Kilkenny GAA Thread

upnorth

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617424#Comment_123617424

Think Richie Power turned down the U20 before Mark Dowling took it on

jonniegoogle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617333#Comment_123617333

Lads I just don't know about Henry tbh. That Ballyhale team would manage themselves and as for Galway, I don't think they improved under him. If you put TJ in his prime in any other senior club team they'd improve by around ten pts I'd imagine.

It's a tough one as to who's next…..

Dowling has done very well with the comogie team and Kildare but I don't think Laois were hurling well this year.

Mullally has done really well in any job he's been in and what impresses me most is the length he spends with teams….going into 6th year with Carlow and Naas. Was he 7yrs with Mount Leinster. He obviously gets a huge buy in from players wherever he goes and I think that's what KK need right now.

I don't think Eddie has done enough tbh

Then again, maybe we're being too hard on Lyng…….

hogans heroes

Before he went to galway Henry surely would have been the choice.As seen this year O donoughue couldn't do anything with them so I think Henry went at the wrong time instead of being patient. Would be my choice and I.think would put that bit of mental steel into to the team to see games out.Also. you would think he would get the best out of Mullen and cody

Nickindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617424#Comment_123617424

I agree with you. We have become that bit soft at all grades. On the field and on the sideline. Its one thing under Cody we were not soft. We miss Tommy Walsh type of player on the field. The type that gets the players riled up and the crowd off their seats. All our players i feel are a little timid. Is down to their character or management. Could be a bit of both.

The most important thing i think we need as a county going forward is that our Minor U20 and Senior teams are alligned in how they train prepare and play. We need to put people in charge who can and will implement that to a certain degree. Then when you have players coming through the grades they know what to expect.

As per the team from the weekend I wouldnt be writing them all off. The bulk of that team are still in their prime. We all know the areas we need to find players. Tj will be the big question. I do think he can carry on and I hope he would but whatever decision he makes no one can argue with.

If i was a potential future KK manager looking at that from the stands on Sunday i would say to myself I would have done a lot of things differently. Looking at the squad you would also say its not over the hill age wise. I need TJ to stay and Lawlor. You would probably say I need a goalie with better distribution. At least 1 corner back, centre back. Midfield is ok but i want competition. Forwards need work but I have competition there. I think a few people will fancy the job if it becomes available.

There are 3 areas that need to be addressed. We need to stop being soft. A little bit more bite out of us. Better coaching IMO. We make too many silly mistakes that cost us matches. Tactics is something we dont seem to do. We dont seem to target a certain player or area anymore. Cody always targeted any weakness in the opposition. He would put Shefflin on them. In game tactics are a joke. Everyone couldnt understand why we didnt push up with Tipp down to 14. Do they not have plans for scenarios like this.

Nedflanders02

I think to say anyone could have done what Henry did with Ballyhale is very harsh on him. Ballyhale were not in a good place when he took over, they had capitulated to the Village in the previous years semi final, you had the incident before the U21 final which led to the Mullens not playing in it and added into that the tragic death of Eugene Aylward during his time there also. To win 2 club AI's with a relatively young team, albeit with some experienced players mixed in, was a great achievement. I personally don't think he'll want to take the job at this stage, as it's still so close to how things ended in Galway, but I do think he managerial record does deserve a bit more respect than he gets

Nickindublin

I agree. I think too many have written him off after Galway. He had the Shamrocks playing good hurling and winning County and AI titles. The question whether he would take it or not is IMO if he was to turn it down he probably will never get the chance again. I dont see any other top hurling county offering him a job either. Lets be honest and say out top 3 forwards on paper are from the shamrocks. 1 has always performed but the 2 younger ones have flattered. If Kk are to win or have a chance of AI both Cody and Mullen need to be on top of their game. I for one are not saying Shefflin but that consideration will need to be taken jnto account. The big question is though would he be an upgrade on Lyng.

tbiggertycome

For me management of a team should have the prime objective of making the team they are being entrusted with better. How they go about this can vary but I would say a basic tenant is that you would make each player better when the term finishes than they were at the start. I would say Derek has very few if any instances of players that have gotten better under his tenure, Mossy and Billy being the two most obvious but for me that is not enough and even if someone lists off a few more that are arguable, my point would be that he hasn't made enough players better. Where it really counts is that he hasn't developed a bench in anyway and it shows by the fact that he didn't trust them enough to put them in when it was really needed.

