TEAM FOR SUNDAY

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P KELLY
C DALY G RAFFERTY N GRENNAN
P MCCONWAY S SULLIVAN K SLATTERY
M DALY N COUGHLAN
C QUINN C MCMANUS P KELLAGHAN
DEEHAN JAMES COUGHLAN N MCNAMEE

BRADY REYNOLDS AND HUNT DROPPED PRESUME ALAN MCNAMEE HAS NOT RECOVERED FROM INJURY.
WHETHER THEY LINE OUT AS SELECTED IS ANOTHER QUESTION

[arbarg]

thats a good team, hope he sticks to it.

[DD]

With the exception Alan Mac it's the best 15 we could have put out. It does however leave the bench very light but fuck it we have to go for broke - there's no back door now.
It will be interesting to see who plays where on the day - especially who'll be askled to pick up Sheehan. an awful lot of ball goes through him, so if we can keep him quiet we will go a long way to winning this game.
I doubt it will be McConway - he didn't have the pace to stay with Tomas Quinn the last day and Sheehan would be far more moblie than Quinn.

[Bord na Mona man]

A good enough team, but I wonder are we changing too much at once?
I'd say Neville and McManus will swap at some stage.
But maybe we needed someone beefier than James Coughlan to play in the withdrawn role?
Or are we reverting to a conventional 3 man inside forward line?

The problem with Shaper was that he was too far from goal to suit his best asset - score taking.
Out the field, with far more traffic, bigger hits and the need to track back, he didn't cope. Damien Hunt didn't have the physique for this either.
Will James Coughlan fare any better though?

I would have been happier to seen someone like James Keane operating out around here.
The tactic of kicking in everything in early to the 2 inside men works well.
But we should also plan to make it as hard as possible for Leix or anyone else to work it clear. That's why we should really squeeze them with our half forward line. Hit them hard when they try to set up an attack. Foul tactically in their half. Use our more physical players to get stuck in.

Leix throw the ball around enough that we will have plenty of opportunity to try and dispossess. What we can't afford to do is drop off them too early when they are working it out of defence. We really need to put the wind up them and pressurise all the time. There is nothing more unsettling for a handpassing team than to start losing possession close to their own goal.

[Lone Shark]

I'm not loving this team selection at all. The backs are fine, it's a bit harsh on Scott but on current form it was always likely to happen. But ....

(1) Neville is not playing well and is not a good long passer of the ball. Midfield makes no sense. Mac has been doing well here, and Coughlan would be a good first line of defence in the half forward line. I hope these switch back sooner rather than later.

(2) Defending from the half forward line is the key - and Paschal has been woeful in this regard so far. Hunt and Shaper might be a bit slight to really stop lads, but Paschal just lets fellas run past, sometimes giving away a cheap foul. McDonald and Kelly will both be very happy to push up and support the midfielders, so Paschal will have to pull his finger out and get tracking on McDonald.

(3) Our two man inside forward line has worked very well - please God tell me we're not abandoning this to revert to a three man inside line???? And yet Coughlan is not really effective anywhere else? This would be real baby/bathwater stuff if that's what's happening ....

(4) We got cleaned for fielding last day out, and yet we have if anything less fielding ability on the field now. I understand the McNamee absence is unavoidable, but as was mentioned, someone like Keane here would at least give us another option.


Remains to be seen, but it's hard not to notice the smell of panic around.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

Have the Laois team been names yet???

[Mighty Pair O' Hands]

A good enough team, but I wonder are we changing too much at once?

Can't see it myself - all we have changed is the full back, centre back, both midfielders, centre forward and fullforward !

[Bord na Mona man]

Can't see it myself - all we have changed is the full back, centre back, both midfielders, centre forward and fullforward !

Our goalie is the same! But yeah, it's fine to chop and change early in the year, but I think you have to be careful about adjustments at this stage.

The team in itself looks reasonable in its own right, but you need some sort of continuity as well. We made a lot of improvemtns in teamwork and spirit in Leinster this year. When you hack up the shape of the team a lot, then you have to hope that things fall into place.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

But yeah, it's fine to chop and change early in the year, but I think you have to be careful about adjustments at this stage.

I agree.

