Clare GAA discussion thread

eroo

Nicky O'Connell looks unlikely to start on Sunday. He has a chest infection. We are seriously up against it.

Gael85

Veterans and youngsters added to senior Clare panel Written by Peter O'Connell Thursday, 16 June 2011 12:07 Kilkee duo David Russell and Michael O’Shea have rejoined the Clare senior football panel as Micheál McDermott’s team prepare for the visit of Down in the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers in Cusack Park on Saturday week.
Declan Callinan, another experienced inter-county footballer, has also linked up with the panel, while U-21s Stephen Tierney (St Breckan’s) and Seán O’Driscoll (Ennistymon) are now part of the panel as well. Diarmuid Daly has also returned to training following a long lay-off with injury. “There’s no doubt about it, they’ve added a bite to the panel and every one of these lads are going to be looking for a place in either the 15 or the 26 for Saturday week,” McDermott said of the new additions.
Clare have, of course, lost their team captain Gordon Kelly, who will be playing football with Connemara Gaels in Boston for the summer. The Miltown man was sanctioned under the 60-day rule on Monday of this week, having received what is called a USA J1 Sanction. That means that he will be eligible to play for Miltown in the second round of the senior football championship on the weekend of August 13/14.
McDermott told The Clare Champion that efforts were made to persuade the Clare centre-back to remain at home for the summer. “To be honest, there was an awful lot done for Gordon Kelly. The county board in particular have to be complimented on that fact. But Gordon decided himself that this was something he wanted to do and we respect his decision. Life moves on and we can’t dwell on the players that are missing. We have to concentrate on the players that are there. Without a doubt, everything was done to keep Gordon Kelly at home but he made his decision and we respect that,” McDermott stressed.
Clondegad man Gary Brennan, who is carrying a slight knee injury, has now been appointed captain.
“Without a doubt, he’s a different sort of captain to what Gordon would be,” McDermott said. “He’s a guy that’s very well respected among the panel. What I like about him is he encourages players around him in every position. You’ll never hear Gary Brennan giving out to a player. You’ll always hear Gary encouraging players. That’s what I think he brings to the captaincy. His leadership qualities are based around the performance he gives himself but he’s a great man to get the best out of players as well,” the Clare manager added.
As for the Down game at 3pm in Ennis on June 25, McDermott says that home advantage should be of some benefit to Clare.
“It’s the one positive out of it. But the one thing playing a team like Down is, there’ll be absolutely zero expectations of Clare to beat them. Whereas if you were going in against a Division 3 or 4 team, maybe there would be expectation there that you have to perform and get a win.
“Against Down, those expectations won’t be there but within the team themselves, every one of them is looking forward to the game. There’s no fear of Down, there’s no fear of what lies in front of them on Saturday week. It’s all going to be about our own performance,” the Monaleen mentor maintained.
To win, he acknowledges that Clare will have to produce a career-defining display all over Cusack Park.
“To be in with a chance of winning this game we need to give the performance of our lives. Every one of the players on that team has to be prepared to go out there and give that 10 out of 10 performance and make it happen. If we do that, as a management team, that’s all we can ask.
“But I firmly believe that it could get us a result if we can produce that performance. They’re not a big, physical, strong team. They’re a team that’s very much on a par with ourselves in the physical stakes. So they’re not a team that’s just going to walk through you with the physical strength of Cork that we found hard to cope with,” he said.
All county players will be involved in some crucial Cusack and Garry Cup games this weekend. They will return to training on Sunday with a video and pool session in preparation for Down.

LuckyGent88

eroo wrote: »

Nicky O'Connell looks unlikely to start on Sunday. He has a chest infection. We are seriously up against it.

ah ffs. we are rightly screwed if he is out. Has been our best player all year.

as regards the footballers new recruits, we could have 20 players on the pitch v Down and probably still loose.

DEFTLEFTHAND

As a Tipp man I wouldn't call the result on sunday a foregone conclusion by any means, I think Clare will be very competitive and it should make for a great game.

coffeelover

eroo wrote: »

Nicky O'Connell looks unlikely to start on Sunday. He has a chest infection. We are seriously up against it.