I've heard this morning that Derek is thinking of staying and to be honest I think this would be the wrong call for him, Kilkenny and these players. There are players that might join the setup or stay with the setup with a different, new management setup. I think there are players that Derek has previously run the rule over who he and Kilkenny will now have to go to and give them another (some would say a fair) crack at the whip. We're at a point where we need someone who can mould a player to play in a position of need CB for instance.

I think the biggest thing missing however is belief. Derek ultimately doesn't believe in a lot of the players on the panel and likely a good few on the pitch and with that lack of belief and trust, comes panic. There's panic on the sideline and panic on the field, when the drums start beating. It leads to silly mistakes and basic errors. I don't think Derek (and Cody before him) management style works for the young lads these days. Derek went from being the selector players could talk too, to find out how they were going or what was going on. By All accounts he's now mimicking Cody's style of silence to players and that **** doesn't wash for young lads these days rightly or wrongly.

Some lads need an arm around the shoulder and will respond to that and others need a kick up the hole. A good manager will know which to apply and when. If we had belief in our setup then why have Eoin Murphys puckouts not improved in the 3 years Dereks been there. I would say either Murphy doesn't believe in what he's been asked to do or in his fellow players to be able to execute. The whole thing falls apart very quickly when the pressure comes on. An opposition manager makes a change like Lohan last year and Cahill this year, we turn into mess and can't respond. That ultimately comes back to the belief the players have in each other and the setup their being asked to play in. The person responsible for all of that is the manager and his backroom team.

If we had a team that could be run back again and I thought they'd get over the line I'd be happy for Derek to stay on. The problem is he has been too focused on results in League games when he should have given young players chances to fail and learn and still back them. Instead Derek has given lads half games or 45 minutes or even a whole game only for them to be relegated to the bench for the rest of the year. Ideally you would play 10 "starters" in each league game and add in 5 young lads and give them 2-3 games to see what the have. Instead we throw in 2-3 and they rarely get a second go or their played for the league and abandoned for the championship. Then you'll get games like Wexford this year where you throw in about 10 young/inexperienced guys with a few regulars and wonder why they don't "sieze" their chance.

Derek had a great chance in his first 2 years to do lots of this as he had a grace period but the pressure for results or whatever meant he kept going back to the old reliables. This meant we in essence had virtually no competition for places. The established players were comfortable knowing that regardless of how they played the chances of them losing their spot was fairly slim or they could win it back with relative ease. To be a sub or panel member of Derek or Cody's setup must be a soul destroying place to be and for a lad like Tom Kenny who experienced it under Cody, I can see why he wouldn't be enamoured with the thought of joining a similar setup. To be breaking your balls to get on the time and then for there to be just silence from those who decide your fate must be infuriating. You can never keep everyone happy in a setup but you can at least let them know where they stand what they need to do how they can improve. A top manager can get the whole panel pulling in the same direction (always easiest when winning admittedly).

The players have to take responsibility too but I honestly feel that while the setup is good in lots of ways it is missing that core ingredient to get us over the line in these tight matches. Belief and lack of it, I think are our Achilles heel. It's the same in the underage setups, what's a little crack in our belief in the setup and a niggling thought before the game is easily plastered over against poor opposition. In a tough tight game that crack gets wedged open to be as big as a canyon and we fall apart.

