Galway GAA discussion thread

MfMan

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Hurling team announced.

Colm Callanan; Johnny Coen, Paul Killeen, John Hanbury; David Collins, Greg Lally, Gearoid McInerney; Andy Smith, Iarlaith Tannian; Joseph Cooney, Joe Canning, Jonathan Glynn; James Regan, Cathal Mannion, Jason Flynn.

How in gods name Regan got back in ill never know.
That's all there is to say about this MGMT team really.
Sort of like Trap leaving out Prem starters for Green.
It's not even a selection that would divide opinion like say Flynn/Cooney or Hansbury he's never had one good game in a fair few years now.

So where's Padraig Mannion? Injured? Superior to Killeen, Hansbury and McInerney IMHO.

MfMan

MfMan wrote: »

So where's Padraig Mannion? Injured? Superior to Killeen, Hansbury and McInerney IMHO.

The article on Hoganstand didn't explain the changes.

That FB line is far too slow and two are completely unproven at this level with nothing to show they can last it unlike Mannion who looks the real deal so far.

I think Mac has done well enough so far, given his height and our options in defence id be looking to try him at FB possibly as I think Daithi would be wasted there though Lally at 6 opens up the possibility to play him there.

Id like to see some order of Lally, Daithi, Coen, Moore, Collins, Mannion given a try or even Mac in for someone if he could play FB.

Harte should be free to stay in midfield with those 7 options and possibly aided by a current forward or D Burke...

I like Smyths graft but he hasn't the hurling ability for a starter, Tannion like Smyth is too inconsistent with his shooting but its a team sport and injuries happen so they're still needed.

MfMan

gilberto_eire wrote: »

The article on Hoganstand didn't explain the changes.

That FB line is far too slow and two are completely unproven at this level with nothing to show they can last it unlike Mannion who looks the real deal so far.

I think Mac has done well enough so far, given his height and our options in defence id be looking to try him at FB possibly as I think Daithi would be wasted there though Lally at 6 opens up the possibility to play him there.

Id like to see some order of Lally, Daithi, Coen, Moore, Collins, Mannion given a try or even Mac in for someone if he could play FB.

Harte should be free to stay in midfield with those 7 options and possibly aided by a current forward or D Burke...

I like Smyths graft but he hasn't the hurling ability for a starter, Tannion like Smyth is too inconsistent with his shooting but its a team sport and injuries happen so they're still needed.

Normally I'd agree re: Smith, but he's been one of our better players this league (that's how ordinary I think we've been.) Tannian blows hot and cold, and his deliveries can be overhit. Anyway, as I've referred to earlier, it's up front our real deficiencies lie.

Borders no.2

Killeen, Hanbury, Regan? I don't really see what the management are doing here. We are a bit streched in some areas at the moment but that full back line is giving me nightmares already. The management are putting James Regan in an awful position, every game he's started in the league he has been taken off without making an impact. If you want to persist with him maybe give him a run off the bench or something but this really is the definition of insanity and even if they think they are backing him they aren't really as its likely that after 20 minutes or so he'll be looking over his shoulder again.

HatchetMan7

If James Regan is suffering from lack of confidence he'll be marking the wrong player on Sunday because Neol Connors is playing out of his skin this year. I'd expect Canning to go into full forward on Coughlan. I hope so anyway because Coughlan needs to be tested before championship.

T0001

I think this is the most downbeat I've ever been so far this year about Galway both hurling and football. I can't see anything today but another double loss which would be the third on the bounce.

Promotion is now realistically out of reach for the footballers, having done the maths it is infact impossible.

Hurler are probably at the end of the road for this league. Of coure they could surprise us all and actually beat Waterford in Walsh Park ( :O ) which they have done once before, 2 years ago, 0-15 to 0-12 when they needed to win to make the semi's back then. Very hard to win in WP and in all likely scenarios its gonna be a Waterford win, probably to the region of 2-20 to 2-15 or something along them lines.

