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Galway Football thread

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Replying To Galwaymaster9:  "Miles ahead and that's without the cliffords"
Come on. Kerry were far more dominant in the first 25 mins of the 2nd half than the first half which was even for the most part. Yes never looked like winning and we have plenty of issues to work on. I think our performances have been very patchy and the main hope of course we get our key players back and they will be ready.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1973 - 24/03/2024 16:51:44    2533175

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PJ fairly evasive again when asked about the injured players. Seems to be that they just don't know when some of them will be back. I'd say a few of them look like they will definitely miss the Connacht championship at this stage. The All-Ireland series group stage starts at the end of May so that would be the next target.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2348 - 24/03/2024 16:51:58    2533176

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Replying To Marooned:  "PJ fairly evasive again when asked about the injured players. Seems to be that they just don't know when some of them will be back. I'd say a few of them look like they will definitely miss the Connacht championship at this stage. The All-Ireland series group stage starts at the end of May so that would be the next target."
I don't understand the mystery around the injuries. Why not just tell us the position insofar as he can. It's only building unnecessary speculation

Trucker1 (Galway) - Posts: 410 - 24/03/2024 17:21:54    2533196

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Thank God we got the easy side of draw into the connacht final for the 5th of May vs either Roscommon or Mayo. Hopefully most of the injuries will be sorted by then as i reckon if we had to come up against mayo or the rossies earlier we would be in trouble

Galway456 (Galway) - Posts: 130 - 24/03/2024 17:26:58    2533199

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Replying To giveitlong:  "Lost by 2 points to full strength Kerry in Kerry missing almost half our first string team, including 4 All Stars. This league has been a blessing for Galway. The new lads now know they have gone toe to toe against the best in the country and we should have a deep panel for the qualifiers. PJ has learned so much from last year. We are in the Connacht final bar a loss to Sligo or Leitrim. PJ May not show his hand even for that this time round. Our biggest concern now is old age, with several players, indeed key players, gone over the 30 mark. We are 4th favs in the betting, which is about right. Roll on the summer."
First of all, Kerry weren't at full strength. Clifford brothers came on, and barely looked interested - nothing to be gained from flogging a dead sheep mentality..

As regards the "great" players missing - people have short memories...
Mulkerrin, Molloy and Silke not up to intense IC scrutiny - mainly due to lack of sufficient pace for this level.

Cast your minds back - this doubt was always there. So, we await the return of the remaining "magnificent 7" with trepidation..

AnCrúiscínLán (Galway) - Posts: 102 - 24/03/2024 17:49:06    2533211

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Molloy and Mulkerrin both played their way out of a poor team over the course of this league. Liam Silke has lots of football missed but is a class act and it was great to see him back. I was surprised Jack Glynn didn't start today.

I find it incredible that no second choice goalkeeper played a league game. Even if the team were going well and the keeper was flying, you'd think one league game for the backup just in case of injury down the line would be a good idea. As it stands we have seemingly intractably wedded ourselves to using a goalkeeper that is targeted and will remain targeted by every team we play.

crankyincorofin (Galway) - Posts: 101 - 24/03/2024 17:58:33    2533216

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Replying To AnCrúiscínLán:  "First of all, Kerry weren't at full strength. Clifford brothers came on, and barely looked interested - nothing to be gained from flogging a dead sheep mentality..

As regards the "great" players missing - people have short memories...
Mulkerrin, Molloy and Silke not up to intense IC scrutiny - mainly due to lack of sufficient pace for this level.

Cast your minds back - this doubt was always there. So, we await the return of the remaining "magnificent 7" with trepidation.."
That was Liam Silke's first game of intercounty football since the 22 AI final. He's probably rusty alright but a huge jump to say he's not up to playing intercounty football. He was pretty good at it just before he left.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2348 - 24/03/2024 18:02:13    2533217

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Replying To galwayford:  "Galway being "bullied" off the pitch by Kerry. Not physically strong enough to compete really. Strenght and conditioning, Mr Joyce? Anyway, our midfield is all over the place, what is Paul Conroy still doing on. At least Maher is trying hard. Rob Finnerty trying to score goals from half way line still. If Galway stay up they are lucky imho. Hope this is Mr Joyce's last campaign."
A lot of moaning there from ya, considering you told me to quit moaning earlier in the league campaign after I pointed out quite constructively a couple of our shortfalls. I'll say it again, we turn over possession way too easy against the top teams,

conordee (Galway) - Posts: 451 - 24/03/2024 18:02:59    2533220

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Galway lost 8 of their own kick outs against Kerry. Unsustainable numbers.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2348 - 24/03/2024 18:35:14    2533244

