10 things 2011 has told us

Following the roaringly successful '10 things 2010 told us' thread ( [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] ), here is what we have learnt in 2011...

1. The League counts.
‘Ah, sure it’s only the league’, is one of the most stupid of all GAA clichés, and 2011 again proved it to be utter rubbish. The 4 provincial winners, who were also all Ireland semi finalists, finished as follows in the league: Dublin (2nd), Kerry (3rd), Mayo (5th) and Donegal (division 2 winners). The league is a strong indicator of a team’s summer prospects.

2. You can win without the ball.
We all grew up being told that possession in gaelic football was everything, and without the ball you can’t win. But then along came Jim McGuinness, whose Donegal side are happy to gift possession to the opposition in certain parts of the field. They withdraw players at kickouts and freekicks, and make no effort to tackle until the ball is roughly 55m from their own goal. They are playing counter-attacking football, and are the first top side to ever do so to this extreme in the GAA.

3. Demise of Meath & Galway.
10 years ago these sides contested the all-ireland final, and were indisputably the top 2 teams in the country. Since then, Galway have failed to even make a semi final, while Meath have lost by a total of 14 points in the 2 that they made. Managerial instability hasn’t helped their causes, but the biggest problem is that both of these sides have long had a soft centre. Both seem to be a long way off a return to September football.

4. The International Rules series is a dead duck.
Many of the top irish stars were missing, but that was nothing in comparison to the bunch of children that the Aussies sent out for a run around. Attendances were dreadful and, with such antipathy from players, supports and the AFL, it is hard to see what purpose this charade is now serving.

5. It is dangerous to win your semi final too easily.
Kerry crushed Mayo by 9 points in the All Ireland semi final, while Dublin laboured to a win over Donegal. Dublin, of course, won the final in the dying seconds, and you have to wonder if their tougher semi helped steel them for those final moments. Not convinced? Well, consider that in the last 25 years we’ve seen 7 sides win all-ireland semi finals by 10 points or more, but not one of them went on to win the final.

6. Derry did need the Bradleys after all.
People have speculated for years that Derry may actually be better off without the baggage that the Bradley’s bring, but we saw this summer that this is nonsense. Paddy was injured early in the year, but an Eoin-inspired side still annihilated Fermanagh and Armagh in Ulster. He too was then laid low by injury, and Derry went on to lose their next 2 games and bow tamely out of the championship, their scoring average dropping from 2-16 to 0-10.

7. Midfielders are no longer primary possession winners.
Bryan Sheehan, Anthony Maher, MD McAuley, Denis Bastick, Rory Kavanagh, Christy Toye, Aidan & Seamus O’Shea. These were the 8 midfielders who won provincial titles and started in the all Ireland semi finals, yet, Maher and possibly Seamus O’Shea aside, none of them would be regarded as traditional midfielders. Midfielders are now being used as link men, runners and playmakers rather than possession winners. Mobility has become much more important than size in no.s 8&9.

8. Goalkeepers can make all the difference.
In my opinion, Stephen Cluxton was the Footballer of the Year. Aside from his free kicks and 45s, his kick-outs gave Dublin a platform to attack that no other side had. Cluxton’s ability to quickly set a ball down and drill it 50m to an unmarked team-mate was unmatched, and secured huge amounts of easy possession for his side. Quick and accurate distribution may replace shot-stopping as the primary requirement in goalkeepers in the next couple of years.

9. There is no longer a need for managers to select 6 defenders. Depending on who you are playing, a manager now only has to consider a maximum of 4 players for defensive duties (less if you are playing some sides). For example, if you play against Dublin, you need markers for the 2 Brogans and Connolly and, if so inclined, you can throw in a sweeper too. After that, do you really need 2 more defenders? Look for some managers to start playing more skilful players in jerseys normally associated with backs, in order to capitalise on the time and space that is available to them.

10. There are more important things…
The absence of our friend Patrique has been greatly felt on this forum. A sad loss, and a stark reminder that there are many more important things than football.

Veery good post man.

