Mod Note Post #1 - The 2022 All Ireland Senior Football Championship.

Avon8 · 10-07-2022 9:48am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119314235#Comment_119314235

Sitting in knockmore, one of the biggest benefits hovels in the country, watching him getting triple teamed and fouled and kicking the free from 40 yards off his bad foot. And crying. Superb

Fiyatoe · 10-07-2022 9:49am

Is it just me or has it been a very poor year of our two main feature games in the GAA in the hurling and the football?

I don’t want to get into the hurling v football debate here but apart from the Limerick v Clare Munster final the test has been underwhelming - see Clare v Kilkenny as one instance.

now don’t get me started on the football. At least in 2021 we had a thrilling Kerry v Tyrone semi final, mayo finally beat Dublin, mayo Tyrone was an exciting enough final.

kerry look average - have been untested really, their game with mayo was horrible.

dublin - have also sauntered through at ease, cork game was horrible.

derry played absolute backwards football all year and apart from the scenes with their fans their games were boring.

galway haven’t done anything spectacular either, pipped Roscommon & beat mayo, the Armagh game was a terrible first half. The only drama that came about in that game was the brawl and the fact Armagh got 2 late hail Mary’s.

even if today is a humdinger we need the final to be the same again to be a saving grace. By the way I’m not saying 2021 was anything blockbuster either, it’s probably been on the decline for a few years

maybe our teams just aren’t at the same level as previous or are suffering with the demands of almost professional status? When they are in fact amateurs with real lives and jobs outside of this.

threeball · 10-07-2022 9:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316045#Comment_119316045

Exactly, I don't know why people were expecting a shoot out. Derry have ground teams down all year in low scoring dour affairs. Then all of a sudden they beat Clare and are christened a Croke Park team.

We even had people on here yesterday trying to argue that the tailteann final teams would have beaten either Galway or Derry despite neither of them doing nearly as well as Clare in league or championship and were summarily dispatched by Derry.

I think these are the same people who argue against second tier competitions and can't fathom why Longford can't give Dublin a run for their money.

An objective analysis would have lead to the belief that yesterday was going to be what it turned out to be. Just as today's game is likely to be high pace and high scoring but ultimately hiding the deficiencies in both teams in the entertainment value. I guarantee the Victor today will be the hottest of all ireland favourites because the football will be flowing along with the scores. If either tried the same against Derry they'd have been swallowed in the mass defence.

manofwisdom · 10-07-2022 10:03am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119315245#Comment_119315245

You had the view that Galway has 6 top class forwards and that would be key to beating Derry and challenging for the AI. I think yesterday highlighted once more that they have two good, consistent forwards in Comer, Walsh and rest would not be not be top class category.

What won the semi final for Galway yesterday was staying in the game when Derry was in control for the opening 22 minutes and then stepping up on the intensity second half. A solid defensive showing was key and that includes the work rate of the Galway midfielders and forwards who helped out and tackled Derry in packs not giving them any time or room on the ball to score or create and the likes of Heron, McGuigan are not limited as they showed all championship will cause serious damage if allowed.

Galway defend as a team like that in the final they'll give themselves a right good chance of causing upset.

Avon8 · 10-07-2022 10:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316068#Comment_119316068

We still have the biggest game in the GAA to come today and the Galway Armagh game including ET was a classic. Last year's final was ok and the Tyrone Kerry game was dramatic. The dubs mayo semi, bar a bit of chaos at the end, was possibly the worst semi final ever played. It was yesterday's horrid first 20 mins stretched out for 80. The championship was similarly forgettable up to that point. Really hoping today is an epic but it's been fairly par for the course so far this year, a couple of great games and plenty of dross. That's the way it always is

theoneeyedman · 10-07-2022 10:39am

Thought the quality on show yesterday was poor enough, especially from an attacking POV. Galway deserved to win the game, but scored 10 times, and one of them was a gift of a goal from the crazy fly goalie moving at his glacial pace. Derry were really hamstrung by their ideology, just so wedded to the system that they couldn't break out of at all. That said, I thought they got a rough deal from the referee at critical times. Galway got frees so much easier, for instance the foot block in the first half at 3-1 which was a tap over to make it 4-1 and I recall in particular Walsh lying down and getting a soft free in front of goal around this period too. Galway always seemed to be rewarded when carrying into contact, while Derry seldom were.

