National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

A forum to air your views on Offaly GAA matters and beyond.
jimbob17
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by jimbob17 »

Can't speak for any to be honest but what was on display today was as bad as we have seen in last number of years. We cannot be continuously 'in transition'. There has been fairly competitive underage teams for last 10 years so no excuses any more. We were not even competitive today against a 14 man Roscommon team - Roscommon!

To answer your question, the following would have something to offer: Martin Murphy, Pat Flanagan, Steven Darby and Declan Kelly would be 4 without even thinking about it. I could probably name more. All of these know more about the Offaly scene than T O'Se and Maughan and their backroom team put together. Pick 2 or 3 of those 4 or others for a start to work together.

Who is coaching that team? Is it Maughan? Is it O'Se? Is it someone else?

Pat Flanagan was sacked for Stephen Wallace before bringing Pearses to win 2 county champs (incl 1st time ever) and a first ever Connaught title. That was a disgrace. Murphy has guided Portarlington to 2 county championships and a Leinster Club Final. Steven Darby was responsible for all of them Rhode titles and was never afforded the opportunity to be involved with Offaly. Add in likes of a John Rouse, Colm Quinn, Cathal Daly, Ken Furlong or someone of that ilk or any amount of others as selectors - or someone who has been involved with and knows the lie of the land regarding players at underage level and talent not utilised.

Back them up with good S&C and on field coaches that also know the Offaly scene and I can guarantee you, it would be an awful lot better than what we saw today. Why the hell do we have such an inferiority complex about our own people. We saw what Kelly and his crew did last year! While homegrown is not always the answer, it is mostly if you get the right people! Kildare went for homegrown men in Glenn Ryan Dermot Earley etc.
jimbob

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

I am not happy I actually predicted the exact score of todays game..theres times when you hope you might be wrong and today was one of them...like most on here, I cannot for the life of me understand how apparently at half time, the boots were hung up and its the "all or nothing next week against Cork mentality"...and playing against 14 men for a massive part of the game..the mind boggles what these managers and advisers do be looking at..would you not want to go down fighting in every match??...unfortunately I couldnt make the game but from commentary on both radio 2 and RTE radio the towel was thrown in at half time and we allowed Roscommon go through the motions - turn that around last week and Derry were streets off Roscommon in first half and trailed by a big tally at half time, but came out fighting and were robbed at the end with a unbelivealbly poor sending off of their top man Shane McGuigan who would probably have score the winning free for Derry had he been left on the field which he should...today Offaly are behind and straight away its "oh we better protect all for next weeks showdown with Cork..if thats the height of our ambition on match day (any match day) they dont deserve to be competing...all these results can affect other teams around us and we would be the very first out of the blocks if teams didnt put in an effort to win a game which might impact on us...Cork wont fear Offaly one bit next Sunday..they will expect a bit of battle but will expect to beat us as poor they are..wait and see...and I think they might..and we will all hear then "punching above our weight" and "being competitive" etc.. and all the negative play of this league will be glossed over for another year...yes the last couple of games upto today we showed a bit of fight and signs on we got a few OK results..would we have beaten Roscommon today?...no probably not but we might have tried to get a bit closer even though there were short players and down a man for most of the game, and wouldnt a good gig against Roscommon today be a good grounding for going into next Sundays clash with Cork..Ide say lads will be nervous as anything going into that game as all of a sudden now they will be told to give it a go when today it was "ah its gone (today V Roscommon) lets just protect players and see out the game" etc..Cork will take us next Sunday wait and see...

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Bord na Mona man
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Bord na Mona man »

Antrim hurlers conceded 7-28 against Tipp today. Because they're already focussing on a once off, must win play off against Offaly.
If they beat Offaly they'll be the smart guys who got their priorities right.

Remember in the 2018 Leinster hurling championship where Offaly were destined for a final day relegation shoot out with Dublin but were dead on their feet by then, having had a crack at winning their other games,

While Offaly probably didn't set out to play badly today, I have a feeling that deep down the team (correctly) deduced that this wasn't a winnable game and at some level this fed into the performance. Cork on the other hand are ending their campaign with two cup finals in 7 days. Offaly might still have an advantage come throw in next Sunday.