Clare might as well not bother turning up. We have no chance now

Clareman

It's not going to be pretty on Sunday
http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/clare-team-named-for-munster-semi-509331.html

CLARE (SHC v Tipperary): Philip Brennan; Pat Vaughan (capt), Conor Cooney, Cian Dillon; Patrick O'Connor, James McInerney, Patrick Donnellan; Nicky O'Connell, Jonathan Clancy; John Conlon, Fergal Lynch, Cathal McInerney; Diarmuid McMahon, Darach Honan, Conor McGrath.

Subs: Donal Tuohy, Eamon Glynn, Mark Earley, Brendan Bugler, Cathal Chaplin, Gerry Quinn, Sean Collins, Colin Ryan, Liam Markham, Caimin Morey, Cormac O'Donovan.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/clare-team-named-for-munster-semi-509331.html#ixzz1PWnwZad5

Clareman

It's not going to be pretty on Sunday
http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/clare-team-named-for-munster-semi-509331.html

CLARE (SHC v Tipperary): Philip Brennan; Pat Vaughan (capt), Conor Cooney, Cian Dillon; Patrick O'Connor, James McInerney, Patrick Donnellan; Nicky O'Connell, Jonathan Clancy; John Conlon, Fergal Lynch, Cathal McInerney; Diarmuid McMahon, Darach Honan, Conor McGrath.

Subs: Donal Tuohy, Eamon Glynn, Mark Earley, Brendan Bugler, Cathal Chaplin, Gerry Quinn, Sean Collins, Colin Ryan, Liam Markham, Caimin Morey, Cormac O'Donovan.

Read more: http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/clare-team-named-for-munster-semi-509331.html#ixzz1PWnwZad5

LuckyGent88

Cant believe Bugler is not starting. He is our most natural center back which is a vital position.

tatoo

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Cant believe Bugler is not starting. He is our most natural center back which is a vital position.

Strange alright,
can't see James McInerney starting there either, I'd reckon Donnellan will go cb.

premierstone

Surely Morey or Ryan are better than McMahon in corner forward

LuckyGent88

premierstone wrote: »

Surely Morey or Ryan are better than McMahon in corner forward

anybody and i mean anybody is better than McMahon in cf

LuckyGent88

Disappointing result considering the start we had. Classy finishing, fitness and experience were the difference. Onwards and Upwards hopefully.

On the bright side, our intermediates are in the Munster final.They won 2-19 to 15 points. Gilli must have done some damage.

LuckyGent88

Away to Galway next

Need to kick on from todays performance but expect a small bit of a backlash from Galway after yesterday's shocker.

Clareman

I hope they put on a special train for the match in Galway, could be a great day out

eroo

They did us all extremely proud.

Hope the naysayers feck off now.

LuckyGent88

Just giving my thoughts on the match, the players and the management.

First off i was very proud of our lads efforts today. They tried there hearts out and left noting on the field. They cant be faulted for that anyway.

Ratings (out of 10)
1.Philip Brennan -3, didnt cover himself in glory anyway. very poor for first goal which changed the game
2. Pat Vaughan - 6, got through lots of work but poor for Bonner goal
3. Conor Cooney -7, more like it from Conor, physical and cleared the ball
4. Cian Dillon - 7, very good first half
5. Patrick O'Connor -6, decent debut but caught out a few times
6. James McInerney - 6, great first half but out of position in 2nd
7. Patrick Donnellan - 5, very quiet i thought when needing experience
8. Nicky O'Connell - 7, great first half but seemed to run out of steam.
9. Jonothan Clancy - 6, poor 1st half but much better in 2nd.
10. John Conlon -6, 3 good points but cleaned by Maher.
11. Fergal Lynch -5, solid 1st half but very poor in 2nd.
12. Cathal McInerney -6, decent debut but missed crucial chance.
13. Diarmuid McMahon -5, same as Lynch.
14. Darach Honan - 6, not we needed from him but tried very hard.
15. Conor McGrath -8, super performance and will only get better.


Thoughts on match:

Some lovely hurling from Clare in patches but very frustrating how management have not solved the two glaring problems that have been evident for ages. Half backline and goalkeeper. And very slow to react from the bench as match was drifting away form us. Tipp made two sharp changes at halftime which worked. Sparrow did nothing. Conlon should have been moved away from maher too. Lots of mistakes made, all 4 tipp goals were brutal soft. our half back hurled a lot of ball but too loose and didnt procect the FB line very well. The space between the two back lines was too much and left space for Tipp forwards to run into. we need to learn to defend more as a unit and get rid of the ball quicker.


