I was thinking that seeing as pretty much all county championship matches will be watched by at least one or two posters on this board, it might be an interesting idea to keep an eye on what players are possibly putting themselves forward as potential new additions to the panel next year. Let's face it, there are plenty of spots open after we saw what happened this year. You can blame all the external factors you like, but even so very few players can hold their heads high.
Alongside this, we can keep a list of players on the 2007 panel that on current form might lose their spot. If everyone throws in votes on players that they've seen, then hopefully we might have an interesting tally by the end. Try to keep it non-parochial where possible.
Anyway, here's my list, based on the games I've seen so far.....
Possibly worth watching
John O'Hara (Clara)
Sean Martin (Tullamore)
Saran Butler (Ferbane)
Bobby Fitzpatrick (Gracefield)
Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks)
Shane Flannery (Shannonbridge)
(The last two are probably more for under 21 than senior)
Possibly struggling to keep their place
Alan McNamee
Paschal Kelleghan
Kieran Hogan
John Reynolds
James Coughlan
On the squad but holding their place well
Niall Smith
Thomas Deehan
Aidan Keenaghan
Obviously for the purposes of this I'm leaving out blue chip players like Niall Mac, Slattery and McManus who would be on anybody's panel.
New Footballers thrown up by the county championship.
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Lone Shark
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The Border Fox
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LS wrote:
James Coughlan, John Reynolds, Alan Mc & Paschal will all be doing well to be wearing the tri-colour next year.
Bobby Fitzpatrick would be an excellent addition to the panel, as would Colm Gavin(Ferbane) possibly. In all honesty there's a lot of dead wood that needs clearing.. Where's to start mite be the problem.
We need to find a couple of midfielders in a bad way!!!!
Shane Flannery??? Big no, couldn't even make the bridge team last saturday, don't know how you figure he'd be worth watching, maybe it was his brother kieran you noticed? Jason Kelly & Niall Price definitely!! Kelly lies head and shoulders above Alan McNamee, who, to be honest would be lucky to be in next years Offaly set-up if you ask me.Anyway, here's my list, based on the games I've seen so far.....
Possibly worth watching
John O'Hara (Clara)
Sean Martin (Tullamore)
Saran Butler (Ferbane)
Bobby Fitzpatrick (Gracefield)
Nigel Dunne (Shamrocks)
Shane Flannery (Shannonbridge)
(The last two are probably more for under 21 than senior)
Possibly struggling to keep their place
Alan McNamee
Paschal Kelleghan
Kieran Hogan
John Reynolds
James Coughlan
On the squad but holding their place well
Niall Smith
Thomas Deehan
Aidan Keenaghan
James Coughlan, John Reynolds, Alan Mc & Paschal will all be doing well to be wearing the tri-colour next year.
Bobby Fitzpatrick would be an excellent addition to the panel, as would Colm Gavin(Ferbane) possibly. In all honesty there's a lot of dead wood that needs clearing.. Where's to start mite be the problem.
We need to find a couple of midfielders in a bad way!!!!
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Mighty Pair O' Hands
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Muck Savage
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I really can't see the panel being without Alan Mac or Pascal unless they decide to quit themselves. While I'll agree that Alan Mac was shocking at the weekend (spent more time trying to get a box at the young land he was playing on than play ball) who else would you put in the middle of the field? All year we've been trying to see who'd be playing there with him, it's a big ask to come up with two new lads now.
I don't understand either the feeling that James Coughlan will struggle. How many have seen him play in the club c'ship so far? He's a corner forward and was put on the half forward line to plug a gap, and while he may not have lit up the score board he put in a few decent enough games.
For me the ones that stick out so far
Niall Price (Shannonbridge)
Jason Kelly (Shannonbridge) could be an answer to the half forward problems
Sean Martin (Tullamore)
Horan (St Rynags - thought he did well in midfield)
Declan Nugent (Ferbane)
Outside this I wasn't very impressed by anyone. I'd love to see a few more Ferbane, Ballycumber, etc. players in but there just weren't any.
Can someone put up a list of the current squad and mark down the ones that will be for sure there next year. There will be 10-12 for sure.
