An Mhí Vs Gallimh,___19:00, 9/7/2011___Pairc Tailteann, An Uaimh

[myball22]

Agree with most of that, maybe Forde in the corner can mark Cian Ward the next day. To be honest Blake is another of the disappointments in this current crop. I can't remember a championship game where I left and said didn't Blake do well! Lets start by putting our best players in their best positions and going from there, it can't be that hard.

[Duine Eile]

And we have to play with a few extra backs, leaving Alan Burke alone on Cian Ward is a recipe for disaster. He might even beat his 4 goals at the weekend!

That could be quite a realistic possibility!  Hanley's problem is he can't kick a pass, he has to either go out with the ball and hand pass it or just get a fist to it, at centre back I think he'd be lost! Colin is playing well at no.3 but he's more versatile than Hanley and would adapt to a new position better. I'd put him at no.2 I think and take Burke out of the corner altogether. Maybe have him at no.5, Bradshaw at 6 and Sice at 7 or something like that. Bradshaw didn't look very fit yesterday though, I'd be worried about his lack of pace. Armstrong hasn't a bit of luck when it comes to injury when you think about it,he can get a couple of decent performances in a row and then he's off injured. Last year he played well in the league and then Kernan and co. had him funnelling behind the backs for championship which neutralised his influence IMO. Put it this way, he 's a better option than the likes of Bradshaw, Blake, Clancy and the rest that ended up in the half forward line yesterday. At this stage all Galway supporters want to see is a decent performance, nobody is expecting them to win which is sad really.

[Ard-Rí]

What a tool McEnaney is. No matter how far we get this year, he has to go.

[myball22]

You can have O'Flahartha if ye want him!

[The Claw]

having Kevin Reilly, Stephen Bray, and less likely, Bryan Menton back for this game will strengthen Meath.
Menton back would mean MacAnarney moved to the wing with Queeney dropping to the bench (feel sorry for Queeney being played out of position - he is a good inter county forward in my opinion). If not, someone will have to come in at wing back, maybe Mark O'Sullivan, or maybe Kenny will go back to wing back, but he is so effective at wing forward I wouldn't like to see him moved.

[DB_An_Mhi]

What a tool McEnaney is. No matter how far we get this year, he has to go.

I wouldn't be his biggest fan either but I'd say the Louth result will afford him enough goodwill to be given another year, regardless of what follows. Cannot see him changing things that much the next day, similar approach but hope I'm wrong. Prefer to see Joe at FF with more mobility in the half-forward line by playing wing forwards on both sides, with more craft at CHF, even if it means a two man full-forward line. Still leaving Kenny to do what he does best around the middle and complete our forward options.

[Hardy]

I wouldn't be his biggest fan either but I'd say the Louth result will afford him enough goodwill to be given another year, regardless of what follows.

Every silver lining has a cloud. This was the source of mixed feelings for me on Saturday as each goal was banged in. Another year of Banty is a high price to pay for a qualifier victory over a hopeless Louth.

[An Fhairche Abu]

Meath must surely have been delighted with drawing Galway at home; it is in all honesty a softer draw than they some of the other teams they could have got. Since 2008 Q-final defeat to Kerry after beating Mayo in the Connacht final, Galway have only beaten London, Sligo and New York in the championship with losses to Mayo (by 1pt), Donegal (by 1pt), Sligo (by 1pt), Wexford (by 1pt) and Mayo (by 6pts). We have no recent success at provincial or qualifier level, indeed we haven't beaten a team outside Connacht since 2004. Meath on the other hand - while I wouldn't rate them among the top teams in the country -only won Leinster just last year and have some big championship scalps such as Dublin in the recent past. They are coming off a thumping win against Louth and are at home. Galway are coming off what is their worst championship football performance I can remember, if Mayo had the shooting boots on and were at the races for the full 70 minutes last Sunday it would have been at least a 12 or 14 point pasting. If anyone can make a case as to why Meath should be worried I'd like to hear it.

No one from Galway except the 500 or so absolute die-hards are going to travel to Navan for a match at 7pm on a Saturday night. The Galway support is pathetic but to be honest I can see why people have given up on the team, it's so long since Galway have put in a decent performance that it would sap the morale of any football fan to be constantly heading to games which are only going to be losses without even a bit of fight from the team. Midway through the 2nd half last Sunday I wished I was pretty much anywhere else than MacHale Park but as Navan is near hand to Dublin and I'm a sucker for punishment I'll head along to see if we can even muster a bit of a performance at least.