In the end, we have lots of reasons to be hopefull for the future but we need to be playing division one hurling as it was obvious we could not compete for 60 never mind 70 mins at that high intensity. Onwards and upwards.

ballykev

Since the year 2000 Clare’s record in Munster Championship hurling has been abysmal. During this period Tipperary have met Clare on eight occasions, with Clare only emerging victorious once in 2003. Tipperary defeated Clare in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2009 and just last Sunday. After every defeat the reaction was the same. Clare did well, fought the good fight but came up short, but will prove dangerous to anyone they meet via the backdoor. While this argument held a certain amount of credence when greats of the game such as Brian Lohan, Lynch and Mc Mahon graced the team, the same cannot be said anymore, which makes the positive reaction to Clare’s defeat throughout Clare’s local media all the more puzzling. Year after year Clare are beaten again and again by the same team and the reaction is always the same, ‘The boys did great’, ‘they’re only young’ and ‘give them a chance’. There seems to be no such thing as constructive criticism in Clare, on the rare occasion when anyone criticises the team it is mistook for negativity, in colloquial parlance such people are called ‘cutters’. The realisation that a team often needs to be criticised in order to improve doesn’t seem to exist in Clare. Thus because the Clare players are never really criticised for their inadequacies and are perennially lauded for their failings they see no reason to improve.

What this conveniently ignores of course is the obvious fact that Clare are delighted to lose. Last year in reflecting on the defeat to Waterford in the Munster semi-final, a game Clare should have won, Donal Tuohy in an interview with the Clare Champion admitted that many of the Clare players in his own words ‘would have been happy with their performance’. Such a confession was incredible considering that Clare had the winning of that game and that the prize was a place in the Munster final against a completely overrated Cork team. Yet such inertia is what prevails in the Clare county team, an acceptance of mediocrity and security in the knowledge that they did their best yet fell short once again. This was exactly the attitude that arose in the aftermath of Clare’s most recent defeat to Tipperary, that Clare are young and that they will prove their potential in the future and that they are hampered by not playing in Division 1, all such arguments that are highly dubious. Thus the consistent failure that Clare have experienced at the hands of Tipperary is ignored, something that wouldn’t happen in any other county. Also it is fair to say that the performances of the county team do not justify the vast sums that are spent on the team throughout the year. It is difficult to imagine where a massive sum of almost 370,000 went on training two teams (football & hurling) that are eliminated from the championship every year in July. Considering that the teams have only been training collectively since January more or less the cost of 62,000 a month seems highly exorbitant. Money is spent like confetti it would appear and failure is disguised as building for the future.

The argument that Clare is a young team has been put forward in recent days to explain Clare’s most recent capitulation. However what this argument ignores is the fact that Tipperary is also a young team. Brendan Maher, Paraic Maher, Noel McGrath to name three all played in the U21 Munster Hurling Final last year against Clare and were three stalwarts in last year’s march to the All Ireland, with Brendan Maher winning the Young Hurler of the Year, while Clare’s great white hope, Honan, still coasts on the comparatively insignificant success of scoring two great goals against Galway in the 2009 U21 All Ireland semi-final in Thurles; long since water under the bridge. While Noel McGrath was somewhat subdued on Sunday, Paraic Maher was outstanding; meting out a similar punishment to John Conlon that he gave him in the aforementioned U21 Munster Hurling Final in Thurles last year, where Conlon hardly won a ball off Maher for the duration of the game, eventually being moved off him. At the moment Maher is the best hurler in the country and is odds on to win hurler of the year if he maintains the incredible intensity of his performances. Conlon’s incredibly poor work-rate is certainly no match for Maher’s incredible physicality and skill, shown by his two exquisite scores.

In essence Maher’s star is in the ascendant and Conlon’s is on the wane, with two of his three scores coming when the game was effectively over as a contest. It is hard to see the nature of this demographic changing anytime soon. Yet the players are the same age and Maher will always be there to devour Conlon. Even on Sunday it was obvious from Conlon’s demeanour that Maher’s superiority over him is not exclusively physical but is also psychological. There were a number of occasions in the first half in particular when the Clare forward could have come to the aid of his colleagues yet decided to stay on the margins until it was too late and it was inevitable that the ball would be cleared. Even when Tipperary were struggling in the first quarter of an hour Maher was outstanding, showing his intent as early as the first minute when felling Fergal Lynch with a powerful shoulder. Incredibly he contributed more to Tipperary’s forward play than a number of the forwards, in particular Eoin Kelly who if Brennan hadn’t dropped his trademark clanger would have contributed very little from open play.

