Offaly Senior Footballers 2024

[frankthetank]

For me it’s simple.

The only teams we beat were relegated to Division 4 so we’re showing Division 4 form.

Highly doubtful we’ll beat Laois. They’re big lumps. We are not.

[Anonymous1]

Realistically we’ll be in the same scenario next year. We rarely seem to get anything handy off laois, and given the time of year the game will be played, their physicality will probably be too much for us. Its hard to describe it as anything other than threading water at the minute.

I agree. Laois will beat us.

[Kevin]

This is an excellent start to the buildup then. Offaly never being comfortable with the favorites tag and all.

[joey1001]

This is an excellent start to the buildup then. Offaly never being comfortable with the favorites tag and all.

I think it's the "supporters" that are not comfortable with the favourites tag. Honestly can't get over The negativety because Limerick parked the bus and stifled us in anyway they could, we still won the game after a long league campaign! Drew in Sligo the week before and put up our biggest score for yonks against wicklow.. lads saying Wicklow were shockin bad, maybe Offaly were just very good.. since then Wicklow beat Limerick and had a right crack at Antrim up there.. See one comment saying we could have been in division 4, 1 point defeats in 2 games and a draw in Sligo, take injuries out and a bit more luck and you could easily say "we could have been up for promotion". You'll hear the what if crowd saying it's excuses. There are several lads bedding into this team under new management. We performed well in Leinster last year. I think some posters on here will be hoping Laois beat Offaly so they can come back on here and say they were right which is shocking. Based on what we've seen so far we will be favourites against Laois and id consider it an upset if they beat us, they couldn't beat us last year with a big Les and when we werent bothered.

[Fairplayalways]

so Sligo 'hammered' Westmeath (by 6 points?) Yet apparently we could have beaten Westmeath yet lost by 6/7 or something...so like politics when the narrative suits...how anyone can say we would do way better against Div 4 teams is 2 way situation - yes we 'should' be able to account for Div 4 teams given we are a tier above, but barring Waterford and now probably Tipp, we would get it tough enough against any of the other teams that were in Division 4 this year..that's why we finished third from bottom..yes a few things went against us in some games, but for example Wexford had a key decision against them i think against Leitrim, and now miss out on promotion and Div 4 final..so Offaly are no different...we won 2, drew 1..that's what history books will show...beating Laois if that happens will leave us facing Dublin...shocks don't happen now with same regularity as years ago..the team who does manage one are out playing again within a week, often losing and the magic of the win is lost very soon now..

[Bord na Mona man]

Luckily the outcome won't be influenced or decided by contributors on an INTERNET forum. And the quest to be underdogs or favourites is a sideshow.
It's usually only after the fact, when a supposed underdog wins, that they start whining about being 'written off'. They never complain beforehand.

Sore losers in sport is a common occurrence, but in GAA the sore winner phenomenon is off the scale.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Simple logic alright. Also flawed. Beating the teams below you in Division 3 is very much Division 3 form, not that of Division 4.

Anyway, the league is over. Life goes on and so does the football.

For me it’s simple.

The only teams we beat were relegated to Division 4 so we’re showing Division 4 form.

[joey1001]

so Sligo 'hammered' Westmeath (by 6 points?) Yet apparently we could have beaten Westmeath yet lost by 6/7 or something...so like politics when the narrative suits...how anyone can say we would do way better against Div 4 teams is 2 way situation - yes we 'should' be able to account for Div 4 teams given we are a tier above, but barring Waterford and now probably Tipp, we would get it tough enough against any of the other teams that were in Division 4 this year..that's why we finished third from bottom..yes a few things went against us in some games, but for example Wexford had a key decision against them i think against Leitrim, and now miss out on promotion and Div 4 final..so Offaly are no different...we won 2, drew 1..that's what history books will show...beating Laois if that happens will leave us facing Dublin...shocks don't happen now with same regularity as years ago..the team who does manage one are out playing again within a week, often losing and the magic of the win is lost very soon now..

Yea they hammered them as in comfortably beat them, no one said we could have beaten Westmeath, they were and are a cut above us and will fight for promotion to division 1 next year.. the fact you say we lost to Westmeath by 6/7, we lost by 5 and nobody on here said we could have beaten them.. they should have got out of their group against Galway Armagh and Tyrone last year.. a key decision against them? No they conceded a correctly awarded penalty! Let's look at some form lines, Lads seem to forget that Laois couldn't beat us when we had completely switched off last year despite a big lead, we went to down in the league and got beaten by a few points, thats the same down team that put a record score on Laois last year. We'd struggle against division 4 teams? We beat Limerick and should have beaten Clare (yea I know we didn't) both were division 2 last year, we comfortably beat Meath last year who are now a division 2 team and went on to win the tailteann cup and beaten in extra time by an on the up Louth who are a division 2 team. So leave aside the excuses if you want, keep living in the 90s but our Leinster performance last year along with our league performance this year (where the final table doesn't really tell our whole story) tells me we will be favourites and will beat Laois by 3/4 points and a degree of comfort. Now lads can't wait till we lost to come back and tell me I was wrong this Offaly team with new players and management are not as bad as ye lot are making out

