It’s been a while since I provided an update on what’s been happening in the championship mini-league where, with only three matches now left to play, the battle for final placings is reaching something approaching fever pitch (well, sort of). The race for the big prize (whatever that it, it’s been so long ago since this started that I can’t remember what’s on offer for the winner) now seems to be a straight two-way battle between Mortified and rayosilke, with the former holding what could well prove to be a decisive 35-point lead over the latter. Go on Mort, you can’t very well let someone using the name of the first Galway captain to lift Sam in 32 years pip you at the post, now can you?
Further down the rankings, my own slide towards mid-table mediocrity appears to be heading towards its inevitable conclusion. For a while early on in the campaign I was up there fraternising with the leading bunch and had hopes of pushing on further but then fell to earth. A bit like the senior team in this year’s championship, in other words.
The most mystifying placing of all, though, has to be that of my esteemed blogging colleague, An Spailpín, who is languishing at the foot of the table. This is the same Spailpín who, with unerring accuracy, warned us how foolish we all were to have written off the Kerrymen ahead of their walloping of the Dubs. He’s obviously not taking his prediction form-filling duties as seriously as he does his silken prose, otherwise he’d have the lot of us beaten out the gate ages ago.
Hey Willie Joe – long time no read. Am just back from the holidays yesterday, and am still very raw after last Sunday week. I have not developed your ability to convince the missus to holiday outside peak-championship time, so it was an empty “Internet Cafe” (I’m being kind calling it a cafe) in the middle of no-where in France. The owner had to caution me about my bad language mid-way through the second half, as Joe Sheridan led us a merry dance! Anyway here’s my view on one of the most personally sickeneing defeats in some time:
(1) First things first, McQuillian is not even worth criticising. We should have known from 2007 that he was going to do us in, especially against a county that he borders. He’s the new McEneaney.
(2) If we were one of the fittest county teams (as I read numerous times), how could the legs just disappear. Were the lads over or under-cooked – can’t be sure. However the training staff need to look at this urgently.
(3) The loss of Killer was a huge blow as he was genuinely taking the fight to them. However his form this year is cause for optimism
(4) Even allowing for the above, Mort Jnr. is worth his place. I am very much of the belief that you put out your best 15 to start. One would think that we’s have learned our lesson from 2004 & 2006 all-ire finals where David “TV3” Brady was left on the line for the start.
(5) The looseness of the full back line was a real killer. I think that I might have mentioned as far back as the Ross game that they were a little lax. I believe that one, maybe two, out of the four used in that line during the game have been exposed once too often. John O’ needs to look at this. Are the backs getting specific coaching – I think that the work that has obviously been attempted to the forwards needs to be repeated. The half back line has massive potential I believe
(6) I’m a real fan of Parsons, especially in the club championship ovet the last three years, but he needs to be given a set position and have a decent run of games. Then a real assessment can be made. Bringing him to Australia last year did him no favours.
(7) McGarritty needs someone besides him who will do the donkey work: aggressive, on the floor -winning the dirty ball. Heaney is beyond that stage now, Harte is such a classy player that I think that he is wasted doing this job. This is another priority for John O’
(8) We must conceed that Connacht football is at a low ebb – coaching structures need to be over-hauled: neither Galway or us have adapted to the total football, breaking ball, position adaptability that is now in vogue. I don’t accept that we are not producing the talent, but we need to examine what we are doing with it. Our facile win over Ross is a symptom of this: it did neither county any good, and allows the national media to run down Connacht.
(9) O’Shea is a class act – the real find of 2009.
(10) I hate those red jersies – they’re just plain bad luck!
(11) Any reasonable assessment must conclude that we showed improvement this year. However with a new Galway manager and Sligo on the up, next year will be tough.
On a final note, I think its important to thank all the players and management for their efforts over the year: If Biffo/Martin Cullen gets their way they wont get a penny – disgrace! Hopefully John O’ will make the necessary changes and we’ll push on next year. Gardners point in Pearse stadium was the highlight of my Summer. . .Good luck to the minors on Sunday week.
Hi DB – heard you were away in deepest France when we needed you most. I think I timed my own holiday badly, in retrospect I wouldn’t have minded missing out on the quarter-final.
You’ve covered most of the relevant points there, alright. We’ve got a good basis to work on for 2010 but there’s lots of work to be done if we’re going to make further progress on this year.
Looking forward to the minors’ semi on the 30th – we have a few scores to settle with Down at this stage and a win over them is long overdue. Hopefully Ray’s lads are up for it.
Hi WJ. I too was away, away in furthest Mayo. Walking the shore in Blacksod gave me time to think. My thoughts are not pleasant. Firstly we are a county that are regulary shafted by refs and the GAA hierarchy. Not just McQuillan in 2009. Back in the 1939 All_Ireland semi a referee cheated us out of a last minute free after two Kerry officals came on the pitch to remonsrate with him. The 1948 All final was blown up 4 minutes early AFTER a 14 yard free was charged down on us. John Finn got a broken jaw in front of 65,000 people in the semi of 1985 and no one was held accountable. The final of 1996 stands alone for disaster. Ray Connelly was swissed in 2001 v Ros. I could go on and on. The one thing that sticks out is this. We have a gutless county board that will not publicly stand up and put an end to this shafting of us. I believe we have a representive on the panel for refs. From what I see of refs it seems to make no difference. Last year v Tyrone we were robbed, that bald fella from Cork tried to make a name for himself against us when Gill was sent off in 2004 v Fermanagh. We are led by sheep.
Now this is the piece that hurts. The so called “diamond” of Mayo football i.e half back line. mid and half forward line are in fact our weakest sector. 2004 and 2006 has tested those fellas and they are not up to it …end of story. I am sick reading about getting a partner for McGarrity when its McGarrity thats not up to it. McGarrity is a basketball player who plays gaelic. Donaghy is a gaelic player who plays basketball. Big difference.
We opted for bullshit Twin Towers this year. Its yesterdays game plan. Tyrone won last year v Kerry without a twin tower. Kerry lost with them. After three years we found and lost Parsons and Cunniffe. We resurrected Heaney. Nallen was brought on board for mascot purposes but McDonald was ditched. Perfectly logical.
Put bluntly Liam O Malley is a nice guy but not an inter county corner back. We need a few “dog” defenders. What waste in five years. Geraghty and Conor Moran in 2004-2006. Now we are messing with O Malley and Vaughan. McLoughlin and Vaughan were eaten in the U21 semi final v Down.
O Mahoney has conned the county with rebuilding shite. Three years and we beat our bench mark team. Galway are in serious decline as evidenced v Donegal. Subtract Meath winning tally v us and v Ros and thats where we are. We desperatly need to get rid of at least 20 of that panel and let in Barry Moran, Seamus O Shea and Gibbons to mid. We need defenders not recycled half forwards. We need a BIG centre forward. All we turned up was an 18 year old kid to lift this years gloom . I could weep but I have been in this place before. The consensus is for O Mahoney to continue “Rebuilding” Dia agus Muire Linn.
You know, I sometimes wonder if the boys on the Board feel half as raw as DB and ontheroad here after defeats. You have to think that if they did Mayo wouldn’t have as many days like these with the sort of playing resources we have.
As for the league table – to be honest with you Willie, I’m actually much dumber than I look. On Tyrone -1 at evens tomorrow – here’s hoping!
I doubt if our backs could ever cope with the likes of those Cork forwards – too small and inoffensive. What we need in defence are thick bast**ds who would put the fear of god into forwards. Its amazing how a forward will underperform when he is concerned for health and welfare!