sunday slot.i don't like the new timetable at all or round robin thing.
If you travel from out west say maam cross or further and you drive up what time of night would you get home?and the possibility of extra time.i know a lad not going incase time went over and he missed the last train.

The scheduling seems like it was done by a 3yr old. Weeks between games in the connaught championship and no break at the business end. There's guys in Croke park getting very highly paid and doing a sh1t job. But there's a public service mentality there so there's no accountability

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Heading up myself with a group, but definitely a lack of interest from the usual quarters. Still doesn't stop us believing we're turn the dubs over. Gaillimh Abú.

Diabhal Beag

Motorwar very quiet on the drive up. Still early but not a great sign.

Happyilylost

Match programme has Patrick Sweeney and Gary O Donnell down to start. No Kelly or Heaney.

Redo91

Best of luck to footballers today. Can’t make the game as I’m heading away on holidays. On the bus up noticed a reasonable crowd from Galway and which was good to see. Hope we give a good show. Fancy us to keep it within the handicap. I think I land just after 5 Irish time so hopefully I’ll catch a bit of the match on my phone.

Utopia Parkway

he Galway team to play Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday August 11th has been announced

1-Ruairí Lavelle

2-Declan Kyne

3-Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh

4-Eoghan Kerin

5-Cathal Sweeney

6-Gareth Bradshaw

7-Gary O’Donnell

8-Peter Cooke

9-Thomas Flynn

10-Shane Walsh

11-Patrick Sweeney

12-Seán Kelly

13-Ian Burke

14-Damien Comer

15-Eamonn Brannigan

Patrick Sweeney is starting?

vid36

Happyilylost wrote: »

Match programme has Patrick Sweeney and Gary O Donnell down to start. No Kelly or Heaney.

I really hope it is just mind games.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Motorway busy here past Athlone. Hopefully a good sign.

blowitupref

vid36 wrote: »

I really hope it is just mind games.

Kelly unlikely to start after the injury he got last week. Heaney should start.

Sycamore Tree

blowitupref wrote: »

vid36 wrote: »

I really hope it is just mind games.

Kelly unlikely to start after the injury he got last week. Heaney should start.

Kelly is actually fine. Not sure he will start though.

threeball

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

he Galway team to play Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday August 11th has been announced

1-Ruairí Lavelle

2-Declan Kyne

3-Seán Andy Ó Ceallaigh

4-Eoghan Kerin

5-Cathal Sweeney

6-Gareth Bradshaw

7-Gary O’Donnell

8-Peter Cooke

9-Thomas Flynn

10-Shane Walsh

11-Patrick Sweeney

12-Seán Kelly

13-Ian Burke

14-Damien Comer

15-Eamonn Brannigan

Patrick Sweeney is starting?

Sweeney at centre forward? Not a chance.

h2005

Sycamore Tree wrote: »

Kelly is actually fine. Not sure he will start though.

If he’s fine why wouldn’t he?

Happyilylost

Sycamore Tree wrote:

Kelly is actually fine. Not sure he will start though.

He's not named among the subs

Diabhal Beag

Minors being bested with the wind in their favour.

threeball

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Minors being bested with the wind in their favour.

Wasted their chances when on top. Two corner forwards have been poor in possession. Halloran at centre forward and Sweeney at wing back the standouts so far.

crusier

Duggan heaney and Armstrong playing for o Donnell, Cooke and varley

Happyilylost

Happyilylost wrote:

He's not named among the subs

Got this completely wrong! Kelly is named to start. I was looking for him on the subs!! Hearing Heaney for O Donnell and Duggan for Cooke. Daly is on the bench.

If your free taker is a half back who kicks like that they done well to even get this far.

Just constant errors and they'll have nobody to blame but themselves if they lose this.

Absolutely brutal management to even have him taking them since the short 1-2 he missed.

Happyilylost

gilberto_eire wrote:

If your free taker is a half back who kicks like that they done well to even get this far.

Ya he's been poor. But he's centre forward for his club and barely missed for this minor team all year.

threeball

gilberto_eire wrote: »

If your free taker is a half back who kicks like that they done well to even get this far.

Just constant errors and they'll have nobody to blame but themselves if they lose this.

Yes he's missed 5 on the bounce and no sign of a change. Ridiculous team management. By far the better team but keeping Meath in it

threeball

This Tinney lad is very greedy too. Taking really bad options

threeball

Great finish by the centre back.

Happyilylost

Letting him take another is crazy. Even though he'll probably score.

threeball

Kelly in midfield has been impressive but doesn't appear to have the biggest engine which would hamper him in that position as he goes up the grades.
Halloran, Sweeney and Gill have been excellent too.

Diabhal Beag

Best half of minor football I've seen. Kelly, Sweeney and Halloran unreal.

threeball

Desperate crowd for 30mins before throw in.

The manager who learns nothing.

