Connolly red card

Dublin held all the aces going in to Croker last night..... CHC reduced it from Red to Yellow.Dublin argued the punishment didnt merit the crime.If that failed they new they would get Connolly of on a technicality if it went to the DRA....It was always a win win situation..

The funny thing is had Connolly knocked out the player,he would have being cleared anyway....

The question for Gilroy now is 'whether or not to start him?'

Thomas Clarke wrote:The question for Gilroy now is 'whether or not to start him?'

It would be bordering on suicidal to omit Connolly from the starting line-up in my opinion. Particularly as the conditions of the game are likely to play to his strengths.

I also heard Gilroy's interview after the Tyrone game and he was full of praise for his fellow clubman.

Surely it'll the same team as the semi-final now with Connolly cleared to play?

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:The question for Gilroy now is 'whether or not to start him?'

It would be bordering on suicidal to omit Connolly from the starting line-up in my opinion. Particularly as the conditions of the game are likely to play to his strengths.

I also heard Gilroy's interview after the Tyrone game and he was full of praise for his fellow clubman.

Surely it'll the same team as the semi-final now with Connolly cleared to play?

Would agree with that - The mayo game would indicate that Kerry's soft spot is the FB line with Mark O Sé in particular under pressure so height and pace in the FF line would seem to be the option.
If anything is there an argument to play BB,DC and O Gara as an out an out front three with AB at half forward ? - Not sure who would lose out though - Cullen ?

OMAR wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:The question for Gilroy now is 'whether or not to start him?'

It would be bordering on suicidal to omit Connolly from the starting line-up in my opinion. Particularly as the conditions of the game are likely to play to his strengths.

I also heard Gilroy's interview after the Tyrone game and he was full of praise for his fellow clubman.

Surely it'll the same team as the semi-final now with Connolly cleared to play?

Would agree with that - The mayo game would indicate that Kerry's soft spot is the FB line with Mark O Sé in particular under pressure so height and pace in the FF line would seem to be the option.
If anything is there an argument to play BB,DC and O Gara as an out an out front three with AB at half forward ? - Not sure who would lose out though - Cullen ?

Not sure I'd leave out Cullen - himself and Flynn are crucial to the system. Barry Cahill is still the newest member of the forward line and if anyone was to lose out, I think it'd be him - or at least reshuffle so that he can be accomadated in the backs.

Anyway, you've your three auxiliary defenders in the half-forward line and Alan out on the forty leaving the two boys inside by themselves. I do not think the headlessness of O'Gara and McMenamin are what Dublin will require, the virtuoso that is Connolly will do the business once he gets a bit of space.

The reason I pose the question about Connolly is that, one outstanding half of football against Tyrone aside, he has not been good this summer. He was taken off in 2 of his last four matches, and sent off after playing poorly in another. But then you have the question of his talent, and the scoring threat that he could pose if he had one of his good days. Personally, I'd be very worried about his temperament for an all-ireland final against a wiley Kerry back line but, having said that, I'd still take the chance and start him.

I agree with Omar's point though, on the 3 man FF line, and I'd certainly consider that tactic. I don't rate O'Gara, but Pat Gilroy does, and you could see him in there to try and bully Marc O'Se or Tom O'Sullivan. In his favour, he also offers more defensively than some of the alternatives, especially on the basis of his performance against Tyrone last year.

I think that Dublin should play positively against Kerry, and really test the legs of the Kingdom's back line. But I fear that the 2009 quarter final will haunt Gilroy, and he will be ultra cautious instead.

Was talking to bottler today about the upcoming game against our old rivals...He told me if you think Donegal's defensive system was bad...Wait and you see how Giller will set up his team against Kerry...Can't see this final being 1 for the purist bottler is never wrong....

Watch this space...But when we win i will be making no apologies. for the way we played....

who is bottler ?

I think Kerry are weakest at the back and in MF and would like to see us try to exploit those areas though leaving 2/3 up front and isolating O'Sullivan or Marc O'Sé may pay big dividends. On the other hand Kerry's big strength is their attack!

I would set up similar to Tyrone game but be very tight for first 20.

