Leinster championship 2022

May 1st beckons.....Louth or Carlow.....and away we go.

Said it on other thread - if Mayo or any of the Ulster counties had been through our league campaign, they’d say “disappointing to get relegated but let’s go for a provincial title”.

It’s incredible to say it, but we on the other hand are vulnerable to losing this match! Particularly if this is Louth, Harte will have it drilled into them that they traditionally specialist in ruining Kildare’s Leinster campaign - ESPECIALLY when we’re in contention to win it.

As for Carlow, they’re a woeful team, but they weren’t any great shakes in 2018 either and we know how that ended up - probably the most humiliated I’ve ever felt as a Kildare supporter (saying something).

We cannot consider anything other than a win, not to be arrogant or complacent but if we are serious about progress......

I assume it will be Louth in Navan?

Assume it will be Louth who should beat Carlow with plenty to spare. Stefan White 1991 and Navan 2010 spring to mind with Louth! We can’t take either team lightly, but if we perform to our ability we should win comfortably.

And another in 95 in Newbridge

In the same way that Mayo bullied us, we should be looking to bully Louth or Carlow.
With the best run in years for Louth, they were in division 3. That’s a big difference in the speed of play and physicality that we’ve experienced.
With the right attitude and the right application, we should be looking at nothing other than a win.
In 2010 our attitude and application were off and we got caught out. The same in Tullamore against Carlow.
I firmly believe Glenn will have those things right, whatever about tactics or personnel on the field.

Badger85 wrote:

In the same way that Mayo bullied us, we should be looking to bully Louth or Carlow.
With the best run in years for Louth, they were in division 3. That’s a big difference in the speed of play and physicality that we’ve experienced.
With the right attitude and the right application, we should be looking at nothing other than a win.
In 2010 our attitude and application were off and we got caught out. The same in Tullamore against Carlow.
I firmly believe Glenn will have those things right, whatever about tactics or personnel on the field.  

We were Division 1 and Carlow were playing Division 4 in 2018. None of that counts for anything if the attitude and application isn't right as we know all too well from the numerous examples given above. For what it's worth I agree that Glenn and the lads, all of whom experienced ambushes by Louth, Glenn and Anthony in 1991 and 1995 (Anthony was still there in 2010),Johnny and Dermot in 2010, will ensure there is no complacency. We don't seem capable of bullying teams, I agree we should. I think we'll beat Louth, but I expect a few scares along the way to a 5 or 6 point win. I'll be the first to be delighted to be proved wrong and we go out and beat them by 10+ points. The margin is immaterial the bottom line is to get over the first hurdle. The memories of 1991, 1995, 2010 and 2018 should be enough to kill any complacency.

Southern Gael wrote:

Badger85 wrote:

In the same way that Mayo bullied us, we should be looking to bully Louth or Carlow.
With the best run in years for Louth, they were in division 3. That’s a big difference in the speed of play and physicality that we’ve experienced.
With the right attitude and the right application, we should be looking at nothing other than a win.
In 2010 our attitude and application were off and we got caught out. The same in Tullamore against Carlow.
I firmly believe Glenn will have those things right, whatever about tactics or personnel on the field.  

We were Division 1 and Carlow were playing Division 4 in 2018. None of that counts for anything if the attitude and application isn't right as we know all too well from the numerous examples given above. For what it's worth I agree that Glenn and the lads, all of whom experienced ambushes by Louth, Glenn and Anthony in 1991 and 1995 (Anthony was still there in 2010),Johnny and Dermot in 2010, will ensure there is no complacency. We don't seem capable of bullying teams, I agree we should. I think we'll beat Louth, but I expect a few scares along the way to a 5 or 6 point win. I'll be the first to be delighted to be proved wrong and we go out and beat them by 10+ points. The margin is immaterial the bottom line is to get over the first hurdle. The memories of 1991, 1995, 2010 and 2018 should be enough to kill any complacency.  

I don't know how I forgot Wicklow in 2008, again we had just played in Division 1 and Wicklow Division 4

Weren't the 91,95 and 08 defeats the championship debuts for our then managers? A bit ominous when you think about it!

murof wrote:

Weren't the 91,95 and 08 defeats the championship debuts for our then managers? A bit ominous when you think about it!

Yes, Micko, Dermot Early snr and Geezer

Half-back line needs a total reboot.

Centre back continues to be a conundrum as it has been for past decade - has any team ever struggled as much to fill one position?!

Doyle had moments in 2017/18 but ultimately didn’t work. Then Hyland didn’t really work, ditto Con Kavanagh & his couple of appearances. Now Murray hasn’t worked either.

Maybe Shea Ryan could play there but do we want to disrupt FB line? Or Fergal Conway, even though he didn’t hit stride during league?

You’d nearly bring Glenn out of retirement at this stage!

Goes to show how underrated Morgan O’Flaherty was. Read the game exceptionally well & always tidied up in front of FB line. Oh for a player in that mould now...

Flats was fantastic. So underrated. My worry with CB is that nobody else was even considered. If Glenn doesn’t see a credible alternative to Murray, we’re screwed.

A step in the right direction... But as Lenny Kravitz said, what I really wanna know is... If Dubs were to get ourselves or Meath in Leinster semi, why shouldn’t be a Kildare/Meath home game? I’m as diehard a Kildare fan as you’ll find, and I’d happily miss game if it was played in Newbridge. Dubs have maintained for the last decade that they’d beat us no matter where game was played - surely they weren’t lying through teeth?

