Kildare v Offaly

Home to Offaly. One of the handier draws on paper.

Offaly will relish beating us in our back yard. Who'd back against it.

I presume you mean handier for Offaly

While I hope we'll win, at this point I'd take a defeat if we go down fighting! It's the lack of spirit that is so worrying. Anyways Offaly will be happy with this. Hopefully we'll have a good tough close match in Newbridge, that we'll win.

Can't say I'm enthusiastic. 50/50 game at best. Only puts off the inevitable by a week. 
Never felt less caring about a Kildare game. You can't trust this team anymore I'm sorry to say.

When is this likely to be on 10th July?

9th July I believe smokey

Will it be all ticket !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

God be with the days

We were destined to get the biffos and like xavi said they'll be well up for that..

I heard cian brought in a few new fellas recently and phoned a few more but they declined the invite after he made it clear that they wouldn't be involved on the panel regardless.. so basically he wanted numbers for the training match.

To be honest completely forgot about the qualifier draw for the first time ever until I logged on here. Might be able to face this game next week but not now. The thought of Offaly getting their first win over us in 10 years leaves me yearning for a bottle of whiskey and a loaded pistol

Every team in that Draw wanted us. Offaly will be delighted - a chance to sow it into their neighbours on their own turf.

Genuinely predict a 3 point win for Offaly . Our problems cannot be rectified in 2 weeks.

Whilst I acknowledge we are brutal at the moment and wouldn't have a hope in hell against a decent hungry physical team but I can't see Offaly beating us in Newbridge, in a neutral ground or in Tullamore I would say it could be different alright but not in Newbridge.... hopefully!!!

I don't know why, but I'm feeling a lot more optimistic about this game than the last two. Maybe it's because expectations are so low and therefore there is no pressure. Anyways Cill Dara Abu.

Beat us in Newbridge in 04

Beat us in 06 in Croker. The subs debacle.

Let the players play with there clubs this weekend get away from that setup might freshen the lads up a bit..

Great draw for us !!!!!

A Kildare side in turmoil and Kildare support cheesed off while Offaly are sailing along nicely.

Both lost to the lemons by a point so nothing in it.... A bit of determination & spirit on the day could decide it & who might have those traits ???

In the past Offaly Kelf. Nowadays not so sure. But in football terms Offaly are certainly improving and had a good win over Longford and the expected win over London even if they spluttered for a while. 50/50 game as was last year's in Tullamore due to the 1 week turnaround. This time Kildare's injuries, Offaly's improvement and Kildare's abject form all would give Offaly expectations of success.

Still think we'll win though

steviegenius wrote:

Let the players play with there clubs this weekend get away from that setup might freshen the lads up a bit..

Be inclined to let the management take a two week break and let the players just play freely v Offaly. Can't be any worse than the last two matches.

SeamusMurphy wrote:

We were destined to get the biffos and like xavi said they'll be well up for that..

I heard cian brought in a few new fellas recently and phoned a few more but they declined the invite after he made it clear that they wouldn't be involved on the panel regardless.. so basically he wanted numbers for the training match.

He said that himself in fairness. That was exactly what he wanted and he was amazed lads turned down the chance to show in a training match. But as Brolly and the boys forget, people do have a choice.

I'd be more than surprised if lads did agree to come in just to make up numbers for in house matches when they don't even have a hope of actually playing in a competitive match.

Lily8 wrote:

I'd be more than surprised if lads did agree to come in just to make up numbers for in house matches when they don't even have a hope of actually playing in a competitive match.

In fairness 8 or 9 did show, mainly of the U23s.. how hard is a fella gonna try if there's no hope of being selected. . and of what benefit is it to a lad on the 15 marking a fella whose not gonna be arsed.. if you get my meaning.

SeamusMurphy wrote:

Lily8 wrote:

I'd be more than surprised if lads did agree to come in just to make up numbers for in house matches when they don't even have a hope of actually playing in a competitive match.

In fairness 8 or 9 did show, mainly of the U23s.. how hard is a fella gonna try if there's no hope of being selected. . and of what benefit is it to a lad on the 15 marking a fella whose not gonna be arsed.. if you get my meaning.

True but that's the difference in a team going somewhere and one going nowhere. Dublin have a panel of 34-35 and if you've a chance of being part of a successful squad lads will make the effort. Forgive me for dragging up old war wounds but in McGeeneys time you had that desire and sorry to say that is sadly missing now.

Found an interesting stat on gaelicstats.com. In ten seasons they looked at county by county how many players were used in their squads. Kerry used 58 players over that period the least amount by any county. This was followed by Sligo 62 Donegal 64 Dublin 66 Monaghan 67 Longford 72 Mayo 73. Kildare used 78 players in that period. Taking Sligo and Longford out of the equation the top counties come August/September have stability.

They sum up their findings:

Does success lead to stability or does stability lead to success? Looking at these numbers and especially looking at the above graph since 2012 it seems to me that unsuccessful teams don’t lack for players but they do seem to struggle to retain the same players. In any given year they use the same quantity of players as the best teams, the issue is not enough of them are the same players as the previous year.

A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. The unsuccessful teams are constantly playing catch up with their new/slowest buffalo(s).

I'm sure quality has a bearing also and unless we can get some of these U-21's and Minors from the last few years who've tasted success at Leinster level at least and know what it's like to win, we could end up like Laois plenty of underage success and still couldn't get a winning senior team.

There was a time we'd be asking how challenge matches went against the likes of Tyrone or Kerry. Now we're asking how challenges went against Longford, Wicklow and Antrim. One wonders what the future holds.

[quote="SeamusMurphy"]

Lily8 wrote:

I'd be more than surprised if lads did agree to come in just to make up numbers for in house matches when they don't even have a hope of actually playing in a competitive match.

This happens everywhere! Doesn't do Kilkenny hurlers any harm, lads that are dying to play for the county jumping at the chance to create some impression with Cody.

Most of the 'new' guys that break through tend to have been in and around the extended panel for two or three years, flitting in and out for training games.

When people are angry, they rail at everything. Like with Jason Ryan, it started with his interviews. A couple of months ago, Cian O'Neill's interviews were great. Now he's talking shite.

Forget the other stuff, as they don't strengthen any argument and are largely irrelevant... it comes down to the performances and they have been dreadful. Surely there's no-one in the camp thinks any differently. It's going to be very tough now against Offaly.

Kildare 8/13. Offaly 13/8. Draw 15/2.
Don't think we'll be 1/4 against anyone anytime soon.

offaly were unlucky in ways against Westmeath in mullingar poor shot selection let them down and where to play mcnamee if kildare play the same way in second half Saturday week they will get beaten ,at least offaly showed a good bit of spirit in that game westmeath were 7/2 last sunday