Allianz FL Division 4 2013

[offalyman18]

This was desperate stuff! We were brutal in our ability to pick out forward passes, and 13 men behind the ball, but yet not marking was unreal.
However to take a small positive, we still should have won this game. Anton playing in front of the full back line actually worked well for the first 15 mins of the second half, as he cut off quite a bit of ball in. THE trouble started when the rest of the team decided to play in there also!
And also, what did Anton contribute in the first half, personally I think he should get a free role to play from the half forward line.

Key points:
1) We have no free taker, and none on the horizon
2) Why is Alan Mc being picked, and why is Shane Sullivan involved? A typical cameo from him.
3) The jersies caused major confusion in the first half! In cases like this, we should wear our change strip.
4) How many times did our guys hop the ball going into contact leading to turn overs
5) Richie Dalton is vital to us winning promotion, and developing as a team.

The positives are:
1) We will find out a little more about Emmet McDonnell as a manager after this, what will he learn, and what can the team take from this? In short, does he have a plan B?
2) THe players themselves, they bottled this game, and they should know it, they need to learn, as well as the coach
We must try and be more attacking, Ross Brady, Brian Connor were quite good
3) Conditions were shite, Limerick physically bossed us, hopefully conditions will get better and as a result our forwards will perform better.
4) we dont play again for 2 weeks, and Clare come to town. Micko arriving also should ensure that the crowd are up for this one, hopefully the same can be said for the players. Will give a chance to really see if we are going to improve, and learn from mistakes.
5) Great crowd, up to us to keep the faith!

Ritchie dalton key to us getting promotion?????? maybe im the only one who has been to watch offaly the last few years with ritchie dalton involved and seen what he offers...which is very little! not saying hes any worse than the rest of them but he is about as vital in offaly getting promotion as i am...also emmet was a joke today...3 points up at half time and he brings anton sullivan back to the full back line an niall macnamee out around the middle of the field..the only two forwards that offer us anything and he brings them out the field like what is that about! on a different note that ref should never be given another game again he was a disgrace

[High School Musical]

I think today was a big wake up call after all that early season optimism. Long way to go yet, but there's some serious homework to be done.

Lets face it, this is still basically the same bunch of players that have been pretty brutal these last 3 or 4 years. While I wouldn't want to come on here and have a go at as many individual players as I can, I do think its time that a couple of lads were taken out of consideration for county selection now. But I do want to say something about a couple of players who were mentioned a little earlier.

Alan McNamee, I'm sorry, but I can't look at you anymore. You were a star player all the way through the underage ranks, primarily due to your size. But you have been one of the most average intercounty players for the last 11 or 12 years now and I honestly can't remember the last time you excelled on the field for Offaly. You've been an excellent club player but every time you make the step up to county level, you are decidedly average. I think you probably had it too easy at underage. At adult level, however, you got passed out and were no longer able to bully your opponents as you did in your earlier years. Unfortunately, you seem to be well thought of by others, and I'm slightly astonished that so many successive managers have persisted with your mediocrity for all these years. Please, please, just walk away from the intercounty scene soon.

Shane Sullivan, you're another one who I've grown tired of looking at on the field for Offaly too. I don't know you personally, but in recent years you give me the impression that you really couldn't be bothered anymore. And you were (and still are) a fantastic footballer. You were brilliant in your early days with Offaly, but now you just don't seem to have that spark anymore. Maybe it's a positional thing, you might not like the lack of freedom that you get, I don't know. But whatever it is, just get the urgency or desire back again soon, or just p*ss off instead.

This isn't an anti-Rhode thing, not at all. Rhode are the best club team in the county, and therefore are most likely to have the biggest quota of players on the county panel. As for today's game, I think it will be a good learning curve for both players and management. On our day (which is far too irregular) we are as good as anything in division 4. I would be still very hopeful of getting one of those top 2 spots. Anyway, that's all I've to say for now.

[offaly2012]

From the evidence of what I seen yestereday no real change in the offaly setup.
Why cant the management not just name their team on the programme and stop the messing around.
Alan MC ross brady should have being taken off first ten mins and to be honest I would have taken Niall MC off at some stage we cant be over depended on him. Players need to learn lessons.

The management seem to want offaly play like the armaghs and tyrones negative football which will never work with this offaly team plain and simple. they should use subs wisely . perfectly honenst oppinion it was the management that lost the game for us by bringling lads back when 3 points up instead of closing of the game with a 5/6 point win

Another issue I have with with the u,21s I wonder how much time and effort is going into them.

[summerindublin]

Totally agree, management were very poor today, too much negative football, playing Anton and Niall too far from the oppositions goals, i thought that it was typical Offaly performance when you expect to win they let you down, i thought we were going somewhere, not so sure now.