Eoin Murphy is not the top keeper in the county anymore, Tallis, Galway and Mason are now all better than him and need to play. Eoin was amazing in his day but it appears to have passed.

Mikey Butler is looking more and more like a one trick pony and I'm not sure he can improve but should be given the opportunity.

Huw Lawlor I would fear Derek staying would only make Huws decision to travel easier, contrast that with an exciting new setup.

Shane Murphy was never a corner back and a reason (along with the HB line) I was very nervous at half 3 on Sunday. Can play on the half back line and should be given chances in the same position.

Mike Carey seems to have regressed a bit this year was always better going forward would he be better in midfield alongside Molloy

R Reid way too loose, deliveries not there when the pressure comes on. Should be the end of his KK career, you can't be an intercounty CB and want to mark space

P Deegan great commitment but prone to the headless chicken stuff and probably should be told he'll be on the bench from here on out, let him decide.

C Kenny playing great stuff, huge commitment and drive, might add more on the half forward line.

Molloy did really well for his first year not the finished article but you would hope he would improve over the next few years

J Donnelly has spent so long being the workhorse of the forwards I'd love to see him getting into space a bit more and shooting.

A Mullen It like there is a mental block there for big games and if that's the case I'm sure he's been getting help with the team psychologist. An undoubted talent but he needs to be a player from the bench going forward until he can prove he can handle the big pressure, I can't see him as a guaranteed starter. Given how bad his day was going he should probably have been subbed after 15-20 minutes.

B Ryan had his best year for KK and seems to have finally got confidence that he won't be whipped off every game (a good thing in this scenario)

Mossy again his best year and I think it has all clicked for him, perhaps having to lead the line in the league gave him the confidence and he has become much more consistent.

TJ as others have said out of this world, totally up to him to stay or go just thanks either way TJ unbelievable performance.

E Cody could do with finding the consistence of Mossy. Probably needs to work on his touch and catching the ball when under the most pressure. Was definitely not 100% for that match and as I said last week I thought he would have had more impact coming in against tired legs.

S Donnelly grew into the year and contributed a few points every day, very unlucky to be dropped I think if started he might have tipped over a few and then let Cody in too replace whoever was the most tired.

We need 2 corner backs and we need fast hard men who aren't overly interested in the ball but love stopping their man. Young Bolger fits the bill perfectly throw him in and let him work it out. I'd have faith he has the iron to make it. Being a Boro man I'd love to see Niall Rowe get a go he doesn't have all the hurling but his man usually doesn't get by him and if he does he knows all about it. Tommy Ronan was an uncompromising corner back (hasn't played there for years now) and he might be beyond it now but thats the kind of attitude I want in my corner backs.

Half back line need serious surgery for me though a confident D Blanchfield has to be there. Lawlor was tried at CB for a few games in the league a few years ago and just as Huw was getting the hang of it whoever was FB got injured and we panicked and put Huw back to FB and he's there since. There are options for half backs in Kilkenny and plenty of them many have been dismissed too early or not given enough chances. Even if you only took what we currently have in the panel you could have K Doyle, H Lawlor, D Blanchfield or K Doyle, D Blanchfield, S Murphy for me either of those bedded in is stronger than what we had on Sunday.

Midfield did well this year but could be improved, possibly M Carey holding midfield enforcer, Molloy sweeping around and both well capable of going forward.

Need to add some pace into the forward line especially with an eye for goal.

There's the guts of a strong team there if the right setup is there and some of the younger lads step up. We need to make our bench 8-10 players strong not 3.

I think Derek has achieved what he can do and unfortunately it wasn't what we all wanted him to achieve but I honestly don't see how he can achieve more next year and for the good of hurling in the county I think he would be best to step aside.

