offaly footballers of the year???

[bazza]

I actually disagree with this logic. Seán Ryan plays for Birr, usually either at midfield or centre forward. He's the main source of scores in the sense that he creates more than any other player, so at intermediate level, he ends up marking a really good footballer every time because opposing teams put their best defensive man on him, usually. In many cases they put two men on him. If Seán Ryan was playing in Rhode's half forward line, he could end up marking a senior club's fourth best defender, and having a lot more room because defenders have to worry about Niall Mac, Anton, Niall Darby, and probably others. In fact I'd go so far as to say Seán Ryan gets examined in club football a lot more than Niall Darby does - and that's not a slight on Niall, that's just a reflection of the quality of the players around him. The game against Kilmacud would be an exception, but not up to now.

I made the wrong point in picking out individual lads he could be marking in senior matches. What would be of more benefit to him is playing with a decent team, coming up against a good collective defense system like that you'd experience against in a competitive match against Clara, Tullamore or Rhode. In Intermediate he will indeed be marked by the best player they have but he will still be able to target their weaker players when the game opens up like any good player would. You don't get that opportunity in top senior club matches as most defenders on senior club teams are pretty good players.

And I disagree with you're ascertion that Sean Ryan gets exmamined more in club matches than Niall Darby does. That would be a fair point to make if modern football was all played out in one-on-one marking scenarios but it's not, senior club football at the top end is all about collective defensive units. Take the Senior County Final for example. Niall Darby as a forward had to get the better of his own man, had to deal with numerous hits and tackles coming in from the likes of the two Brady's and also try to generate space for himself to score or create chances when Clara employ a blanket defence with the like of Tony O'Hara and Paul Deehan drifiting back to plug holes in defense. You just don't get that in Intermediate football but you will in Senior Inter-County. Teams in Intermediate would still have to be considered pretty tactically naive.

[Black Spot]

I actually disagree with this logic. Seán Ryan plays for Birr, usually either at midfield or centre forward. He's the main source of scores in the sense that he creates more than any other player, so at intermediate level, he ends up marking a really good footballer every time because opposing teams put their best defensive man on him, usually. In many cases they put two men on him. If Seán Ryan was playing in Rhode's half forward line, he could end up marking a senior club's fourth best defender, and having a lot more room because defenders have to worry about Niall Mac, Anton, Niall Darby, and probably others. In fact I'd go so far as to say Seán Ryan gets examined in club football a lot more than Niall Darby does - and that's not a slight on Niall, that's just a reflection of the quality of the players around him. The game against Kilmacud would be an exception, but not up to now.

I think thats an intresting post .It has to be harder to be carrying a club team than playing with a top class club.
It would be intresting to see how sean would get on if he played for Clara or Rhode and h owDarby Anton or guilfoyle do if it was them that was carrying Birr on their own .They probably would do just as good a job but i guess we will never know.
john reynolds ,niall mac ,p.j ward ,thomas deehan and ken casey would be natural fowards or danger men give them the ball and they will score typicall players who play in the full foward line they dont work as half fowards. Sean Ryan is a top class footballer who creates space with his speed,wins dirty balls and frees and usually delivers decent ball and chips in with a few scores .I would brand Anton, Niall darby and ghram guillfoyle as the same Brand of footballers the kind of players you want in a half foward line however put them up against an average county teams half balk line for example take Darren Rooney, Ger Reddin and John O'Loughlin of laois much bigger men with the same pace it just wouldnt work .
I think thats why weve seeing a mid feilder like ciaran mac or Brian conner playing on the 45 to supplement our small half fowards.
Tom cribben can only pick 15 and sean has seldom being included come summer time and i think sean would be just as good if not better than Guilfoyle or Darby.Hopfuly hell do himself justice in the obyrne cup and league to proove it and goes on to play against wexford.

[paulwatts]

so all involved in this debate whos better than who ...what would be yere offaly 15 if ye were the offaly manager this year?????????????? just want to see, because some have strange ideas

[Kevin]

so all involved in this debate whos better than who ...what would be yere offaly 15 if ye were the offaly manager this year?????????????? just want to see, because some have strange ideas

Go ahead Paul ... answer your own thread w the best 15 from your view.

