Next Kildare Manager

About time Conway was tried at 6. That's where he excelled for the U21's. You won't run through him and he's quick enough to cover the ground. He could also be a decent weapon joining in attacks running onto the ball.

I'd also give him the captaincy this year. He's developed into a strong leader

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Wing back is probably Hyland's best position.

I think Aaron O'Neill should be starting next year... Donnellan doesn't have the range of kicking of the top Div 1 keepers, Cluxton, Beggan, Morgan, Patton.

Very loose idea of team for possible team for league next year, injuries, commitment etc permitting...
Just throwing it out there so the usual suspects can hold off the diatribes/hate mail/death threats etc, thanks.

O'Neill

Dempsey
O'Grady
P Kelly

D Hyland
????
K Flynn

Feely
Masterson

Robinson
P Cribbin
Conway

McLoughlin
D Flynn
J Hyland

Conway definitely Kildare footballer of the year this year.

Jack Robinson would have to be in the inside line for me...........

I'd completely forgotten about Conway's origins as centre back. Not a bad shout at all. Jesus when he's on his game, he's some animal.

Robinson can play anywhere from 10-15, but his ability to beat players and be a playmaker very valuable out around the middle. Hopefully Niall Kelly is back onboard for league next year.

Re inside line, obviously N Flynn and McCormack have huge amounts to offer if they can steer clear of injury.

Then you have boys like Tyrrell, Slattery, Brophy, Healy and a few others... Honestly the best Kildare squad should be pretty formidable and definitely Div 1 material. Hopefully Jacko and the boys get everyone onboard and there is savage competition for places.

mc Loughlin won’t near the Panel next year

HG - don't want to start an argument with you but having watched Jack closely since he was very young he is an out and out finisher end of. He is not a playmaker nor has he the physique and work rate to play in the half forward line........certainly not at intercounty level

Lads feel free to select your own teams I'm not the manager!!

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

Lads feel free to select your own teams I'm not the manager!!

But do you have a 'Direct Line ' HG,

No comment.

Broadly agree with your backs, midfield and three forwards HG but don’t think McLoughlin will be on the panel. Maybe a forward line of Kelly, P Cribbin, Conway, McCormack, D Flynn, N Flynn/J Hyland

For me, getting Jack O'Connor was a coup. I can't wait for the new season to start. I would like to see 4 things happening. 1.. Fans buying into the "new era" and getting back supporting the team in numbers.
2... Major priority for the team to first and foremost tackle for every ball as if your life depended on it... (I know this should be a given for any County Team)...but our tackling in the last 4 or 5 years has been very mediocre to say the least. 3...Give Fergal Conway the captaincy(as Rex suggested) and play him at CHB. ( b.t.w. i'm not suggesting dropping Eoin Doyle ! ) 4...JO'C to make Jimmy Hyland the player we know he can be. Jimmy 2 years ago was the best player at his age in the country. Pat Spillane raved about Jimmy's talent and prospects. Last year was his first real season with the Seniors (i know he played some senior games the year before) and he was finding his feet at this level. This season can see Jimmy really coming in to his own and hopefully flourish under Jack. Up the Lillies !

My tuppence worth:
I'm surprised Adam Tyrell doesn't get more of a mention here. I didn't think he was up to inter-county football before but I thought he was our best forward last year. A left-footed free-taker as well.

I'd have Fergal Conway as captain for sure but I think he's better at midfield or half-forward than centre-back. Gives him the freedom to make those driving runs forward rather than have to mark somebody.

Our defence has had the same feel about it for the past 6 years: Eoin Doyle at 6, Hyland and O'Grady in the full-back line and Peter Kelly playing where needed. I'd like to see us start with a clean slate as regards players and positions. We've also favoured a more "shadowing" approach to tackling rather than trying to turn over the ball. An obvious area where we can make progress I think.

It would be great as well if we could "find" a couple of players either from the Under 20s or players who haven't been involved previously. I'm not sure if Jack plans to have trial matches or invite players who do well in the county championships. When he took over in Kerry in 2004 he brought in Paul Galvin and Aidan O'Mahony who hadn't been on the team before. I'm not suggesting there are players of that calibre waiting in the wings in Kildare but maybe he might favour a hard-working player over a more skilful player who doesn't work as hard.

Interesting times ahead...

There’s a couple of the younger lads on the team last year that didn’t get a sniff in last years league or championship, I can think of Tony Archibald and Padriag Nash, two very good players that are very direct and know where the goal is

conway at six all day and build around him was by a long way best player in kildare last season has the power needed at six

Conway was by far our best player last year at midfield not sure why people are in such a hurry to move him out of there. He hasn’t played centre back in about 4 years well since Jason Ryan was in charge I believe and always plays midfield for Celbridge so placing him centre back is really on hope/instinct that he will play well there. I would sooner leave him where he is and try to find another solution for centre back.

Conway actually played centre back in O’Neill’s first year but I also think he should be left further forward. He was moved for a reason and started to get better once he was.

If we had a system in place clogging up that channel should not be down to one or even two players.
Although if Masterson was back and he blossomed then Conway could wear any number and hold an area while carrying too.
If we get all lads back and motiri g lots of options.
O'connor namechcked Kevin Flynn in his interview and his pace was a big loss last year.
Murray is another one you could expect back abd I'd like him given a solid run at 6 either.
Doyle could rove a bit too then.

one major problem with kildare over last few years you could drive a bus down through us down the middle and without doubt you would not run over anyone fix this and we could be contenders

Parkinson has an interview with Jack O'Connor on his latest podcast

Jack said 1 or 2 could traveling next year

We will be lucky if only 1 or 2 and will be similar in every other county so not an excuse...… i just hope the players are honest and if the don't want to or can't give the required level of commitment they say it and Jack in turn calls it...…. to me CON lost a lot of credit last year when he kept saying a player was part of setup but the whole county knew they weren't or they did not want to play for Kildare or whatever...… honesty is all we ask for on and off the pitch......

Really hope we get most of the lads onboard. Div 1 and Super 8s realistic targets for us which is more than you can say for most counties. Plus you can't beat the satisfaction of a big win for Kildare.

We all know about the Dub advantages, but I strongly feel we need to stop whining now and concentrate on what we can do practically.

I really believe in the next decade we can do what we did in the 90s, or what Mayo did last decade – and hopefully go one better of course.

We have a top manager with a great CV. If players don't want to play for him then who will they play for?
We need to trust in youth and give them a decent run in early season. Some of our established players are not going to get any better at this stage.
There is plenty of talented players in Kildare, this is their chance to show what they can do.
Actually looking forward to the new year now.

Very much agree with Murof. O'Connor is a top level manager and he'll know how to set a team up and get the best from them. Time to trust him and his squad. If lads don't want to play it's up to them. Youth within obvious limits as in those that are ready should be given it's chance. Give them the coaching they need and let them have a cut.

New era, new broom, new hope.

It was so strange in first league game this year... We got into a tight spot against Armagh, but a bunch of the U20s came on, played with total belief and pulled it out of the fire. I thought that'd be the blueprint for the year: not wholesale change, but 6 or 7 of the U20s making important contributions throughout the year.

Then, I don't know what the hell happened. Either O'Neill didn't trust them or they didn't trust him. Either way, a bunch of lads left, which on the back of D Flynn and P Cribbin absences was a huge blow.

Anyway, as has been said, new era now and a clean slate.

Haunted i agree i was happy after that game and remember even thinking that performances would be more important than results if we blooded 6-7 of that u20 squad and i would say if CON had of done that and achieved similar results he would of had the support of the supporters as it would have been seen as a 'rebuilding' year......