Galway GAA discussion thread

sean mac · 30-07-2017 03:30PM

galway forwards are pathetic, outside comer poser flashy soft lads who think they are in a challenge game and meekly exiting the championship. Kerry were very open today but too many fellas more interested in looking good instead of actually fighting to win ball

Robson99 · 30-07-2017 03:46PM

The players never thought they had a chance. Shocking display.
Feel sorry for MMeehan having to look at that ****e

reap-a-rat · 30-07-2017 03:49PM

Galway looked a beaten team as soon as the ball was thrown in. Aside from Burke and Comer the forwards lacked any sort of movement or desire. Tom Flynn was a passenger from the get go and should have been taken off much earlier. I would have done as much myself.

Very disappointed that the shakey back line actually held up their end of the bargain pretty well and it was the "potent" forward line that let us down. Strange tactics coming from the line too again.

Thought Kerin was superb and was Galways man of the match along with Burke. Not many corner backs can say they kept James o'donoghue scoreless from play (at least I think he didn't get a any from play).

Division 2 win was good and we can push on but I think Walsh has shown time and time again that he is a tactically weak manager and consistently makes bad decisions from the line and I would like to see him go and get a fresh manager who can get the best out of the obvious talent there is in the county. Limping to the finish line against Tipp, Roscommon and now Kerry showing little belief and little fight is just not good enough.

Utopia Parkway · 30-07-2017 04:04PM

The forwards actually had the beating of the Kerry defenders all game but the finishing was absolutely woeful. 5 missed goal chances. 3 or 4 relatively straightforward frees missed. A number of bad wides close to goal. Burke and Daly showed up very well. Army too (bad day on the frees though). Shane Walsh is a fabulous talent but I'm losing count of how many times he drops shots short into the keepers arms. Didn't see enough of Comer really. Only in spurts.

Conroy and Flynn quiet. Heaney was quiet after that belt he got.

34 scoring chances for Galway. Took 0-13. Says it all.

spurshero · 30-07-2017 04:33PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

The forwards actually had the beating of the Kerry defenders all game but the finishing was absolutely woeful. 5 missed goal chances. 3 or 4 relatively straightforward frees missed. A number of bad wides close to goal. Burke and Daly showed up very well. Army too (bad day on the frees though). Shane Walsh is a fabulous talent but I'm losing count of how many times he drops shots short into the keepers arms. Didn't see enough of Comer really. Only in spurts.

Conroy and Flynn quiet. Heaney was quiet after that belt he got.

34 scoring chances for Galway. Took 0-13. Says it all.

Would have been interesting if they took the one or 2 goal chances . Needed to take them to have any chance

rgace · 30-07-2017 04:38PM

Robson99 wrote: »

The players never thought they had a chance. Shocking display.
Feel sorry for MMeehan having to look at that ****e

Watching it really felt like the players didn't really believe they could do it. Roscommon showing how they should have approached the game, even if they don't win they have given it a go.

Utopia Parkway · 30-07-2017 04:44PM

rgace wrote: »

Watching it really felt like the players didn't really believe they could do it. Roscommon showing how they should have approached the game, even if they don't win they have given it a go.

Yes but that's because Roscommon got their goals. Galway Missed theirs. Goals change games and give teams energy.

rgace · 30-07-2017 04:51PM

That's fair enough, especially the Armstrong chance, which was a good save, came at a time when we were on top and could have changed the game.

We started the game quite slowly though and I don't think we got in their faces enough.

30-07-2017 07:11PM

Pathetic effort really. In 2014 we played Kerry in Croke Park and they sauntered into a big lead, we fought back to put them under a bit of pressure for a couple of minutes during the 2nd half before they eased clear again. 3 years of Kevin Walsh's management and we're no further along the road. The Tipperary and Roscommon defeats were humiliations but this was equally as bad.

We played with no conviction or real desire against a Kerry side who clearly knew they didn't need to stretch themselves today. We were never going to beat Kerry but I hoped we'd at least give it a go and try and take the opportunity to show we are edging closer to the bigger sides. Today proved once again we are miles off.

For me Kevin Walsh won't bring this team any further. I don't have any alternatives within the county of who will but we've reached the highest peak we are going to under this management. 3 championship outings in Croke Park and 3 bad beatings.