Mercifully this game is not on the TV as if Galway continue to play to form the rest of the country won't have to watch the damp squib that will be our exit from the championship. I have no grá for Meath at all and if we were going well would be one of the teams I'd love to see beaten by Galway but they are a patently better outfit right now. That said no more than ourselves they are still a long way off the top level where they were 10 years ago and are not going to light up the rest of the championship after Saturday week I'd say.

It was shown in the league games when he was tried there that Hanley can't play CHB either, it's full back or nothing for him. The man in possession of number 3 Forde was good, the goal apart, against Mayo but can he play elsewhere in the backline part from FB? Is he a viable option in the corner if the management see sense and move Hanley out of midfield? I think it's safe to assume that Hanley will not be dropped off the starting 15 and I'd rather see him at FB than in the midfield again, would be hard on Forde to lose out if he can't move to corner back as he has played well for Galway at FB so far.

Whatever about Blake not delivering over the years myball he at least made an impact on the breaking ball around midfield during the game last Sunday, on the basis of the Mayo match and the fact that Meath's Joe Sheridan isn't the quickest centre forward going he has earned a recall to CHB position I think.

Bergin should be dropped, he is not winning clean catches in the middle of the pitch and he is a possession turnover machine when he has the ball, constantly running into groups of opposition footballers or losing it through his own bad play. Didn't think Higgins was great on Sunday but he is a midfielder anyway, how about a novel approach next time out by starting him in his actual position if you are going to play him at all. I thought Duane was one of the few Galway players to emerge with any credit from Sunday's debacle and I would retain him at corner back as perhaps Blake can do a job at CHB for the Meath game. Next year starting with the league I'd put Duane at 6 from the off and stick with him.

Alan Burke should be played at half back or not at all, he is not a corner back. Sice was ok for the first twenty minutes against Mayo but after this he was poor. Hehir had a rude awakening to the championship but hopefully he'll have other days, I wouldn't be writing him off based on one game. Conroy is wasted at FF as he doesn't know what to do up there, stick him in the half forward line. PJ didn't have his best day against Mayo but he needs to be played centrally and not in the corner so I would start him at FF and then bring on Meehan for him when he inevitably tires in the 2 nd half, the sad fact is that PJ is still the best man we have in the Galway colours.

Don't know why Cormac Bane was taken off last Sunday, he is one of the few players that will definitely score if given the ball in the Galway forward line, I recall reading somewhere that he had some words to say to O'Flaharta when being hauled off, while I wouldn't be in favour of such open dissension if this is true, I can easily see why Bane would feel this way.

At this stage, while looking to the future and the players that will be lining out in Division 2 next year, if lads are going to be brought on with 20 minutes left in the Meath game then bring on younger, pacey players – the likes of Boyle and Cummins – instead of Clancy et al. Perhaps the new lads may not be any good either but at least give them a chance to prove themselves either way.

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, Galway are stuck in a trap of new managers expected to deliver instant results and trusting/expecting the more experienced Galway players to suddenly perform to levels that they have never previously shown but that they have the supposed "potential" to play at. It hasn't worked. We are at the lowest we've been for years now; a developmental approach to trying to get back competitive is what is needed.

Several managers have come and gone in the recent past and it must be said based on the fairly consistent composition of the panel that what is there is as good as what is in the county, there is no easy solution that the management can use to rectify this problem, but at least give them a chance by playing them in their proper positions on the pitch.

On another positive note it's good to see everyone involved behind the scenes pulling together in these tough times for Galway football going by this piece in today's Indo sports section:

Galway officials play down row:

Galway officials were yesterday attempting to downplay an altercation between a prominent Football Board official and a member of the Tribesmen's backroom team in the dressing-room after Sunday's Connacht semi-final defeat to Mayo.

A heated argument is understood to have developed between the official, who had apparently questioned some of the decisions made, and the backroom team member as frustration at the defeat boiled over.

It was not clear if the matter will be raised at a meeting in the county tonight.

The nature of the defeat has compounded a miserable season for the Galway footballers and has placed pressure on Tomas O Flatharta's reign ahead of their qualifier against Meath next week.

[DB_An_Mhi]

I wouldn't be his biggest fan either but I'd say the Louth result will afford him enough goodwill to be given another year, regardless of what follows.

