Unpopular GAA opinions you hold

Royal Legend wrote: »

He was at it in that game as well. he fell to the ground holding his head trying to get Darren Fay into trouble early in that game, (trying to get Fay sent off, no other way to describe it) he got what he deserved shortly afterwards, yet ever since his supporters play him as the victim. by the way, he has admitted since he retired that he cheated.

Wouldn't be surprised if you're making that up or exaggerating to be honest; I've never heard that claimed before anyway. Maybe Brian Dooher and Ciaran McBride got what they deserved that match as well. Can't exactly take the moral high ground about that match anyway. When did he admit that he cheated?

Was good craic seeing Martin O'Connell talking rubbish on Laochra Gael about not meaning to stamp on Dooher that match, it was the most obvious intentional stamp I've ever seen, he pinned his head down before doing it ffs

Canavan was a fantastic player and anyone saying otherwise hasn't a clue IMO.

However, he did have a very nast streak and not just a normal one either. He feigned serious injury on more than one occassion, famously headbutting the arm of Mike McCarthy in the 2003 Semi final in an attempt to get him sent off. (He got yellow)...A great player, but (same as many great players) not without his flaws.

aveytare wrote: »

Was good craic seeing Martin O'Connell talking rubbish on Laochra Gael about not meaning to stamp on Dooher that match, it was the most obvious intentional stamp I've ever seen, he pinned his head down before doing it ffs

That's quite ridiculous.

It was very obviously unintentional, but because the 'perpetrator' was wearing a Meath jersey there was a scandalous over-reaction by the 'someone think of the children' types to it.

If you look at O'Connell's eyes he's constantly looking at the ball, falls off-balance from the body underneath him, puts his hand down to stop falling (as natural a human a reaction as you can get) and the result is a disgraceful tarnishing of a brilliant footballer's reputation.

I was a complete neutral (though would have liked to see Tyrone win) and feel some of the other rough stuff that Meath intentionally did (McDermott's hit on Canavan being the most obvious) resulted in O'Connell's incident being thrown in with them by way of lazy association.

aveytare wrote: »

Yeah but then he stamped on his head - he would've known exactly where his foot was gonna land considering where he'd just put his hand, unless you think it was unavoidable? Not a sarcastic question btw but I think McConnell didn't put much effort into avoiding stamping on him anyway.

Did you not notice that O'Connell was falling off-balance? And was trying to right himself? Where was he going to put his foot?

In those split-second scenarios there's no thinking involved. There's just reactions and putting his hand down was one and putting his foot down to straighten himself was the next phase.

Slow-motion has a lot to answer for.

megadodge wrote: »

Did you not notice that O'Connell was falling off-balance? And was trying to right himself? Where was he going to put his foot?

In those split-second scenarios there's no thinking involved. There's just reactions and putting his hand down was one and putting his foot down to straighten himself was the next phase.

Slow-motion has a lot to answer for.

Jeez, I don't know, it looked pretty terrible. and I think it was at least avoidable. Even if that was a clean match it would've been picked up on. Obviously we disagree and that's fine.

aveytare wrote: »

Wouldn't be surprised if you're making that up or exaggerating to be honest; I've never heard that claimed before anyway. Maybe Brian Dooher and Ciaran McBride got what they deserved that match as well. Can't exactly take the moral high ground about that match anyway. When did he admit that he cheated?

Was good craic seeing Martin O'Connell talking rubbish on Laochra Gael about not meaning to stamp on Dooher that match, it was the most obvious intentional stamp I've ever seen, he pinned his head down before doing it ffs

Not making it up, happened early in the match right in front of me, the first time I had seen something as cynical ever in a GAA game, has become commonplace since

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

Canavan was a fantastic player and anyone saying otherwise hasn't a clue IMO.

However, he did have a very nast streak and not just a normal one either. He feigned serious injury on more than one occassion, famously headbutting the arm of Mike McCarthy in the 2003 Semi final in an attempt to get him sent off. (He got yellow)...A great player, but (same as many great players) not without his flaws.

the really great ones have very little in the way of flaws, does the Gooch cheat?

aveytare wrote: »

"My memory says Fay caught Canavan. He was on one knee and Fay shouldered him into the head. He wore a bandage for the rest of the game."

