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McNamara, Keane and Kenny out.
Kelly, Daly and Joe Quinn in.

This mightn't necessarily be an indication that McNamara and Keane are out of favour.
I think Kelly should get a couple of matches, regardless of whether he'll be first choice.
Not sure about Cathal Daly at centre back. It didn't work last year. He was carrying injuries, but he has a lot to prove.

Joe Quinn's high work rate and better ability to cover back could add a lot to the team. Now that we seem to sticking with Colm Quinn playing in a withdrawn role, it's important to have a mobile half forward to track back and prevent the opposition launching attacks with their extra man that's been brought out the field. John Kenny's lack of pace was most obvious when the opposition were moving the ball out of defence and he was struggling to get back to make a tackle.

We'll win!...Maybe

Padraig Kelly

Nigel Grennan
Conor Evans
Scott Brady

Barry Mooney
Cathal Daly
Karol Slattery

Alan McNamee
Ciaran McManus

Neville Coughlan
Joe Quinn
Shaper Reynolds

Colm Quinn
Niall McNamee
James Coughlan

Not that anyone is counting , but here is a club breakdown of the team.

Clara 3
Shamrocks 3
Rhode 2
Ballycumber 2
Ballyfore 1
Doon 1
Gracefield 1
Tubber 1
Tullamore 1
Ferbane 0

You're a petty, petty man, BnaM. To quote Samuel L, " The Sun even shines on a Dog's ass some days..."

Seriously, (because any thread on Clara supremacy couldn't be serious), Joe Quinn is certainly worth a run, and I'm glad to see him picked. As you say he should bring a lot of good things to the table with regard to support play, tracking back, and in the long term he is a potential stopper to Tom Kelly in the summer where John Kenny isn't.

Cathal Daly has never convinced me as a centre back, and from what I can see the only reason that he plays there is because he wants to. He's not dominant, he's not fast, and he's no more powerful than the average. His stickiness will be no real attribute here either. I'd like to be proved wrong, but I'd say Owen Mulligan will be too much for him. (Mulligan was 11 the last day, I assume he will be again).

I think the usual rules don't really apply when it comes to goalkeepers, seeing as more than anywhere else on the pitch, confidence is vital. I'd prefer for McNamara to have felt secure in his position than to give Padraig Kelly - a keeper we already know all about, both the good and the bad - another run.

On the plus side, it seems Paschal is being given a good long run on the sidelines to think about his antics and what he wants to do with himself. Certainly no bad thing.

Lone Shark wrote:I think the usual rules don't really apply when it comes to goalkeepers, seeing as more than anywhere else on the pitch, confidence is vital. I'd prefer for McNamara to have felt secure in his position than to give Padraig Kelly - a keeper we already know all about, both the good and the bad - another run.

It depends on the thinking from those in charge. I think in every league campaign your sub keeper should get 1 or 2 games. McNamara could get suspended again like 2003. Granted that Kelly isn't new to the scene, so this isn't vital.
Obviously it all depends what the management have told McNamara. Either he's told he's been dropped or else he's been told he's still first choice and that they're giving Kelly a game or two to keep him up to speed.

I wonder have the management decided McNamara's skyed kickouts that blew back at him against Kerry are a red flag?

Bord na Mona man wrote:I wonder have the management decided McNamara's skyed kickouts that blew back at him against Kerry are a red flag?

If they have they're even more stupid than I thought. I remember Nowlan Park in 2002 (the draw) as much as anyone, but in general if management are picking a summer keeper on the strength of how good his kickout holds up in a wintry gale, then they really don't know what they're at.

Anyway, how many kickouts have to go wrong for it to compensate for all the times Kelly has gone up for a high ball against a six foot forward and a defender and we've watched the ball trickle over our goalkeeper-less line?

On the other hand the possibility does exist that it's just keeping Kelly sharp - in which case I don't necessarily agree, but I can see the thinking.