Waterford GAA thread - mod warning post #1 and #51

Anyone have any insight to the wheelchair facilities they've installed at the Keane's Road end of the stand? The mere fact that they are there is worthy of applause, although it would be interesting to know how they worked in the real world.

A lot has been covered already, we were badly off the pace yesterday and with litle to no physicality in our play too, pushed off the ball all to easily and mostly second to the ball anyway. Hard to think of any Waterford player beside Austin who actually had a good game. Some very poor decisions on the line regarding subs and also the call to go for goal from that free at the end was madness.

One thing I noticed pre-game was that Waterford finished their warm up at 1.55, five mins before throw in. The subs left the field and the team were left just pucking around for 3-4 mins before hastily getting into a huddle just as the national anthem was about to start. It seemed like the planning was wrong, we were then caught cold for that early goal and that lack of planning seemed to be in all of our play and tactics for nearly the whole game.

Worrying thing for me is that the scoreline doesnt show how we were beaten all over the park on Sunday and I would be very concerned that we get a right trimming this coming Sunday Thurles.

Depressing.

The new format has come at the wrong time for Waterford.

The back door for all teams from 2002 onwards was a major part of their revival when Mullane, Kelly,Prendergast emerged but Waterfords recent good form has come to the end of its cycle by the looks of it.

Thought they would be a lot better given how decent the minor scene was the first half of the decade.

friendlyfun wrote: »

Jaysus hope we bate them for that salty comment

yeh.who the fu*k spells Blaa with a H

Christ, we're a glass-half-empty bunch.

Jesus lads, if we played awfully and only lost by a point then what does that make Clare?

Waterford didn't play to their potential yesterday in a variety of positions and there is plenty they can improve on for next week but it's only one game and a win next weekend and it leaves Waterford in a good position again. anything I say is not to criticise management or players, just my own opinions. Some of the worries/issues I felt:

- Clare's distribution from puckouts was much more accurate. For the world of me, I can't understand why SOK gives short ones to Fives or Prunty on the 21 putting them under pressure when his puck is probably 30 yards longer which we saw in the last 10 minutes when they dropped inside the Clare 45. I also noticed that the runs from the forwards improved at this stage with Austin and Curran started runs from inside the 21 to win ball in space. The movement has to be good again next week so we don't give the 3 Mahers a field day in the Tipp halfback line.

- Conor Gleeson should have picked up Tony Kelly from the start or at least after Kelly's first few possessions and scores. He's a man marker, a spoiler, and Kelly is clearly Clare's key man.

- Even if Jamie Barron is struggling, which I didn't think he was, I would leave him on the pitch. He had scored 2 points and had just won a free that was scored and was suddenly subbed. There were certainly other players less effective such as Moran, Kearney and Mahony. Barron is a player who can create a score or space from nothing, he was needed for those last 15 minutes.

- The subs made an impact, although Tommy Ryan didn't touch a ball until around the 55th minute but he used the few balls he got well. Maurice played excellently and looked sharp and dangerous, he's a handful for any defender when he is that form. Patrick Curran showed well and won ball. I wasn't as impressed with Shane Fives as others seemed to be but O'Donnell had less of an impact when Connors went off. My overall point is that we have strength in depth and players to bring in to change games.

- Credit to the county board for how smoothly the day went and how Walsh Park was set up, the pitch was excellent. I was in the West Terrace and there were good toilet facilities and ample space and slightly off point but beforehand, there were no issues with traffic or parking. The atmosphere wasn't fantastic but that is up to the supporters to create and the place probably only got lively for the last 5 minutes.

- I think there should be a freetaking policy within the panel. I know it puts pressure on Bennett but if he misses 2/3, Mahony should be given responsibility. Similarly if it's decided Mahony is on frees the nest day, Bennett goes on them if he is struggling. Also, there should be a designated 21 yard freetaker, not 3 lads (Austin, Bennett and Maurice) looking to take it.

- The reaction of supporters, pundits and journalists to one win/loss from a team is crazy. I read Eamon Sweeney today in the Indo saying Tipp are back and praising their forwards and that they're now going to be the team to beat to win an All-Ireland. This is the same forward line that was called too slow during the league and a team that should have lost every game in Munster last year. Tipp aren't as bad as people made out before this year but they're not world beaters after one big performance. Similarly, I believe Waterford are better than they showed for 60 minutes yesterday and small tweaks could make the difference. Waterford have nothing to fear going to Semple next week and should give it a right lash like they did last year when they were excellent against Tipp.