The_Tank

Across (especially)the league and championship this year, my sentiment has been whoever doesn’t play, their stock rises. The quality of player just hasn’t been there and we’ve largely had to revert to the same team. And we’re desperate to see talent emerge. The team’s flaws and shortcomings have been clear for a while. So we’re caught in a cycle until we bring through higher quality players to challenge for places. Very similar to the situation Cork were in prior to their U20 successes. So with all the talk of coaches etc, to be honest it might help us pull off a win here and there but it’s not the issue for me. Because on the average we’re not strong enough. Did anyone really believe we would beat Cork even if we pulled that games out of the fire?

ttowncat

tbiggertycome nail on the head. From talking to people involved etc this is what I can tell you:

Murphy can't hit quick or short puckouts and the the panel knows that.

There does be talk with the manager- you do what was asked and talked about , then never hear another word when it doesn't go to plan.

A mullen has had a thing like Adam screeny this winter and spring and it affects the amount his body can train regards running etc. Plus a couple of knocks and niggles picked up along the season probably affected his sharpness.

TJ is definitely not retiring.

My own thoughts:

Lyng probably will stay on. His first year u20 manager they got annihilated by galway and he stayed on.

Michael Rice a goal keeping coach is a bit of a joke alright.

I hope Lyng goes. He hasn't done much wrong with what he has to work with but someone new might be better on the line and might reignite the whole thing.

Charlie69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617979#Comment_123617979

Excellent post as usual . So many good points there tbiggertycome.

Topcat32

I hope Lyng goes for his own sake to be honest, next year could be a difficult one for the management if they stay on, expectations will be at their lowest I would imagine since the 1996 and 97 seasons and I think he will increasingly come into the firing line for it, new managers generally get a 1 year grace period to implement the changes they want to make and it may be needed by the panel at this point. I definitely think Eddie Brennan would take it and have a feeling he would insist on bringing in a pretty high profile background team in with him as well.

The Flying Donkey

Given who Lyng has had to take over, I believe he has done quite a good job as the core principals of spirit and dying with your boots on remains strong in the team. There were times on Sunday where the team’s hurling was as crisp as I’ve ever seen it.

However what I would be critical over his management is in talent identification. I don’t think he has the same eye that Cody had for finding talent. The last two years, he has essentially called up half the county champions players. Whilst there are of course players amongst these teams deserving of being called up if they have had a good club campaign, I still think that the 7th best player in a club side will hardly be better than another club’s best hurlers (even if it’s intermediate or junior level). The net should be spread wider than that.

You take Ivan Bolger from Graiguenamanagh who had a good Fitzgibbon cup campaign with DCU and yet he wasn’t called up until after the u20s AI final. It wouldn’t take long to watch him to see that he has all the attributes to be a very good IC cornerback given his skill, size and speed. Yet other players on the KK u20s were called up ahead of him.

Another member of that DCU team was Cathal Beirne. I believe another poster mentioned he turned down the request to come in. But I would be doing my utmost to change his mind as he has a pace to burn which we are not blessed with on the panel. He’s a little raw in his ability but if we’re going to score more goals, we need more pace to threaten these teams with,

I understand that certain players need to be dropped to make way for new talent or to freshen things up. However I still think Lyng dispensed with Darragh Corcoran and Niall Rowe too soon. There’s not too many 6ft 4 half backs in the county who can hurl and move like Darragh can. Rowe is a sticky cornerback. His switching of hands makes him a little limited if you’re playing the ball out but then again if he keeps his man quiet, who cares if he doesn’t have the sweetest stroke.

Nickindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617979#Comment_123617979

Spot on and I would not be surprised if Lyng stays on. I think if you look at the defenders none have improved under his management. I would say all bar Lawlor have regressed. The forwards are hit and miss. Mossie and Billy have improved while Cody and Mullen have not but there have been injuries with them to be fair.

If Lyng is adopting the Cody style he is finished. I am sorry but he doesnt have that type of authority that Cody had. He is very passive on the sideline from what I can see. IMHO I dont think a Cody team would have lost that match on Sunday and probably not last year too.

