|
|
Post by The16thMan on Jul 12, 2022 16:21:48 GMT
Watched the game again last night..... The penalty... Comerford should be ashamed of his carry on before the penalty- never seen antics like it - worse than soccer players rolling around. He was walking around perfect and then all of a sudden decides to fall down holding his head, and then tells the physio who comes on that its his leg. The physios hadnt a clue what was wrong with him. Unfortunately for Comerford, the camera in the net caught him out - no respect for him after that. And then he tries the post shake for Seanie's late free... Dessie needs to have a few words with him. Penalty follow through... Seanie was perfectly entitled to go for the ball. Whelan was spot on in his half-time commentary - said that he was right to follow through as the ball was free but that he probably went in too hard. Cormac Costello has form with his antics also - I recall him grabbing BoB in a head-lock off the ball a few years ago late in a game when BoB was trying to make a supporting run up the Hogan side of the pitch. I believe he was also in a bit of legal bother last year in a club match where he got involved when he wasnt playing. What he did to Foley on Sunday was dangerous - kidney punch, no attempt to go for the ball. It was great to see Jack making a point of going to Ciaran Kilkenny as he was making his way off the pitch - Kilkenny was superb in the last 15 - similar to the closing minutes in 2019 drawn final. He has some will to win. Likewise McCarthy. These 2 lads are the heart-beat of the Dublin team. Agree with some poasters here re Fenton - he is a super footballer but not the best of the last 50 years. Id say Liam Hayes from O Rourkes own county would have been a better player in his time, and plenty more lads besides that. Ciaran Kilkenny is the most consistent footballer I've ever seen, never injured (not that i can recall anyway). He always shows up, even with all he's won, a legend. Never found out for discipline either. Unreal. I hate seeing him on ball, it almost always ends badly for us. I agree regards Kilkenny, has the ability to take the game to any team. Can score off either foor, win his own ball and also create. He sets the template for how Dublin play and has been a huge factor in why Dublin were so successful between 2011-2020. Was just as important as Cluxton in my opinion. Even when Dublin are poor, he still performs. In Tralee back in February when Dublin were well beaten, Ciarán was the 1 Dublin player who really took the game to Kerry in the 2nd half and managed to put some sort of respectability to the scoreline that night. A class player and one of Dublins best ever in my opinion. He's only just turned 29 so he'll have a few years left in him yet as well and as long as he's there, Dublin will be a force to be reckoned with I can guarantee. |
|
|
|
Post by Kerryman Randy Savage on Jul 12, 2022 16:51:24 GMT
I'm pretty sure it was Joe O'Connor who was doing the pushing. However I had my hands blocking my view in the Cusack. Hopefully he does get a talking to as it is probably just his inexperience showing. If the red blew to throw it up, we'd have no legitimate complaints. I don't know who did the interference effort on Comerford though. Not good or sporting. Better off cutting off Comerford's options to ensure the win than to allow the ref the option to allow one last attack. Not so sure as depending on ref he could allow an extra attack if a player was obstructing the Keeper Cutting off Comerford's options is another way of saying to mark a player. I was not condoning unsporting behaviour. Whoever did it should have spotted a free man and marked him. |
|
|
|
Post by Annascaultilidie on Jul 12, 2022 18:00:06 GMT
Comerford only had a player run across him. It wasn't comparable to anything he himself did in the game or e.g. BJK in 2014.
