Dublin team to play Offaly announced!

One Cold Hand

from Hill16.ie

I mean really, what the point in announcing it so early!

The only change is positional, swapping Mossie and Vaughan. Surely Pillar is having a look at Connolly and Mossie? Although I always felt Mossie is more effective in the corner....

cruiserweight

Both teams have been announced

Dublin (SF v OFFALY): S Cluxton, D Henry, R McConnell, P Griffin, P Casey, B Cullen, B Cahill, C Whelan, S Ryan, C Moran, M Vaughan, D Connolly, A Brogan, C Keaney, T Quinn.

Offaly (SF v Dublin): P Kelly, G Rafferty, J Quinn, J Keane, P McConway, S Brady, K Slattery, A McNamee, N Smith, N Coughlan, P Kelleghan, C McManus, T Deehan, PJ Ward, N McNamee

The Rooster

One Cold Hand wrote:

from Hill16.ie

I mean really, what the point in announcing it so early!

The point is it gets the media off his back for the rest of the week re questioning when the starting line-up will be announced.

However, Caffrey almost always picks the team that started the last game - but that does not mean that team will actually start this time. Jason Sherlock will definitely start against Offaly - unless he has a reaction to his substitute appearance on Sunday. Henry and Cullen are both nursing knocks - it wouldnt be altogether surprising if one or both are held in reserve. I wouldnt be surprised if Ray Cosgrove starts too.

Killme00

I paid particular attention to the heights and weights of the team last week against Meath. Does anyone else think we (the Dubs) need a monster in the back line. I think a monster at full back would give more structure to our defense and protect us from impending doom with the height and power of Tyrone and Kerry.

I also think we need more speed in the midfield but that wont change until the management and the media get over their love for Ciaran (i go missing for 30 mins) Whelan. Dont get me wrong i am hugely impressed by the passing and kicking game that Dublin play but i think more mobility from the half backs and midfield will give us more protection going back and more options going forward.

As for the forwards i like the idea of Vaughan and Keaney at half forward and Jayo/Cosgrave and Brogan in the corners. i think we are missing a presence at full forward which would add a lot to our game.

Oh and pls keep bringing through the U21s and minors.

And one more thing get the selectors to take their blinkers off and look at the intermediate championship too(like in other counties). There are alot of talented players who would fight for every ball and run for every minute and again give the manager more options.

The Rooster

Killme00 wrote:

I paid particular attention to the heights and weights of the team last week against Meath. Does anyone else think we (the Dubs) need a monster in the back line. I think a monster at full back would give more structure to our defense and protect us from impending doom with the height and power of Tyrone and Kerry. .

Did you not notice Ross McConnell playing there recently? 6'3 and nearly 15 stone. Maybe not quite a monster, but still big and has mobility.

Killme00 wrote:

I also think we need more speed in the midfield but that wont change until the management and the media get over their love for Ciaran (i go missing for 30 mins) Whelan.

If you think Ciaran Whelan is currently not one of the best two midfielders available to Dublin, then you know diddly.

Killme00

The Rooster wrote:

Did you not notice Ross McConnell playing there recently? 6'3 and nearly 15 stone. Maybe not quite a monster, but still big and has mobility..

Yes but i want him to show presence and when the opposition full forward catches a high ball, i want to see him blocked off or challenged for the high ball.

The Rooster wrote:

If you think Ciaran Whelan is currently not one of the best two midfielders available to Dublin, then you know diddly.

I didnt say he isnt one of the two best available..i said we need more speed and mobility. We might find that by looking at other options in the midfield. Maybe from other Dublin SF teams or intermediate teams. Also if one of the two best midfielders available to Dublin has a propensity to go on the missing list for half an hour at a time, then we need to make a change. In all my time watching Dublin i have never seen Whelan dominate a midfield and i dont know why. He is big enough and strong enough and certainly shows at times that he is good enough but he doesnt do it enough.

blackbelt

Whelo might go quiet for 10-15mins in accordance with Dublins lag period but 30mins is an exaggeration in my opinion.Shane Ryan is not fit enough to go a whole 70+ minutes in my opinion.At the 50th minute,you could tell he was running out of steam in the Meath game.

