Kildare v Armagh

ALSO Donegal/Kildare last year should have dampened expectations for tonight. We are not windy weather material. They also battered us both halves.

One other positive: you can easily time your tea & toilet breaks watching Kildare these days. Once they start a lateral passing move it’s curtains... If it starts on the opposite wing to where you’re sitting, you can be sure it’ll be somewhere in downtown Manhattan by the time they start working it back.

I knew the game was up when we put Kevin Feely in at full forward and started hoofing balls into him from any angle. This tactic has never worked for us and left us short at midfield. If we were patient and probed around the 45, the likes of Paddy Brophy, Paul Cribbin and Adam Tyrell showed they were capable of clipping over points from distance. It seemed we were panicking even though there was 30 minutes left.

Correct on the Feely tactic. He also appears to be short a yard or two in pace the past two years.
We’ve a couple of serial offenders in taking the ball into the tackle. Surely it’s been pointed out to them at this stage and it’s down to their thick headedness that they continue to do it.
Plus point: Brophy appears to be working himself back into form.

Negative points: Kelly, Jimmy Hyland, Neil Flynn all three pretty anonymous. Peter Kelly’s tackling (block aside).... Jesus lads..... Dan needs to stamp his authority on games a lot more. But he has been off for a year so he needs some time.

Lots of lessons to be learnt. There is a serious inability to deal with opposition aggression and unscrupulous behaviour, the reaction Kildare always have is the exact outcome the opposing team look for. This has been an issue for years and mostly Kildare end up with a series of cards and frees conceded or brought forward. This is common knowledge among opposing teams as outlined by Kieran MC Geeney in the past. We just need to deal with it, D Flynn in particular was targeted and got no protection and it worked a treat for Armagh. Coping with this needs to happen now and we need to learn not to be put off our game but to drive on even more and hurt the f**kers where in matters. I recall a number of posts here 2 years ago advocating cynical play / dark arts. Methods of sneaky knees and elbows and belts to the balls. Jack O Connors Kerry were no fairies neither are Moorefield, things are happening fast in this league and we must learn faster

I for one am not writing this team off yet, yes the past 2 performances were horrible and there will be similar opposition tactics because it works on Kildare. But we have raw talent and can hopefully learn to toughen the f**k up in a clever manner. The skillset is there to at least improve, we competed pretty well 2 years ago in division one losing a few games by small margins so why so awful now. If we get our shit together we can get back on track, but it has to happen now. I like some snippet of ball moving fast but it looks like no work done on advanced mark, the quality of ball to full forward line is terrible.

Was that referee looking to be a candidate for a "Wicklow style" car boot ride today or did someone from Kildare rob him. His performance was almost as bad as Kildare's. I don't in anyway blame him or use it as an excuse for Kildare's mucky display but surely we can expect better than his antics.

Mindset was wrong tonight. Chose to play against the wind and defend with no ambition for 35 minutes but just to keep the score down in expectation if turning it around
in 2nd half. Was clear from distance on Donellans kickouts that the ball could travel into the wind. Our one point could and probably should have been a goal. And even clearer in 2nd half when 14 man Armagh made hay into it . The start to the 2nd half couldnt have been much worse. Game done after 40 minutes after 5 sloppy minutes. Only positive was to see Adam Tyrell back and doing well. Plenty of work fo do before the next 4 games which are all winnable but equally all losable if there is no improvement.

A year ago, under a manager we hammered, these same players we are talking about were good enough to get close to promotion. Plus we also had an All Ireland-winning group of teens that were too young, but in a season would start pushing us forward with good guidance. After all, they didn't win an All Ireland by being bad at the game.

A year on, under a manager busy suing a politician, and who I told you is a bullshitter cashing in while taking six figures out of Kildare in legitimate expenses (and that's so far, or very close to it), those same players are now Division Three standard and that under-20 team were a waste of time, and we should just accept our expectations are too high and this is our level, so keep paying the man selling snake-oil a few years?

It's like a lad you catch shagging your wife so you best introduce him to your daughter. (An analogy based on this football situation, anything else is someone else's problem...)

We've had great outside managers.

But I warned all on here from the minute he was appointed - via those who know well that this wasn't going to work - that this was a pension plan. Don't believe me?

