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Tried that already but that doesn't work either.
JakeTheMan (Galway) - Posts: 19 - 06/02/2024 16:30:43 2524799 Link 0 |
Most lines read well there for options, but notably the half-forward line options do not imo.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3820 - 06/02/2024 16:54:13 2524805 Link 0 |
It there anyone in that selection that can also play half forward as that line is the weakest.
JahTribe (Galway) - Posts: 155 - 06/02/2024 19:12:35 2524822 Link 0 |
In fairness though tommy - Ian Burke played loads of games last year and only performed in one of them. Against Ros in the championship in Hyde Park. He was very poor for the rest of the year. I honestly don't think he is a loss to us this year. He was excellent in his All Star year. galwayman2 (Galway) - Posts: 1272 - 06/02/2024 19:15:22 2524823 Link 0 |
Yes I know last year was not his best year but the service in to him was not great either in fairness and there was little or no movement or off the shoulder runs from his colleagues. Its just a confidence thing with Ian as he has all the skills I mentioned already. On another note does anyone know what has happened to Neil Mulcahy as he is another player that seems to have disappeared off the panel?
tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 06/02/2024 20:22:29 2524834 Link 0 |
Well you'd hardly 'squad up' with 9 midfielders and 6 half forwards anyway, but players can often be flexible enough on those lines in terms of their role and positioning. We've seen some recent experimentation with D'Arcy in a wing-forward slot.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3820 - 06/02/2024 21:08:19 2524839 Link 0 |
"Deck chairs/titanic" comes to mind. Galway have a panel of bang average players. The players out injured/unavailable are a little better, but not much. Cooke was on and off last year and suddenly through travel, his reputation has morphed into a collossus. Mulkerrin hasn't yet proven he can manage the step up to senior IC (rem. u-20 v Dublin's Ciaran Archer). Time has moved on for Comer and Walsh not the same players. New voices needed in dressing room.
Really (Galway) - Posts: 619 - 07/02/2024 02:35:51 2524850 Link 0 |
While I wouldn't be doing cartwheels about where we're at right now, this is probably the most pessimistic opinion I've heard. We have some quality players, if we can get them all out on the pitch at the same time. However, that's a big if at the moment. Our general performances also have to improve massively. Comer was excellent when he played last year. I wouldn't be giving up on him. Likewise Walsh showed some excellent form for Crokes in recent months. We have a lot of issues to sort, but I wouldn't throw the baby out with the bath water yet. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2142 - 07/02/2024 07:53:56 2524855 Link 1 |
I must say I sadly agree here everyone seems to be a better footballer when they are not playing. People going on about McLaughlin like he was destined to be the next Dara O Se whilst our midfiled is seriously lacking in options (Conroy still in reckoning at 35 and in fairness to him what a servant & is still delivering). Burke sadly was not up to it and was living off his all star reputation for last couple of years. Also Mulkerrin was far from a recognised panel member never mind the solution to our full back problems & it is great to seem him back after his horrific injury I would allow him so benefit with his absence for so long but PJ putting him in half back line is of no help to him or Galway
Eire89 (Galway) - Posts: 275 - 07/02/2024 09:35:31 2524864 Link 0 |
There is a certain amount to truth to that phrase of "everyone seems to be a better footballer when they are not playing". Sometimes when players come back after an absence they have a renewed appetite for the game and they have been "recharged" so to speak. Peter Cooke last year was a good example of that and he was one of Galway's better players albeit he made a couple of costly turnovers in the Armagh and Mayo games. tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 07/02/2024 10:11:15 2524869 Link 0 |
A good place? Better than it was when he took over?
FallenStar (Galway) - Posts: 421 - 07/02/2024 11:07:20 2524882 Link 0 |
good point on cooke. if you watch matches back his errors lead to a lot of opposition scores. it would certainly be better to have him but some of these players get idolized at times which is great but we can only work with what we have this year. burke is a great fella but was mostly a passenger on last years team
cocopop (Roscommon) - Posts: 35 - 07/02/2024 11:20:19 2524886 Link 0 |
We'll obviously have to wait until the summer to find that out but he's given more game time to younger players and tried more players then Kevin Walsh did. If Joyce does step down in the summer its still a very attractive job.
TheBishop (Galway) - Posts: 285 - 07/02/2024 12:08:15 2524900 Link 0 |
Cooke was one of Galway's better players last year after a slowish start. He's definitely a loss even though it's hard to depend on him going forward as he's away every second year. Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2261 - 07/02/2024 12:42:43 2524912 Link 0 |
Took over a team that hadn't: Reached an All Ireland Final since 2001 Won a knock game in Croke Park in the same time frame Won back to back Connacht Championships since 02' 03 We are where we are. Current Galway panel will not win an All Ireland without: Shane Walsh Damien Comer Sean Kelly Cillian McDaid. Fit and flying. They are not players you find every day. I could of put in players such as Jack Glynn (young player of the year 2022) or Liam Silke (All Star 2022) but these are players we should have cover for. Anyone wants to name me a team they believe will win an All Ireland this year and let me take four players out of that team I would be fairly confident they will win nothing. If as some say due to how often some of these have been injured etc over the last few years we need to plan without. That's fine. Plan without them. But also plan to win nothing, Generational players are exactly that. These lads have proven time and again what they are capable of. Players will come from behind this group that will appear for the grass shoots of North Galway or the Hills of Connemara and take over the mantle of Galway superstars but for the moment we need these guys not only fit but playing well. We have that I'd like to see the team that will brush us aside. SamandLiamSoon (Galway) - Posts: 622 - 07/02/2024 13:10:35 2524918 Link 1 |
" These lads have proven time and again what they are capable of. " your talking as if they have multiple all stars and all irelands between them cocopop (Roscommon) - Posts: 35 - 07/02/2024 14:12:37 2524936 Link 1 |
Not having multiple All Irelands doesn't turn Matty Forde, Declan Browne, McManus, Ciaran McDonald or Enda Smyth into bad players or have any relevance to their ability or importance to their team. Comer, Kelly and McDaid are usually our better performers when fit and playing. Nobody needs to be told about Shane Walsh's form last year but when on song he can do things few others can. Only time we've had all 4 fit and flying in the last 5 years was 2022. Supporting cast has improved since then. We get these lads on the pitch and lose ill have no complaints or whinge. SamandLiamSoon (Galway) - Posts: 622 - 07/02/2024 15:16:57 2524956 Link 0 |
Precisely, when it's matters players like McCarthy, Cluxton, Fenton, Clifford, O'Se, Durcan deliver and lead by example. Unfortunately, we're do not have such influential players to call on. To put things in perspective, the last time you'd look forward to going to matches, was when we had players like Donnellan, Fallon, Sean Og and Pj playing. Apart from their obvious talent, they we're ultra competitive. Alas, nowadays that absorbing characteristic is not evident. Just to be clear, I don't for one minute blame any player - if it's not there in the first place, then no manager can get it out. Really (Galway) - Posts: 619 - 07/02/2024 15:22:29 2524959 Link 0 |
They are great players. Lucky to have them. but I'd swap every single one of them for Mcmanus. I wouldnt hesitate for a second.
galwayfball (Galway) - Posts: 1692 - 07/02/2024 17:49:00 2524999 Link 0 |
Galway v Derry moved to Salthill. Tuam won't be ready. Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2261 - 07/02/2024 19:49:08 2525018 Link 0 |