Tellyium · 30-07-2017 08:08PM

Was so frustrated watching that. We created enough clear goal chances to have made the last 10 minutes interesting (if converted).
Sure, Kerry didn't have to get out of second gear, but that misses the point. Galway had a chance to go toe to toe with Kerry today but paradoxically lacked the self belief that they could even hope to beat them, despite creating 34 (?) chances.

We are slightly further along after this year (promotion and not getting slaughtered in the quarters), but we need a coach/system that the players can develop confidence in and truly believe they can take on the big guns rather than just containing them.
That and 4/5 backs/midfielders 😀
We've a foundation to build on but we need to think that we can compete with and not just contain the top teams if we are to have any chance in division 1.
We also need defensive systems where the whole team knows their part (not just a blanket where we withdraw bodies to defence with token tackling). Our intensity needs to be upped a notch too. And a kick out strategy would be nice to develop over the winter...
Lastly, well done to Kerin and Burke today- great displays...

30-07-2017 08:46PM

I think KW is getting too much credit for the league promotion.

There aren't even 8 decent teams in Ireland and you'll eventually go up a division after that many years.

There didn't prove to be any team with upside there in the end.

How any manager can consistently think conceding kick outs is a viable option is beyond me.
It gave Tipp a platform to beat us and nearly cost us against Roscommon last year when they were atrocious.

I won't even bother talking about our own kick outs as it's just the same points every single game.

I'd love to hear from Michael Meehan on his fitness and condition.
At 32 years of age he's hardly sitting in the stands with time on his side.

Ditto for McDaid, clearly has potential and is hardly a kid... yet he barely gets a game all year when we have some obviously poor defenders.
More of those U21s should have been brought through after the AI.

I really hope they change the mgmt team as selections, tactics, subs and build up play is beyond poor.
If he doesn't leave himself the County Board better make the call themselves.

The reality is we're unlikely to beat this Dublin team so we're not exactly missing out on much... that's probably the only positive to these wasted years.

jam83 · 30-07-2017 09:18PM

Tactics leave a lot to be desired, but if anything I'd expect KW can motivate lads at the very least so how can they play badly, get criticized, play well in the next game to prove a point, then play **** in the next game? Do players believe their own hype?

Galway conceded all short kickouts in the first half because silke was a static sweeper in front of donaghy even when Kerry had a kickout up the other end. He stayed there for the whole first half.
Meant kerry had a free man for every kickout. Brainless stuff from Kevin walsh.
Second half then Galway pushed up entirely. You'd wonder when it only happened after half time did the players have a serious word with management at half time about it? You'd imagine if KW spotted it he could have made the change in the first half.
Galway need a Kevin mcstay type for some tactical know how. They wouldn't have lost to Roscommon or as badly today I think if they had someone on the line with a tactical plan.
But the players do seem happy to roll over when the going gets tough too.

Fair play to them for a good enough year but they need to wake up and realize that games are there for the taking and the years are slipping by.

Btw the Galway county board have absolutely no back bone so won't be getting rid of KW because they won't like the criticism they'll get from some quarters. He'll be there for another few years if he wants it.

RobbieRuns · 30-07-2017 10:08PM

I try to stick up for them and I am sure that they all do their best, but you have to ask questions due to the inconsistency of this squad. Last year, I felt that we made progress until the Tipp game, this year we were fortunate enough against Mayo and rubbish v the Rossies.

Like everyone else, scratching my head as to why Meehan was brought back? Also as I have said previously Danny Cummins who after many years of toiling away with the county, sticking with them when others departed, has a stand out season last year, gets an all star nomination..... then spends the following year getting five minutes at the end of every game? We needed goals and the man who got them last year was just left sitting there. Really at a loss to understand what the thinking was? There is definitely something lacking from a team motivational side. Would like a change to start Div 1 next season.

Farmer_3650 · 30-07-2017 10:10PM

I'd just like to say hard luck to all the Galway Fans. You had the support of more or less the whole crowd (except for the very few Kerry fans). You created a good few goal chances, none of them were excecuted but I would put that down to Kerrys keeper who had an exceptional game.