I'll ask again.

Six months of employment in, with promotion the key and maybe the sole goal, and with relegation a potential ruination of Kildare football, we already have to accept the former is gone and latter is becoming real.

Worse, what plan has anyone seen in big games? What strategy? What improvement?

This isn't the late 80s and Micko. Now the season comes down to this time of year and, worse, so does next season. We aren't just throwing away the first half of this decade, we are paying to do it.

But maybe I'm bitter.

I'd just love to be on expenses that dwarf the average industrial wage, that involve no standards or accountability and a shrug of the shoulders with abject failure, and where that failure means those funding you say they'd better front up for another few years.

Where can I sign up to this gig? Be bad and you just need longer.

McGeeney, Ryan, O'Neill were constantly peppered on here for their post-match interviews after better matches. On this I am open to correction, but haven't heard Jack's interviews being talked about. Is he doing them? Would love to hear.

It's all unreal. As is sadly our football. We are being duped. We are actually telling ourselves a group of pro athletes and All Ireland winners we finally produced are the problem, not the Kerry man with the cheque!

I have to be honest Tommy that at first I thought you were way off the mark and completely out of order, sadly the more I witness the more I am coming around to the fact that you are probably right, the utter despair of the last week has left me looking for something to cling on to but there is nothing there, bleak doesn't come near to describing the future, not like it's a rebuilding backward step, we are destined for years of barren mediocrity without any prospect of recovery, I don't think I ever despaired more over Kildare GAA and as I am now in my 60's I might never see (relatively) good football times in the country again.

KILL BILL wrote:

I have to be honest Tommy that at first I thought you were way off the mark and completely out of order,  sadly the more I witness the more I am coming around to the fact that you are probably right,  the utter despair of the last week has left me looking for something to cling on to but there is nothing there, bleak doesn't come near to describing the future,  not like it's a rebuilding backward step, we are destined for years of barren mediocrity without any prospect of recovery, I don't think I ever despaired more over Kildare  GAA and as I am now in my 60's I might never see (relatively) good football times in the country again.

+1. As much as it pains me to say it I can’t see any road back for this group. That was div 3/4 performance last night and probably the most shockingly bad performance from a Kildare team in my lifetime, I’m in my 40s. People I discussed it with said it reminded them of the Kerry 7 goal game but that was against a top side, last night was against a piss poor Armagh team

FionnMcCool wrote:

Isnt it great that it's on Eir. The whole country will get to witness the bullshit I endured last weekend.

McGeeney will have a simple message for his players tonight.  Hit them up and they won't want to know about it .

Armagh by 6

Uncanny

Predictably Pathetic ... Great post Tommy ... the league was be all and end all this year .. gone backwards , same old failings, zero sign of a game plan and of course the annual award for worst tackling in the country ... allied to that , a lack of balls and leadership and it’s a disaster recipe.

The optimist in me still reckons we will cling onto division 2 status but what a waste of a year ...

Failure is guaranteed when managers take 100% of the blame and players get a free pass. Same in all sports. Look how Manchester United back players like donkey pogba and constantly change managers. I recall laughing at Laois sacking Mick O Dwyer winning first Leinster in over 50 years, we are the same. Players and management need to take collective responsibility.

Is fitness,strength and conditioning an issue with this Kildare squad or is it attitude ?Bullied last night and I could not get over how easy Armagh players got by "would be tacklers",and no players were covering when first man was beaten.The scary thing is that 12 of starters last night will get a 1-15 jersey next day,its harder to get off this Kildare team than get onto it.
The skill set of some players is poor and they look one dimensional,no amount of training can change that when lads hit their mid 20's. Running off the shoulder, blind runs to create space,give and go are just not in their makeup.Are Kildare half backs under instruction not to pass opponent's 45,they just seem to stop and pass to another players who is nearly always standing still,no hard runners breaking tackles.
This team is crying out for players who can kick pass and forwards who are brave enough to show and go for ball and track back.none of this hoofing ball into square over and over.We have no real power players (Conway badly missed), therefore we need to play game smarter to by pass walls of defenders.Could go on but whats the point?same crew always let u down when its put up to them .

