I am a realist but like to think football has some elements of purity. Surely most lovers of Gaelic football want the game to be played this way. Of course there is no prize for the defeated team. I cannot believe this game played in the right spirit by two totally committed sides has fallen off the public eye radar. Maybe it is because it was not live and Cork were expected to win at a canter. http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/eugene-mcgee-galway-a-model-for-how-football-should-be-played-29455642.html

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1973 - 30/07/2013 13:50:29    1447583

Was listening to on radio and it sounded like a good game. Strangely, Cork only seem to play effectively and excitingly when they abandon their ponderous handpassing game. As they had to when looked beaten in both their last two games. Why don't they play like that all the time!!So be interesting to see what they are like on Saturday.

Galway redeemed themselves to a large degree after the mauling by Mayo, and have enough young players to improve again.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 30/07/2013 14:33:58    1447650

Very true. Galway, Meath, Kerry and Crossmaglen Rangers are the only teams I will pay money in to watch nowadays. The rest is all robot handpassing rubbish. But the blanket defence works effectively and Cavan beating a more skillfull Armagh team was a prime example of how modern football has gone. We will have more Cavan, Monagahan, Donegals and Corks winning matches. Born with talent players such as Colm Cooper and Jamie Clarke will soon be subs as teams put 14 manufactured in gym bodybuilders back in defence to rugby league robot handpass their way to glory. The game I love has been destroyed and I vote with my feet and stay away from it.

Grey_Wolf (Leitrim) - Posts: 236 - 30/07/2013 14:38:26    1447657

Can I ask why some have put Dublin forward as the guardians of the traditional game? Surely another swipe at Kerry, who I think play a FAR more attractive game than Dublin. I like what Eamonn Fitzmaurice is doing at the moment, there was some delightful kickpassing in the Munster final. If they can sort themselves out defensively (the high ball caused them no end of trouble once Cork had a go), they could be a serious outfit.

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 30/07/2013 14:51:20    1447680

I was there and saw it, there were some good
scores, but it wasn't that great of a game,
some very sloppy defending from both teams,
and it was played at the pace of a friendly!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 30/07/2013 14:52:49    1447681

Grey wolf.

Jamie Clarke was man marked by cavan. Not crowded out.


Martin Dunne, who is far from a gym junkie and weighs about 11stone kicked 9 points.

Armagh showed no sign of being a more skilful team and were destroyed by good forwards in Cian Mackey, Eugene keating and Martin Dunne.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5246 - 30/07/2013 14:59:58    1447691

Eveyone likes to see good attractive attacking football and we all know Galway can play that style as good or better than anyone apart from maybe Kerry. But eventually a team has to start winning to make itself relevant and in fairness a young Galway team managed to get some wins under it's belt this year after the Mayo shambles. Moral victories are only tolerable in the short-term though. Galway have to kick on now next year and get back to Croke Park again and win more games. I think they'll get stronger over the next few years but they need to win games to keep making progress.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2383 - 30/07/2013 15:06:38    1447704

Grey_Wolf
County: Leitrim
Posts: 127

1447657 Very true. Galway, Meath, Kerry and Crossmaglen Rangers are the only teams I will pay money in to watch nowadays. The rest is all robot handpassing rubbish. But the blanket defence works effectively and Cavan beating a more skillfull Armagh team was a prime example of how modern football has gone. We will have more Cavan, Monagahan, Donegals and Corks winning matches. Born with talent players such as Colm Cooper and Jamie Clarke will soon be subs as teams put 14 manufactured in gym bodybuilders back in defence to rugby league robot handpass their way to glory. The game I love has been destroyed and I vote with my feet and stay away from it.

I'm fed up the clichés that permeate discussion about modern day football as exemplified above.
Cross were beaten by St. Brigids. St. Brigids were subsequently involved in a magnificent final v Ballymun in to which I was glad to pay. You applaud (correctly) Meath football whilst at the same time denigrating (unfairly) Monaghan. Monaghan convincingly beat Meath in a game of open football in this years league final. Your closing paragraph is full of clichés that I have read and heard with increasing regularity in print and broadcast media lately. You are right when you say you won't go if you think you won't like what you see. Perhaps you might, when you articulate your theories base those theories on fact rather than perception.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6178 - 30/07/2013 15:07:04    1447706

cavanman47
County: Cavan
Posts: 426

1447691 Grey wolf.

Jamie Clarke was man marked by cavan. Not crowded out.


Martin Dunne, who is far from a gym junkie and weighs about 11stone kicked 9 points.

Armagh showed no sign of being a more skilful team and were destroyed by good forwards in Cian Mackey, Eugene keating and Martin Dunne.

Well said.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6178 - 30/07/2013 15:10:13    1447712

Treaty_Exile, why would praise for Dublin be a dig at Kerry :-)

Kerry were not doing much kick passing in last ten minutes of 2011 final when they were quite prepared to handpass across the half back line - which ironically was their downfall. And Dublin would most likely have tried to kill the game in a similar fashion had the boot (pardon the pun :-) ) been on the other foot. Both teams play direct brand of football, as do Galway and Meath, in comparison to most other teams. Mayo have in their games so far but may not be as adventurous on Sunday. Then again NONE of the likely contenders will be as open with one another.

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 30/07/2013 15:10:46    1447714

Cavanman is right,Armagh were not a more skilful side than Cavan, they tried to play a more open game granted but that backfired spectacularly.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 30/07/2013 15:14:43    1447717

I wonder if Cork had taken more than one of around the 10 goal chances they created would he be still waxing lyrical about Galway's brilliant attitude. Galway were gutsy and hung in there but it was Cork's complete lack of killer instinct that made the game close. Mayo as an example took all their chances and Galway weren't getting slaps on the back then.

