The Super 8 's

If Cian O'Neill is willing to stay on, leave him where he is.  Unless CO'N is stepping down voluntarily, cutting him loose would be madness. Is there a realistic candidate out there who would be an improvement? I personally don't think there is. Talk of McGuinness is pie in the sky stuff and he is hardly going to be a silver bullet anyway in the very unlikely event that he takes an inter-county post in the near future.

Donncha O'Connor gave an interesting interview upon his retirement from the Cork footballers recently:
http://www.the42.ie/donncha-oconnor-cork-football-4135335-Jul2018/

I thought these comments stood out:

Quote :

The alterations in managers, and particular in strength and conditioning coaches, has been highlighted by O’Connor, while he is also uncertain a massive clearout of their panel is the solution ahead of the 2019 campaign.

“I think the chopping and changing at has hurt us. Conor Counihan was there for six years. Since then we have had three different managers in five years. Not getting at any one person but in those five years, we have had five different S&C coaches".

“That has a massive effect. They all had different ideas and it’s impossible to progress when each one takes at least six months getting to know a group".

If CO'N decides that he has had enough then I would hope that Roli or Enda Murphy could potentially step up. They know the players and the backroom team (S&C, medical, stats etc) could largely stay the same. This group does not need wholesale changes at this point in their development. The more continuity, the better. It will also be easier to ease the transition of the u20s into an already settled senior panel.

Also best wishes to Leper on his retirement. Terrific servant who always gave his all. A great example to any young players coming through.

kickingking wrote:

Is there a realistic candidate out there who would be an improvement?

Yeah - Jim McGuinness.

Dublin 1/7.. 6 point spread.
Dublin don't even celebrate semi final wins.. it's no wonder crowd attendance is dropping.

Do you know for the first time in my entire life, I'm actually not that bothered with watching the All Ireland final. Dubs' financial doping has made this whole championship an utter yawnfest... Might even do something else that day!

I think what we need is Dublin to win by more that 10 points for the powers that be stand up and take action to what is happening with football I agree with all the posters here especially with the Dubs playing its all gone stale and boring machine like performance.

Actually found the Dublin Galway game really boring apart from the opening 20 mins. I think Mayo and Kerry have masked the problem in recent years by getting close to Dublin in semi finals and finals but the reality is they hammer everyone else. Tyrone will keep going in the final and keep the scoreboard ticking over without ever looking like they will win and Dublin fans will say how close they came to winning and shur things are grand!
Dublin pre 2014 blew teams away with brilliant attacking football but now are happy to handpass 20 times every attack and end up with an easy point. Its almost like the Barcelona method of holding onto possession until an opening comes. Trouble is they don't have a Messi to light up the game and keep the neutrals interested!
Can easily see them do 5 in a row and get more boring every year. Maybe limiting the no of handpasses allowed will reduce their dominance and make the games more interesting.

As I said earlier, expect the split debate to resurface with a vengeance after the final. And if the Dubs hammer them again a la last year, it's really going to kick off big time.

The infamous Fergal McGill acknowledges that the Dubs' domination "might' be a factor... Who would have thought that if you give one county all the finances and resources, plus the biggest pick of players and constant home advantage that they'd end up dominating, a real mystery...

Bad news for the GAA is that it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/football-crowds-at-croke-park-are-low-and-gaa-is-unsure-why-1.3595250

my vote goes to con to stay on mcguiness will only take over a soccer team i believe

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

kickingking wrote:

Is there a realistic candidate out there who would be an improvement?

Yeah - Jim McGuinness.

wants a soccer job

I don't think I've ever seen as little interest in an AI Final as this one.

Turned over to the soccer at HT. Zero interest.

It's dead.

Agree - Tommy is front and centre for a long time in beating the drum about this issue and I wholeheartedly agree.

Make no mistake interest levels are going to decline at a dramatic pace for next years championship.. Attendances at Leinster games will worsen, the novelty of the super 8s will have worn off and the only full house will be at the final when the "Drive for Five" reaches its conclusion.

I have this weird feeling Kerry might stop them next year and that kicks the can down the road. It will be a blip and without doubt Dublin should and will win about 7+ of the next number of all Irelands.

The whole thing is one big long joke. We have seen it coming longer than most as Leinster was made redundant over 5 years ago. Now the all Ireland is gone. Maybe my paranoia was deceiving me a little but it seemed to me that Dublin completely took the foot off the gas for the second half maybe believing that a 10+ point demolition would lead to the inevitable headlines.