Even Kelly’s goal came from a long Maher clearance into the Clare goalmouth. Thus while Clare make excuses for their young team, Maher drives Tipperary onwards. Clare will say that it is easier for Maher and his colleagues to ease into a successful team. However this argument seems to be a bit disingenuous to the effect that Maher and his colleagues have made. A lot of analysts speak of the fact that when Maher and company arrived on the scene the spine of the present team was there, an argument that has a certain amount of truth in it. However the team was not successful as some have suggested; Tipperary hadn’t contested an All-Final since 2001, Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly had been around since 2001, Cummins ever present since the mid 1990s more or less with the exception of a brief interregnum during the strange Babs Keating era where even Kelly was dropped in place of the cumbersome Egan. Thus if Tipperary were so successful why did they not contest a final between the years 2001 and 2009? The answer is the players that were the difference in last year’s final, Paraic Maher, his namesake Brendan and Noel McGrath, who got through much of the hard graft that allowed Corbett to give Kilkenny the coup de grace. These players are the same age more or less as those that are lining out for Clare. Yet the sycophants that follow Clare proclaim after every defeat that they are young and that we’re building for the future, while for Tipperary the future is now. The problem for Clare as in the past is that the future might never come.

Another problem related to Conlon’s ineffectiveness is the poor physical condition of the team as a whole, which resembles a club rather than a county team. Even before half-time it was obvious that a number of Clare players had tired alarmingly and that they were running on empty. That Clare should have tired so quickly is an indictment of the trainer and management. To train for six months and only be able to last for one half is incredible in the modern game. Fiach O’Loughlin, the Clare trainer should realise that the level of fitness required for inter-county hurling is far above that of club hurling in Clare, a level that is pedestrian at best, where he has made his name. How the management team don’t realise this basic fact is mystifying. Tipperary could have played for another seventy minutes. Yet the only real substitution that Clare made was to replace O’Connell with Donovan, a change that was forced because O’Connell could run no more. This is the elephant in the room. Clare are streets behind in terms of athleticism and fitness, yet this problem doesn’t seem to be addressed because many of the Clare players don’t seem to be too bothered whether they win or lose and are only interested in the status that being on the county panel brings them, which brings us to the figure of Honan.

For almost the whole game Honan remained on the field, despite it being totally obvious to almost everyone in the ground that he was totally ineffective. On a number of occasions the ball broke to him around the goalmouth, a sharper forward would have pounced on it; Honan however is totally ambivalent about fighting for a ball. On one occasion in the first half after Cummins had saved Cathal McInerney’s shot, the ball eventually came to Honan who preceded to kick the ball to Maher who duly obliged by sending the ball seventy metres down the field. All Honan had to do was get one ball and stick it in the net and then Tipperary would have had to watch two forwards, something that would surely have freed up McGrath. In a nutshell Honan throughout the game was embarrassing and his feeble attempts at attempting to win the ball were castigated by both sets of supporters. When both sets of supporters agree on the poor performance of a player there is something seriously wrong. Honan seems to believe that he has a divine right to be on the starting team despite the fact that he is still incredibly one sided, almost always turning on his left when he receives possession and has an inability and unwillingness to fight for his own ball. Even in club games his form has declined considerably, which brings me to the final point. How was Honan left on the field?

In this instance the management has serious questions to answer. On a number of occasions Honan got in the way of the only effective Clare forward, Conor McGrath. He was more or less an ornament, hardly moving throughout the game from the edge of the square, yet he was left on until it was almost time to go home. It is difficult to justify such a decision on the part of the Clare management. Surely if Colin Ryan was introduced at half-time he would have won at least a couple of balls and been an assistance to the increasingly suffocated McGrath, who Tipperary quickly realised was Clare’s only threat. That Honan was not taken off sooner was an abdication of duty on the part of the Clare Management. Rather than give out about the referee as O’Loughlin did afterwards it would be more advisable for him to look at his own failings and only worry about what he can control. A final point, when Has James McInerney ever scored a 21 yard free? When did a centre back ever score a goal from a 21 yard free in the championship? An example doesn’t immediately spring to mind. A forward should have taken such a chance, which if scored could have completely changed the complexion of the final moments of the game and Colin Ryan had just been introduced and considering that he has scored them for his club as recently as the last club match surely he was the man to take such an opportunity, especially when one considers how close he came to scoring a harder free in similar circumstances in 2009. What this incident shows is that the Clare management team as strange as it might seem don’t know a whole lot about the game of hurling.

