Dublin GAA Discussion Thread MOD WARNING POST #2944

ProudDUB

'Scuse me ! I am 100% Catholic and I still have my Communion money to prove it.

Flukey

ProudDUB wrote: »

'Scuse me ! I am 100% Catholic and I still have my Communion money to prove it.

First round's on you so!

Slattsy

One of my Donegal mates got premium tickets for tomorrow. Invited me along.
Told him I'd rather watch paint dry.

It'll be a cold day in hell before I go watch Donegal in Croker if they ain't playing Dublin. A bitter day!

DoctaDee

Flukey wrote: »

If we were hiding up a tree, it would be Oak Park. If there are going to be Dubs Boardsies at non-Dubs matches, we could meet up. It'd be easy to spot each other for one thing. On Dublin match days, I suppose we are mostly with our own friends before, during and after matches, but we'd be more in need of company on a non-Dubs day. Good to do post-match analysis on the prospective enemy too. Looks like there are a few of us going on Saturday: yourself, Stoner, ProdDub and me. I'll be the guy in the Dublin shirt in 334. Non-Dubs, subject to vetting, may be allowed to join us. To be on the safe side, we'll speak in Dublinese when talking tactics. If you're interested, say it here or PM each other.

I'm with the chungfellid tamarra, the BIL and his chungfellid in tow too - but we usually skiperoo over to the Hogan for a quick getaway so I might put me head into 334 on the way. We'll organise something proper for the AI Final

Slattsy wrote: »

One of my Donegal mates got premium tickets for tomorrow. Invited me along.
Told him I'd rather watch paint dry.

It'll be a cold day in hell before I go watch Donegal in Croker if they ain't playing Dublin. A bitter day!

Good man Slattsy .. like yer man Roy Walker used to say .. say what you see!! We're too wishy washy in this thread ... it's our back yard lets have more of that parochial attitude :pac: The Dubs are getting dissected elsewhere here for not being tested, still being overhyped and a flaky defence thats yet to be tested. It's time to fight back .. hold on a sec I'll get me balaclava

Flukey

Slattsy wrote: »

One of my Donegal mates got premium tickets for tomorrow. Invited me along.
Told him I'd rather watch paint dry.

It'll be a cold day in hell before I go watch Donegal in Croker if they ain't playing Dublin. A bitter day!

I am sure you could head down to Woodies or somewhere like that and get a tin or two and a few brushes and some turpentine. Could be a wet day, so maybe do a few inside walls or doors or skirting.

It's a Donegal of a different era, but the Donegal v Galway quarter final in 2003 was one of the best games of football I saw in Croke Park, in that it was lovely, flowing football. Two positive teams playing a real open game. It was a joy to watch. This was the era of Tyrone and Armagh beginning what was eventually to become the blanket defence. It was the year of Pat Spillane's infamous "Puke football" comment, which came in the Tyrone v Kerry semi-final. That Donegal were a joy to watch. They played Dublin in the 2002 quarter final, which went to a replay. I got this bit of video at one of those matches:

While tomorrow's Donegal v Galway match won't be like that 2003 match, it is still worth going to, especially if you've been offered tickets.

Slattsy

Turns out I do know a lad from Fermanagh. He actually actually serves me creamy pints of Guinness on a regular basis.

I thought he was from Monaghan. I was waaaaay off!

ProudDUB

Flukey wrote: »

First round's on you so!

Can't. Going with some fambily friends from Schligo, who rarely come up to the Big Schmoke. They saw the One Million Dubliners documentary on the telly last night. They now want me to take them to Glasnevin Cemetery and the Gravediggers before the game. Not two places I have very happy memories of, for obvious reasons. So if you see someone in 331 crying into their match program, just before throw in, that's probably me.

DoctaDee wrote: »

We're too wishy washy in this thread ... it's our back yard lets have more of that parochial attitude The Dubs are getting dissected elsewhere here for not being tested, still being overhyped and a flaky defence thats yet to be tested. It's time to fight back .. hold on a sec I'll get me balaclava

Now. Now. Be careful there. According to the Manual of Dub Hating, Volume 45, chapter 87, we can't ever big ourselves up, or talk down the opposition. Other counties can do it, but we can't. We are either being arrogant hype merchants or patronizing jackeens if we do. We can't win. :rolleyes:

So anywaaaaze.....team being announced @ 9 tonight do we think?

