I think the game is dying in front of us - Manus Boyle

[rodney trotter]

Kicking the ball anywhere for the sake of it would be stuff u10s do.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Ok let's make it official - ban kicking altogether sure it's only a nuisance getting  in the way of Ulster  throwball.

The king of the non sequiturs, maith thú! 

[Christmas Lights]

Take 4 players off each team. 11 a side. You'll see a totally different game (and no, I don't mean soccer!)

It's the obvious answer.

Never ever post on a gaa forum ever again. Ever.

[BennyCake]

Take 4 players off each team. 11 a side. You'll see a totally different game (and no, I don't mean soccer!)

It's the obvious answer.

Never ever post on a gaa forum ever again. Ever.

Somebody didn't get any last night

[inthrough]

Silly article which takes no account of the great high scoring games we have enjoyed all year.

This was a one off & came about because Glenties were not going to alloew Kilcar to give them a trimming as they had done the previous year in the semi final 5-10 to 1-11. From the off Glenties set up with not alone a blanket defence but no interest in commiting any men forward when they had the ball in case they were caught on the break. Kilcar got sucked into this & as a result we got the game we did.

But to say that his one game means football is "dying on its feet" is nonsense. League games involving both teams this year have seen a scoring average of almost 30 points a game which is not too shabby.

Yes, it was a poor final but not indicative of things generally.

[Zulu]

But it isn't just one game, that's the point. It might be a bit much to say the game is dying but it's also easy to justify horrible football on the basis of the result mattering. You can beat teams better than your own by means other than getting 15 behind the ball.

[blewuporstuffed]

But it isn't just one game, that's the point. It might be a bit much to say the game is dying but it's also easy to justify horrible football on the basis of the result mattering. You can beat teams better than your own by means other than getting 15 behind the ball.

On the whole though are bad games any more common than they ever where?
We have had some fantastic games over the last few years at the later stage of the championship at intercounty level.

In Tyrone club football we regularly have really good games throughout the competition every year (there are plenty of bad ones also, this years final being an example)

[Hound]

In Tyrone club football we regularly have really good games throughout the competition every year (there are plenty of bad ones also, this years final being an example)

Same in Dublin club football. Even the league games in the top 2 divisions without the county stars are generally really good matches, with teams trying to win by playing attacking football.

Castleknock the main exception when it comes to championship. They like their packed defence! 

[Zulu]

But it isn't just one game, that's the point. It might be a bit much to say the game is dying but it's also easy to justify horrible football on the basis of the result mattering. You can beat teams better than your own by means other than getting 15 behind the ball.

On the whole though are bad games any more common than they ever where?
We have had some fantastic games over the last few years at the later stage of the championship at intercounty level.

In Tyrone club football we regularly have really good games throughout the competition every year (there are plenty of bad ones also, this years final being an example)

That's true but I think the difference now is that bad games can occur due to how teams are setting out rather than just games being bad, which will always happen. Not all of the poor games we see today are due to massed defences but I think the possession is key, bodies behind the ball, defending a lead mentality is making more games poor spectacles. I was at the Mayo Cork game this year, which turned out to be very good game overall but even though there were plenty of scores in the first half and some good football it lacked the tempo of a really good game. Maybe it's just my personal tastes as I can't watch soccer anymore but a probing pass the parcel type of football doesn't do a lot for me even if it ends with a good score. I prefer things a bit more helter skelter which I think is possible without playing headless football.

[inthrough]

But it isn't just one game, that's the point. It might be a bit much to say the game is dying but it's also easy to justify horrible football on the basis of the result mattering. You can beat teams better than your own by means other than getting 15 behind the ball.

Fair enough Zulu but every team gets 14 or 15 men behind the ball nowadays, Dublin included, that's not the problem. The problem is where teams either can't or won't attack & have a go at winning the game when they have the ball.