|
|
|
|
Post by dc84 on Jul 12, 2022 18:06:51 GMT
Tuesday afternoon now and i still feel tired after that. I just compared the players who started or came on in the 2019 replay. The following Kerry players are no longer involved: Jack Sherwood Tommy Walsh James oDonoghue. For Dublin: Cluxton Jack McCaffrey Paul Mannion Diarmaid Connolly Philly Cian oSullivan Kevin McManamon Michael Darragh McAuley And Con was injured. It just goes to show how hard it is to beat Dublin in Croker even when they are in transition. Scully had a glorious chance to put them ahead towards the end but his form is poor and he rushed it with his left foot. I wrote before the game that some matches can define an era or maybe bookend an era. Its hard to know if this is the case now in the Dublin v Kerry struggle. It was the older players who brought Dublin into it and for the second year in a row they have been eliminated in a match that they could have won. A grain of rice etc. I cant see much of a slide in Dublins fortunes though. They are destined to be in the top 3 indefinitely. We shall see players in dublin team over 30 next year by my deductions are Fitzsimons 35 Cooper,rock mcarthy 33 fenton ,byrne, john small I think the worrying part for them is that a lot of those lads are in key positions/ roles 1.fitzsimons main man marker fb line , byrne would be 2nd if fit 2 . Their whole hb line cooper , mcarthy and small are there 3. Rock their free taker looks beyond it from play at this stage costello only obvious replacement there and as we saw sunday is hot and cold his range isnt as good as rocks either Having said that they are still as good as anyone and will be next year , croke park factor helps them aswell. Id say sunday will convince most of them (maybe not fitzsimons) to give it at least another year but if mcarthy goes either next year or one after then a few more might give up the ghost as it would be hard to see them winning one without him. |
|
|
|
Post by blacksheep21 on Jul 12, 2022 18:41:44 GMT
Having watched it back again, some other thoughts.
Moran made a few mistakes but did a lot very good things. I think he starts and if necessary make the change, The Galway game will be a very different one.
Graham’s quick foot passing from defence is top class and a real asset to moving the ball quickly up the pitch.
Stephen was poor enough I thought, he worked hard but he was a bit off. On his goal chance, he should have hit it soccer style. I thought it was a good tackle on him actually and not a penalty.
Geaney was off the pace I felt. Hopefully his new baby sleeps well these next few weeks!
Paudie gave one of the great all round displays. He tackled and won turnovers, won kick outs, gave assists, and scored as well as generally always being an option.
|
|
fitz
Fanatical Member
Red sky at night get off my land
Posts: 1,735
|
Post by fitz on Jul 12, 2022 19:22:57 GMT
Yeah Paul was way off it,right from the start, surprised he came out second half. The hand pass he gave off then early in second half straight to Dublin player. He is a brilliant finisher though normally on both feet, so hopefully he comes back stronger to play a key role in the final.
TBH I'm very surprised Tony Brosnan wasn't introduced (ahead of Killian), our forward line completely malfunctioned (Paudie aside) in second half, we needed legs to carry the ball passed the tackle into danger areas (not the sideline) and he is a strong ball carrier and very fast. Am I missing something or was he "shanking" everything below in training?
|
|
fitz
Fanatical Member
Red sky at night get off my land
Posts: 1,735
|
Post by fitz on Jul 12, 2022 19:29:49 GMT
Having watched it back again, some other thoughts. Moran made a few mistakes but did a lot very good things. I think he starts and if necessary make the change, The Galway game will be a very different one. Graham’s quick foot passing from defence is top class and a real asset to moving the ball quickly up the pitch. Stephen was poor enough I thought, he worked hard but he was a bit off. On his goal chance, he should have hit it soccer style. I thought it was a good tackle on him actually and not a penalty. Geaney was off the pace I felt. Hopefully his new baby sleeps well these next few weeks! Paudie gave one of the great all round displays. He tackled and won turnovers, won kick outs, gave assists, and scored as well as generally always being an option. Agree first time soccer strike - else I don't know why Stevie didn't put his foot under that ball. That could have really turned the knife in Dublin |