DoctaDee

ProudDUB wrote: »

......
Now. Now. Be careful there. According to the Manual of Dub Hating, Volume 45, chapter 87, we can't ever big ourselves up, or talk down the opposition. Other counties can do it, but we can't. We are either being arrogant hype merchants or patronizing jackeens if we do. We can't win. :rolleyes:

So anywaaaaze.....team being announced @ 9 tonight do we think?

*sobs* .. I just wish they'd like us .. if only for a little while .. was thinking of dipping down to Aldi and getting a big box of lollipops to give out to the country kids on Sunday..

We should have the team around 9.15 I think ... if there was one change I'd like to see it would be Alan in for Dean Rock and Kilkenny moved into FF ... I also wouldn't mind seeing Kev Mc sitting it out for a while .. maybe Paddy Andrews starting .. so that's an inside 2 of BB and CK for me

Slattsy

I dont think KK would see enough of the ball at full forward. I prefer him coming that bit deeper and almost in that playmaker role. Great distribution, be wasted at FF imho.

DoctaDee

Slattsy wrote: »

I dont think KK would see enough of the ball at full forward. I prefer him coming that bit deeper and almost in that playmaker role. Great distribution, be wasted at FF imho.

Yeah I know what ya mean .. but we're really stuck for a physical presence around the square with O'Gara gone .. it's robbing Peter to pay Paul .. but I'd be quite confident Alan B could stitch the play togther as effectively as CK

ProudDUB

I can't see Gavin dropping both Kev Mc and Deano, this far into the summer. I can definitely see Alan starting though, probably in place of Kev Mc. He just hasn't set the world on fire as a starter so far. Still don't think Dean does enough from open play, but there is his accuracy from frees to consider.

I'll have a raspberry ripple lollypop if anyones offering...

DoctaDee

No change to the last day same starting 15

Slattsy

I like a double lolly btw.

DoctaDee

Lollies are for the kids .. what are yiz like !

ProudDUB

Feck off. No they're not. I want one that has the chewing gum centre too. :P

Hafta say...fair play to Fenton. To go from nowhere, to champo starting midfielder, in just 6 months, is damm good going. Still good to know that we have Bastick on standby too, just in case.

DoctaDee

ProudDUB wrote: »

Feck off. No they're not. I want one that has the chewing gum centre too. :P

Hafta say...fair play to Fenton. To go from no where, to champo starting midfielder, in 6 months, is damm good going. Still good to know that we have Bastick on standby too, just in case.

Did Mythbusters ever disprove that swallowing chewing gum would stick yer guts together ? ...

I was chatting to one of the lads last week and he was saying that they were aware of Fenton from last years U21's but that they were hugely impressed with his transition to the senior set up. Has been showing really well in training by all accounts... he didn't go into any great detail regards MDM but you know yerself he wouldn't need to be told he wasn't operating on full throttle. Got a good laugh comparing Bastic and Fennell with him (I think I got the notion from a post here)

ProudDUB

I don't doubt they have been impressed with how he has just slotted right in. Very composed. You can't take that for granted with a newbie. Two years ago, Jack Mc, Kevin O'Brien, Mannion and Kilkenny all set the world on fire in the league and the early part of Leinster, but they kinda faded away as the summer went on & games got more intense. No sign of that with young Fenton. He looks like he's been playing there for years.

Stoner

I went to a number of under 21 games last year. I never noticed Fenton as having such potential.

His blocking and work rate are great. He's jumped ahead of about four players
We've yet to see how he would stand up against a Maher or Gallagher, never mind Moran though. I hope it doesn't come to early fir him though,but he has some engine. I wonder if he'd be good man marking a playmaker.

Thing Is MDMA has Mahers number imho. But Kerry's Moran has been improving all the time and is most likely the top midfielder in the country. We really need someone in there to get Bastic and MDMA over the line and free O'Sullivan up for 6.

seligehgit

Just wondering,looking in from the outside if any of you guys feel Kevin McManamon is more than a tad lucky to be starting?

Flukey

I am not surprised Alan isn't starting. With all due respect to Fermanagh, I think they'll hold him for bigger days ahead. It is a match where there is still some room for experimentation. Alan and some others will likely get a run out during the game at some point. There is still a lot of competition for places.

Stoner

Im still concerned about Rock in the corner, I guess taking frees is his thing, having him in certainly lessens the potential impact of cluxton getting sent off or injured.

