After yesterdays performance I'm starting to worry about a few things.
Firstly I can't understand Mickey Harte's logic in mashing up a team so badly-when I saw the lineout on Thursday night I predicted we'd be beaten; it definately didn't work against Cork and it sure as hell didn't work in the first half against Kerry; we were roasted in half and full back. Its time to settle the team down, we've a championship outing in a few weeks and can't afford anymore match squandering-does nothing for the psyche, and does nothing for supporter morale:you don't mind your team losing if playing well, but thats attrocious to watch.
Mc Crory is not up to pace I fear-
What has happened to the concept of man marking?? Whatever "system" they had devised yesterday for defence was abysmal. It was disgusting!!!! Its bad when one of your players has to shout to sideline to make changes.
The changes happen much too late, are certain players immune to being taken off?
I don't think Mc Curry or O'Neill are ready to transition, had a few chances now.
Will Coney be ready for championship?Joe needs to pull up socks bit more:hasn'tbeen near his best.
I think Clarke deserves a starting place, would have had Kane and Mc Alliskey on too. M Donnelly and S O' Neill only consistent players.
We need a good solid game against Kildare-hoping we can make the final, due to lack of consistency I can't right figure where we're at......certainly not All Ireland standard.

Gael01 (Tyrone) - Posts: 74 - 08/04/2013 20:35:11    1363567

Don't worry! You'll be alright. Get running at our defense like ye did to Kerry when ye got going in the second-half yesterday and we'll open up for ye. This has been a productive league for Kildare but you couldn't say the problems we had last year have been solved. Midfield is still flaky. We've no centre-back and can leave big gaps too often. These two things combine and on a bad day we can get completely overrun. The rest of the team is pretty solid though and we have our moments, but if Tyrone lose next week I would be changing my prediction for the Donegal game back to the champs.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 08/04/2013 20:46:52    1363580

Gael01
County: Tyrone
Posts: 35

1363567 After yesterdays performance I'm starting to worry about a few things.
Firstly I can't understand Mickey Harte's logic in mashing up a team so badly-when I saw the lineout on Thursday night I predicted we'd be beaten; it definately didn't work against Cork and it sure as hell didn't work in the first half against Kerry; we were roasted in half and full back. Its time to settle the team down, we've a championship outing in a few weeks and can't afford anymore match squandering-does nothing for the psyche, and does nothing for supporter morale:you don't mind your team losing if playing well, but thats attrocious to watch.
Mc Crory is not up to pace I fear-
What has happened to the concept of man marking?? Whatever "system" they had devised yesterday for defence was abysmal. It was disgusting!!!! Its bad when one of your players has to shout to sideline to make changes.
The changes happen much too late, are certain players immune to being taken off?
I don't think Mc Curry or O'Neill are ready to transition, had a few chances now.
Will Coney be ready for championship?Joe needs to pull up socks bit more:hasn'tbeen near his best.
I think Clarke deserves a starting place, would have had Kane and Mc Alliskey on too. M Donnelly and S O' Neill only consistent players.
We need a good solid game against Kildare-hoping we can make the final, due to lack of consistency I can't right figure where we're at......certainly not All Ireland standard.

Quite harsh there Gael01. At the start of this league campaign we would have been more than happy to stay up yet we are in a semi final. Yes the Cork game was truly abysmal as was the first half against Kerry however I do not agree with your assessment of individual players. McCrory was marking an absolute flying machine in Darren O'Sullivan and had the added disadvantage of Tomás O'Se marauding at will down that side as well creating a constant 2v1 situation. As for Joey I'm not sure you have been watching the same player as I have. In all games to date he has consistently performed at a high level, not at his best no doubt but then who is in the early part of the year. O'Neill has been out for a year with a cruciate injury and has played in bits and pieces without the advantage of a full pre season so I think your view that he hasn't made the transition as harsh. Tyrone's style of play does not help the corner forwards much to be honest. The ball is run into the scoring area more often than not and thus the game is quite cramped for the corner men.

I do agree that we need to settle the team selection and do away with this sweeper system as it is now a flawed concept when teams are now refusing to kick long ball into the forward line. Kerry showed how to beat it by either running into the space left by the man dropping back to play sweeper and then putting it over his head when close enough to goal. Donnelly has been probably our best player in the league and I agree that Kane should have seen more game time. In addition I'm not sure Peter Harte is best situated at CHF. He appears to struggle a bit having to play with his back to goals and certainly has plenty of improvement left in him.