Utopia Parkway · 30-07-2017 10:19PM

Meehan had back spasms this morning apparently.

djPSB · 30-07-2017 10:30PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Yes but that's because Roscommon got their goals. Galway Missed theirs. Goals change games and give teams energy.

And Roscommon were playing Mayo.

Rumpy Pumpy · 30-07-2017 10:40PM

I've no great eye for the big-ball game, but went to a few of the matches this year.

I wouldn't even know where most of the clubs they are from are located, but thought there were more positives than negatives from the performance. Some lovely natural footballers on the team. Too much tactics. Let talent do what they want. Comer is a raw talent.

Onwards and upwards for next week. Can't see Tipp troubling us to be honest. We're 1-1 so far with only a point each time to separate us. Predicting a 10 point victory for Galway next week.

O.A.P · 30-07-2017 10:50PM

No faith in his team at all shown by KW.
If he had Galway would have attacked from the throw in and went toe to toe with Kerry and just maybe won that game .
Instead we played a defensive load of rubbish and invited Kerry to try and get through it.
We lost by 8 and I don't care if we lost by 18 playing football properly at least we would have tried to WIN

threeball · 30-07-2017 11:04PM

Just back now and still fuming after that display. It was every bit as bad as Tipp last year if not worse. At least Tipp showed up, kerry may as well have sent the junior team for all the good they were. Yes they possibly could have went up through the gears but we didn't even ask the question. No heart, no bite, no bottle, no clue.

How can Walsh think its a good idea to
concede pretty much every kickout and invite kerry on. The one time we pushed up we forced a turnover and scored.

bring so many lads back to defence and leave 50m between our forwards and them

bring Damien Comer back to pick up short kickouts and defend in front of our back 6.

keep Tom flynn on the pitch with an attitude as lazy as his

bring a legend of the game along for training to use as some sort of mascot and motivational tool.

keep star u21 players warming a bench or not even be involved

have no plan to use shane walsh and his solo running ability

saunter the ball out of defence when every man and his dog knew we had to attack them at pace.

We're heading straight back down to div2 with him at the helm and he'll sink some promising careers along with it. To me the players didn't buy into the game plan and never thought they could win playing like that so we end up with that "performance". Heard his interview after the game and nearly put my fist through the radio.
KW was a great player but great players don't often make good managers and he's not.

jam83 · 30-07-2017 11:45PM

threeball wrote: »

Just back now and still fuming after that display. It was every bit as bad as Tipp last year if not worse. At least Tipp showed up, kerry may as well have sent the junior team for all the good they were. Yes they possibly could have went up through the gears but we didn't even ask the question. No heart, no bite, no bottle, no clue.

How can Walsh think its a good idea to
concede pretty much every kickout and invite kerry on. The one time we pushed up we forced a turnover and scored.

bring so many lads back to defence and leave 50m between our forwards and them

bring Damien Comer back to pick up short kickouts and defend in front of our back 6.

keep Tom flynn on the pitch with an attitude as lazy as his

bring a legend of the game along for training to use as some sort of mascot and motivational tool.

keep star u21 players warming a bench or not even be involved

have no plan to use shane walsh and his solo running ability

saunter the ball out of defence when every man and his dog knew we had to attack them at pace.

We're heading straight back down to div2 with him at the helm and he'll sink some promising careers along with it. To me the players didn't buy into the game plan and never thought they could win playing like that so we end up with that "performance". Heard his interview after the game and nearly put my fist through the radio.
KW was a great player but great players don't often make good managers and he's not.

Agreed

Diabhal Beag · 31-07-2017 12:06AM

The absolute waste of chances in that second half was unforgivable. The forwards are usually the sole positive of our bad showings but today when they had the chance to put the foot on Kerry's throat they slipped like Gary O'Donnell marauding in that first half. Nobody went in expecting a win or anything but to have 4 good goal chances and well over 10 handy points bottled was infuriating.

We're guaranteed more days like today if the current management stay on. They seem like lovely guys but they're tactically outclassed too often. They've given us some big results but never built on any of them. I don't think financially we've the ability to go outside of Walsh and co for next season.

threeball · 31-07-2017 12:15AM

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

The absolute waste of chances in that second half was unforgivable. The forwards are usually the sole positive of our bad showings but today when they had the chance to put the foot on Kerry's throat they slipped like Gary O'Donnell marauding in that first half. Nobody went in expecting a win or anything but to have 4 good goal chances and well over 10 handy points bottled was infuriating.