There are even some players on the Dublin Junior team who could possibly stake a claim on the senior scene.Ciaran Farrelly from Craobh Ciarain (if I remember correctly) looks like a man who could fit nicely in the full forward line where Jayo usual position.I remember playing against him in my younger days and he is very crafty.He's around 6'2 and fairly built.He is a hurling man as well so he could get a look-in in both codes.

One Cold Hand

Killme00 wrote:

In all my time watching Dublin i have never seen Whelan dominate a midfield and i dont know why. He is big enough and strong enough and certainly shows at times that he is good enough but he doesnt do it enough.

Did you even watch the Meath replay? Whelan was the most dominant midfielder for the whole match apart from a short period in the second half when Crawford got some good ball. As regards mobility, Shane Ryan is Action Man personified and I thought he was very good last sunday, won a lot of breaking and showed a real hunger. Maybe you could name someone that would provide more 'speed and mobility'? Whelan isn't there for his speed and mobility, he's there to win / break kick outs and high balls.

As regards a full back, McConnell hasn't really done much wrong as far as I'm concerned. Kept Sheridan quiet in both games and Farrell was always going to be handful in the second game, but he did okay on him. Again if you can think of someone who would do better maybe name them?

Killme00

blackbelt wrote:

.He is a hurling man as well so he could get a look-in in both codes.

We both know this is impossible...the powers that be gave Keaney the choice of the two but not the option of both. Same for most of the underage players now..my brother is an outstanding hurler for Ciarans but was told to choose between hurling and gaelic.

The Rooster

Killme00 wrote:

In all my time watching Dublin i have never seen Whelan dominate a midfield and i dont know why. He is big enough and strong enough and certainly shows at times that he is good enough but he doesnt do it enough.

Thats fine if you want to fall into the media hype about Whelan.

No midfielder dominates for 70 minutes at decent intercounty level. But Whelan has been consistently good for Dublin in championship games under Caffrey, with the exception of the Mayo game, where a bad head injury that required stitiches probably played a part. Whelan proved beyond a shadow of a doubt in 2005 and 2006 that he was the best midfielder in Leinster, twice in a row now he's eclipsed Garvan and Clancy comprehensively (after Clancy had dominated in the previous year). Perhaps Ward is a challenger for that mantle now, although he hasnt got the creative talents Whelan has - he'd never get a point in the way Whelan did in the replay - bursting through challenges and driving it over the bar. Ward and Crawford won the midfield battle in the first Dublin-Meath match this year, mainly because Ward destroyed Magee (Whelan got the better of Crawford as he always does). Whelan-Ryan were the clear victors on Sunday, though the Meath midfield did have their good spell for 20 minutes in the middle of the second half.

I remember in 2005 Whelan played an absolute blinder in the first half v Tyrone, not giving Sean Cavanaugh a kick. In the second half Cavanuagh was moved to half forward and Tyrone brought in a plan to try and force Whelan out to the wings. Joe McMahon stuck on him like glue for the 35 minutes. Enda McGinley doubled up on him for all kick-outs. Tyrone won midfield hands down in that second half. Whelan was accused of disappearing, despite getting little help from his teammates. No mention of Cavanagh disappearing in the first half.

Then in the replay Whelan dominated the midfield battle in the second half, we finally came to grips with the Tyrone tactics, and Whelan won ball after ball after ball as Dublin clawed their way back into the game. Again, no mention of the Tyrone midfielders disappearing - thats just a mantle reserved for Whelo.

Whelan is getting beyond his best now, and he's very likely to retire when Dublin exit. When he's gone we'll realise how much we relied on him.

Zzippy

Why oh why is Connolly still in the team? He's had 2 poor games in a row. And Cosgrove hasn't done it for the Dubs since 2002, he shouldn't be first choice substitute. Give Bernard Brogan a run, and hopefully Jayo will be fit enough to get to the pace of the game, think he struggled a bit with that when he came on the last day.
What about bringing O'Shaughnessy in for Casey? Bray fairly roasted him on Sunday.....

blackbelt

Killme00 wrote:

We both know this is impossible...the powers that be gave Keaney the choice of the two but not the option of both. Same for most of the underage players now..my brother is an outstanding hurler for Ciarans but was told to choose between hurling and gaelic.

But is it the case here in Dublin that management,the County Boards and the clubs want players to be either footballers or hurlers when it comes to intercounty squads?Shane Ryan,Keaney and O Callaghan were encouraged to be part of the hurling setup but in doing so,was Tommy Naughton in a sense encouraging them to leave the football team if its the one dimension theory here in Dublin.

