Galway GAA discussion thread

^^^^ Agreed. No chance we'll win th AI this year, but with Cunninghams track record we could have a serious chance by '14. Given the fact it's 24 years this year, I'd happily settle for that.

I just want us to be competitive this year - no more horror shows like Tullamore & Thurles last year.

Submara wrote: »

Was at the game yesterday. A good win for the younger players on the Galway panel but unfortunately the same old failings still exist such as bad first touch, loose marking, the inability to catch the sliotar and to win puck outs. Defensively we were good, particularly not conceding any goals. I felt our full forward line were very poor particularly D. Hayes in the first half as a lot of good ball went in but no scores resulted. No All-Ireland for another few years yet!

Does anybody know if the Hurling Board made a conscious decision to change the shade of maroon on the Galway jerseys or was it a manufacturing decision by O'Neills?

Sean Walsh referred to that on GBFM, can't say I noticed that much myself, probably colour blind anyway. I'd excuse the sub-par first touch a little yesterday, the pitch wasn't too conducive to flowing hurling as it was heavy and scarred from the Sigerson final on Saturday.

thewildcat wrote: »

we got to 3 minor finals in the last 4 years won 2 also 2 under 21's titles
they might be kittens but they will grow to be tigers;)

Hmm.. yes, but Dublin have won the last 3 Leinster U-21 titles plus Minor last year. KK will always produce a conveyor belt of players but there's no guarantee the next generation will rival the current one in terms of success or ability, plus it's hard to see the next manager being as driven as Cody. Look how Cork have entered the doldrums in the past number of years.

Galway team to face Westmeath on Sunday - 1 Manus Breathnach, 2 Kieran McGrath, 3 Finian Hanley, 4 Keith Kelly, 5 Garreth Bradshaw 6 J Duane, 7 G Sice, 8 Thomas Flynn, 9 Joe Bergin, 10 Conor Doherty, 11 P Conroy, 12 Mark Hehir, 13 Michael Martin, 14 N Joyce, 15 D Cummins

keane2097 wrote: »

O Currain is injured alright, dunno about the other two.

The other two don't appear to be injury-related. Just trying different options I suppose.

Bergin was never much of a midfielder it's true, but it shows how much we're still lacking options in that department that we have to go back to him again.

Westmeath were very poor the last day in getting walloped by Meath so barring a big improvement from them, Galway ought to be winning this.

aidan24326 wrote: »

With difficult games to come against Tyrone, Kildare, Monaghan and Meath relegation is back on the table unfortunately. Bad bad result on Sunday. It'll be a long hard road for AM to get us back to anywhere near the top level. I just hope they give him time because it aint gonna happen overnight, and losing Michael Meehan (as seems likely) is a hammer blow.

Shocking performance on Sunday - yet another to add to the list of dreadful shows over the last 6 or 7 years. Couldn't believe he selected Coleman & Bergin @ midfield; those 2 clearly weren't good enough in 2005. It doesn't say much for the rebuilding process when Mulholland persists with proven failures. It's got to the stage now where I have zero confidence in getting a result in any game. I am extremely pessimistic about our chances of even getting to a Connacht final this year - it might be a blessing too, looking at the way Mayo are travelling so far. I thought WM were very poor on Sunday, and it easy to see why they were the divisions whipping boys, yet the way Galway were playing towards the end it was clear that we were going to allow ourselves to be rolled over at the finish. Also, am I the only one who doesn't rate Hanley? I'm sick to the back teeth of reading that he's a truly class full back, yet anyime I see him he seems to be on a one man mission to make his man an allstar.

Think I'll go to Thurles to watch the hurlers on Sunday. Reckon they'll be seriously up against it, but from what I saw v Dublin last week, I reckon they'll at least die with their boots on.

