Gaelic football is crap- and needs to change ASAP

[tyrone08]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

[Rossfan]

When most GAA people stop watching what then?

Ban the fkn handpass would be a start.

[themac_23]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

Thats clearly what people are saying, they aren't watching it unless their own county/ club is involved.

the bit ive highlighted ive agreed with, but the modern game has actually stopped the skill of defending. its now strength in numbers, used to love seeing a corner back strip a ball when a forward tries to take him on 1 on 1. or a Conor Gormley block in 03. Even on defending the forward mark stopped defenders even getting a good chance to dispossess balls from forwards, a forward catches a clean ball and the defender cant even touch him. madness.

Defenders dont actually need to be able to tackle anymore, just kill space and be disciplined in your positional play can carry you through

[J70]

I watched 10 minutes of Monaghan and Tyrone and switched it over. Genuinely couldn't be arsed watching Monaghans slow build up, passing the ball across the pitch and back, constantly afraid or unable to slice a pass into the forwards. The outcome looked inevitable within minutes, Tyrone with everyone back, then breaking up field when Monaghan give it away and nick a score.  Boring predictable shite .

Football has become a game that is very difficult to attract a neutral, I struggle to watch games that ive no dog in the fight and anyone I talk to seems to be the same. Hurling still has the appeal that you can watch a game between 2 top teams and it keeps you interested, football not so much.

I'm getting the same way too. You watch a game, and head down to throw the laundry in the dryer, and three or four minutes later you come back and maybe, just maybe, there's been a point scored. Leaving aside our current predicament, I'm even close to giving up on watching Donegal, such is the lack of enjoyment to be had from watching them. I said it in the thread for last year's Ulster Final, a game in which we were very competitive and could have won, that it would have been a hollow victory, so grim was the fare that was served up (think I said the same in the '16 final when Tyrone nicked it right at the end). We had some promising, fast moving football under Bonner in 18 and 19, but its been utterly dreadful since then and unfortunately the vast majority of the other teams are the same. Even watching Dublin go about their methodical, systematic, possession-based takedown of the opposition towards the end of the six in a row period was as dull as watching paint dry.

Apart from David Clifford and Shane Walsh and the runners of Mayo and your county loyalty, there just isn't much to attract spectators in gaelic football these days.

[Ethan Tremblay]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

Thats clearly what people are saying, they aren't watching it unless their own county/ club is involved.

the bit ive highlighted ive agreed with, but the modern game has actually stopped the skill of defending. its now strength in numbers, used to love seeing a corner back strip a ball when a forward tries to take him on 1 on 1. or a Conor Gormley block in 03. Even on defending the forward mark stopped defenders even getting a good chance to dispossess balls from forwards, a forward catches a clean ball and the defender cant even touch him. madness.

Defenders dont actually need to be able to tackle anymore, just kill space and be disciplined in your positional play can carry you through

Would agree with all of that, the art of defending is diminishing due packed defenses, and also great point on the forward mark, if it is abolished, we will actually see better forward play and defensive play. 

I mentioned it before in a thread, but the main issue with football is the mentality shift from "we score more than them and we win" to "we concede less than them, we win". 

Side note - without packed defenses, Clifford would be putting a lot of good men into early retirement.....

[Derryman forever]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

Absolutely.  No one is compelled to watch any game.
20 years ago RTE showed a few of the finals. Many of those were still ordinary fare .
The GAA is a victim of its own popularity, combined with negative and divisive, commentators and presenters.
The GAA needs to remind RTE that they are commissioned with promotion of the game, not the opposite.

Have a look at the final scores of today and the final scores of the 80s or 99s. They are much of a muchness.
And if statistics are available I would hazard a guess that the number of possessions has more than tripled.

[twohands!!!]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

Thats clearly what people are saying, they aren't watching it unless their own county/ club is involved.

the bit ive highlighted ive agreed with, but the modern game has actually stopped the skill of defending. its now strength in numbers, used to love seeing a corner back strip a ball when a forward tries to take him on 1 on 1. or a Conor Gormley block in 03. Even on defending the forward mark stopped defenders even getting a good chance to dispossess balls from forwards, a forward catches a clean ball and the defender cant even touch him. madness.

Defenders dont actually need to be able to tackle anymore, just kill space and be disciplined in your positional play can carry you through

There's also the fact that defenders go out and commit multiple fouls week-in week-out in every game they play because the level of punishment is so weak that any defender who doesn't go out and foul the opposition is putting his team at a disadvantage.

If football had proper punishment for committing foul play, it would improve the game greatly.

[Redhand Santa]

That's the bit that doesn't stack up. You've people saying football was much more enjoyable in the 90's with no crowded defences and skillfull players who could score from anywhere. Yet you wonder what they were doing because there is as many scores now in games as ever.

[Redhand Santa]

I watched 10 minutes of Monaghan and Tyrone and switched it over. Genuinely couldn't be arsed watching Monaghans slow build up, passing the ball across the pitch and back, constantly afraid or unable to slice a pass into the forwards. The outcome looked inevitable within minutes, Tyrone with everyone back, then breaking up field when Monaghan give it away and nick a score.  Boring predictable shite .

