Kildare v Sligo

Tackling or lack of is chronic. And one must wonder whose doing the coaching here ?.
Not much point in gaining promotion if that's the best we can produce. .. and we scored 2 lucky goals.

awful stuff. people building up players to be something they are not and the players believing in what they are hearing and reading.

a win today would have nearly seen us promoted. now it's wide open. I see nothing positive about the way we are playing this year given were in div 3. have we are game plan or a method to our play or am I blind cos I don't see anything evident.

don't thing the Moorefield messiah knows his best team either which is alarming. take niall Kelly out and we've nothing.

all campaign people on here saying a win is a win. It's not in actual fact. We've been fucking muck all year.we been just lucky weve been playing teams a bit more muck and low on confidence cos any team with a bit of back bone and confidence would take us

The least we could have expected today was a reaction to last week but we were even worse this afternoon. Very disappointing to be so lifeless again in our own back yard.

A few of the young lads might be playing their way into contention on Wednesday night because you would have to wonder whether it is worth persisting with a lot of the players who are being given opportunities at the moment. Apart from one or two exceptions, they are not stepping up against moderate opposition.

Struggling to identify positives from that performance and to be honest a one point defeat flattered us. Defensively we were again opened up far too easily - nothing new there.

Only good thing about today was that results elsewhere went our way but there are 4 teams now on 6 points so the pressure is really on. Next day v Tipp, O'Neill will need to start the best 15 available so we will get a true indication of who he sees as the best 15 from those currently available

am I right in saying 1 win from last 2 will see us promoted

Extraordinarily poor performance today (again). We seem incapable of creating incisive attacks. The ball comes out of defence and gets to the opposition 45 and by then the opposition defence (Division 3 defences in every sense of the word) are back in numbers.
But even Sligo and Limerick are much quicker out of defence than Kildare and can run at the Kildare backs with much let or hindrance. So what will Div 2 attacks do to us or ...God forbid...Division 1 forwards if we survive that long in the championship?
That's two pedestrian, cumbersome displays which begs the question asked by Tommy K above - are we perhaps a lot worse than we thought we were. We've been done a favour by Tipp and Clare today but that may well only be a temporary reprieve.
While I'm on about negatives - why is it that the Kildare home programmes (today being an example) have not one line of editorial. Just ads and photos. The programme in Mullingar had a couple of articles at least.
And, finally, it's apparent that the level of refereeing in Div 3 matches the level of football - today's test-tube specimen being a prime example of "look at me, I'm the centre of attention" coupled with short-sighted umpires at the Kilcullen end. Gobshitery run rampant.
None of which takes from our frightening lack of incisiveness and footballing brain.

Having secured wins in the first couple of games, I hoped with the three-week break we would sort out some problems and drive on in the next few matches.

It hasn't happened. Distressingly, we have problems at both ends of the field. If a side as limited as Sligo can open you open when they run at you, it's a very bad sign. In terms of their true worth vis a vis the top teams, I would say last year's Connacht final - when they lost by 26 points - is a good indicator.

At the other end, it was painful stuff. We looked clueless when Sligo dropped players back and both goals came as a result of fortuitous breaks rather then brilliantly incisive play.

I still think we'll get promoted but, all things considered, this campaign has not been a success. We have only two games left (three if you include a league final) and the team has not found the performance to ignite the whole season.

Looking ahead to championship, at the current level of performance, Wexford in my opinion is not a done deal. If we do get over them, were Westmeath to bring a similar intensity to the game that they brought against Meath last year, I think they'd beat us. Were we to scrape a Leinster final without massive improvement, it does not bear thinking about. Ditto were we to encounter Mayo, Kerry et al in the qualifiers or All Ireland series.

In conclusion: current outlook cloudy with serious chance of torrential showers.

Xavi wrote:

am I right in saying 1 win from last 2 will see us promoted

I don't think it would guarantee us Xavi - Longford, Clare, Offaly or Tipp are all capable of reaching 10 points as things stand, so it could come down to score difference. If I'm right, we're currently +15; Clare + 22; Tipp +2; the rest in the minus terrirory.