I don't understand either the feeling that James Coughlan will struggle. How many have seen him play in the club c'ship so far? He's a corner forward and was put on the half forward line to plug a gap, and while he may not have lit up the score board he put in a few decent enough games.
For me the ones that stick out so far
Niall Price (Shannonbridge)
Jason Kelly (Shannonbridge) could be an answer to the half forward problems
Sean Martin (Tullamore)
Horan (St Rynags - thought he did well in midfield)
Declan Nugent (Ferbane)
Outside this I wasn't very impressed by anyone. I'd love to see a few more Ferbane, Ballycumber, etc. players in but there just weren't any.
Can someone put up a list of the current squad and mark down the ones that will be for sure there next year. There will be 10-12 for sure.
With all these potential lads coming to the fore, is this not another argument for my 'Way Forward' idea? (Sorry to flog a very ill horse 
). If these lads faced stiffer competition, or joined together in better teams themselves, would they improve themselves, and be more attuned to the rigours of County ball?
). If these lads faced stiffer competition, or joined together in better teams themselves, would they improve themselves, and be more attuned to the rigours of County ball?Shane Gavin. Signed out of respect for players and all involved with Offaly.
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Muck Savage
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AZ that won't work. Right now we struggle to get through the games that we have without throwing in another competition. If for example you stuck Ballycumber, Rovers and Doon (all the same parish) into a Senior team then what happens all the other lads that are on those teams? They drop down intermediate, more teams more games, but the lads on the combined team will in the end pick their own club rather than the combined team for training etc. I just can't see it happening.
Anyway, that was another topic. Players up and coming here.
Anyway, that was another topic. Players up and coming here.
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Lone Shark
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I only saw one of the two Shannonbridge games, that being the Gracefield match, and in that Shane was a real threat from half back. I'll grant you he wouldn't be heavily skilled, but he tackled well and the speed alone was worth keeping an eye on. On the other hand if he couldn't hold his place in the team, well then that's fair enough.Hocker wrote: Shane Flannery??? Big no, couldn't even make the bridge team last saturday, don't know how you figure he'd be worth watching, maybe it was his brother kieran you noticed? Jason Kelly & Niall Price definitely!!
If Jason Kelly will stick out a winter of training and keep his head down, then I don't think anyone would mind having him on the panel. You know as well as I do that's far from a given. Niall Price never struck me as being at that level before, but then he has missed a lot of football through injury as well, so I wouldn't go against that.
That's the thing about Alan - because he's been good enough on a good club team for the last few years, he gets picked on the basis that there's no-one else. However he has not played well in a county shirt. We excuse it on the grounds of the fact that he's the best we have - well maybe we need to try and remake others into a midfielder, or try something different? Niall Smith is young, had some good and some bad moments for the county at senior and under 21 this year, but right now my money is on him outperforming Alan in the upcoming Rhode/Gracefield match.Muck Savage wrote:I really can't see the panel being without Alan Mac or Pascal unless they decide to quit themselves. While I'll agree that Alan Mac was shocking at the weekend (spent more time trying to get a box at the young land he was playing on than play ball) who else would you put in the middle of the field? All year we've been trying to see who'd be playing there with him, it's a big ask to come up with two new lads now.
I don't understand either the feeling that James Coughlan will struggle. How many have seen him play in the club c'ship so far? He's a corner forward and was put on the half forward line to plug a gap, and while he may not have lit up the score board he put in a few decent enough games.
One way or another a guy who might or might not be good enough is surely better than a guy who has proven that he isn't?
Paschal is simply a case of being one of those guys whose lazy defending from the front is killing us. The man can play football, that's without question, but he's not so good that we can tolerate him letting his man roam free and having to take him off every second match when he gets his obligatory black and yellow cards inside the first half for high tackles. He hasn't learned, so it's time to bite the bullet in my opinion.
I've seen James play, in the last game against Bracknagh. Granted he lined out at midfield, which is a highly unusual place for him. (With Damien Hunt, a proven playmaker, at full forward - go figure) He got a great goal, but he also gave a lot of ball away, kicked a few wides which you would expect a county player to get, and generally played so loose that he allowed his opposite number to play as big a role in the game as James did. He'll have more games this year to redeem himself, but right now I think he'll be struggling.