Bueller? Bueller?

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/leinster-football-semi-finals-may-be-moved-from-croke-park-1.4838602

Btw quick explanation for Pat Teehan as to why Leinster football is largely in the shitter: Dublin for last 10 years have gotten all the money, resources & played every game at home. Now they’ve disintegrated there’s no other Leinster team to take up slack... Yes such a huge mystery.

Sorry to go on about this, but it does my head in - Leinster council’s blasé attitude to collapse of football in the province has been & remains absolutely mind-boggling.

There was a horrible qualifier defeat to Louth in Newbridge too which ended John Crofton's time in charge

Not that I’m obsessed or anything but...

We had a home league game against Dublin in 1995, which we won. Our next home league game was 27 years later, which funnily enough we won as well.

Again, as a long-time Kildare supporter, I know that we haven’t had a home championship game against Dublin for 33 years.

To repeat: this while Dublin were given all of the money & resources on top of huge population advantage.

Anyone fancy a go at explaining how we allowed all of that to happen?!

New team who won't give a toss about Louth, Carlow, Tullamore.....any of it. If we can't beat either of that pair we're better off out of it.

Ontheterrace wrote:

New team who won't give a toss about Louth, Carlow, Tullamore.....any of it. If we can't beat either of that pair we're better off out of it.

Nobody here doubts the ability of Kildare to beat either of those teams well. I'm too long following Kildare to underestimate any championship challenge. Championship is ruthless and any hint of complacency will be punished ruthlessly. I have every confidence that Glenn and the lads will ensure that the team will be ready to hit the ground running on May 1. As I said earlier no one will be more delighted than me to see us put them away by 10+ points.

(I have always been a glass half full supporter of Kildare and will always find the positives. Last Sunday though has affected me deeply in a way that I haven't been by previous setbacks. I see all the positives and can see the drive and work rate that one would expect of a Glenn Ryan managed team. However, last Sunday just felt like another of those big landmark defining games that we always seem to fall short in. After the Dublin and Monaghan wins I thought maybe this is going to be different but again all the old failings that have afflicted Kildare teams in my 30+ plus years following them surfaced again. As I said above I hope this is all misplaced worry and nobody will celebrate more wildly to have my fears proved to have been totally misplaced. I really want this team and management to succeed on so many levels and for all that they represent in terms of our past and most importantly our future. I haven't really posted in detail about the match  since Sunday as the disappointment was still too raw and I didn't want to say something when my emotions were still too strong. Anyway I needed to get that off my chest ha. I am beginning to come around and I for one can't wait for May 1, I want these lads to bring us on a long journey this summer and give us all something to shout about. C'mon the Lillies)

Louth (should beat Carlow) will be formidable enough and we genuinely cannot take them lightly. We have not earned the right to go into games and expect to win them at ease. We rarely have ever done that in my team supporting Kildare.

Even at some of our best times under Geezer, our Leinster record was just about average at best. Louth have the top scorer from the league in Sam Mulroy within their ranks and if we have a soft half back line which we had all through the league, the ball going into him might be easier than it should. Of course, we should still beat them but it wont stop me going to Navan shi*ting myself until the result is confirmed.

Southern Gael wrote:

Ontheterrace wrote:

New team who won't give a toss about Louth, Carlow, Tullamore.....any of it. If we can't beat either of that pair we're better off out of it.

Nobody here doubts the ability of Kildare to beat either of those teams well. I'm too long following Kildare to underestimate any championship challenge. Championship is ruthless and any hint of complacency will be punished ruthlessly. I have every confidence that Glenn and the lads will ensure that the team will be ready to hit the ground running on May 1. As I said earlier no one will be more delighted than me to see us put them away by 10+ points.

(I have always been a glass half full supporter of Kildare and will always find the positives. Last Sunday though has affected me deeply in a way that I haven't been by previous setbacks. I see all the positives and can see the drive and work rate that one would expect of a Glenn Ryan managed team. However, last Sunday just felt like another of those big landmark defining games that we always seem to fall short in. After the Dublin and Monaghan wins I thought maybe this is going to be different but again all the old failings that have afflicted Kildare teams in my 30+ plus years following them surfaced again. As I said above I hope this is all misplaced worry and nobody will celebrate more wildly to have my fears proved to have been totally misplaced. I really want this team and management to succeed on so many levels and for all that they represent in terms of our past and most importantly our future. I haven't really posted in detail about the match  since Sunday as the disappointment was still too raw and I didn't want to say something when my emotions were still too strong. Anyway I needed to get that off my chest ha. I am beginning to come around and I for one can't wait for May 1, I want these lads to bring us on a long journey this summer and give us all something to shout about. C'mon the Lillies)

Its the hope that gets you Southern Gael!

Yes, there is always the danger but my point is that those defeats in the past mean nothing to this group.
Yes, Louth have a top scorer but not a Div 1 scorer.
And, most of all, and I take Southern Gael's point, this team .... Management and players....need at least two seasons to see what they can do.

Challenge result


Galway 1-11 Kildare 0-8

Both played defensive football for match

Were many lads released to play club this weekend?