Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

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Awful Stuff. Apart from the two mannions and morrissey, no one really looked up to the level required. Some of them looked like bad junior hurlers. The inability to work in the tight and the poor delivery of ball to the forwards is really not acceptable at this level.

The worst thing is, KK were well off it today and still beat us pulling up.

We all realise that the players aren't good enough to contest an all Ireland yet but it's the manager responsibility to ensure that they have a good first touch and are physically fit and we failed in both departments. 1.2 came off our lads not able to pick up the ball first time. So hopefully this week we can work on the basics and just try to get the ball into the full forward line as fast as possible.

The players first touch is not the responsibility of the manager, a good first touch should be a given at county level and if a player hasn't got a good first touch by their early twenties then they are unlikely to get it and F all a county manager can do about it at that stage. Now there might be an argument that the wrong players are being picked for the county squad, but, that's a different issue and unlikely to change this year.

I don't think we have the players atm and will be in the doldrums for a few years, for some reason we haven't been able to translate underage success to the U20 grade, never mind senior level and now we are beginning to struggle at underage level also, we are at the lowest ebb we have been for a very long time

There's a little bit of niggle there at the end, a LITTLE bit of niggle 🤜🤛

Definitely happy with that display. They were on top on inch of the pitch and I expected a lot more from the rossies too.

Mayo will surely show us exactly where we are at though. They got a scare yesterday, it's in Castlebar and they would love to stop us getting 4 in row.

The kickout strategy Galway had, shown by Peter Canavan last night, is new and must be the brainchild of Mickey Graham or Dave Morris. Good to see progress there. They cleaned up on kickouts yesterday.

That's a major problem for all teams at all levels, not playing enough hurling ( same in football), can run like horses and lift weights, but, neglecting the basics of the game. First touch should be a given at county level, too late at that stage to try to learn it. Would agree to an extent that manager needs to get the players sharp and focused, but, first touch should still be there regardless, if a player can't pick a ball he has no business near a county team, that's basic level stuff.

Shefflin got lots of abuse for sticking with the older players.

They tried lots of younger players, and guess what, they were and are nowhere near good enough.

This played out in the league this year and on Saturday. Hammered by Tipp, Cork, Limerick and now KK in the last 2 months.

if shefflin persisted with these younger players, they might further along in their development. In hindsight shefflin was the wrong man at the wrong time and that falls on Bellew. There wasn't another all ireland in this group, especially with JC retiring. We just have to weather the storm and hope, A. Niland, Rory Burke, Callanan, Jason Rabbitte, Jonah Donnellan, Trayers, Joshua Ryan can transition into decent hurlers in the next 3 or 4 years and as everyone is saying, make a serious effert at u 20 level for the foreseeable future

We were always going to fall back at some stage. A lot of these lads have been on the go for the best part of a decade and even though they might still be delivering at club level or beating the brakes off the youngsters in training, MD is going to have to make some tough calls on legends of Galway hurling in the winter. We also can't be expecting Rory Burkes or Aaron Nilands to immediately step up at senior.

End to a disappointing season for our u20 footballers lastnight in shield final loss to Leitrim in kiltoom. Round robin is great initiative at this age group as gives players plenty of games and galway had a much a changed side out lastnight. Very poor return from this group when you consider this age group won the all ireland u17 3 years ago and not even able to make top 3 in connacht. Manager Derek Savage wasnt on the line at all lastnight as unavailable due to work commitments and Ja Fallon took the team which seems odd. Be interesting see if he stays on for last of his 3 year term next year. Big work going on in academies but u17 and 20s have fared poorly in connacht by our high expectations over past 2 years.