Kildare v Offaly

Lily8 wrote:

Ogie wrote:

The only big issue I have actually with the regime, is the notion of drink or unwinding, if you like one. We saw it in Australia when Brendan Maher was over, we saw it with the Irish lads in France after the Italy game - a few bottles even though it was a few days before France. I think that side of it is gone bananas - I'm not saying do a Pilkington on it, but the problem now is that has become such an issue, a guy can't walk into a pub and have a mineral without getting dog's abuse.

That's one of the toughest parts of being a modern county player in my opinion. People think they have a right to tell them what they can/can't do 24/7. Yes they have to train hard and be committed but surely they need a bit of down time too. You hear stories from older players where they used to have a few drinks and how it actually bonded them as a team. Nobodys saying to go out on the piss the week before a match but if they're even seen near a pub for the majority of the year there's uproar and not just within the camp but from supporters too. The rumour mill goes into over drive and it goes from maybe one player having a 7up in a pub to "oh he was locked, falling around the place."

I think it's actually this side of it, the complete lack of social life, that's turning more and more younger lads away from opting into the senior panels around the country. Surely giving them a bit of breathing space and a bit of their lives outside of football back would ease the mental strain of being an intercounty player, could make lads happier in general and actually potentially improve them as players rather than being locked away for most of the year.

I would say you're spot on - it's what I've always felt... if you're into being fit, training isn't the problem - there are lads 50 years of age training every day.... it's not being able to go to a wedding or stag or on holidays.

Watching a Tipperary team we beat out the gate three months ago in Clonmel putting it up to Kerry right now in the first half would have you wondering what the hell is wrong with Kildare footballers.

Are any of our injured trio likely to be available next weekend?

I've put the hex on Tipp!

Kerrys paul Murphy is a county and managers dream.

Any time for this yet or are we to use the force.

Rex wrote:

Any time for this yet or are we to use the force.

I heard 5.00 p.m. on Saturday last night, but don't quote me on that.

Gaa1928 wrote:

Rex wrote:

Any time for this yet or are we to use the force.

I heard 5.00 p.m. on Saturday last night, but don't quote me on that.

Having said that with Limerick, Clare and Cork involved in both the hurling and football next Saturday it might take a 'bit of sorting out' in GAA HQ.

6.30pm Saturday evening

fone wrote:

6.30pm  Saturday evening

Tickets €20

jimmers wrote:

fone wrote:

6.30pm  Saturday evening

Tickets €20

Well worth it for the facilities in Newbridge alone.

Re the debate on social side of GAA, agree it is out of control.

I know Joe Brolly frequently goes haywire but I think he's dead right when he says that players aren't developing into fully rounded up people.

I was saying to someone recently - the best midfield partnership I ever saw was Liam Hayes and Gerry McEntee for Meath. Hayes was a journalist and McEntee a surgeon; with their working hours and lifestyles they would be told to get lost by all inter-county managers. It has made the overall culture of GAA much poorer. You've seen this with Jack McCaffrey - if you want to have a challenging career, you have to opt out.

I also think this affects leadership in teams, as there is much to life than GAA and what you learn in the course of a proper career makes into a much more rounded person, who can inspire others around them. You saw that on that Meath team with the likes of Hayes, McEntee and O'Rourke on that great Meath team - guys who weren't afraid to speak their minds and take charge.

They actually had one of the greatest managers of all time in Sean Boylan - and they'd still take him to task. Could you imagine any of the Kildare players under McGeeney, for example, really challenging him? They were in awe of him, verging on sycophancy, and that's never a good place to be.

But a lot of the culture now around GAA teams has to do with Ireland's hopelessly dysfunctional attitude to alcohol.

Onto the game, god help us...

How things have changed. Three years ago the qualifier game in Newbridge v Tyrone was all-ticket; now the feeling is that we all want the championship to be over as quickly as possible. Absolutely no build up to this game whatsoever.

I do believe Cian O'Neill was absolutely the right appointment at the time, and he achieved requirement one - getting us promoted. I was even willing to forgive league final as we'd achieved the main objective.

However, there's no getting around it - I have been watching Kildare teams since 1990 and the two matches this year rank amongst the worst championship performances I've seen from our county. All things considered, we don't have the overall quality to be a top team at the moment - but I still don't think O'Neill is getting the most out of this group, and on the evidence so far, he doesn't have it as a manager. Colm O'Rourke unfortunately is dead right when he says the atmosphere in the county has plunged back to pre-Mick O'Dwyer levels.