[Lone Shark]

I walked out of O'Connor Park on Sunday afternoon feeling a mix of anger and deep disappointment. That was a great chance to pick up a win against one of the strongest teams in the division and now we're suddenly in a situation where even one more defeat could spell the end of our promotion chances, and we need to get out of this division if we are to improve.

After a while I realised that we were quite competitive against a decent Limerick team and that a lot of what we did would be easily improved upon. I mean let's look at our list of missed chances - Bernard Allen had a couple of good opportunities, way easier than the sideline ball he did score, and we could have had at least two more goals. I don't know how Graham Guilfoyle managed to put the ball wide from eight yards out and we had another tap over free missed. This was on a day when Limerick shot one wide. Yes - one. So we were actually very competitive against a decent team. If we cast our mind back to what we were watching twelve months ago, that's not such a disaster.

Neither do I subscribe to the view that sitting back and trying to play breakaway football is a bad thing. However the key is that you have to be able to work the ball out with pace and purpose, and you CANNOT get caught in possession on the way out. For example I saw a lot of guys coming out of defence with the ball and players were running between five and fifteen yards ahead, jogging along because they kept moving forward but looking back over their shoulder in case the ball came. Either come back and support off the shoulder, or else drive on and force the defence to make a decision. Don't stay so close that you allow themancoming out to be bottled up. Graham Guilfoyle really disappointed me in this regard - he's picked on account of his pace and ball carrying ability, which fits into this ethos - yet there were times when he really struggled to make himself an easy option with the ball.

Also, if you are going to drop deep and not go man for man, everybody still has to tackle. That point late in the first half when the Limerick guy (a half back I think) was all on his own thirty yards out was unforgivable. Twelve men in defence is not an excuse to sit back and fill space - you have to defend with purpose.

A few other general notes that occurred to me:

(1) I don't know how Emmet McDonnell does his stats, but I'm guessing they keep a tackle count. The reason I say that is because I saw plenty of lads making token tackles, rather than timing their effort to tackle properly. Now some of these guys don't know how to tackle anyway and that's a separate issue, but some of what I saw was like lads trying to make sure they put a tackle in the books, rather than actually trying to win a ball.

(2) I felt sorry for Eoin Carroll. The yellow card, which completely slowed him down, was unwarranted and I think that he really held his own against a good opponent here. I hope he keeps his place. Likewise I thought Michael Brazil was unlucky to be taken off, he was abrasive and purposeful.

(3) As HSM alluded to above (okay, he didn't allude, he flat out stated!) there has to come a point when some of these guys are cast ashore. I like Shane Sullivan's talent and it's a pity that he's like this, but he got a foolish yellow card and could easily have got another. He had to be taken off because he was going to be sent off. Because of this, he cost us the chance to replace a different set of tiring legs. That's unforgivable. In Alan McNamee's case, I just don't see what he brings in terms of defence or attack. He slows things up, he plays passes to guys that are in a worse position than him and his tackling, for a big man, is non-existent. Under the high ball, he isn't a strong fielder and he often jumps with one arm up and his head down - ridiculous stuff. I just don't see what he has that compensates for all this. Graham Guilfoyle is also getting to this level for me. Like Sullivan, he has some really good attributes, but I'm sick of watching a good ball carrier like him go side to side, and out towards the sideline all the time. A perfect contrast would be when Peter Cunningham takes on the ball - he goes towards goal. Sometimes he might cough it up, but he is purposeful and he wins frees and gets into dangerous positions. If he gets two chances, he might lose the ball with one but he'll create a score with the other. I can't remember the last time Guilfoyle ran straight at goals and drew a free or created a goal chance.

(4) Lads like David Hanlon and Derek Kelly are still raw but I thought they did well yesterday. Dalton was a big improvement when he came on and Brian Connor is not fit to play a strong 70 minutes yet but he's getting a lot closer to the level required. There is the makings of a very decent diamond sector here yet.

(5) Niall. Frees. Again.

(6) Once Peter Cunningham came in, we had four scorers on pitch - him, Niall, Anton and Allen. Soon we took off Allen - fair enough, that's still a nice balance. Then we moved Anton back to just in front of the full back line. Then we moved Niall Mac back out to nearly midfield. Suddenly we were short on scorers and that told at the end when our play was shapeless and you had all the wrong people taking the shots. Whatever about Anton, I really don't understand the logic of playing Niall McNamee out around midfield. The man is a natural inside forward, the best we've had in a long time. His ability to create space, assist goals and finish is far beyond any other player we have. It's notable that Rhode never take him away from goals. When Ian Ryan started playing out the field for Limerick I was relieved and Lord knows Limerick made hard work of getting ahead of us when we allow for the amount of ball they had. I'd say they were equally delighted to see Niall playing where he was.