Very disappointing but not a huge surprise after last week. I think the manager as to take a lot of responsibility as regards team selection. Peter Kelly, Johnny Byrne and Cian O'Donoghue have been amongst our better defenders so far this year so dropping or rotating them didn't make any sense. Adam Tyrell, Matty Byrne and Eanna O'Connor are unproven at this level so playing them and leaving the likes of O'Flaherty, McNally and Smith on the bench was a bit arrogant in my opinion. Let's get out of this division before we start experimenting.

I agree with the comments on our (non-existent) tackling. Even since Cork ran through us for fun in 2012, this has been our achilles heel. You would think this would be a relatively easy skill to coach but we are lagging well behind even Division 3 teams in this aspect of the game. All teams have to do is keeping passing the ball around our 45 and eventually they will get a free or our defence will part.

Luckily the results went our way today but I wouldn't be sure we'd survive the Division 2 on the basis of our last 2 performances.

Actually saw Podge Fogarty on the way to the rugby yesterday. I'd rather I was seeing him at Kildare GAA matches, but that's a whole other argument.

One other thing to say - the keeper was dreadful today. It was like Stephen Cluxton never happened - lumping it out on top of Feely and Moolick like it was 20 years ago. The pair of them were clearly bolloxed by the end and he was still doing it. The one time he did go short to C Fitzpatrick, we worked it up the field and scored a point.

Anyway, if I was O'Neill, I'd focus on picking the strongest possible team in the last two games, and going all out for two wins and two strong performances. If we don't get that, morale could be fatally damaged before the championship even starts. Allowing for injury and the unavailability of U21s, I'd go for...

Donnellan
Fitzpatrick
Kelly
Hyland
Lyons
Conway
Bolton / O'Donoghue
Feely
Moolick
McNally
O'Flaherty
O'Neill
Kelly
Smith
Callaghan

Time to cut the bullshit and start honing in on the championship team. If we don't get promoted it will be a total disaster - we can write off the summer.

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Actually saw Podge Fogarty on the way to the rugby yesterday. I'd rather I was seeing him at Kildare GAA matches, but that's a whole other argument.

He was there today standing near me on the terrace side.

From what I see we have an average group of footballers with 1 or 2 just above average playing as individuals with no game plan. Sligo to me are an average group of players with 1 or 2 below average playing as a team, playing for one another. They had a game play where they got 14 men behind the ball and broke at pace and if they were better in front of goal would have won by 6 or 7.
Sligo have 2 or 3 players that nearly crawled of the field having run themselves to a stop. How many of our lads could say the same?

Rex wrote:

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Actually saw Podge Fogarty on the way to the rugby yesterday. I'd rather I was seeing him at Kildare GAA matches, but that's a whole other argument.

He was there today standing near me on the terrace side.

Well at least he's getting closer in proximity to the pitch!

Fair point jim. We lack leadership and too many either not up to it. Or not bursting their preverbials for the cause.

Have to agree - was hoping we'd burst out of the traps today, but too many of them were strolling around the place. You'd think they were a group of All Ireland winners rather than a team in Div 3 with everything to prove.

Correction - you'd never mistake that performance today for a group of All Ireland winners.

But the lax attitude, like this game was beneath them or something, was grating.

I'm not sure that's the managers fault either,well outside of the game plan. Is it leadership? I'm not so sure. I think it's a bit of pride in yourself. I remember a banner on the nets on Hawkfield a few year back....play the game like you want to be remembered. ....would Roli Swenney run himself into the ground for the cause? What way did Johnny Doyle play the game? Yes he'd lots of bad games but I never ever remember saying Johnny didn't bother his bollox today. We have too many players at the moment that just don't work hard for the team. I hope I'm wrong I really really do.

