Up for discussion: The All-Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Donegal, the tactics and the upcoming All-Ireland SFC semi-final between Kerry and Dublin.
Chatting were: John Fogarty, Tony Leen, Brendan O’Brien, Trevor Giles, Dick Clerkin and Terry Reilly.
TERRY REILLY (Irish Examiner assistant sports editor): Dick wanted to get your view first. Yesterday was an evolution of the Ulster football methods on the big stage and it didn’t sit well with a lot of people. Where do you stand, puke football or a results-driven business?
DICK CLERKIN (Irish Examiner columnist and Monaghan midfielder): Well firstly, I think commentators need to make a distinction between the style of football Armagh, Tyrone et al have played over the past number of years, and what Donegal have produced this year. It is unfair to be tarring everybody with the same brush! To me there is no comparison.
TONY LEEN (Irish Examiner sports editor): I agree. Don’t throw Kernan and Harte in with that tactical abomination yesterday. It’d make it easier if Jimmy McGuinness had horns and a tail but the truth is that Donegal 2011 represent anti-football.
JOHN FOGARTY (Irish Examiner GAA correspondent): What’s being ignored by almost everyone is that this is Jim McGuinness’ first year. Donegal’s style is actually still in its infancy, as effective as it was. Building from the back is the priority of all managers in their first season. They have to evolve, there’s no doubt about that, but McGuinness’ priority was first making them hard to beat. There’s a bandwagon being jumped on here by some people. What Tony Davis said about an obligation to the spirit of the game and Donegal players not enjoying themselves this year was downright ridiculous. Massive over-reaction.
TREVOR GILES (Irish Examiner columnist and former Meath player): I would see their style as a challenge to an intelligent forward, football brains will unlock that defence: the Gooch, Ciaran McDonald, Marty Clarke...
BRENDAN O’BRIEN (Irish Examiner staff writer): I agree Donegal will evolve but McGuinness has a serious bunch of players there, front and back, that would be the envy of many a county and he arguably reined in the abilities of some of them with the way he laid out his team and tactics.
TERRY REILLY: A lot of people are getting carried away. It’s an amateur game playing within the rules of that game. Nothing wrong it, the rules are the problem if anything. There were 28 counties looking at that yesterday wishing they’d gone down that route this year.
TREVOR GILES: Jim McGuinness is a clever man, he will realise six points is not enough to beat the big teams and will tweak his style for next season, my main issue would be why he left it till the last ten minutes to put Murphy at full forward.
JOHN FOGARTY: We saw cynicism from both sides yesterday but Donegal disappointed as regards feigning injuries and time wasting. Barry Cahill was fortunate to remain on the field after his late tackle on Karl Lacey.
DICK CLERKIN: As the saying goes, ‘Don’t blame the player, blame the game’. Donegal have exposed many flaws in our game not only from a technical point of view but also the competition structure.
TERRY REILLY: And there’s no onus on them to entertain, this is their hobby not their livelihood
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: The same would apply if it was their livelihood. Moreso maybe.
TERRY REILLY: Not particularly because if it was their livelihood they’d have to entertain to draw the crowds in. They can play in front of 20 people, as they do most of the time with their clubs, and it makes no difference.
TONY LEEN: Do you not see the end game here? If that Donegal style is “successful”, then 25 other counties will consider employing it. We will end up with regular 0-8 to 0-6 games. What represents "evolution" from 14 men behind the ball and leaving Murphy thrashing around midfield and McFadden hopelessly outnumbered up front. Jimmy speaks of “better conditioning”. He has decided that Donegal have been entertaining long enough.
JOHN FOGARTY: The essential point here is that it’s a flawed system. Ultimately, it hasn’t been successful. It’s not enough to win the games that matter. Donegal know, McGuinness knows, they have to add more to their game.
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: 20,000 Donegal people didn’t care how they played yesterday. They just wanted to win and accepted McGuinness’ stance that this was the best way to do it. Shades of Big Jack, the Green Army and the neanderthal football that took us to Germany, Italy and the USA.
TERRY REILLY: Coming from a county that is obsessed by football and hasn’t won a title in 60 years I’d take it any day of the week. I wish we developed a style to win games 0-1 to 0-0 all the way to Sam Maguire.
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: ‘Boring, boring Mayo’. I can hear the chant now!
TERRY REILLY: I wish we were boring!
TREVOR GILES: In terms of the “good of the game” I would have far more issues with Marty Boyle’s carry on than Jim McGuinness’ tactics.
JOHN FOGARTY: It was unsightly what Boyle did but Connolly raised his hand to Boyle’s face. That’s looks like that for him.
DICK CLERKIN: Listen he lay down, plain and simple, but Connolly was naive. You just can’t lift your hand to anothers players face. End of!
JOHN FOGARTY: Martin McHugh on Morning Ireland suggested there might have to be a rule change about keeping at least four players in the opponents’ half at all times. Not a bad idea.
TERRY REILLY: Basketball has the right model, you’ve a time period to get the ball out of your half. That would be easy to apply for referees who are over burdened as it is.
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: I can see where McHugh is coming from but what’s next, no playing the ball ‘backcourt’? I think everyone is getting a bit hot under the collar here. Sports evolve. There is always a new formation or tactical innovation around the corner. That’s the beauty of it.
TERRY REILLY: Every ball game in the world revolves around defending in numbers and breaking when their opponents are disorganised in defence. This is the evolution of the sport but we all want to see the free-flowing football of the late 90s and 00s when it was at its best. The rules must change.
