2019 issues

McCormack yet to get sustained run at senior, but he has shown glimpses of absolute brilliance in a Kildare shirt. Some superb games at minor, then in 2016 U21 Leinster final – a game we should have won – he was as good as Con O'Callaghan.

His goals v Meath and Cork in 2017 league (particularly the latter) were absolutely top drawer. Delighted he & Fogarty back in panel.

Newbridge Or Nowhere saved O'Neill's bacon this season but he's out of excuses next year. We should be absolutely burning through Div 2 with this squad – we just should.

No pressure on Ben so with comparisons to Dan Flynn and Con O'Callaghan

I've heard it all before tbh... When Dan Flynn first came along I told people this guy is the business. All the usual shite: "We overhype our players" blah blah blah.

Well, I was right and they were wrong. As usual! (That's a joke btw before lynch mob forms).

Perhaps C'ON should create a talent spotting role for you with the seniors...if theres any room left.

No doubting Ben has great potential HG but he seemed to go off injured in most of the games I saw when playing for Kildare. Is he physically strong enough for inter county football?

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

McCormack yet to get sustained run at senior, but he has shown glimpses of absolute brilliance in a Kildare shirt. Some superb games at minor, then in 2016 U21 Leinster final – a game we should have won – he was as good as Con O'Callaghan.

His goals v Meath and Cork in 2017 league (particularly the latter) were absolutely top drawer. Delighted he & Fogarty back in panel.

Newbridge Or Nowhere saved O'Neill's bacon this season but he's out of excuses next year. We should be absolutely burning through Div 2 with this squad – we just should.

this only O Bryne cup Panel .there will a League Panel as well .

Was just looking back at that 2016 U21 final. Seriously lads will ye actually do some homework - McCormack kicked five from play that day against a Dublin team featuring such no-hopers as Eoin Murchan, Brian Howard, Colm Basquel & Con O’Callaghan.

I was at it & we should have won only Mark Sherry blazed a gilt-edged chance wide at the end of normal time. Actually Sherry another one who could have something to offer seniors - although given standard players held to on here people probably be calling for him to be exiled to Siberia!!

Is It ture Niall Kelly gone traveling for a year

McCormack is well able to play but struggles to stay healthy. If they rate him, might be best to spend the winter and spring working on building up the muscle groups and keep him ready for the summer. Happy to see the Leader list of possibles, especially Kevin O'Callaghan who has been harshly overlooked for a starting place on underage teams and last year for NUI Maynooth.

Saw some of the NUI Maynooth DCU league semi-final last night. DCU won by one but there was 4 or 5 in it when I left so Maynooth got a late goal. Of the Kildare crew, I was most impressed by Jason Gibbons, thought he was good. But you could also see how much of a struggle it was for younger players like him and O'Giollain against older stronger players with senior experience. People shouldn't underestimate how big a step it will be to senior. That drop to under 20 from under 21 does make a difference in bridging that gap.

Strange to see Podge Fogarty and Dan Flynn together in the full-forward line. After doing what he liked at club level and against inferior opposition at this level, Fogarty struggled to make an impact when being marked by someone he couldn't outmuscle. Flynn had the beating of his man, palmed in an open goal but blew about 2-2. NUI Maynooth missed about 4 goal chances in the first half. Once DCU dropped back a sweeper those chances dried up after 25 minutes. Still Flynn got a new best friend in the DCU keeper Evan Comerford, laughing, joking, kicking harmless shots into his arms. The usual emotionally disengaged performance Flynn puts in at these games.

Jimmy Hyland came in for the last 20 minutes for Fogarty. Scored a great point, outjumping his taller marker, knocking the ball in front of him and making room to shoot. Unfortunately took a bit of a rap shortly after and probably shouldn't have taken the free following it which he dropped short. NUI Maynooth closer to full strength than DCU but a good workout because a few of their games to this point weren't against the strongest opposition.

One final thing. JD is manager in name only. Davy Burke calling the shots, doing the talking and getting on to JD about not making switches quick enough!! Poor JD looked a little overwhelmed at times.

Was over in Maynooth game last night myself and it was definitely a game they should of won by 4 or 5 . For the neutral point of view it was a great game end to end stuff. The poor ref couldn't keep up.
I'm was chatting to a guy from Maynooth and we watched the management  in action. We chatted about the 2 different styles in himself and Johnny. Burke was roaring and shouting and seemed to loose the run of himself at times where Johnny looked composed and very calm so it's gas Shergar that you saw something different. I stayed around and listened to the talk in the huddle after and you then knew who the manager was. Doyle  ripped into them, a side I've never seen in him. Only one manager there Shergar and it was Doyle. But they complimented each other well.

Niall Kelly going traveling for 6 months

I don't think ANYONE is saying Ben McCormack isn't supremely talented. But for every Dan Flynn you can name, and I would say Dan still has to hit the heights on a consistent basis he is capable of, I can name... plenty others, and just in Kildare alone, a number of young lads played senior for Kildare at 19 in recent years haven't progressed. Talent and potential are fine. Plenty of other boxes to tick and it is prudent to be cautious, not least for the sake of the player himself. The country is full of coulda, woulda, shouldas. Fingers crossed he does come through, is fully committed, able for the physicality, stays injury free and can either adapt his game to or impose his natural game on inter-county football.

