Loughnane's comments about Offaly hurlers

[hawksforever]

Another insult from Clare , as my late grandmother once said What can you expect from an Ass only a kick. RTE should now get rid of that vile b.......

[jimbob17]

Think header should read "Loughnane"....... hate to say it but he is dead right...and just saying what wuld be thought in most other hurling counties. Without naming names (we all know who they are) there are at least 6 lads in the panel carrying weight and we have been wondering why we are coming up short in Championship games in the last few years..... fitness was and still is an issue.... A good few would have a bit of a rep for drinking and i don't think the diet for many would be one of an elite athlete.......until all of these things are ironed out, we won t be winning championship games against top 8 teams in my opinion.... sometimes the truth hurts.... I hope it is used as a motivation for our lads to get themselves in shape as we have some very good hurlers just now..... a fit team would give us a real chance of contesting for honours again......

[Lone Shark]

Another insult from Clare , as my late grandmother once said What can you expect from an Ass only a kick. RTE should now get rid of that vile b.......

You're kind of contradicting yourself there. I agree with you on the first bit - what else would you expect? But when a controversy-seeking media whore acts like a controversy-seeking media whore, why would anyone be surprised? He gets work on RTE for the same reason Pat Spillane gets work on RTE - the casual summer supporters lap up that nonsense. Asking them to get rid of him because he gives them exactly what they want is a bit naive. If it came from a serious analyst, an Eddie Brennan or Donal Óg type, then I'd take it a lot more seriously.

[townman]

Another insult from Clare , as my late grandmother once said What can you expect from an Ass only a kick. RTE should now get rid of that vile b.......

You're kind of contradicting yourself there. I agree with you on the first bit - what else would you expect? But when a controversy-seeking media whore acts like a controversy-seeking media whore, why would anyone be surprised? He gets work on RTE for the same reason Pat Spillane gets work on RTE - the casual summer supporters lap up that nonsense. Asking them to get rid of him because he gives them exactly what they want is a bit naive. If it came from a serious analyst, an Eddie Brennan or Donal Óg type, then I'd take it a lot more seriously.

yes thats all his at, Davy has took some of his sun shine now that he won the all ireland with Clare
and Ger wants to stir shit on the papers to keep him in the limelight as his now not knowing as the last man to train clare to win an all ireland.

but he is right about offaly not been fit, but thats the county boards fault getting Ollie Baker for two years over them who hadn't a clue, please god we have a team over us now and give them 2 to 3 years to get us back up.

[Bord na Mona man]

We can shoot the messenger if we like. The message has been delivered in fairly blunt terms. Loughnane has gone for over the top metaphors as we’d expect.

Whenever I meet people from other counties, they always conclude that Offaly hurlers aren't fit enough.
This assessment mostly stems from how Offaly fall away near the end of tight game. Also, the reputation of the 90s team lives on, long after they've departed.
There is more to it than simply lacking fitness, but you can’t ignore it as a factor either.

Firstly, Offaly have been lacking in self belief for the last number of years, so therefore retreat into their shells in tight games when there is the possibility of closing out for a win. Look at the key games Offaly have struggled to finish out; Tipp 2010 (league), Clare 2012 (league), Wexford 2012 (winning but collapsing), Waterford 2013. These were games where an accomplished final 10 minutes would have given Offaly hurling a significant shot in the arm.

Yet, when there has been no expectation and Offaly have been chasing a lead, we have run teams close on the scoreboard – often not reflective of the game. Galway 2010 (twice), Dublin 2011, Cork 2011, Kilkenny 2013. In 2 of these Offaly actually came storming back when reduced to 14 men. If fitness was our biggest problem, it wouldn't have played out like that. All of the above results probably gave Offaly supporters over inflated optimism. Scoring to keep the margin down and scoring to win a game are on two different universes.

Secondly, the Offaly style of hurling doesn't help. Moving the ball quickly – as Offaly hurling folk always talk about, chasing hard to get it back when we turn it over (we do it more than other counties), these tactics are grand for ambushing teams early in a game, but are energy sapping. Think about how Offaly typically mill into the big teams in the opening exchanges of a game. 3 Offaly men lunging in to pressure every opponent. Winning turnovers and blasting it upfield to the roars of the crowd. Spice it up with a few bit hits and dirty chops to show we mean business. No team can sustain such frenzied play for 70 minutes and an Offaly team never has.