That said Galway were the better of two ordinary sides. Apart from Comer, few of their big men were good, maybe Daly at CB and Kelly at 3 but they were good on the ball coming forward uncontested by Derry and their system.

Lots of talk about the fly goalie: I wouldn't rule out the fly goalie as a tactic based on its poor execution yesterday. Carrying the ball aimlessly at walking pace by a player without the skill or speed to cause problems on the overlap isn't the best use of that tactic.

breezy1985 · 10-07-2022 11:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119315263#Comment_119315263

It's easy to sort in hurling.

Mark up on every area of the field. Stoping long range shots leads to the blanket defense football is trying to combat.

castletownman · 10-07-2022 11:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316091#Comment_119316091

It's the one bugbear I have about GAA. The expectation that every single game must be an instant classic without any context of the varying styles teams use. This is elite level sport (as far as GAA is concerned), I'd expect every game to more tactical than free-flowing mastery when it comes down to the business end of the championship. It's a symptom of modern life: YOU MUST ENTERTAIN ME NOW!!!!

I mean, look at most World Cup finals. Usually boring enough spectacles as a winning at all cost mindset supersedes putting on a show for the watching public. Liverpool two cup wins last season came on the back of two 0-0 draws after ET, but were still dramatic finishes due to the penalty shoot-out (which is seen as some sort of antithesis in our game). Some of the recent CL finals have been tough watches as well. Christ, we canonised Jack Charlton despite playing absolutely dire stuff 30 years ago.

Like I find rugby boring to watch as a spectacle but appreciate the application on show, and at the same time love American Football but can understand why others find it boring (I know quite a few).

Okay, Derry can be accused of playing anti-football, and I was delighted that Galway got through, but do people think Derry really give a fook about the entertainment spectacle given the year they had?

The beauty of team sport is there is no "one" way to play.

grbear · 10-07-2022 11:19am

Considering how much of the build up to the yesterday's match was dominated by the question "How will Galway deal with Derrys system?" it was a bit surprising to me that the answer turned out to be as simple as copy Derrys setup but have better forwards.

I'll be very interested to see how Derry evolve next year now that they've been fairly well beaten in a big game. I know some were drawing parallels between Derry 2022 and Donegal 2011 with the suggestion Derry will improve next year based on Donegal improving in 2012 but the big difference between the two sides is that we've now had a decade of teams playing against Donegal-esque systems and learning how to nullify it. They've had a great year but they'll have to come back with something new next spring.

Obviously delighted with the win for Galway yesterday. It was never going to be a free flowing spectacle but I was impressed with the way they dug it out yesterday. After the couple of early wides I was getting flashbacks of last week they didn't lose their heads.

BonnieSituation · 10-07-2022 11:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119315331#Comment_119315331

13 years...

Loafing Oaf · 10-07-2022 11:26am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316068#Comment_119316068

Nah just you I reckon

Fiyatoe · 10-07-2022 11:46am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316359#Comment_119316359

Sound 👍 great input

Treble double · 10-07-2022 12:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316323#Comment_119316323

Exactly, I think alot of gaa supporters are consumed by nostalgia and tune into big games expecting to be treated to catch and kick. They give out about low scoring games but don't appreciate the defensive efforts that have curtailed the scoring. That's why Comers first goal was a thing of beauty in a suffocatingly defensive game he made the run, was picked out took on the defenders and slotted home from the tightest of angles, a top forward at work in a high pressure environment. It put the game to bed, Derrys painstakingly put together system instantly thorn to shreds by top class football.

Look back at old games from the early part of this century and back to the nineties and they look quaint and error ridden and it that was because the same level of preparation obviously wasn't going in at that time. Maybe that's what people want, limit teams training to once a week and let them play out less tactical error ridden games of chance.

breezy1985 · 10-07-2022 12:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316068#Comment_119316068

I would say the teams are definitely at a better level than before it's just better level doesn't mean better spectacle.

