Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Watching the Munster Final yesterday and it struck me just how few times either team had a pop at the posts from a long way out in open play, seemed to prefer hitting the diagonal ball into the full-forward line even when they were in space around the halfway line

I suppose that in comparison, we shoot a lot more often from those positions, you'd think that if Cork and Limerick are the two best teams in the country and they're passing rather than shooting from those areas, we're doing it wrong if we're shooting rather than passing (If you're in a position to shoot, you're in a position to pass and the forwards are in there to score, backs are picked for reasons other than scoring)

Also quite clear that we had no plan in possession when teams pushed up against us, played decently at times when afforded time and space and made some nice moves (Carlow and Kildare in the league, first half against Offaly and Galway in the Championship) but when the intensity upped, we just resorted to going long, didn't even try to be brave and work it out short, no clear game-plan and players had no clear idea of what they were supposed to do in possession

A major contrast to Limerick who know that (a) they want to go short off puck-outs, (b) they know the positions they should be in for those puck-outs, (c) they know where they need to reach i.e. the 65m line, and (d) they know the things they have to do in order to work the ball out from the puck-out to the 65m line"

Replying To Viking66:  "You are missing the whole point to a short game. Quaid and Collins are able to ping a ball 40-60 yards into a teammates hand as hes running with a marker running behind him."

Replying To MyOhMi:  "The Dublin game plan was very one dimensional against Galway - move the ball to half back line and lamp it in. That may work once or twice but defenders are so good now (and strong) that they quickly snuff that type of game out. Surprised as when Niall O C was with Na Fianna he had them play a good snappy short game. Contrast that to the Joe McDonagh final, which was very very poor, and Carlow drove 22 wides with a shoot on sight approach. Limerick (and all the best teams) are so meticulous with their shooting - get it to the shooters, if the shot isn't on then recycle it."

Replying To ElGranSenor:  "Yes but there's more to playing an effective short game than just the GK though, there were numerous times this year when we could've tried to work it out of defence but resorted to lumping it long (Where we would invariably lost the battle for primary possession) and these situations didn't have much to do with Fanning

Although I do agree that his distribution is an issue"

Replying To MyOhMi:  "The Dublin game plan was very one dimensional against Galway - move the ball to half back line and lamp it in. That may work once or twice but defenders are so good now (and strong) that they quickly snuff that type of game out. Surprised as when Niall O C was with Na Fianna he had them play a good snappy short game. Contrast that to the Joe McDonagh final, which was very very poor, and Carlow drove 22 wides with a shoot on sight approach. Limerick (and all the best teams) are so meticulous with their shooting - get it to the shooters, if the shot isn't on then recycle it."