Make no mistake this was as lobsided as they come.

When those in power cant openly or privately admit they got it completely wrong then we are on a hiding to nothing. Heads will be buried in the sand, its already too late and action should have been taken years ago.

A B Championship wouldn't matter a flying f*** - There would be 31 teams in it.

Apologies about the negativity of the post - Im just sore about the whole thing.

Well said Highball - but Dublin needs an/five/twenty five All Irelands.
Saw Aodghan O Riordain last night on Tonight Show debating this with Ewan MacKenna and saying GAA investment in Dublin had "saved the game which was under threat from other sports" - as if it isn't elsewhere.
He put the four in a row down to the "Dublin gene pool" - next step The Dublin Master Race!

It's so utterly tiresome at this stage. We've been pointing out on this forum for the past few years that this would happen. Then the Dubs win the AI again each year, the debate kicks off & then is quickly forgotten about.

Ewan MacKenna is simply articulating the views of lots of football people around the country. It really aggrieves the Dubs that they don't get as much credit for their success as previous teams - as evidenced by Cluxtons speech - but when they've benefitted from an unprecedented level of financial doping, it's hard to be blown away by their success, exactly. Who would have thought that when you give one county all the resources, money & constant home advantage that they'd win all the time?!

Anyway, I can't believe people actually have to ask if this is all bad for the game. Of course it is - and it's going to get worse over the next few years. Bleak stuff but it's the GAA's fault.

You'd have the laugh at the line about the GAA "needing" a strong Dublin.

Just wondering - what's the collective memory on here of Kildare-Laois & Kildare-Meath Leinster finals? Mine is close games played out before huge crowds in an electric atmosphere.

Also, don't exactly remember minuscule crowds when Armagh & Tyrone were in their pomp. In fact, I seem to remember such a massive level of interest in one Ulster final that the match had to be moved to Croke Park!!!

Dubs now rewriting history as well as everything else.

kerry dominating minor for last few years 5 in a row ,kildare on a roll in leinster , galway same in west maybe with right coaching a few new contenders on the way surely it has to happen ?

Not likely to happen in the next 5 years I fear. Brogan, Connolly, Andrews, Flynn and O'Gara not needed on sunday and only minor roles for McMennamin and McCauley. This is really a very young Dublin team who only need about 2 new players to emerge every year. With the strength of their underage structure its inevitable that they will find more talented young guys like Howard.
Other counties like Kildare will need about 6 players to come through every year to get really competitive. Kevin Flynn was the only addition to our backs in the last 2 years that I can think off. We even had to resort to Peter Kelly again this year who admittedly had a fine year. Maybe some of the U20's can emerge but unless they do our defense is nowhere near good enough to beat Dublin any time soon.
Dublin can get away with their defense as they can blow teams away when they really need to but our forwards are not capable of doing that sadly.

Moate honestly I hear it every year. In 2015 it was, "When Connolly and Brogan go, that's the end."

Well, they're gone – and guess what, it's not the end. Jim McGuinness's verdict this morning is that they're good for the next three at least, which I agree with.

We are conceivably looking at 8 or 9 in a row. From an already disastrous situation that would almost completely wipe out interest in the game in large sections of the country. Definitely if the GAA's aim to ultimately kill off the game, they're on the right track!

If GAA aren't going to pump money, resources and expertise into other counties – and they aren't – then the only solution is to split the Dubs.

The situation really is that dire.

Oh no doubt there will be a blip moate.. They will be beaten at some stage and as mentioned, I think it might even be next year. The GAA must be salivating at the thought of a resurgent Kerry stopping them getting a 5 in a row. If that does happen, this conversation will be paused for another 5 years unfortunately !

But the horse has bolted, they have 13 of the last 14 Leinsters. Lets say KE in some miraculous turnaround manage to win one of the next few. Dubs will still win minimum 17-18 of last 20. There will be no doubt.

When it comes to all Irelands , they will win 7+ out of 10.. There will be the odd shock/surprise. I think that's inevitable. However, that's all it will be if current trends continue. The stockpile of talent will ensure a regroup if and when they are bet.

Attendances will continue to decline, I have Dublin friends who were so ecstatic in 2011. It was a huge occasion for them to get over the line. It was barely mentioned as a passing comment on Monday. A shrug of the shoulders and a mention of 5 in a row.