24yearslater wrote: »

Shocking performance on Sunday - yet another to add to the list of dreadful shows over the last 6 or 7 years. Couldn't believe he selected Coleman & Bergin @ midfield; those 2 clearly weren't good enough in 2005. It doesn't say much for the rebuilding process when Mulholland persists with proven failures. It's got to the stage now where I have zero confidence in getting a result in any game. I am extremely pessimistic about our chances of even getting to a Connacht final this year - it might be a blessing too, looking at the way Mayo are travelling so far. I thought WM were very poor on Sunday, and it easy to see why they were the divisions whipping boys, yet the way Galway were playing towards the end it was clear that we were going to allow ourselves to be rolled over at the finish. Also, am I the only one who doesn't rate Hanley? I'm sick to the back teeth of reading that he's a truly class full back, yet anyime I see him he seems to be on a one man mission to make his man an allstar.

Think I'll go to Thurles to watch the hurlers on Sunday. Reckon they'll be seriously up against it, but from what I saw v Dublin last week, I reckon they'll at least die with their boots on.

Considering going to Thurles meself too. Agree a little re: Hanley; not too bad under a high ball, remember he handled Donaghy fairly well on the wet day a few years ago, not so good when the FF is drawing him around the place. The backs in general don't seem to play as a unit however. Individually goodish footballers for the most part but there always appears to be a lot of space there when opposing forwards race at the defence. Agree also re: Coleman and Bergin, though from the highlights I saw, Joe seemed to do what he should for once, win primary possession and immediately pass it to a better player. Ironically, from talking to a few that were there, midfield was changed about last Sunday when there was no need, in sharp contrast to the Louth game.

aidan24326 wrote: »

To be fair though, Liam Sammon, Joe Kernan and O'Flatharta all tried different players in midfield over the last few years in league matches, and to no avail. None of them proved to be good enough. Not a big fan of Coleman myself but maybe we don't have anything that much better? Hopefully at least one of Flynn and O'Curraoin will come through and make that position their own.

Overall I think what we have right now is alot of players around the same middling sort of level, with very few standouts. Hardly a single one of them would get on the O'Mahony team (obviously leaving Joyce and Bergin aside) and that says it all. Nicky probably would on a good day, but that's about it.

I take your point about the lack of quality players available, but I still feel we shouldn't persist with guys that clearly have proved in the past that they won't cut it. MfMan in a previous post suggested that Bergin did ok in midfield - certainly not in the game I was at. If anything it was Colm Doherty who helped out from the half forward line that troubled WM. Bergin was taken off with about 15 minutes to go, Coleman should have been as well. Cunningham made the decision to clearout a load of the deadwood with the hurlers, & give youth its chance. The signs v Dublin the 1st day out were very encouraging, but we won't get carried away. At leaset he's biting the bullet - we won't win the AI this year or next, but at least it's new. Mulholland needs to do the same thing with the footballers, go with young lads and put his faith in them. It's no use talking about transition while stcking with the same old same old. PJ shouldn't be brought back either - it's another backward step.

aidan24326 wrote: »

So what players would you have kept on? Hanley I suppose? And maybe Sice? I agree that alot of the players that were there over the last few years failed dismally too many times. The 2002 and 2005 U-21 winning teams never really kicked on at senior level, and there's no guarantee that last year's crop will either. They deserve a chance though, and in fairness AM has introduced quite a few of then into the setup so we'll see.

And I take your point about Joyce. I'd also be in two minds about bringing him back. On the one hand he's probably still one of our better players, and on the other hand there's not alot to be gained now from sticking with fellas who's best days are behind them, a category PJ admittedly falls into.

Wouldn't have kept Hanley or sice, both v poor. Would cull them as well, along with bergin & coleman. Reckon Bradshaw is about the only older guy I would keep - the rest aren't up to it. If it means further relegation to div 3 this year well so be it, we're headn that way anyway. At least the younger lads will get game time. Your point about the 02 & 05 teams is valid, but I feel the '11 side have more to offer. They'll just be dragged down if they are forced to play with lads who have developed a mentality of failure at this stage.

Hammer Archer wrote: »

What's parking like around Pearse Stadium on matchdays lads?

Not good. The day the Pope came to Ballybrit was worse though.:)