Football has become a game that is very difficult to attract a neutral, I struggle to watch games that ive no dog in the fight and anyone I talk to seems to be the same. Hurling still has the appeal that you can watch a game between 2 top teams and it keeps you interested, football not so much.

I'm getting the same way too. You watch a game, and head down to throw the laundry in the dryer, and three or four minutes later you come back and maybe, just maybe, there's been a point scored. Leaving aside our current predicament, I'm even close to giving up on watching Donegal, such is the lack of enjoyment to be had from watching them. I said it in the thread for last year's Ulster Final, a game in which we were very competitive and could have won, that it would have been a hollow victory, so grim was the fare that was served up (think I said the same in the '16 final when Tyrone nicked it right at the end). We had some promising, fast moving football under Bonner in 18 and 19, but its been utterly dreadful since then and unfortunately the vast majority of the other teams are the same. Even watching Dublin go about their methodical, systematic, possession-based takedown of the opposition towards the end of the six in a row period was as dull as watching paint dry.

Apart from David Clifford and Shane Walsh and the runners of Mayo and your county loyalty, there just isn't much to attract spectators in gaelic football these days.

You'd wonder how that's different to games 20 years ago when scorelines are broadly the same?

[twohands!!!]

That's the bit that doesn't stack up. You've people saying football was much more enjoyable in the 90's with no crowded defences and skillfull players who could score from anywhere. Yet you wonder what they were doing because there is as many scores now in games as ever.

I think this is just a by-product of people mythologising the past - over time people remember the exciting games and forget the dull boring ones.

I definitely don't think that there were players who could score from anywhere.

Nowadays players are much better at shooting from what I can see.

Back then you had the full forward line doing the vast vast majority of the shooting and they were pretty much always marked by one defender.

Anyone who thinks standards were higher in the past has watched any game from back then recently.

[themac_23]

I watched 10 minutes of Monaghan and Tyrone and switched it over. Genuinely couldn't be arsed watching Monaghans slow build up, passing the ball across the pitch and back, constantly afraid or unable to slice a pass into the forwards. The outcome looked inevitable within minutes, Tyrone with everyone back, then breaking up field when Monaghan give it away and nick a score.  Boring predictable shite .

Football has become a game that is very difficult to attract a neutral, I struggle to watch games that ive no dog in the fight and anyone I talk to seems to be the same. Hurling still has the appeal that you can watch a game between 2 top teams and it keeps you interested, football not so much.

I'm getting the same way too. You watch a game, and head down to throw the laundry in the dryer, and three or four minutes later you come back and maybe, just maybe, there's been a point scored. Leaving aside our current predicament, I'm even close to giving up on watching Donegal, such is the lack of enjoyment to be had from watching them. I said it in the thread for last year's Ulster Final, a game in which we were very competitive and could have won, that it would have been a hollow victory, so grim was the fare that was served up (think I said the same in the '16 final when Tyrone nicked it right at the end). We had some promising, fast moving football under Bonner in 18 and 19, but its been utterly dreadful since then and unfortunately the vast majority of the other teams are the same. Even watching Dublin go about their methodical, systematic, possession-based takedown of the opposition towards the end of the six in a row period was as dull as watching paint dry.

Apart from David Clifford and Shane Walsh and the runners of Mayo and your county loyalty, there just isn't much to attract spectators in gaelic football these days.

You'd wonder how that's different to games 20 years ago when scorelines are broadly the same?

Plenty of reasons, more frees now a days, a lot more scores come from dead balls now than did in the early 00s for example, id love to see the free counts from games in the 00s compared to now, forwards are told to go down like they've been shot if touched inside the 45 as its a free hit for a score, again down to the stats. Less wides, teams are now instructed not to shoot outside 'scoring zone' and 'give it to the shooters' you end up with similar scores but far less entertainment, teams holding the ball rather than shooting a wide and giving up possession.

its a different game now, the days of players/ teams being man for man is pretty much gone unfortunately, I often look and think how would a Peter canavan or a Mulligan get by today?

The game is now dictated by analysis and GPS. players are given stats a after a game and there are teams that if the players stats aren't good he's dropped, no wonder players are robotic.

[Ciarrai_thuaidh]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

Spot on! If people want a game largely devoid of tactics or defending, go watch hurling. Some of the football in League is a hard watch to be fair but some of the moaning about it is ridiculous. The game has improved immeasurably from the slow, rooting game it was 30 years ago.

[J70]

I watched 10 minutes of Monaghan and Tyrone and switched it over. Genuinely couldn't be arsed watching Monaghans slow build up, passing the ball across the pitch and back, constantly afraid or unable to slice a pass into the forwards. The outcome looked inevitable within minutes, Tyrone with everyone back, then breaking up field when Monaghan give it away and nick a score.  Boring predictable shite .

Football has become a game that is very difficult to attract a neutral, I struggle to watch games that ive no dog in the fight and anyone I talk to seems to be the same. Hurling still has the appeal that you can watch a game between 2 top teams and it keeps you interested, football not so much.

