Be Disappointed but show the players respect

[Truth as i see it]

I know that people will be disappointed with the way that things turned out on Sunday, but i don't think it helps the players if people behind an anonymous online name starts hurling abuse their way after yesterdays performance

It didn't go the way the players or the fans wanted but i think its fair to say that they put in the maximum effort and that's all i can ask for personally as a fan

I think at the end of the day having seen the team fall away in so many games where the match was there for the taking it all comes down to the team being mentally weak when put in pressurized situations

That's not meant to be mean, or meant as an insult to the players, its just the reality of where these guys are at, whether that's as a result of the system that they came up through which as we all know was neglected for years or through bad habits handed down from coaches i don't know but it seems to be holding a lot of these guys back

i think they are doing the best that they possibly can and i want to thank the players for the effort that they put in this year because i know that its easy for guys like myself to watch a match and say what i would have done but the bottom line is these guys are out every night after work training in the wind, rain and the muck and for that they have my respect and admiration

A lot of counties are in the same boat as Offaly where they have very little resources to work with and as we seen with Westmeath yesterday we possibly got the better deal out of losing the replay given that we were at least competitive up to the final quarter of the game

This is a debate for another day but as was discussed in the Sunday Game last night a B Championships will have to be looked at for the weaker counties (yeah i know it sucks to be lumped in with them but the fact is we're not competing in Croke Park every year are we) either that or central council will have to divide the grant money up on a more equal basis to give smaller counties like ourselves a better chance

With that being said i want to say hard luck to the players, the back room staff and Pat Flanagan, Thanks for your dedication and commitment this year and hopefully the 2018 season will be a better one for both the players and fans next year

Cheers

[private joker]

I feel it's time for a 3 tiered county system. Like at club level. Senior , inter and junior. Win your grade you come up , finish bottom you go down.

[Towerus]

The game was lost in the first ten minutes of the second half. Cavan came out after the break chomping at the bit, we looked like we'd had the life sucked out of us in the dressing room. It took a bit of guts and determination at that point to keep battling on, but battle on they did and almost pulled it off. Support at the game was abysmal, particularly for a home game, time we changed our name to the "Faithful-as-long-as-we're-going-well" county. There's never going to be a management team that everyone agrees with 100%, but some of their recent decisions have been baffling and must have left at least some players in a state of frustration. Respect to all these lads for sticking with it, with little chance of reward and criticism aplenty.

[summerindublin]

Look, we should have been ahead at half time but to leave Niall Mac off until final 10 minutes was criminal, our best player for the past 15 years and to treat him like this, may never play county again especially under present management team, Flanagan comes out with the same s'''t after every match, I personally would not give him another year, we have not improved under him.

[bminnock1981]

Im wondering why none of the Ferbane players are not present on this offaly Team/ Panel? county finalist last year that really blew Tullamore and Gracefield away and seeing them this year offered more than what i see on offer in the county? Colin Egan, Nally , Fox and Maher. Joseph Maher looked very good last year throughout championship and against tullamore cause alot of damage this year? also seen Heavin looks promising? im not ferbane but looking at it from Offaly supporter.

[Lone Shark]

Fair to say that nobody will be more hurt by how the year panned out than the players and management. The championship was hugely disappointing, and to be honest I don't think that either Offaly or Cavan were operating at a high tempo last night. There were plenty of scores, but none of the defensive intensity that we showed in Tullamore against Westmeath, or that they did against Monaghan. However when the chips were really down after the game in Armagh, the response was excellent and that's something we need to hold on to. Laois and Sligo are still in the championship and yet we were more than a match for them, albeit with a fully fit Eoin Carroll in the team. Right now, he's possibly the most important player we have, and with him there, along with a few others, we'll be that bit more competitive next year. Winning a few more games would go a long way towards building up confidence, and we'd be less likely to have the type of nervous finish to a game that we saw two weeks ago in OCP.

Look, we should have been ahead at half time but to leave Niall Mac off until final 10 minutes was criminal, our best player for the past 15 years and to treat him like this, may never play county again especially under present management team, Flanagan comes out with the same s'''t after every match, I personally would not give him another year, we have not improved under him.

