Kildare GAA General Discussion Thread

klairondavis

Tricky draw for us away to Meath/Laois first up and another away trip in the semi-final if we get there. It would be great if we could win a provincial title at this level against Dublin and this group of players should not fear them having beating them twice as minors in 2010. We have had some good minor teams in recent years but for whatever reason it hasn't worked out for them on the big day. Hopefully we can get our act together at u21 level.

StupidLikeAFox

I think its safe to say McGeeney has made some erratic decisions with regard to team selection over the last few years:

• Mikey Conway played his best football distributing the ball from wing back, but he has been played in centre forward since he returned from injury. He is currently at centre back
• Morgan OFlaherty is a half back who has been played in the half forward line for the OByrne Cup.
• Eoin OFlaherty has been at half forward but now is being played at half back.
• Mick Foley won an all star at full back but was played in midfield last year (maybe the year before also, not sure?).
• Peter Kelly won an All Star at corner back, he is now playing at half back for the OByrne Cup
• Johnny Doyle is a top class forward since he began his inter county career but has been played in midfield
• Emmet Bolton did serious damage as a wing back but was played at midfield against Meath last year
• Last year in our last game of the championship, against Cork, Mick Foley was having a decent game whereas Eoin Doyle was on a yellow and having a nightmare. McGeeney decided to take Mick Foley off for Fionn Dowling (who hadnt played a championship game that season) and leave Eoin Doyle on, who eventually got sent off for a second yellow

So with Donegal, Karl Lacey is always gonna be a half back and Michael McHugh is always gonna be full forward. With Dublin, Alan Brogan is a half forward whereas Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly are in the full forward line etc etc. Why don't we have the same consistency from year to year with Kildare? It seems like we have a good season, but next year arrives and instead of putting out a similar team and building on the previous years progress, we are trying to reinvent the wheel

keane2097

A lot of those were down to the fact that Kildare had a tonne of midfielders missing last year. A player of Peter Kelly's quality is never going to hurt to have out the field, especially considering Kildare have more than two quality corner backs.

Mark McHugh is a defensive sweeper who lines out at half-forward for Donegal. If you meant Michael Murphy is always full-forward then lol. Same applies for the idea that Alan Brogan and Diarmuid Connolly have well defined positions for Dublin.

klairondavis

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

I think its safe to say McGeeney has made some erratic decisions with regard to team selection over the last few years:

• Mikey Conway played his best football distributing the ball from wing back, but he has been played in centre forward since he returned from injury. He is currently at centre back
• Morgan OFlaherty is a half back who has been played in the half forward line for the OByrne Cup.
• Eoin OFlaherty has been at half forward but now is being played at half back.
• Mick Foley won an all star at full back but was played in midfield last year (maybe the year before also, not sure?).
• Peter Kelly won an All Star at corner back, he is now playing at half back for the OByrne Cup
• Johnny Doyle is a top class forward since he began his inter county career but has been played in midfield
• Emmet Bolton did serious damage as a wing back but was played at midfield against Meath last year
• Last year in our last game of the championship, against Cork, Mick Foley was having a decent game whereas Eoin Doyle was on a yellow and having a nightmare. McGeeney decided to take Mick Foley off for Fionn Dowling (who hadnt played a championship game that season) and leave Eoin Doyle on, who eventually got sent off for a second yellow

So with Donegal, Karl Lacey is always gonna be a half back and Michael McHugh is always gonna be full forward. With Dublin, Alan Brogan is a half forward whereas Bernard Brogan, Diarmuid Connolly are in the full forward line etc etc. Why don't we have the same consistency from year to year with Kildare? It seems like we have a good season, but next year arrives and instead of putting out a similar team and building on the previous years progress, we are trying to reinvent the wheel

I'd agree with a lot of that. People will point to football being much more fluid nowadays and players needing to have the skillset to thrive in multiple positions but a team still needs a strong spine, no matter how much football has moved on.

