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Great analysis AZ but don't be given Kildare credit, according to every lazy pundit out there we're the worst team ever to make it to the quarter-finals 

I wouldn't describe our recent underage record as "bad for a county"

As regards senior expectations they are ridiculously high in Laois, Laois have some very talented players but Micko was driven away and now Kearns.  Can't see any manager from outside the county applying for that post, maybe a internal appointment is exactly what Laois need though..

As an aside, since John Doran is no longer doing the fitness for Kildare we looked stronger and are free of injuries, Laois seem to have a lot of injuries this year, guess who was doing their fitness.....

Laois senior football manager Liam Kearns has announced his resignation with immediate effect.

Kearn's decision comes on the back on a disappointing Championship campaign in which they were beaten by Wexford in the Leinster Championship semi-final before being edged out by Down in the qualifiers.


Never has minor and u21 success been so bad for a county.....

Mind games from Cork?

If not big big bonus for Kildare....

Murphy set to miss Kildare showdown

By Brendan Larkin
NICHOLAS MURPHY is set to miss Sunday's All-Ireland football quarter-final clash with Kildare because of a hamstring injury, paving the way for Michael Cussen to start.


There are also serious concerns in the Cork camp over the fitness of Graham Canty and Cork manager Conor Counihan may wait until the very last minute before deciding to risk his captain, who is recovering from a medial ligament strain.

Although Cork named an unchanged team on Tuesday night, it is believed that the team was named only for 'programme' purposes, and the starting XV will be revealed to the players when they meet for training tonight.


Coach Conor Counihan is reluctant to rule both players out of Sunday's clash with the Lilywhites.

"We'll give both players up to the last minute to prove their fitness but right now it's touch and go", said Counihan.

"Our bench may be strong but if both the lads were to miss out, it will be tested to the full. With some much at stake I'm expecting Sunday's game to be a real dog fight, and Cork will need every player at his very best."

Meanwhile former Kildare star Séamus 'Sos' Dowling has insisted that the Lilywhites have nothing to fear against the Rebels.

Dowling was scathing in his criticism of Kildare following their Leinster championship defeat against Wicklow but he has been impressed by the nature of three successive qualifier victories since which propelled Kieran McGeeney's charges into the last eight of the championship.

Dowling, a member of Kildare's 1998 All-Ireland final team, admitted: "If you told me after the Wicklow game that we would reach the All-Ireland quarter-final I would have laughed.

"Kildare are getting there but it's taken Kieran (McGeeney) six or seven months to get it right. He was trying to play some players in different positions, Earley at full forward for example, but he now has a more settled, balanced team and lads that weren't fit earlier in the season are a lot fitter now.

"We can't get carried away either because we're only building but it's important that we give a good account of ourselves against Cork - and I think we will."

Armagh v Wexford (wexford +3.5) - Wexford
Kerry v Galway (Galway +4.5) - Galway Bonus
Cork v Kildare (Kildare +4.5) - Kildare Bonus
dublin v Tyrone (Tyrone 2.5) - Dublin

and I just think the more battle hardened Kildare might pull off an upset here

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Good analysis of the games as ususal, can understand why people are going for Cork but they didn't set the world alight in the league, were lucky to beat Limerick, a team Kildare out fought and out performed, we still don't know if Kerry imploded in the Munster final, Cork were dire in the 1st half there and their last time in Croker they got absolutely tanked. They're the reasons to give me hope.....

I have to pay bloody 90 euro for two tickets on Sunday, imagine the whinging from the Dubs if they had to pay that price   

where did white play on sunday and what number was he?

Named at full-forward, number 28, primarily played between the 2 45s.

Actually why was there only 4 minutes extra time in this game, the injury near the end was nearly a five minute stoppage, I actually timed it. By my calculations there should have been at least 8 minutes.

is the u21 centre bcak who as sent off against wicklow available again dinny?

Gary "Chalky" White came on as a sub against Limerick, scored a fine point, was named as full-forward in a late change for Donnelly on Sunday. Had a good game, played almost as a third mid-fielder, he might be moved back to the half-back line on Sunday but won't displace Foley in the centre probably Scanlon, Foley is a very good player riddled by injuries the last 2 seasons, The Sunday Tribune are always hyping him up as a future all-star for some reason.

The request for a postponement has been turned down.

LB/Uladh,

I agree with you both, I don't believe it should be postponed as it's in our favour I believe but I can understand why especially if we have injury concerns although we are good on that front and Ken Donnelly should be available for selection. Personally I think it's a smokescreen, divert from the players, annoy Cork and let Kildare go quietly about their business. Have to say since the Wicklow debacle McGeeney and Co haven't put a foot wrong, very impressed with their management.

Still mental planning, no-one can argue with that, same every year mind.

Great post Solo run, completely agree that and ridiculous sweeping statements such as team will win by 15 points etc etc really grinds my gears..

Yes, its fair
This is the way it is succesful teams

Fair enough but Kildare went 10 weeks without a game and now have to play 4 in a row, mental planning.

Does anyone believe playing 4 championship games in a row is fair and is keeping with player welfare? Answer honestly and forget the circumstances. All teams are equal no?

Dinny, no point in crying over it now
If you were so worried about the schedule you would have won your Province & had a nice long break
Bet Fermanagh would love to have that problem....

Who's crying?

Thanks for not answering the question, it's not whether Kildare should be grateful it's whether it's fair regardless of the circumstances.

BNM

This is the first time I have seen Kildare in the flesh since McGeeney took over.
The most obvious influence is the constant body checking or impedment of the player who has just released the ball to stop him taking a return pass. Very much a Joe Kernan tactic at Armagh.

Hmm, we're not the worst, Kerry were at it against Monaghan as well, it's a negative tactic used across the board.

I'm not sure how good or bad Kildare are, I suspect unlucky against Wicklow and a little bit fortunate in how the fixtures have fallen for them since then.

Nope, just dire against Wicklow, how are the fixtures fortunate, Limerick and Fermanagh were odds on favourites whereas Cavan pushed Armagh all the way, always easy in hindsight eh 

While their forwards have traditionally been ridiculed, for the past four or five years Kildare's woeful defending has been their undoing.

Hard to argue with that, how do you rate our forwards now, Doyle obviously is good but I believe Smith and Conway have the talent to be just as good.

They at least now have an effective defensive system in operation that choked Fermanagh of space.

The players really have bought into it and Cork will have to work hard for every score..

However if Cork use the long ball to combat the swarm defence, on average most of their forwards are a few inches taller than Fermanagh's.

Not as simply as that as O'Neill is probably one of the best full backs left in the quarters now that he's fit and back in form. Plus although the full-back line has been brutal all year but since the Cavan game they have been our best line.

I don't think Kildare can afford another slow start the next day out. They have gotten away with it in the last couple of games, but I can't see them managing to exert dominance over the Cork midfield if they do need to reel in a deficit.

Mention the same on another thread, Kildare aren't good enough yet to comeback at teams so need to start well against Cork, if we go toe to toe Kildare have the belief they'll win a tight game. However Cork have a better midfield although if Flynn starts then Kildare might get parity then it becomes a shoot-out and who knows what will happen then..

Anyway, really enjoying watching Kildare win games again, not pretty I know but for a work in progress very happy with an All-Ireland quarter-final, part of me believes a semi-final would actually stunt our progress ala Meath last year. Time will tell.

Does anyone believe playing 4 championship games in a row is fair and is keeping with player welfare? Answer honestly and forget the circumstances. All teams are equal no?

Anyway, I believe we should play it on Sunday as we would be much sharper and consider how slowly we start it might actually be to our advantage.