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Now in mitigation Galway are down a lot of good players at the moment and given the teams selected I expected Mayo to win that game. However I have absolutely zero idea what the Galway management were trying to achieve there today.

Comer out before the game so they replace him with Niall Daly, a midfielder, and tell him to play up front. Through no fault of his own he doesn't play well up there so they sub him off again after 20 minutes. They have another midfielder, Cein Darcy, playing at wing forward marking one of the fastest wing-backs in the country in McLaughlin. To nobody's surprise he can't run with him but they leave him there anyway. Dylan McHugh a natural half back is playing in midfield and Sean Mulkerrin is playing at wing-back where I don't think I've ever seen him play. Cathal Sweeney a wing-back continues to be picked at corner-forward. Tierney came off the bench despite not being fully fit either and barely touched the ball. They just looked a disorganised mess. And I don't think they'll be getting any of the injured players back soon bar maybe Comer.

About the only bright spots is that the young lads O'Conghaile and O'Curraoin look like they are well able to kick scores when they get some service.  But they probably won't be picked anyway as they'll want someone who can run around the the half back line instead.

Yeah I couldn't believe it when I saw Daly in at 14. Why? Because he's tall?
Just a plain daft decision.
Cein D'arcy has had loads of chances. His problem is he doesn't have the athleticism for the middle third at this level. He'll get run into the ground. That was clear the last time he was in the panel.
It's very early days and we have players to come back but it doesn't bode well for the summer

Couldn't see it live so watched it last night, it was beyond woeful;

Only 6 players started who also started the All Ireland final against Kerry so not all doom and gloom and their all still on the panel although not heard anything on Patrick Kelly, anyone know?

The injury record is baffling, I appreciate someone like Comer is always going to struggle but Galway have been riddled with injuries all the way back to 2019 with 2022 been the only year outlier since.

Midfield is a huge concern, we're probably going to see more of D'Arcy until McDaid is back given McLaughlin is unavailable and Sam O'Neill is injured. Dylan McHugh had become one of the best wingbacks in the game in the last 18 months so leave him there.

The one positive was O'Conghaile, having watched him in the Sigerson he has a hell of a boot on him and capable of kicking scores from way out from both feet.

Huge game this Sunday and hard to make a case for Galway after Sunday, looks like a real fight to stay in the division. 

Derry aren't far away, need to add greater depth to that playing panel as they've had a great run of it the last 2 years injury wise.

Doesn't sound like Galway have a clean bill of health either with Silke & McDaid out with broken feet and Sean Kelly still out too. Plenty of rumours about Glynn & Tierney too but we'll know come the weekend and neither Hernon or Cooke will be around this year either.

Even Comer said on Parkinson's podcast that he probably won't play the entire league. I'd say they are just hoping to get enough points to stay up and hopefully have everyone fit for championship. The injuries sunk them last year and they are already carrying a few into this year

Got to tread carefully with Comer, out of the last 6 seasons he's been fit twice and no coincidence they were easily Galways best years in 2018 and 2022. Would like to see them experiment and at full forward during the league without him, need a plan B in case he gets injured. Too much talk of O'Currain on podcasts, the lad looks like he has all the attributes to succeed at this level but he's only 20.

Doesn't sound like Galway have a clean bill of health either with Silke & McDaid out with broken feet and Sean Kelly still out too. Plenty of rumours about Glynn & Tierney too but we'll know come the weekend and neither Hernon or Cooke will be around this year either.

[Ciaran Murtagh,Cian McKeon]

Missing
Enda, R Daly  Ultan, Hussey, Heneghan, O'Rourke, B Stack  Fallon, Dolan, O'Carroll, Cunnane, Nolan(?)

Didn't you hammer Galway without them all missing? Few of the St Brigid boys could be available too. Should be an away win against a struggling Tyrone missing even more players.

It was a development Galway team. First choice Galway 26 was off playing outdoor challenges as Joyce and his management didn't see air dome games as decent prep for the league.

Enda Smith said after the match on TG4 last Friday that he didn't expect Brigids players to return until round 3.  A lot of the list Rossfan posted would be first choice Roscommon players and they already have to deal without Conor Daly, Ciaran Murtagh,Cian McKeon gone traveling all three was championship starters last summer.

Can you list who Tyrone are missing? I would expect this to be the year that a lot of Tyrones 2022 U20 All-Ireland winners to become established seniors.

Didn't know those 2 had gone travelling, big losses. Is Harney back in?

Derry need to find a couple more forwards.

They've done some job of keeping everyone fit the last 2 years, that record won't continue either after 2 years like they've had.