You won't beat Dublin if they're going to win 95% of their kick outs.

They lost one and it was a poor kick from Cluxton to a free player.

Two kick outs won in two games(not counting garbage time)... How can you expect to beat a decent team like that.

Please God Kevin Walsh just leaves... He's out of his depth and has been done time after time when the chips were down.

We're clueless in attack, it's just individual skill making the scores.
All over the place in defence, nobody responsible anyone so players get free with good movement.

If you can't build a cohesive attack with Comer/Burke/Walsh/Daly you don't deserve them players.

There's some good players there but we're like a junior team coaching wise.

Hard luck to the players, they gave it their all but they're not getting the best they can from the coaching and preparation.

Get an astute coach in there who sees the 5% gains around the pitch and they'll challenge for AIs

SecretsOfEarth

I think the most baffling thing about the Galway system of play is that, despite having 10-11 players back, few if any of them seem to know what they're meant to be doing. They skirt around players and jog somewhere near them without picking them up. Marking space, in my opinion, is a waste of time if all that dominates is confusion.

Happyilylost

Disappointed. Felt at half time our chance was gone. Conversion rate I think was Dublin 10/12 Galway 8/17 probably tells it's own story. I always hate if's and but's but that's the way I felt. Longer the game went on the belief and confidence went out of them very quick. Which was disappointing. Still if I was told at the start of the year we would win Connacht Final, be in a League Final and into a semi final of the All Ireland I would of said fair enough. I'll take it. Doesn't feel like that now. A few aren't up to it. Need to face up to that reality and introduce a few more. As a group hopefully they can learn from it and move on.

Utopia Parkway

A positive year overall (Connacht title, reached league final, won 2 games in Super 8's) but two fairly meek defeats to end it is inevitably going to leave a sour taste in the mouth.

Needed to take the majority of our chances today to push Dublin. Mayo scored 60% of their chances against them last year and still lost. We were at about 40% today. That won't get it done. In the first half alone we missed a penalty and kicked 6 or 7 bad wides. Dublin made some switches at HT and locked down their defence much better in the 2nd half.

threeball

Happyilylost wrote: »

Disappointed. Felt at half time our chance was gone. Conversion rate I think was Dublin 10/12 Galway 8/17 probably tells it's own story. I always hate if's and but's but that's the way I felt. Longer the game went on the belief and confidence went out of them very quick. Which was disappointing. Still if I was told at the start of the year we would win Connacht Final, be in a League Final and into a semi final of the All Ireland I would of said fair enough. I'll take it. Doesn't feel like that now. A few aren't up to it. Need to face up to that reality and introduce a few more. As a group hopefully they can learn from it and move on.

It was disappointing how little conviction they started the 2nd half with. They could have rattled Dublin but instead retreated deeper and deeper. They got tired early too. Don't know if that's the exertions of the league catching up or lack of s&c. There's no doubt the Dublins close to professional set up is a huge advantage to them in this regard. Other teams are way behind them but I don't think today's game was particularly taxing.

Utopia Parkway

Heaney won't want to see McCaffrey any time soon. Bet him up a stick today. Seemed like he was taking the ball off him every few minutes.

Diabhal Beag

Really poor Galway support yesterday. Granted there's a hurling final next week but the footballers deserved more than the meager turnout and it was a good summation of the armchair and sunshiner contingents "backing" Galway football.

No excuses for the showing. Comer caused hell first 10 minutes and he retreated to midfield. That's either tactical naivety or a player that doesn't believe in his management.

Dubs had a free man for every kickout and we were easily dealt with.

We needed huge performances from lads like Kerin, Heaney, Bradshaw, Army and Brannigan to get going and it never happened. Dubs had us at arms-length once Branningan missed the penalty.

Think Walsh and co have done great work and it would be a respectable time to step aside as we have good youngsters and a decent spine. Tactically on the big day we are being found out too often in the most important games. It's been a good year but we've been outclassed by much better teams. I also have no doubt there'd be much more interest in the job than 3/4 years back. That being said Walsh/Silke/Conlon all have pushed the team on from a side that could lose to any top 16 side to a good side that scalped Kerry.

Doctors room ghost

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Really poor Galway support yesterday. Granted there's a hurling final next week but the footballers deserved more than the meager turnout and it was a good summation of the armchair and sunshiner contingents "backing" Galway football.

No excuses for the showing. Comer caused hell first 10 minutes and he retreated to midfield. That's either tactical naivety or a player that doesn't believe in his management.

Dubs had a free man for every kickout and we were easily dealt with.

We needed huge performances from lads like Kerin, Heaney, Bradshaw, Army and Brannigan to get going and it never happened. Dubs had us at arms-length once Branningan missed the penalty.