It's pandering rubbish like this that make you wonder about that Football Review Committee. I wonder does McGee feel as strongly about Neil Lennon who successfully beat Barcelona deploying a very defensive system or Munster Rugby who won a European Cup playing ten man rugby or would he prefer to have been playing for a bunch of players "who played the game as it was supposed to be played" but still don't win. You play for trophies, not please the neutrals.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 30/07/2013 15:16:16    1447720

Galway employed a sweeper (nuber 12)

god (Westmeath) - Posts: 90 - 30/07/2013 15:26:27    1447736

This thread shouldn't denigrate into My counties better than yours , Hogan Stand has been crying out for thoughts on how we like to see the game played , Ive been on my own county page since january pleading for fans to give expansive game a chance .
Let me lay my cards on the table , how Dublin do doesn't define me as a person , how they play doesn't define me as a person , Dublin GAA do I want them to be successful of course I do , do I want it at any cost No , If we played negative football and were successful I honestly think Id enjoy it but quickly get bored with it also , and eventually vote with my feet , my favourite other counties would be Galway ( traditionally ) Kerry and to some extent Meath ,
For some on here GAA is near soccer like a results business and anything goes , for the likes of myself who are older in the tooth Id rather win one all Ireland playing in a way fans can enjoy , playing football , rather than several but boring the pants off me while watching .
I coach kids and still believe its possible to coach the basics , get the skills right , before moving onto systems and strength and conditioning .
Thought the Mc Gee article excellent .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 30/07/2013 15:27:51    1447740

The article is nonsense. As other posters have said Galway coughed up as many goal chances as they did against Mayo. Agree about the pace of the game. There was a noticeable difference in the pace of the game and the Tyrone v Meath match. Im an out and out Galway supporter and I dont care how lovely the game was/is so long as we win.

johnterry (Galway) - Posts: 582 - 30/07/2013 15:33:16    1447748

hurlingdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 4808

1447714
Treaty_Exile, why would praise for Dublin be a dig at Kerry :-)

Kerry were not doing much kick passing in last ten minutes of 2011 final when they were quite prepared to handpass across the half back line - which ironically was their downfall. And Dublin would most likely have tried to kill the game in a similar fashion had the boot (pardon the pun :-) ) been on the other foot. Both teams play direct brand of football, as do Galway and Meath, in comparison to most other teams. Mayo have in their games so far but may not be as adventurous on Sunday. Then again NONE of the likely contenders will be as open with one another.

That's a good post. It came from Joe Brolly, so I saw it as a dig against Kerry, who I suppose are seen as the most traditional. But I take your point, and Kerry were far from traditional in what they did at the end of the 2011 final. They deserved to lose for that alone! Dublin are an attractive football team, but if they play Kerry, should they both advance, I'd fancy Kerry to win. I like what I see from Fitzmaurice, but time will tell.

Treaty_Exile (Limerick) - Posts: 386 - 30/07/2013 15:34:51    1447752

30/07/2013 14:51:20
Treaty_Exile
County: Limerick
Posts: 126

1447680
Can I ask why some have put Dublin forward as the guardians of the traditional game? Surely another swipe at Kerry, who I think play a FAR more attractive game than Dublin. I like what Eamonn Fitzmaurice is doing at the moment, there was some delightful kickpassing in the Munster final. If they can sort themselves out defensively (the high ball caused them no end of trouble once Cork had a go), they could be a serious outfit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Yes you can ask. Thats because Dublin are playing playing a very nice open brand of traditional football. We don't play a sweeper. We mark man on man. Sorry that Kerry are not been mentioned in the same vein. I know they invented Football and allow other counties every second or third year a lend of sam. But no one has nailed a declaration to a mast and said, hear ye, hear ye, Dublin are the Guardians of the traditional game.

Maybe its your Munster tinted glasses that are distorting that particular headline. And also for the record, Kerry do and always play a lovely brand of football. Its the Kerry way. Is it far more attractive than Dublin, well thats debatable? But I would be very interested to hear how 'FAR' more attractive you think it is, would you break it down for me so that I can understand? Genuine request. Thank you Sir!

bluedubstar (Dublin) - Posts: 835 - 30/07/2013 15:38:08    1447760

Lads what about his comment on the radio to Joanne Cantwell after the Cork Vs Galway game. He told her she should be at home now since it was getting late and her man would be at home expecting his tea/dinner.

ShowsFair (Fermanagh) - Posts: 292 - 30/07/2013 15:40:40    1447763

Galway were gutsy and hung in there but it was Cork's complete lack of killer instinct that made the game close

That's not quite true to be fair. Cork did have some goal chances (nowhere near 10 though and they were not all clear cut chances either) but Galway really did play the better football for long spells in the game. Cork did not even score from play for over 30 minutes at one point I think. Equally Galway had one or two half chances for goals as well and kicked 3 bad wides on the trot that would have pulled them 6 points clear before Cork scored their goal. Cork had their chances but Galway were never really just "hanging in there". They constantly took the game to Cork until they ran out of gas a little during the final 7 or 8 minutes.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2383 - 30/07/2013 15:44:21    1447767

ShowsFair
County: Fermanagh
Posts: 278

1447763
Lads what about his comment on the radio to Joanne Cantwell after the Cork Vs Galway game. He told her she should be at home now since it was getting late and her man would be at home expecting his tea/dinner.

Lol.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6178 - 30/07/2013 15:48:36    1447774