Ciaran Kiely Gracefield - In there before but seems to have changed his attitude definitely worth a tryMighty Pair O' Hands wrote:Possibly worth watching:
Ciaran Kiely Gracefield
Bobby Fizpatrick Gracefield
Declan Kelly Erin Rovers
Jason Kelly Shannonbridge
Rory Guinan Ballycumber
Sean Martin Tullamore
Bobby Fizpatrick Gracefield - A defiinite
Declan Kelly Erin Rovers - No, didn't even show up for the Laois game last year
Jason Kelly Shannonbridge - Good footballer but a header
Rory Guinan Ballycumber - How many more chances do you want to give this shaper
Sean Martin Tullamore - Maybe??
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Lone Shark
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The lad is 23, and to my memory has never even played a full league game. He's hardly had that many chances. Even if he has, if he has the potential to fulfil a role - and any big half forward who has reasonable pace and can kick a point certainly has that - then why would you give up on him, barring serious disciplinary issues which certainly aren't the case here?Oceans 15 wrote:
Rory Guinan Ballycumber - How many more chances do you want to give this shaper
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Mighty Pair O' Hands
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He left the panel because he hadnt been given even a 10 minute run in either league or championship up to that. Was on Niall Smith on Sat evening, dominated midfield and kicked four points from play - seems good enough for a possibles list for me.Oceans 15 wrote: Declan Kelly Erin Rovers - No, didn't even show up for the Laois game last year
got to agree with LS here - he hasnt been given a proper run but has talent. Worth a go definitely.Oceans 15 wrote:Rory Guinan Ballycumber - How many more chances do you want to give this shaper
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Muck Savage
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This is turning out to be a good read.
I'd agree with you LS on having to try something new at midfield but I'm struggling to see what. I'd love to seem two new lads tried there for the O'Byrne cup and see how they go, we need something new. In all fairness we don't have any midfielder in the county so maybe we need to look at a totally different game plan instead of having our kickouts go straight out to the oposition.
On Coughlan, I think the Doon management a fair poor with the way that team is lined out. James took a right good goal and was at the center of everything that was going on. Now I think the problem there is that he's trying to take too much on himself (or management are putting too much on him). If himself, Trevor and Hunt can't beat every intermediate back in this county then Offaly management need to be looking at the Intermediate C'ship for backs!
Alan Larkin who was playing midfield for Doon might be worth a try. Big strong lad with ability, looked lazy so I'm not sure on comittment. But I'd think he's as good as is out there and is young.
Frank Weir baffles me, didn't look like he was at the races but I'd say he scored 1-4 (lucky goal but).
Rory Guinan is a total no. I was expecting him to do something on Sunday but never gave the sparkle that you'd think he was dangerous. Also got the last effort to level the game and kicked it short from 30M out and no pressure, I'd forgive a wide but not dropping short.
Is someone keeping a spreadsheet for the names to hand over to Mgt??
I'd agree with you LS on having to try something new at midfield but I'm struggling to see what. I'd love to seem two new lads tried there for the O'Byrne cup and see how they go, we need something new. In all fairness we don't have any midfielder in the county so maybe we need to look at a totally different game plan instead of having our kickouts go straight out to the oposition.
On Coughlan, I think the Doon management a fair poor with the way that team is lined out. James took a right good goal and was at the center of everything that was going on. Now I think the problem there is that he's trying to take too much on himself (or management are putting too much on him). If himself, Trevor and Hunt can't beat every intermediate back in this county then Offaly management need to be looking at the Intermediate C'ship for backs!
Alan Larkin who was playing midfield for Doon might be worth a try. Big strong lad with ability, looked lazy so I'm not sure on comittment. But I'd think he's as good as is out there and is young.
Frank Weir baffles me, didn't look like he was at the races but I'd say he scored 1-4 (lucky goal but).
Rory Guinan is a total no. I was expecting him to do something on Sunday but never gave the sparkle that you'd think he was dangerous. Also got the last effort to level the game and kicked it short from 30M out and no pressure, I'd forgive a wide but not dropping short.
Is someone keeping a spreadsheet for the names to hand over to Mgt??