Yes Jayo, Which is why Dublin will play with 7 or 8 defenders. If Dublin win dont forget to thank (or blame) us Ulster folk for it.

Just thought I'd drag up this from July 2009.....There have been changes in Kerry's personnel but the weakness' alluded to still remain, granted a little tweaking may be allowed.....

Re: Dublin V Kerry
Boxtyeater on Fri Jul 31, 2009 12:03 am


If the Dubs can't win this one they may peg their caps at it altogether.
This is unquestionably the poorest Kerry team since the late 80's when Cork mastered them with ease for years.
No one can deny that the Dubs are on the up - granted Leinster is the weakest province and they only had to reach for the turbo-stick for a while against Kildare, who are exaggerated out of all proportion. Tyrone will handle them comfortably.
Kerry, on the other hand, are a team in terminal and rapid decline. Darragh O'Sé operating for 30/40 mins. on memory alone. Marc O'Sé a shadow of 2 years ago and Cooper replicating his mediocre efforts of last year. Mick McCarthy at 6 Full back line a mixum-gatherum of footballers without the cunning or pace to curb the eager Dublin f/f line.
No Donaghy! Walsh is a very poor man's Donaghy. Scanlon at m/f ? Another 35 min operator.

Dublin at evens with Spoil sports is money for old rope.. Dubs by 6/8 in a hack canter...

samin12 wrote:Yes Jayo, Which is why Dublin will play with 7 or 8 defenders. If Dublin win dont forget to thank (or blame) us Ulster folk for it.

if we win the good old folk of dublin gaa will get the thanks

samin12 wrote:Yes Jayo, Which is why Dublin will play with 7 or 8 defenders. If Dublin win dont forget to thank (or blame) us Ulster folk for it.

Its the way the game is samin. Still think we play some nice football going forward and thankfully don't handpass the balll to death. Personally I'd love a manager to say 'ok Kerry/Cork/Meath willl score 1-20 so we'll score 1-21'. Love the way Cody didn't mess with systems -just made his match-ups and they came up trumps.

hipster 2 wrote:

samin12 wrote:Yes Jayo, Which is why Dublin will play with 7 or 8 defenders. If Dublin win dont forget to thank (or blame) us Ulster folk for it.

if we win the good old folk of dublin gaa will get the thanks

Well the Dubs wont win if they go man to man. Donaghey, Gooch and the O'Sullivans would tear them apart. They will have 7 or 8 men in the defence for definate. I wonder will the purist moan about it if they win ugly (or at all costs). They will like feck.

Dublin are set up nicely to deal with the Kerry attack JC.....Once Dublin don't fall in to the trap that this will be a free flowing game we should be OK.............Kerry can be as cynical as any other team ,the one thing that surprised me in 07/09 is that Kerry are not much different to the Nordies when it comes to play acting an disrupting play..

I remember Billings was disgusted with Kerry after 07,he was shocked that they didn't go head to head with us that day,but Dublin 07 obviously fell into the trap,Hope Giller has learned from that........

[quote="Jayo Cluxton"]

samin12 wrote:Yes Jayo, Which is why Dublin will play with 7 or 8 defenders. If Dublin win dont forget to thank (or blame) us Ulster folk for it.

Its the way the game is samin. Still think we play some nice football going forward and thankfully don't handpass the balll to death. Personally I'd love a manager to say 'ok Kerry/Cork/Meath willl score 1-20 so we'll score 1-21'

Really? Easy to say it, doing it is a different thing. I would say Jim McGuiness would love to be able to say it to his players but reality is if you dont think you have the players to go man to man against certain opposition then you need a system or team tactics.

Love the way Cody didn't mess with systems -just made his match-ups and they came up trumps.[/quote]

See above point, Cody has the players to do it.

I think the Dubs could well win the final but not going man to man.

I know that samin. I am just saying i wish more managers would back their teams offensively. Just wishful thinking.

[quote="samin12"]

Jayo Cluxton wrote:

samin12 wrote:Yes Jayo, Which is why Dublin will play with 7 or 8 defenders. If Dublin win dont forget to thank (or blame) us Ulster folk for it.