[tkmax]

2 points lost yesterday in OCP and while I dont like to be too critical of the manager this early on in the season he must take full responsibility for the tactics employed in the 2nd half yesterday. The ploy of dropping forward players back behind our own midfield, (frequently playing with only one or two forwards in limerck's half), simply didn't work and for the following reasons:

(1) Crowding our own half sent out the signal that we have no confidence in our own backs to be able to man mark and take on the responsibility of their defensive roles.
(2) It created confusion in the back line and lead to a lack of focus, players switched off with everyone else expecting someone else to put the tackles in.
(3) With so many players congested into such a small area, when we did get our hands on the ball, space was of a premium- hence the 25 hand passes required to work the ball into open space. On a day when handling errors were always going to be likely it just wasn't the brightest tactic.
(4) 25 hand passes and 5 minutes later when Offaly eventually worked the ball into a little space somewhere around midfield- We were then faced with the prospect of trying to play an 80 yard foot pass to one of our two forwards. Invariably it didn't get there but when it did our inside line were completely isolated- with support from our half forward line miles away. The attack was generally either snuffed out, or a low percentage attempt in desperation taken.

It's been said many times that football is a simple game. It should involve players taking on the responsibility of the position assigned to them. Far too often in the modern game however we have managers that think the spotlight should be on them and their fantastical tactical prowess. Hence we end up with players best suited to defending being put through to take goals and players who should be put through for goals 100 yards back up the field defending.

We invited Limerick onto us for 35 minutes, and while the refereeing was dire we deserved nothing better. The game was there for us if we had the confidence to go for it. I have read all the positive reports re. the new manager and genuinely wish him the best. Hopefully he will get this experiment out of his system and move on.

Finally, however we fare in Division 4 is one thing, but if we d'ont find a free taker soon that can convert regulary from 40 metres range we are fooling ourselves if we think we will go anywhere in the championship - front or back door.

[Truth as i see it]

I get what everyone is saying from a tactical point of view and maybe this is too simplistic a statement to make but i think that when all is said and done for me its how the players react to this setback in the coming matches

We can sit here and analyze what went wrong and what went right but for me the most important question is has the manager absorbed the lessons from the this game and will he take right kind of positives from the defeat

What i have been impressed with about the manager so far up to last Sunday was his ability to make tactical switches all of the games so far (bar the Limerick game Obviously) be it with Bringing on young Cunningham or Mcpadden at certain stages of the game or making switches at centre mid to gain control in Midfield

There are obvious week points within the team

Free taking obviously been the biggest one in neon lights but there are others like an inexperienced back line, a forward line that isn't ruthless enough and a midfield that doesn't dominate for long enough periods

As long as he takes the right lessons into the game against Clare in three weeks time and applies them in the right way we should continue to improve

Not all managers are capable of doing this as the older ones tend to stick to the same template

Mcdonnell has shown himself to be adaptable in the past

That's the most encouraging aspect for me

Weather that'll be the outcome in three weeks time well we'll have to wait and see

[Kevin]

2 points lost yesterday in OCP and while I dont like to be too critical of the manager this early on in the season he must take full responsibility for the tactics employed in the 2nd half yesterday. The ploy of dropping forward players back behind our own midfield, (frequently playing with only one or two forwards in limerck's half), simply didn't work and for the following reasons:

(1) Crowding our own half sent out the signal that we have no confidence in our own backs to be able to man mark and take on the responsibility of their defensive roles.
(2) It created confusion in the back line and lead to a lack of focus, players switched off with everyone else expecting someone else to put the tackles in.
(3) With so many players congested into such a small area, when we did get our hands on the ball, space was of a premium- hence the 25 hand passes required to work the ball into open space. On a day when handling errors were always going to be likely it just wasn't the brightest tactic.
(4) 25 hand passes and 5 minutes later when Offaly eventually worked the ball into a little space somewhere around midfield- We were then faced with the prospect of trying to play an 80 yard foot pass to one of our two forwards. Invariably it didn't get there but when it did our inside line were completely isolated- with support from our half forward line miles away. The attack was generally either snuffed out, or a low percentage attempt in desperation taken.

It's been said many times that football is a simple game. It should involve players taking on the responsibility of the position assigned to them. Far too often in the modern game however we have managers that think the spotlight should be on them and their fantastical tactical prowess. Hence we end up with players best suited to defending being put through to take goals and players who should be put through for goals 100 yards back up the field defending.