[lovelyhurling]

I'll have a stab at it... Have a lot of time on my hands.

Have not seen that much football this year but I would say,

Mulhall
Darby
Brady/Sullivan
Pender
C Kiely
Sullivan/R Brady
Slattery
N Smith
J Coughlan
G Guilfoyle
Mcmanus
A Sullivan
N McNamee
B Connor
T Deehan

Pretty sure I am forgetting someone, did not see the Down, Clare or Waterford match due to emigration so my opinion is really a bit irrelevant.

[theman]

See the thing with Dooley is he's an excellent taker of a score.....give him the ball even 40 yards out and he'll have a shot (usually not too far off the mark with it either). He's full of confidence. Not every forward has that....plenty of current county players are shy in front of goal. Remember Niall Mac gets a lot of ball, some of which he cannot get a score himself from and someone like Dooley would feed very well of him in my opinion.

Long John, tell us some of these Stephan Weir stories!! I didn't know he was a header? I do know he's a very good footballer.

i think a few ex intercounty hurlers could fill you in with a few stories about stephen weir in his spell with the county hurlers

Well i could tell you one story where he scored a goal in the last minute of a championship match this year and celebrated by running up to his marker and spittting in his face

[paulwatts]

ehm kevin i will actually tanks...
people on this site always build up players who are not good enough
this would be my team. i feel we would win lienster with it.
1)alan mulhall
2)brian darby
3)scott brady
4)sean pender
5)joe quinn
6) matthew mithcell
7) karol slattery
brian connor
9) niall smith
10)anton sullivan
11) nigel dunne
12)ciaran mcmanus
13)thomas deehan
14)pj ward
15)niall mcnamee (c)

graham guillfoyle to be introduced maybe for macmanus with 20 mins to go
reynolds,casey,,n darby.john coughlan,ross brady,shane sullivan,kiely all push hard.

[paulwatts]

joe dooley has made contact with 3 of the football panel in the hope of getting them in with the hurlers on a kind of trial period during the walsh cup...
the 3 i heard were
sean ryan- birr
nigel dunne -shamrocks
james keane- tullamore

dont thinkany of the three are really that standard.maybe ryan but im not sure.keane is a good club player, and nigel likewise

[full2forward]

We all know its early but my team for the championship in 2011 would be

This would be assuming all players in offaly make themselfs available ... which we all no just doesnt happen in reality

1) Eddie Mc Donald - The unrecognized reason rhode won this years champoinship ... but may not be available
2) Brian Darby - Best man marker in the county
3) Joe Quinn - havent seen a great deal of him but of what i have seen he seems our best option here
4) Sean Pender - Came on a great deal last year and hopefully age will cut out the silly mistakes
5) Ciaran Heavey - the club Championships stand out defender of the year
6) Shane Sullivan/Ross Brady - If Sullivan Puts in 100% he is our best Centre half ... but its always possible he wont in which case Ross did a good job last year
7) Karol Slattery - Slats For an all-star
Alan McNamee - Easy man to blame for problems in the past but the has the best vision,passing ablity and strength on the ball we have. always Knows where Niall is!
9) Niall Smith - Pray we have him back ...we need his fielding!
10) Anton Sullivan - Keep his head screwed on and hes a weapon like we havent had for years
11) Brain Connor - Again Showed well last year
12) Ciaran Mcmanus - This team still needs him
13)Thomas Deehan - Hopefully hes back and providing the threat he can. if niall Mc is seeing multiple markers he should step up and have some great days
14) Ken Casey - A live wire and a great understanding with Niall
15) Niall mcnamee (c) - UNREAL! but he needs to be encourged to put the head down atleast 4 or 5 times and run straight at goal. hes drifting slightly further from goal every year. If offaly are to win anything we need Niall bursting the net!!!

Oh and Tom Cribbin - Please please please please please no more Richie Dalton this year!!!