T0001

T0001 wrote: »

I think this is the most downbeat I've ever been so far this year about Galway both hurling and football. I can't see anything today but another double loss which would be the third on the bounce.

Promotion is now realistically out of reach for the footballers, having done the maths it is infact impossible.

Hurler are probably at the end of the road for this league. Of coure they could surprise us all and actually beat Waterford in Walsh Park ( :O ) which they have done once before, 2 years ago, 0-15 to 0-12 when they needed to win to make the semi's back then. Very hard to win in WP and in all likely scenarios its gonna be a Waterford win, probably to the region of 2-20 to 2-15 or something along them lines.

I'd hold the gun on Walsh for another while yet.

Fair being fair, it's hard to shape the team in your mould this early into the tenure.

We were also missing Lundy and Sice, the former who was probably one of the best young players last season and reinforced for Corofin this year.
Sice also is above average county player so missing them would have had an effect.

We've had great leagues in both codes over the years and saw no reflection during the championship.
Wasn't that long ago we were a minute away from going up against Kildare but gave a penalty away at the death.... that was with a team who couldn't win a qualifier regardless of the opposition.

I backed both teams today but when I saw the hurling team I wasn't as confident.
Regardless though it's Waterford who haven't beaten anyone of note in a number of years now.... they have a young team with potential but like ourselves they haven't achieved anything to put them down as a shoe in to win.

Kildare winning last night could be a bad thing if we lose to Roscommon today, however it keeps more teams in sight of getting away from relegation.

Footballers doing reasonably well so far.

Playing against a strong breeze it would seem we should be able to rectify the 3 in a row of second half collapses.

Peadar Og misses a penalty which would have brought them back to 1.

Comer sends the 45 over kicking into the wind. He won the penalty too.

Roscommon lead 0-7 to 0-4.

Great player with a great style of play that defenders hate playing against.

T0001

gilberto_eire wrote: »

I'd hold the gun on Walsh for another while yet.

Fair being fair, it's hard to shape the team in your mould this early into the tenure.

I wasnt putting the gun to Walsh's head, I think what he is doing with Galway is great, bringing in new guys and building depth in panel. Tbf I think it will be another year or so before Galway will challenge for any silverware. Promotion this year would give the team great experience in Div 1 against the big teams and it would have brought them on in leaps and bounds.

TCDStudent1

T0001 wrote: »

I wasnt putting the gun to Walsh's head, I think what he is doing with Galway is great, bringing in new guys and building depth in panel. Tbf I think it will be another year or so before Galway will challenge for any silverware. Promotion this year would give the team great experience in Div 1 against the big teams and it would have brought them on in leaps and bounds.

At the moment, not being relegated is the aim!

T0001

Roscommon with the softest goal of the year!!

TCDStudent1

Listening to the football on GBFM. This does not augur well :-(

T0001

T0001 wrote: »

I wasnt putting the gun to Walsh's head, I think what he is doing with Galway is great, bringing in new guys and building depth in panel. Tbf I think it will be another year or so before Galway will challenge for any silverware. Promotion this year would give the team great experience in Div 1 against the big teams and it would have brought them on in leaps and bounds.

I wasn't implying you were.

Was just saying I wouldn't adjudge a poor league to continue into the championship.
It's easier to see how the hurlers will go as this is the 4th year of AC but the footballers are still an unknown.

It's worth noting we were also winning all 3 games so there's less to fix.

Games turned in Roscommon, a goal by Comer brought them back to 1 with a far lot left to play with the wind at their backs.

This game is crucial and I'd view this as the first test of KW tenure that they must come through.

TCDStudent1

gilberto_eire wrote: »

I wasn't implying you were.

Was just saying I wouldn't adjudge a poor league to continue into the championship.
It's easier to see how the hurlers will go as this is the 4th year of AC but the footballers are still an unknown.

