All Ireland Next Year

Carcharodon

I honestly cant looked beyond Kerry again, they won it this year with a poor enough full back line, as long as they work on this i think the forwards will be as good as ever and there seems to be a real hunger about this team.
Not sure about certain retirements either, could well be a back track on those.....

Mayo might not surface ever again...

Dublin are very average in footballing terms, not being anti Dublin but they have a long long way to go..

Armagh are fairly strong and will be hard to beat on any day...

ionapaul

And some of Kerry's minors look extremely strong (Cullan, Moran, etc...) and no doubt will be fighting their way into the senior squad over the coming year or two. If Tyrone are the spent force some seem to think they are and Dublin / Galway / Cork / Mayo don't improve hugely, I would think only Armagh can be seen as Kerry rivals next year.
I do think the current Kerry squad could win back-to-back and even more, all things going well! With regard to certain veteran players, I know if I had 4 SFC medals, I'd still want more!

The Rooster

Carcharodon wrote:

I honestly cant looked beyond Kerry again, they won it this year with a poor enough full back line, as long as they work on this i think the forwards will be as good as ever and there seems to be a real hunger about this team.
Not sure about certain retirements either, could well be a back track on those.....

Mayo might not surface ever again...

Dublin are very average in footballing terms, not being anti Dublin but they have a long long way to go..

Armagh are fairly strong and will be hard to beat on any day...

The "real hunger" you mention won't be there next year. Every year its the same, the champions just cannot re-create the hunger, because they are champions.

Now, in saying that if anyone in this day and age can win 2 in a row, it is Kerry. They can take it easy all through Munster, other than v Cork - and even losing that doesnt matter in the long run. Also if you are that much better than anyone else, the fact that you're not as hungry won't matter. and thirdly the one team they will be hungry to beat is Tyrone.

Still I choose to believe that Kerry won't be back until 2008 - (with a couple of great minors in tow!). For 2007 I think Tyrone are the team to beat. With Armagh, Dublin and Cork also in contention. Galway as a dark horse if they get their house in order. Plenty of others capable of causing an upset.

jank

Kerry again im afraid. Not much credit going to Cork though. The only side who actually put it up to kerry and beating them in the Munster Final.
This is their 2nd all ireland semi in a row. A final cant be too long away.
Tyrone will be back nbg time next year Ill be sure about that. Mayo will take too long to recover yet again.

Dublin failed to beat the only good team they faced. Either way I cant see them beating a Kerry/Armagh/Tyrone next year. I think Cork would beat them handy enough too IMO. The standard in Lenister isnt up to much. A few OK teams but no really GOOD team there.

Flukey

It is always hard to look ahead to next year on the day after an All-Ireland Final. Our thoughts are often coloured by the more recent results. Looking ahead, you can never rule out Kerry, unfortunately.

Many people were writing the obituaries of Armagh and Tyrone a few month ago. Tyrone were decimated by injuries this year, but if they are back to strength next year, they will be a force. Armagh have a some older players that may go but they still have a lot of young players on the team. With Kerry's win yesterday it extends an interesting statistic in relation to Armagh. Every year since 1999, with the exception of their win in 2002 and the 2004 championship, the team that knocked out Armagh went on to win the All-Ireland. They have been a force in recent years and they are not finished yet. Ulster will be tough in 2007 though. There are other contenders there.

If Cork can build on their progress they can challenge Kerry. Limerick don't look good now, their chance of a Munster win probably having passed, but you never know.

Mayo will be shattered now, but they have time to recover and build again. A lot of that team will be around again next year. If they can string together a few good results, instead of playing one big game a year, as they did against Dublin, they can be back. It is hard to know about Galway. They disappointed this year. Their 2007 squad will be interesting. Roscommon, Sligo and Leitrim are a bit off the big two, but you never know what could happen there

Leinster will be interesting. We've had a lot of variety there in recent years. Dublin look strongest. After Mayo's performance yesterday, people are saying it does not say much for Dublin. Mayo did play well in the semi-final, as did Dublin, so Dublin are not bad. The rest of Leinster is full of contenders. The draw there will be interesting

Inter-county football is essentially over now. The clubs will take centre stage for the coming months. It won't be long though until we are once again analysing and asking that great question beloved of GAA fans: Who is going to win the All-Ireland in September?

Waylander

Kerry will lose a couple of players to retirement and Tyrone will have allot of players back fit again. This time last year most people would have siad I cant see past Tyrone again next year. I also think Dublin will be stronger for the season they had this year, and Armagh will still be around next year too. I would not go giving titles away just yet.

Kojak

ionapaul wrote:

If Tyrone are the spent force some seem to think they are and Dublin / Galway / Cork / Mayo don't improve hugely, I would think only Armagh can be seen as Kerry rivals next year.

I really only see Tyrone as any sort of challenge to kerry next year. Tyrone seem to have one good year, then one bad year (OK there are legitimate reasons for this - Cormac McAnellan RIP in 2004 and an unusual run of injuries this year)

Kerry have Armagh's number, as can be seen from this year's quarter-final. I don't think that Armagh, despite all the hunger that they could muster, will come near Kerry again in the foreseeable future.

No matter what the majority of posters on this forum would like to believe, Dublin are not All-Ireland material, yet. Admittedly they have lorded it in Leinster, and will continue to do so IMO, as the quality of opposition is average at best. But when "push comes to shove" they are found wanting - look at how easily Mayo upset them, psychologically,in the semi-final - and will continue to be a top 4 team for the next year or two.

This defeat will destro Mayo and it will take them a long time to recover. They worked hard all year, got to the final and then sh1t themselves and got humilated (I realise these are strong words, but can anyone really "sugar-coat" yesterday's performance ).