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 09/04/2013 09:36:47    1363740

If McGeeney has any aspirations for success for Kildare football he should be treating this as a championship game. Of course nobody will give them a hope in hell of beating Tyrone but I feel they have a great chance of beating a team with other things on their mind.

From what I heard about the Down game, Kildares approach was all wrong. This is Mcgeenys last chance to instill belief into his panel which he can't have acheived so far looking at their results.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 09/04/2013 10:49:41    1363809

Tyrone's 2 defeats have come when we played a 3 man full forward line, whereas the 5 victories had only SON and McAliskey up front. Because we don't have ball winners in midfield (the Cavanaghs), we need extra bodies there to both win ball and protect our half backs. It is no coincidence that we reverted to this more industrious line-up in the 2nd half against Kerry, when Penrose replaced Ronan O'Neill. So, for the rest of the year, I'd expect to see Tyrone playing with a 2 man FF line plus 4 workers.

As regards the players mentioned by previous posters, Aidan McCrory has been struggling all year, and not just against Darren O'Sullivan. McCrory, a very good athlete, is one of those 'bend but not break' type defenders who will give up a point or two, so long as his man doesn't get in behind for goals. However, he is currently playing too far off his man, and has been bested in nearly every match-up this spring. Peter Harte's form has been very poor this year, as it was for much of last summer. He has a lot of talent and hunger in him, but it isn't happening for him at the moment.

Overall, I'd say that Tyrone are a better side that last year, both physically and in terms of organisation. Our senior players are playing well, and a couple of the newer lads are performing important roles. We've got plenty of character and fight in the side, however, I think we may be carrying a few too many average players to enable us to challenge in late summer. Still, it's been a good spring.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 09/04/2013 10:51:10    1363812

If McGeeney has any aspirations for success for Kildare football he should be treating this as a championship game. Of course nobody will give them a hope in hell of beating Tyrone but I feel they have a great chance of beating a team with other things on their mind.

From what I heard about the Down game, Kildares approach was all wrong. This is Mcgeenys last chance to instill belief into his panel which he can't have acheived so far looking at their results.

McGeeney's last chance to instil some belief into the panel? Nobody will give them a hope in hell?

Jeez, calm down Floops.

We beat Tyrone in the Div 2 league final last year. Our approach in the Down game was wrong but then we were always going to finish third in the table regardless of the result so it's hardly a crisis. Regardless of whether we win or lose this I don't think it'll be effecting our confidence all that much.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 09/04/2013 11:22:35    1363851

Floops
County: Dublin
Posts: 1131

1363809
If McGeeney has any aspirations for success for Kildare football he should be treating this as a championship game. Of course nobody will give them a hope in hell of beating Tyrone but I feel they have a great chance of beating a team with other things on their mind.

From what I heard about the Down game, Kildares approach was all wrong. This is Mcgeenys last chance to instill belief into his panel which he can't have acheived so far looking at their results.

The people claiming that Kildare need to win the league title would be the exact same people dismissing it as worthless if they did manage to win it - which they won't IMO. The under 21 All Ireland semi final on Saturday week is far more important for the future of Kildare football than the league semi final on Sunday as far as I'm concerned. It would be nice to reach the final but I don't think a defeat will really register that much on the team's psychology. Kildare are probably quite happy with their lot having stayed up comfortably in a division that most including myself expected them to go down with only 2 or 4 points to their name.

beir_bua (Kildare) - Posts: 746 - 09/04/2013 11:31:12    1363860

Tyrone have been brilliant so far this year. Reckon they will have too much for Kildare

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 09/04/2013 12:04:55    1363901

Yeah, waynoI Tyrone will be deserving favourites but I think it's overstating it that nobody will give us a hope in hell.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 09/04/2013 12:11:39    1363911

Put it this way lads, the Leinster title is nailed on with Dublin, Kildare are well short of being AI contenders. It's all very well going on about u21 success but that's just potential - it's all about the here and now and of the 4 teams in the semis kildare have the most to gain.

beir_bua I would absolutely love to see Dublin win the league and it would mean alot to the Dublin players and fans - just as it would in Kildare. What bothers me about McGeeny is that he seems to have his own agenda that isn't compatible with Kildare football... imo kildare should be trying to string wins together rather than playing musical chairs in Páirc Esler.

