We need to talk about Diarmuid

[tonto1888]

1. I don't think hateful comments on this forum are the barometer to classify Connolly's greatness.
2. With 5 All Irelands, 4 Leagues , 10 Leinsters.. 2 club all Irelands. 4 club Leinsters and 4 Dublin club championships, 2 All Stars and 1 under 21 hurlingLeinster. He is an all time great.
3. Can have bad games, like all great players, specially man marked, sometimes by 2 players. Gooch vrs McMahon springs to mind.
4. He has done some spectacular things on the pitch over the years, the All Ireland Club final when he scored 2-06 springs to mind.
5. People just say he isn't because they don't like him and hes a dub but history will remember him as being one of the great players of the modern era.

You are being very blinkered with the comment in bold.
Lots of fair minded people (I would consider myself one!) don't think he is an all time great for football reasons. I've never met the man so I don't know if I like him or not. I'm basing my opinion on what I've seen on the football pitch.

As I've said already, it's only my opinion. You are entitled to your's as well. But saying that people don't rate him because he is from Dublin is just plain wrong.

I've never met Connolly either but I do like him as a player. I think he's great and I'm an Armagh man, so not a Dub.
However, I don't think anyone can say he is an all time great for the simple reason that we cant properly judge him against players from the past, esp pre 60s. For sure I couldn't judge him against people from the 70s and back.
IMO though he is a modern great. That's just an opinion though

[nrico2006]

Is Owen Mulligan an all time great?  Stephen O'Neill?  Paddy Bradley?  Benny Coulter?  Brendan Devenney?  Mattie Forde?  Michael Meehan?  Dessie Dolan?

[TheGreatest]

Is Owen Mulligan an all time great?  Stephen O'Neill?  Paddy Bradley?  Benny Coulter?  Brendan Devenney?  Mattie Forde?  Michael Meehan?  Dessie Dolan?

Do any of them have the medal hall of Connolly? Do they have hurling medals and club all Irelands?

[tonto1888]

Is Owen Mulligan an all time great?  Stephen O'Neill?  Paddy Bradley?  Benny Coulter?  Brendan Devenney?  Mattie Forde?  Michael Meehan?  Dessie Dolan?

Do any of them have the medal hall of Connolly? Do they have hurling medals and club all Irelands?

You cant just judge it on medal haul. Eoghan O'Gara has a very impressive medal haul for example

[imtommygunn]

O'neill might be.

Connolly has phenomenal ability. On his day he is up there with the best in the game. We saw in the club final against castlebar what he is capable of.

His temperament lets him down.

Dublin have superb footballers everywhere but in my view, ability wise, he has more than any of them. Bernard brogan only one who rivals him.

[Syferus]

O'neill might be.

Connolly has phenomenal ability. On his day he is up there with the best in the game. We saw in the club final against castlebar what he is capable of.

His temperament lets him down.

Dublin have superb footballers everywhere but in my view, ability wise, he has more than any of them. Bernard brogan only one who rivals him.

In American football they have a saying, availability is your best ability..

[Lar Naparka]

Brian Mullins and Bernard Brogan are a pair of genuine greats in my opinion. Others may disagree but it's fair to say that Diarmuid can turn it on when the team is going well but in days when they weren't as good as now, I can't recollect him stepping up to the plate and leading the way back, as it were. Alan Brogan too was a never say die man either. He also always gave it 100%.

[Wildweasel74]

He plays on a great team; Maurice Fitzgerald had to play 10yrs in one of Kerrys worst ever teams ever until the late 90's! Theres probably many a great player in lower counties barely ever seen remotely outside their own county!

[imtommygunn]

Brian Mullins and Bernard Brogan are a pair of genuine greats in my opinion. Others may disagree but it's fair to say that Diarmuid can turn it on when the team is going well but in days when they weren't as good as now, I can't recollect him stepping up to the plate and leading the way back, as it were. Alan Brogan too was a never say die man either. He also always gave it 100%.

When donegal tanked dublin that year he was fantastic.

Also fair to say that in his era there has rarely been a scenario where one guy has needed to take the bull by horns.inthe final they beat kerry in with the cluxton point he was very good when not everyone was mind you.

I would agree on brogan. Connolly fantastic ability but not up there due to attitude. The attitude seems to make people forget the ability.

[TheGreatest]

Disagree with the above, one of the most skilful and best players of all time.

Club comes into it too. That's the foundation. People say well club is club, but he's always marked by inter county players.

For Dublin he's a team player and over the years Gavin used him as a tracking wing forward.

Team player.

[TheGreatest]

He plays on a great team; Maurice Fitzgerald had to play 10yrs in one of Kerrys worst ever teams ever until the late 90's! Theres probably many a great player in lower counties barely ever seen remotely outside their own county!

Would you classify Cavanagh as a great player? played on a great team through the noughties.

[rrhf]

Top player. Very similar to Ger Cavlan of Tyrone. Sometimes there can be a downside to these type of great athletes but on the field in form there's no better sight.  I'd have him as the best footballer bar none of the last 6 years at least.

[Wildweasel74]

Yeah Cavanagh a great player and not far off a spot on the greatest team of the ever; probably be 1 of the subs as i feel theres a few men in front of him in midfield and i likely have Donnellan ahead of him in a wing half forward slot

[screenexile]

Top player. Very similar to Ger Cavlan of Tyrone. Sometimes there can be a downside to these type of great athletes but on the field in form there's no better sight.  I'd have him as the best footballer bar none of the last 6 years at least.

[Dire Ear]

Cavlan was a majestic footballer, anyone who doesn't recognise this shouldn't be acknowledged