Whoover is in charge next season I would hope they bring in new faces and probably might not be a bad idea to bring in a coach from outside the county with different ideas.

neverbet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123617979#Comment_123617979

Don't disagree with lots of what you have written there,except most is written in hindsight, wise after the event etc. On the league just passed you will remember we had to beat Limerick to ensure our 1A status. The atmosphere in Nowlan Park at league matches is toxic enough these past few years, imagine what it would be like if we were in 1B. I am sure you go to as many matches as many of us on here,club and county and we are all looking for ones we feel are good enough to make a difference to our current squad. My understanding is approx 45/50 start out each year. I take it they are viewed worked with ,and assessed.I believe everyone worthy has been looked at several times over. Looking at players who declined to join the setup is a waste of time. That is why the under 20 setup for the coming few years is a priority and where our next senior players will emerge from. I have said here multiple times the minors of the last two years have the potential if they progress as I hope they will. Frustrating as it is to hear,patience is required.

KK36

I still think we're missing a trick with the 23-26 ish age bracket. There are definitely hurlers out there in this age group who are better and more developed than the U20s for senior hurling. The lads who are just overage for u20 could be brought in to a "Rookie" type squad but shouldn't be on the senior panel ahead of lads who are better than them.

Lap of Laois

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619561#Comment_123619561

I wouldn’t agree that asking players in who declined the offer before is a waste of time.

Charlie69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619561#Comment_123619561

How can learning from what went wrong in the past to make sure it doesn’t happen again be “ being wise after the event “ ?

I don’t understand your “benefit of hindsight “argument re tbiggertycome’s post .

If you want to improve things going forward then surely you have to base that on whats gone before?

If you didn’t use the benefit of hindsight you wouldn’t be doing your job properly.

Nedflanders02

I wonder is there some element of pressure from the CB to stay in Division 1 for the financial benefits it would provide? Playing division 1 against the big teams I would imagine, financially, is far more beneficial than playing in 1B. I agree though that we need to really give young players a chance in the league, if that affects results so be it. We're only going to learn about these lads by playing them. Last year everyone agreed we needed a center back and that they should be given the entire league there to stake their claim, instead we got Blanch for 2 matches, Carey for another 2 and the minute Reid was fit he was straight back in, now I know in fairness injury and suspension affected this too, but if Blanch was the man they thought was the best option he should have got the entire league there to learn the position. Similarly to Darragh Corcoran the previous year barely got 2 matches there and wasn't even in the match day 26 come championship.

conor05

It’s not their character that makes them soft, it is knowing they are guaranteed their place on their team.

Cody & Mullen could afford to get injured knowing they would walk back into the team for the semi final, the competition for places just wasn’t there.

Village87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619919#Comment_123619919

Adrian Mullen needs to put in a good league campaign, and lead from the start. He did not want to play the league this year as he wanted to be fresh for championship. He was very poor in championship and seems to play on the periphery of matches looking for easy ball imo compared to John Donnellyn and Billy Ryan who are putting in massive shifts.

tbiggertycome

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619561#Comment_123619561

Thanks for the reply and I agree about 50 are brought in at the start of each year and we can't keep them all. I fully agree the panel has to be cut down to 30 it's not a summer camp. Here I'm blind, as I have never been part of the Kilkenny pre-season setup or privy to the coaches discussions on players merits, so I'm only going off what I think could be achieved with a different approach. All the players are called in because someone saw something in them to merit it and I'm sure their all been given a fair go but I would wonder how much communication there is on what they are looking from them? Previous reports would indicate there is little communication and the atmosphere in most of our setups is not pleasant and the whole thing is very far from enjoyable. Remember this is these guys hobby they play the game because the love it, whats the point if they can't enjoy it while their doing it. If weaknesses are spotted in players game or skill set (particularly those chosen for the panel for the year) are they advised and coached on how to improve how to be better?