[Anonymous1]

We’re favourites based on what? Certainly not the odds anyway…

[joey1001]

We’re favourites based on what? Certainly not the odds anyway…

Sure that's just the bookies odds, I've outlined why I believe we're favourites.. not that you read the reasons, you just want to argue.. you can be sure them odds will change. We're both the same price to win the Leinster championship.. all the better we'll be seen as under dogs going in.. For me that's a blot on the bookies copy book and big value there on Offaly, absolute worst case scenario is a 50 50 game (not much point explaining that to you)

[Anonymous1]

We’re favourites based on what? Certainly not the odds anyway…

Sure that's just the bookies odds, I've outlined why I believe we're favourites.. not that you read the reasons, you just want to argue.. you can be sure them odds will change. We're both the same price to win the Leinster championship.. all the better we'll be seen as under dogs going in.. For me that's a blot on the bookies copy book and big value there on Offaly, absolute worst case scenario is a 50 50 game (not much point explaining that to you)

So it’s “just the bookies odds” when they don’t suit your narrative but when they do such as having Offaly as favourites in the Joe Mcdonagh you’re all about them… Can’t have it both ways or maybe you do back both ways

If them odds are to change I’d fully expect it to be in the direction of making Laois heavier favourites.

Given just about every prediction you’ve made thus far has been woefully off target your assertion that there’s “big value on Offaly” should encourage everyone to plump heavily on Laois…

[Fairplayalways]

Simple logic alright. Also flawed. Beating the teams below you in Division 3 is very much Division 3 form, not that of Division 4.

Anyway, the league is over. Life goes on and so does the football.

For me it’s simple.

The only teams we beat were relegated to Division 4 so we’re showing Division 4 form.

Thats my point...all of a sudden Wicklow now are 'not that bad' (paraphrased)and even Limerick now are 'scalps" going by some..Wicklow were playing win or bust relegation match in Antrim, were always going to put up a fierce battle, Limerick were gone but no doubt wanted to go down with a result and performance..they got one out of the two..next in line were ourselves..we were a position away from relegation, be it we had 5 points at finish of campaign..the Sligo draw for me was our accurate indicator of where we were/are etc..Wicklow were poor this season, down one of the best keepers in the country too this year worth mentioning...Wexford missed out on promotion from Div 4 on a head to head with Leitrim despite having a way higher score difference...that I deem unlucky.. I hope we beat Laois regardless of what awaits us in the next game after it..we can probably pull a performance together to beat Laois..interesting to see if we can be abit livlier in Tailteann this year...in fairness last year the squad had alot to deal with..I anyway, and I hope other posters aren't in the "told ya so" bracket, I suppose how we make our points might sometimes seem that way..its only a discussion form at end of the day..when really will it stop raining...

[joey1001]

Simple logic alright. Also flawed. Beating the teams below you in Division 3 is very much Division 3 form, not that of Division 4.

Anyway, the league is over. Life goes on and so does the football.

For me it’s simple.

The only teams we beat were relegated to Division 4 so we’re showing Division 4 form.

Thats my point...all of a sudden Wicklow now are 'not that bad' (paraphrased)and even Limerick now are 'scalps" going by some..Wicklow were playing win or bust relegation match in Antrim, were always going to put up a fierce battle, Limerick were gone but no doubt wanted to go down with a result and performance..they got one out of the two..next in line were ourselves..we were a position away from relegation, be it we had 5 points at finish of campaign..the Sligo draw for me was our accurate indicator of where we were/are etc..Wicklow were poor this season, down one of the best keepers in the country too this year worth mentioning...Wexford missed out on promotion from Div 4 on a head to head with Leitrim despite having a way higher score difference...that I deem unlucky.. I hope we beat Laois regardless of what awaits us in the next game after it..we can probably pull a performance together to beat Laois..interesting to see if we can be abit livlier in Tailteann this year...in fairness last year the squad had alot to deal with..I anyway, and I hope other posters aren't in the "told ya so" bracket, I suppose how we make our points might sometimes seem that way..its only a discussion form at end of the day..when really will it stop raining...

Pretty sure Wicklow got promoted at the expense of Laois last year? Look if we were getting beaten easily with no excuses, then knocking the team and the performance id understand but that's not the case and that's why how points are made come across as I told you so ones .. ya can see it here lads are quoting and literally saying I told you so . When we do beat Laois I will be coming back to say I told you so . I've been pretty accurate so far and given clear analysis of our league form (all things considered) and for me that's enough to beat Laois, I would have thought others would be of the same opinion, specially considering they are supposed to be supporters.. you can be pretty sure that plenty of players read this stuff also and that should be kept in mind.

[Fairplayalways]

hope my points dont come across as such, certainly not intended...players reading this forum?? i dont think too many would be..we are most certainly on outside looking in to be fair..

[Kevin]

I wouldn’t want to be called upon to set odds on a mid/lower tier GAA match under any circumstances. If he’s around and not slammed with other stuff LoneShark might be able to cast some light on the ‘process’. It’s all further complicated by the chances of a draw being significant in these slugfests (LoneShark’s observation from long ago). It’s a real minefield. Hopefully we get over the first hurdle.