After that what is there, really. A bunch of "middle-of-the-road" teams who might spring one surprise but with the qualifier system they will be caught again - Cork in 2002 and this year are prime examples.

At the moment, Kerry look the safe bet for Sam 2007. At the moment, that is .........

kevmy

I'm sure about Kerry winning it again that was their 3rd final in a row and 4th in 5 years with the semi against Tytrone thrown in there as well. They looked done for this year before Donaghy turned up. They will be a threat definately but might not win it.
Tyrone will be back the injuries screwed them this year. Armagh looked tired IMO but I wouldn't write them off Stevie Mc and Clarke are the second best full forward line in the country.
Mayo could be back we're almost used of defeats and if they had a couple of good games. Galway's U21 might finally come through and if they beat Mayo and get a nice QF draw they would be a threat.
Dublin won't win it and could lose Leinster due to how weak the province is including them (Longford and Louth as suprise packets there).
Cork will come again but not sure have they the overall quality in their players.

IMO Tyrone Kerry Mayo and Cork in the semis after that it woould dcepend on the draw.

UnitedIrishman

Trying not to go on knee jerk reactions..

Tyrone will be up there again next year. A good time off this year will help them recover. They've a few coming through I'd imagine like all Tyrone sides. Armagh in my eyes are creaking. They have some superb talent but they are getting older. The legs might not be there next year.

Kerry are favourites no doubt. They'll win it again next year in my opinion. Just too strong all over the pitch, so many options aswell. It's not many sides that can have Darren O'Sullivan, Brian Sheehan, Eoin Brosnan and Eamonn Fitzmaurice on the bench. Cork might give them a run for their money in Munster, but can't really see them being challengers

Dublin should walk through Leinster. But that's not much of a gauge of All-Ireland chances. No real opposition in the province. They really need Meath, Laois, Offaly to step up and give them some competition.

Mayo won't be back next year. I can see us winning Connacht again, but only because Galway aren't in great shape at the moment. Roscommon are in a building phase starting with the minors of last year. So it'll be a while before the talent really starts coming through.

Order of merit: Kerry; Tyrone; Dublin; Donegal.

ardmacha

Well if you look at the bookies, Paddypower and Boylesports make Kerry strong favourites with Armagh, Dublin and Tyrone in the next group. PP think Tyrone are the best of these, while BS think Armagh is.

Donaghy gives Kerry a lot extra, neither Tyrone nor Armagh have introduced a new player of that calibre. But the reigning champions do lose an edge and while the new Kerry was clearly best in 2006, they could be beaten if not firing on all cylinders. Kernan would be happy if there was a widespread view that Kerry had Armagh's number, as stated above. However Kerry would be strongly motivated to beat Tyrone. It's hard to say at this stage, but I'd favour Tyrone/Armagh to beat Mayo or even Dublin.

blackbelt

If push comes to shove,I think Kerry will win...and God knows I am sick of hearing it.The contenders in my opinion will be Cork,Mayo,Dublin and Fermanagh...yes Fermanagh.Cork because they were the only team to beat Kerry.Dublin because they shoule win Leinster hands down and are a great team always improving.Mayo because you can't write off Mayo for the sake of the final and Fermanagh because they have played good football this year in the championship.They are a team I would be weary of with their style of play and I believe they could be a surprise package.

AthAnRi

blackbelt wrote:

If push comes to shove,I think Kerry will win...and God knows I am sick of hearing it.The contenders in my opinion will be Cork,Mayo,Dublin and Fermanagh...yes Fermanagh.Cork because they were the only team to beat Kerry.Dublin because they shoule win Leinster hands down and are a great team always improving.Mayo because you can't write off Mayo for the sake of the final and Fermanagh because they have played good football this year in the championship.They are a team I would be weary of with their style of play and I believe they could be a surprise package.

I don't know bud I think Sunday was abut Haymaking blow directly to the Gut of Mayo football. A lot of their Senior players could easily call it a day. McDonald, O'Neill and Nallen for example.

Can't see Kerry winning it next year. I'd go for Tyrone, Armagh or Cork.

Culchie

Well, I feel able to post something now, still sore and down, but feel the need to say something.:(

Mayo got to this years All-Ireland Final on merit, as they did in 2004, 1997 and 1996.

Yes we haven't won, but that doesn't cancel out the fact that they got there in the first place.
If you throw enough shyte at the wall, once in a while it will stick. You can't win All-Ireland Finals without being in them in the first place.

One other thing... and no-one has said this yet.....

The Mayo team is extremely young, with great Under 21's ... the best in the country at the moment.
This team isn't 'destroyed' ... the guys that are retiring occupied the positions that any Mayo supporter would have told you are our weak positions ... especially Heaney (my all time favourite player for Mayo) Full Back, which is critical, especially against Bomber.
Nallen, what a servant ...but passed his best.

The team will improve, it might take a year or two, but not any longer. the league will be important for us to blood players, and find a full back and other replacements for retiring positions.

Yes we were poor on Sunday, yes we are hurting, but just like Kerry's tradition is to win Sam Maguire every couple of years, Mayo's tradition is to dust themselves down, and get back on the horse and try again.
That, my friends, takes character

You don't change from being the victors of 'the greatest football match ever seen' to 'has-beens' in the space of 3 weeks.


We'll be back.

kevmy

Remember people in the last five years (2002 - 2006) only four teams have been in the AI final Kerry, Armagh, Tyrone and MAYO. The other three have won there all irelands and still aren't been written off as much as this Mayo team. If Mayo are such a bad team then what in the name of God is the rest of the country doing. We will win one soon people keep the faith.