Kildare v Longford

This season is a complete and utter waste of everyone’s time

Players , manager , supporters and forum posters

Said it after the Wicklow game and will say it again. Why isn't Aaron O'Neill been given a chance? Donnellan at fault for two goals today. How bad does he have to get?

Taibi wrote:

Said it after the Wicklow game and will say it again. Why isn't Aaron O'Neill been given a chance? Donnellan at fault for two goals today. How bad does he have to get?

He's not on his own my Friend.. must be some panel members wondering wtf.

Donnellans performance under the highball has been awful since the collapse against Down under Ryan. He's a very good shot stopper, but that's what's he supposed to be doing. However he is very liable to chuck one in when it's put on top of him. Time to try Aaron O'Neill.

Need to change it defensively. Doyle has to be taken out of center back, its just not suited to him. Cribben for all his work has and never will never be a half back. He is poor positional wise and can't tackle. Not a good combination.

Another fade out, 7 up 18 to go. Then concede 1-3 in just over 5 minutes. Thats shocking stuff. Won it again in extra time only to another horrible goal. Its key stone cops stuff. We're not going to suddenly turn into world beaters so I expect more if the same on Sunday and then a summer off. Dark times are once again at our door step.

Given what's left of a panel and couple of injuries to Flynn and OGrady, there are not a lot of options to fix that backline. Kelly should be in the fullback line but who else can come in?

Regards Nash; he is just back after weeks out due to a hernia in early April. Not 100% but I doubt he has much training at all done with the squad. No disappointment in not getting on today.

Generally regards the u20 this notion they should all be getting time is a laugh. Senior is a totally different game. Is Jimmy getting 10 points a game like he was last year? No. I'd love to have Masterson and maybe one or two more around but it is what is it. Tight championship games is not where we should be throwing people into senior level. It's a risk we haven't been able to afford with the struggles thus far. Some still qualify for this years u20 right? Big argument for O'Neill in goal though alright but Donnellan is a wonderful shot stopper.

New manager come December, blood more youth in O'Byrne and league. Get the senior feel and then ready for championship.

100% correct re u20s. Simply not ready and would be annihilated if we were to flood the team with them. Even Jimmy Hyland has struggled to make the jump to senior and he's had league games this year and last. Takes time. Masterson for sure could have made it. ONeill undoubtedly will too. Given what's available I'd go with Conway centre back, Doyle as a wing back. Kelly in corner. O'Donoghue/Cribben other wingback if Flynn still out and Dempsey in corner if OGrady still out. David Hyland as roving fullback.

KILL BILL wrote:

Where to even begin, I mean the Ben McCormack substitutions? , what is O'Neill actually thinking at this time?,  he is a decent honest person but he is setting Kildare football back 3 - 5 years.

He explained afterwards that it was because he was on a yellow and a tick and in danger of being sent off. He could come back on for extra time because the yellow card doesn't carry through, though absolutely bizarrely, it seems the tick does! But then it was an absolute no-brainer to bring him back on.

Said Tyrrell got a knock.

Wasn't at the Wicklow game - was this worse or an improvement? Just on how I'd rate Wicklow and Longford, I'd think it might be an improvement but not having been at Wicklow game, I don't know.

They are so frustrating - spells where they look excellent and then, as someone said, Keystone Cops defending, between ludicrous frees and goals.

Not going to write an essay as am sick we are moving further away from the top table every year end of story.
I firmly believe that 26 footballers from Kildare should be beating Wicklow and Longford by at least 10pts so both management and players are at fault and both are not right at the moment.
Can someone please tell me why will we not tackle or make contact with opposition?

Players should train in Newbridge greyhound stadium this week instead of Hawkfield, might learn how to hold onto lead! Frustrating that the same faults are present game after game,backs cannot defend when you run at them and foul with bad tackling technique ,centre back missing in action.midfield too slow to play ball to inside line, poor record on breaking ball,some forwards hiding and afraid to shoot. Players have to take responsibility for what happens on the pitch but management have to pick mentally strong players and not favourites and get team organized.With about 5 changes to starting team, i expect a reaction from players and should win replay but not rushing down to Paddy Power with current set up.

There's about as much chance of 5 changes as there is of Nuxer lining out in midfield ..

I wonder if the stat guys on the sideline are noting these second half collapses? Correlating all the GPS data and fatigue data with the timings of these collapses? You can nearly set your watch by them as they are becoming so regular...

Is it wrong to hope we lose the replay so we get the chance to enact some sort of revenge against Carlow?

I mean surely we've improved and learnt our lesson from this time last year...

