Cork V Dublin

on average the dubs have enjoyed 48 per cent of possession this season and they gave tyrone a masive 56 per cent of the ball during their quarter final match . 56 per cent would win any game comfortably

dublin have also completed just 925 passes over their last five games compard to the 1159 compiled against them

dublin have hit 331 short kicks to their opponments 289 and have gone long on 122 occasions compared to the others 102

dublin defend deep and in numbers and then hit their opponmnts quick on break one reason why thwy have more kick passes than any other team they have played

Sam1928 wrote:

kickingking wrote:

I don't know what to make of Dublin. They have some average enough footballers in their team but the system they're employing at the moment is compensating for that lack of talent. Gilroy has done a very good job in my opinion. Dublin are showing great team spirit and are really playing for the jersey. All of the playing to the gallery crap that Pillar and Lyons' teams engaged in has been dispensed with under Gilroy. Their lack of experience might actually benefit them because the likes of O'Carroll, McAuley, Corkery, O'Gara etc. don't carry the mental baggage of failing at this stage in the past. I do think their lack of individual footballing talent (on paper I'd say Dublin individually are the weakest team left) will eventually catch up with them but their collective might be enough to get them over Sunday's hurdle.

I say that because I've never really been convinced by this particular Cork team. Their 1-9 are probably the best left but they are lacking in the forwards. All six are good individual players but they lack a real talisman up front who can be relied upon to kick a big score on the big day. Each of the other three teams left have at least one of these players - B Brogan, Coulter & JD. Colum O'Neill and Ciarán Sheehan were excellent underage players but whether they can do it when the chips are down on the big day in Croke Park remains to be seen. O'Neill started brilliantly in last year's All-Ireland Final getting a great goal early on but once Tommy Griffin got to grips with him he faded out of the game completely.

Cork lack leaders and this could really tell against them if Canty is ruled out. I'm not sure Cadogan is the greatest replacement either. He seems to be a bit of a loose cannon from what I've seen (both hurling and football) and I reckon the Dubs might rattle him. If Cork fail to crack Cluxton's kickouts then Dublin might just sneak this. Dublin are greater than the some of their parts whereas Cork look a bit rudderless.

Bloody hell. Great analysis. The RTE boys aren't a patch on you. Nice one!

Move over McStay - tis my hotzone now!

I think Cork will win by 4 or 5. I know they werent great against Rocommon but they'll rise their game for Sunday. They have a great panel and definitely have one big game in them yet.

Look at how Meath destroyed Dublin earlier this year. I know they played well against Tyrone but I can't see them beating Cork at all. If Cork can mind B Brogan I don't think they'll have much problem beating the Dubs.

kickingking wrote:

Their 1-9 are probably the best left but they are lacking in the forwards.

Jaysus I'd have said the opposite, I think we have the best 1 to 9 of whats left. Cork forwards are rudderless I agree but the thats due to their lack of a game plan. They are very talented and skilled and argubly the best 6 of whats left.

spoke to a well known dub on saturday night who was invovled in the 95 team he thinks this team are now ounching above their weight and will be found out on Sunday they main feeling around dublin fans ( the real ones) is they don't like this football they are playing it is Vincents all over it so who is really over the team ? Gilroy or Whelan? If canty is out and I think he is the brogans could cause trouble full back for cork is good so he will have O'Gara in the bag we will wait and see ?

bob12 wrote:

spoke to a well known dub on saturday night who was invovled in the 95 team he thinks this team are now ounching above their weight and will be found out on Sunday they main feeling around dublin fans ( the real ones) is they don't like this football they are playing it is Vincents all over it so who is really over the team ? Gilroy or Whelan? If canty is out and I think he is the brogans could cause trouble full back for cork is good so he will have O'Gara in the bag we will wait and see ?

how can dublin fans not like football that has gotten them to an all ireland semi final

I think i've actually found it a bit easier to watch them play in the last few games with less of the showboating that used to go on.

lilywhiteforlife wrote:

bob12 wrote:

spoke to a well known dub on saturday night who was invovled in the 95 team he thinks this team are now ounching above their weight and will be found out on Sunday they main feeling around dublin fans ( the real ones) is they don't like this football they are playing it is Vincents all over it so who is really over the team ? Gilroy or Whelan? If canty is out and I think he is the brogans could cause trouble full back for cork is good so he will have O'Gara in the bag we will wait and see ?

how can dublin fans not like football that has gotten them to an all ireland semi final

I think i've actually found it a bit easier to watch them play in the last few games with less of the showboating that used to go on.