Think Walsh and co have done great work and it would be a respectable time to step aside as we have good youngsters and a decent spine. Tactically on the big day we are being found out too often in the most important games. It's been a good year but we've been outclassed by much better teams. I also have no doubt there'd be much more interest in the job than 3/4 years back. That being said Walsh/Silke/Conlon all have pushed the team on from a side that could lose to any top 16 side to a good side that scalped Kerry.

Good year for Galway football overall.

spurshero

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Really poor Galway support yesterday. Granted there's a hurling final next week but the footballers deserved more than the meager turnout and it was a good summation of the armchair and sunshiner contingents "backing" Galway football.

No excuses for the showing. Comer caused hell first 10 minutes and he retreated to midfield. That's either tactical naivety or a player that doesn't believe in his management.

Dubs had a free man for every kickout and we were easily dealt with.

We needed huge performances from lads like Kerin, Heaney, Bradshaw, Army and Brannigan to get going and it never happened. Dubs had us at arms-length once Branningan missed the penalty.

Think Walsh and co have done great work and it would be a respectable time to step aside as we have good youngsters and a decent spine. Tactically on the big day we are being found out too often in the most important games. It's been a good year but we've been outclassed by much better teams. I also have no doubt there'd be much more interest in the job than 3/4 years back. That being said Walsh/Silke/Conlon all have pushed the team on from a side that could lose to any top 16 side to a good side that scalped Kerry.

Support was embarrassing. Team deserved better after the year they had . I came down on the match day train at 840 and it was 40 percent full at best

Diabhal Beag

spurshero wrote: »

Support was embarrassing. Team deserved better after the year they had . I came down on the match day train at 840 and it was 40 percent full at best

The drive home was the quietest I've ever seen that motorway on a Saturday evening in my life. Fans let the team down more than vice-versa.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

I have to say after the past 10+ years this year has been a blessing. Unbeaten in the league, beat Mayo (again), Connacht title, beat Kerry in Croker and reached an All-Ireland semi-final. A good up and coming team that are only a few players off properly challenging for an AI. Our style of football isn't easy on the eye, but the result is all that matters, and if we get an AI out of it no one will complain. I don't understand people calling for Kevin Walsh's head, he's transformed us from a soft collection of players to a hardened team. As Diabhal Beag said above, the turn-out yesterday was a disgrace. It was embarrassing to see such a low turnout for a semi final, our first iirc since the glory days. But I do think that is a problem with football as a whole, rather than just with Galway.
Also, the emergence (finally) of Shane Walsh as a bona fide star cannot be understated. Anyone even a bit familiar with Galway football know his talent and it's brilliant to see him living up to his potential this year. Nailed on for a well-deserved all-star.

Doctors room ghost

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Two kick outs won in two games(not counting garbage time)... How can you expect to beat a decent team like that.

Please God Kevin Walsh just leaves... He's out of his depth and has been done time after time when the chips were down.

We're clueless in attack, it's just individual skill making the scores.
All over the place in defence, nobody responsible anyone so players get free with good movement.

If you can't build a cohesive attack with Comer/Burke/Walsh/Daly you don't deserve them players.

There's some good players there but we're like a junior team coaching wise.

Hard luck to the players, they gave it their all but they're not getting the best they can from the coaching and preparation.

Get an astute coach in there who sees the 5% gains around the pitch and they'll challenge for AIs

Personally I'd be inclined to give Kevin Walsh another 2 years if he wanted it.that bunch of players are just maturing nicely and the year they just had should push them on nicely next year.
Out of interest who would you like to see take over from Kevin Walsh if he did go.

TCDStudent1

Doctors room ghost wrote: »

Personally I'd be inclined to give Kevin Walsh another 2 years if he wanted it.that bunch of players are just maturing nicely and the year they just had should push them on nicely next year.
Out of interest who would you like to see take over from Kevin Walsh if he did go.

One would have to think that John Divilly could be in line. Has done very well at Sigerson level over a number of years. Can't really think of any other Galway man who has put in the same ground work to be in a position to be next manager.

spurshero

People that are calling for Kevin Walsh to go should remember 5 years ago Mayo beat us 17 points in pears stadium when mulholland was in charge . We have beaten Mayo in last 3 championship meetings under
Walsh . He is entitled to at least one more year . Will need to find at least 3 more players though.

threeball

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

One would have to think that John Divilly could be in line. Has done very well at Sigerson level over a number of years. Can't really think of any other Galway man who has put in the same ground work to be in a position to be next manager.

Definitely Divilly but I think Walsh deserves another year. He'll need to change up the defensive structure as you can't rely on counter attacking to turn over every team. It served a purpose this year in boosting the confidence of a young side new to division one. It's time to evolve the attacking side now.

Another year of s&c will really stand to them too. You need 3 or 4yrs to reach your peak. If he only develops the attacking side and reaches another semi next year he'll have done well and will be remembered fondly as both a player and a manager.

Pogue eile

Anyone calling for Kevin Walshe's head would want to have a serious chat with them selves and question what ther real motives are.