Truth as i see it wrote:As for your second point its stone age thinking like that, that has brought Offaly football to such low depths and i would include past board members with this mindset in that statement, i said it before and i'll say it again, what worked in the 80's and 90's will not work in today's game, sadly some old timers cant comprehend that fact
You are entitled to your opinion. You think that moving the ball quick and long into forwards who play in forward position (ball that the likes of Nialler thrives on) is "stone age thinking".
I on the other hand believe that playing all or virtually all players behind the ball and attempting to move it down the pitch in a series of handpass after handpass movements (as per Tipperary game last year) to be total caveman thinking!
Bracknaghboy the way Niall Mac is playing in the last two games, is he worth his place, any good manger
would put him on the bench to get his mojo back.
Bracknaghboy the way Niall Mac is playing in the last two games, is he worth his place, any good manger
would put him on the bench to get his mojo back.
If you don’t stand for something you fall for anything
Truth as i see it wrote:As for your second point its stone age thinking like that, that has brought Offaly football to such low depths and i would include past board members with this mindset in that statement, i said it before and i'll say it again, what worked in the 80's and 90's will not work in today's game, sadly some old timers cant comprehend that fact
You are entitled to your opinion. You think that moving the ball quick and long into forwards who play in forward position (ball that the likes of Nialler thrives on) is "stone age thinking".
I on the other hand believe that playing all or virtually all players behind the ball and attempting to move it down the pitch in a series of handpass after handpass movements (as per Tipperary game last year) to be total caveman thinking!
Isn't it great we can all express our views
It's all about what the opposition gives you. If I was the Offaly manager and Niall McNamee was regularly being marked with one guy, no sweeper, I'd back him every time. However that doesn't happen - modern teams play either two or three sweepers and long ball deliveries now result in turnovers over 70% of the time - they result in scores less than 15% of the time. If on the other hand you can generate real momentum with runs off the shoulder and carry the ball into those sweepers, you win frees, create gaps and create more scores.
Neither approach is wrong, it all depends on what way the defence lines up against you - the problem in Offaly is that 90% of the time we face multiple sweepers, and yet we kick it long anyway.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
We need to play far more positively in this years league.We were unbelievably negative at times last year and there was a huge degree of stupidity in our forward play (The Tiperaary match being a prime example).In my opinion Joseph Maher and Peter Cunningham should start every game in the league they are our two best young forwards and they need to get as much exposure to intercounty football as possible.The team need to play more positive football , as it will give the players confidence and improve their skills.How are the players skills going to improve if they continually play 12 men behind the ball and handpass the ball around in circles.
Truth as i see it wrote:As for your second point its stone age thinking like that, that has brought Offaly football to such low depths and i would include past board members with this mindset in that statement, i said it before and i'll say it again, what worked in the 80's and 90's will not work in today's game, sadly some old timers cant comprehend that fact
You are entitled to your opinion. You think that moving the ball quick and long into forwards who play in forward position (ball that the likes of Nialler thrives on) is "stone age thinking".
I on the other hand believe that playing all or virtually all players behind the ball and attempting to move it down the pitch in a series of handpass after handpass movements (as per Tipperary game last year) to be total caveman thinking!
Isn't it great we can all express our views
Ok and i take your point, your right we are all entitled to our opinion but equally in my opinion lumping the ball into the forward line when we are outnumbered is a recipes for disaster as we can very easily be caught on the counter attack and in today's more physically demanding game that can lose you a game, there is still a place for the traditional game but as i said previously we are not in a position to play it right now, we are not fit enough yet to play that game so we have to cut our cloth accordingly, after the Laois game Mcdonnel mentioned in an interview that the cuteness that Laois showed in taking their scores ie.. shot selection, passing options and so on is something that the management will be working on in the run up to the league opener, when this aspect is developed further on down the line then maybe we will see a more stylish set up from the team, the key to progression in my opinion is to mix it up and develop different options up front to adapt to the game as it progresses, that does include the long ball but at this moment in time we will just have to continue to play the way we currently are, as the old saying goes, adapt or die
Looking forward to seeing the team back in action and hoping for a good campaign. I'd predict a few 3 point games but which way will they fall. I hope we will show progress this year and address the issue of what to do Against blanket defences and work up more scores as we are not averaging enough to win consistently.
Best of luck to the panel.
I agree with LS that there is no 'one size fits all' approach, and while the first order of business is to determine your preferred method of playing the game, a close second should be familiarising the players with alternatives which need to be used in differing circumstances. My preference is quick, support running off the man in possession coming out of defence, in order to minimise turnovers, and a more direct, diagonal ball into forwards who are playing off each other. However, as said, if I were to make my team play like that no matter what, it wouldn't take a genius to play a withdrawn half forward or two in front of my forwards and cut off the supply. You have to be able to adapt your game, and your players have to be comfortable to that change as well, and used to it. You have to use different methods in training and challenge matches so that doing the right thing becomes a lot easier.
Shane Gavin. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
Offaly team v Wexford. Mulhall, Brady, McConway, O Connor, Carroll, Moloney, N Darby, Smith, Brazil, Guilfoyle, Cunningham, Hurley, Casey,Dunne, McNamee.
Offaly Subs are
: Conor Clancy, Joe Maher, Johnny Brickland, Ruarai Allen, Scott Delaney, Niall Geraghty, David Hanlon, Derek Kelly, Ciaran Kiely, Conor McNamee, Anton Sullivan
townman wrote:very quiet here you wouldn't think the league is about to start, any word on the team.
I may be wrong but I think the combination of how McDonnell has set up the team and how the team execute that plan are factors in the lack of interest. Also, the trip down to Wexford doesn't seem very appealing.
Not many had marked this fixture as a possible source of 2 points. Offaly were 1-5 to 0-1 early on and battled back to be only a goal behind at half time. The gap was down to 2 points near the end before Wexford kicked for home for 3 unanswered points.
Hopefully there is something to build on for the Cavan game.