We're guaranteed more days like today if the current management stay on. They seem like lovely guys but they're tactically outclassed too often. They've given us some big results but never built on any of them. I don't think financially we've the ability to go outside of Walsh and co for next season.

If they sold that bloody pearse stadium theyd have money to do whatever they wanted. The time is perfect. Either connaught or a developer will take it. Its like a noose round our neck as it is. Friggin sick of watchin beach ball up there.

MfMan · 31-07-2017 10:20AM

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Pathetic effort really. In 2014 we played Kerry in Croke Park and they sauntered into a big lead, we fought back to put them under a bit of pressure for a couple of minutes during the 2nd half before they eased clear again. 3 years of Kevin Walsh's management and we're no further along the road. The Tipperary and Roscommon defeats were humiliations but this was equally as bad.

We played with no conviction or real desire against a Kerry side who clearly knew they didn't need to stretch themselves today. We were never going to beat Kerry but I hoped we'd at least give it a go and try and take the opportunity to show we are edging closer to the bigger sides. Today proved once again we are miles off.

For me Kevin Walsh won't bring this team any further. I don't have any alternatives within the county of who will but we've reached the highest peak we are going to under this management. 3 championship outings in Croke Park and 3 bad beatings.

Agree in particular with this. Taking one step forwards and one back will bring you precisely nowhere. It's 4 largeish c'ship defeats in 3 years under KW, surely that will tell the mgmt something about whatever defensive system they're attempting to implement. Tactically once again we got it wrong. Walsh was a disaster at FB and was only moved shortly before Donaghy himself was taken off; midfield out of it all through with only a change made with 15 minutes remaining; even missed goal chances apart, (Mike Farragher's was the worst of the lot), Galway prospered when they ran at the slow Kerry defence - why didn't they do more of this? Why did one of our best forwards only make his c'ship debut last Saturday week?

Yesterday, in a sense, is like the end of an era. Many of the players, and particularly the senior and most experienced ones, hit their performance ceiling; they're not going to be any better any more and it's doubtful if a season in Division I will improve them any. I know they've put in a huge amount of effort and are as disappointed as anyone at not succeeding but Kyne, Sweeney, GOD (very poor yesterday), Bradshaw (not his worst game in fairness yesterday), Conroy, Flynn, probably FOC, Sice, Meehan, Hanley, possibly Armstrong - their era is over now. They've been there for a long while now with no discernible progress being made (no semi-final since '01).

In a way, it may be immaterial whether KW stays on, (though why the Board arbitrarily gave him a 2-year extension last autumn is perplexing, in light of the Tipp display last year); it will take a few years for a few of the promising underage players to graduate to the top level. Better coaching will also be needed to get the most out of our promising forwards. (Kerry native Donie Buckley is known to be a shrewd operator and may be available sometime in the future, once his stint with Mayo is over).

Through the grapevine, the Board are planning to reduce the number of Senior clubs in the county and implement a group-like c'ship structure in the coming year or two. This would be progressive I feel, as playing maybe only 2 c'ship games a year isn't much good for club players, especially when the leagues are little more than an afterthought currently. More anon of this anyway.

Mr Starman · 31-07-2017 10:34AM

Expectations are way too high here, calm down will ye. It wasn't too long ago we were getting battered by Mayo by about 20 points.

This team have....
Beaten Mayo two years running, once in their own back yard.
Won Connacht final 2016 after 8 years.
Won division 2 and got promoted.

Next year we'll be in division 1, it'll add more steel getting games against Dublin Kerry Tyrone & Mayo. K. Walsh got us there and he deserves his chance. C'mon, Monaghan, Donegal, Kildare, we should be beating them!

The system worked to a point yesterday, we had a ton of chances but the players didn't take them and the full back line was as diabolical as usual. Some very good players there but half that team aren't of the standard required to win an All Ireland. Some other lads need a chance now.

