Footballer of the Year?

The Gooch,Brogan are both 7/1 to win footballer of the year, Stephen Cluxton only 9/2 now plenty of cash placed on him the last week.

Keith Higgins was Mayos best player if Mayo won last weekend he would have won player of the year IMO. Seamus O'Shea was also better than his brother in the Connacht games, Alan Freeman had is best year since 2010 and proved a lot of his critics wrong.

Gerry91 wrote: »

Keane to be fair I'm a great fan of your posts and think you have a cracking knowledge on the game!

Terrible a possible understatement? Thought lee did a great job, turned over plenty of possession played two positions very well! (As in he had to do the half forwards job too)

Not his biggest fan. Not going to go into details as to why, but I was really impressed with him this year. Not the most skillful of players but thought he played his heart out in final

Def respect your opinion though and it is definitely interesting

Boyle though= my poy. Agree mcauley is a super effective player although while anonymous is harsh thought he was "ineffective" in the final

Thanks for the kind words Gerry.

Whether terrible is an exaggeration or not depends on the standards you're judging by of course. Maybe it's a reaction to what I would consider hugely overblown praise for him and I've gone too far the other way.

Either way, I think if you tot up his contribution in the final I think it was negative overall, and I don't think it's very close either. His two points as I said are a big positive but some of the rest of what he did was very bad, between the shot dropped short, his poor defensive play and especially as I mentioned some of the absolutely braindead fouls he gave away.

Don't get me wrong either as I think he's a good player and has had a fine year, but I don't buy that he's been superb or is POTY material at all - people praising his final performance baffles me.

Gerry91 wrote: »

Ps Keane I think Flynn is second best player in country after the Gooch.

Gooch the best player I've ever seen and I've watched that 97 final religiously on cassette of all things- Maurice fitz a beaut but JUST below coopers level IMO

Paul Flynn is my favourite footballer in the country and has been for a few years at this stage. He is just incredible, and the hipster in me loves that a lot of people don't even realise how good he is! I watched the AIQF between Dublin & Laois from Hill 16 last year and found myself laughing at how amidst all the passionate cheering and jeering, almost nothing positive or negative was said about Flynn even though he pretty much won the game on his own.

That's probably typical of sports fans everywhere I suppose, it's hard to notice just how good the link men like Flynn are, much easier to get excited about the guy finishing the moves or getting the last ditch blocks in, but IMO there is no better player in the country than Paul Flynn these last three years.

Gerry91 wrote: »

Sorry Keane just one Q

Out if curiosity who do you reckon was our best player this year?

I think Boyle IMO but it be interested in your opinion

Ps- anyone can feel free answer it's a fascinating question IMO

Donal Vaughan for me by a short head from Higgins. It would almost certainly be Higgins if he played the full year at centre forward. He is one of Mayo's genuinely top class individuals.

In general I think the Mayo team is full of very good players, but are a "greater than the sum of their parts" kind of outfit. I think a lot of their players would be in the top 10 in the country in their positions, but few if any are in the top one or two. Keith Higgins is an exception there, as I'd rate him as good as anyone as a corner back and he looked damn good as a CHF as well.

I agree with the pundits who say Mayo don't have a marquee forward because I don't think Cillian O'Connor is quite at that level although he's getting there, I disagree that they need one to win an All Ireland though.

McCauley,Cluxton & Keegan are the nominees according to rte, McCauley has got to be the unbackable favourite now I would guess.

I dont think any football fan would deny Cluxton the award. Personally I think he was the main reason for Dublins 2 recent All Ireland wins.

corny wrote: »

I think its more en vogue these days to say Paul Flynn in underrated. He's really not, at least not by anyone with a brain. The man has NO weaknesses to his game.

It also didn't go unnoticed, at least in the circles i mix, that he was the only player who turned up for us in 2012.

Yeah I don't know what's going on in this thread. Everyone heaping praise on Paul Flynn who is already very highly rated and rightly so. He mightn't get as much notice as Cluxton or Brogan but he certainly isn't flying under the radar by any means!

Love to see Lee Keegan win it but expect MDMA to win it although some SINDO journalist put forward a very compelling for Cluxton last Sunday,can't recall his name.Seriously has there ever been a better goalkeeper than Cluxton,without equal?!

Cluxton had a poor year overall from kick-outs and was caught for a few cheap goals. Excellent free-taker and one of Dublin's most important players but the mind boggles why he'd be nominated for PotY above a Colm Boyle or even a Bernard Brogan who put Dublin on his back in the business end of the season.

jive wrote: »

There's definitely better goalkeepers in my opinion, haven't seen a better kicker from placed ball though in my lifetime.

Kickouts yes, but from frees Bryan Sheehan and Maurice Fitzgerald have been better.

seligehgit wrote: »

Might as well throw in Colin Corkery and Larry Tompkins.

Tomkins was average enough if talkin top free taker Sheehan n Firzgerald had it at an extremely high level Alot o Tomkins frees dropped short was common enough to see him do that in games Think its really just Sheehan n Fitzgerald vying for best ever with Fitzgerald been able to cover each side of pitch as he could kick left footed Likely Fitzgerald more accurate But Sheehan is something else on 45s Missed one against Mayo in League last year but was at end extra time

davegrohl48 wrote: »

Kickouts yes, but from frees Bryan Sheehan and Maurice Fitzgerald have been better.

Even though his form has not been great lately Sheehan has the ability to kick some monsters

Like thses two

davegrohl48 wrote: »

Tomkins was average enough if talkin top free taker Sheehan n Firzgerald had it at an extremely high level Alot o Tomkins frees dropped short was common enough to see him do that in games Think its really just Sheehan n Fitzgerald vying for best ever with Fitzgerald been able to cover each side of pitch as he could kick left footed Likely Fitzgerald more accurate But Sheehan is something else on 45s Missed one against Mayo in League last year but was at end extra time

Ja Fallon :D

Just want to ask something here about MDMA. Is his winning of Footballer of the year a sign of how much Gaelic football has changed?

He is more of a workhorse than a finesse footballer. There are far superior footballers in the country to MDMA but his workrate and tenaciousness meant he stood out this year. For example winning the breaking ball for McMenamins goal V Kerry.

Just my opinion and wondered what others think?

I agree Seamie should have got it as he was more consistent. Aidan went AWOL in the All Ireland final.

I get what your saying but for me the footballer of the year should be a finesse footballer. Maybe I am old fashioned in my thinking but the gooch V dublin in the 1st half could have got Footballer of the year for that performance alone.

Nialler15 wrote: »

I agree Seamie should have got it as he was more consistent. Aidan went AWOL in the All Ireland final.

I get what your saying but for me the footballer of the year should be a finesse footballer. Maybe I am old fashioned in my thinking but the gooch V dublin in the 1st half could have got Footballer of the year for that performance alone.

Am I right in saying the Inter County players picked the Player and Young Player of the Years as opposed to the Journalists with the All Stars?

Just makes it interesting as I think you need to respect fellow player verdicts than journalists.