Happy new year everyone!
here's hoping for a good year for Offaly
Happy new year
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black and red exile
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As a supporter who travels the lenght and breath of Ireland watching our footballers and hurlers, I am very excited about our senior hurlers for 2006. I have a feeling that they are going to surprise quite a few people before this year is out. Fitness certainly won't be a problem with the panel back training since the first week in November where as last year they did not get together until after Christmas for the first time under John McIntyre.
I really hope im wrong but I can't see our footballers improving on last year. As someone said on this site a while ago they can never put two good performances together so even if we get over Westmeath can we trust them to take the lillies two weeks later. As for the league it would be fantastic if our two senior teams were to stay in Div 1 or even go into the knockout stages, again I honestly believe our hurlers will do fine here, but ive a horrible feeling our footballers will face an incredibly torrid few months ahead. [ sorry for being such a voice of doom ]
I really hope im wrong but I can't see our footballers improving on last year. As someone said on this site a while ago they can never put two good performances together so even if we get over Westmeath can we trust them to take the lillies two weeks later. As for the league it would be fantastic if our two senior teams were to stay in Div 1 or even go into the knockout stages, again I honestly believe our hurlers will do fine here, but ive a horrible feeling our footballers will face an incredibly torrid few months ahead. [ sorry for being such a voice of doom ]
Irrational Optimism
Happy New Year to everybody on the site!!
Maybe it's the effect of the Christmas season and the dawn of a New Year but I'm suffering from irrational optimism about Offaly in 2006.
Both the senior footballers and the senior hurlers have had a steady winter preparation without players strikes or Birr campaigns to distract. The senior managers are facing into their 2nd seasons so they should know their players better.
Vincent Hogan in the Indo today, in relation to Offaly and Wexford horror seasons last year, says "Rumour has it that both are suitably energised".
In underage there's a good core of returning minors in football and hurling. Every year we seem to have a good U-21 Football squad and it hasn't worked out yet but maybe this year they'll click.
So I'd hold out some hope for 2006,
Maybe it's the effect of the Christmas season and the dawn of a New Year but I'm suffering from irrational optimism about Offaly in 2006.
Both the senior footballers and the senior hurlers have had a steady winter preparation without players strikes or Birr campaigns to distract. The senior managers are facing into their 2nd seasons so they should know their players better.
Vincent Hogan in the Indo today, in relation to Offaly and Wexford horror seasons last year, says "Rumour has it that both are suitably energised".
In underage there's a good core of returning minors in football and hurling. Every year we seem to have a good U-21 Football squad and it hasn't worked out yet but maybe this year they'll click.
So I'd hold out some hope for 2006,
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Rynaghs Biffo
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And a happy new year to everyone on the uibhfhaili website!
Lets hope we'll get a bit further this year. In fairness, its possible. I dont know of any better preparation for this years championship for both our footballers and hurlers. Both in division 1 with quality opposition, no club provincial championships in the way, decent youngsters coming through the ranks, no better team than wastemeath to play in the first round, doable path to the leinster final in hurling, the list goes on and on.
Now all we need is the support of the fans, thats where we come in!!
Heres to 2006........
Lets hope we'll get a bit further this year. In fairness, its possible. I dont know of any better preparation for this years championship for both our footballers and hurlers. Both in division 1 with quality opposition, no club provincial championships in the way, decent youngsters coming through the ranks, no better team than wastemeath to play in the first round, doable path to the leinster final in hurling, the list goes on and on.
Now all we need is the support of the fans, thats where we come in!!
Heres to 2006........
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Lone Shark
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I'd be along the same lines as Black and Red exile here - I expect good things from the hurlers, but I expect the footballers to fall short of expectations again. (I'm aware that theoretically one can't expect someone to underperform expectations, but you get my drift!!)
No point repeating the hurling thing, my line is exactly the same. Squad has some time together, good management setup, perfect league group with three of the four other good teams being played at home. The Clare match in Portlaoise last year will be proff to themselves that they can do it, and I think they will
The footballers I am very worried about. We've lost our best player from 2005, and with Daly retired and Brady really a better half back, we stat the year with no obvious candidate for inside backs. We have loads of halfbacks who could do a job there, but no natural defenders who have no instinct for attacking whatsoever. we have no full back, centre back or centre forward - all key positions. Freetaking is likely to be as much of a bugbear as ever - no obvious reason why that should improve. Midfield has a lot more options with McNamee playing fantastic and Keane maturing well, but the inside forwards still lack a consistent scorer who'll hit 2 or three from play even on a bad day, and we continue to be dependant on Colm Quinn. He's getting older and less capable of playing for 70 minutes, yet we have no one else who can play his withdrawn playmaker role. Damien Hunt is the only candidate I can think of, but he's not exactly full of experience.