NOW THE CHAMPIONSHIP STARTS!!!!

Its knockout from here on and big calls like that can either fall apart or fall nicely into place. This depends on how the lads heads are on the day, and to me, im not convinced. mainly due to KK still crying about the Leinster final.

But u never know, KK may be the master of mind games, unfortunaly we wont know till 6 o'clock on sunday afternoon! Depending if there is extra time, which i reckon there will!!

[Tom]

A little bit worrying to see so much change. Good to see Colm Quinn starting again. At least we have a half forward who's not afraid to shoot if the lads inside are being marked too tightly. Need a big game from the inside forwards and definitely need jimmy coughlan to move out and give them space.

[Black & Red]

I was at the O'Byrne cup game in January and I know it's a completely different situation but McManus started centre forward that day and he gathered 80% of the breaking ball and fed good ball into the forward line. Neville was midfield that day with Alan and he did very well too. I can't see many balls being caught cleanly in the middle on Sunday so it's crucial that Mc Manus,Sully,Slats,Quinny and co. all get in around them and collect the'dirty ball' which I feel they are well capable of. In the half forward line we now have 3 players who can score from long range so if things become too tight in the full forward line I feel this is an advantage. Quinny always plays well against Laois too and they are nervous of him. Defensively they can hold there own and if things aren't working out the option is there to revert back to the earlier selection. I hope Mark can make an impression while he's on the field. If they are up for it I feel they will win it.

[the bare biffo]

Probable improvemant in defense, definite improvement in the half forward line and scoring potential. Quinn and Coughlan, if on form will be good for a few scores to add to Niall and Tomás. Not sure about midfield though. Would put the two mc's well ahead of Daly and Coughlan, Alan Mc is a definite loss. Having said that if we are not winning any aerial ball anyway, then maybe a forager like Neville will be of more value in terms of winning ball and he won't be under the same pressure to find telling passes as a 40 yards man is. He is surely capable of doing the same job Shane Ryan does for Dublin.

Hard to see it being anything but close and if Quinn is in form and James Coughlan can show the form he had against Kildare a couple of years ago it could be a first quarterfinal appearance.

Heres hoping.

[Biffo and proud]

I think it's probably the best KK could do with the resources available.

Mark Daly to me was the obvious choice for midfield. He fielded some excellent ball against Kildare to ease the pressure on the backs near the end. With Neville Coughlan beside him Offaly will not be found wanting strength wise. However have the same concerns as Lone Shark as to the quality of ball that will be going into the forward line.

Feel really sorry for Scott Brady but can see why he has been dropped. Wonder if KK will again go to a man marking system ala the Dublin game at the back where Offaly players just follow their men regardless of positions. If that's the case it will fall to Cathal or Nigel to mark the danger man Sheehan with Slatts assigned to Munnelly

With regard to the forwards, I firmly believe that Deehan and McNamee have the measure of Higgins and Fennelly. The Laois lads are good but so far they don't seem to be playing to the same level as they were a couple of years ago. Jimmy Coughlan's role (if he plays up top) in dragging Darren Rooney around the pitch will be crucial.

I think McManus is most comfortable on the 40. He's released from most of his defensive duties and he is free to play a much more attacking role. What odds a goal from the Tubber man on Sunday. Also Mc will be able to track Tom Kelly's runs.

Overall it looks a well balanced side with more scoring threat than of late.

[Ron]

It's all change alright!

I still think we're in with a good chance of extending our season further. I can see McManus reverting to his midfield position early on, whether or not Clancy will be playing might have an influence on that.

I think Scott is unlucky to have lost out, I'm sure he'd be more than anxious to make ammends for last years mistake, I know he was caught for pace the last day but surely Laois don't have as many fast forwards as Dublin?

Otherwise the changes seem to make sense. M Daly is the obvious replacement in the middle and should at least hold his own. In attack this set up should allow for more variety, while the direct ball into the 2 lads works well its not the only plan we should have.

J Coughlan could cause havoc as a roaming forward and this could actually create more space for the inside men in my opinion. Miko won't know what to expect and thats the way it should be!!

[d-man]

spoke to two of the players today and they are happy with team. Both felt bad for Scott Brady, but reckon he will play some part .