I think dual-stars would benefit Dublin.Look at Ronan Fallon,an extremely gifted hurler who isn't too shabby playing football either I must say.

Zzippy

blackbelt wrote:

But is it the case here in Dublin that management,the County Boards and the clubs want players to be either footballers or hurlers when it comes to intercounty squads?Shane Ryan,Keaney and O Callaghan were encouraged to be part of the hurling setup but in doing so,was Tommy Naughton in a sense encouraging them to leave the football team if its the one dimension theory here in Dublin.

I think dual-stars would benefit Dublin.Look at Ronan Fallon,an extremely gifted hurler who isn't too shabby playing football either I must say.

As a player who played both and chose hurling, I can see the dilemma. I only played club level and found the demands of training and playing both too much coupled with work and family life. The demands of inter county are far far greater, so these days its pretty much impossible to play both. Look at Sean Og O hAilpin - even a player as gifted as he is had to choose one code or face burnout and not performing to his best in either code.

One Cold Hand

The Rooster wrote:

with the exception of the Mayo game

Just to back you up there Rooster, Whelan was actually phenominal for the first half of that game, completely dominating, and was one of the reason we were 7 (or whatever it was) points up.

blackbelt

I see players playing both codes and some can manage it fine then I see some who do and I can spot that they should stick to one or the other.
I'm not going to mention any names outside the intercounty panel but down in my own club I see a player who was always found with a hurl in his hand now playing senior club football when he is not built for the football.

If he went back to concentrating on hurling only earlier,I'd have a strong feeling he'd be playing intercounty hurling,in fact I think he was training with the hurlers and fell out of favour.

Killme00

One Cold Hand wrote:

Just to back you up there Rooster, Whelan was actually phenominal for the first half of that game, completely dominating, and was one of the reason we were 7 (or whatever it was) points up.

I agree, but where was he in the second half. There is no point in praising the guy for palying a good half of football. Also im not asking him to dominate for 70 minutes, i just dont want him going missing like he does for long periods. It might happen with other players but it is easy to see with Whelan because he should be in midfield.

Killme00

One Cold Hand wrote:

Did you even watch the Meath replay? Whelan was the most dominant midfielder for the whole match apart from a short period in the second half when Crawford got some good ball. As regards mobility, Shane Ryan is Action Man personified and I thought he was very good last sunday, won a lot of breaking and showed a real hunger. Maybe you could name someone that would provide more 'speed and mobility'? Whelan isn't there for his speed and mobility, he's there to win / break kick outs and high balls.

Yes i did watch the Meath match and this is nonsense. Do you realise how much room the meath midfield and half backs had to run into. They were stolling up the field unchallenged and slotting points. I am not just saying this is Whelans fault, i think Shane Ryan is coming back to full fitness and did look more robust in this game as opposed to the last, but he is still not there yet. I think the Dublin management are too slow to makes changes in the midfeild when we are being overrun. This has cost us in the past and could do again in the future. If the Dublin midfield gave the same performace that they did against Meath, against Brian Dooher and Tyrone, what do you think would be the result? All i am asking for is that we look at our options. At the end of the day the more options we have the better.

One Cold Hand wrote:

As regards a full back, McConnell hasn't really done much wrong as far as I'm concerned. Kept Sheridan quiet in both games and Farrell was always going to be handful in the second game, but he did okay on him. Again if you can think of someone who would do better maybe name them?

If we had a full back capable of challeging for high balls i would be happy. In both games Geraghty caught high balls easily with ver little challenge. In the first game he slotted a goal which was dissalowed and in the second he hit the post. We cannot afford to allow this to happen. The bigger teams (in terms of size not any other) will kill us on this and use it as an outlet for scoring chances. The guys we have do a decent job but i would prefer to see a big full back winning ball and blocking off attackers.

The Rooster

Killme00 wrote:

I agree, but where was he in the second half. There is no point in praising the guy for palying a good half of football. Also im not asking him to dominate for 70 minutes, i just dont want him going missing like he does for long periods. It might happen with other players but it is easy to see with Whelan because he should be in midfield.