From my limited enough knowledge of the Dublin club scene, I get the impression that Vincents are not the most popular club around. That may explain some of the vitriol aimed at Gilroy & Whelan after the Meath result.

He's done a great job with them as far as I'm concerned. They might not have the most talented of footballers in their ranks but they're honest and playing for one another rather than to the gallery - a welcome change from the Lyons and Caffery eras when they tended to rub the rest of the country up the wrong way.

I think Gilroy has done very well. The dubs job is a tough one and it must be hard not to play to the gallery so he deserves credit for keeping his head down, getting rid of deadwood and blooding new players.

Interesting comments from david henry today in one of the papers about the double training sessions during the winter. He admitted most of the players thought it was a bit mad when they were doing them but come crunch time in matches he singles out those training sessions as a key motivator in getting them over the line in tight games, as if to say "was it worth training twice a day to lose now" he said it drives them on. I thought it was an intresting point.

Think its a tough one to call but dublin are in a great place at the moment, very little hype even within the county in comparrison to other years. They are devoid of the usual crowd pleasing "stars" bar brogan and they are on the back 2 serious victories. Still tho, think Cork are a sleeping giant ready to explode. Lookin forward to this one, have a ticket too....bitta scoutin just in case

Cork for me, I agree with TC, why are so many people jumping ship from Cork now? They are in a semi final against Dublin.

On any average day you would have to pick Cork to beat the Dubs. Cork are coming into this game perfectly under the radar and being talked down all over the place. If Canty is fit to play as selected they should win, if not I'd still expect them to win but I don’t expect it to be easy either way.

Dublin will make it hard for them but man for man you have to see Cork as a better outfit. Don't be surprised if the "rudderless and tactically inept" Cork suddenly find their feet and come to life on Sunday.

(I wasn't quoting anyone in particular by the way, just the type of commentary I am reading and hearing about Cork recently)

Could'nt Trap Cement wrote:

Dublin v Kildare final would be something else , however i reckon dublin will choke it they havent the bottle for big games , there like the England football team they constantly look good but always come up short on the big days

hhhhhhhhhhhhuuuuuummmmmmmmmmm 82 years v 15 years ,i think you win the choking ever so slightly , i keep saying it WE BOTH have to make it to the final 1ST , and do i suspect a hint of HYPE seeping in like 1998/2000 , dont under estimate down , they love croker , us in 1994 , throw shapes when your in the final , will we make it , well like another poster said , you are in year 3 of development , we are in month 8 of development , so by all things HYPE you will win the all ireland

bob12 wrote:

spoke to a well known dub on saturday night who was invovled in the 95 team he thinks this team are now ounching above their weight and will be found out on Sunday they main feeling around dublin fans ( the real ones) is they don't like this football they are playing it is Vincents all over it so who is really over the team ? Gilroy or Whelan? If canty is out and I think he is the brogans could cause trouble full back for cork is good so he will have O'Gara in the bag we will wait and see ?

I might be misreading what you mean but Gilroy and Whelan are both from Vincent's?

dubs are gone thank god

dunno there fone i think peter kelly would have loved the chance on brogan and would have done a dam good job of it too and then the dubs would be in trouble against us. cork are different and seem to look fitter in the last 10mins they have 6 good forwards and on there day will be very hard beat

Ohtoohtobe wrote:

bob12 wrote:

spoke to a well known dub on saturday night who was invovled in the 95 team he thinks this team are now ounching above their weight and will be found out on Sunday they main feeling around dublin fans ( the real ones) is they don't like this football they are playing it is Vincents all over it so who is really over the team ? Gilroy or Whelan? If canty is out and I think he is the brogans could cause trouble full back for cork is good so he will have O'Gara in the bag we will wait and see ?

