Offaly footballers - Starting 15 for championship

[Bord na Mona man]

As I suggested in another thread, we should each start a thread and maintain our favoured line-up for championship.
Frequent modifications are to be expected.

At the moment mine would be:

1 Colin McNamamamamara
2 Shane Sullivan
3 Conor Evans
4 Ger Rafferty
5 Barry Mooney
6 Scott Brady
7 Karol Slattery
8 Ciaran McManus
9 James Grennan
10 Neville Coughlan
11 Colm Quinn
12 David Egan
13 Thomas Deehan
14 James Coughlan
15 Niall McNamee

--
I think Ger Rafferty has a good chance of making corner back his own.
He played here straight out of minor in 2001. In 2003 he suffered a bit when moved to full back where he was often caught out by high balls. With Evans now operating on the edge of the square and proven under the high ball, I think Rafferty should be given a prolonged run at corner back.

Other contenders would be Barry Malone and Cathal Daly. Both of them have something to prove though.
I'd still regard Casey as an outsider.
A more established Offaly manager (one in his second year) might have tried McManus or Neville Coughlan at wing back. I expect Kilmurray to play it safe in his first year.

My favoured midfield would be Grennan and McManus. If McNamee can claim a place there, well and good. If not, I don't agree with selecting him at wing forward.

If we are going with a Deehan-Coughlan-McNamee inside line, good distribution will be crucial. Colm Quinn at his best is/was an exceptional play maker. If he can stay injury free and regain form, then he would be vital to us.
Pascal will carry the ball and pass as a last resort when a shot is not on. He probably will make the starting 15, but I'd be dubious about him.
Other possibilites at centre forward are John Kenny and Matt Mitchell who both have good vision - it's doubtful whether either one will be championship starters.
Mark Daly would be a great addition for giving quality ball to our inside men. By all acounts he's unlikely to figure.

I'd like to see how David Egan performs at wing forward against tough opposition in the league. He has good qualities going forward. How he manages to perform tracking back could win or lose him the place. Wing backs getting forward punished us last year (Michael Ennis, Glen Ryan and Leigh O'Brien). We don't cope well with the 'full-court-press'.

We now have several decent inside forwards. The problem is getting the right kind of ball to them. I think will be the undoing of us this year.

[Lone Shark]

I can see what you're driving at with Quinn, and to be honest I'd like to see it work out too. Unfortunately I'm not sure if I believe it will. As I mentioned, his intelligent passing and delivery could see him being our MacDonald for the year, granted without the hair.

As for Casey at corner back, I just think that as things stand, if he plays like he did Sunday the jersey is his to lose. He probably will, but for the moment anyway he's the man....

[Percy Sledgehammer]

For now anyway....

1 McNamara
2 Sullivan
3 Rafferty
4 Brady
5 Mooney (Wouldn't even pick him myself but he's obviously going to be there if they made him captain)
6 McManus
7 Slattery
8 Grennan
9 Neville Coughlan
10 Roy Malone
11 Quinn
12 Egan
13 Guinan
14 Niall MacNamee
15 Jimmy Paw

I'd give the ten shirt to Mulhare if there was a chance of him playing. He's actually been a big loss I think.

[biffo5]

barry mooney captain???? before i heard this he would not make my first 15 and i see many agree also. very poor choice!!! he is not one who even stands out as a leader!!

[Lone Shark]

Revising this for the first time, and obviously considerable deference has to be given to a good display yesterday. So as of now.....

1 McNamara
2 Sullivan
3 Evans
4 Brady
(Did well at corner back, but you'd worry about him up against a faster corner forward. Could easily have been carded just before half time)
5 Mooney
6 McManus
(Harsh on Keane, I know, but he wasn't up against much yesterday. Taking on Kerry forwards next week will be a lot different)
7 Slattery
8 McNamee
9 Grennan
(Seemingly back in training - and that game really highlighted how much we need him)
10 Neville
11 Paschal
(I don't think the new system will suit him, and he won't finish many games, but he still strikes me as the best option for here.)
12 Shaper
13 David Egan
(I still don't think Colm Quinn did enough from general play, and I reckon David is worth a run. He wouldn't have anything like Quinn's passing range, but would be a scoring threat from the open.)
14 Niall
15 Jimmy

Both Malones, Quinn, both Dalys, Casey, Deehan, Kelly and Keane making up the bench.

[Turfbag]

Grennan is a key man for us, great to see the huns put back in their box on sunday.

[HairyHole]

1 McNamara
(Deserves his chance although wouldn't be suprised to see Kelly there come the championship)
2 Sullivan
3 Evans
4 Barry Malone
(Showed in the County final and the Leinster club championship that he was back to something near his old self.)
5 Mooney
6 Keane
(Good to see youth being given a chance at this level , a good league campaign might crown him)
7 Slattery
8 McNamee or Grennan
(Probably start with Jimmy,need him for the high ones, and have super as a utility sub for either midfield or the half forward line )
9.Mad Mac
( I sense a little bit of "maturity" has creeped into his game if last Sundays effort is anything to judge by , if his high fielding improved he'd be some player
10 Neville
11 Pascal
(John Kenny has lost that vital 2 yards that you need in this position)
12 Shaper
13 Deehan
14 Niall
15 Jimmy

[The Biff]

How many Offaly/Clara players have had the "Shaper" tag bestowed upon them? They have all been from Clara, haven't they?

Are there any other nicknames that have had many "owners"?

