Offaly Senior Footballers 2024

[Doon Exile]

We are screwed simple

Why????

[Bord na Mona man]

Beforehand I reckoned a 12 point loss would be a very good outcome and a 30 point loss, a very bad one.
So it wasn't the worst day all things considered. Offaly were 12 behind after 65 minutes but the inevitable Dublin onslaught was coming down the tracks.
And make no mistake, Dublin tried to pile on goals in the closing minutes and Offaly did well to concede just one.

The positives:
Offaly's skills held up, possession was usually maintained well, handling and kicking fine. Offaly won plenty of turnovers too. I think the scoreboard said it was 25 to 23 in favour of Dublin. Offaly created opportunities, including a couple of goal chances. Our pacier runners did get joy when they ran at Dublin.

The negatives:
I don't believe it's worth being negative. Offaly are a Division 3 side. Playing a Division 2 side would be a step up. Playing a Division 1 side, another step up. Playing Dublin is the biggest step up of all.
Last year we saw we could beat a badly coached Division 2 team with a good performance.
We have several rungs to climb. Today was a taster of playing the kind of elite side the players have never been exposed to.

The biggest difference was the power and athleticism advantage Dublin had. Their ability to surge upfield in waves, at full tilt. Their ability to close down a player in a flash and force them into trouble. Dublin have about 15 minutes of more energy fuel than a team at Offaly's level.

Also, Dublin's attacking patterns and support play was really slick. Offaly gave it plenty, but often we had players needing to go it alone, or running out of support. None of this was unexpected. This was Offaly's first taste of big time football. Dublin have been playing like this every match, every year.

I think this match will benefit Offaly in many ways. We want to play at this level more, not less.

[Bord na Mona man]

We are screwed simple

Why????

Declan Kelly should get Superhans75 to do all future team talks! His motivational skills and positivity are off the scale.

[kingscounty]

Big defeat in the end but the experience should hopefully stand to the young lads. We had plenty of possession in the first half but we slowed things down to much, hitting it back to the keeper back to corner back, back to keeper again, when we actually ran at them we created a few chances.

Keith O Neill was excellent for me, he was marked by one of the dubs most decorated players and he gave him plenty of problems with his movement and took some nice scores. Credit to Egan, he ran at them and held Kilkenny to one score from play. I think we missed Anton for his speed and an attacking option, Farrell does seem to be down the pecking order and he might have offered a few scores to the scoreboard if introduced.

A decent run in the TC is vital for the group,

[Superhans75]

Morning after the night before and it's raining.
Lol
We are better than the tactics used yesterday
You can't fault the players attitude but there is questions over the management tactics .
You could right a thesis on the game but simple fact Dublin are in a different universe ..
Hopefully we will learn something from it .
Have a good week

[jk1022]

Yesterday was nothing to do with tactics. Dublin are on a different level physique wise. It was like Dublin seniors playing the Dublin minors in a challenge match. I know a lot of the Offaly lads and I know the work they put in at training and even the days they aren't training . I'm not sure how Dublin get in the shape they do but seeing them up close yesterday in relation to our lads was frightening.

[Bord na Mona man]

Morning after the night before and it's raining.
Lol
We are better than the tactics used yesterday
You can't fault the players attitude but there is questions over the management tactics .
You could right a thesis on the game but simple fact Dublin are in a different universe ..
Hopefully we will learn something from it .
Have a good week

Offaly's tactics were fine. Offaly were right to slow the game down at times and keep the ball. If they went full pelt from minute zero, they'd have been absolutely knackered by 50 minutes.

At times Offaly kicked some loose balls, too shallow and into a crowd of Dublin players who stormed back up the field with it.
Ideally speculative kicks should be over the cover and if possession is lost, you have plenty of players to stop the counter.

[Bord na Mona man]

Yesterday was nothing to do with tactics. Dublin are on a different level physique wise. It was like Dublin seniors playing the Dublin minors in a challenge match. I know a lot of the Offaly lads and I know the work they put in at training and even the days they aren't training . I'm not sure how Dublin get in the shape they do but seeing them up close yesterday in relation to our lads was frightening.

Age is a factor. Offaly had several players not long out of U20. Most Dublin players have more years physical work done. Dublin with a bigger pool, don't need to throw in young players as early in the careers into their senior team.

You can see here the difference a couple of years of drinking Red Bull does to a lad...

[SearingDrive]

Morning after the night before and it's raining.
Lol
We are better than the tactics used yesterday
You can't fault the players attitude but there is questions over the management tactics .
You could right a thesis on the game but simple fact Dublin are in a different universe ..
Hopefully we will learn something from it .
Have a good week

All you do is complain about the SF management, without offering your own constructive ideas. Just on your post, you write a letter, but you right a wrong,
just like your grammar. Don’t waste time on. an inane response.

[private joker]

Yesterday was nothing to do with tactics. Dublin are on a different level physique wise. It was like Dublin seniors playing the Dublin minors in a challenge match. I know a lot of the Offaly lads and I know the work they put in at training and even the days they aren't training . I'm not sure how Dublin get in the shape they do but seeing them up close yesterday in relation to our lads was frightening.

There is a culture within dublin clubs of doing s/c work from about 12 years of age onwards. After Dublin win or lose their last game, you can be guaranteed they are in the gym by Wednesday after the match. They are in the gym after a night out, during holidays etc. It's a lifestyle choice to always be in shape. There is no dropping of standards weather they are in in season or not.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

I think, looking back on the day yesterday, there was a lot to be content with, some great individual performances and ability to retain posession reasonably well. How we progress from here will be telling. I think it will be interesting to see if some of the panel get a chance and make an impact during the TC. There are a number of guys who have had very little chance to prove themselves in games and some that have come on have made little difference. I wonder what is the point of carrying Cian Farrell and not throwing down the gauntlet to him for 15mins yesterday. Whilst i completely agree that he was taken off in the league game and should not have respnded as he did, either differences have been patched up and move on or name someone else on 26. Not criticising either party really, but surely if he is putting in a shift since the Clare game he was worth a punt and see could he get on a few balls and do his stuff?

But to be fair missing Anton, Bracken have left us a little short of options and need to build that over TC and into the league for 25.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

You can see here the difference a couple of years of drinking Red Bull does to a lad...

[/quote]

Jaysus, It's even given his teeth a lift!!!!

[pigeon house biffo]

Saw this and thought it worth noting

There’s how many club and intercounty all irelands and all stars in this picture? And yet they are all back doing the donkey work.

Says a lot about how Dublin got to where they are and what exactly are the requirements of staying at that level

[faithfulfanatic]

Yesterday was nothing to do with tactics. Dublin are on a different level physique wise. It was like Dublin seniors playing the Dublin minors in a challenge match. I know a lot of the Offaly lads and I know the work they put in at training and even the days they aren't training . I'm not sure how Dublin get in the shape they do but seeing them up close yesterday in relation to our lads was frightening.

There is a culture within dublin clubs of doing s/c work from about 12 years of age onwards. After Dublin win or lose their last game, you can be guaranteed they are in the gym by Wednesday after the match. They are in the gym after a night out, during holidays etc. It's a lifestyle choice to always be in shape. There is no dropping of standards weather they are in in season or not.

Every county is in the gym by Wednesday after a match. I can guarantee the Offaly lads did a recovery session and some light gym work yesterday followed by a gym and pitch session tonight or Wednesday.

[jk1022]

Just read the ratings on the Offaly Express. 2 of our backs got 8s and 1 got a 9 after we conceeded 3-22. Was I at at a different game or something? Don't get me wrong some of our lads played relatively well but after losing by 20 points at least give an honest rating.