Re: Roscomon V Offaly
Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 6:41 pm
I couldn't really disagree with any BnaM man said there. Mulhall did well in goals, Evans came into it after a slow enough start but he's clearly on the road back and looks nailed on to be a summer starter right now. McManus was utterly, utterly wasted at full back. He's not suited to it, he is very badly missed out the field and he played some of the best passes in the game - which is not something that you should be looking to your full back to provide. Slattery was another fish out of water and only came close to looking like himself when he moved up.
Half back line was a disaster from start to finish as far as I'm concerned. Joe Quinn was anonymous, never really imposed himself on the game, Matt Mitchell stood way too far off and his undoubted footballing ability is a bit lost out on the wing too, while Brian Darby never burst forward and just never got into the run of things at all. He's a corner back or nothing for me, and I'm leaning towards the latter after yesterday.
I though Niall Smith's grip wasn't the best (odd time of year not to be wearing gloves) but he did fight for ball and looked to turn things around. Much like the Down game last year, he was slightly outclassed but he never stopped trying and if he had got his goal chance in the second half it would have been just reward. Colin too did his best, but this is just way too much too soon for him. I think 19 in midfield years is the equivalent of barely 17 for a corner forward. You have to be a freak to be good enough to hold your own at that age, and I think under 21 is more than enough for him now.
Half forward line was another disaster area, though again not entirely through the fault of the players. I remain to be convinced that Niall Darby is able for this level yet either - he did take two fine scores, but he just doesn't attack the goals the same way he does for Rhode, and until he has the strength and confidence to do that, I don't see why you would pick him over guys that do. Ger Rafferty at centre forward was like the equivalent of using John Hayes as the captain of Ireland's dressage team. There is sporting talent there without question, but the role he was deployed in was comically inappropriate. A guy like Raff who has burst a gut for the county time and again deserves better - he is what he is, a bludgeoning defender who will make any corner forward's life very tough - and to use him any other way is nonsensical.
I'm not sure what I thought of Ruairi Allen's performance. He did throw himself about, particularly in the first half, and he appeared to want to show for the ball and to do something with it. He always appeared busy, yet his opposite number did play a big part. I couldn't quite decide in the second half if he was finding space out on the wing or hiding a little bit - either way, he showed more than enough to suggest that there was talent, but that he too needs more time. He also needs to stop reacting - he's developing a spiky side, and not in a good way.
I can't say anything good about PJ Ward so I'll leave it at that.
Brian Connor was the most harshly treated of the lot I felt. The first high ball that came in, he clearly had the full back worried - and he's intelligent enough to break the ball in Offaly's favour. But of course that first high ball in was also the last high ball in. I don't believe in the policy myself, but if you must pick that type of full forward, then change your game to suit. Don't pick him and then hit in low ball - barmy.
Ken Casey worries me. Towards the end of the first half, a high ball came in over the top and his man slipped - the kind of situation that corner forwards dream about. Still, he ambled towards the ball, gave his man time to recover and ended up passing the ball backwards into traffic - instead of putting on the gas and going for goal. Same in the second half - it was his shot to take, but he laid it off to PJ Ward. Bad call, and the sign of a young lad who doesn't have confidence in his own ability to score. I rate him and I have high hopes for him, but he's simply not in form right now.
James Coughlan has actually gone backwards from what I can tell. He's no stronger physically than he was four years ago, while he just doesn't have the pace to penetrate. Ken doesn't have the confidence to take his shot, Jimmy doesn't have the strength to get himself into that position. He did himself no favours. Rory Guinan was just a few minutes of junk time, so while he did okay, you couldn't judge him on it.
Overall, other than Mulhall and the continued improvement of Evans, you couldn't say that there was a lot of good news.
Half back line was a disaster from start to finish as far as I'm concerned. Joe Quinn was anonymous, never really imposed himself on the game, Matt Mitchell stood way too far off and his undoubted footballing ability is a bit lost out on the wing too, while Brian Darby never burst forward and just never got into the run of things at all. He's a corner back or nothing for me, and I'm leaning towards the latter after yesterday.
I though Niall Smith's grip wasn't the best (odd time of year not to be wearing gloves) but he did fight for ball and looked to turn things around. Much like the Down game last year, he was slightly outclassed but he never stopped trying and if he had got his goal chance in the second half it would have been just reward. Colin too did his best, but this is just way too much too soon for him. I think 19 in midfield years is the equivalent of barely 17 for a corner forward. You have to be a freak to be good enough to hold your own at that age, and I think under 21 is more than enough for him now.
Half forward line was another disaster area, though again not entirely through the fault of the players. I remain to be convinced that Niall Darby is able for this level yet either - he did take two fine scores, but he just doesn't attack the goals the same way he does for Rhode, and until he has the strength and confidence to do that, I don't see why you would pick him over guys that do. Ger Rafferty at centre forward was like the equivalent of using John Hayes as the captain of Ireland's dressage team. There is sporting talent there without question, but the role he was deployed in was comically inappropriate. A guy like Raff who has burst a gut for the county time and again deserves better - he is what he is, a bludgeoning defender who will make any corner forward's life very tough - and to use him any other way is nonsensical.
I'm not sure what I thought of Ruairi Allen's performance. He did throw himself about, particularly in the first half, and he appeared to want to show for the ball and to do something with it. He always appeared busy, yet his opposite number did play a big part. I couldn't quite decide in the second half if he was finding space out on the wing or hiding a little bit - either way, he showed more than enough to suggest that there was talent, but that he too needs more time. He also needs to stop reacting - he's developing a spiky side, and not in a good way.
I can't say anything good about PJ Ward so I'll leave it at that.
Brian Connor was the most harshly treated of the lot I felt. The first high ball that came in, he clearly had the full back worried - and he's intelligent enough to break the ball in Offaly's favour. But of course that first high ball in was also the last high ball in. I don't believe in the policy myself, but if you must pick that type of full forward, then change your game to suit. Don't pick him and then hit in low ball - barmy.
Ken Casey worries me. Towards the end of the first half, a high ball came in over the top and his man slipped - the kind of situation that corner forwards dream about. Still, he ambled towards the ball, gave his man time to recover and ended up passing the ball backwards into traffic - instead of putting on the gas and going for goal. Same in the second half - it was his shot to take, but he laid it off to PJ Ward. Bad call, and the sign of a young lad who doesn't have confidence in his own ability to score. I rate him and I have high hopes for him, but he's simply not in form right now.
James Coughlan has actually gone backwards from what I can tell. He's no stronger physically than he was four years ago, while he just doesn't have the pace to penetrate. Ken doesn't have the confidence to take his shot, Jimmy doesn't have the strength to get himself into that position. He did himself no favours. Rory Guinan was just a few minutes of junk time, so while he did okay, you couldn't judge him on it.
Overall, other than Mulhall and the continued improvement of Evans, you couldn't say that there was a lot of good news.