Crunch match 2-23 is a decent scoreline after a tricky start v Westmeath, and salvaging a draw when 5 down with only a few minutes left away to Antrim is solid if slightly patchy form.
Likewise, Wexford not exactly flying either, beating Antrim by 4 at home and taking a bit of a hammering off Galway after a slightly fortuitous 2 two-goal headstart.
Think a lot will depend on whether Chin & O’Connor are fit for Wexford. If they play it’ll becomes lot more difficult for us to get the win. Either way will have to play a lot better than first two games to stand a chance. Lose and we’re effectively out!
I’d say there’ll be some scramble for tickets for this. 20 quid a pop. 30 quid for the football.
What kind of bolloxology is that?
I’ll be watching this on the GAAGO followed by Cork v Tipp.
Did they play v Antrim?
Yes they played v Antrim.
I think the switch to Croke Park won’t suit Dublin as much as it will Wexford.
With the exception of a dominant Dublin performance, I see Wexford winning by 4
Even if we beat Wexford does it matter much in the scheme of things… Yes it would give us an extra match or so and the experience would be great but in the lack of an overall plan I doubt it means a lot. I started to write a few lines about the Westmeath match and couldnt stop!! Read at your peril!!
Westmeath were always going to come with a certain intensity from the off… We didnt match it, the same as we didn’t match it against Antrim either. I’m not saying we have to go bald headed at it with them completely but at least go close to the intensity and passion… It was screaming out for leadership in Belfast and it never came. Again in those first 25 minutes against Westmeath it wasn’t there and Westmeath were bullying us… and I just dont know who would have taken it on if Danny wasn’t there on Sat, even though I thought he should have been dropped beforehand, I dont know if anyone else could or would have done it… But he stood up, caught some incredible balls and started a bit of aggro just to wake up the rest of them… But for me there is a lot wrong in our game… Our half back line is very beatable and I just dont know where Daire Grey’s head is at the moment. He was completely lost in the first half as a wing back, constantly going up with one hand on the hurl for the entire first half puck outs from Westmeath even though Westmeath, at that stage were bunching for the breakdown, such was the lack of Dubs to get in around there. God help us if a team attacks us through the middle or if Brady is caught upfield for we have little pace through the centre…Who is the defensive midfielder? or the attacking midfielder? If we are to mould Chris O’Leary into a county midfielder who is going to compensate for his lack of pace and movement … … Grogan did ok in parts and caught one lovely ball but was horsed out of it too many times… He did get away once near half time and had clear daylight in front of him but was caught for pace by a much bulkier opponent… We badly need Daire Purcell starting as a Jamie Barron style midfielder… Eoghan O’Donnell does not seem to be so self assured this year. At fault for the first goal with a laxadasial style pick up that he left behind him but again suggests that our physical and psychological warm ups etc are not up to scratch… He is also bringing in and extra edge that he doesnt have to as his edge was fine enough… He is begining to look a bit bored at the experiment and he is right up there as a candidate for a sending off… We surely have to be in the zone from the off foe all remaining matches. I fear for the corner backs… They are tenacious enough in broken play etc but are not near to the cute corner back stables yet. Paddy Doyle looks a sincerely honest broker and has pace but his strength and conditioning is naturally way behind as he is only 20… Smith can blow hot and cold but he is not clinical enough coming out…You know I dont think he was ever the same since the referee ignored the foul on him in the dying moment against KK in Pat Gilroy’s year and KK goaled from it to win the match… Donavan was ok but like Grey never looked dominant enough to set up our forwards for scores and had one mad wide in the 2nd half without looking up…
The one thing that I felt was most annoying on Sat evening was that when Westmeath were beaten with 15 to go and had relaxed their defensive role in pursuit of scores that the amount of times we tried shots from way out that were wide when it was 3 on 3 on the inside line and 30 or 40 yards of open space in front of them and it wasn’t delivered… Near the end a ball spun out unexpectally to Donal Burke about 50 yards out and he never ever looked inside but in a flash he tried for a point but missed…There could have been three Dublin forwards in there on their own and he would not have seen them. Absolutely no doubting his terrific ability but he has to have more awareness of goal scoring opportunities for others to convert. Cian Boland the same. Both scored well but there were at least four times that