He didnt go missing, forfookssake, he was just very well marked. I've never seen a midfielder play the way Joe McMahon did in those 35 minutes. He had no interest in the ball, just stuck like glue to Whelo, blocked off any runs and disrupted any fielding attempts. In additon Enda McGinley doubled-up on Whelan for all kickouts.

There wasnt a whole heap Whelan could do, in the absence of other players stepping up to the plate with so much opposition concentration on Whelan and in the absence of management changing tactics to deal with the scenario that unfolded in the second half. Whelan ran himself into the ground trying to break the shackles, but you still get people who know fook all about Dublin football saying he disappeared.

DiscoHugh

Connolly was talked up alot preseason if I remember correctly. s he turning out to be a bit of a flop? (I know he s only a young fella)...Im in South America at the mo so youtube highlights is all I ve got (

andrew1977

In the past 2 games , Dublin have brought Ray Cosgrave on as one of their first subs, i have to say his game has gone back a fair bit since he stormed the championship a couple of seasons ago
Has he had a bad injury or something ? He didnt really get a kick of the ball in the meath matches ?

Great talent when he burst on the scene,

Anyone any opinions on him ?

Lemlin

The Rooster wrote:

Thats fine if you want to fall into the media hype about Whelan.

No midfielder dominates for 70 minutes at decent intercounty level. But Whelan has been consistently good for Dublin in championship games under Caffrey, with the exception of the Mayo game, where a bad head injury that required stitiches probably played a part. Whelan proved beyond a shadow of a doubt in 2005 and 2006 that he was the best midfielder in Leinster, twice in a row now he's eclipsed Garvan and Clancy comprehensively (after Clancy had dominated in the previous year). Perhaps Ward is a challenger for that mantle now, although he hasnt got the creative talents Whelan has - he'd never get a point in the way Whelan did in the replay - bursting through challenges and driving it over the bar. Ward and Crawford won the midfield battle in the first Dublin-Meath match this year, mainly because Ward destroyed Magee (Whelan got the better of Crawford as he always does). Whelan-Ryan were the clear victors on Sunday, though the Meath midfield did have their good spell for 20 minutes in the middle of the second half.

I remember in 2005 Whelan played an absolute blinder in the first half v Tyrone, not giving Sean Cavanaugh a kick. In the second half Cavanuagh was moved to half forward and Tyrone brought in a plan to try and force Whelan out to the wings. Joe McMahon stuck on him like glue for the 35 minutes. Enda McGinley doubled up on him for all kick-outs. Tyrone won midfield hands down in that second half. Whelan was accused of disappearing, despite getting little help from his teammates. No mention of Cavanagh disappearing in the first half.

Then in the replay Whelan dominated the midfield battle in the second half, we finally came to grips with the Tyrone tactics, and Whelan won ball after ball after ball as Dublin clawed their way back into the game. Again, no mention of the Tyrone midfielders disappearing - thats just a mantle reserved for Whelo.

Whelan is getting beyond his best now, and he's very likely to retire when Dublin exit. When he's gone we'll realise how much we relied on him.

Ppppppftttt is all I'll say.

With such a great midfielder why have Dublin not won an All-Ireland? Whelan is no Daragh O'Shea or Paul McGrane, that's for sure. Too many times over the last ten years he's been found wanting when Dublin needed him most.

With the quality of football in Leinster over the last few years, there's not much to be said for Whelan being the best midfield in Leinster. Its not exactly a fantastic title to have.

It's against the tougher teams that he has been found wanting. I don't buy your excuse about him being marked tightly either. Do you not think other midfielders receive such tight scrutiny from the opposition?

Whelan is fantastic against lower quality teams like Sligo or Roscommon but its against the good opposition that he comes undone.

And then there's his questionable conduct on the pitch also.

Kingp35

I think it has more to do with the fact that Whelan has never had a really good midfield partner, certainly not in recent times anyway. Magee is not up to the task imo and never will be. Shane Ryan has a great engine on him and wins a lot of breaking ball but he is not a midfielder in the true sense. Whelan is often left to do the ball winning by himself and it is too much to ask him to do it for 70 minutes against the top sides. There is no doubting that he is a great midfield player but he hasn't had the partner in there to really let him shine.

blackbelt

Awwh Lemlin,can't you see talent when you see it?