Niall Kelly looks like he could do with a break, good luck to him, he's been there a long while non-stop. Hopefully he has a renewed appetite for it when he returns - he might decide there's more to life either. He owes nothing anyway.

For some reason this is one of the biggest problems not only in Kildare but in every club and county in Ireland - players not reaching their potential ----- there are many reasons amateur sport, the grief players get etc. etc. etc.
As said above the like of Daniel Flynn will never reach his potential he is not consistent and is liable to walk away at any stage which he is entitled to do...
If he had the dedication, commitment and mindset along with many other 'stars' they would be playing professional sports and making a lot of money at it.....
Every club in Ireland will tell you they have at least one player who was good enough to 'make it' actually every pub in Ireland will have on punter who was good enough to make it!!!

Jaysus lads - I am biased but - Daniel Flynn is getting a bad ol time of it here recently. Very unfair in my view!

Haven't read through the thread so not aware of him getting grief apart from micky's message there - I'm a huge fan of Daniel's and I certainly think Micky is very harsh, suggesting he is not dedicated or committed. Don't think he'd be burning lads the way he was if he wasn't committed in his training. I was just saying that I think there's even more in him - but players of his ilk get that sort of stick, from their own as well as defenders. He's class and the sort of player can be in a few positions and maybe is suffering from spending time inside, where his contributions are obviously more sporadic but hopefully produce high dividend i.e. goals. Getting him involved more breaking for deep may or may not produce better results for the team - it's hard to know. But he got an All-Star nomination this year and while that doesn't mean anything in itself, it confirms my view anyway that he had an excellent year.

As for 'the problem' of players not reaching their potential. That's there since the dawn of time. It's called being human. That's why making superstars out of 18-year-olds is insane. Some don't develop. Life gets in the way. Women. Drink. Drugs. Studies. Work. Having different priorities. Wanting to stick with the club. Wanting to explore life. And nowadays, you do have 'a problem' at the 16-18 age of kids stopping playing any sport, so those societal challenges are greater. That is something that needs addressing as a national policy. But players not doing at 22 what they did at 17 will happen forever and ever.

Whitebridge don't feel too bad I meant 'the like of Dan Flynn' I could of named many players like Paul Cribben or Sean Hurley!! joke!!

But seriously the GAA is going to have to start making it more attractive to play GAA sports we have slipped into the old Irish soccer example of the suits and executives sitting in 1st class sipping champagne and fine dining and the players are back in economy feeding off the scraps.... and all clubs are finding it hard to deal with also.

micky murphy wrote:

soccer example of the suits and executives sitting in 1st class sipping champagne and fine dining and the players are back in economy feeding off the scraps.... .

I think that the Mens County Senior Footballers in Kildare are not left feeding off scraps !!! and the suits in the Crows Nest getting a cuppa at Half time is hardly "fine dining" !!!!

Suits in Croke Park..............

micky murphy wrote:

Suits in Croke Park..............

are staff, empoyed in HQ, and most actually work on match days...............

with the switch to under 17 instead of minor which was 18 i think is a huge mistake , in my opinion it means lads pack in football a year earlier and some will only be 16 the gulf between age groups at under 20 is huge to breech some lads will not get games for 2 years or more its crazy, i believe numbers will dwindle young lads will not hang around waiting they will take up other sports

So the new rules for the league have been approved. The sin bin I fully agree with, the offensive mark might work but the 3 hand pass rule will be a disaster I think. Far from creating more kicking all it will do is encorage even more defensive football. Teams will get men behind the ball and pressure at the correct time forcing a kick backwards or a hopeful punt. The closer to goal the more tight it gets three hand passes would go in the blink of an eye and defensive set ups will turn the ball over. No manager worth his salt is going to allow a long ball in be taken cleanly. Thus men behind the ball forcing 3 passes.

Even a soft centred Kildare team should be able to withstand running through the middle when there are only 3 passes to track. I think it's going to be a disaster and ruin the league.

Might not be that bad imo, it will cut out needless handpassing in defense. Teams will adapt to foot passing to a team mate 10 yards away and keep the 3 consecutive hand passes until nearer goal.
If it improves the skills of kicking a ball accurately and moves the attack forward more quickly I would welcome it.
It all depends on whether teams react in a negative manner and focus on a swarm defense. If so it could be a disaster as a spectacle.

Very fuzzy thinking on the kick out from the start and still needs clarification, side line having to go forward will result in more players dropping back and will suit defensive teams, I think the 3 hand passes will result in the ball getting kicked backwards more often, the mark is worth looking at but will players after catching still be willing to take on their man or will they settle for the handy point? sin bin will help if it gets through congress, more of a deterrent than the black card and it'll be interesting if a team losses 2/3 players late on and the match. Surely these changes could be trialled in the pre season matches

lillyboy wrote:

Very fuzzy thinking on the kick out from the start and still needs clarification, side line having to go forward will result in more players dropping back and will suit defensive teams, I think the 3 hand passes  will result in the ball getting kicked backwards more often, the mark is worth looking at but will players after catching still be willing to take on their man or will they settle for the handy point? sin bin will help if it gets through congress, more of a deterrent than the black card and it'll be interesting if a team losses 2/3 players late on and the match. Surely these changes could be trialled in the pre season matches  

they being trailed in pre season matches

but also the league which will be a factor in promotion or relegation. like do teams commit to them hoping they will be retained for the championship or base their tactics on what was in place this year and what's likely to be in place for next years championship