Royal Seahawk

Paragraphs lad, please.

Clareman

I've merged BallyKev's thread with the overall Clare GAA thread.

For fear of being castigated by my own county folk, since when have Clare been anything but mediocre? We've had some great teams (late 70s, 90s) but we have never been a superpower, imvho 1 of the big problems we have is we expect to be as good as Tipp/Kilkenny every year, especially younger players coming through, I'm going to sound like a broken record, by the minors of 97 showed exactly what is wrong with Clare, happy out to have won 1 thing and expect to be treated as gods ever since.

I think there is some harsh comments about Clare here. They have put serious work into underage and won the u21 AI in 2009. They were very unlucky not to follow it up with the minor the year after. I expect Clare to win division 2 next year which would help in giving these players some experience against their fellow stronger counties for the coming years.

Fireball07

Bit harsh on John Conlon too, to say he's "on the wane". He's a very skilful hurler, getting dominated by Padraic Maher doesn't equal a bad player. He's still a great pointscorer and always looks lively when he gets the ball.

buck65

Just read a bit of the massive article above to get the jist of it. Give the guys a break.. most of them have a Munster and All Ireland U21 medal in their pockets that is still warm.
Patience.
The real criminals of the piece are Gerry Quinn, Tony Carmody, Tony Griffin who gave up on the Clare team for various reasons but should be back now offering leadership to the younger lads. A player like Quinn on the wing would have probably prevented at least 2 Tipp goals.
Comes down to desire and work ethic, something those lads hadn't enough of. It was fine when Seanie, Lohan, Lynch et al were there to lead they slipped in behind but when the heat came on and the county came calling they melted.

billo.d86

Fireball07 wrote: »

Bit harsh on John Conlon too, to say he's "on the wane". He's a very skilful hurler, getting dominated by Padraic Maher doesn't equal a bad player. He's still a great pointscorer and always looks lively when he gets the ball.

]

Spot on I cant wait to see Maher dominate everyone he's assigned to this year because that is what is going to happen.

I also agree with Clareman there is a huge aspect of the demi-god about the Clare hurlers mindset. Which is shocking considering none of them have won anything at senior level.

The problem in Clare is that we think we will compete every year.....we will not. Now there are some good talented players on the team and hopefully they will turn into men and hurl with the physicality and intensity that has brought clare teams success.

But what destroys the prospect of us getting a team that doesnt STILL have to rely on a cumbersome Diarmuid McMahon and Fergal Lynch, who is a great club hurler, but never has nor never cut it at inter county, is the way we run or club championship.

As Ballykev we have done more or less nothing for the last 10 years, yet club hurlers sit and wait for our county heroes to return before they can puck a ball is bull****. It drags down the entire standard of the county, good county hurlers return and lord it over the club teams and loose all drive to improve themselves.

Do Cork, Tipp or Kilkenny clubs stop hurling from mid-May until August/September.........i think we all know the answer there.

buck65

Both Lynch and McMahon played well in the first half.

eroo

Regards fitness; Clare County Board have hired a trainer who is not a qualified Strength and Conditioning coach. Only reason he's there is because he was a successful scrum half in club rugby and had a good run training the Cratloe hurlers. Cian O'Neill, the Tipp strength and conditioning coach, is the head lecturer of sports science at UL. Waterford hurlers/Kerry footballers trainer, KK hurlers, Armagh footballers, Dublin hurlers etc are all examples of teams with qualified coaches.

I disagree strongly with the sentiments on this team. I have only missed 2 League games and a few challenge matches this year so I have been following this team throughout the last 6 months. They have heart, and a good portion of the team(Conlon, NOC, DOD, Cooney, McGrath, J Mac etc) have the skill to break through. The winning U21's cannot form a senior team themselves, so we are looking at at least 2-3 years before the ground work starts to pay off.