|
|
|
Post by Annascaultilidie on Jul 12, 2022 19:31:02 GMT
Yeah Paul was way off it,right from the start, surprised he came out second half. The hand pass he gave off then early in second half straight to Dublin player. He is a brilliant finisher though normally on both feet, so hopefully he comes back stronger to play a key role in the final. TBH I'm very surprised Tony Brosnan wasn't introduced (ahead of Killian), our forward line completely malfunctioned (Paudie aside) in second half, we needed legs to carry the ball passed the tackle into danger areas (not the sideline) and he is a strong ball carrier and very fast. Am I missing something or was he "shanking" everything below in training? Perhaps just a case of Killian Spillane with more big day experience? |
|
|
|
Post by Kerryman Randy Savage on Jul 12, 2022 19:58:50 GMT
Having watched it back again, some other thoughts. Moran made a few mistakes but did a lot very good things. I think he starts and if necessary make the change, The Galway game will be a very different one. Graham’s quick foot passing from defence is top class and a real asset to moving the ball quickly up the pitch. Stephen was poor enough I thought, he worked hard but he was a bit off. On his goal chance, he should have hit it soccer style. I thought it was a good tackle on him actually and not a penalty. Geaney was off the pace I felt. Hopefully his new baby sleeps well these next few weeks! Paudie gave one of the great all round displays. He tackled and won turnovers, won kick outs, gave assists, and scored as well as generally always being an option. Agree first time soccer strike - else I don't know why Stevie didn't put his foot under that ball. That could have really turned the knife in Dublin On the OTB football podcast, James O'Donoghue said Stephen gave out to him once for going for the volley in training in a similar position so it didn't suprise him that SOB would try to gather the ball before shooting. |
|
peanuts
Fanatical Member
Posts: 1,888
|
Post by peanuts on Jul 12, 2022 20:01:44 GMT
Agree first time soccer strike - else I don't know why Stevie didn't put his foot under that ball. That could have really turned the knife in Dublin On the OTB football podcast, James O'Donoghue said Stephen gave out to him once for going for the volley in training in a similar position so it didn't suprise him that SOB would try to gather the ball before shooting. I didn’t think it was close enough to hit it first time to be honest but it was criminal not to at least put his foot close to the ball. |
|
|
|
Post by veteran on Jul 13, 2022 14:31:21 GMT
Ciarraimick, I disagree that David C. had a very poor in second half the last day.
He got a precious point early in the half when trying to score points in that sector of the pitch was very difficult with that strong, contrary wind. Witness the difficulty Dublin had in trying to score into,the hill . He did have a few wides but at least , as usual, he took on the shots.
He gave a kick pass from heaven to Stephen for a goal chance which, no offence to Stephen , a player I admire, would have been scored by my latest grandson who has attained the grand old age of two weeks.
Dublin were the dominant team for most of that half and therefore he was living on bread crumbs.
He was being marked by Mick Fitzimons, possibly the top corner back of the present era. Yet , Mick was replaced before the game was up, such was the effort he put in trying to contain David.
And then. And then his last contribution. Came out for the delivery from Paul. In spite of getting an unmerciful shunt in the back he clasped the ball so firmly as if Kerry’s survival depended on it. It did. How many more Kerry players would have won that ball and glued it to his hands with an opponent crashing into his back. It was an obvious free but if David had spilled it the likelihood is that the referee would have waved play on and the ball would have been gobbled up by Dublin and the outcome almost certainly would have been unpleasant..
He may have done other things in that half as well which I cannot recall, not having seen a recording yet.
All the foregoing from a man who was wearing a support boot until the early days of last week and who , seemingly .has done very little training since the Cork game.