[Bord na Mona man]

Original team projected in January

1 Colin McNamamamamara
2 Shane Sullivan
3 Conor Evans
4 Nigel Grennan -->Ger Rafferty
5 Barry Mooney
6 Scott Brady
7 Karol Slattery
8 Ciaran McManus
9 James Grennan
10 Neville Coughlan
11 Colm Quinn
12 John Reynolds -->David Egan
13 Thomas Deehan
14 James Coughlan
15 Niall McNamee

A couple of updates to my original lineup. In would go Nigel Grennan instead of Ger Rafferty. Fair play to Chop, he's done well. At times our full back line has been left exposed by the lack of cover in front, but any high scores conceded haven't been a reflection on Grennan.

John Reynolds swaps with David Egan (who seems (maybe harshly) out of favour). Reynolds has thrived in more open space on the wing. Also his battling and ball winning qualities tend to be overlooked.

I'll adopt a wait-and-see policy for the rest of the team.
The next change will most likely be John Kenny being replaced at centre-forward (on Kilmurray's team).
I'd have to see what shape the team will take, before guessing again.

[Muck Savage]

Lads
How many of that Senior team are U21? Seems like the whole FF line are, are Neville Coughlin and Reynolds? What about Sullivan, Rafferty and Grennan in the Backs?

Seems like the U21's might have a chance this year. Anyone know the squad?

[Lone Shark]

There's a thread on the U-21 footballers suggesting just that.

Neville, Reynolds and Rafferty certainly aren't - I wouldn't be sure with Grennan and Sullivan - another regular poster here will tell you.

Certainly I think we should be in with a decent shout. Ladbrokes have offered 14/1 to win Leinster - I've accepted!

[azoffaly]

After two league games, this is the vode of the AZOffaly jury.

1 Colin McNamara
2 Shane Sullivan
3 Conor Evans (Ger Rafferty for mobile Full Forwards)
4 Nigel Grennan
5 Barry Mooney
6 Scott Brady
7 Karol Slattery
8 Alan McNamee
9 James Grennan
10 Neville Coughlan
11 Ciaran McManus
12 John Reynolds
13 Colm Quinn
14 Niall McNamee
15 Jimmy Coughlan

Impact subs - Deehan, Egan, Kellaghan
Cover for backs/midfield - Froggy, Keane, Dayler, Raff

[HairyHole]

After two league games, this is the vode of the AZOffaly jury.

1 Colin McNamara
2 Barry Malone
3 Conor Evans
4 Cathal Daly
5 Shane Sullivan
6 Barry Mooney
7 Karol Slattery
8 Alan McNamee
9 James Grennan
10 Pascal Kellaghan(Coughlan being so fit should have a bigger impact on games)
11 Ciaran McManus
12 John Reynolds
13 Colm Quinn
14 Niall McNamee
15 Jimmy Coughlan

Impact subs - Roy Malone, Deehan ,

[Lone Shark]

Quinn takes over from Paschal at centre forward, and Kiely is beginning to push Neville Coughlan in a big way, but still only the one material change for now.

Revising this for the first time, and obviously considerable deference has to be given to a good display yesterday. So as of now.....

1 McNamara
2 Sullivan
3 Evans
4 Brady
(Did well at corner back, but you'd worry about him up against a faster corner forward. Could easily have been carded just before half time)
5 Mooney
6 McManus
(Harsh on Keane, I know, but he wasn't up against much yesterday. Taking on Kerry forwards next week will be a lot different)
7 Slattery
8 McNamee
9 Grennan
(Seemingly back in training - and that game really highlighted how much we need him)
10 Neville
11 Paschal Replace with Quinn
(I don't think the new system will suit him, and he won't finish many games, but he still strikes me as the best option for here.)
12 Shaper
13 David Egan
(I still don't think Colm Quinn did enough from general play, and I reckon David is worth a run. He wouldn't have anything like Quinn's passing range, but would be a scoring threat from the open.)
14 Niall
15 Jimmy

Both Malones, Quinn, both Dalys, Casey, Deehan, Kelly, Kiely, and Keane making up the bench.

[Bogman]

It is getting more difficult to pick the first fifteen for Offaly and that has to be a good thing. For the first time in years we seem to have options for every position, especially the forwards. Maybe the Unthinkable is getting closer - even Ciaran McManus might be under pressure.

1. Colin McNamara
2. Nigel Grennan
3. Conor Evans
4. Cathal Daly
5. Barry Mooney
6. Scott Brady
7. Karol Slattery
8. Ciaran McManus
9. James Grennan
10.Colm Quinn
11.Paschal Kelleghan
12.John Reynolds
13.Thomas Deehan
14.Niall McNamee
15.James Coughlan

If Kilmurray persists with the Two Man Full Forward Line / Third Midfielder tactic then a returning to fitness Thomas Deehan will find it hard to break into the team. I'm picking him regardless because the prospect of a Deehan-McNamee-Coughlan full forward line is so exciting.

Kilmurray might persist with Scott Brady at corner back but I prefer him at Centre Back. James Keane could be cover for any of the half back positions.

Colm Quinn is there for his free taking, coolness and passing range. He just edges Mark Daly and Neville Coughlan. If Daly goes into midfield it is hard to know where to put Mac in the team. It was Wing Half Forward for Mac last year but this season Shaper is playing so well in the half forwards. Maybe Mac could go Centre Forward or Full Forward but we have good options in those positions.

It is hard to leave Neville Coughlan out. His younger brother could be a dark horse. Joe Quinn and Rory Guinan could come into the reckoning.

Sean Casey could be a contender for corner back. Shane Sullivan and Ciaran Kiely are good utility players.

Subs: P.Kelly, S.Casey, C.Kiely, J.Keane, J.Quinn, N. Coughlan, T.Coughlan, M.Daly, G.Rafferty, R.Guinan, A.McNamee.