We all know you don't like Whelan and thats fair enough as you are entitled to your opinion but trying to put him down by saying being the best midfielder in Leinster is not a fantastic title is very short-sighted and begrudging.I think your judgement is biased and I think to a certain degree,your jealousy stems from the fact that there are no midfielders to brag about in Cavan.Leinster has some great talent,just watch the standard of football,its very easy on the eye.

And whats this about Sligo and Roscommon?He has played very well against the big teams in championships gone by ie Tyrone 05 replay where he was influential in our comeback.

I'm in Frankfurt Airport and it looks like I won#t be able to see the match live.Damn german kezboards are a pain in the tucus.

cruiserweight

Bernard Brogan in instead of Connolly

cobijones

did they say why there is no connolly

cruiserweight

cobijones wrote:

did they say why there is no connolly

He hasn't been great in the championship when I have seen him this year, plus he played for the U21's in the hurling during the week

blackbelt

Jaysus,I am here in Frankfurt-Hahn and I have been relying on my girlfriend and teletext to give me an update.its 6.05 in ireland right now so i am pretty sure its over even though it started at 4.15.I assume the final score was 1-12 to 0-10

Pray tell me how we can be 8 points up at one stage to concede three points and make the game look much tighter than it otherwise suggested earlier?Maybe a goal and 2 points makes it look like a tighter result compared to 15-10 but we were killing them 1-11 to 0-6 were we not?

I have it taped at home as far as i know but did we play well or not or was it the case that Dublin knew they had it and took the foot off the pedal in the dying minutes?Do not get me wrong.I am happy with the win and I knew it would be tighter than last time.If it had been tighter all the way through and we pulled away i would be a bit complacent that we came through a hard test but letting an 8 point lead slip a little is something I am a bit disappointed with.If that happened 10-15 minutes earlier,I would have been extremely worried.

cruiserweight

Don't watch the tape both teams were awful

blackbelt

Did it go from "bad to worse to Offaly"?

cruiserweight

blackbelt wrote:

Did it go from "bad to worse to Offaly"?

FFS enough of that crap, it was just an "Offaly" bad game okay

blackbelt

Cheers for the heads up CW.Knowing me,I probably still won't take a rain-check on that game.

Who were the key players for Dublin?Did Bernard impress and did Alan Brogan show up?Did Vaughn give another good account of himself?

Kinetic^

I was hoping they were going to substitute the ref at half time, what a disaster he was!!!:rolleyes:

Trampas

Dubs gave up half way through the 2nd half.

The ref had a shocker. I have never seen a ref give so many frees for steps and it seem to be always against Keaney and not one against the Biffos.

And the odd one or two seem not even for breaking the 4 step rule also. Maybe the sun was in my eyes the odd time.

Vaughan didn't get that many frees to take but if he is going to take the frees i have no idea what mossey is doing on the pitch as he didn't offer much.

The Rooster

My opinion on Dublin individual performances:

Cluxton 6 - didnt have a whole lot to do, kickouts were reasonable, crossbar saved Dublin one time, not sure if he would have got to it.

Henry 6.5 - good defensively, had a terrible first half distributionwise, but fixed that in the second. Won man of the match on RTE, so perhaps I'm being too harsh on him.

McConnell 7 - probably his best game, won most ball against his man.

Griffin 6 - had the toughest job on Offaly's only decent player Niall McNamee. Restricted him to 3 points, which wasnt brilliant, but was satisfactory from a Dublin point of view and Griff did make one terrific block

Casey 6 - solid game, picked up plenty of breaking ball

Cullen 7 - good game without being spectacular

Cahill 7 - good game from Barry, good battle with McManus who never gave up

Whelan 7.5 - won the key midfield battle, scored a nice point, distributed the ball well

Ryan 7 - supported Whelan well, hoovered up a lot of ball

Moran 5.5 - won a lot of good possession, looked great when storming forward, but wasted the ball more often than not. Hit the worst wide you'll ever see.

Quinn 5 - started quite well but then went out of the game. Not strong enough to play in the half forward line.

BBrogan 5.5 - started very lively, very hungry, but looks very raw. Played a big part in Dublin opening up the 5-0 lead early on, but didnt see a whole lot else of ball. No points, two wides, unlikely to start the final.