with the proper move we could have goaled through their original possession… At least be trying it when thw match is won against weaker opposirion…Cian O’Sullivan had a frustrating hour but there is enough there to suggest that he is a dangerous forward for anyone to mark and he ran into all the right spaces when the ball was outfield… It just didnt stick for him on Sat… And it is hard to know where Hayes is at but its not like he was beaten to too many balls…He wasnt!! but you certainly wouldnt like playing corner forward with our style of game… The rest of the team seemed unaware of when and who were moving for most of the game… Our game plan is almost played with head down and a 20 metre diamater of spatial awareness of who could be in a better position to take the ball…Fine for many parts of the game but very much telegraphed… Half forwards occupy the middle third and very rarely move out of it… Which two of three in either direction is or are the defending and attacking half forward/s. Who on a break - and if we did hit COS from 70 yards would be there to take an inside pass from him? Daire Purcell came on and in his 2nd play he dinked a ball over the top for Considine to run on to and which he got and for which a goal looked on for a few seconds… Considine could hold up a ball for you if Donal and others might try to run loose through the centre but Donals work rate is way below par in these circumstances. I am sorry but for me Paul Crummy just hasnt got it…He cant defend!! defend against corner backs coming out and setting up attacks…Its half arsed and like Trollier goes after a 40% chance ball with the hurl in one hand half way over his right shoulder… Such a horrible habit!!! It reads as if he’s only half arsed to the opposition… He may look good in training but he is probably whizzing by some light defenders…
We have to have enterprise in our game and managers have to identify who are the hurling entrepeneurs in the team and get working on it to open up defences and get the scores. Who are the dogs who will die for you and never let you down, who are the greyhounds and what courses do they run,? who are the catchers and what skyline should they best occupy? (When Danny is tiring in last 15 could we throw him in full forward with CIS and one other feeding off?)…How do we get the package, how do we strive for that package? Can we mould certain players into the package… Is it a 2/3/5 year plan…
We are far too predictable and have been for a long while and just throwing different managers at it every couple of years without any overarching County plan is leading us into continuous cul de sacs… If anyone can genuinly tell me the difference in our style of play over the last 6 or 7 years I like to hear from them… Yes we had our moments like against Galway two years ago but that was a few men like Keaney, Crummy and a few others standing up and pure determination eeking out a result coupled with a Galway manager having no problem getting them up for a game against his home county for being overlooked for the job but couldnt get us up for a game against Laois two qeeks later.
Its not like the prize is not appealing enough…I can think of no other more rewarding GAA project than Dublin Hurling winning a Liam McCarthy… Where’s the think-tank at board level? Who are the hurling brainstormers in the County?. Is there any brainstorming going on? Do we care enough? Are we intelligent enough to care in the first place?
Dont think Dara Purcell came in? Darragh Power (similar name) or Sean Currie (similar build) maybe?
Who?
Who is the Brady that will be caught up the field?
Tom?
Fact check… Donoghue not Donavan, Burke not Brady, Darragh Power came on, not Purcell… ( it was he who dinked the ball for Considine) Purcell I dont think has appeared yet, has he? But it is he who I am talking about as the Jamie Barron type midfielder…
Forgot to check but who was No 27 who came on?
Now thats all the fact checks are out of the way!!!
Don’t think there was a 27 named?
First time in match day panel as an unused sub at the weekend,
Sean Currie came on as number 26 maybe the same time as Consodine?
Yeah Currie came on but not sure he touched the ball…Very decent hurler but for me is short for Inter county senior… I’m mixed up now between No 27 and Power… (gerting older and older!!)…No 27 came on midway through the 2nd half, ( defo not Currie) Won a ruck immediately with a beautiful sharp roll lift and hand passed it back to Conor Burke…And I now think it was he who dinked the ball over the Wmeath defender for Considine…
It was Paddy Doyle he changed his jersey at HT
Fcuk me. You wouldn’t fit that in the book of kells
Fair play. That took time. Serious post. Food for thought. I think if we got out of Leinster and got hammered by a Munster team, it might focus minds in the County Board? Or if we got out of Leinster and did okay, I’d save money on meds and shrinks!
Bar getting a few names mixed up(just poking fun) I’m generally on board with a lot of the post to be fair to you.