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

I'd love to see Shane Bennett tried at midfield. He'd be a natural there. Also agree with your suggestion for the half forward line and then maybe Mahony dropping into the corner instead of Shane Bennett if moved to midfield. We have a lot of options but all risky for management. I think Kearney has played well in some league games but I'd drop him next day.

I'd like to see this team tried with Foran a risky bet and Mahony maybe with licence to roam deeper and create space for Tommy Ryan to use his pace.

SOK
Fives - Prunty - McNulty
Philip Mahony - TDB - Moran
Barron - Shane Bennett
Austin - Maurice - Foran
Ryan - Stephen Bennett - Paudie Mahony

Dropping Conor Gleeson, our best man marker, would be pure madness

Jjjjjjjbarry wrote: »

I was in the stand but heard there was some sort of seating provided in the terraces for those who didn't have a rail but wanted to sit for a break. Sounds odd.. any truth in that?

Loads of people around me had stools/folding chairs. They brought them with them. Hence my earlier point about the place being half empty. There was a lot of space on the terraces.

Deise_2012 wrote: »

Correct me if I’m wrong but Tommy Ryan’s first involvement in the game was his point in the 72nd minute? I thought he was very quiet throughout the 2nd half as was Curran when he came on. If Connors is fit I’d drop Mcnulty for next week and swap Moran with Conor Gleeson.
TDB was targeted with his distribution yest, anytime he got on the ball he was closed down immediately while losing the ball on a few occasions. A lot to improve on for next week

He was on three balls. Cross field ball to Bennett. A ball to Maurice and his point.

Back in work today and the mood was very downbeat, the general feeling down here is that Cork and Waterford will finish bottom if yesterday is anything to go by. Lots of lads from work are big Cork men and think Tipperary were only finding their feet yesterday. They expect Tipp to kick it up a couple of notches next Sunday and they fear for Waterford. I can’t say I disagree with them.

First things first, unless changes are made in the half forward line we will be in massive trouble. That Tipperary half back line is as good as the Cork one from the mid 2000s. If Padraig Maher gets an easy time of it next week then a similar result to 2011 or 2016 is well and truly on the cards.

Moran has to go midfield where he can drive up the pitch. Look how good he and Barron were in 2017, surely the management must make that change and work from there.

If the management had a plan for the Tipp game I’m fairly sure it was based around a win from yesterday’s match. Now obviously there’ll be a plan B but I think the manner of the performance yesterday will throw any plan B Fanning & Co. have out the window. A worry now is that the team haven’t a whole lot of time together between now and Sunday to work on things. Two training sessions max is all they have between games and I would imagine there won’t be a whole lot done in those sessions. Very hard to know what management can change in terms of playing styles and even if they do change it then how well drilled will the lads be?

Having had time to reflect on the performance yesterday the one thing that is sticking out is how disjointed the whole thing was from start to finish. I lost count of how many times our forwards were caught on their heels and their marker was off and gone a couple of yards ahead of them. Look at Tipperary and Cork yesterday, they were both well drilled and when a half back got a ball the wing/corner forwards were already making their runs and the ball was played into the space for them. That didn’t happen yesterday for Waterford and it looked like the full forward line were trying to second guess where the ball would be delivered into. The Clare players were able to read the game better than any of our lads and that’s another serious worry ahead of Sunday.

I couldn’t make out a pattern in our play yesterday and perhaps it was down to the fact that it was a big day for the lads and there was lots of pressure on them. It isn’t much of an excuse but I’m hoping it was just a bad day at the office and things improve. Improvement is needed quickly and what’s more, lots of it is needed. A bad result on Sunday and I would imagine our season is over before it has even begun. I’ll travel up on Sunday again hoping for a reaction and this has now turned into the biggest game since the All Ireland in 2017 for Waterford. The players will be well aware of this and so will the management so with that in mind I’ll back them to at least get stuck in a bit more. Tipperary won’t take any prisoners and the minimum needed from Waterford is to meet them head on. Do that and we’ve a chance.