To close out a tight game you need you play to be a lot more measured in how you use the ball. Example, people will cite Brick Walsh as being a match winner for Waterford last year, but how come there was so much ball hit down on him? Offaly weren't forced to drop ball on him, but somehow did.

At the top level of any sport, what often separates the winners from the rest is how well their decision making stands up under pressure. Offaly just don’t have a good record in this regard and somehow this will have to change if we are to progress.

[townman]

my take on the waterford gave it wasn't so much Brick Walsh, Maurice Shannan did what liked also in that game plus the silly switch by Baker! Carroll and Mahon didn't help things.

[Bord na Mona man]

my take on the waterford gave it wasn't so much Brick Walsh, Maurice Shannan did what liked also in that game plus the silly switch by Baker! Carroll and Mahon didn't help things.

Yep, in terms of influence Maurice Shanahan running amok was a much bigger factor in the result.
I think the Brick Walsh thing has been over-emphasised, as people tend to analyse games from the final whistle backwards.

[Buttons]

my take on the waterford gave it wasn't so much Brick Walsh, Maurice Shannan did what liked also in that game plus the silly switch by Baker! Carroll and Mahon didn't help things.

Yep, in terms of influence Maurice Shanahan running amok was a much bigger factor in the result.
I think the Brick Walsh thing has been over-emphasised, as people tend to analyse games from the final whistle backwards.

Agreeing with the points above but I thought Waterford played against the wind well, there was always a free person for the short pass, offaly players got the ball and then the long ball up the field.

[sam88885a]

shane dooley is correct
GER LOUGHNAN is looking for attention to sell payers and help his job in the media.

ignore him

we should be honest offaly should be a much fittest team they train enough but did previous managers know what the were doing.???
there were 6 lads that played against waterford last year all really good hurlers but lack pace look slow and after an hour they were ready to collapse.
i have talked to former offay playerd from that 90s team and the all felt that offaly were not fit enough over the last few years .
i feel brian whelahan is more than aware of this and thats why he has j quinn training the team this year.
offaly hurling teams at all intre county levels have not been at the top table for years yet our club teams are amoung the best in the country.
one thing that pussled me is to watch lads like d currams who missed all the winter training with offaly then was injured for a few months go straight in the offaly team and be the fittest forward we have .
what is the point of winter training with the county if a lads is fitter after training with his club.
there has to be an advantage to a lad and his club to get intre county training.
any club with 7 or 8 county players should have a huge advantage over other clubs but look at clareen under joe dooley 7 clareen lads trained with the county yet the never got passed the quarter finals yet kk who had only 3 county lads got to semi finals every year.
it has been clear offalys fitteness is not much better than any good clubs .
hopefully this year things will be different but we started 10 weeks later than most other counties .
ignore LOUGHNANE there is no need to insult people to make a point .

[hawksforever]

This attack was imo personal and hurtful to the good people of offaly hurling.
Attracting a lot of interest in the media at the moment and thank god former greats and people of other sports have had their say.
Hope he gets what he deserves in the near future and no pity will come from offaly.
No other gaa player , manager or pundit has made such insulting comments in my time as a gaa player and now supporter.
I have spoke to many supporters today and they too feel bitter over the pr.... comments , 98 long may it stay in our hearts

[gingloo]

The truth hurts.No county team will progress unless full commitment is given by All players. With any top level sports diet and no Alcohol are a huge factor for top fitness.

[townman]

you know something i think Gers words were more of an attack or lets say a dig at Ollie Baker if anything as i am sure he knows the two claremen Baker and Cunningham where over offaly this two years.

[Kevin]

The only appropriate response to Ger's 'helpful observations' will be delivered on the field.

Watch Ger shamelessly/graciously take credit for any improvement we show this year. Its all down to his carefully chosen, 'motivating words'.

Great to have guys like him looking out for us.