Should really be a level above Sligo but not on show today. Halfbacks and halfforwards won very little around middle today. Need to change it in there and get a couple of lads capable of winning breaking ball or we'll be dead in the water come the summer. About five Kildare players looked a bit overweight today . That'll be sorted by June. Lacking pace in the team but do have Flynn, Cribbin and Doyle to come back in. Oh yeah and the lack of top class forwards (bar Kelly) the elephant in the room. Hoping one of the u21s can step up .

I think Tommy asked the pertinent question and the clear answer is "no we aren't very good". We've all been willing the next batch if players to be the answer but you could see today, without naming names, that the next batch are as pedestrian and slow-thinking as the ones who proceeded them. I've never seen as one-paced a team from midfield to corner forward and for all the criticism of CO'N playing Leper and Paudie in the full forward line, we were still reliant on them getting two fortunate goals to keep us in it.
If fit Cribbo and Flynn would make a difference in terms of pace and Doyle and Kelly in terms of tackling but is anyone else really going to improve us much?

So down-hearted at the quality of our squad after the last two weeks.

If Jason Ryan had produced those performances in Div 2 (let alone Div 3) he'd be lynched.

Agree with HG we need to select a championship XV - even at the expense of the under-21 championship next time out v Tipp as we cannot afford to stay at Div 3 level.

And make no mistake even a win in Thurles does not see us home and hosed. Two wins needed the way it's panning out.

Last year we gave out after losing to Roscommon.. look where they are now.. it can be turned around imo.
HG is right. The attitude isn't right.. and that's something that the management needs to sort asap.

Kildare Are 8 points
Clare Longford. And Tipperary are 6 points
Next round games
Tipperary v Kildare
Clare v Longford
If Kildare win they have ten Are promoted
Who losses the game between Clare v Longford would four points behind Kildare with one game left

fone wrote:

Kildare   Are 8 points
Clare Longford. And Tipperary  are 6 points
  Next round games
Tipperary v Kildare
Clare v Longford
If Kildare win they have ten    Are promoted
Who losses the game between Clare v Longford would four points behind Kildare with one  game left

Offaly are also on 6 points so are in the running and could finish on 10. If 3 teams finish on 10 points, points difference determines the order, I believe - we are currently 19 ahead of Offaly

jimmers wrote:

fone wrote:

Kildare   Are 8 points
Clare Longford. And Tipperary  are 6 points
  Next round games
Tipperary v Kildare
Clare v Longford
If Kildare win they have ten    Are promoted
Who losses the game between Clare v Longford would four points behind Kildare with one  game left

Offaly are also on 6 points so are in the running and could finish on 10. If 3 teams finish on 10 points, points difference determines the order, I believe - we are currently 19 ahead of Offaly

. Westmeath v Offaly. Limerick v Offaly

jimmers wrote:

fone wrote:

Kildare   Are 8 points
Clare Longford. And Tipperary  are 6 points
  Next round games
Tipperary v Kildare
Clare v Longford
If Kildare win they have ten    Are promoted
Who losses the game between Clare v Longford would four points behind Kildare with one  game left

Offaly are also on 6 points so are in the running and could finish on 10. If 3 teams finish on 10 points, points difference determines the order, I believe - we are currently 19 ahead of Offaly

.  Westmeath v Offaly.     Limerick v  Offaly

fone wrote:

jimmers wrote:

fone wrote:

Kildare   Are 8 points
Clare Longford. And Tipperary  are 6 points
  Next round games
Tipperary v Kildare
Clare v Longford
If Kildare win they have ten    Are promoted
Who losses the game between Clare v Longford would four points behind Kildare with one  game left

Offaly are also on 6 points so are in the running and could finish on 10. If 3 teams finish on 10 points, points difference determines the order, I believe - we are currently 19 ahead of Offaly

.  Westmeath v Offaly.     Limerick v  Offaly

SeamusMurphy wrote:

Kildare 1/8
Sligo 11/2.
Draw 14 / 1.

No certainties in sport