Saw earlier that you'd posted that but I didn't respond to it because I know looking at your post history is lame, but Canavan didn't wear a bandage that match and being shouldered in the head doesn't sound that pleasant anyway.

he feigned the injury with Fay a while before before been hit as he was kneeling on the ground, then the bandage appeared.
Didn't Dinky end up wearing a bandage as well?

aveytare wrote: »

As I said, Canavan didn't wear a bandage during that match.

Yeah McBride did I think. He's said in interviews more recently that he doesn't blame Meath at all, I know he complained a bit at the time - I appreciate it's annoying when opposing fans and players complain. Meath were brilliant that day, the other stuff isn't why Tyrone lost though obviously Canavan's injury didn't help. One man team or not, we still would've been beaten.

You are correct on the bandage, for some reason only part of your post appears?

Anyway, it was not the moaning afterwards that got me, as I remember it was Dinky that did the most of it, but the cynicism of Canavan, from that day on I had a very low regard for him as a footballer

Hulk Hands wrote: »

I can never remember Sean Marty Lockhart, Seamus Moynihan, Tomas Mannion or even Tomas O'Se being taken to the cleaners (and O'Se was to a massive extent on occasion). An excellent player but if we're going to place him amongst the best of all time, those are the standards we must hold him to.

Mannion was roasted in that Roscommon match in 2001. Cant remember who he was marking to be honest. After that defeat, many Galway fans expected him to be dropped. I have seen him have plenty of average games for Monivea in the past too. Dont get me wrong, He was a fantastic player. His performance in the 98 all-ireland final should be essential viewing for any corner back! Sean Og De Paor's point from Michael Donnellans pass originated in Mannion winning a hard ball above Lynch (iirc). I cant remember him on the Galway team in '00; the full back line was Meehan, Fahey, Silke, wasnt it? Was he injured that year?

I probably have the tape from that Galway - Ros match too. I have to digitise some of these tapes - they are left in my attic :-(

I would probably rate the 3 players you mention higher than Marc O'Se as well but they certainly have had bad matches in their career. I think its a little unfair to say that Marc O'Se is not a top player because he has had some bad games.

Hulk Hands wrote: »

Of course he's a top player.Its just he's one of those 'so underrated he's now overrated' ones. Generally consensus these days is putting him in the top 5 man markers of the last 20 yrs or so. I just dont have him that high myself, having at least the 4 mentioned + Darren Fay, Karl Lacey and Kieth Higgins ahead of him.

Marc O'Sé was a better corner back and all round footballer than either Lacey or Higgins. Darren Fay was a full back so hard to compare them.

ciarriaithuaidh wrote: »

Marc O'Sé was a better corner back and all round footballer than either Lacey

Disagree strongly. Lacey is a superb footballer.

2 all stars at corner back (06.09), 2 all stars at centre half back (11,12).

I would imagine Karl will pick up another couple before he retires.

Marc O' Sé over Lacey and Higgins easily for me at corner back.

Lacey and Higgins are as much half backs as they are corner backs, they drive up the field as much as they defend. But when it comes to what a corner back SHOULD be doing (not many do it these days) - ie. keeping the corner forward quiet, then Marc is far better than Lacey and Higgins imo. Neither of Lacey or Higgins are outstanding man-markers, great players but not great at shutting out top class forwards like Marc is.

A bit selective there, ey? I said they aren't outstanding man markers, I never said they weren't good at man-marking so get off your high horse. They are both fantastic players, but not as good at sticking to their man as O'Sé is.

A lot of recent teams tend to play one man marking corner back who takes the marquee forward and one corner back who is given more licence to drift up the field (e.g. Higgins, Lacey, Jonny Cooper, Ryan McMenamen etc.). Also, most teams tend to play a 2 man full forward line, so the more attacking corner back can drift forward and isn't as reliant on marking his man as the other guy because their are only 2 forwards inside (full back takes one man, 1 corner back takes the other). The way I see it, Lacey and Higgins are more adept at playing the role as the corner back that drifts up and back following the loose corner forward, whereas Marc has always been a pure man-marker who stands toe to toe with the marquee corner forward for the whole game.

How is my argument 'done'? I think that Marc's a better man-marker, it's an opinion.

If Lacey was an exceptional man-marker he would have been kept in the FB line, same with Higgins who was moved out to half forward. As all round footballers maybe they're better than Marc, but as a man marking corner back Marc trumps both imo.