And above all we're now the team everyone wants to play - a supposedly big team, so easy to motivate against, and a notoriously soft underbelly and penchant for throwing away games due to a lack of self belief. Add in a manager who won't make as much as a tactical switch until ten minutes left, by which time we've shipped too much damage, and I expect very little. Might beat Westmeath, might not. Should lose the first backdoor match where we play anyone better than Tipperary. Sad, but I can't bring myself to believe otherwise.
No point repeating the hurling thing, my line is exactly the same. Squad has some time together, good management setup, perfect league group with three of the four other good teams being played at home. The Clare match in Portlaoise last year will be proff to themselves that they can do it, and I think they will
The footballers I am very worried about. We've lost our best player from 2005, and with Daly retired and Brady really a better half back, we stat the year with no obvious candidate for inside backs. We have loads of halfbacks who could do a job there, but no natural defenders who have no instinct for attacking whatsoever. we have no full back, centre back or centre forward - all key positions. Freetaking is likely to be as much of a bugbear as ever - no obvious reason why that should improve. Midfield has a lot more options with McNamee playing fantastic and Keane maturing well, but the inside forwards still lack a consistent scorer who'll hit 2 or three from play even on a bad day, and we continue to be dependant on Colm Quinn. He's getting older and less capable of playing for 70 minutes, yet we have no one else who can play his withdrawn playmaker role. Damien Hunt is the only candidate I can think of, but he's not exactly full of experience.
And above all we're now the team everyone wants to play - a supposedly big team, so easy to motivate against, and a notoriously soft underbelly and penchant for throwing away games due to a lack of self belief. Add in a manager who won't make as much as a tactical switch until ten minutes left, by which time we've shipped too much damage, and I expect very little. Might beat Westmeath, might not. Should lose the first backdoor match where we play anyone better than Tipperary. Sad, but I can't bring myself to believe otherwise.
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the bare biffo
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Faith :
Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
On the evidence of last year you have made a fairly sound case there LS.
However, a manager came in as a complete rookie following an embarrassing schemozzle the likes of which hadn't been seen in Offaly before. I would give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is not without some intelligence. And I have "faith" that he will learn from his experiences last year.
In terms of playing resources I agree that on last years display alone Conor Evans is a big loss. But that may be offset insome way by a continuation in the improvements being made by Alan McNamee and hopefully we will see a more forcefull Niall this year also. I also hope that P Keellaghan gets it into his head to give a big lash this year as he still has the potential to be a big player.
In short Div 1 retention and a Leinster Final are attainable goals.
On the flip side I am not convinced that the hurlers have as much to be enthusiastic about. People seem to pin a lot on the "result" against Clare based on their subsequent performance against Cork. I doubt very much if Clare were anywhere close to the same team mentally against Offaly as they were against Cork, which seemed to be something of a last dieing kick. Offaly's subsequent form against Dublin would give me more cause for concern.
I fear for them in Div 1 and don't see them getting past Wex. If they do it's another Leinster Final to nothing.
Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
On the evidence of last year you have made a fairly sound case there LS.
However, a manager came in as a complete rookie following an embarrassing schemozzle the likes of which hadn't been seen in Offaly before. I would give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he is not without some intelligence. And I have "faith" that he will learn from his experiences last year.
In terms of playing resources I agree that on last years display alone Conor Evans is a big loss. But that may be offset insome way by a continuation in the improvements being made by Alan McNamee and hopefully we will see a more forcefull Niall this year also. I also hope that P Keellaghan gets it into his head to give a big lash this year as he still has the potential to be a big player.
In short Div 1 retention and a Leinster Final are attainable goals.
On the flip side I am not convinced that the hurlers have as much to be enthusiastic about. People seem to pin a lot on the "result" against Clare based on their subsequent performance against Cork. I doubt very much if Clare were anywhere close to the same team mentally against Offaly as they were against Cork, which seemed to be something of a last dieing kick. Offaly's subsequent form against Dublin would give me more cause for concern.
I fear for them in Div 1 and don't see them getting past Wex. If they do it's another Leinster Final to nothing.