It's worth noting we were also winning all 3 games so there's less to fix.

Games turned in Roscommon, a goal by Comer brought them back to 1 with a far lot left to play with the wind at their backs.

This game is crucial and I'd view this as the first test of KW tenure that they must come through.

Sounds like Comer is having a stormer at full forward.

TCDStudent1

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Sounds like Comer is having a stormer at full forward.

Players who show that sort of commitment to their play by putting their body on the line will always be in demand.

If I'm not mistaken he won a crucial ball at the end of the last U21 final against Cork.
Cork were rallying and he won a hard ball in the Galway defence where you could tell he was going to get hurt.
Some players just haven't the mental capacity to put their body where they know they'll hurt.

His footballing ability has obviously improved a lot since then so he's showing the full package now.

Diabhal Beag

1-10 to 2 points in the second half is super stuff. Delighted for Walsh. Sounds like Silke, Sweeney and Comer were excellent today. No harm beating the Rossies.

At least they have safety in their own hands now.

The score in that second half was probably treble the past 3 games combined.

0-2, 0-0 and I'm not sure about Down but I believe it was less than 5 anyway.

Nice to get it over Roscommon too, sick of hearing how they're the next in line in Connacht based on their U21s.... funnily Galway were never as hyped after their two.

Hopefully the hurlers now can even the weekend of sport to 2:2(Connacht, Galway Utd)

This is a proper Super Sunday... never mind those Premiership ones.

.....radio for the footballers and the relegation hurling on the TV, hurlers on at 4 and Ireland at 7.45.

Borders no.2

Important win. Was fearing the worst after the missed penalty and late goal for Roscommon before half time. If we'd won one more game we'd have a shot at promotion but should hopefully be ok in division 2 now. Might need something next weekend still. Much needed boost to morale after the dispiriting nature of the last 3 performances.

Hopefully the hurlers can go to Waterford and get a result to set up a meeting with Tipp which would tell us a lot. Likely to go to the wire this one I'd imagine.

Rubbish start in Waterford.

Killeen passes them the first point and needlessly fouls there to give them their 6th.
I can't stand players needlessly fouling unless it turns a potential 3 into 1 which it certainly wasn't there.

Some awful wides so far, 4 left behind between Canning and Mannion.

Waterford certainly seem to be playing with a strong wind but it's heading for a 10 point plus deficit by the switch which is far too much.

Sooner this year is over the better, have no faith in AC even as far back as 2013.
Ridicules that he got a 4th year.

This is actually getting embarrassing now.

Limestone1

gilberto_eire wrote: »

This is actually getting embarrassing now.

Gale force wind there - could be worth 8pts so it isn't over yet

O.A.P

Limestone1 wrote: »

Gale force wind there - could be worth 8pts so it isn't over yet

Hope your right very hard to watch the first half anyway .

Diabhal Beag

Galway's short passing is woeful. Tapping it straight into crowded traffic thr whole time. Tan already booked too.

Borders no.2

Waterford hurling well but we have helped them along their way. Lots of silly frees, needless balls hit aimlessly with lots of space and forward line making no impact. Am I right in saying Colm Callanan won the toss and elected to play against the wind. It looked like that from the pictures. If so and its not with the benefit of hindsight it was a crazy decision. We could still do it but we've given ourselves a mountain to climb. When offered the wind away from home to a confident young team in good form, you take it and build a lead, easier to hold out in 2nd half and chip away with a point here and there than try and reel in a big deficit and no guarantee the wind will stay strong.

Will need at least another 15 points to win this I reckon. Hard to see us getting that without a goal or two.

Mars Bar

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Waterford hurling well but we have helped them along their way. Lots of silly frees, needless balls hit aimlessly with lots of space and forward line making no impact. Am I right in saying Colm Callanan won the toss and elected to play against the wind. It looked like that from the pictures. If so and its not with the benefit of hindsight it was a crazy decision. We could still do it but we've given ourselves a mountain to climb. When offered the wind away from home to a confident young team in good form, you take it and build a lead, easier to hold out in 2nd half and chip away with a point here and there than try and reel in a big deficit and no guarantee the wind will stay strong.