Very poor in the second half? I don’t think so. In the circumstances, remarkable.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ard Mhacha on Jul 13, 2022 15:35:20 GMT
In relation to the black card, mention has been made of three and a half minutes being used up for Comerford's fake injury. But then of course we had the manufactured handbags after the penalty and all that entailed. The penalty was awarded at 27:30. Play resumed after the penalty at 34:40. That's 7 minutes and 10 seconds of black card time during which the only play was the actual taking of the spot-kick itself. Ridiculous stuff. A stop clock like the Ladies game is definitely needed. |
|
|
|
Post by clarinman on Jul 13, 2022 19:27:50 GMT
In relation to the black card, mention has been made of three and a half minutes being used up for Comerford's fake injury. But then of course we had the manufactured handbags after the penalty and all that entailed. The penalty was awarded at 27:30. Play resumed after the penalty at 34:40. That's 7 minutes and 10 seconds of black card time during which the only play was the actual taking of the spot-kick itself. Ridiculous stuff. A stop clock like the Ladies game is definitely needed. Also there were only 6 added minutes in the first half. There were other stoppages outside the 7 minutes plus for the penalty. |
|
|
|
Post by john4 on Jul 13, 2022 20:43:56 GMT
Ciarraimick, I disagree that David C. had a very poor in second half the last day. He got a precious point early in the half when trying to score points in that sector of the pitch was very difficult with that strong, contrary wind. Witness the difficulty Dublin had in trying to score into,the hill . He did have a few wides but at least , as usual, he took on the shots. He gave a kick pass from heaven to Stephen for a goal chance which, no offence to Stephen , a player I admire, would have been scored by my latest grandson who has attained the grand old age of two weeks. Dublin were the dominant team for most of that half and therefore he was living on bread crumbs. He was being marked by Mick Fitzimons, possibly the top corner back of the present era. Yet , Mick was replaced before the game was up, such was the effort he put in trying to contain David. And then. And then his last contribution. Came out for the delivery from Paul. In spite of getting an unmerciful shunt in the back he clasped the ball so firmly as if Kerry’s survival depended on it. It did. How many more Kerry players would have won that ball and glued it to his hands with an opponent crashing into his back. It was an obvious free but if David had spilled it the likelihood is that the referee would have waved play on and the ball would have been gobbled up by Dublin and the outcome almost certainly would have been unpleasant.. He may have done other things in that half as well which I cannot recall, not having seen a recording yet. All the foregoing from a man who was wearing a support boot until the early days of last week and who , seemingly .has done very little training since the Cork game. Very poor in the second half? I don’t think so. In the circumstances, remarkable. Well Vet I'm judging him by his own high standards but yes scored an early point and a great pass but after that he missed 2 easy enough chances and Mick Fitz got the better of him big time in 2nd half. I also acknowledge though that he was bound to struggle due to lack of training ré injury. Seanie was also quiet in 2nd half too. Actually Paudie was the only forward to really shine in 2nd half imo. With respect. Finding fault with David Clifford is akin to a guest at the wedding complaining that Our Lord turned the water into white wine instead of red. |
|
Jo90
Fanatical Member
Posts: 2,729
|
Post by Jo90 on Jul 13, 2022 20:59:41 GMT
This was surely a red card offense by Costello on Foley?
Should have been highlighted by the Sunday Game and investigated by the CCCC
|
|
|
|
Post by kerrybhoy06 on Jul 13, 2022 21:09:48 GMT
Pure scummy cheap shot from Costello
|
|
tpo
Senior Member
Posts: 529
|
Post by tpo on Jul 13, 2022 21:30:33 GMT
Did anyone notice 27 players in Dublin team photo, 2 number 16s and did warm up.
Also according to Clár an Lae Dublin were to come on the the pitch at 14.58 and Kerry at 15.00. Kerry came at 15.00 but Dublin came at 15.02. A fine for Dublin Co Board?
|
|
|
|
Post by Kerryman Randy Savage on Jul 13, 2022 21:35:52 GMT
The game is over. No point in wanting to settle scores after we won. Let the win be enough and not be ammunition for the Jackeens in 2023. We have enough to be worrying about in 2 weeks.
The only thing I want tackled from that game is to close the childish post shoving loophole that only gives a caution for putting off a kicker (place it in with excessive hand waving and jumping where it can be brought in and retaken) and to fix the clock so black cards are punished and the team suffers the time without relying on antics.
|
|
kerryexile
Fanatical Member
Whether you believe that you can, or that you can't, you are right anyway.