One thing I will say is this: I was never so ashamed of Clare fans in all my life as I was on Sunday. Walking down Ennis Road I was one of maybe 2-3 Clare fans among a throng of Tipp supporters. All last week I was telling people not to lose faith, to remember how bad the odds were against Waterford last year yet we kept it close. The same response from most; ''Ah sure they'll be beaten by at least 20 points.. no point in going to watch that sure''.

I was hoarse from shouting for our lads, as were other few Clare supporters.. but we still didn't have anywhere near as many supporters as Tipp. What annoys me the most is that had we beaten Tipp and made a Munster final, tickets would have been like gold dust in Clare.

coffeelover

buck65 wrote: »

Both Lynch and McMahon played well in the first half.

Personally I didn't think Lynch was great.. I couldn't believe my eyes when McMahon scored though :eek:

One thing I will say is this: I was never so ashamed of Clare fans in all my life as I was on Sunday. Walking down Ennis Road I was one of maybe 2-3 Clare fans among a throng of Tipp supporters. All last week I was telling people not to lose faith, to remember how bad the odds were against Waterford last year yet we kept it close. The same response from most; ''Ah sure they'll be beaten by at least 20 points.. no point in going to watch that sure''.

Ya same. I spent the whole week persuading people that Clare would go out with all guns blazing and that we had a chance of winning but it just fell on deaf ears. The majority of supporters where I was sitting were from Tipp

billo.d86

buck65 wrote: »

Both Lynch and McMahon played well in the first half.

The McMahon was OK in the first half, but what good is a half at that level, missing a handy point because he was out of gas he is past it.

I think the price was the main reason alot stayed away. e25 for the uncovered is steep lads.
I agree it was a poor showing, but we are easily put off going always have, afriad of a slagging if we get a thumping.
Your right, the loyal fans would have found it hard to get a ticket had we won.

eroo

We've been speaking of developing this team for the last 2 years but they wont develop without the support of Clare people. For every positive there is always someone with 10 negatives.. how can a team hope to succeed when their biggest critics are their own people?

The County Board need to get people behind this team.

ballykev

eroo wrote: »

We've been speaking of developing this team for the last 2 years but they wont develop without the support of Clare people. For every positive there is always someone with 10 negatives.. how can a team hope to succeed when their biggest critics are their own people?

The County Board need to get people behind this team.

support for the sake of support is just a very silly and childish concept "ah yere great lads" even though we lose every year, their is never any real improvement. In 2-3 years time Cork will be back at the top table again. and we will be still building a team of young lads... ah nxt year their young

Clareman

I honestly believe that the Clare people would love nothing better than to get back behind the team (any team), there were 16k at the match on Sunday, I would say it was 10-6 in favour of Tipp, but you'd expect the defending All Ireland Champions to have a bigger support.

I feel this team needs something to get them going, the 95 team had a lucky win against Cork in the semi final on their path to glory, if that goal didn't go in that team would never have been heard from again, we showed for 20 minutes on Sunday that we are good enough, but after that we we outscored by 15 poitns

eroo

ballykev wrote: »

support for the sake of support is just a very silly and childish concept "ah yere great lads" even though we lose every year, their is never any real improvement. In 2-3 years time Cork will be back at the top table again. and we will be still building a team of young lads... ah nxt year their young

You've been discredited here before for posting utter crap. Support for the sake of support is silly and childish?? So we shouldn't support them unless they are winning? The likes of you is what is wrong with Clare GAA.. Doesn't go to any matches, doesn't know the team and just puts the team down all the time despite the fact you know nothing. I hear it all the time. Sour.

ballykev

eroo wrote: »

You've been discredited here before for posting utter crap. Support for the sake of support is silly and childish?? So we shouldn't support them unless they are winning? The likes of you is what is wrong with Clare GAA.. Doesn't go to any matches, doesn't know the team and just puts the team down all the time despite the fact you know nothing. I hear it all the time. Sour.

Expand on why is it crap ? The team has to be able to take criticism, Clare lose every year and are happy to lose. In yesterdays Clare people their was no hard questions asked about the Management, as to why was honan left on, that brennan wouldnt stop a beech ball. they only explanation given was shur didnt tipp score four against Kilkenny. pure nonsense..