I was talking rubbish in anther thread and decided I better retreat. However I haven't asked the question here before, but I really see little difference in our approach this year. Not as much as everyone else does, it's the insightful thing to say, that Dublin are more defensive, but would we score more against Donegal now than we did last year? I'm not so sure

We hold the halfback line, two of them anyway better. That's it.
We've added Fenton and he'll track back the way mdma did in 2010/11.
Kilkenny has improved and looks the equal of the man either side of him, nobody else could manage that for 70 min anyway. He's also kicking it over the bar or wide rather than short, another good thing.
Connelly looks sharper.
Kevin McMac looks a shadow of himself, I think he's resigned to a subs role, hes just better coming off the bench imho he might be one of those players that reads the game from sideline better than on the field.
McCarthy looks rested.
Brennan is out.
No O'Gara
A Brogan looks ready.



Overall I dont see huge differences to last year. I think there is more certainty in the starting 15. There is a place for McMahon from the start, the whole back line is settled. Fitzsimons looks sharp too as a good option / cover on the back line.

I think in many ways there are suttle improvements. A more settled team. Cover at the back, halfback, midfield, half forward and inside line. In all those positions you'd nearly pick the sub.

No cover or option for B Brogan though. A Brogan is good cover at half forward.

Really looking at it , I'd be concerned about Kerry, Donegal,Mayo. I didn't select Monaghan purely because I think that physiologicaly we have an edge.

What do you think, have we changed much.

ProudDUB

Flukey wrote: »

I am not surprised Alan isn't starting. With all due respect to Fermanagh, I think they'll hold him for bigger days ahead. It is a match where there is still some room for experimentation. Alan and some others will likely get a run out during the game at some point. There is still a lot of competition for places.

Disagree. I think that's as near our starting team for the rest of the year, as its likely to get. There is a possibility Alan will start in place of Kev Mc, Bastick could come in for Fenton or MDMA if they are struggling. Other than that, what else is going to change?

If we win on Sunday, we have a maximum of two more games to play. It may only be one. There is not a whole lot of time left to experiment, or to give lads a run out just for the heck of it. It's time to go balls deep with our best 15 and stick with it for the rest of the year. If that changes due to injuries, suspensions, or Jim Gavin switches things up a bit to account for tactical match ups of a specific opponent, that is fair enough. But it's too late in the year to be instigating change just for changes sake. If we don't know our optimum starting 15 by now, that worries me.

Stoner - your posts in the Mayo thread made a lot of sense. But there are cliches about Dublin, that people refuse to disbelieve. If we lose, its always because we believed in our own hype too much. It's never, ever because the other team were better on the day. I just don't even bother any more.

I'm not seeing a lot of change this year, other than greatly improved finishing in front of goal. We are giving the ball to the man in the better position, much more than we used too. At the back, I'm not seeing a ton of change either, maybe its because we haven't really faced an opponent yet who could punish any lack of discipline, or poor positioning there. Philly, Jamesy and Jack Flash seem just as prone as ever to go for a wander. Time will tell whether or not they'll feel as free to go walkabout against a Kerry/Mayo/Donegal, or whether they will stay at home and mind the house.

Stoner

seligehgit wrote:

Just wondering,looking in from the outside if any of you guys feel Kevin McManamon is more than a tad lucky to be starting?

He is imho seligehgit, he's better off the bench anyway , genuinely better it suit him and the team. We should call him Gunner

Stoner

ProudDUB wrote:

If we don't know our optimum starting 15 by now, that worries me.

I think we do, more than last year. Less young lads now. The older lads took their places back earlier

McMahon
McCarthy
B Brogan
Bastic

Cathy, Costello, O'Brien, Mannion (I know he was away) made little impact from an earlier stage this year

Stoner

ProudDUB wrote:

Stoner - your posts in the Mayo thread made a lot of sense. But there are cliches about Dublin, that people refuse to disbelieve. If we lose, its always because we believed in our own hype too much. It's never, ever because the other team were better on the day. I just don't even bother any more.

Thanks, it is true, nothing better than telling us we believed our own hype, or got our comeupans however you bloody spell that.

ProudDUB

Oh dear. Someone needs a lollypop?

The irony of the Dublin hype merchants being out in full force in a Mayo thread was not lost on me. :rolleyes:

If anyone needs me, I'll be over at the Twitter account of Aidan O'Shea's Fringe, getting some hair and makeup tips for the weekend.