Posts: 1,222
|
Post by kerryexile on Jul 13, 2022 22:09:44 GMT
Ciarraimick, I disagree that David C. had a very poor in second half the last day. He got a precious point early in the half when trying to score points in that sector of the pitch was very difficult with that strong, contrary wind. Witness the difficulty Dublin had in trying to score into,the hill . He did have a few wides but at least , as usual, he took on the shots. He gave a kick pass from heaven to Stephen for a goal chance which, no offence to Stephen , a player I admire, would have been scored by my latest grandson who has attained the grand old age of two weeks. Dublin were the dominant team for most of that half and therefore he was living on bread crumbs. He was being marked by Mick Fitzimons, possibly the top corner back of the present era. Yet , Mick was replaced before the game was up, such was the effort he put in trying to contain David. And then. And then his last contribution. Came out for the delivery from Paul. In spite of getting an unmerciful shunt in the back he clasped the ball so firmly as if Kerry’s survival depended on it. It did. How many more Kerry players would have won that ball and glued it to his hands with an opponent crashing into his back. It was an obvious free but if David had spilled it the likelihood is that the referee would have waved play on and the ball would have been gobbled up by Dublin and the outcome almost certainly would have been unpleasant.. He may have done other things in that half as well which I cannot recall, not having seen a recording yet. All the foregoing from a man who was wearing a support boot until the early days of last week and who , seemingly .has done very little training since the Cork game. Very poor in the second half? I don’t think so. In the circumstances, remarkable. I agree with Veteran. Of course it must be acknowledged that David missed a lot of training because of 2 injuries. His youth carried him through the Mayo game. An older player would not run it off so easily. |
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Jul 13, 2022 22:13:42 GMT
Did anyone notice 27 players in Dublin team photo, 2 number 16s and did warm up. Thats unbelievable |
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Jul 13, 2022 22:17:07 GMT
This was surely a red card offense by Costello on Foley? Should have been highlighted by the Sunday Game and investigated by the CCCC Be careful what you wish for! |
|
|
|
Post by southward on Jul 13, 2022 22:24:01 GMT
Did anyone notice 27 players in Dublin team photo, 2 number 16s and did warm up. Thats unbelievable If it's an extra keeper they had, that's understandable. Dublin goalies are prone to mysterious injuries. |
|
|
|
Post by Annascaultilidie on Jul 14, 2022 10:33:11 GMT
I forgot to say that on Second Captains they were highly commending Shane Ryan for offering to take the final kick.
|
|
|
|
Post by greengold35 on Jul 14, 2022 10:37:13 GMT
Pure scummy cheap shot from Costello No surprise from him - history of off the ball incidents plus getting involved at a club game when he was only a spectator. It was a case of if I can’t play in the final, neither can you. |
|
|
|
Post by kerrybhoy06 on Jul 14, 2022 10:53:43 GMT
Pure scummy cheap shot from Costello No surprise from him - history of off the ball incidents plus getting involved at a club game when he was only a spectator. It was a case of if I can’t play in the final, neither can you. Not quite an eye gouging but still a fairly blatant attempt to injure someone Has anyone heard from Catherine Martin? |
|
|
|
Post by Tadhgeen on Jul 16, 2022 21:51:10 GMT
Everything has been well and truly been said about this fantastic victory over our arch rivals. Some great observations and comments as usual on this wonderful forum.
The only thing I would add is that I actually thought our vocal support was not great on Sunday last. When the lads needed us the most in the second half there was no chanting, Kerry,Kerry,Kerry.
This simple act can give a great lift to tiring players and JoC has often referred to it.
Maybe it was my position in the lower Cusack towards the Canal end that was quieter than other areas but I didn’t get the sense that Kerry fans were in unison at anytime chanting the team on. Maybe it’s because of the way the tickets were sold possibly meaning large portions of Kerry supporters were spread out a lot.
And before anyone enquires , yes I did start a chant but it didn’t take off.
