All Ireland Gold TG4

[haze]

Watched this match last night and also laochra gael during the week which featured the Dublin Meath rivalry of 1986-1990. What struck me most watching both programmes was the intensity and rawness of it all- no quarter given or taken, every ball contested like it was the last, man on man individual battles, the crowd feeding off what they were seeing. And I do think the game we have at the moment has lost some of that, and that is a pity. While I would say alot of was due to the absence of a back door and the cut throat effect of knock out championship, there must be more to it...  Are modern day players paralysed by pressure and the straight jacket tactics that are employed by many modern day managers? Some must be. I watched Laois play 5, 6 times this year and the majority of the team were afraid to kick the ball, afraid to lose possession, afraid to take risks and yet most of them are very skilled players.

The catch and kick style of yester year was just the way the game was played. Simply for many players the job was win your ball, take the hit, then move the ball down the field. Bit like hurling really! While it's stating the bloody obvious that despite what Spillane might think, the game lacked the modern day precision of passing and shooting. Though still take that Meath team for example and the players on show- Lyons, O Connell, Hayes, Beggy, Flynn,n, Stafford etc surely they would hold their own and more in 2011.

There is a middle ground in this argument. Pundits and posters who harp on about current players being unable to kick points or pass a ball like the way the old stagers did in the 70s or 80's are blatantly talking nonsense and are practising the lazy punditry that most of us are sick to our teeth of.
Thanks to TG4 evidence of this is provided most weeks. But all the same it shouldn't stop the rest of us enjoying the football played back then and appreciating some of the qualities/skills of this great game that no longer are as prevalent

Oh and on a final point Im not open to any accusations of nostalgia- can only remember live football from 91 on and greatest game of football I've ever watched was Armagh Tyrone 2005

[nrico2006]

Does anyone know which game is being shown tonight?