Most fans hate Pearse, I got a parking ticket for my troubles along with everyone else for the Connacht final. Joke of a place. Renovate Tuam asap and bring Galway football back home. The state of the place is a disgrace to its history.

PARlance · 31-07-2017 10:44AM

Q: What do you get for beating Mayo two years in a row?
A: Kevin Walsh

From the outside looking in, I would feel that there has to be someone better to take over but the last 2 years have represented a little progress and I can't see any change unless he was to walk away.

If he was an outside manager or didn't have his stature within Galway then I think the CB would be at least sharpening the knives.

westcork67 · 31-07-2017 11:04AM

Was at the game and very deflated for the Galway lads at the end - however Kevin Walsh cant put the ball in the back of the net or over the bar himself - Galway created so many chances it was unreal - terrible shot selection, kicking for 2 points when a simple hand pass over the bar was on, awful and I mean awful efforts at goals - perferct height to make the Kerry keeper look great!

Midfield was once again anonymous - there is talent but at the same time some of those players need to develop some liathroidi when it comes to taking on the Kerry's of this world - in a word Galway are too nice a bunch of footballers

Where I was surprised was the choice of substitutions - Conroy was out on his feet with 20minutes to go - Bradshaw coming off? Thay got to a 1/4 final, beaten by the best/second best team in the country and if they had taken the chances could have beaten them or certainly given them a real fright - that is where Galway football is this year and expectations should be realistic - next year in Division one they should be getting to a semi at least in the championship and they MUST qualify for the super 8 to keep developing

Finally - Gilberto - you've been having a pop all year but I gather from your posts you weren't there - couch supporter??

Mr Starman · 31-07-2017 11:09AM

PARlance wrote: »

Q: What do you get for beating Mayo two years in a row?

A. A deep sense of satisfaction.

..and we might get to beat them twice next year. Imagine that!

2pintsofstout · 31-07-2017 11:43AM

westcork67 wrote: »

Was at the game and very deflated for the Galway lads at the end - however Kevin Walsh cant put the ball in the back of the net or over the bar himself - Galway created so many chances it was unreal - terrible shot selection, kicking for 2 points when a simple hand pass over the bar was on, awful and I mean awful efforts at goals - perferct height to make the Kerry keeper look great!

Follow the various GAA threads on here for a while without registering, but felt compelled to post a response to this comment though. Why Danny Cummins wasn't introduced absolutely beggars belief in my opinion. At half time it was clear that 1) Galway were going to need goals and 2) Galway were going to get goal chances. Surely to God, then, in that situation you want your most dangerous goalscorer on the pitch.

Ultimately feels like an opportunity lost. Maybe Kerry never got out of third gear, but it's borderline unforgivable that Galway couldn't even ask the question.

PARlance · 31-07-2017 11:48AM

Mr Starman wrote: »

A. A deep sense of satisfaction.

..and we might get to beat them twice next year. Imagine that!

Too much satisfaction it seems.

MfMan · 31-07-2017 12:09PM

Mr Starman wrote: »

Expectations are way too high here, calm down will ye. It wasn't too long ago we were getting battered by Mayo by about 20 points.

This team have....
Beaten Mayo two years running, once in their own back yard.
Won Connacht final 2016 after 8 years.
Won division 2 and got promoted.

Next year we'll be in division 1, it'll add more steel getting games against Dublin Kerry Tyrone & Mayo. K. Walsh got us there and he deserves his chance. C'mon, Monaghan, Donegal, Kildare, we should be beating them!

The system worked to a point yesterday, we had a ton of chances but the players didn't take them and the full back line was as diabolical as usual. Some very good players there but half that team aren't of the standard required to win an All Ireland. Some other lads need a chance now.

Most fans hate Pearse, I got a parking ticket for my troubles along with everyone else for the Connacht final. Joke of a place. Renovate Tuam asap and bring Galway football back home. The state of the place is a disgrace to its history.

We're still getting hammered, not just by Mayo anymore. Lucky enough to beat Mayo this year and lost the Connacht final to a team we beat handy last year -
that's scarcely progress. Exposure to the better teams in Div. I will undoubtedly help, but Donegal, who look abject, are still there so league football may be a bit of a mirage. (See Armagh v Kildare)

Galway GAA discussion thread

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