Galway GAA discussion thread

redlead wrote: »

They've been installed as favourites without really doing anything yet.

They've dished out hammerings to 3 teams in leinster in the same way Kilkenny did over the years. They're putting up big scores. Have been building for a few years now. And have serious hunger. On top of everything you mentioned about the team itself. Just because they hammer teams doesn't mean those games were easy. They've been good and solid enough to put games to bed early.

jam83 wrote: »

They've dished out hammerings to 3 teams in leinster in the same way Kilkenny did over the years. They're putting up big scores. Have been building for a few years now. And have serious hunger. On top of everything you mentioned about the team itself. Just because they hammer teams doesn't mean those games were easy. They've been good and solid enough to put games to bed early.

With all due respect to the teams they've beaten in Leinster, the three teams left are in a different league. Those games Galway had were easy to be fair. There is no point in looking at it any other way. That's not Galways fault, you can only beat what's in front of you at the end of the day. Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course but mine is that we won't really know how good Galway are this year until the Tipp game. How a team plays against Cork, Tipp, Waterford, Galway, Kilkenny etc is the real barometer, not p1ss poor Offaly or Dublin B teams.

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Theyre slight favs because they hammered Tipp in the league final, hammered 3 teams in Leinster, and Tipp have been beaten in the meantime. There's also a slight injury concern over Seamus Callanan. What way would you price it up?

And we have injury concerns re C Mannion and Canning.
Would wait till throw in before a bet to see who starts. See nothing more than a puck of a ball in it with 30 pts + required to win it

redlead wrote: »

I think it's 50/50. Gun to my head I would say Tipp just on the basis that they are bound to hit form eventually and have the best overall panel left in the competition. I really want Galway to win though.

On the favourites tag for the overall competition I think that Cork have done a lot more than anyone to justify being favourites. They've beaten two of the other semi finalists already (in championship).

Yeah I think Cork are a big price at 10/3 seen as they have the easier semi

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

I'd say Galway will be extremely defensive in the first few minutes. They just can't afford to let Kerry get ahead.

As much as I hate to see us with 13 men behind the ball, it may well be necessary next Sunday, at least in that crucial opening 15-20 minute spell. We need to at least stay in the game for as long as possible, even if it's not pretty.

If we don't offer some extra protection to an exposed full back line this could get ugly. Hate to be negative but James O'Donoghue and Paul Geaney will be licking their lips at the thought of playing against this Galway full back line. We have forwards who can trouble them but they have forwards who can destroy our porous backline, and I'm not sure how that can be remedied at this late stage.

aidan24326 wrote: »

As much as I hate to see us with 13 men behind the ball, it may well be necessary next Sunday, at least in that crucial opening 15-20 minute spell. We need to at least stay in the game for as long as possible, even if it's not pretty.

If we don't offer some extra protection to an exposed full back line this could get ugly. Hate to be negative but James O'Donoghue and Paul Geaney will be licking their lips at the thought of playing against this Galway full back line. We have forwards who can trouble them but they have forwards who can destroy our porous backline, and I'm not sure how that can be remedied at this late stage.

Any more than 9 back is completely unnecessary and counter productive. You have to have an option to release pressure when you do overturn ball and you have to keep Kerry honest. If you can't defend everything but extremely long range points with 3 additional defenders then you shouldn't be playing the game.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

Ah the auld Kerry mind games are starting.

I see Fitzmaurice is praising Galway. That's another part of it. They usually big up their opponents in the days building up to the game, saying what a great team Cork, Galway, Waterford etc are.

Any more tricks up yer sleeves?

Probably one of the O'Se's writing for the newspapers saying how this is a poor Kerry team, no chance of an AI, etc etc.

Yee have it down to a fine art at this stage!

You're very touchy on your neighbours behalf, good to see a Mayo man so anxious to see Galway do well :pac:

I hope they do go with a blanket and expect Kerry to pull it to shreds without breaking a sweat if they do, similar to how Tipperary did in the QF this time last year as the numerous players farting around the backline each waited for one of their colleagues to put in a tackle.

Shurimgreat wrote: »

I don't think a blanket is required. But I do think a player on front of Donaghy is a must have to cut out that option.

After that it will probably be a shoot-out between the Kerry and Galway forwards. Both have impressive forwards when on song. I think it should be a good open game of football, but Kerry stamina and experience will see them through to a 4-5 point victory.

Yeah sure I was originally just agreeing with someone who said '9 men back max'.

If they try any more than that Kerry will be under no pressure. Four forwards would seem like the right amount to maximize Galway chances I think.

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Galway haven't played a sweeper much this year. Just in league final v Kildare and in 2nd half v Mayo (which was probably dictated by Higgins red card).

We really adjusted the forwards against Donegal by bringing Comer out the field. Presumably, we have to stick with that as Armstrong and Burke were excellent inside.

I would guess there's a much better chance of getting someone to do a decent job of playing sweeper than there is of getting the whole lot of them playing a 13 man blanket effectively in the next four days though!

Any chance Galway will just push up and take their chances?

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

You would never know. Walsh has been fairly unpredictable with his teams / tactics all year. For example, nobody expected them to play a sweeper in the league final. He threw Ian Burke in for a debut last week despite hardly playing him all year. I think Galway will certainly push up on Kerry's kickouts and try to force them to kick long.

You don't need any more than 8 to press a kickouts.

If it was me I'd put sice and McDaid in between the half back and full back lines. With Flynn and heaney just in front of the back 8. Conroy and walsh around midfield waiting for any turn over. Leaving Armstrong comer floating in and out from full to half forward.

Push up the wing backs on kerry kickouts with sice and McDaid filtering out to fill in.

keane2097 wrote: »

I would guess there's a much better chance of getting someone to do a decent job of playing sweeper than there is of getting the whole lot of them playing a 13 man blanket effectively in the next four days though!

Any chance Galway will just push up and take their chances?

To use a phrase I hate, he threw caution to the wind on Saturday and played with 5 conventional forwards, only 2 midfielders, with Heaney working all over the pitch. Considering it worked so well, I can't see the personnel changing at the very least. So the most he can do really is bring Heaney back in front of the full back line. But the 5 forwards left really are just attacking players with very little defensive traits, so there's only so defensive he can go really. I can see it being very open

I dont agree in the slightest. I think our best chance by far is to push right up, hope we win midfield and hope our forwards shoot the lights out. Something similar to our U21 win over Kerry earlier this year. Those very tight games where we bring men back and hope to be accurate enough to pick off scores is fine against the likes of Mayo who's strength doesnt lie in the forward positions and who can usually be relied on to waste plenty of chances. Kerry will nearly always score enough to put away a defensively minded team. It's not like we can perform that gameplan to the level of Donegal 2012 for instance. The single two best performances of Walsh's tenure is when he's let loose completely, Roscommon replay last year and Donegal on Staurday. Those 5 forwards all have the potential to be matchwinners, let's give them at least somewhat of a chance to show it

Many peoples' favourites?

Everyone with a brain knows it's still Dublin's to lose.

Syferus wrote: »

Many peoples' favourites?

Everyone with a brain knows it's still Dublin's to lose.

An average Mayo team nearly beat them last year. Anything can happen in a final.