ABrogan 6 - good in patches, two nice points, but far too greedy. It was his mistake that brought about Dublin's lucky goal (poor punch by Brogan that was helped into the net by the defender), if Brogan had laid it back to his brother it was a certain goal. Brogan did the same thing a few minutes later, shooting from a very tight angle when a flick across the square would have allowed Keaney a simple tap-in to the net.

Keaney 6 - caused plenty of problems, wasnt his best day for shooting. Hit the post twice when he should have pointed, though I think he ended up with 3 points.

Vaughan 6.5 - hit a super point early on, otherwise quiet enough, wasnt fed much ball, but took his frees well

Subs:
Sherlock looked very lively when he came on, scored a fine point, certain to start in the final
Cosgrove did alright
Goggins did alright
DMagee and Lally werent on long enough to make an impression

Poor game, not helped by an awful referee. Dublin were 9 points up with 5 minutes to go, Offaly's last 4 points put some respectability on the scoreline, but the game was dead from the time Dublin got their goal early in the second half.

Jip

Trampas wrote:

The ref had a shocker. I have never seen a ref give so many frees for steps and it seem to be always against Keaney and not one against the Biffos.

I had to check this forum to be sure that wasn't just my brother and I thinking the same thing yesterday. He really was awful and inconsistent, there were times when Offaly players were barging through running with the ball and he never gave a free against them, yet on some occasions all it seemed to take for another player to give away a free was just catch the ball and make a motion to run. And it was obvious to everyone, including the match commentators, without the need for a replay, that Keaney was dragged down by Slattery yet it was Slattery that was awarded the free and Keaney was given the yellow card.

blackbelt

Well he won't be reffing any AI Finals anytime soon thats for sure.He must dislike Keaney because the two aforementioned incidents were as plain as day.Keaney penalised for catching the ball and for being fouled and then booked is completely ridiculous.

Brian Crowe would have been ideal or maybe we should import the best damn referee in the World,Collina.:D

niallo32

cobijones wrote:

did they say why there is no connolly

He was never going to start, as he played U21 Hurling on Wednesday, but he would have featured, had he not stood on a nail on Thursday.

mise_me_fein

God, this game really was sh!te with a capital S.

Offaly are terrible.

Lemlin

blackbelt wrote:

Awwh Lemlin,can't you see talent when you see it?

We all know you don't like Whelan and thats fair enough as you are entitled to your opinion but trying to put him down by saying being the best midfielder in Leinster is not a fantastic title is very short-sighted and begrudging.I think your judgement is biased and I think to a certain degree,your jealousy stems from the fact that there are no midfielders to brag about in Cavan.Leinster has some great talent,just watch the standard of football,its very easy on the eye.

And whats this about Sligo and Roscommon?He has played very well against the big teams in championships gone by ie Tyrone 05 replay where he was influential in our comeback.

I'm in Frankfurt Airport and it looks like I won#t be able to see the match live.Damn german kezboards are a pain in the tucus.

I have no dislike for Whelan. I just think he's hugely overrated. I don't find it begruding or short-sighted as football in Leinster is very poor of late. When was the last time a Leinster team won the All-Ireland or even reached a final for example? And that's with Leinster having the most counties in the competition.

No midfielders worthy of mention in Cavan? Check who won a Blue Star playing midfield for UCD this year please. Your knowledge of your own county's local championship seems patchy Blackbelt.

I myself feel that Cavan haven't had a good midfielder since McCabe in his prime but I'd take him any day over Whelan. He was a player who could grab a game by the scruff of the neck. Whelan can't do that.

I remember even three years ago against Down when McCabe came on and Cavan were eight points down. He slotted in at full forward that day and by the end of the match Cavan had won by four thanks to an unbelievable display that got the team and the fans going. And that wasn't even McCabe at his best.

Influential against Tyrone in '05 when Dublin came back? Where exactly did Dublin come back to? They went out of the Championship against Tyrone that year.

Whelan is a midfielder who I've often watched lose the ball and then stand with his hands on his head, whereas others would chase the ball down. This is one fault that was highlighted a few years ago when he had a very poor season and Dublin switched him to the half forwards. He seems to have improved now but I still notice him doing it now and again.

Lemlin

The Rooster wrote:

My opinion on Dublin individual performances:

Cluxton 6 - didnt have a whole lot to do, kickouts were reasonable, crossbar saved Dublin one time, not sure if he would have got to it.