Its the way the game is samin. Still think we play some nice football going forward and thankfully don't handpass the balll to death. Personally I'd love a manager to say 'ok Kerry/Cork/Meath willl score 1-20 so we'll score 1-21'

Really? Easy to say it, doing it is a different thing. I would say Jim McGuiness would love to be able to say it to his players but reality is if you dont think you have the players to go man to man against certain opposition then you need a system or team tactics.

Love the way Cody didn't mess with systems -just made his match-ups and they came up trumps.[/quote]

See above point, Cody has the players to do it.

I think the Dubs could well win the final but not going man to man.

Kerry won't allow that to happen if they do i believe they will be in trouble...This could be the last Kerry hurrah for a long time...I will be very disappointed if we don't end it...........

Jayo Cluxton wrote: Love the way Cody didn't mess with systems -just made his match-ups and they came up trumps.

I agree totally with Samin here Jayo. The reason that Cody can do this is because he has the players to. If you play man-for-man, you have to win the majority of individual battles in order to win the game, meaning that, if the opponent has better individuals than you do, you will lose.

Now, I agree with the rest of what you are saying, about going out to out-score the opposition, but you don't have to play man-for-man to be entertaining. Very few county sides have played man-for-man football confined to the tradtional positions since the 60s. Dr. Eamonn O'Sullivan would be turning in his grave at this.

mullins wrote: Dublin are set up nicely to deal with the Kerry attack ...

In what way Mullins?

Thomas Clarke wrote:

mullins wrote: Dublin are set up nicely to deal with the Kerry attack ...

In what way Mullins?

Quick kick out after each score

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Jayo Cluxton wrote: Love the way Cody didn't mess with systems -just made his match-ups and they came up trumps.

I agree totally with Samin here Jayo. The reason that Cody can do this is because he has the players to. If you play man-for-man, you have to win the majority of individual battles in order to win the game, meaning that, if the opponent has better individuals than you do, you will lose.

Absolutely TC. Cody had the players and so the confidence to win the majority or the key battles that would seize the day. In fairness they probably won all 15. As I say it is a wishful thinking scenario and if the lesser counties did it they would be eaten alive.

At least hurling largely retains its 'positions' though Dalo did pull a man back as did others this season. Football is not as simple and over the last ten years especially we have seen a huge amount of tactics deployed - more so than ever before I would say. And a lot of the tactical thinking is predicated on defence. Thats the way it is. Teams do not think in terms of 8 and 9 winning them possession in midfield any more. Midfield belongs to 5-12 now and so places much less emphasis on having two good midfielders. Jack O'Shea would be lost in this era - as would Brian Mullins and numerous others. C'est la vie .....

Jayo Cluxton wrote: Midfield belongs to 5-12 now and so places much less emphasis on having two good midfielders. Jack O'Shea would be lost in this era - as would Brian Mullins and numerous others. C'est la vie .....

I take the point, although I wouldn't necessarily agree with the 2 examples. I think that Mullins and Jacko would have been outstanding in any era, although perhaps some of their contemporaries would not have been as useful now as in their own era.

Jacko, while a good fielder, was perhaps not as much a traditional midfielder as Mullins was. He spent an awful lot of his time on the wings, and moved constantly from defence to attack. Mullins was more of a 'midfielder', but had the engine and brain to have coped very well in today's game, albeit his role would probably have been modified a bit.

Personally, I don't mind the 3-3-2-3-3 systems being played about with. To cling to them is a bit like the English soccer fan who longs for a return to 4-4-2, or even the WM formation. Tactical innovation is good for the game, but I agree that most tactical changes at the moment appear to be defensively motivated.

I suppose what I was thinking when mentioning those two (both great fielders) that what would happen these days is that they would soar into the sky and come down to be surrounded by 6 men and probably be penalised for over carrying - as happens so much these days. Didn't mean they'd be lost as such but the likes of that skill would - and agree that Mullins especiallly would fit well into today's systems.

Ah ye're gone way off topic lads. Let's get back to discussing connolly punching someone three times and getting away with it............