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What Should Ger Brennan Do Vs Dublin?

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If Louth perform as well as Clare did against Kerry I think they would take a lot from the Dublin game.

Keeping a good structure, playing positively but limiting goal chances and running a road test for games that both Clare and Louth do have a reasonable chance if playing well to get something out of in group stage with a reasonable chance of making the preliminary quarter finals. Which would be huge for both.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3126 - 07/05/2024 08:33:36    2543440

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Replying To BarneyGrant:  "Louth have,a,realistic chance of taking second place in their group. Yes I am assuming Dublin beat them.

So, he ought to use Leinster final to test how they intend to approach Meath and Monaghan. Limiting goal chances and concentrate on turnover attacks.

Easy said of course and need to be more defensive against Dublin than either of them. Avoiding a hiding is important for their heads. Dublin also be looking ahead to Roscommon so won't be anywhere near full throttle.

Might be interesting enough game."
Agreed.
They won't win but will want to avoid a hiding, so trying to keep it as close as possible while effectively treating it as a training session in preparation for their next few games should be his approach.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 09/05/2024 20:20:36    2543901

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Result: Dublin 1-19 Louth 2-12

This thread started off with, at the back of it, the very serious question of how do Louth beat Dublin. And in the end, Dublin were not in the lead as late as the 54th minute, and Louth outgoaled Dublin and lost by only 4 points. I'm sure people are saying "Well done Louth, getting that close to Dublin", because after all, the Dublin team were anointed by Manannán mac Lir himself and have become immortal deities, and therefore anyone who dares to beat them in Leinster will suffer permanent toothache and incontinence for all their days. But of course, there will be those proud Gaels from Louth who see this as an opportunity lost for Louth, a real chance to beat the Dubs, but for whatever it was that went wrong. I didn't see any of the game except for a playback online of Con O'Callaghan's goal in the second half, so I dunno how good or bad either team was. But what is for sure though is that Mayo, Roscommon, Cavan and the rest of Leinster will be studying hard to see how the Dubs were run so close.

So, it was asked what could Louth do to beat Dublin. Now after this close game, the questions are:
1. How did things go right?
2. How did things go wrong?
And maybe also:
3. What could Louth have done differently?

Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1126 - 12/05/2024 16:09:44    2544295

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They played very well and it's perfect preparation for group. I'd fancy them definitely to be in last 12 and very possibly last 8.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3126 - 12/05/2024 17:50:53    2544318

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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma:  "Result: Dublin 1-19 Louth 2-12

This thread started off with, at the back of it, the very serious question of how do Louth beat Dublin. And in the end, Dublin were not in the lead as late as the 54th minute, and Louth outgoaled Dublin and lost by only 4 points. I'm sure people are saying "Well done Louth, getting that close to Dublin", because after all, the Dublin team were anointed by Manannán mac Lir himself and have become immortal deities, and therefore anyone who dares to beat them in Leinster will suffer permanent toothache and incontinence for all their days. But of course, there will be those proud Gaels from Louth who see this as an opportunity lost for Louth, a real chance to beat the Dubs, but for whatever it was that went wrong. I didn't see any of the game except for a playback online of Con O'Callaghan's goal in the second half, so I dunno how good or bad either team was. But what is for sure though is that Mayo, Roscommon, Cavan and the rest of Leinster will be studying hard to see how the Dubs were run so close.

So, it was asked what could Louth do to beat Dublin. Now after this close game, the questions are:
1. How did things go right?
2. How did things go wrong?
And maybe also:
3. What could Louth have done differently?"
Louth were excellent today.

What could they have done differently?

I felt the keeper panicked slightly on the kickout that led to Con's goal. Usually when option 1 or 2 isn't on, a longer kickout is better, just to get the ball out of there.

At the other end, they went for goal twice and scored twice. There was one high ball dropped into Cluxton and no Louth forward challenged for it.

Small margins but those 2 incidents going the other way could've produced a different result.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5194 - 12/05/2024 20:30:49    2544363

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Replying To Tacaí Liatroma:  "Result: Dublin 1-19 Louth 2-12

This thread started off with, at the back of it, the very serious question of how do Louth beat Dublin. And in the end, Dublin were not in the lead as late as the 54th minute, and Louth outgoaled Dublin and lost by only 4 points. I'm sure people are saying "Well done Louth, getting that close to Dublin", because after all, the Dublin team were anointed by Manannán mac Lir himself and have become immortal deities, and therefore anyone who dares to beat them in Leinster will suffer permanent toothache and incontinence for all their days. But of course, there will be those proud Gaels from Louth who see this as an opportunity lost for Louth, a real chance to beat the Dubs, but for whatever it was that went wrong. I didn't see any of the game except for a playback online of Con O'Callaghan's goal in the second half, so I dunno how good or bad either team was. But what is for sure though is that Mayo, Roscommon, Cavan and the rest of Leinster will be studying hard to see how the Dubs were run so close.