P.s. Only positive Feedback please

[bracknaghboy]

joe dooley has made contact with 3 of the football panel in the hope of getting them in with the hurlers on a kind of trial period during the walsh cup...
the 3 i heard were
sean ryan- birr
nigel dunne -shamrocks
james keane- tullamore

dont thinkany of the three are really that standard.maybe ryan but im not sure.keane is a good club player, and nigel likewise

Thats fair enough Joe, you can have the lads if you let Shane help out the county footballers!

[Long John]

joe dooley has made contact with 3 of the football panel in the hope of getting them in with the hurlers on a kind of trial period during the walsh cup...
the 3 i heard were
sean ryan- birr
nigel dunne -shamrocks
james keane- tullamore

dont thinkany of the three are really that standard.maybe ryan but im not sure.keane is a good club player, and nigel likewise

Interesting to hear this. In my opinion Sean Ryan does have something to offer the hurlers. I dont think he would nail down a regular starting place but would get some decent game time.

James Keane does a very good job for Tullamore and probably deserves a call up. I dont think he has the skill to make it as a county hurler. I just think he is a little limited in terms of striking. At club level he is effective in his role at midfield but I couldnt see him competing with the top midfielders.

Nigel Dunne will put football first, no question about that. If he wasnt on the county football panel and concentrated on hurlers I could see him getting plenty of game time. He wants to make the football team though but I think he's down Cribben's pecking order. A good footballer but is still behind Mulhall, Ward, Darby, Casey, Ryan, Reynolds, Guilfoyle in the eyes of the county management. He would have a better chance of getting a good run with the hurlers.

[Lone Shark]

nigel dunne -shamrocks

A good footballer but is still behind Mulhall, Ward, Darby, Casey, Ryan, Reynolds, Guilfoyle in the eyes of the county management. He would have a better chance of getting a good run with the hurlers.

I wouldn't go presuming that how things were in 2010 is exactly how they'll be in 2011. I would expect Nigel to be ahead of at least half of these guys come the summer.

The Sigerson will tell a lot too - that remains the best testing ground for potential county footballers there is, and I include the national league in that - at least over National league division three.

[Long John]

Fair point Loneshark, I certainly would hope Management dont go for the same players that they have. My point is he wasnt anywhere in the shake up last year despite putting in a huge effort to make the team. His biggest problem is he is very similar to Mulhall, Casey, Ward and Reynolds in the type of player he is. Whereas Guilfoyle, Ryan and Darby are options for winning ball deeper. I personally would see him better than all named with the exception of Ward and Casey if and only if he linked up more with players and didnt hold the ball up so much.

I agree totally about the sigerson cup, it is great preparation for players, its as close to county standard training as you can get. Niall Darby excelled with GMIT in recent years. What college is Dunne playing with?

[Lone Shark]

Nigel was centre forward with Maynooth last year and played very well - arguably the best Offaly player in the competition. I think I saw a report that he's with Athlone IT this year, but I'm not sure how that turned out to be the case if so.

For what it's worth, I would see Nigel as potentially a playmaking style half forward, the type we haven't had since Colm Quinn left the county scene. I can't see him getting picked as the scoring inside forward, while he'll never have the pace of Guilfoyle or Ryan, but he is well capable of picking out a good pass under pressure, which you invariably are operating in the focal point of the attack. It's not the type of player that every team accommodates, but I'd personally be a fan of it.

Niall Darby did play well with GMIT, I saw a few of his games down there (when you could figure out where the hell they were on - they always used to be helpfully listed in the paper as "Galway") but he did suffer for playing on a poor team. He worked hard in the attack but they never really had it in them to take on the big guns. It was also where I saw enough of Donie Shine to realise that he's hugely over-rated too.

[Long John]

I can't see him getting picked as the scoring inside forward, while he'll never have the pace of Guilfoyle or Ryan, but he is well capable of picking out a good pass under pressure, which you invariably are operating in the focal point of the attack.

More or less sums up exactly how Ive called it. He's not as good as the others competing for inside line so the only other option is as a half forward. He doesnt have the natural qualities that Guilfoyle and Ryan have but his skill level is proabably higher. Id not question if he could pick out players under pressure its the case that he doesnt do it for his club and its an area of his game that I always said he needs to work on. Without doubt if he became a selfless player he'd definately be an option.