Offaly team vs. Down

[Rynaghs Biffo]

Offaly Football Team for Saturday -

1. P Kelly
2. G Rafferty
3. S Brady
4. P McConway
5. K Slattery
6. J Keane
7. N Grennan
8. C McManus
9. NSmith
10. N Darby
11. J Coughlan
12. J Kelly
13. P Kellahgan
14. J Reynolds
15. N McNamee

[azoffaly]

Thanks Express Alerts. That's a great service in fairness.

Overall I'm happy enough, although I can see a few switches straight away. Scott Brady could be caught out in there, but I'd imagine Raff or McConway will be asked to take Benny Coulter. Scott wouldn't be able to live with him, mobility wise,

I like the half back line, pity it's taken until the 19th of July.

Maccer and Niall Smith will be interesting in midfield. Big Dan Gordon will test Niall's fetching ability again, but it should be close enough.

The forwards seem odd to me. I presume there'll be changes in position. With the 6 lads picked as forwards, I'd be lining them out like

Darby
Kelly
Reynolds

Coughlan
Kellaghan
McNamee.

If Offaly approach this game in the right frame of mind, we can win it. Feck it, I'm getting excited again, just when I had myself talked into going to Thurles.

[bula bula]

Benny is far from a speed merchant and I actually feel that Brady could be the man for him. If he just looks to the way McKeever man marked him for Armagh and didnt give him a squeak he wil do well. He is more than capable of matching him physically just as long as he keeps it legal and stays cool. This could be the winning and losing of the game as Benny is such a canny footballer, always good for a goal and has actually won me a fair few quid with his goals.

There is not an awful lot I would change except there is no way that Reynolds should be there. Would be delighted to be proved wrong here but I doubt it very much if I will. Glad that Niall Smith and James Coughlan are in and think this game is made for Coughlan to show how good he is. Down are not an overly physical team. This will suit him and can see him knocking up a tidy little score come the end of the game and maybe take responsibility for the frees away from Niall Mac. Smith will do well to come out evens with Dan Gordon but I feel that just might be enough if the right ball goes in from here.

All in all a good side selected and lets hope they are sent out to play and not to have the shambles that we had the last day.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

Does anyone know what the story is with Thomas Deehan? Is he injured or just not up to scratch?

[azoffaly]

I'm sure the gameplan will be different. There's no way it can be the same with the players picked, so that's good.

As for Benny Coulter, he's not that fast, but he's very mobile. He pops up everywhere, and I don't know if Brady will have the same capacity to stay with him, concentration wise and mobility wise, as much as McKeever.

[Lone Shark]

I'd say that you'd nearly have to designate a different player to look after Coulter if he starts roaming. Leave Brady to mind the shop at full back and let the free corner back or whoever pick him up.

I am happy with the team - there's a few different lads in there who could chip in with scores, the Niall/Paschal full forward line has worked before and largely speaking the players that have been dropped are the guys who were off form. (With the possible exception of Brian Darby who was just all at sea up front)

All reports from Down suggest that they want this badly and have been training very well with good enthusiasm all round - I just hope we can match that. My fear is that management and some of the players are winding the clock down until they get back to the clubs.

[Muck Savage]

Jez, I'm delighted with this team overall. There's enough lads in there that want to put pride back in the jersey and will give 100% start to finish. I'm delighted to see maagement take a gamble and change things around a bit, up front more than anywhere else. Looking at that team the gameplan won't be a massive amount different than the Westmeath game but I think this team will implement it much better. Darby to drop back with Coughlan and Kelly to stay on the 40 and win ball coming out (as opposed to having no-one on the 40 vs. Westmeath). The biggest supprise to me in Reynolds in the corner, I'd have left him in a different corner but maybe he showing well since the last day.

Christ I was all set for Thurles, now I'm muddled again.

Just as a matter of interest, is anyone thinking of doing a dart across to Tullamore from Thurles? Ye'd almost make the 2nd half.

[azoffaly]

No way MS.

By the time you'd be out of Thurles, it would be

5.00 + 38

5.50 +38

Say 6.30 leaving the ground in Thurles. Then finding your car, and trying to leave Thurles, + 1 hour at least to Tullamore. You'd barely make the last 10 minutes I'd say.

[Square Cab]

Very surprised that no concerns have been raised in relation to our half forward line. As far as I know (and I stand corrected, neither Jason Kelly or Niall Darby have played a minutes competitive football at senior inter county level. I hate bringing any negativity to the party esp ahead of this exciting weekend but to me its a bit late in the year to be trying out an unproven and untested half forward line. Now I know peopole will say sure its better late than never but to me it looks like a weak enough line. Hopefully Im wrong!

[Muck Savage]

Jason Kelly was the best player we had when brought on in the qualifier last year, so he has about 30 mins of experience.

[Lone Shark]

Very surprised that no concerns have been raised in relation to our half forward line. As far as I know (and I stand corrected, neither Jason Kelly or Niall Darby have played a minutes competitive football at senior inter county level. I hate bringing any negativity to the party esp ahead of this exciting weekend but to me its a bit late in the year to be trying out an unproven and untested half forward line. Now I know peopole will say sure its better late than never but to me it looks like a weak enough line. Hopefully Im wrong!

You obviously didn't cover the Harper Finch novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" for your leaving cert.

The old Atticus Finch line - there's no difference between one juror that's going to convict and another juror that's going to convict, but when you go for one with even the smallest bit of doubt in his mind, then you never know. (Or something to that effect)

The point is that we've tried a lot of half forwards this year and we haven't really got any serious level of production out of any of them. Darby and Kelly might end up being no better, but we don't know that yet - they just might be the answer to all our problems, and in a last chance saloon environment there's no point leaving them kicking their heels while we go back to the same lads who haven't done it so far.

[Fido]

Harper Lee

[Lone Shark]

Bah - there goes my good grade.

[O'mooreMan]

Regarding the question mark over the selection of kelly at half forward!!! Is it true that he scored 1-8(3 frees) against longford in a recent challenge match from midfield???.....

[Square Cab]

Actually I did study that particular novel LS, Boo Radley......what a legend!! But I still dont agree with you on our half forward line selection. Your argument is almost like trying to justify taking untested, unapproved drugs that you bought over the internet in the hope of curing some disease just because what you've taken up to now has had limited success. (a bit dramatic but you know what I mean!). All Im trying to say is where the hell did this particular line come from? Not one of the three even featured for Offaly during the league (hell, two of them werent even on the panel up to a few weeks ago!!) so how will they be expected to perform against a pretty formidable Down team tomorrow? Imagine how David Egan feels not even getting a look in after a reasonably successful league campaign. Or even Brian Darby who was one of the better performers against westmeath (albeit out of position). Word on the street is that a lot of lads have not put in the work required and Im just not optimistic about tomorrow (hurlers aside!). Hope Im wrong but me thinks not!