The fact remains that we have lost to Tipp again a game we could have won or ran them much closer if the team were trained properly and the correct decisons made on the line, and every year its the same the lads are great, put up a great fight.

But the result is allways the same we dont win any games, and the lads are told their great. and so begins another year.

PS by the way i go to quiet a lot of games. how was i discredited Tipp beat us well.

Clareman

Folks,

If you have a problem with another poster you can either report the post, ignore the user or PM, don't feel the need to air your issues in public.

billo.d86

ballykev wrote: »

support for the sake of support is just a very silly and childish concept "ah yere great lads" even though we lose every year, their is never any real improvement. In 2-3 years time Cork will be back at the top table again. and we will be still building a team of young lads... ah nxt year their young

Are you going to follow another team then, or just bad mouth your own?

billo.d86

ballykev wrote: »

Expand on why is it crap ? The team has to be able to take criticism, Clare lose every year and are happy to lose. In yesterdays Clare people their was no hard questions asked about the Management, as to why was honan left on, that brennan wouldnt stop a beech ball. they only explanation given was shur didnt tipp score four against Kilkenny. pure nonsense..

The fact remains that we have lost to Tipp again a game we could have won or ran them much closer if the team were trained properly and the correct decisons made on the line, and every year its the same the lads are great, put up a great fight.

But the result is allways the same we dont win any games, and the lads are told their great. and so begins another year.

PS by the way i go to quiet a lot of games. how was i discredited Tipp beat us well.

Do you think if Clare had a bit more rub of the green that this team is good enough even if properly trained, could run Kilkenny close. I would prefer they build on performances than a flash in the pan display, Clare were a dominat force in hurling about 5 years, and even that team didnt win every year!! You cant just turn a switch and be All-Ireland champions.

ballykev

Are you going to follow another team then, or just bad mouth your own?

billo.d86 wrote: »

Do you think if Clare had a bit more rub of the green that this team is good enough even if properly trained, could run Kilkenny close. I would prefer they build on performances than a flash in the pan display, Clare were a dominat force in hurling about 5 years, and even that team didnt win every year!! You cant just turn a switch and be All-Ireland champions.

It is criticism of the team and the management, which does not seem to happen from anywhere else. certainly not from the Clare media Clare people, champion and Clare FM. "god the lads were great weren't they put up a great fight" Team has to be able to take criticism, this is a senior inter county team we are talking about not an U14 TEAM. That needs encouragement.

nope don't think we would put it up to Kilkenny, Clare aren't physical enough loads of nice lads no cut in them though. Need physicality to beat them, Dublin showed in the league final how to beat them, shove in to them and hunted in packs when they didn't have the ball like Clare in the late 90's. Don't think Clare can play that game.

LuckyGent88

billo.d86 wrote: »

Do you think if Clare had a bit more rub of the green that this team is good enough even if properly trained, could run Kilkenny close. I would prefer they build on performances than a flash in the pan display, Clare were a dominat force in hurling about 5 years, and even that team didnt win every year!! You cant just turn a switch and be All-Ireland champions.

i must have been away for that. The last time we won the Munster championship was in 98 and the All Ireland in 97 and have only been in a munster final once in last 11 years. i think winning titles is a measure of a team's dominance such as Kilkenny in the last 10 years.

billo.d86

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

i must have been away for that. The last time we won the Munster championship was in 98 and the All Ireland in 97 and have only been in a munster final once in last 11 years. i think winning titles is a measure of a team's dominance such as Kilkenny in the last 10 years.

Yes and luckily enough records go further back than that. From 95 to 2000 Clare won 3 Munster Championships and 2 All-Ireland Championships. So I guess you must have been away for that.:eek:

LuckyGent88

billo.d86 wrote: »

Yes and luckily enough records go further back than that. From 95 to 2000 Clare won 3 Munster Championships and 2 All-Ireland Championships. So I guess you must have been away for that.:eek:

you said that Clare were a dominant force 5 years ago in your post which is around 2006 not 10-15 years ago between 95 and 2001. I have the evidence to prove i was there for all matches and also one of the Liam McCarthy cup in my house.

billo.d86

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

you said that Clare were a dominant force 5 years ago in your post which is around 2006 not 10-15 years ago between 95 and 2001. I have the evidence to prove i was there for all matches and also one of the Liam McCarthy cup in my house.

billo.d86 wrote: »

Do you think if Clare had a bit more rub of the green that this team is good enough even if properly trained, could run Kilkenny close. I would prefer they build on performances than a flash in the pan display, Clare were a dominat force in hurling about 5 years, and even that team didnt win every year!! You cant just turn a switch and be All-Ireland champions.