Henry 6.5 - good defensively, had a terrible first half distributionwise, but fixed that in the second. Won man of the match on RTE, so perhaps I'm being too harsh on him.

McConnell 7 - probably his best game, won most ball against his man.

Griffin 6 - had the toughest job on Offaly's only decent player Niall McNamee. Restricted him to 3 points, which wasnt brilliant, but was satisfactory from a Dublin point of view and Griff did make one terrific block

Casey 6 - solid game, picked up plenty of breaking ball

Cullen 7 - good game without being spectacular

Cahill 7 - good game from Barry, good battle with McManus who never gave up

Whelan 7.5 - won the key midfield battle, scored a nice point, distributed the ball well

Ryan 7 - supported Whelan well, hoovered up a lot of ball

Moran 5.5 - won a lot of good possession, looked great when storming forward, but wasted the ball more often than not. Hit the worst wide you'll ever see.

Quinn 5 - started quite well but then went out of the game. Not strong enough to play in the half forward line.

BBrogan 5.5 - started very lively, very hungry, but looks very raw. Played a big part in Dublin opening up the 5-0 lead early on, but didnt see a whole lot else of ball. No points, two wides, unlikely to start the final.

ABrogan 6 - good in patches, two nice points, but far too greedy. It was his mistake that brought about Dublin's lucky goal (poor punch by Brogan that was helped into the net by the defender), if Brogan had laid it back to his brother it was a certain goal. Brogan did the same thing a few minutes later, shooting from a very tight angle when a flick across the square would have allowed Keaney a simple tap-in to the net.

Keaney 6 - caused plenty of problems, wasnt his best day for shooting. Hit the post twice when he should have pointed, though I think he ended up with 3 points.

Vaughan 6.5 - hit a super point early on, otherwise quiet enough, wasnt fed much ball, but took his frees well

Subs:
Sherlock looked very lively when he came on, scored a fine point, certain to start in the final
Cosgrove did alright
Goggins did alright
DMagee and Lally werent on long enough to make an impression

Poor game, not helped by an awful referee. Dublin were 9 points up with 5 minutes to go, Offaly's last 4 points put some respectability on the scoreline, but the game was dead from the time Dublin got their goal early in the second half.

I still feel Dublin are carrying a few players who shouldn't be there. I can't see for the life of me why Collie Moran has been on the panel the last number of seasons, or why he is even captain.

Even in 2000 I remember him soloing past about ten players against Kerry and then blasting the ball wide. The man is woeful at shooting.

Quinn and Casey should also be dropped if you ask me. Brogan is misfiring but he's the best quality player Dublin have. I'd like to see more of his brother Bernard who had a poor enough game but should improve. Keaney also had a poor game but he's usually better.

The forwards also look to be suffering from something which hits the Cavan forwards alot: GREED. Start learning to pass!

blackbelt

I feel Alan Brogan was being a bit selfish and going for glory last Sunday as he wanted to make up for his performance against Meath in the replay.If he passed the ball more,we would be scoring more points and in particular goals.He is nearly untouchable when it comes to soloing around the defence.

His partnership with Jayo works best though.

Don't know about Collie Moran,he usually scores a point that can be crucial.Mossy Quinn is having a poor season.Now that Vaughan has taken over free kicks,its hard to see what Quinn can offer the Dublin team now especially now he is underperforming compared to this years league and last years championship.

Connolly should have been on for Offaly.I think it was a perfect situation for him to gain experience in the championship and could have bode well for him.Ray Cosgrove is a mystery for me.He played well against Laois and Offaly last year but then nothing much since.He had no part to play in the league so again I find it hard to understand how he can fit in.Good player but he has lacked for Dublin since those two good performances last year.

Jayo is to Dublin what Dooher is to Tyrone...valuable.Just a pity his wrist injury has slowed him down.Agree Casey has been a bit iffy but the game against Meath was somewhat understandable.I like Griffin,he never gives up.
O SHaughnessy should be brought in too for the Laois/Wexford game for a spell

Lemlin

blackbelt wrote:

I feel Alan Brogan was being a bit selfish and going for glory last Sunday as he wanted to make up for his performance against Meath in the replay.If he passed the ball more,we would be scoring more points and in particular goals.He is nearly untouchable when it comes to soloing around the defence.

His partnership with Jayo works best though.