I hope the management are finally waking up to this and it was encouraging to see Foley at full back and JD in the full forward line during the O'Byrne Cup.

We have no shortage of options at midfield but the problem is the lack of a settled pairing. Flynn can never stay fit and the only other player we are who has that same abrasiveness about him is Chalky. Too many of our midfielders are nice tidy footballers -(Paudie, Rob Kelly and Lynch) but they don't have that mean streak in them that a top midfielder needs.

McGeeney doesn't pick a traditional stopper at centre back and I don't think that will change. Conway still has all the skills but the injuries have taken their toll on him and he doesn't have the same pace that he had when he played in the half backs before.

keane2097

Flynn and Hugh Lynch would be a midfield to match most if ye could ever get them playing together. I think I differ from most people in thinking I never thought John Doyle was better than he was at midfield - the influence he had over games was unreal.

klairondavis

Johnny was excellent at midfield but Kildare need him up the field. When he was at midfield he was kicking the ball into where he should be and the ball was coming straight back out! It's also easier for a corner forward to conserve energy than it is for a midfielder. JD was a spent force at the end of games when he was playing at midfield. We will get a bit more out of him inside in the corner considering his age.

Lynch is a stylish player but his game lacks a bit of urgency at times. He also has to prove his fitness after being out of inter-county football for a long spell.

keane2097

I might as well throw this up here as well, I'm sure there will be a few interested. Very good season preview for the Kildare footballers (I didn't write it - not blowing my own horn!):

http://www.livegaelic.com/features/kildare-football-a-season-preview-for-2013/

DARK-KNIGHT

keane2097 wrote: »

I might as well throw this up here as well, I'm sure there will be a few interested. Very good season preview for the Kildare footballers (I didn't write it - not blowing my own horn!):

http://www.livegaelic.com/features/kildare-football-a-season-preview-for-2013/

Excellent article.. Thanks for that keane..

Oh smashey smashey where art thee??

Can't wait for Kildare Donegal game I'm really excited to get back to HQ!!!

klairondavis

It's a slightly uninspiring Kildare team selection for tomorrow night but it's rare that a team McGeeney names lines out unchanged on the day. I would have liked to have seen one if not two of Brophy, Kelly or Flynn picked to play. McNally is the only new face picked to start and he's a guy with plenty of experience for the county juniors. We need younger players to inject a bit of pace and unpredictability back into our game. I worry that McGeeney will be less inclined to bring these players off the bench in the second half if the match is still tight.

keane2097

klairondavis wrote: »

It's a slightly uninspiring Kildare team selection for tomorrow night but it's rare that a team McGeeney names lines out unchanged on the day. I would have liked to have seen one if not two of Brophy, Kelly or Flynn picked to play. McNally is the only new face picked to start and he's a guy with plenty of experience for the county juniors. We need younger players to inject a bit of pace and unpredictability back into our game. I worry that McGeeney will be less inclined to bring these players off the bench in the second half if the match is still tight.

Link to team selection?

klairondavis

1. Shane Connolly (St Laurences)
2. Ollie Lyons (Celbridge)
3. Peter Kelly (Two Mile House)
4. Hugh McGrillen (Celbridge)
5. Emmet Bolton (Eadestown)
6. Mick Foley (Athy)
7. Mikey Conway (Nurney)
8. Gary White (Sarsfields)
9. Pádraig O’Neill (St Laurences)
10. Brian Flanagan (Johnstownbridge)
11. Cathal McNally (Johnstownbridge)
12. Eoghan O’Flaherty (Carbury)
13. Seánie Johnston (St Kevins)
14. Tomás O’Connor (Clane)
15. Johnny Doyle (Allenwood)


16. Mark Donnellan (Maynooth)
17. Daniel Flynn (Johnstownbridge)
18. Niall Kelly (Athy)
19. Paddy Brophy (Celbridge)
20. Eoin Doyle (Naas)
21. Jonathan Byrne (Allenwood)
22. Pádraig Fogarty (St Laurences)
23. Hugh Lynch (Confey)
24. Ronan Sweeney (Moorefield)
25. Rob Kelly (Straffan)
26. Fergal Conway (Celbridge)
27. James Eaton (Athy)
28. Alan Smith (Sarsfields)

keane2097

Wow wouldn't be mad about that at all. Hate the midfield and the fact that they feel they need Mick Foley at CHB to help out. Just put Foley FB and leave him there!

