The 2025 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

Fair play to Kerry and Donegal two brilliant teams.

But where is the game going now. It is obvious that to entertain any notion of competing at All Ireland level a professional set up is non negotiable. A panel of players that are available to train at professional levels with "lifestyles" to match is non negotiable. A major benefactor is also non negotiable.

Reaching the fitness levels of the Donegal squad is not possible for counties that do not have all the above in place. Every other county does not have a sponsor like the Kerry Group.

It is apparent that only a select number of counties can hope to replicate what Donegal and Kerry are doing.

Where is the level playing field for all counties, where is the amateur ethos that the Gaa was built on.

Ego maniacs like Jack O Connor and Jim McGuinness are not good for the future of the game. McGuinness success is no great mystery, implement a relentless running game, with a professional level of fitness and have an edge over most other teams who are not able to prepare as professionally. He hadn't amazing sucess when he coached in professional soccer where there was a level playing field.

So you are telling me any county can't get 20 committed lads that will work hard and get fit? You don't have to be "professional" to do that just committed and have a working ethos.

You are basically saying most other counties are not bothered. Which is a real insult to them I think.

Also you have to play like McGuinness/O'Connor. A team with power and two point shooters like Meath can go far. They got hammered yesterday because the previous accurate shooting was off.

Teams that will constantly struggle are those who lack energy and persist with the slow working the ball up the field, with poor two point shooters like Dublin.

If you put McGuinness in charge of Kildare (for example) I bet he would transform them. It is not just fitness and work ethic but ATTITUDE. If the attitude and mindset is not there it does not matter how talented and fit a player is.

I think it is great that players have to work hard now at inter-county level or are found out. It instills discipline in the youth. Asia has its history of martial arts. Ireland has Gaelic Football. And it transends to other codes Rugby, Soccer etc. Irish people do not respect a sports person that does not work their bollix off. The same in life itself you see a fella working hard, people say fair play.

You seem to pine for the days of layabouts and jolly ups. That is what junior football is for!

I think it is a great thing that players have to put in an effort to succeed. Great for the mind, the body and the spirit.

Do you expect teams to train less to give others a chance?

I'm telling you that a level playing field is required, every team in the competition haven't the resources to do what the select few can.

Jack o Connor managed Kildare, remind me how that went again

All the Division 1 teams and the yoyo top two teams in Division 2, I would say, but there is levels again within that.

Any county outside that can't aspire to that level

The GAA is far more about inter county big days out.

There is a pitch & thankfully nowadays super facilities in practically every parish in the country...run by volunteers & the focal point of every community if you so chose to participate...thats the ethos of the GAA. Community involvement.

No other sport in ireland can reach the corners of the country that the GAA does...thats our heritage & its unique to us.

Could you explain why you think the 2 managers you mentioned are ego maniacs??

Meath have blown your theory out of the water by getting to a semi final this year...which nobody would have predicted. Up to them to build on that progress next year.

The largest county in Ireland whilst having both codes can't get their county board in order & have a senior team competing at the top table in football..have you seen the facilities in PUC...the level field is in front of them & for various reasons they can't get their sh1t together

Have a look at the backroom team Cavan have & tell me they are being underfunded.

https://cavangaa.ie/2023/09/raymond-galligan-has-been-appointed-as-cavan-senior-football-team-manager/.

Most counties are all doing the same training.

They all have S&C coaches and same gym programs. Same nutrition and supplements.

Jim McGuiness is a brilliant manager and has a messiah effect. He also has a good panel of players.

Kerry Groups sponsorship is no real advantage.

Kerry's advantage is over a century of culture and tradition.

Jack O'Connor has been managing teams since 1992. Most of the time for free. That's service to his community, not ego.

And its almost like he has redesigned himself in terms of running game. Like if it was aped by clubs, which tends to happen regularly enough in football when team masters a set-up, it will gets bums on seats.

Their fitness levels are off the charts. McHugh popping up on the right wing one moment, on the left the next. Roarty, Mogan and Moore like Frank McGlynn reborn. Langan and the two O'Donnell's relentless too, with the likes of O'Baoill and Jamie Brennan of a similar style to bring on.

God I hope they do it

So are you saying only Donegal and Kerry will win the AI for the next few years?

It's not a good comparison.
Kerry come and go in cycles.

Right now we're in an up cycle but have only won 1 AI in 10 years.

Dublin have had huge droughts also. Between 1983 and 2011, Dublin won one AI.

Kerry had an 11 year drought.

The nature of Gaelic football is that hunger and desire and work rate and fitness count for a lot, so there's no guarantees.

Also Kerry's small population and high emigration means we'll go through periods of not producing players.