I had an enlightening conversation a good few years ago with a KK senior selector about Boro players that were in with the county at the time and as I was doing stats for the Boro then. He asked my opinion on them and I gave them freely. Them being Boro men, I thought the sun shined out of their posteriors and gave them fairly glowing reports, hardly a shock. In fairness to the man he then asked a series of insightful questions essentially asking me to identify their weaknesses and which were really able and ready to step up to IC standard and I answered honestly and we focused on one player who I thought was very close to stepping up and could be a starter. He had one flaw in his game that if addressed could propel him to the intercounty standard in my opinion after the hours of games and footage I had watched. I said if Cody or the selectors told this player he needed to work on this element of his game, I believed he would take it serious and address it. The answer to that shocked me a bit - he told me it was the clubs job to work on weaknesses like that with the player and make him better. Essentially the attitude was when you enter the county setup your either good enough or your not we don't coach lads on their weaknesses. Now I didn't think of it at the time as there were a few pints on board but my answer to him now would be how are the club supposed to work on it when he spends most of the time with the county. Unfortunately that player didn't end up making it but the story is more to highlight the attitude to these panel players weaknesses under Cody and I fear what we still have under Derek. Their supposed to identify and figure it out themselves how to correct weaknesses in their game. Some players can do that especially if given time and exposure to an IC setup but I think more would be able if they were told what they lacked and how to improve it. Look some weaknesses won't get fixed and fair enough that player won't make it not ever player can play IC hurling, I just think we're needlessly cutting our nose off to spite our face.

You can't go around coaching all these lads on basics but they wouldn't be getting called into the county if they can't do the basics. If there is a skill this team doesn't have (eg: high catching under pressure) then devise drills to work on this over and over until they improve, recreate what opposition backs are doing to stop us catching it and let the guys work out how to make sure they can get the ball in hand. Not just say the only two forwards we have that can reliably catch a high ball are TJ and Marty Murphy. If the rest can't do it, train and drill until they can, practice is permanent.

I totally agree the U20 setup for the next few years is very important but all the managers jobs and roles are important to have the right people in there.

The part I completely disagree on with your post above is the patience is required. Kilkennys hurling public have been far too patient and it has got us to the situation where we are in. Our players have lost that inner belief Kilkenny men had taking the field that we were always going out there to win and we were better than the opposition. You don't loose as many tight games as we have in the last 10 years if our players have that belief. That belief was worth a handful of points to us any day. It will take a while to rebuild that belief but it starts with inspirational men in charge of our teams and county board. Having that belief didn't mean you won ever day obviously and some will say it was cockiness or whatever but look at Tipp on Sunday they had ultimate belief and played with swagger. Should they have won, probably not. Did things fall their way, almost everything. They took all the opportunities that were handed to them and capitalised on then to devastating effect, the same with the Tipp U20's and Waterford minors. All those teams had huge belief and I think our teams thought they had belief but we only had the veneer of belief and when things went against us and the pressure came on the lack of belief was exposed. In fairness to the senior and minor players they didn't give up and fought to the end and both nearly pulled off victories, the U20's had a much tougher day.

Nickindublin

Of course D1A status is very important to KK as we dont have a sugar daddy type or a large population to help with costs.

We have the core of a very experienced team between the ages 25-30 for next year.

We have a major issue at No 6 for a long time. IMO whoever is manager needs to identify a new no 6 and play them in the league next year. Playing time and proper coaching is whats required there. I do believe if you solve the No 6 and improve on what we have now it will improve the the 2 half backs beside them .

BTW i would like the CB to conduct an open interview process for the managers jobs at all grades. If the current managers want to retain their positions i do believe they need to go through the process.

Ceist_Beag

 The answer to that shocked me a bit - he told me it was the clubs job to work on weaknesses like that with the player and make him better. Essentially the attitude was when you enter the county setup your either good enough or your not we don't coach lads on their weaknesses. 