Overall TC can not find any fault. Excellent observation of the football year.

Very good post and would agree with all points, 10. being fittingly poignant and true!

I might add an eleven.

11. Clubs and counties must cut their cloth according to their measure!

Fine post TC.

Item No.3 will of course be contested along the lines of Fr.Ted "resting in my account". Your phrase demise is to be replaced with reinventing ourselves...

Item No.10 is indeed sadly all too true. Good old Patrique, a legend if ever there was one. R.I.P.

you rarely disappoint with the quality of your posts TC and this one certainly didnt.

number 10 was very poignant, still find it hard to believe P has gone and it certainly puts things in perspective. But i think its fair to say we are all as passionate as P were the GAA is concerned and we are all better people for having interacted with him on here.

No 11 as added by our Dublin friend is also fairly relevant - we just had our club AGM last week and it is staggering to see the blatant disregard some of the members of our committee have when it comes to accountability were money is concerned.

bocerty wrote:No 11 as added by our Dublin friend is also fairly relevant - we just had our club AGM last week and it is staggering to see the blatant disregard some of the members of our committee have when it comes to accountability were money is concerned.

Thinly veiled "I got the extension for the kids built when I was Treasurer" post from Bocerty here....

Boxtyeater wrote:

bocerty wrote:No 11 as added by our Dublin friend is also fairly relevant - we just had our club AGM last week and it is staggering to see the blatant disregard some of the members of our committee have when it comes to accountability were money is concerned.

Thinly veiled "I got the extension for the kids built when I was Treasurer" post from Bocerty here....

ah Boxty - if only it were funny.

I hope 2011 has taught us that its not necessarily a bad thing if Dublin win a Senior All Ireland!

- Football is not entirely extinct in Cavan.

- Wayne McKeown is a fine footballer.

- When faced with the prospect of seeing Jim McGuinness' Donegal playing in an All Ireland Final you can be driven to shout for the Dubs.

- Arguing about Soccer is just not the same without Pat.

Jonsmith wrote:- - Wayne McKeown is a fine footballer.

The pity is there's only 1 of him.

I had an interesting experience on Saturday night, on one of my rare nocturnal visits to Mohill town. I was in my usual watering hole after a removal with a few of similar age, when 6 young "undesirables" entered and began throwing darts (at the dartboard)....
Ten minutes later in bursts a former county footballer (former indicating that he didn't conform to Moran's regime).
He approaches the counter at my elbow, greets us all in a friendly fashion and orders a bottle of Heino. He has never, to my knowledge, patronised this premises before.....
He stands back in a sort of lone gunfighter stance and addresses the 6 buckos in strong terms, making reference to their mothers (if they knew where they were etc.,) and adopting a "lets be having you" attitude.
The gimps threw a few startled looks and one hero took a step forward.....
"Outside...Now" barks the countyman.....
All 6 abandon drinks and slink out....

The countyman declared them all to be toe-rags and informed the publican that he shouldn't be serving these kind of low-lifes.
He informed us that they had "offended" him as he was having a smoke outside a nearby premises 10 mins. earlier....

Mohill.....famous for McGarty and

Great post
Did not know about Patrique. RIP...

Class post again TC!

Great post TC. Agree thoroughly with all points, apart from 3 obviously.

I would like to argue points 2, 3 and 9.

Thomas Clarke wrote:2. You can win without the ball.
We all grew up being told that possession in gaelic football was everything, and without the ball you can’t win. But then along came Jim McGuinness, whose Donegal side are happy to gift possession to the opposition in certain parts of the field. They withdraw players at kickouts and freekicks, and make no effort to tackle until the ball is roughly 55m from their own goal. They are playing counter-attacking football, and are the first top side to ever do so to this extreme in the GAA.

I wouldn't go as far. Donegal are content to let the opposition have the ball but only so on Donegal's terms. Therefore, Donegal are still in control of the flow of play. Possession is still the be and all in my opinion, and I think every Dublin pass in the All-Ireland Final found it's man, highlighting the importance of retaining possession.