I said for 5 years, says nothing about 5 years ago! I left out the for5 years.

LuckyGent88

billo.d86 wrote: »

I said for 5 years, says nothing about 5 years ago! I left out the for5 years.

Fair enough but the logical word left out of your original post was "ago". Incidently i think it will be 3-5 years before we win any title again with a combination of the recent u21 team and the next few minor lads.

billo.d86

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Fair enough but the logical word left out of your original post was "ago". Incidently i think it will be 3-5 years before we win any title again with a combination of the recent u21 team and the next few minor lads.

Ya no worries can see how it was misleading. Ya least I'd but its good to see a future coming! We were holding on too tight to the past.
Could be like Galway nothing coming through realley bringing on 34 yr old Alan Kerrins, straws and clutching comes to mind!

LuckyGent88

billo.d86 wrote: »

Ya no worries can see how it was misleading. Ya least I'd but its good to see a future coming! We were holding on too tight to the past.
Could be like Galway nothing coming through realley bringing on 34 yr old Alan Kerrins, straws and clutching comes to mind!

it wouldnt surprise me if Gilligan &/or Carmody were asked onto senior panel before the Galway game after there impressive performances for the intermediates last sunday.

billo.d86

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

it wouldnt surprise me if Gilligan &/or Carmody were asked onto senior panel before the Galway game after there impressive performances for the intermediates last sunday.

Gilly definately, not so sure about Carmody. Gilly is class, but Carmody is hit and miss, saying that I havent seen him this year and he is a confidence player.

coffeelover

billo.d86 wrote: »

Gilly definately, not so sure about Carmody. Gilly is class, but Carmody is hit and miss, saying that I havent seen him this year and he is a confidence player.

Ya maybe Gilly but definitley not Carmody. If their winning he'll throw over a few points but if they aren't he won't

LuckyGent88

Clare minor team to play Tipp on friday evening at 7.30 in Thurles. This is a huge match with the looser out of the championship and a place in Munster final up for grabs. Very good team in fairness especially the half-back line and midfield. The full-forward line have goals written all over them.

Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle).

Jack Browne (Ballyea), Niall O’Connor (Newmarket), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge).

Jarleth Colleran (St Joseph's) Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge), Gearóid O’Connell (Ballyea).

Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea, captain).

Eoin Enright (Kilmaley), Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara), Peter Duggan .

Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Oisín Hickey (Meelick), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg).

billo.d86

Tony Kelly is a SERIOUS athlete should definately be called up to train with the seniors next year he strong enough for it.

Browney7

I saw Tony Kelly play midfield for Flannans against Ardscoil there a few months back. He's a serious hurler and a serious prospect for the future. Kept Flannans in that game that day almost on his own

ballykev

LuckyGent88 wrote: »

Clare minor team to play Tipp on friday evening at 7.30 in Thurles. This is a huge match with the looser out of the championship and a place in Munster final up for grabs. Very good team in fairness especially the half-back line and midfield. The full-forward line have goals written all over them.

Eibhear Quilligan (Feakle).

Jack Browne (Ballyea), Niall O’Connor (Newmarket), Seadna Morey (Sixmilebridge).

Jarleth Colleran (St Joseph's) Jamie Shanahan (Sixmilebridge), Gearóid O’Connell (Ballyea).

Colm Galvin (Clonlara), Tony Kelly (Ballyea, captain).

Eoin Enright (Kilmaley), Cathal O’Connell (Clonlara), Peter Duggan .

Aaron Cunningham (Wolfe Tones), Oisín Hickey (Meelick), Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg).

Jamie Shanahan should be playing in the forwards

billo.d86

Browney7 wrote: »

I saw Tony Kelly play midfield for Flannans against Ardscoil there a few months back. He's a serious hurler and a serious prospect for the future. Kept Flannans in that game that day almost on his own

I've only seen him 1ce in an u21 B final this he was unreal won it on his own, he has everything like. Hope he can stay fit.