Anyhow I think this is a weak spot fir us and one we as supporters can improve on.
|
|
|
|
Post by blacksheep21 on Jul 16, 2022 22:28:04 GMT
No surprise from him - history of off the ball incidents plus getting involved at a club game when he was only a spectator. It was a case of if I can’t play in the final, neither can you. Not quite an eye gouging but still a fairly blatant attempt to injure someone Has anyone heard from Catherine Martin? I watched the last play again and I think it was Costello that was trying to stop I believe Dara Moynihan from getting forward. If the ref had spotted this, it would have been a handy free. |
|
fitz
Fanatical Member
Red sky at night get off my land
Posts: 1,735
|
Post by fitz on Jul 17, 2022 7:04:01 GMT
Not quite an eye gouging but still a fairly blatant attempt to injure someone Has anyone heard from Catherine Martin? I watched the last play again and I think it was Costello that was trying to stop I believe Dara Moynihan from getting forward. If the ref had spotted this, it would have been a handy free. It was a handy free for Seanie 😁 |
|
|
|
Post by veteran on Jul 17, 2022 11:22:33 GMT
I felt Kerry had substantial support but of course we could never compete with the hordes of Dubliners and the racket they were able to generate as a result of those numbers.
On a different topic ,the womens’ match yesterday, I thought we had seen the last of that awful away jersey. Mayo played in their usual colours . Was there a coin tossed or could it be that our ladies like those mustard jerseys. The danger now is that with a clash of colours in the final those jerseys will once more assault our eyes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mickmack on Jul 17, 2022 18:31:28 GMT
Jim McGuinness: Dublin need all hands on deck to prevent a new Kerry dynasty
If the Kingdom defeat Galway to win the All-Ireland final they will become much harder to beat
Jim McGuinness
Sun Jul 17 2022 - 10:00
The dust is still settling on what was a truly great day for football.
There was much about Kerry and Dublin that reflected the very best of the sport and it was the main talking point across Ireland on Sunday night. A classic, was the verdict. Absolutely, if you are from Kerry. And yes, for all neutrals. But for Dublin? It was horrible.
Losing like that leaves them in a hollow space for a few weeks. But if they use that space and time wisely, those same few weeks might become more valuable than all the hours of training and preparation they will go through next season. They need to clear their minds and think about the year ahead.
It was a privilege to be in Croke Park. We were behind the goals in the Nally Stand and just drinking in the atmosphere in those seconds before the throw-in. And we watched three Kerry defenders came in to shake hands and simultaneously grab the Dublin forwards by the collar of the jersey. They wouldn’t let go. Particularly Brian Ó Beaglaoich on Ciarán Kilkenny. It was a message; the old compliant, nice Kerry is gone. And it set a tone.
I sensed that this caught Dublin off guard. The game took off at such a hectic level, then, that it exceeded the hype and hope. It was thrilling. Old patterns emerged – Kerry’s early goal, a James McCarthy marauding run, David Clifford hitting scores that had to be witnessed live to be fully believed.
My favourite score of his was the flick back from Seán O’Shea when he looked left and then jinked on to his right, just for the speed and fluidity of his movement. He was imperious.
And he had good company in O’Shea. Here was the day the Kerry elders had dreamed of. The boy wonders performed as leaders of the highest order. They looked ready. They were not Kerry’s golden kids any more. They stood up. And they triumphed in a way that came straight from the Kerry book of football fairytales.
So where did the day leave Dublin? Exiting the stadium, I felt there was no reason to push any panic buttons. Yes, they trailed by six points in the second half. And yes, it could have been worse if O’Shea had converted the penalty chance for Kerry.
But in the second half, the Dublin collective ground Kerry down and started to get turnovers even before then. They mixed up their attack. And they fought their way into contention.
Paddy Small had a vital impact, Cormac Costello’s goal was incredible because he had just one corner of the goal to aim at and he found it. And then McCarthy was operating at a heightened level. Has he ever been better? He was smashing breaking ball, piling pressure on the kick-out and then that point he scored in the second half was a sea change.