I'm getting the same way too. You watch a game, and head down to throw the laundry in the dryer, and three or four minutes later you come back and maybe, just maybe, there's been a point scored. Leaving aside our current predicament, I'm even close to giving up on watching Donegal, such is the lack of enjoyment to be had from watching them. I said it in the thread for last year's Ulster Final, a game in which we were very competitive and could have won, that it would have been a hollow victory, so grim was the fare that was served up (think I said the same in the '16 final when Tyrone nicked it right at the end). We had some promising, fast moving football under Bonner in 18 and 19, but its been utterly dreadful since then and unfortunately the vast majority of the other teams are the same. Even watching Dublin go about their methodical, systematic, possession-based takedown of the opposition towards the end of the six in a row period was as dull as watching paint dry.

Apart from David Clifford and Shane Walsh and the runners of Mayo and your county loyalty, there just isn't much to attract spectators in gaelic football these days.

You'd wonder how that's different to games 20 years ago when scorelines are broadly the same?

20 years ago, those three or four minutes might have had a couple of one on one duels at either end of the field where defenders came out on top or a team hit a wide. These days it's more likely that one of the teams spent two of those minutes arsing about hand-passing across the field 60m from the goal.

[Redhand Santa]

I watched 10 minutes of Monaghan and Tyrone and switched it over. Genuinely couldn't be arsed watching Monaghans slow build up, passing the ball across the pitch and back, constantly afraid or unable to slice a pass into the forwards. The outcome looked inevitable within minutes, Tyrone with everyone back, then breaking up field when Monaghan give it away and nick a score.  Boring predictable shite .

Football has become a game that is very difficult to attract a neutral, I struggle to watch games that ive no dog in the fight and anyone I talk to seems to be the same. Hurling still has the appeal that you can watch a game between 2 top teams and it keeps you interested, football not so much.

I'm getting the same way too. You watch a game, and head down to throw the laundry in the dryer, and three or four minutes later you come back and maybe, just maybe, there's been a point scored. Leaving aside our current predicament, I'm even close to giving up on watching Donegal, such is the lack of enjoyment to be had from watching them. I said it in the thread for last year's Ulster Final, a game in which we were very competitive and could have won, that it would have been a hollow victory, so grim was the fare that was served up (think I said the same in the '16 final when Tyrone nicked it right at the end). We had some promising, fast moving football under Bonner in 18 and 19, but its been utterly dreadful since then and unfortunately the vast majority of the other teams are the same. Even watching Dublin go about their methodical, systematic, possession-based takedown of the opposition towards the end of the six in a row period was as dull as watching paint dry.

Apart from David Clifford and Shane Walsh and the runners of Mayo and your county loyalty, there just isn't much to attract spectators in gaelic football these days.

You'd wonder how that's different to games 20 years ago when scorelines are broadly the same?

20 years ago, those three or four minutes might have had a couple of one on one duels at either end of the field where defenders came out on top or a team hit a wide. These days it's more likely that one of the teams spent two of those minutes arsing about hand-passing across the field 60m from the goal.

There was still one point scored in the 3/4 minutes you missed though.

The game has got less exciting but still plenty of goods bit's to games too. The all round skill level of players across the team is far higher than that of 20/30 years. The game had moved on from the Jim McGuiness era in recent seasons with much more pressing of kickouts etc. But there has been a worrying trend of increased negativity in this years league - hoping the trend doesn't continue into the championship.

[tbrick18]

If people don't like it then don't watch it. Really sick of this complaining about the state of the game. There are a few tweaks which could make it a bit better but that's about it.

People won't be happy until its just 15 attackers vs 15 attackers scoring 19-100 a game. Defending is a skill and a joy to watch if done right which people forget about.

Thats clearly what people are saying, they aren't watching it unless their own county/ club is involved.

the bit ive highlighted ive agreed with, but the modern game has actually stopped the skill of defending. its now strength in numbers, used to love seeing a corner back strip a ball when a forward tries to take him on 1 on 1. or a Conor Gormley block in 03. Even on defending the forward mark stopped defenders even getting a good chance to dispossess balls from forwards, a forward catches a clean ball and the defender cant even touch him. madness.

Defenders dont actually need to be able to tackle anymore, just kill space and be disciplined in your positional play can carry you through

I fully agree on the forward mark. I don't think it brings anything to the game.
However, I disagree on the defending skills. Covering space is a defensive skill in itself. Over the years I've often heard it said about a footballer always getting into the right place at the right time. That's something that requires skill.
There are also plenty of man markers out there. I'm going to use Derry as the example, Chrissy McKaigue and Eoin McEvoy are exceptional man markers but can also get forward.
The art of tackling can be measured in some part by the amount of fouls committed by a team and in my head (perhaps wrongly), the lower the foul count the higher the level of accurate skilled tackling.

It's all subjective though and I fully get why it annoys some people.
But the game cannot be described as crap due to the opinions of some, because to others the game is exceptional.