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

imagine paying the entrance fee to look at a team sent out litterally not to win after 20 minutes or half an hour of a game...and people wonder then "where is the support"..imagine if that was the mentality how the Antrim supporters would feel making there way home to Antrim, in particular in the current climate where I am after paying €20.01 for 10 Litres of diesel...I get the point about saving themselves for relegation play off but is that the height of the ambition..I would dread to be in a set up like that..

biffinbanner
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by biffinbanner »

the hurling league is a farce for the top teams .limerick tipp galway waterford kilkenny and clare used it as giving lads trial games to see were they good enuf..they knew relegation wasnt going to happen with antrim laois and offaly in the groups..football is different and way more competitive. id say maughan looked at roscommon as a not winnable game and is wisely in my view concentrating on the cork game. its huge from sam maguire /tailitan cup entry etc..

offalyman
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by offalyman »

the 2nd half was very disappointing Sunday, our shooting and shot selection was awful, especially compared to the Roscommon forwards who were a joy to watch.. but haven said all that i thought we were just getting into the game on Sunday at 0-10-0-06 when Roscommon got there first goal which killed us.... CAN SOMEONE EXPLAIN THE SQUARE BALL RULE TO ME.....how did that stand I'll never know. I don't think its all doom and gloom here, I definitely see improvements in this Offaly Squad, and people have to remember there is a big step up in class playing the likes of the Galway & Roscommon's of this world towards the likes of the Longford & Louths.
LOOK If we beat Cork Sunday we stay in Division 2, i would have took this chance at the start of the league.
Hopefully come Sunday evening both the hurlers and Footballers will have avoided the drop...
Keep the Faith Folks...Uibh Fhaili abu

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Lone Shark
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Lone Shark »

There's no way Offaly went out to lose that game, but a couple of selection choices sent out clear signals all the same. Lee Pearson was outstanding in Newry, even though he's one of the younger players by a distance. If the Cork game was last Sunday, I've no doubt he'd have started.

Johnny Moloney trained during the week, and came off the bench on Sunday. Again, if it was a must-win game and Moloney was fit to play, he'd have started. Likewise, I expect that Rúairí McNamee will start on Sunday too.

Nobody would have said anything out loud, but players aren't stupid. They knew that going into that game, Roscommon needed the win, and Roscommon had easily beat the three other relegation contenders already this year. The final margin against Meath was four points, but I was at that game, the Rossies held them at bay and kept out the goals, if memory serves they scored 1-13 in the first half and 0-2 in the second - yes there was a strong wind, but the work was done. They also brushed aside Cork and Down just as easily as they did Offaly on Sunday.

Once the management picked the team, that sent another clear signal as to where they were at, mentally. Of course that will filter through - and when you concede a dodgy goal, that's even more demoralising.

My concern is fatigue - Offaly are playing a fifth weekend in a row due to the postponed Galway game. And even that further supports the idea that emptying the tank against Roscommon was not the way to go.

It's a pity that Cork got a confidence boost, but none of my concerns in advance of this Sunday stem from from what happened a couple of days ago.
Kevin Egan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

jimbob17
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by jimbob17 »

Let's hope it was holding lads back due to niggles etc so.

Id have thought last day being 5 down at HT with wind to come and extra man, we should have gone for it.

If Sunday is the big game so, who starts? Or should start.

I'd go with following

Dunican

Hogan, Lalor, Pearson

Dempsey, Maloney, Darby. Darby and Pearson inter-changeable.

Hayes and no idea - possibly Donoghue/ Mangan.

Hyland Bill Carroll (as 3rd midfielder) and Anton

Allen, Niall Mc (play 2 inside) and Ruairi Mc with Ruairi Mc withdrawn to center forward.