I might be misreading what you mean but Gilroy and Whelan are both from Vincent's?

ye both pat gilroy and mickey whelan (selector) are both from st vincents

hard luck today dublin great match cork were probably the better team i the cold light of day they had huge possesion and huge amount of wides .

vodafone2010 wrote:

you are in year 3 of development , we are in month 8 of development

Certain Dubs around this county have a habit of walking away from unfinished business

Speaking of choking.....

Dublin snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.



Cork looked absolutely clueless, although O'Neill made a big defference when he came on, can't understand how he doesn't start.

Anytime Dublin should have done it they bottled it remember Armagh not 2 long ago, ray cosgrave. Bottlers!!! Not good enough. Cork were shocking an were never that far away... They're due a big performance

I have to say that's well harsh on Dubs there, Ern.

Firstly, they weren't favourites today so there is no question of "should have done it".

Secondly, losing a game by a point doesn't mean they bottled it. They battled hard today and came up just short. Arguably, they were the better team.

Maybe they aren't good enough but it doesn't mean they bottled it.

You are right about Cork- they are not playing well but might still win an All-Ireland without ever hitting top form.

I'm happier that Cork won as the Dublin defensive system looks very difficult to play against. Cork meanwhile don't seem to play with any great plan. They seem to rely and their individual skills and their fitness levels to get them through, constantly running and handpassing, rather than playing a more direct game. Hopefully, if we can get over Down this will suit our style of play.

One aspect of the Cork play that I thought was good was the way they closed off the quick kick-outs by Cluxton, denying them easy possession on the restarts.

Can't agree Dublin bottled it, I thought they worked their arses off. It was two things the first was a couple of minutes of madness i.e the penalty and a couple of frees near the end that done for them. If it was in that position I'd be heartbroken tonight because I would know that we should have won.

The other problem they had is that they have only one forward all be it a class forward and probably the best in the country. O'Gara was very poor, a mule I think I called him at one time. Lots of work but no real class.
All in all they gave it their best and should have won which will make all the harder to take.

Cork looked like they were just thrown together for that match. I couldn't pick out any stategy at all apart form running as hard as possible towards goal. Whoever wins between ourselves and Down will have a right cut at that team as they will have far more firepower than Dublin to keep Cork backs occupied.

Stonecold wrote:

Cork are badly managed and clueless. No tactics, no plan, half backs constantly running into blind alleys, gifted forwards that are wasted with no supply, players taking too much out of the ball.

Still stand over that, Counihan hasn't a clue.

They might win the All-Ireland despite him though.

Think I called this match about right....... apart from the result that is!

Very unfair and untrue to say the Dubs bottled it. Some stupid decisions from one or two individuals cost them. It was not a collective meltdown like what has occurred in the past (Mayo '06 being the prime example). They have some desperately limited footballers and rely heavily on Bernard Brogan and he very nearly carried them over the line today. A shoe in for an All-Star and definite player of the year contender.

What to make of Cork? I just can't work them out at all.

They appear to have no plan or direction whatsoever. Individually they have great talent but there seems to be no plan at all and at times they look totally clueless when in possession. Counihan has to take some of the criticism for that. Cork look like a scratch 15 that have never played together at times and without the timely interventions of both Colum O'Neill and Nick Murphy off the bench today they would've been out. Some of the management's decisions baffled me today - Ray Carey starting on Brogan? Canty didn't look fit at all and neither did Sheehan. Three decisions that very nearly cost them.

They're in the final though and you could say they haven't hit top gear yet. Whether they can engage top gear when they need to though is another matter. They'll have to improve on that performance because both Down and Kildare possess a far greater spread of scoring threats and I don't think either defence would be as ill disciplined as the Dubs.

Hopefully it'll be Kildare to test out their mettle the next day. I'd be very hopeful that whoever comes out on top of our semi-final will give them a right good rattle come the third Sunday in September.