This has been discussed already. How good Niall was in 2003, or 2008, or 2012, or 2016, is irrelevant. What only matters is how good he is now, and there is no doubt that if he's fit, he's the most gifted forward we have. However if you're not fit, there is no room for you in the modern game. Niall got nearly two hours of action against Westmeath between the two games and was completely at sea, he made no impact whatsoever. Not many managers would have parachuted Niall into the team for the championship just weeks after he rejoined the panel like that, but he got that chance because of who he is and what we all know he can do. It didn't work - fair enough. However he wasn't denied a place on the team, he had it and effectively lost it.

I've no doubt that if Niall comes back into the Offaly panel next year in the winter and trains at an appropriate level for a man who is well into his thirties now, looking after himself along the way, then he'll start every game and he'll make a big impact. However unless you can get yourself to a stage where you have the burst of pace to get separation from your marker, or unless you have the energy to cover the ground you need to cover in a game, then you can have all the accuracy or skill in the world, you won't get the chance to use it because you won't get the ball.

As for management, I won't speak for the players here, but how many Offaly teams over the last five or six years would have avoided relegation in division three of the league without having Niall McNamee there kicking three or four scores from play in most games? Until we get a lot better, it's reasonable to assume we'll play seven games in the league and no more than four in the championship. We can't win Leinster, and if you go on a run in the qualifiers, you're only getting the benefit when you break up for the end of the summer. We're not in a position to put all our eggs in the summer basket, we need to stay in division three, at least, and push for division two.

I'd also be very conscious of who would we get to fill the gap if Pat Flanagan left, either at the behest of players, county board, or of his own volition? I suspect that Paschal Kelleghan would have the potential to take the job in time, but outside of that, there aren't too many standout managers on the local scene. And that would leave us going back to the well for either a journeyman manager who will fill a gap (as we've done with the hurlers) or else taking a chance on a retired player with little or no experience. And yeah, maybe breaking the bank for a Dara Ó'Sé type figure would be an option, but that's all very well when it's other people's money. If that expense falls back on the clubs of the county, then I'm not sure that option would be so popular.

[LooseCannon]

Unfortunately, I don't see that anyone would be willing to take the job. Hopefully the county board don't make a mess of it by getting rid of Flanagan, and having no one to replace him. Personally I would give him another year or two to try and get us up to a higher standard, then if it hasn't worked out, call Paschal. I see him staying with Rhode for another year or two to get the most out of them, possibly Leinster success. As for who should be on the county panel, Corbett from Shannonbridge is a certainty.

[LooseCannon]

Well there's a s+c coach who earns 52000 (reportedly)a year from the county board who passed Eoin Carroll fit to play, when he wasn't, and according to a trustworthy source, Carroll could be facing a career ending injury. Also if a s+c coach was being paid that much, you'd imagine that the likes of rodge Hanlon, panda, etc would be able to at least break a tackle. Look at Kildare, and how their players have physically gotten bigger.

As for Paschal, he's probably the best club manager there.

Suggestions of Outsiders???

[SearingDrive]

I don't think there will be a queue of people waiting to take over Offaly. Pat Flanagan has not stated if is staying on or otherwise, so maybe we should wait until he states his intentions.
I was at the Cavan game on Sunday evening, and agree the period either side of half time was crucial in deciding the game.

Offaly fought back well in the second period, but could not close the gap. They showed a bit of spirit, I would like to thank them and Pat Flanagan for their efforts. I did not always agree with Pat's tactics, a little bit too defensive/ cautious, but he gave his best, as did the players. We might have beaten Westmeath 2 weeks ago, and last year also, but that's history now.
Underage success is the way Offaly football can make progress.

Looking at the Westmeath Dublin game on Sunday, it might have been a blessing in disguise.
Finally, can we get on with the football championship after a 2 month break. No need for such a long gap.

[Exiled in Connacht]

Well there's a s+c coach who earns 52000 a year from the county board who passed Eoin Carroll fit to play, when he wasn't, and according to a trustworthy source, Carroll could be facing a career ending injury. Also if a s+c coach was being paid that much, you'd imagine that the likes of rodge Hanlon, panda, etc would be able to at least break a tackle. Look at Kildare, and how their players have physically gotten bigger.

As for Paschal, he's probably the best club manager there.

Suggestions of Outsiders???

It's all water under the bridge now but I find it hard to accept that a s&c coach passes a player fit to play. That surely is the role of the physio and the team doctor.