Options off bench then include Donnelly, Mangan/Donoghue, Abbott, Colm Doyle and Bryant if injury free.
jimbob

llkj
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by llkj »

Offaly did not choose to hold back and not kick on in the second half last week. They were simply not able to kick on. Roscommon are a far superior side to Offaly. Will require a big performance next week to beat Cork. Not impossible but they are probably slight favourites.

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

Clare had nothing to play for on Sunday last and only lost by one point to Meath who were trying to win to make distance between themselves and Offaly, Cork and Down etc. David Clifford was injured on Sunday and didnt start but came on and scored a crucial goal in a much higher tempo and standard of football..Offaly are "resting" players who are playing well with only a game to go instead of trying to get the job done with a round to spare..of course the 10 point defeat now is like the fellah at the end of the card card game "he had the 5 you should have played your ace earlier etc" (moral of that is its easy say that after the game ends) had Meath lost on Sunday last to Clare and Down won in Cork which almost everybody was predicting, Offalys last game V Cork next Sunday could well have had the added caveat of "and depending on results elsewehere" and then where would all of this caution got us..I wish the lads well on Sunday...Cork wont fear us now with a good win under their belt..

SearingDrive
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by SearingDrive »

Difficult game v Cork. Rebel confidence will be high.

Plain of the Herbs
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Plain of the Herbs »

It will, but Offaly confidence will be high too. Offaly beat Down too, lest we forget, and up in Down too. Cork v Down was always going to go with venue given the travel involved. And while you wouldn't have been backing Offaly at half-time in the Meath match, they fought to get into a winning position.

A difficult game, but these are the days Offaly wanted when they won promotion. So no reason to be complaining. Like the Down game, it'll likely go to the wire, but it's important Offaly set the terms of engagement over the course of the match.
SearingDrive wrote: Thu Mar 24, 2022 5:17 pm Difficult game v Cork. Rebel confidence will be high.
Pat Donegan. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.

Fairplayalways
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by Fairplayalways »

Allianz Football League Division 2 - final of games - round 7 Sunday 27th March 2022
Down v Clare, Pairc Esler, 2pm - Down had a poor League and relegated - Clare stormed Offaly in round 1 but only 2 draws since, yet enough to keep them up and lost to Meath by a point - I still think Down will beat them at home although relegated. Down 1-13 Clare 0-11
Meath v Derry, Pairc Tailteann, 2pm - Meaths win by a point over Clare in rd 6 was crucial for them - Derry were robbed of a chance to beat Roscommon by the awful sending off of Shane McGuigan (and not a word about that now) Derry appeared abit derailed v Galway as a result but I think can win here - Derry 2-15 Meath 1-12
Offaly v Cork, Bord na Mona O'Connor Park, 2pm - many here in Offaly think Offaly can win this but as far as I know Cork are favourites despite just one win last day out V Down at home in Cork. Cork were woeful in some games, worse than Down according to many - yet tradition or whatever Cork are favourites here although Offaly played better over all in league. Cork beat Down well the last day relegating Down in doing so - Offaly should give this a fair rattle but already in read in Midland Tribune tonight they may "hold Johnny Moloney on the line" for this game and this is what is really annoying me about Offaly - play your best team for God sake!!!..they may do so of course but it wouldnt surprise me if they didnt start their best 15 - for that reason I think Cork will win - Offaly 0-13 Cork 1-17
Roscommon v Galway, Dr Hyde Park, 2pm - as above Roscommon were so lucky to draw with Derry after squandering a big half time lead and sending off of Derrys McGuigan which was a shocking decision. Roscommon are the third best team in this division. Galway might be be promoted but I think they will go out here to rubber stamp their dominance of this division 2 especially against rivals Roscommon. Galway to win. Galway 1-14 Roscommon 0-12.

frankthetank
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by frankthetank »

Think Cork could win this comfortably enough being honest. By 6 plus.

private joker
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Re: National Foothall league Div 2 predictions

Post by private joker »

Which is better, start with your best 15 or finish with your best 15?

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