Drumpot · 10-07-2022 1:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316577#Comment_119316577

Exactly. Not just that , there was 8 different football winners between 1990-99.

Down 2

Meath 2

Donegal

Tyrone

Dublin

Galway

Derry

Kerry

Dublin’s dominance, like Kerry’s in 70s/80s is a problem for numerous reasons. Im not a fan of this professional level training commitment needed.

Kilkenny shows that a county can overcome its size by harnessing a Winning culture. Equally cork are the perfect example of how having resources and players does not guarantee success.

Maybe it is nostalgia but I preferred the game when I was younger, even with the struggling dubs. I don’t enjoy the more tactically orientated games, I preferred 15 v 15 and your position was your position. Having a strong Midfield was vital to success , there was none of this constant short kick out sh*te.

Different strokes for different folks, the game has evolved as it has but it’s not a better watch for everybody. I prefer messy, error filled blood and guts games, but that’s just me.

threeball · 10-07-2022 1:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316648#Comment_119316648

Sports have moved on and it's never going back. With the access to video and video software to drill down on stats and analysis like never before it was inevitable that it would move this direction.

Add in knowledge of S&C and the way that's developed in the last two decades and you're now dealing with incredibly well drilled superfit athletes in a sport with a very limited amount of games and very little margin for error. Risks won't be taken in that case.

Soccer, American football, basketball, ice hockey, all moved the same way but the difference is they are professional so have the players everyday to develop their style as the season progresses and can lose 5 or 6 games and still win their championship. Not the case in GAA.

BENDYBINN · 10-07-2022 1:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119315701#Comment_119315701

All the derry supporters were horrified at the actions of their goalkeeper yesterday... Yet no action taken on the sideline.. Why????

Fr Tod Umptious · 10-07-2022 1:52pm

Why is this fly goalie thing just a northern thing?

You don't see Kerry, Dublin, Mayo, etc etc at it.

And other than Ethan Rafferty scoring a few points does it even work?

10-07-2022 1:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316811#Comment_119316811

Beggan has been at it a while too. The odd long range but not a great percentage game. Think the Kildare keeper had a few goes at it in the league too.

Always_Running · 10-07-2022 2:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316508#Comment_119316508

I doubt Gallagher and his management will be too pleased with that opening goal. Comer left one on one and the defender slipped allowing him in easier than expected.

2nd goal on themselves by playing the risky fly goal keeper that was getting no reward prior to that.

C__MC · 10-07-2022 2:50pm

Can't see anything but a kerry win

Feel like role reversal of 2013 when kerry were on the wain.

Even when dublin were at their peak, it was a struggle to beat kerry.

Kerry forwards and bench to see them over the line by 5-6 points.

C__MC · 10-07-2022 2:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119316936#Comment_119316936

Glass shouldn't have been so easily of strapped of the ball, pondering.

Straight Talker · 10-07-2022 2:51pm

I think Kerry have always (well they used to anyway) seen themselves as superior to Dublin. I suppose that was especially true after the infamous startled earwigs game in 2009. Little did Kerry know, that would be their most recent championship win over Dublin. Since 2011 Dublin have owned Kerry in every way, and they even did the six in a row.

Kerry can no longer claim to have the greatest gaelic football team of all time. The Dubs even took that away from them. Can Kerry break free from their Dublin tyranny today, or will Dublin keep the kingdom firmly under the thumb? Galway will obviously be underdogs against whoever wins today, and that will suit them down to the ground imo.

Pussyhands · 10-07-2022 3:18pm

Rather annoying to hear so called experts on the radio say this is the final today.

This Dublin side isn't the same side as it was three years ago and this kerry side haven't proven anything. They've not been tested in the championship this year.

So the final, though Galway will be underdogs, it's not a done deal like it would have been three or four years ago. It'll be as tight a final as we've had in the last decade, along with last year's.