Offaly Senior Football Team - Championship 2023

[the Untouchable]

Look I think there should be little to no expectation on this management to do anything of any significance with this current crop of players....the U20 All Ireland success was a fantastic achievement for the lads involved, but it hasn't had any impact on either the senior team or even on the U20's or minor teams for that matter.

Physically our players are no where near the standard required to compete, we don't have a single player who would make a starting 15 for any of the current Division 1 counties and I think this idea that bringing the U20 manager that won us the All Ireland will be some sort of tonic just is nonsense.

Where do we actually rank in Leinster? We're probably slightly better than Carlow, Wicklow and Longford, but not to any point where we would say that we'd go away to play them and be massively confident of a win!! Laois and Wexford are on a par with us and everyone else in Leinster is better than us comfortably.

Going on about the league been important...Important for what? We aren't getting out of Divison 3 with Clare, Down and Westmeath in it, if we went down to Division 4 it wouldn't be the end of the world as it's probably more where our standard is.

I wish Declan and the lads all the best for the year but I think we as supporters need to be realistic that we just don't have the players & from what I can tell, from a decidedly bang average club championship so far that we aren't producing any terrific standout talent for the county either.

[Superhans75]

We definitely are not as bad as you portray there is
Softness in the team I agree .
But that is a mentality Which we have somehow got into
Even though we love to collect red cards .
A coach from the North would definitely be a better
Option that would have shaken a few lads up .
Physical wise we can't get any taller but we can use our pace bit like Down did a few years ago .
But they played as a team we play as a bunch of individuals which is our biggest problem.
Look the county Board have made there decision so
Good luck to the management but I hope they have thick
Necks because the pressure will be on early

[private joker]

I made a point about s/c work been done with underage squads. I made the mistake of saying no work was been done. I should have said that not enough was been done for it to be lasting, of high quality and it to become more than just doing it for a few months, that its an every week thing, in and out of season. A culture has to be developed of s/c and skill development.

[GreatDayForTheParish]

An incredible amount of nonsense being talked here. Too much to counter individually.

In brief, there is huge potential in Offaly football at the moment. The problem is not tempering expectation, it’s the exact opposite. It’s believing that, with the right preparation, we can be much, much better than we are.
The league is important, more important than ever, for its implications on the championship. If that hasn’t been grasped by everybody after this year then I give up.

For too long, the prevailing attitude and problem in Offaly football has been of low expectations with the resulting ‘there, I told you we were useless’ throwing of hands in the air and resignation when the first stumbling block comes.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

An incredible amount of nonsense being talked here. Too much to counter individually.

In brief, there is huge potential in Offaly football at the moment. The problem is not tempering expectation, it’s the exact opposite. It’s believing that, with the right preparation, we can be much, much better than we are.
The league is important, more important than ever, for its implications on the championship. If that hasn’t been grasped by everybody after this year then I give up.

For too long, the prevailing attitude and problem in Offaly football has been of low expectations with the resulting ‘there, I told you we were useless’ throwing of hands in the air and resignation when the first stumbling block comes.

Fair post. Not too many getting too excited about the management team, but that is typical in this county, too quick to kick out own. great to see a man that has taken on coaching at a young age, achieved success wherever he's gone, stuck to his pinciples and called it as he see's it getting an opportunity. He'll look at a widespread of players out there and hopefully some new names can take the opportunity that exists. It might not seem like it at senior level, but there is a decent club championship in Offaly and what it boils down to is the levle of coaching expertise that exists within the county to focus on attacking play. hardest element of the game to coach, and I've been saying it for years, it starts with the lasd over the kids coming to the field, start there with them, and let them play off the cuff, defensive stuff will come with time. But no doubt that its time to harness the potential that exists and reallly back the players and the management over the next couple of years

[biffinbanner]

i think the population of the county and the fact that it is half football half hurling with a few exceptions is the big stumbling block and theres little anyone can do about it. in most successful countys one or other is dominant. i love the way offaly supporters support both codes equally on the intercounty stage. its not the case in a lot of places. the u20 footballers and u17 hurlers have given great enjoyment in the last few years..it would be great if it led to success at senior. but its a long road. offaly has punched above its weight in hurling and football for most of my life and im proud of that. lets hope for a bit more!!

[greenairfield]

That's a fair and valid point you made Biff.

On that I noticed a 20 all ireland winner midfielder not starting for Clara who were relegated is he injured ?

