[keane2097]

Originally Posted by hisholinessnb

Any county team getting another high quality forward would be improved no doubt, but I can't see how this can happen.

Regarding the game last year, it was as close as can be. Although I would like to see if it would have been so close had Dublin not unfairly been reduced to 14 men.

I certainly would not be taking Kildare for granted next year, with or without Johnson.

Its all ifs ans pots and pans.

Meh, I wouldn't be complaining about poor refereeing decisions in that game if I were a Dublin fan tbh.

[keane2097]

Originally Posted by hisholinessnb

You have posted one Dublin fans opinion on Kerry.
I was arguing against the point that you made saying Dublin fans (indicating a general perception as opposed to one persons view) think the team have "accelerated away out of sight from every teams they can easily be seen to have been lucky to beat last year".

This is simply not true. There may be a handful with this opinion, as there would in any country who just won the All Ireland, but that's it.

I would suspect Blackbelt's views are a fair reflection of a great many others'.

You can take it as a given that nobody ever means every single individual with any statement, usually that doesn't need to be explained to non-pedants.

[hisholinessnb]

Originally Posted by keane2097

Meh, I wouldn't be complaining about poor refereeing decisions in that game if I were a Dublin fan tbh.

This decision dramatically changed the game, as soon as it happened Kildare began to control the game.

[hisholinessnb]

Originally Posted by keane2097

I would suspect Blackbelt's views are a fair reflection of a great many others'.

Suspect all you want, or on the other hand try talking to Dublin fans on this topic and get this ACTUAL opinion rather than the opinion you would like to believe is true.
As a Dublin fan who has spoken to a great many other Dublin fans, I can assure you we do not think like you would like us to

[premierstone]

Originally Posted by hisholinessnb

Any county team getting another high quality forward would be improved no doubt, but I can't see how this can happen.

Regarding the game last year, it was as close as can be. Although I would like to see if it would have been so close had Dublin not unfairly been reduced to 14 men.

I certainly would not be taking Kildare for granted next year, with or without Johnson.

Its all ifs ans pots and pans.

Off course it can happen, same way as the Dublin hurlers have bolstered their panel with players from Limerick, Galway and Tipp.

Dublin were reduced to 14 men yes, cos O'Gara ran around trying to hide the fact he cant play football by acting like a bull in a china shop and then the referee proceeded to give free after free to Dublin for absolutely nothing, the one in injury time really taking the biscuit.

[keane2097]

Originally Posted by hisholinessnb

This decision dramatically changed the game, as soon as it happened Kildare began to control the game.

Yeah the game flow did change as soon as the red card happened, but Kildare had been finishing strongly in all their games, you could easily argue that the O'Gara red just saw them gain the ascendancy a slightly earlier than they otherwise would have.

[premierstone]

Originally Posted by hisholinessnb

This is simply not true. There may be a handful with this opinion, as there would in any country who just won the All Ireland, but that's it.

I actually heard Argentina have a new full forward and he's the dogs boll*cks

[hisholinessnb]

Christ, lets just agree to disagree on this one boys

[blackbelt]

Originally Posted by keane2097

They were a kick of a ball away from winning a Leinster last year and he's a serious footballer.

Dublin fans seem to think they've accelerated away out of sight from every teams they can easily be seen to have been lucky to beat last year, but there's not much at all between them and Kildare.

No they weren't a kick of a ball away.Who is to say that if Kildare had beaten Dublin that they would have got past Wexford? Johnston is a good player but I don't think he is that good to the degree in which he would be a catalyst for Kildare winning a Leinster.

I'm not saying Dublin have ascended past every team out of sight but the smart money is on Dublin retaining Leinster at the very least.Our defense is better and our forwards are certainly better (minus O Gara granted). His sending off gave Kildare an extra man to be more attacked minded and they still couldn't win.

As for the Wexford game, an All Ireland winning team may have a bad performance to give them the kick up the arse they need to perform better and beat big teams. Dublin got the rub of the green but I certainly think we are well ahead of Wexford with Kildare very close to Dublin but the fact remains that Kildare have failed to beat a 14 man Dublin team on 2 occasions within the last 3 years.

[keane2097]

What would you expect the handicap on a Dublin Kildare game to be if they were going out to play a Championship match in the morning? If you want to give me Kildare with a four point start I'll happily empty the clip if they meet at any stage of the Championship without extraordinary team news.

That's if you think there's more than the kick of a ball between Kildare and Dublin.

In the likely event that you're sensible, and don't think there's more than the kick of a ball between them, I'm simply saying Sean Johnson is a pretty good man to kick a ball, and replacing your worst forward with what would be close to (if not comfortably) their best forward (assuming Doyle stays at midfield) would be a hell of a bump to the level their forwards are at.

This is before mentioning the two All Stars they're also adding to their ranks for the coming season.

So yeah, IMO Dublin are probably ~1 - 1.5 points better than Kildare at the moment, I figure Johnson would reel that in.

If you beat Dublin, you must be odds on to win Leinster, so there it is.

[qwerty93]

Being a Kildare man I would like to think we are as good as Dublin, but even at full strength Dublin will have the psychological edge winning tight games regularly last year while Kildare always manage to fall at the last hurdle i.e Donegal, Dublin X2, Down and Tyrone the previous year. All the same things are looking brighter for next season with peter kelly in to reinforce a now excellent backline, mickey conway at wing back or even wing foward will have a huge impact, while the collosus that is Dermot Early will have a huge role to play even if its only as an impact sub. Daryll Flynn has matured magnificently I believe hes one of the top 5 midfielders in the country while Eamon Callaghan will be able to fill John Doyles boots to a large extent when he retires... Cill Dara Abu!

[klairondavis]

Complete non-story. Who fuels these stories and more fool people who fall for them during this silly season.

Kildare have good young forward talent coming through in the likes of Fogarty, Hurley, Dowling, Mulhall and Eaton. Far better off giving one or two of these lads a run during the league than moving heaven and earth trying to get a mercenary in who could be off again within 12 months. The likes of Fogarty and Dowling should be key forwards for Kildare for the next decade.

Kildare should have a more potent forward line in 2013 with Doyle moved back up the field and hopefully a fully fit Conway on the forty.

[keane2097]

Big negative for Kildare is Mick Foley being away till March. He was imperious all year and you could see McGeeney not picking him out of principle when he gets home.

[klairondavis]

Mick is back in January no?

The break will do him the power of good. He has put his body through a lot to line out all season for both club and county. His career has been blighted by injuries.I'd say that if Athy beat Garrycastle then they'll fly him home for the Leinster Final like Ballymore did with Kavanagh in the intermediate last year.

Mick being away will at least ensure that Peter Kelly will get plenty of football which should make his reintroduction into the team a bit easier.

[keane2097]

No he's not back till March besides possibly for that club game.

McGeeny has already told him he'll struggle to get back in if you google for quotes.