Max Power

Best of luck to Kildare this evening.

Novella

Happy with the first half performance from Kildare.

keane2097

Yeah midfield dominating since McFadden went off and Murphy went inside.

The young lad at wing forward is having a super game.

Max Power

Yeah Niall Kelly is having a stormer. That little dummy he does is brilliant. Hopefully we can kick on and not sit back.

celt262

Once again Johnston isn't up to it when the big boys are in town.

Novella

Go on, Johnny!

Max Power

Kildare 2-14 1-13 Donegal

Great performance from Niall Kelly. Paul Durkan's mistake costing Donegal dear IMO.

DARK-KNIGHT

What an atmosphere well done Kildare so proud of you all.. So proud of our lads Jesus I'm off to coppers to get drunk lol

DARK-KNIGHT

Commiserations to Donegal..

Looking forward to the Dublin cork game too

klairondavis

Brilliant to see some of the younger players breaking through for Kildare. Kelly was magnificent and Flynn looked like a veteran. Paddy Brophy was a lot livelier than Johnston was for 50 minutes.

To Alcohol

That lad Niall Kelly looks to be a super footballer. He is a serious addition to that Kildare side.

DARK-KNIGHT

Argh my head...

Jesus that was a great night...

I think kildares attitude is fantastic

Great achievement taking the AI champions on and getting a great result well done to all involved..

exador

Really enjoyed the Kildare - Donegal match and thought that number 18 kelly was brilliant. It looked like Donegal were going to claw back but fair play to Kildare...Very impressive and very entertaining match to watch

bootybouncer

DARK-KNIGHT wrote: »

Argh my head...

Jesus that was a great night...

I think kildares attitude is fantastic

Great achievement taking the AI champions on and getting a great result well done to all involved..

Jaso Ryan

DARK-KNIGHT

bootybouncer wrote: »

Jaso Ryan

Maybe so.

Great to see the lads so positive. I thought last year vs cork was going to destroy morale but maybe it is Ryan's influence but I'm impressed.

Also re Johnston agree moments where he plays good football but just not consistent enough.

klairondavis

Time is a great healer and the injection of youth has helped. They don't carry the same type of baggage from past defeats that some of the older players do. We will have to be patient though. There will be times during this league campaign where the younger players might find the going tough but I hope we persist with them.

When you look at the team last night we were missing Eamonn Callaghan, Daryl Flynn, Morgan O'Flaherty and Alan Smith. All four of those would be starting if fit. There does seem to be a greater depth to the squad now and we should be competitive this year but it's early days.

Max Power

Jesus, all the Johnston haters are out in force. The man has one bad game and all of a sudden he's a bottler and not good enough? celt262, why don't you worry about your own county's game today and don't worry about Kildare.

DARK-KNIGHT

klairondavis wrote: »

Time is a great healer and the injection of youth has helped. They don't carry the same type of baggage from past defeats that some of the older players do. We will have to be patient though. There will be times during this league campaign where the younger players might find the going tough but I hope we persist with them.

When you look at the team last night we were missing Eamonn Callaghan, Daryl Flynn, Morgan O'Flaherty and Alan Smith. All four of those would be starting if fit. There does seem to be a greater depth to the squad now and we should be competitive this year but it's early days.

Ah I know too early to get excited but the youth are a great addition and yes they may struggle in Division 1 but perfect place for them to break into squad whilst playing the country's elite teams..

Really loved seeing that kinda football in white kits..

CILL DARA ABÚ