Will need at least another 15 points to win this I reckon. Hard to see us getting that without a goal or two.

Or tire out the other team in the first half as they play with the wind and make them work against it in the second half.

Limestone1

Limestone1 wrote: »

Gale force wind there - could be worth 8pts so it isn't over yet

I understand that but the performance has just been dreadful.

The FF and FB lines have to be the worst in 1A or 1B.

We're playing our two FF's out the field and leaving 3 lads inside who wouldnt win a contested ball in a million years.
Two of these can contribute when they do have it but the other does absolutely nothing in any department.

The only other time I remember Canning sinking like this was when he was played out the field a year or two back.
He shouldn't have been allowed to do that if he was played where he should be.

When was the last time he was played FF?, a guy who's probably the best FF in the game.... it's just senseless playing both him and Glynn out the field together.

The way we played there I don't think we'd even get to 13 if they didn't score for the entire half... certainly not without goals anyway as we're consistent poor scorers.

Fair play to Andy Smyth though, his drive is always there..... shame the management can't instil that in the rest of the panel we're always found wanting when the games get edgy and you either have pride in the jersey or personal pride to get through those times which is a big issue in Galway in general.
I think a manager with the temperament of Davy Fitz would do wonders for the hurlers, the players are there... they're just being played out of position, left out and need a bit of steel and pride put into them.

Nice to see Healy back, wasn't aware he was ready to return.

He was a loss last year, was going well in the league.

Seems a certain amount of sense has prevailed, Glynn for now is inside and with Healy playing the corner I could see a goal from that unless he goes shuffling them around again.

LuckyGent88

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Nice to see Healy back, wasn't aware he was ready to return.

He was a loss last year, was going well in the league.

Seems a certain amount of sense has prevailed, Glynn for now is inside and with Healy playing the corner I could see a goal from that unless he goes shuffling them around again.

If the players in the half backs and midfield keep hitting aimless wides in they won't be getting near a goal opportunity. Some awful decision making

No score for 20mins with a gale at our backs.

Cant even get a shot in their half as we haven't managed to win one ball in their.
They have a lot back, but that's our own fault for playing against a wind and letting them pile their defence in the second half.

A short summer again this year as he won't learn anything and lads like Regan will be back in again the next day no doubt.

nice_guy80

so many of the Galway players have big lazy swings in comparison to the likes of Kilkenny and Clare

they get hooked and blocked so much

TCDStudent1

gilberto_eire wrote: »

No score for 20mins with a gale at our backs.

Cant even get a shot in their half as we haven't managed to win one ball in their.
They have a lot back, but that's our own fault for playing against a wind and letting them pile their defence in the second half.

A short summer again this year as he won't learn anything and lads like Regan will be back in again the next day no doubt.

I was at the Dublin - Limerick match last night. Dublin are a million miles ahead of Galway at the moment.

WallyGUFC

Truly embarrassing stuff. No pace, no skill, no game intelligence. The players aren't there obviously and all of this compounded by the ridiculous decision to give Cunningham another year. Awful.

gilberto_eire

gilberto_eire wrote: »

The way we played there I don't think we'd even get to 13 if they didn't score for the entire half... certainly not without goals anyway as we're consistent poor scorers.

I was feeling a tad foolish for saying this after 48minutes but low and behold they went and surpassed that by not even breaking 12.

Roll on 2016 and hopefully a new beginning under someone with a bit of passion and cop on.

Absolutely clueless and playing a 1B team.

Davys Fits

Galway don't appear to have any game plan. Up and down the centre long aimless shots. They need some freshness either on the field or on the sideline.