Flukey

Don't forget that 20 minutes into the Donegal game last year, we were something like 7 points to 1 up. So we were coping very well with their defence and we were scoring against it. Then we tried to do what we had done against Monaghan and kill off the game with a few goals. That didn't happen and Donegal got into the game and well, we don't want to remember what happened then. Had we stuck with doing what we were doing it could have been a different outcome.

The shadow of that match has been hanging over us all season, a lot of it of the media's doing. OK, we didn't look great against Westmeath in the first half, but we got there. Fermanagh will probably be a bit tighter, but we should get through it. Donegal, should we meet them, will be tougher again. We have what it takes to beat them. We had it last year, had we stuck with what we were doing. They'll have a plan should we come up against Donegal. We won't get caught out like we did last year. Donegal will have a plan too of course. We should still beat them. Anyway, we've Fermanagh to get through first and Donegal have to get past Galway today.

Like any good Dub, I've country relations. My mother is from Galway, so I'll have a maroon and white headband tied to my Dublin back pack today. My brother-in-law is from Donegal, but that won't count for anything today. Come on Galway!!!:D

ThunbergsAreGo

Flukey wrote: »

Don't forget that 20 minutes into the Donegal game last year, we were something like 7 points to 1 up. So we were coping very well with their defence and we were scoring against it. Then we tried to do what we had done against Monaghan and kill off the game with a few goals. That didn't happen and Donegal got into the game and well, we don't want to remember what happened then. Had we stuck with doing what we were doing it could have been a different outcome.

The shadow of that match has been hanging over us all season, a lot of it of the media's doing. OK, we didn't look great against Westmeath in the first half, but we got there. Fermanagh will probably be a bit tighter, but we should get through it. Donegal, should we meet them, will be tougher again. We have what it takes to beat them. We had it last year, had we stuck with what we were doing. They'll have a plan should we come up against Donegal. We won't get caught out like we did last year. Donegal will have a plan too of course. We should still beat them. Anyway, we've Fermanagh to get through first and Donegal have to get past Galway today.

Like any good Dub, I've country relations. My mother is from Galway, so I'll have a maroon and white headband tied to my Dublin back pack today. My brother-in-law is from Donegal, but that won't count for anything today. Come on Galway!!!:D

Agree with the above, the Donegal game wasn't a case of a plan coming undone, just bad individual choices. Play that game 10 times we win at least 6.

corny

ProudDUB wrote: »

I'm not seeing a lot of change this year, other than greatly improved finishing in front of goal. We are giving the ball to the man in the better position, much more than we used too. At the back, I'm not seeing a ton of change either, maybe its because we haven't really faced an opponent yet who could punish any lack of discipline, or poor positioning there. Philly, Jamesy and Jack Flash seem just as prone as ever to go for a wander. Time will tell whether or not they'll feel as free to go walkabout against a Kerry/Mayo/Donegal, or whether they will stay at home and mind the house.

Playing the sweeper and getting more numbers back is a bit of change.

On players wandering? McMahon seems to have licence to go wherever he wants alright but i watched last day and there was a constant dialogue amongst the players. At no stage were we short handed at the back. Actually, when Westmeath retreated we consistently had 2 or 3 loose men in defensive positions. I suspect there's no way we'll see a repeat of the high wire act we saw against Donegal last year. Lessons learnt.

Actually i think when we run into Mayo or whoever in the semi we'll see a quite pronounced defensive structure, with lads flooding back. We did just that in the league game in Castlebar for example.

DoctaDee

corny wrote: »

Playing the sweeper and getting more numbers back is a bit of change.

On players wandering? McMahon seems to have licence to go wherever he wants alright but i watched last day and there was a constant dialogue amongst the players. At no stage were we short handed at the back. Actually, when Westmeath retreated we consistently had 2 or 3 loose men in defensive positions. I suspect there's no way we'll see a repeat of the high wire act we saw against Donegal last year. Lessons learnt.

Actually i think when we run into Mayo or whoever in the semi we'll see a quite pronounced defensive structure, with lads flooding back. We did just that in the league game in Castlebar for example.

This is exactly what I've been led to believe. By all accounts there has been a noticeable difference to the set up in training/practice games. Phillys licence to roam was likely of his own making (I suppose it's understandable given Westmeath's lack of an attacking gameplan), but the defensive structure from here on out has been emphasised to all, but most particulalry to the defensive line players.