[Anonymous1]

That's a fair and valid point you made Biff.

On that I noticed a 20 all ireland winner midfielder not starting for Clara who were relegated is he injured ?

injured.

[Anonymous1]

An incredible amount of nonsense being talked here. Too much to counter individually.

In brief, there is huge potential in Offaly football at the moment. The problem is not tempering expectation, it’s the exact opposite. It’s believing that, with the right preparation, we can be much, much better than we are.
The league is important, more important than ever, for its implications on the championship. If that hasn’t been grasped by everybody after this year then I give up.

For too long, the prevailing attitude and problem in Offaly football has been of low expectations with the resulting ‘there, I told you we were useless’ throwing of hands in the air and resignation when the first stumbling block comes.

Fair post. Not too many getting too excited about the management team, but that is typical in this county, too quick to kick out own. great to see a man that has taken on coaching at a young age, achieved success wherever he's gone, stuck to his pinciples and called it as he see's it getting an opportunity. He'll look at a widespread of players out there and hopefully some new names can take the opportunity that exists. It might not seem like it at senior level, but there is a decent club championship in Offaly and what it boils down to is the levle of coaching expertise that exists within the county to focus on attacking play. hardest element of the game to coach, and I've been saying it for years, it starts with the lasd over the kids coming to the field, start there with them, and let them play off the cuff, defensive stuff will come with time. But no doubt that its time to harness the potential that exists and reallly back the players and the management over the next couple of years

The standard of the the club championship has been on the floor this year. There's 3 good teams and 5 average/poor ones. The 3 good teams only have to start playing in first gear now meanwhile 4 of the 5 others are already finished.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

We have 8 Senior clubs, we have a fairly competitive Senior B championship with another 8. And intermediate is very competitive.
Our 4 Senior A Semi finalists should be operating at a higher level for sure as should some of the clubs like Shamrocks and Clara.
But I think we are not too differnet from a lot of counties at our level.
I thinks also that there are a list of potential players in the lesser clubs that should be given an opportunity and my point is that Declan Kelly will be aware of these and starting at an advantage. 5 or 6 lads extra putting their hands up and kicking on will make a difference.

But not right just to reference the Senior championship alone.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Point is that there is potential to be better than where we are, we are far from maxing out the potential. There may be a year of pain if certain players need to be replaced but there needs to be a bit of a clear out to be had

[Anonymous1]

We have 8 Senior clubs, we have a fairly competitive Senior B championship with another 8. And intermediate is very competitive.
Our 4 Senior A Semi finalists should be operating at a higher level for sure as should some of the clubs like Shamrocks and Clara.
But I think we are not too differnet from a lot of counties at our level.
I thinks also that there are a list of potential players in the lesser clubs that should be given an opportunity and my point is that Declan Kelly will be aware of these and starting at an advantage. 5 or 6 lads extra putting their hands up and kicking on will make a difference.

But not right just to reference the Senior championship alone.

A competitive championship at a very very poor standard will do nothing to improve Offaly's fortunes. Some of the games this year across all three grades have been incredibly difficult to watch and there've been some massively lopsided games.

Could you list some of these potential players in the lesser clubs who haven't been given an opportunity yet? Can't think of one off the top of my head.

[allstar2010]

How is it possible for a team leading by 9pts in a Senior A q/f not be able to score for the last 30+min. That is some joke.

[Anonymous1]

How is it possible for a team leading by 9pts in a Senior A q/f not be able to score for the last 30+min. That is some joke.

It isn't possible yet they somehow managed it. In truth, neither team deserve to be in a semi final, Edenderry are in for a rude awakening against Tullamore if they put in a similar performance in a fortnight's time.

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Ah shur I could list names, but what I am saying is that there is pressure on Declan Kelly i would guess to look outside the core names that have been there for the last number of years to unearth 3 or 4 to compliment Keith O'Neill and John Furlong as 2 who will be new additions in terms of starters.

How lads are tried and given a chance will be crucial. For example u20s from 3 years ago had 4 Ballinagar lads starting one game. Yes not all are Senior standard, but not all the obvious names will be in the mix and we have to look for a few gems.
Dylan Hyland is a fella that was off the radar, came in and has done well, need a few more to put their hands up.

In relation to the championship, there are a number of brutal coaches out there doing the rounds, and the rules of the game are a bit of a mess, yes there are some poor games, but I've been to a few and there is also some good work being done in a number of clubs to raise the standard.
Anyway lets see what happens.