He followed up with another towering break at midfield and Kilkenny kicks the score and you could feel the energy – the belief – surging through the Dublin fans in the stadium. It was awesome.
Mick Fitzsimons was on the ropes in the first half against Clifford. Who wouldn’t have been? But! He slowly got to grips with him as the game went on. And Small began to slow the influence of O’Shea. And all of a sudden, the contest came into sharper focus. The apparition of Kerry pulling away proved just that. There were a few minutes when it seemed as if another nightmare was unfolding for them.
And you had to view this game in the context of the Dublin players who were not there. All season, we had been talking about how Dublin had changed their emphasis and were returning to a more expansive style. But without Con O’Callaghan, they were not able to execute that as they would have wished.
Tempers flare between Dublin's Paddy Small and Tom O’Sullivan and Brian O Beaglaioch of Kerry. Kerry brought a physicality early on which seemed to disrupt and surprise Dublin. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
The dynamic runs were not as evident in his absence. When Small came in, he delivered that. Could he have been brought in earlier given the blunted aspect of the Dublin attack? He had pace and energy and ball-winning ability and he quickly became the point of the Dublin attack – which is Con’s natural role.
I felt Lee Gannon had a very good game and Tom Lahiff, also, in the middle of the park. These are all good things for Dublin. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that this week hurts.
It is important they allow perspective to come in before they make any decisions about their future. Do their veteran guys decide to leave quietly, or do they circle the wagon and go again? If they all return, I don’t think they will be that far away.
These past few days will have been miserable and filled with searing regret – little fragments from the game returning to them. You don’t want to go anywhere or see anyone or hear anything. You don’t want to engage in life. You just want time to pass so you can get a bit of distance. So even the hurling final this weekend will help as it puts a block between them and that defeat. Conversation will move on to something else.
What a strange, new sensation all of this is for Brian Fenton. He is one of the great midfielders and he put in towering performance last Sunday. He had not lost a game for six years and now has been knocked out for two years in a row.
And how frustrating for O’Callaghan to sit there helpless. But club games this weekend will coax these players out. The clouds will linger longer for the manager. You are racked with thoughts and doubts and sooner or later you have to revisit the game and figure out what you could have done differently.
I was looking at the programme before the match. To me, the forward lines are inseparable in terms of quality. But without Con, the picture changed. His absence was just very bad luck. However, Paul Mannion came to my mind. Where was he on Sunday? In Boston, playing with Donegal. And when I was watching the highlights during the week, an advert came up with Paul in a car saying how you can’t replicate the feeling of competing.
Paul and Jack McCaffrey left Dublin at the peak of their playing powers. And there is a consensus that it maybe became too easy for them. There was no cause any more. Well, the cause is there now. Dublin right now need these two players more than they have ever needed them. Playing is a choice. And, of course, we must respect that.
But I feel that the two boys should at least be approached to see if they might return. Sauntering to All-Irelands is one thing. But rescuing Dublin from the prospect of a Kerry dynasty is another challenge entirely. And maybe it is one which the two boys would find intriguing.
I feel it is not an exaggeration to say that these weeks can feel like a grieving for the losing team, particularly given Dublin’s record. But if the group can come together and see the way to the future and get everybody back, then those decisions can make them look to next season with reasons for optimism.
Kerry are in a different place now. If they win the All-Ireland final – and I believe Galway will have a significant say in this – then they will become much harder to beat. And they will be looking to atone for the years of oppression, as they would see it, under Dublin. They let the genie out of the bottle in 2011 and they will look to plug it again if they can.
Would Dublin have won if Con O’Callaghan was on the pitch? Arguably. What if a peak Paul Mannion was also there? The years when Dublin had an abundance of marquee forwards have passed. They need everyone now. It will be interesting what happens in the capital over the long and painful close season.
|
|