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Replying To Marooned:  "That was Liam Silke's first game of intercounty football since the 22 AI final. He's probably rusty alright but a huge jump to say he's not up to playing intercounty football. He was pretty good at it just before he left."
Don't get me wrong, he's an honest hard-tackling defender - brilliant at club senior, but I felt he struggled against IC forwards with blistering pace. Again, just my opinion. Also, I know some may consider this a harsh judgement, but I feel even at this stage, O'Curraoin for all his accuracy, lacks sufficient pace for this level.

Fair enough, Dublin have set such a high standard, and it seems the rest are resigned to competing for runners up or, hoping some freakish result will eliminate them.

Dublin have a huge level of athleticism, but have also worked on fringe players like Bugler to give them that extra edge. Their execution of the point kicking skill is exemplary. And shur lookit, weren't Galway always noted for their lovely kicking game... Well, that's now limited to Daly's self-indulgence.

AnCrúiscínLán (Galway) - Posts: 102 - 24/03/2024 18:56:33    2533259

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I think Silke will only improve with games. Molloy had a bad injury and doesnt look like he has recaptured his best form but there is still time. We are cleaned out in midfield going back as far as I can remember and Gleeson hitting it into midfield makes it a 60/40 against us ball every time and we usually lose the breaking ball too. To have any chance in midfield area we need a fully fit Tierney and McDaid out there competing for the ball.

We need a goalie with a very good short kick out strategy which when teams push up on you like Kerry today is really hard to execute. It appears that Gleeson is the best keeper in Galway as there is no one else except Bernie Power that gets a chance and Gleeson is better than Power from what I've seen. Its a pity with all the clubs in Galway there isnt 2-3 other goalkeepers that could put their hands up to be even trialled.

JahTribe (Galway) - Posts: 155 - 24/03/2024 19:16:35    2533271

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Well done to the Galway football team, P J and management on the outcome of League. It is a major achievement to maintain our Division 1 status given our horrendous list of injuries to top players, resulting in us playing with barely a third of our best team for all 7 matches. I don't know if there is any other team who could emulate this in the same circumstances. There are a lot of knockers on this forum with nothing good to say except complain and whinge. PJ and the team can well do without these type of "supporters" who offer nothing positive and do no credit at all to the county. Gaillimh Abù.

FatLadySinging (Galway) - Posts: 91 - 24/03/2024 19:34:53    2533282

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Replying To FatLadySinging:  "Well done to the Galway football team, P J and management on the outcome of League. It is a major achievement to maintain our Division 1 status given our horrendous list of injuries to top players, resulting in us playing with barely a third of our best team for all 7 matches. I don't know if there is any other team who could emulate this in the same circumstances. There are a lot of knockers on this forum with nothing good to say except complain and whinge. PJ and the team can well do without these type of "supporters" who offer nothing positive and do no credit at all to the county. Gaillimh Abù."
You can be fairly negative and personal about certain players when it suits you.

Alwaysencourage (Galway) - Posts: 395 - 24/03/2024 19:49:11    2533288

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It's very hard to be optimistic about the championship even though we survived the drop today, and have done this with practically all our best players out injured or unavailable.
The problem I see looking forward is that even if these players come back they won't have the necessary match fitness to make any sort of meaningful impact against the quaility team we will be facing down the line.
We did blood a few players in this years league and I think we have cover all over the field which is something we didn't have last year.
As we saw last year, this current championship structure is well capable of throwing up anomalies so the likelihood of surprises along the way is highly probable- hopefully a refreshed Galway side could end up being in the position Monaghan were in last years championship and good enough to take their chance.