We invited Limerick onto us for 35 minutes, and while the refereeing was dire we deserved nothing better. The game was there for us if we had the confidence to go for it. I have read all the positive reports re. the new manager and genuinely wish him the best. Hopefully he will get this experiment out of his system and move on.

Finally, however we fare in Division 4 is one thing, but if we d'ont find a free taker soon that can convert regulary from 40 metres range we are fooling ourselves if we think we will go anywhere in the championship - front or back door.

Thank you for this vivid description, and welcome aboard!

[westender]

As said before we need to carry a freetaker,

We have 6 forwards, how many are scoring forwards,we need to carry a freetaker, anyone out there to do the job

[Lone Shark]

anyone out there to do the job

Therein lies the nub. I don't think there are any deadly accurate freetakers out there in the county.

I don't think they have to be a naturally gifted player from play, but they do have to be willing to put the work in and be fit enough to be part of the game plan. You can carry a guy who might not have Niall McNamee's talent, but you can't carry a guy who might as well be standing on the sideline for the rest of the game when he's not taking frees.

In the squad at the moment you have Bernard Allen, Joe Maher, Ross Brady, Alan Mulhall and probably a few more - are James McPadden and Keith McGuinness free takers for example? You'd like to think that management is working away with these guys, going through the video of their technique and getting them up to that 75% and over strike rate. I hope that's the case anyway.

[True Red]

McGuinness has been known to take close in frees (30 yards out) with his left boot for the club and is generally regarded as been very accurate by ourselves.

Richie takes the longer ones and has a good conversion ratio. Whether management sees either of these guys as viable options is a matter for themselves.

Generally speaking freetaking is not re-inventing the wheel. It boils down to getting a chap who is naturally accurate, develop his technique, make alterations if necessary and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE until it becomes 2nd nature.

Over the years I have seen freetakers in our club kick 100 balls over the course of a practice session. It requires patience and a cool head, but when lads are kicking that amount of balls in a practice session, kicking 5,6,7,8 frees over the bar in a match is nothing as the muscle memory of the training automatically kicks in.

If this is a problem that Offaly cannot solve well then I would be very dissappointed.

[SearingDrive]

Bit of a downer last Sunday all right, the various posts have covered all Offaly's problemsrevealed on Sunday. Agree that Offaly need to be more direct going forward, the obsession with handpassing back and forth-sometimes backways was frustrating to watch.

Why bring on 3 defenders and a midfielder when Offaly were holding on to a one point lead in the second half, rather than bring on a forward to add to the lead?. Anton and NiallMc should stay in the attack, not back in midfield/defence. Can I hope for a more attack minded display versus Clare in our next game?.

We can't afford to drop any more points with trips to Leitrim and Waterford ahead, in a very competitive league.

[fluffkthatcrap]

While I neither agree nor disagree with what is being said about Shane Sullivan or Alan mc namee I think both players have something to offer in terms of experience as this is a very young group.i would also point out that both players even though I don't personally know either of them they are obviously just as committed to Offaly football or emmet would not have them in or around the setup.and from what my sources are telling me I think as far as I'm aware Shane has been playing through pain with a broken wrist or something in that area so I think hsm should probably learn the facts before criticising either of them.i don't really have a great interest in football as I'm predominantly a hurling man but players are only human and they too can have bad days its not uncommon.

[High School Musical]

While I neither agree nor disagree with what is being said about Shane Sullivan or Alan mc namee I think both players have something to offer in terms of experience as this is a very young group.i would also point out that both players even though I don't personally know either of them they are obviously just as committed to Offaly football or emmet would not have them in or around the setup.and from what my sources are telling me I think as far as I'm aware Shane has been playing through pain with a broken wrist or something in that area so I think hsm should probably learn the facts before criticising either of them.i don't really have a great interest in football as I'm predominantly a hurling man but players are only human and they too can have bad days its not uncommon.

Ooooohh, who's a bit of a moaning Michael???

I'll get back in my box, methinks.
I wanted to just air my honest opinion on the matter, but unfortunately there's no safe way of doing that without a little bit of personal criticism. I think these lads would here it first in a lot more places before they read this discussion board. They're big enough men now to take a bit of criticism on the chin too, I'd guess.
Anyway, has Shane Sullivan had a broken wrist for the last 3 years?
If he has a broken wrist, this sounds quite serious, he should probably not allow himself to be included for selection. That sounds like it would be more beneficial to the team than 'playing through the pain'.

[concrete]

As regards us having no free takers, most teams normally have 2 guys who are good on them, in my club Tullamore generally operate with two free takers, Shane Dooley (right foot) and Kevin Williamson (left foot) both are very good free takers! Both of them also take them off the other side too if the other man isn't playing! Williamson looks after the penalties, generally dispatches them with no fuss. Two really good free takers though