Kildare have not being good enough for the last 8 years we simply have the wrong coaching structures in place whatever they are doing regarding skill wise has to be checked out and reviewed. I heard that a lot of underage kildare teams are doing a lot of strength & condition workout more than skill work on the field from under 14 up that’s not right we are producing athletes that can run but after watching that last night my god are skill set is so far behind the top teams it’s very worrying. Jack o Connor & his team have to go through his panel and maybe do a Micko find the men from the boys. I could go on and on with all the problems but that would be a few pages long but things are not right in kildare.

It’s same old story for last 2 matches when chips are down they hide
We can’t defend
We can’t score

2 things from the above:

1.   I remember some Kildare players and Moorefield in general getting demonised on this forum for playing with ' a bit of steel '.

2. To have lost 2 games now without conceding any goals is also a worry, if that makes sense, indeed we haven't conceded any goals which is a huge positive but were still losing.???

Gaa1928 wrote:

2 things from the above:

1.   I remember some Kildare players and Moorefield in general getting demonised on this forum for playing with ' a bit of steel '.

2.   To have lost 2 games now without conceding any goals is also a worry, if that makes sense, indeed we haven't conceded any goals which is a huge positive but were still losing.???

That we didn't concede five - seriously - last night was nothing short of incredible on the part of Mark Donnellan and in one instance Peter Kelly. Serious question, who is the s and c coach, and I ask as was asked by a source who said the answer used to be interesting with O'Connor.

TommyKeegan wrote:

Gaa1928 wrote:

2 things from the above:

1.   I remember some Kildare players and Moorefield in general getting demonised on this forum for playing with ' a bit of steel '.

2.   To have lost 2 games now without conceding any goals is also a worry, if that makes sense, indeed we haven't conceded any goals which is a huge positive but were still losing.???

That we didn't concede five - seriously - last night was nothing short of incredible on the part of Mark Donnellan and in one instance Peter Kelly. Serious question, who is the s and c coach, and I ask as was asked by a source who said the answer used to be interesting with O'Connor.

remember this some older. Players could not even beat Carlow 2 years ago plus lost all games in Division 1 and went to ballyshannon last year with promotion at steak and stood like statues on pitch 70 minutes

We should keep Donellan, Feely, Moolick, Dan Flynn, Hyland and one or 2 others at most, the rest are damaged goods, big clear-out needed

KILL BILL wrote:

We should keep Donellan, Feely, Moolick, Dan Flynn, Hyland and one or 2 others at most, the rest are damaged goods, big clear-out needed

moolck won’t have legs for championship football, moolick in 25 minutes man

Too late for a clearout now I would think.

This group need to get together and decide what they want. Do they want to be remembered in twenty years as a squad that made the most of their talent and represented the people of Kildare with distinction or a group who will be remembered for continuously underachieving, with little will to win.

For me it doesn't really matter about trophies, I've been watching Kildare since the start of the 90's and I know others here have watched for far longer, but we've only won a couple of Leinster's in that time.
What teams and players I feel most proud of are those that just didn't give in win or lose they gave it all they could.

These players unfortunately as it stands will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. There is time to change that perception but its time to get honest. Either you want represent Kildare people as best you can or you don't.

KILL BILL wrote:

We should keep Donellan, Feely, Moolick, Dan Flynn, Hyland and one or 2 others at most, the rest are damaged goods, big clear-out needed

Not disagreeing with you.. but who do you bring in, and would they even want to.

TommyKeegan wrote:

Gaa1928 wrote:

2 things from the above:

1.   I remember some Kildare players and Moorefield in general getting demonised on this forum for playing with ' a bit of steel '.

2.   To have lost 2 games now without conceding any goals is also a worry, if that makes sense, indeed we haven't conceded any goals which is a huge positive but were still losing.???

That we didn't concede five - seriously - last night was nothing short of incredible on the part of Mark Donnellan and in one instance Peter Kelly. Serious question, who is the s and c coach, and I ask as was asked by a source who said the answer used to be interesting with O'Connor.

In this regard, an S & C coach doesn't make an impact in a few months and it's a problem for Kildare, they've had a few different ones in recent years. It is an area the experts say you need real consistency, to see results in years 2, 3 and 4 which is why having a county S & C group, outside of the senior team, for all the county teams would be really wise.