Very good post @tbiggertycome . On the above point, this very much seems to me like the same attitude that still prevails in the underage development squads as well. I see very little evidence of individual coaching or advice from these and as a result very little evidence of development of players who go in to them while they are in there. It seems more of an attitude of "you lads are good enough to be in here so show us how good you are and we'll pick a team accordingly". This may be changing but I have not seen it personally. I'm not trying to knock those who volunteer their time to help out with these squads as I've seen the amount of time they give over to it but I do think the name development squads is inaccurate. The emphasis always seems to be on trying to identify a first 15 rather than trying to improve every player in there.

Nickindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620023#Comment_123620023

Thats exactly how it worked under Cody. It seems to me looking at us under Lyng it has not changed. I think Lyng has tried to change how we play at the expense of improving players individually.

While other counties have moved on i think we have stayed still and are now playing catch up. 24 years under Cody while very succesful has left a massive void and negative impact on the development at under age. The eye was taken off the underage set up. While we have been competitive we have only got over the line once at U20 since our last senior win. I do think that has been an issue with the current players coming through. They have not been getting over the line at underage. IMO we need to be getting the foundations right. If we get them right the rest will fall into place. Success breeds success and thats how we have been so successful for years. This applies to the current senior team too. Sort that No 6 position and that will help sort the positions around it. Whoever is manager next year if they dont sort that No 6 it will be the same story as this year.

Hurling has changed over the last 10 years. Not only the way teams play prepare etc. But the players today are different generation and what worked then wont work now. Its the same in the any work place. This generation is different. The counties that move with the times will be successful and the ones that dont wont be.

Village87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620023#Comment_123620023

Fantastic post, especially the lack of communication to players weakness and where they need to improve, young players in that environment are like sponges and love to be receiving feedback, i have heard of many cases where young players would not be spoken to for 18 months then dropped. Absolutely scandalous behaviour, Cody had that luxury until he didn't and that was the start of our demise. Cody went 7 years with no All Ireland, is that longest any manger in Kilkenny hurling has gone without an All Ireland ?

neverbet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123619732#Comment_123619732

Hindsight after sundays game. It obviously colours our view of players and everything else. I saw little or no argument with the team pre game. Perhaps , leave it until after the local championships and see what emerges. You are only as good as your last game is never the right approach IMO. The right panel was there last sunday also IMO , just a pity we didn't get over the line.

Village87

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620255#Comment_123620255

Optimism got the better of me and i actually backed Paddy Deegan to start, after years watching him and Richie Reid constantly being poor in knock out games and targeted by opposition i was happy with the team going in. How foolish i was. If Kilkenny get to a semi final and Reid and Deegan are starting i dont think i can bring myself to attend, its gone beyond a joke now at this stage.

Charlie69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122081901#Comment_122081901

@neverbet I was worried about Shane Murphy at corner back before the game and definitely would have started Blanchfield, I said I didn’t think he was a corner back in the post quoted above over a year ago and the fact he was coming back after a layoff through injury and hadn’t much hurling done was a huge concern.

Nickindublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620255#Comment_123620255

I had no prolem with team selected. I was probably the best on paper. I thought our experience might get us over the line but it didnt. My bigest issue under the currenyt management team is that we still have no sight of a new no 6 and the in game tactics are non existent. They seem to prepare the team to play a certain way and some of the play on Sunday was quite good. But when things go wrong in the game they dont know what to do. Re subs Lyng might not fancy them but sometimes you have to roll the dice. Fresh legs can change a game.

KK36

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620124#Comment_123620124

I'm surprised to hear that. I had a nephew on a development squad for a while a few years ago. He was let go when the panels were reduced. No issue with that as he is alright as a hurler but that's it. He loved the squads as they spent the whole time working on skills. Most importantly, when he was let go he received a list of work ons which were very accurate for him. It wasn't just a generic list, it was specifically tailored to him. I thought this happened the whole time at squads and I'm very disappointed to hear that it doesn't.