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