WallyGUFC

WallyGUFC wrote: »

Truly embarrassing stuff. No pace, no skill, no game intelligence. The players aren't there obviously and all of this compounded by the ridiculous decision to give Cunningham another year. Awful.

I don't think we're as bad as we're showing under him.

Look at the selection of Regan yet again, and he obviously knows as he's subbed him off at HT but he just continues to wipe the slate clean once the game is over.

It was also pointed out that Hansbury and Killeen wouldn't provide anything in the FB line.

Tannion is too slow for midfield(can't shoot either hence his failure to last as a HF and your midfield need that trait) and in the first half we had a massive contingent of slow players in the middle sector with Tannion, Glynn, Cooney, Canning out there.

When he's picking players who cant win their own ball in a 1v1 it's senseless to play against the wind and let the opposition crowd the defence with even more numbers to exploit that.

The only way when he leaves.

2013 and 2014 we weren't far of winning 0 championship games as Laois were unlucky on both occasions(I was at both), I don't think any other manager could achieve less than that.

Borders no.2

WallyGUFC wrote: »

Truly embarrassing stuff. No pace, no skill, no game intelligence. The players aren't there obviously and all of this compounded by the ridiculous decision to give Cunningham another year. Awful.

Fair play to Waterford deserving winners and a team most definitely on the up but its not like we've been beaten by serious all-ireland contenders for 2015.

What you say says it all. We watch every year as we fall further and further off the pace and from what I've seen of our underage teams and club hurling in the last few years, hurling in the county is crumbling. We can add Waterford to the list of teams ahead of us in the pecking order. We're down at 8 or 9 now and its hard to make a case to deny that.

Being honest Canning was anonymous in the 2nd half but who could blame him playing in such a poor quality team totally devoid of any tactical ideas.

We were 8 or 9 points down in the 2nd half and in a couple of instances our full forward line were back in our own full back line. We really made heroes out of a lot of the Waterford lads driving in ball to a shambolic full forward line. Simple clean up operation.

Hurling in the county needs a radical overhaul, we are miles behind on basic skills, take out 2012 and we've never got past even the quarter final in the last 10 years yet we continue to bury our head in the stands. I'm not going to round on any player but there is no serious hurling county who'd have 5 or 6 of those Galway lads playing today.

Cunningham and his setup are clueless but the problems run much deeper and while a tactically sound manager would improve us we have to go back to a root and branch review of hurling in the county.

In the meantime, at least we'll only have to watch for 2 days in the summer, at most 3 if we get a lucky qualifier draw.

T0001

T0001 wrote: »

Promotion is now realistically out of reach for the footballers, having done the maths it is infact impossible.

I made an error here, there is one possible way Galway can get promoted but it would involve some seriously unlikely results next week:

1. Westmeath beat Roscommon
2. Meath and Cavan draw
3. Laois beat Down by 6+ points
4. Galway beat Kildare by 6+ points

This results in 4 teams tied on 8 at the top, Down, Meath Galway and Cavan, when points difference comes into it as per above permutations:

Meath: +14: 8
Galway: +6: 8
Down: +5: 8
Cavan: +3: 8
Laois: +6: 7
Roscommon: +4: 7
Westmeath: -21: 6
Kildare: -12: 4

Meath and Galway qualify, but tbf no chance of this happening!

O.A.P

I thought that was shocking and I cant remember the last time I watched a Galway senior hurling team as hopeless as that.
The 70s I suppose they were never on the telly then and unless something changes soon we may as well hope they wont be on again .

Diabhal Beag

Nobody played well for Galway. But Waterford were excellent. Moran, Gleeson, Mahoney and Shanahan were excellent. Their fielding was so many lightyears ahead of Galway's that it was unreal.

macslash

Watching Galway is embarrassing at this stage. Very demoralising display. Bomb it in and hope for the best seems to be the plan.
Maybe they weren't too pushed for this game but I don't know. Very tough to watch.