So, it was asked what could Louth do to beat Dublin. Now after this close game, the questions are:
1. How did things go right?
2. How did things go wrong?
And maybe also:
3. What could Louth have done differently?"
While folks might be admiring the margin of defeat here, there was a game to be won. Louth lads were mostly disappointed. Opinions from a TV viewer here so a more limited perspective as someone in the stands:

1. Kickouts....
Think about it: on Dublin's kickout, you decide it's better to have all your 15 players inside your own 65 so you can press/defend in tight areas. On your own kickouts, you only have 6 or 7 lads inside your own 45 so, once Dublin pressed hard, Louth's kickouts started to go long into contested areas and the probability of the Dub's winning possession was ~70% (my guess). So now the ball is going to coming back at you but you've far fewer players to defend. Scores against Louth's kickouts probably accounted for 1-6 or 1-7 of Dublin's score. Hard to tell if Louth team was running out of gas for providing the keeper with enough short options or if the Dub's press was more effective but this is the real winning/losing of a game with Kerry and Dublin.

2. Transitions
Downey and Mulroy are Louth's two main "playmaker" footballers and both are extremely skillful. Part of their job has been to make stuff happen with kick passes for quick transitions or making something happen in tight spaces. This went wrong 3-4 times and they all resulted in Dublin scores. You can'tt and shouldn't try to eliminate every mistake -- you need lads trying something to break open organized defenses -- but there are a few of these that were the wrong calls in the moments. More big games against div 1 teams and the players will adapt.

3. Losing the ball in contact
This accounts for 3-4 points (turnovers against Durnin, Mulroy, McKeever if memory serves me) -- the ball coming loose in contact and the Dubs running up the field into space and scoring. Against top teams, the ball has to go dead if you can't break contact, foul the ball or be fouled. You have to find a way to stop the game (without being carded).

4. Bench
Burns, Byrne, Early, Campbell, Jackson came in but it didn't feel like they were as in sync with the game plan. Excuses: late in the game, behind on the scoreboard and chasing the game, final against a top team, swapping out defensive players for mostly attacking ones. This is more an observation that if the game had been closer, it wasn't clear that the Louth bench couldn't have come in and held the same formation and strategy effectively.

5. Footing
Too many slips on the Croker sod. Not as bad as Down in 2010 when they slipped their way out of an all-ireland with Cork but too many Louth players were losing their footing and it's the nature of the game that you lose your footing a just the wrong time (a sharp turn). Needs to be someone in the management team who tests/knows the sod and makes sure the players are wearing the right boots/cleats/studs.


Positives

1. Team positives:
This is a team that works/plays for the team which makes them formidable. For most of the game, very organized and disciplined. Paul Mannion had just 1 point and don't think Cormac Costello scored from play. 1 to 15 had excellent games IMO.

Two well earned goals and 2-12 from a team that really only had two proven scorers (Mulroy and Downey -- maybe that's unfair to Grimes and Durnin who are reliable for a few scores). Louth picked a defensive team and played a defensive setup.

Very few wides -- i.e., the right people taking the right shots -- that's such a big change from previous Louth teams. Especially with the defensive setup, this marked a huge step up for the team to create chances against top opposition.

Fairly comfortable bringing the ball out of defense and through the kickout press. From TV, it wasn't clear if the team had the gas to keep doing this for full 70 minutes or if the Dubs wore them down --- but for more of the game, the ball was carried out from a Louth kickout through the press without breakdowns or mistakes.

2. Individual performances:
Niall McDonnell -- top shot stopper and kicker. He's underrated outside of Louth (and maybe within the county too).

Craig Lennon -- it takes some nerve to take on Jack McCaffrey in a sprint when you're carrying the ball. Lucky to get a free on that occasion, deserved to get a goal, made a bunch of scores, and is a huge talent.

Bevan Duffy -- looks like injuries are behind him and he was flying. Great to see.

Conor Grimes -- probably one of the most improved footballers in the country and he has earned that through hard work and discipline. Keeps on learning and improving week to week. Yesterday was the day when he showed where he's at relative to the best of the best. He's right there in the mix.

level (Louth) - Posts: 105 - 13/05/2024 18:19:24    2544576

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A key factor might be that Louth don't meet Kerry until last game. They'll either be qualified or not by then depending on Meath and Monaghan matches.

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 3126 - 13/05/2024 21:32:18    2544603

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