I actually think Offaly will win - but let's face it, even if we get over them, we are on the stronger side of the draw and are going out in the next round anyway. On current evidence, we will also struggle badly in Division 2 next year. Grim times.

I don't for 1 minute put all the blame on Cian O Neills door I didn't agree with his appointment at the time not with the management team the Glenn Ryan had put in place. But I'm not going to get into that. The biggest disappointment for me is that we are supposed to have one of the best coaches and strength and conditioning coaches in the game but we don't see any evidence of that on the field. In fact it's the complete opposite. We look like we haven't a clue what we are at and I'd say there are fitter club teams in kildare which is also a major worry.

IF we do get over offaly, are we facing cork, mayo or monaghan ?.

SeamusMurphy wrote:

IF we do get over offaly, are we facing cork, mayo or monaghan  ?.

yes winners play each other

fone wrote:

SeamusMurphy wrote:

IF we do get over offaly, are we facing cork, mayo or monaghan  ?.

yes  winners play each other

Correct, and the following Saturday at that.

Oh blox
Can we give a walkover.

On a home /away basis ?

In terms of S&C, O'Neill is known for having his teams peak for a particular part of the season. With Tipp hurlers, Kerry and Mayo footballers its later in the year. Perhaps he hadn't recalibrated his program for Kildare to get through the early part of championship season. I'll give him benefit of the doubt there.

umpireonditch wrote:

In terms of S&C, O'Neill is known for having his teams peak for a particular part of the season. With Tipp hurlers, Kerry and Mayo footballers its later in the year. Perhaps he hadn't recalibrated his program for Kildare to get through the early part of championship season. I'll give him benefit of the doubt there.

What about the Limerick footballers?

I think your clutching at straws .....in the biggest way possible

Eternal optimist Jim

I'm not going to knock that

Why do we go to see championship football, We want our team to go out give it there all play to win the game. Unfortunately the last two games we have seen the opposite and against the mighty Wexford and Westmeath we go and play a system that the players dont understand and that system is after turning the Kildare people away in a big way. Talking to die hard Kildare fans its killing them that we are gone so low and bad. Now we play Offaly any other day I always feel we will beat them and I never bet against my own but I think we could be in trouble if we dont change that system. We have to take the game to Offaly not sit back.
I wonder will there be anything said at the county board meeting im sure all is not rosy?

I thought we would struggle, but beat Wexford.

I was very nervous going into the Westmeath game because we hadn't played in 5 weeks.

I think we will beat Offaly and unless we get a home draw the following week I feel that could be the end of the year for us.

Beat offaly, get cork at home, get tipp in the last 12.. all sorted.

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Re the debate on social side of GAA, agree it is out of control.

I know Joe Brolly frequently goes haywire but I think he's dead right when he says that players aren't developing into fully rounded up people.

I was saying to someone recently - the best midfield partnership I ever saw was Liam Hayes and Gerry McEntee for Meath. Hayes was a journalist and McEntee a surgeon; with their working hours and lifestyles they would be told to get lost by all inter-county managers. It has made the overall culture of GAA much poorer. You've seen this with Jack McCaffrey - if you want to have a challenging career, you have to opt out.

I also think this affects leadership in teams, as there is much to life than GAA and what you learn in the course of a proper career makes into a much more rounded person, who can inspire others around them. You saw that on that Meath team with the likes of Hayes, McEntee and O'Rourke on that great Meath team - guys who weren't afraid to speak their minds and take charge.

They actually had one of the greatest managers of all time in Sean Boylan - and they'd still take him to task. Could you imagine any of the Kildare players under McGeeney, for example, really challenging him? They were in awe of him, verging on sycophancy, and that's never a good place to be.

But a lot of the culture now around GAA teams has to do with Ireland's hopelessly dysfunctional attitude to alcohol.

+1 here.
The lads playing county these days are often bored and boring and that shows on the field. They don't play off the cuff and won't take matters into their own hands.
They have no life and never get the chance to live with so much control.
The GPA are all about player welfare and are now talking about life balance but they never come out once and say that the managers are demanding too much of players as they are often founding members.

Why can't one county think outside the box. We are wasting our time trying to do a Dub-lite. The players need to accept that they are not at the level they think they are and need to get the dirty business of clawing their way back up to a better standard.
It's so worrying right now the lack of basic fight in the team that I don't fancy us against an Offaly side who will be up for a derby.