Defending by Kildare Teams

With the completion of the league and the U21 Leinster campaigns, I really believe this is a serious issue in Kildare football.

The tradition in Kildare football is for open attacking play, and I believe it should be retained, but we have not moved with the times on the defensive front. I stated on here before the Leinster final that if we tightened up the full back line and stopped Dublin scoring goals, we would win. We didn't and I believe it cost us a Leinster title.

It's a notable aspect of our minor teams as well (though great things have been achieved obviously) and with regard to the seniors in this campaign, we've only kept two clean sheets. Limerick also hit the crossbar in their game if you recall and if that had gone in, I think we'd have lost.

Setting up right defensively does not mean compromising your ideals – Dublin have adapted over the past couple of years (with Cian O'Sullivan as as sweeper and Denis Bastick and Paul Flynn also filtering back), and Mayo are also trying to tweak their approach.

If we set up against Dublin, Kerry, Donegal et al the way we have this league campaign, they will be rubbing their hands. I think it is the major issue to address before championship as I believe we can be competitive against Dublin with the right shape. Not beat them this year, but put in a decent show.

I think this is a real problem that Kildare football needs to solve.

The half back line is getting singled out by many people but for me the other players in the middle third are not contributing enough defensively, the might well be doing a lot of running but often to no great effect. Another thing, with the advantage rule if your going to foul you have to make sure you stop him, other wise he still has a goal chance and a guaranteed free

You see, for me, the issue isn't the half-back line per se (although the tackling could certainly be better at times), but rather the way the team sets up.

I think Kildare are a relatively straightforward team for the top sides to play against, because if they deliver quick ball to their inside forwards, there is usually acres of space in front of our full back line. No sweeper or extra cover with the instructions to stop goals and handy scoring chances.

I think we need an extra player or two back there, or else we will continue to be easy pickings for the elite teams.

If its any hope for you HauntedGraffiti it appears that it is a huge focus of underage development squads. A neighbour of mine has been on kildare panels since u12 and still is (now on u-15) and he remarked the other day that it was a huge focus by all of his development managers he has had. Interesting to see if it has any impact in the future!!

Well good to hear Lilywhites - there needs to be a huge culture change.

It's fair to say it's not all down to the defence, you need to be defending from the oppositions 45 back really.

Your middle 8 need to be pretty much box to box type players, you need to be able to funnel men back as soon as possession is lost and be able to break quickly one you have it back.

Guys like Bolton, O'Donoghue, Lyons, McNally, Dan Flynn and both Cribbins would be what I'd be looking for at wing back and wing forward. Let the likes of Doyle or Conway sit a bit deeper and if it means just leaving 1 or 2 guys in the other half then fair enough.

The other thing I'd worry about is kickouts, on Sunday and a couple of times this year we've no plan other than aiming them at Feely all the time and on Saturday it took until the 15th minute of extra time for us to take a short one quickly.

Good to hear it's something that's been worked on though, needs to start early and filter up through the ranks.

I'd agree on kickouts.

Despite everything else last year I thought this was one of the areas we progressed on. Short kickout routines can be fraught - and you have to be ready for the groans when one goes over the sideline - but overall they can help gain possession when teams get a run on you.

This year not only are we not going short/mid players don't even appear to be looking for it. You have to believe this is a top down decision. I wonder is it a hangover from Kerry? Although they are willing to go short they have Moran, Maher, Buckley & Walsh around the middle third who can win their own ball. They can also throw Sheehan & Donaghy at it.

We seem to be veering towards a middle of Moolick & Feely with P Cribbin to step in as well. Kicking long to has worked in Division3 but without a tried & tested short game will it work against the likes of Dublin?

The last time Kildare were good at defending was under McGeeney He had an excellent reader and footballer controlling the Half back line and covering the full back line in Morgan o Flaherty as we know now was dropped off the panel this year. I think we need someone like him that does the Cian o Sullivan covering that he gives for Dublin.

Cian O'Sullivan can do what he does because the midfielders and half-forwards do what they do. Same with Morgan when we were at our best. We have players who can do what Morgan did with more athleticism but its what happens outfield that's the problem as if in doubt set out.