I honestly don't know what our stat guys do but we would be better off having a maor uisce like Longford had. The guy was more involved than some of our players. He was constantly pointing out fouls by Kildare players, claiming every off the ball incident deserved a card and organising the defense.
Did we have anyone doing a similar role or is that somehow beneath us? A little passion on the sideline from our management might help.

Listen up troops...

Four years into O'Neill's reign, this team still throws away comfortable leads, lose their heads in pressure situations and occasionally defend like U12s.

Despite it all, I will still be in Tullamore next Sun cheering them on like a mad man.

Still maintain it's more honourable – and, actually, interesting & exciting – following an imperfect team like ours than a soulless corporate monstrosity like the Dubs.

And do you know what? Joe Brolly can shove his pathetic fawning over them up his ass.

Cill Dara Abu.

Shortgrass - don't think the guys on the sideline are watching the same game as anyone else..... all year or 6-7 of the starters yesterday wouldn't be on the panel never mind the team.....

Can't see how we allegedly have the best physical trainer in Ireland as our manager and we are not as fit or strong as most of our opponents - maybe some of this down to player mentality and bravery....

My fear and i am interested in hearing opinions on this is that have we turned into Club Hawkfield where its nearly like a club ethos and the management can't see beyond the entrance gates...…

Murof dead right a bit of passion from the sideline would creep onto the pitch..... remember our friend from Carlow last year who dictated the game.....
Its either we are embarrassed to do it or we believe its too low of a low or we believe we are too good or CON doesn't want it...….. personally i would love something similar to our friend from Carlow last year....

Also think someone on here said before we are too soft and does anyone think that the likes of Philly McMahon goes easy on the Dublin forwards in training..... i doubt if we are allowed touch each other in training if we are not allowed touch the opposition in a game,......

Absolutely no chance I want the team heading to Cullen Park in two weeks. A riled up crowd baying for blood and the thuggish style their team brings to deliver that blood. A nightmare outcome. Stomach turned seeing that this morning. Written in the stars almost to be drawn with them considering the odds of such!! Next week is must must must must win. We aren't attacking anywhere near quick enough to disrupt an OTT defensive setup.

Agree with HG. I'm disappointed as anyone with the relative regression of the team since the promising 2017 campaign and the fairly decent run last summer. I'm disappointed with the lack of tackling and poor skills. The inability to shut out a game. The goals. The lead throw aways.

But jesus christ I will never sit on my hole threatening to boycott the team and I certainly will never be jumping on the Kildare GAA's socials cheering for the other team. If you cannot be arsed to stick with it through the bad times then good luck to you.

It's a lifelong commitment.

Also, those on here & elsewhere shitting their pants over Dubs – man up FFS. Have some self-respect, it's embarrassing.

John_R wrote:

Generally regards the u20 this notion they should all be getting time is a laugh. Senior is a totally different game. Is Jimmy getting 10 points a game like he was last year? .

I get this point but at the same time we are trying to fit Hyland into the same system we have being playing for years. The U20s last year fed the full forward line as fast and as often as possible last year and he thrived in it.

Now he is in a system which is a slow handpassing game which far too often breaks down with a stupid pass or running straight into contact. He is either getting frustrated with the lack of ball or is being asked to track out the field when he should be kept close to goal where he can be deadly.

The full forward line struggles because of the tactics when they should be adjusted to play to their strengths. But look overall forward play wasn't the big issue yesterday it is the joke that is the defense which again comes back a lot to do with tactics.

Re qualifiers...

If we do end up in them, my prediction is we exact revenge on Carlow, then Mayo beat us in Newbridge in next round.  

Ref : U20 and progression and game time....

Correct senior is a totally different game, however the task is to get closer to Dublin and this is not a short term task its probably a 5 year plan we are that far behind at the moment..... so someone in the county board is going to have to have the vision to see that and the manager also needs to build for that, there are lads on that panel that are wasting their own time but cling on....

I would prefer to see say 5 lads from the U'20 playing yesterday after being bedded in during the league and another 2 every year for next few years..... reality is we had a poor Div 2 league scrapped over Wicklow who club teams in some counties would beat and we drew with the football superpower of Longford..... every county in Ireland knows we have a soft underbelly and if they attack and put it in our faces we will hide...… do we actually acknowledge how low we are.....

And on the u'20 looks like Kerry have blooded at least 2 of theirs during the league in Diarmuid OConnor and Dara Moynihan and they will be threatening for an All-Ireland and what do we do...….. something wrong people something wrong....

Terrible shame Masterson walked away, was it down to lack of game time?
No one expected the U20's to walk onto the starting team but 4 or 5 of them could make an impact late in the game if they got the chance imo.
Hopefully some of them will reconsider next year under a different manager.

From PP kildare 4/9 draw 15/2 longford 9/4
I think paddys off his meds....