Utopia Parkway

The hurlers were absolutely hopeless. Completely tactically unprepared for Waterford's blanket defensive system that they've played all during the league. Galway firing down high ball on an outnumbered forward line. Was never in favour of Cunningham getting a new term. Galway play the crudest most basic brand of hurling under him. Just launching high ball down the field and ignoring free players who are closer. We're now known as a team of mullockers under him. Our skill levels have gone down the toilet. Obviously the problems go much deeper than just the management of the senior team but in the short term he needs to go.

I mean I don't like singling players out but he picks James Regan to start nearly every game. Regan invariably gets subbed off in nearly every game and he still manages to start the next game. Doing the same thing over and over and hoping for different results is the definition of losing the head.

redlead

gilberto_eire wrote: »

Absolutely clueless and playing a 1B team.

That's the type of foolish arrogance that has Galway losing games in this manner. Waterford had two wins in the league last year including a handy win against Galway. The same points tally that Tipp and Dublin ended with. Galway had two wins and a draw. Waterford ended up getting relegated but there was very little between the teams. The current format of the league is a joke. If you think that you are entitled to beat a "1B team" you had a rude awakening today.

Most knowledgeable Galway GAA fans don't have that attitude thankfully. Galway are much better than what they showed today (bad teams don't beat Kilkenny and Clare) but have a lot of work to do.

Borders no.2

redlead wrote: »

That's the type of foolish arrogance that has Galway losing games in this manner. Waterford had two wins in the league last year including a handy win against Galway. The same points tally that Tipp and Dublin ended with. Galway had two wins and a draw. Waterford ended up getting relegated but there was very little between the teams. The current format of the league is a joke. If you think that you are entitled to beat a "1B team" you had a rude awakening today.

Very true. Galway should have no reason to believe they are better than Waterford but the evidence of 1A v 1B games over the last couple of years indicates that the 1A team should have the advantage at this stage given that Galway have played 5 games against the top teams and Waterford only played 2 (3 at a push) games against good sides.

Pearlstone

Cunningham in his fourth year with his second set of selectors (third if you include his under 21 stint) and we still have no 3 or 6 and he persists with numerous players on both team and squad who will never have the required qualities for inter county hurling. it looks like he just wants the job for the sake of having it. We are going backwards at a rate of knots. I am despondent.

redlead

redlead wrote: »

....That's the type of foolish arrogance.....
Most knowledgeable Galway GAA fans.......

I called them what they were... "a 1B team" nothing more or less and I'm not bothered how it happened... Not like it changes the fact.

As for the second part.... Yawnnnnn

MfMan

I don't rate Regan, but why sub him at half-time when he was playing in a FF line where no ball was going in against a gale?

As per last week's discussion, how many balls did Glynn field in the air? How many fell off him? What was his sum contribution to Galway's effort today?

Mountainlad

Not trying to rub salt or stir here lads but it was very disappointing to see Cathal Mannion feigning injury trying to get a player in trouble in the second half.

Was a pretty abject performance by Galway, thought yed tear away after the first ten minutes but to only score 0-2 points in the last 20 is very poor given the gale that was there. Has Cunninghams backroom team changed much in the last few years?

Wasn't Canning at all, my apologies bad form to be sullying his name.

Borders no.2

.

Mountainlad

I know the incident you were on about but was too far away to see what went on. Not trying to get into a "my team is cleaner than yours" debate, just really can't stand diving. I'll say no more

dartsfan

Mountainlad wrote: »

Not trying to rub salt or stir here lads but it was very disappointing to see Joe Canning feigning injury trying to get a player in trouble in the second half.

Was a pretty abject performance by Galway, thought yed tear away after the first ten minutes but to only score 0-2 points in the last 20 is very poor given the gale that was there. Has Cunninghams backroom team changed much in the last few years?

It's changed completely since 2012 with Eugene Cloonan coming on board last year