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 09/04/2013 12:17:33    1363920

It's the weaker of the two semi-final line ups. I can only see a Tyrone win, and Tyrone would test Dublin or Mayo more in the final than Kildare would (In my opinion).

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 09/04/2013 13:18:40    1363984

Kildare took the league as seriously as anyone else, probably more than most actually. Big wins away to Cork and Mayo. We then made some changes in a game where Down were all but already relegated and we were certain to finish third. When do you suggest we try new things then?

As for McGeeney's attitude, how's this?
http://www.kildare-nationalist.ie/2013/04/08/no-rest-for-the-21s-as-kildare-go-hunting-for-league-crown/
Manager Kieran McGeeney - who is in charge of both sides - will not rest his younger players, who will play Galway in an All-Ireland under-21 semi-final just six days later on 20 April.
"Ah no, it's an All-Ireland semi-final, senior level. In terms of importance it's the second biggest competition that you can win in the GAA so they will all be available for selection,"
Seems compatible with Kildare football to me.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 09/04/2013 13:40:08    1364011

Ok doublehop, if you're happy with McGeeny i can't argue with that - you're the kildare man after all.

Hopefully we meet in the final with a bumper crowd...

Floops (Dublin) - Posts: 1623 - 09/04/2013 15:30:28    1364120

Obviously I'd prefer it if the under 21's were left out of the team this weekend, be good to get more game time into the likes of Lynch, Leper, Smith and Daryl Flynn.

A lot of these young lads are coming off the back of college football and a Leinster campaign on top of their league matches with the senior team.

It'd be great to win a league title, especially as it's pretty much the second highest national competition around. At the same time though I feel we've already met our objectives for the league this year; retaining our place in Division One, bringing through some new players and trying different tactics / positions.

If there was no under 21 championship happening right now, then fair enough go out as strong as we can against Tyrone and look for the win, and then repeat that for the final if we were to make it.

But as it stands an All Ireland semi should be the main focus for the likes of Kelly, Flynn, Hurley and Cribbin. If that means not playing our strongest team against Tyrone and giving ourselves a lesser chance of winning than so be it, can't imagine too many Kildare fans will lose any sleep over it. Nice to get an extra game in Croke Park early in the year though all the same.

if_in_doubt (Kildare) - Posts: 3694 - 09/04/2013 16:28:13    1364191

Tyrone have had a good season so far but in the championship I believe we will be in trouble when we meet teams like Dublin, Kerry or Donegal who have mobile scoring players. Against Kildare we come up against a team who have not got players of that standard and we may be able to limit their scoring opportunities and reach the final which will be a good seasons work.

Byanthon (Tyrone) - Posts: 1800 - 09/04/2013 17:39:33    1364275

This Tyrone side really struggle against fast, skillful players running at them and are far too easily opened up through the middle of their back six. Kerry really destroyed them at times on Sunday and Tyrone won't win the League or SAM with their current defence.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9840 - 09/04/2013 17:48:14    1364286

Tyrone hammered Kildare in Newbridge ( took their foot off the gas in the last quarter & allowed Kildare off with just a 6 point beating).

Hard to see any much change in that form so I expect a Dublin v Tyrone Final

KELF (Kildare) - Posts: 775 - 09/04/2013 18:07:19    1364316

It seems both sets of supporters see the same weaknesses in both our sides around marking and coping with direct runners at the back. I wouldn't agree with the weaknesses that people are pointing out in the Kildare forwards. But even if Kildare do perform to the levels up front that we have in most games so far it still leaves kickouts and midfield as the key battleground and unfortunately that is not an area we've been going well in at all.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 09/04/2013 19:05:23    1364350

I would expect a Tyrone Dublin final. Tyrone with the full team out are stronger than Kildare. Both teams will want to win the League so should make for a good game.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 09/04/2013 19:35:01    1364371

I think Tyrone will win midfield , against us they were very impressive , and will cause kildare a lot of problems, It will be interesting to see what mc geeney does if kildare fall behind, he seems very slow in making decisions on the line, when things are going against him.
Having said that kildare have pulled of some good wins this year.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 09/04/2013 21:02:32    1364435