Every silver lining has a cloud. This was the source of mixed feelings for me on Saturday as each goal was banged in. Another year of Banty is a high price to pay for a qualifier victory over a hopeless Louth.

True (it shouldn't be held as high value currency in the county, but alas). If a similar victory over a slightly better Dublin side last year didn't save EOB, you can still live in hope.

I can see your predicament Hardy. It's a bit like placing a bet on something with your head and wanting the opposite result in your heart. And not sure which result you favour most as things play out.

[ross4life]

Will be interesting to see how Galway fare in this, we have shipped some bad beatings in Navan over the years Meath bullied us & we weren't able to cope with the physical nature of their play.

[myball22]

Considering how we were beat for nearly every breaking ball the last day, I wouldn't say they will fare too well with it.

From the management perspective, to quote Roy Keane, I think we are not looking for perfection but progress. Pat Spillane doesnn't get a lot right but there is some merit in what he said about getting Alan Mulholland in and giving him a few years to rebuild. He has a knowledge of the young talent in the county, and may be able to rebuild from the ground up.

Also what Spillane said about a root and branch review of the structures in Galway football would be good, you'd prefer to do it from a position of strength when we were competitive but it is necessary to ensure we have talent coming through i the future.

[galwayman]

Good post AFA. The positioning of some of our players the last day beggared belief. Anyone who saw Hanley playing midfield in the league could have seen he was at sea.Blake at centre forward was another strange one as was taking Bane off and bringing Clancy on. Bergin hasn't performed for Galway in years but we have few options unfortunately.
Is Kevin Brady gone off the panel?
I don't believe we have the players regardless to do anything this year but I'd like to see us play players in their best positions and go out with a bit of pride.
I would favour possibly putting Hanley back in at full back with Forde and Duane in the corners.Bradshaw and Sice alongside either Burke or Blake in the half back line. I would play Bergin,Flynn and O'Curraoin in a 3 man midfield with Meehan,Joyce,Hehir,Bane and possibly Boyle (or else Conroy) as the 5 forwards.
Concannon isn't good enough for senior county football.

Galway officials play down row:

Galway officials were yesterday attempting to downplay an altercation between a prominent Football Board official and a member of the Tribesmen's backroom team in the dressing-room after Sunday's Connacht semi-final defeat to Mayo.

A heated argument is understood to have developed between the official, who had apparently questioned some of the decisions made, and the backroom team member as frustration at the defeat boiled over.

It was not clear if the matter will be raised at a meeting in the county tonight.

The nature of the defeat has compounded a miserable season for the Galway footballers and has placed pressure on Tomas O Flatharta's reign ahead of their qualifier against Meath next week.

AFA rumour has it that it's your own parishioner (aka John Joe) and Martin Mac that had the dressing room row after the game.

[Tubberman]

Considering how we were beat for nearly every breaking ball the last day, I wouldn't say they will fare too well with it.

From the management perspective, to quote Roy Keane, I think we are not looking for perfection but progress. Pat Spillane doesnn't get a lot right but there is some merit in what he said about getting Alan Mulholland in and giving him a few years to rebuild. He has a knowledge of the young talent in the county, and may be able to rebuild from the ground up.

Also what Spillane said about a root and branch review of the structures in Galway football would be good, you'd prefer to do it from a position of strength when we were competitive but it is necessary to ensure we have talent coming through i the future.

We had that after the Sligo and Longford performances last year. The CB appointed a committee, they put in a huge amount of work, produced a report and the CB basically shoved it in a drawer and went with their own plan anyway.

[myball22]

Heard that, it was too independent and probably had too many good ideas!

Something is needed in Galway though, we can't keping hoping for a golden generation to appear to save us, we need to keep bringing through talent to the senior team.

Maybe we were over-reliant on the schools system, the youngsters of '98 - '01 came through a strong school systems of St. Jarlaths, St. Pats and St. Marys. They haven't been nearly as strong since then.

[kevmy]

Can't see Galway coming near to winning this but from what I saw the last day and from the majority of the Galway posters are saying here an improved performance should be coming.

Was shocked Hanley was left at midfield, that Bane was taken off and that Blake came on at CHF. Bradshaw done alright but prob not in his best position.

A few positional switches and a couple of personnel changes along with a bit of passion and pride should be enough to restore some face for Galway. I don't see any more than that.