Galway4ever (Galway) - Posts: 219 - 24/03/2024 20:29:49    2533306

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I'll have a look at the stats later but for now all I have to say is we will win nothing with our current approach to kick outs. I see people around me today and they start looking at their phones, talking, basically anything to avoid looking at what begins to happen when teams press up. Every good team targets us now and with huge success. Mayo, Dublin and Kerry targetted our kick outs during the league and we appear to have no strategy whatsoever. Gleeson does take some blame as his pace setting up and accuracy off the tee is not great, he does have distance to be fair to him. On the line however there does not seem to be any plan. Last summer Conor Gleeson stayed out at HT in the championship game against Mayo and just kicked the ball repeatedly off the tee as far as he could into the wind. 10 minutes into the second half the game was effectively over. That plan or instruction came from the line. Someone said earlier about Junior C teams having a plan. When we are pressed, we don't make runs, we don't create height mid matches, we don't overload one side. We stand in position and wait for the kick out. Incredible

smallfrank (Galway) - Posts: 465 - 24/03/2024 20:38:01    2533311

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very surprised at amount of credit mahers getting on here. his man won man of the match and caught 90% of the kick outs kerry won.
that said can t doubt the chaps work rate

candlewax (Galway) - Posts: 292 - 24/03/2024 20:45:38    2533315

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Replying To smallfrank:  "I'll have a look at the stats later but for now all I have to say is we will win nothing with our current approach to kick outs. I see people around me today and they start looking at their phones, talking, basically anything to avoid looking at what begins to happen when teams press up. Every good team targets us now and with huge success. Mayo, Dublin and Kerry targetted our kick outs during the league and we appear to have no strategy whatsoever. Gleeson does take some blame as his pace setting up and accuracy off the tee is not great, he does have distance to be fair to him. On the line however there does not seem to be any plan. Last summer Conor Gleeson stayed out at HT in the championship game against Mayo and just kicked the ball repeatedly off the tee as far as he could into the wind. 10 minutes into the second half the game was effectively over. That plan or instruction came from the line. Someone said earlier about Junior C teams having a plan. When we are pressed, we don't make runs, we don't create height mid matches, we don't overload one side. We stand in position and wait for the kick out. Incredible"
Probably looking at their phones to reassure themselves that Derry were bailing us out.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4013 - 24/03/2024 20:53:24    2533319

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Replying To Whestofthewest:  "Derry man living near moycullen. Jesus boys ye are hard to watch"
Be careful or you could be signed up

UtahBlaine (Galway) - Posts: 153 - 24/03/2024 20:55:15    2533321

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We lost a lot of ball, screams "composure" or lack of compared to Kerry who looked assured and confident in possession.

Overall we did well to stay up, if you take the best players out of any team in Ireland they will struggle so that is encouraging along with all the new lads getting game time. It's painfully clear it'll take awhile to get these new lads up to speed but there is green shoots there.

The real football doesn't start until after Connacht, let's see where we are with players and form after that. I wouldn't be writing off the season just yet.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1646 - 24/03/2024 21:23:30    2533339

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PJ was talking this evening about having a lot of work to do to be considers All Ireland contenders. On the basis of the flattering loss and the majority of what I witnessed in our league campaign, I'd say he's being slightly delusional to even put us in that conversation. We should be in the mix, of course, but the lads are not being managed well. That's a plain and simple fact.
We've a time bomb situation at the back that other managers are running their hands ready to exploit to the full. This is not a new situation, it's been glaringly obvious for years - but still PJ, CON, Divo, Scan and co persist. What can ye not see, lads? What exactly? It's not fair to the man in question and that bandage has to be ripped off bloody well NOW and make that change. 2 of the full back line were simply not up to it today, one was skinned repeatedly and slow as a wet week. Our half back line were slow in build up and ponderous and mishandled a number of times. Our midfield aren't fielding. And our forwards, as talented as the individuals are, look they were put together for the first time again today as they have not been coaches one damn discernible play or style of play. The forwards coaching is shambolic. I'm sick saying it. So you want to talk contenders - here's a reality check, how are we going to do the following in the next few weeks and short number of months: have a double-digit set of go-to kickout options giving us a 90% plus own kickout win rate? As of now we're off by about 70%. How are we going to shackle a full throttle Dublin or Kerry forward line on a summer pitch? As of now we're off by a country mile. How are we going to clean out or even breakeven with Brian Fenton or Conor Glass and their respective midfield partners. As of now we're not within an asses roar of them in midfield dominance. How are we going to shoot the lights out with brilliant, sweeping, high speed forward play and skin a Murchan or a Callanan. I think we're drinking the Kool Aid! Miracles can happen but the truth is, here at the end of March we cannot be even in a 'contenders' conversation. Tons of work to do.

togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 1026 - 24/03/2024 21:44:19    2533345

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