The competition has been neglected to such a degree that even the winning supporters are getting bored. Comparisons to the Kerry 5 in a row 80s side are laughable. That team was on its last legs by the 5th - Was it 12/13 of the same team all the way through? This Dublin side has transformed year on year and I think only half the side were there in 2014 and only 3 ? in 2011 - Totally different team to now. And this is without Connolly, Flynn, Brogan, O Gara , Fitzimons, Andrews, O Gara, Basquell , Flynn even appearing. That 9 would line out for every other county in Leinster (and most other counties) and they didn't make an appearance on Sunday , think about that !!!

Im convinced Dublin could have won on Sunday by 12+ points had they "really" wanted to. The atmosphere was as flat as a pancake.

I realise I sound like Tommy but its just sickening to think our (and others) chances of success are very very limited. We are hoping for a miracle, an early red card. Something, anything.

The media coverage is sickening. Such coseying up to the Dubs would sicken your arse. Des Cahill with pictures beside COC this morning. The bias is unreal. The hard questions go unchallenged.

They are a fine team to watch, with skills and talent beyond anything i've seen in my lifetime and you cant fault or hate them. But as HG mentioned, its tiresome to go back year after year to try and compete with the most populated, most financially doped team with all the home advantages and expecting a miracle.

Miracles do happen occasionally but the status quo is here to stay.

Yes, they are a brilliant team – but it's like Man City, you'd damn well expect it with the money spent.

You have people who say, "Kildare are winning at underage, they will beat them at some point." And yes, we will, and I'm telling you it will be the ultimate victory. In fact, the Dubs better pray it doesn't happen because we will never, ever let them forget it.

But guess what – they will then come back and win another 10 Leinsters in a row.

If you want an insight into how this has affected football, 82 is actually a good reference point. Kerry were denied by Offaly – a county with a glorious tradition where the GAA has been allowed die. I left work early when the U20s played them on a Friday in Tullamore this year – the game was over after 10 minutes.

I'm telling you I've been closely watching underage football in Leinster this decade and it's beyond crisis point – it's completely dead outside Dublin and Kildare. It's a disgrace and the GAA clearly doesn't give a damn.

And as Highball points out, on the Sunday Game, Dublin supporter Des Cahill poses searching questions like "Are Dublin the greatest team of the 21st century or the greatest of all time?"

Anyway – see you all here again next year for the same discussion!!

Highball wrote:

Attendances will continue to decline

If the AI semi-finals this year don't set alarm bells ringing I don't know what will. There was such utter apathy around both games that it was shocking.

In fact, what we saw was the trend in Leinster crossing over to the national stage. Again – would be nice if anyone in the GAA gave a toss about this!!

We made a stand this year with Newbridge Or Nowhere, and we're one of the few counties left who stand up to the Dubs on the field and in the media (Meath – the Dubs' self-styled mortal enemies – should be ashamed of themselves).

It may actually be up to other counties to follow our lead and stand up to the GAA hierarchy. I'm not holding my breath mind.

Agree with most of what is said, can't agree that Dublin are like Man City, these are Dublin players playing for their county, no comparison.

Moorefield and Sarsfields have won 14 of the last 19 championships in Kildare so maybe the county board should look at this,

Gaa1928 wrote:

Agree with most of what is said, can't agree that Dublin are like Man City, these are Dublin players playing for their county, no comparison.

Moorefield and Sarsfields have won 14 of the last 19 championships in Kildare so maybe the county board should look at this,

Newbridge is already split in 2 Gaa1928, are you suggesting splitting Newbridge in 4? Haha

Those calling for a split in Dublin are 100% correct, however the bigger issue is the funding, if Dubs were split in 2 and still got the same funding each of them would still be getting 7 times more than the whole of Cork who fall next in line.

The other massive benefit Dublin have is that they have no capital expenditure projects such as their own ground or centre of excellence.

They use Parnell Park for club games and underage but it is not considered fit to host Dublin league never mind championship games. If that were any other county they would be engaged in massive fundraising efforts to build a ground fit for purpose as we are about to engage in which will hurt us financially in the short term as hawkfield has done with a lot of clubs being seriously hurt by the annual levy that has to be paid.

Dublin on the other hand have huge resources in terms of sponsorship as well as central funds all of which can and are being used to improve coaching standards within the county while others are being left behind!

I apologise if I am just rehashing what Ewan and others on this forumhave already said!!