Thomas Clarke wrote:3. Demise of Meath & Galway.
10 years ago these sides contested the all-ireland final, and were indisputably the top 2 teams in the country. Since then, Galway have failed to even make a semi final, while Meath have lost by a total of 14 points in the 2 that they made. Managerial instability hasn’t helped their causes, but the biggest problem is that both of these sides have long had a soft centre. Both seem to be a long way off a return to September football.

Rather than in the midst of a demise, Meath are actually on the rise. With Banty a year wiser on Meath's club and underage scene, and the addition of Graham Geraghty to the sidelines, we're a force to be reckoned with. I rated Meath sixth in my rankings at the end of 2011 primarily due to the four month's extra gym work we'll have done come January and also due to the arrival of some fantastic underage prospects. Ciaran Lenehan, Mark Collins, Paddy Gilsenan and Alan Forde are all All-Stars waiting in the wings. But looking back now, sixth could have been harsh - we'd be a match for Kerry and Cork, and we're closing in on Dublin, Donegal and Kildare.

Thomas Clarke wrote:9. There is no longer a need for managers to select 6 defenders. Depending on who you are playing, a manager now only has to consider a maximum of 4 players for defensive duties (less if you are playing some sides). For example, if you play against Dublin, you need markers for the 2 Brogans and Connolly and, if so inclined, you can throw in a sweeper too. After that, do you really need 2 more defenders? Look for some managers to start playing more skilful players in jerseys normally associated with backs, in order to capitalise on the time and space that is available to them.

I disagree with this highly controversial point and am surprised none of the sheep have bothered to argue this one. It's backways this should be: There's no longer a need for any more than 3 forwards. Your friends in Derry went for virtue above artisan when picking backs in the Ulster Final game with Donegal and look where it got them. It's fantasy to think this and Thomas Clarke has cleary been having a dose of whatever Mickey Harte had before Tyrone's game with Dublin this year.

Some interesting points Loyal, and happy to address and expand upon them.

Point 2
i think we are both in agreement on this, but looking at it from a different angle. I agree with you that Donegal, whilst gifting possession to opponents, are often very much in control of things. As I mentioned, they are happy to concede the ball until the opposing side is within about 55m of their goal, and then the pressure is applied in great measure.

I still believe that wining theball high up the field is preferable, but Donegal have presented us with an alternative. they won division 2 and the Ulster title with this tactic, and they gave the eventual all-ireland champions arguably their toughest test with it. I'd stand over my initial observation, in that Donegal have shown that big games can be won without contesting possession in the attacking two-thirds of the pitch. They did it this year.

Point 3
I won't labour this one as I simply disagree with your analysis of where Meath are. i think I made 2 remarks on this. Firstly, that Meath and Galway have fallen such a long way in the last 10 years (fairly incontestable). And secondly, that they are both miles away from an All-Ireland. Meath showed very little form last year, and there was little to suggest that Banty was getting anywhere fast. They were almost relegated from division 2, crashed out of Leinster early and failed to make it back to Croke Park again. Perhaps, in rating them a top 6 team, you see something that the rest of us don't.

Point 9
i stand over my point regarding the number of defenders necesssary. If you are playing Donegal, for instance, how many backs do you need? Donegal played with 1 attacker against Dublin. Mark McHugh, Bradley & Walsh played as virtual defenders that day, spending most of the time in their own half. My point is that, instead of picking defenders to mark space against them, why not pick more skillful players who can make use of the freedom that they will have.

I'm not advocating that the skillful player charges up the field after McHugh, but he should be someone who can use the ball well when it comes to him.

Mark the 2 or 3 designated attackers on your opponent's side, and leave a sweeper for protection if you wish. But don't play 2 more markers for the sake of it, just because they happen to wear numbers 5&7. Play footballers who are comfortable starting attacks, as that will be what they end up doing most of. if they can defend too, then that is a bonus, but not essential. The amount of times those guys will end up in 1v1 defensive situations will be few and far between. Half backs have more space than almost any other player nowadays - they have to be able to play football.