DICK CLERKIN: I would love to see a team go out and play 14 attackers against a system like Donegal's. Play the game in their half and see what happens! Three big men on the square and let in early and fight for breaks. Dublin didn’t help things yesterday by their non committal to pushing forward in opening exchanges. And what about the hand-pass rule, that has certainly gone of the radar?
JOHN FOGARTY: Dublin were making the silliest of mistakes, unforced too, in the first half. They contributed to the malaise before they wore down Donegal, or should that be Donegal wore themselves down.
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: Can’t believe no-one has mentioned Kerry yet.
TONY LEEN: How will Dublin’s back six pair off with Kerry’s forwards in the final?
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: And there we go...
TERRY REILLY: It won’t be Dublin’s six based on yesterday, more like eight.
JOHN FOGARTY: O’Carroll’s fitness is huge. We can talk about Paul Flynn’s shortly but O’Carroll is a leader back there. They need him and Cian O’Sullivan has to be utilised better. Too good a footballer to be one of the free men back there yesterday.
JOHN FOGARTY: Stephen Cluxton’s kick outs were targeted by Kerry two years ago with a great deal of success. I don’t think they’re as important two years on. He’s been kicking short as much as he’s been punting long this year.
TONY LEEN: From Kerry’s point of view I can see the match ups already defensively: Marc picks up Bernard Brogan, Tomás gets Cullen, Brosnan has the physique for Cahill. Tom Sullivan on McManamon. Alan Brogan will be picked up by either Tom Sullivan or Killian Young. But I still think Shane Enright has a chance of starting.
JOHN FOGARTY: Tom O’Sullivan ate Bernard Brogan alive two years ago. Marc Ó Sé took him for the league game and did a fantastic job apart from the late score. Who marks Darran O’Sullivan and Colm Cooper just as important? For me, it’s Kevin Nolan and Cian O’Sullivan respectively.
DICK CLERKIN: Paul Flynn and O’Carroll will be huge losses for Dublin if unavailable, also Connolly will be suspended. That is one of the benefits Kerry have had for having a relatively handy run to the final, didn’t pick up many injuries or suspensions. Could have a major say.
TREVOR GILES: Dublin physios have done a good job on Bernard Brogan’s hamstring so with three weeks to the final I don’t expect Flynn or O’Carroll to be missing.
JOHN FOGARTY: Flynn is made for the breaking ball and tight exchanges around the centre. Not his greatest game yesterday but has a huge year. Wouldn’t be surprised if he headed for some cryotherapy yesterday evening.
DICK CLERKIN: That is why, for me, Paul Galvin has to start as he is crucial in that regard.
TONY LEEN: There’s a case to be made that Kerry will get the best out of Donncha Walsh if he starts and Galvin if he comes on. You’re not guaranteed optimum output if it’s the other way around
JOHN FOGARTY: It’s a moot point — Galvin showed enough last day out to start. He’d get such a kick from facing them. I don’t see Cullen on Tomás. Cian O’Sullivan is the man to attempt to mark Gooch anyway. Nolan is more athletic than McCarthy and a better tackler.
TREVOR GILES: Would James McCarthy not have more pace than Nolan for marking Darran? Dublin have no defender that will hold the Gooch if he is on his game.
JOHN FOGARTY: I think Dublin will aim to run at Tomás. He’s been superb the last couple of games but getting him on the backfoot when he offers so much going forward would be a major psychological factor.
TONY LEEN: Remember, it’s the defending side that dictates the match ups — and Jack O’Connor and his management has been masterful at that in previous finals.
JOHN FOGARTY: When it comes to a player of Ó Sé calibre an exception has to be made. Tony, you’ve made the point that both teams are coming into the final almost perfectly — but who shades it?
TONY LEEN: If Dublin can hold their nerve for 55 minutes, they may have too much power, athleticism and age on their side in the last 15 minutes for Kerry.
TREVOR GILES: I don’t think Kerry are coming into the final perfectly, haven’t been tested enough for my liking, Dublin need to play very high tempo game for 75 minutes to find out if Kerry have the legs.
TONY LEEN: That depends on who starts. I’m still not certain the same six backs that started the semi will start the final.
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: Dublin have the ideal run-in — so-so in Leinster, superb against Tyrone and gritty against Donegal. Kerry are going in relatively cold and without being seriously tested down the stretch since the Munster final. That’s got to count for something.
TREVOR GILES: Looking to recent years the All-Ireland winners have made a big statement in the quarter-final. Kerry a few years back against Armagh and also against Dublin, and Tyrone also against Dublin, this year it was Dublin who made the big statement.
TERRY REILLY: Can’t believe I’m hearing this. A hint that Dublin as favourites? Ah God. This is simple. Dublin Have a huge test to be able to keep the level of ferocity needed to keep that Kerry attack quiet for 70 minutes. Kerry all the way.
DICK CLERKIN: I reckon Kerry will do the same as in 2009, full court press on midfield and get ball into forwards early, don’t allow Dublin to win kickouts and put pressure on Kerry backs. I suppose the opposite to what we saw yesterday!
TERRY REILLY: Right lads, last call, everyone nail your colours to the mast and pick a winner.
DICK CLERKIN: Kerry by three.
JOHN FOGARTY: Said Kerry at the start of the championship. We shall see.
TONY LEEN: Dublin by a point
DICK CLERKIN: Bluffer Leen!
TONY LEEN: Can a man not make an honest prediction in these cynical times.... What about fence sitter Fogarty?
JOHN FOGARTY: Got to keep something for Saturday fortnight’s edition.
BRENDAN O’BRIEN: Kerry’s forwards to get them over the line.
TREVOR GILES: Is it true that a Kerry number 13 has never lifted sam? Kerry by two.
What do you think? Leave a comment
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/X-AF-Le6Vp0/post.aspx
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