My main issue here however is in putting up the headline "Football is dying on it's feet" when commentating on one game. There are countless thousands of games played every week at all levels & many of them are highly entertaining. A silly headline & article to go with it.

[sid waddell]

Football was much better in Manus's heyday.

Take the provincial finals in 1993, for instance.

Derry 0-8 Donegal 0-6
Dublin 0-11 Kildare 0-7
Mayo 1-5 Roscommon 0-7

Free flowing classics all. And the kicking skills were wonderful, certainly Manus's kick on Johnny McGurk, which saw him get the line, was anyway.

[Zulu]

But it isn't just one game, that's the point. It might be a bit much to say the game is dying but it's also easy to justify horrible football on the basis of the result mattering. You can beat teams better than your own by means other than getting 15 behind the ball.

Fair enough Zulu but every team gets 14 or 15 men behind the ball nowadays, Dublin included, that's not the problem. The problem is where teams either can't or won't attack & have a go at winning the game when they have the ball.

My main issue here however is in putting up the headline "Football is dying on it's feet" when commentating on one game. There are countless thousands of games played every week at all levels & many of them are highly entertaining. A silly headline & article to go with it.

I agree, the problem is really when teams won't attack but while most teams do have bodies back at times some teams get them all in their own 45 whereas the better teams generally don't. Again, I agree the headline is over the top but I think there is an issue that is worthy of some concern. The game has definitely changed and I think too many coaches are still looking at the game in a 'how not to lose by too much' way rather than how can we win it.

[Zulu]

Football was much better in Manus's heyday.

Take the provincial finals in 1993, for instance.

Derry 0-8 Donegal 0-6
Dublin 0-11 Kildare 0-7
Mayo 1-5 Roscommon 0-7

Free flowing classics all. And the kicking skills were wonderful, certainly Manus's kick on Johnny McGurk, which saw him get the line, was anyway.

That's all true Sid but that's kind of what frustrates me about modern football. We have better footballers and better attacking strategies now than ever before but instead of pushing that forward we have retreated into a fearful brand of football that is about surviving a game of football rather than trying to win it. I accept that's a bit of a broad statement and some teams have to just try and survive but the better teams should be able to play with at least 4 forwards up front most of the game and still keep opponents to a beatable score.

Football is still a wonderful game and is evolving but I think the balance between attacking and defending isn't right at the moment.

[Syferus]

Football was much better in Manus's heyday.

Take the provincial finals in 1993, for instance.

Derry 0-8 Donegal 0-6
Dublin 0-11 Kildare 0-7
Mayo 1-5 Roscommon 0-7

Free flowing classics all. And the kicking skills were wonderful, certainly Manus's kick on Johnny McGurk, which saw him get the line, was anyway.

That's all true Sid but that's kind of what frustrates me about modern football. We have better footballers and better attacking strategies now than ever before but instead of pushing that forward we have retreated into a fearful brand of football that is about surviving a game of football rather than trying to win it. I accept that's a bit of a broad statement and some teams have to just try and survive but the better teams should be able to play with at least 4 forwards up front most of the game and still keep opponents to a beatable score.

Football is still a wonderful game and is evolving but I think the balance between attacking and defending isn't right at the moment.

It would help calm that fear if one team didn't have millions granted to it to develop players, and raking in millions more from being so huge in the first place.

[seafoid]

Football was much better in Manus's heyday.

Take the provincial finals in 1993, for instance.

Derry 0-8 Donegal 0-6
Dublin 0-11 Kildare 0-7
Mayo 1-5 Roscommon 0-7

Free flowing classics all. And the kicking skills were wonderful, certainly Manus's kick on Johnny McGurk, which saw him get the line, was anyway.

You had a much better spread of potential winners 20 years ago. You didn't have a procession. 

The four 2017 provincial finals had an average winning margin of 0-9, the four quarterfinals concluded with an average margin of 0-15, and the semi-finals' concluding average was 0-9.