Offaly Senior Hurling 2014

[Up The Faithful]

So our lads have overcome the potential banana skin that was Antrim up in Ballycastle, which was always going to be a tough game especially after losing the relegation match against them. And also the fact that we took a heavy beating against Kilkenny.
So lets take a positive look on this...........
So now we are hurling in July
Most of our big players are fit or back from injury
We have a team and manager with some confidence of winning a game in this championship
David Kenny and Conor Mahon looked alot more dangerous when got ball in hand

So there is Waterford, Tipp/Galway and Clare/Wexford as well as the Faithfull County in the draw for the next round.
We all know the 3 other teams will be hoping for Offaly in the draw....but as long as Offaly stay in a game confidence starts to come and we are a hard team to beat Galway and Cork have noticed in recent years.

Lets just wish Brian and the boys all the best and wouldnt it be lovely to win another game this year to prove the harsh critics wrong and for the long serving members on the panel. UP THE FAITHFUL!!!

[Kevin]

So our lads have overcome the potential banana skin that was Antrim up in Ballycastle, which was always going to be a tough game especially after losing the relegation match against them. And also the fact that we took a heavy beating against Kilkenny.
So lets take a positive look on this...........
So now we are hurling in July
Most of our big players are fit or back from injury
We have a team and manager with some confidence of winning a game in this championship
David Kenny and Conor Mahon looked alot more dangerous when got ball in hand

So there is Waterford, Tipp/Galway and Clare/Wexford as well as the Faithfull County in the draw for the next round.
We all know the 3 other teams will be hoping for Offaly in the draw....but as long as Offaly stay in a game confidence starts to come and we are a hard team to beat Galway and Cork have noticed in recent years.

Lets just wish Brian and the boys all the best and wouldnt it be lovely to win another game this year to prove the harsh critics wrong and for the long serving members on the panel. UP THE FAITHFUL!!!

That's the spirit.

I'd add that at least 2 of the teams mentioned above (maybe more) might find the joy of drawing Offaly short lived.

Any win from here will be hard earned and the odds will not be in our favor, but like you I see no reason to believe that the next game will definitely be our last.

Tradition and all is fine and its best to stick around to the end when Offaly are involved ... so the story used to go - well these boys just put up 1-4 while shutting out our opponents to snatch an unlikely victory.

We've heard this team couldn't beat eggs in the last 20 minutes of a match. They've been bashed from pillar to post by the intelligensia.

Well we're still playing - therefore the end of the story is not yet written.

Anything is possible.

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

And we all lived happily ever after........

Get a grip here lads, congratulations on the result and well done to the players.

But lets have a sense of reality, here, despite creating numerous goal chances we passed them up and were extremely fortunate against an average side.

Last week we had respected posters on here saying how it would be understandable if the team bowed out meekly?

Many posters have queried where the desire and appetite has gone from Offaly hurling, many have questioned the organisation and preparation, many have wondered why so many players have left the panel, all of these are valid questions and concerns, and the sooner they are addressed and a process put in place, then we can begin to rebuild our reputation.
I am sick of the sympathy being fired at us, lets get up and do something about it. If Sunday is a sign that the players feel the same then great.
Lets see how many of the critics get off their holes and get out and support the team the next day (me included).

But I ask both of ye this question, are ye saying that the criticism is unwarranted, if so did last Sunday prove the naysayers wrong?

In my opinion much of the criticism is warranted, we should not be off the pace to the degree that we are, and who's fault it is becomes a bigger question.

[Kevin]

Fortunate we were, but we've been close many times in the past 8 years or so only to - for one reason or another - not be able to finish the deal.

With due respect to those who offered up the 'bow out' concept, I disagreed then and now.

Many posters have queried where the desire and appetite has gone from Offaly hurling, many have questioned the organisation and preparation, many have wondered why so many players have left the panel, all of these are valid questions and concerns, and the sooner they are addressed and a process put in place, then we can begin to rebuild our reputation.
I am sick of the sympathy being fired at us, lets get up and do something about it. If Sunday is a sign that the players feel the same then great.
Lets see how many of the critics get off their holes and get out and support the team the next day (me included).

But I ask both of ye this question, are ye saying that the criticism is unwarranted, if so did last Sunday prove the naysayers wrong?

In my opinion much of the criticism is warranted, we should not be off the pace to the degree that we are, and who's fault it is becomes a bigger question.

Call it sympathy (or another way of sticking the knife in) or gang tackling with late hits - I'm sick of it as well. I'm not talking about people on this board who are sharing their constructive concerns that can ultimately be part of the solution, I'm tired of the torrent of outside criticism (and sure some of it is warranted, but I'm no less sick of it). I see Pat Spillane jumped in last week to say that Offaly GAA is 'In Crisis' and that something needs to be be done. Jeez thanks Pat, that's a big help.

As you point out in your post, there is a lot to be sorted out. In my previous post I am just looking at the immediate future with nothing else in mind and hoping that the current team can build on the recent result and carry some momentum into the next game.

If you thought I was referring to criticism as it comes from posters, I was not.

[Up The Faithful]

Nobody said it would all be happy ever after...There is too much negativity surrounding this group of players this year. We can't be here posting depressing stuff every week about the state of hurling in our county. We have to support the players that we have, yes maybe they are not the best team in the country. But we have to support the team which Brian puts out. A win is a win and our loads showed character to beat Antrim in the end. We need to start believing in the panel and been positive whatever the outcome