SFC Qualifier Draw - Offaly vs Tyrone

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tkmax
Junior C
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Joined: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:29 pm

Re: SFC Qualifier Draw - Offaly vs Tyrone

Post by tkmax »

[quote="Kevin"]Amid all the gloom there is always hope, even if it is hard to see.

In 2011 Monaghan was well beaten and knocked out of the qualifiers by a team that was soon thereafter rated as the worst in Ireland.

No one needs to be reminded who ran all over them that day 2 years ago.

Now they have the audacity to beat the defending Ulster and All-Ireland Champions by nearly double scores.

Don't they know their place??!! Disgraceful.[/quote]


True enough there Kevin and while it wasn't the best team that ever took to the field it had some semblance of a core around which we could operate. If i remember correctly Richie Dalton had a particularly good game around the middle, coming off the back of a nightmare against wexford in the previous game- he wasn't involved against tyrone as we know. Ciaran Mac while close to retirement was still setting the standard- in the following game against limerick i think he kicked 8 points, most from frees and most of these from distance- what we wouldnt give to have an outfield freetaker of his calibre but we d'ont unfortunately. Niall Smith had a good campaign that year imo as had scott brady. Throw into the mix the likes of a very commited brian Darby and niall mac and at least you had a side that was capable of being competitive.

What we ended up fielding this year against a streetwise tyrone was a severely depleted team of little experience. Nothing went our way on the day- losing the toss and playing into the breeze, tyrone quickly settled. Cavanagh et al conned the referee for a couple of soft ones early on (they did it again in the closing stages against Meath last saturday) and all of a sudden we were 8 points down and heads dropped. Some people here have described the performance as disgraceful and i think thats a little harsh. Nobody goes out to embarrass themselves or to deliberately play poorly. Some others are looking forward to the coming season with a sense of hope, personally i am looking forward to the coming season with a sense of realism. Unless we have ALL of our top players available and fully commited for the full term I cant see that much is going to change. Going into championship games with hope and giving it a lash on the day doesn't cut it anymore. McDonnell done his best to emphasise the importance of dicipline but was left out on a limb and 1/ 2 a team when players headed stateside.

I think it's time to take a longer term view and start to put in place well defined structures and plans that will start to produce quality players in the numbers to once again be up there with the best. Otherwise we should content ourselves that once in a blue moon -26 years in monaghan's case was it? or 16 years and counting for ourselves that we'll happen upon, more by accident than design, a provincial title.

Finally, and i wish monaghan all the best, I see that Tyrone are installed as 1/2 favourites for the qualifier on Saturday. If they do prevail at least we will have been trounced by a last 4 side.

Best regards to all
T.K.

Kevin
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Re: SFC Qualifier Draw - Offaly vs Tyrone

Post by Kevin »

Good points.

Let's see how we make out on the commitment side for next year.

Division 3 will take a big effort next year. Don't see a soft game among them.
Kevin Clancey. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

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