Don't know about Collie Moran,he usually scores a point that can be crucial.Mossy Quinn is having a poor season.Now that Vaughan has taken over free kicks,its hard to see what Quinn can offer the Dublin team now especially now he is underperforming compared to this years league and last years championship.

Connolly should have been on for Offaly.I think it was a perfect situation for him to gain experience in the championship and could have bode well for him.Ray Cosgrove is a mystery for me.He played well against Laois and Offaly last year but then nothing much since.He had no part to play in the league so again I find it hard to understand how he can fit in.Good player but he has lacked for Dublin since those two good performances last year.

Jayo is to Dublin what Dooher is to Tyrone...valuable.Just a pity his wrist injury has slowed him down.Agree Casey has been a bit iffy but the game against Meath was somewhat understandable.I like Griffin,he never gives up.
O SHaughnessy should be brought in too for the Laois/Wexford game for a spell

I find it hard to believe that Dublin can't find six good forwards from the pick they have. The trouble with dropping Quinn or Moran at the minute looks to be that they have no-one to fill in. As I pointed out before, there seems to be a serious lack of strength in depth.

I'm wondering myself if something like the number of country players, who play at county level for other teams, playing for Dublin sides is damaging Dublin's chances? Are too many of Dublin's young players being left on the bench for big names from the country?

There are certainly a number of players like Declan Lally that have been hanging around the panel for years and haven't made a breakthrough. What purpose are they serving exactly? Surely if they haven't made the starting 15 in a year or two they should be dropped to allow someone else to move in?

blackbelt

I just think its a mistake having a player coming on as a sub who played no football in the league for Dublin.Cosgrove comes and goes mysteriously weaving his way into the scene and then back out again.

David O Callaghan probably would have been a valuable asset in the championship.The forwards are something to look at.You won't see any new names coming into the panel until Oct/Nov when the O Byrne Cup starts.

However my main concern is the midfield.Speculation is rising that this is Whelans last championship campaign.Who is going to come and replace him?If he were to be injured in the Leinster Final,I'd push big Ross McConnell up into midfield and bring in O Shaughnessy or Coman Goggins into McConnells place.Alternatively you could pair Ryan up with Darren Magee.This is something Pillar has to think about.Replace and refresh or have a contingency plan.

Shane Ryan being moved back to defense was a huge error in the Mayo game so that won't happen anytime soon.I think the issue of Dublins free-taking problems has been ironed out to a certain degree.Vaughn is leading in that department.

Seeing both Brogans on at the same time is interesting.I think Bernard will come back and improve.He did well to win some balls back that he initially lost control of.I wouldn't look too much into Dublins performance against Offaly.It is obvious that the effects of the two games were having a part to play but the shooting is a concern.

On a side note,I purchased my ticket for this Sunday.I am hoping for a Wexford win against Laois.Maybe a double helping of strawberry delight would be nice.:D

K-9

blackbelt wrote:

year.

Jayo is to Dublin what Dooher is to Tyrone...valuable.Just a pity his wrist injury has slowed him down. Laois/Wexford

Wrist or no wrist He's nowhere near Dooher. I've forgotten now, but who and what was said about Dooher in 03 and was the retracted after the AI on the Sunday Game?

blackbelt

The comments were made by one pundit who happens to be a Meath man...:D

I think it went along the lines of eating a straw hat if Brian Dooher ever led Tyrone to winning the AI.We should actually hold Colm O Rourke to that.:D

But on a side note,I'm beginning to like C.O.R more these days.He seems to get past his beloved Meath being beaten and talks candidly about Dublin instead of trying to belittle them.His assessment of them was very fair in the Offaly game and from what I heard in the Meath replay,he had good things to say about Dublin.

I'm not making a comparison between Jayo and Dooher on talent or who is better,I just make the comparison as what each player is to their team.They would be the most experienced players on both teams.

blackbelt

Actually on reading your post Seanie,I think C.O.R said that in 05

K-9

blackbelt wrote:

Actually on reading your post Seanie,I think C.O.R said that in 05

Yeah think so, but did Spillane say something when he was on the panel in 03. Something like he could't kick a barn door or that he should give it up? Whatever it was I think he apologised after the AI.

blackbelt

God,I'd love if somebody posted that apology on youtube with Spillane having egg on his face.I get the feeling he can be patronising to some teams and in particular the northern teams.

Is this Doohers last season?