Watched NUIG v Sligo, from a Galway point of view Liam O Conghaile kicked the best 2 points of the game very early; Looks like he's capable of kicking scores from distance, hope that injury isn't too bad but he looks like he's a bit further behind in his physical department in comparison to O'Currain. Like the look of both of them, Galway in need of scoring forwards to put pressure on current contingent.

Ryan O'Donoghue is a bit hit and miss on the frees, eventually he was taken off them after missing another easy one.

James McLaughlin standouts for his eye catching fetches but he's going to have to improve defensively to fulfill his potential .

Another surprise result. University of Galway 1-10 TU Dublin 2-8

Was up at it. Big shock alright. Trinity just hung in there. Few minutes left and they were 2 points down when one of their players tried a point attempt from way out. Ball went high in the air but dropped well short into the keeper. Nobody near him. Under no real pressure. He caught the ball into his stomach but let it slip through his arms and he fumbled it into the net. Huge howler. Galway had a late free from almost straight in front of the posts to take it to extra time but Ryan O'Donoghue kicked it against the post and it went wide. Bad miss really as there wasn't a drop of wind out tonight.

Not many forwards named to start in the Galway team although Sheriden has form in that department! Surprised not to see O'Currain starting, seems like he made an impact when he came on anyways?

Doesn't seem like Sean Kelly will play any part in this competition so must be doubtful for Galways first few league games.

There's a shortage of top centre forwards about and the board wouldn't go for Kane, United overpaid for Hojlund as Atlanta had them by the balls as there was other clubs were in for him. I like what he brings to the team and expect him to be eventually to be a success although another centre forward has to be signed.

Hope this major clearout comes this summer, Dalot and Wan Bisaka continue to depress me! Just not good enough but you can't help feel that Ten Hag likes Dalot, more so for his ability to beat the press because it can't be much else. I'd keep Varane ahead of Maguire & Lindelof but can't blame him for wanting to leave if the club are trying to renegotiate his contract.

Casemiro was outstanding last season but been poor on the few occasions he's played this season so is playing for his future but given his age and astronomical wages they might sell him anyway.

We're all looking for some competency in the transfer market, no manager gets every signing right but Uniteds strike record is utterly appalling the last decade and that has to change.

Genuinely hoping that the new structure will stop the scatter gun approach of recent seasons in the market. Big ask but here's hoping.

Would like to think so, United could have had Bellingham for £25m and Haaland for a pittance but didn't for different reasons. Talks of Ratcliffe buying others clubs which makes sense at Brexit is limiting United buying younger players like City have done.

Antony for £80m will go down as United's worst signing of all time, Ten Hag should have known better but Murtough will have had to go his boss and make the case too; Know for a fact that United's in-house scouting/analyists didn't rate him and wasn't high up on their list. If he really is on wages of £200k he'll be a lot harder to shfit then Sancho/

Mainoo and Garnacho both look like top players in the making so its not all doom and gloom.

There's a shortage of top centre forwards about and the board wouldn't go for Kane, United overpaid for Hojlund as Atlanta had them by the balls as there was other clubs were in for him. I like what he brings to the team and expect him to be eventually to be a success although another centre forward has to be signed.

Hope this major clearout comes this summer, Dalot and Wan Bisaka continue to depress me! Just not good enough but you can't help feel that Ten Hag likes Dalot, more so for his ability to beat the press because it can't be much else. I'd keep Varane ahead of Maguire & Lindelof but can't blame him for wanting to leave if the club are trying to renegotiate his contract.

Casemiro was outstanding last season but been poor on the few occasions he's played this season so is playing for his future but given his age and astronomical wages they might sell him anyway.

We're all looking for some competency in the transfer market, no manager gets every signing right but Uniteds strike record is utterly appalling the last decade and that has to change.

Another ETH issue I would have would be his reluctance to go for the established Premier league players such as Kane/Rice, instead, opting for Hojlund, untested and too young to carry a team.  A question Scholes and ferdinand brought up last night. 

Perhaps squad wage budgets wouldn't have allowed for Kane to join, but the question certainly needs asked

Spurs were not selling Kane to United last summer and looked like Rice didn't want to leave London and Arsenal had put plenty of groundwork in last season. United should have been in for him the summer they bought Casemiro but once again were in full panic mode after wasting all summer chasing DeJong.

More concerned with missing out on Haaland & Bellingham who were both well within Uniteds grasps for peanuts. United should always be in for the top English talent when it comes available but all the top English players are at big clubs now, some might see Mount was a top player but we've not seen that yet although at least he was desperate to join United ahead of Liverpool/Arsenal.

United have been massively incompetent, Cole Palmer is a United fan as are all his family yet he signed for City and United were in for him. That shouldn't happen, they've even had to pay to take Darren Fletcher's twins to OT from City and the two biggest talents to come through the academy in 20 years in Morrison & Greenwood both turned out to be wronguns, both should have turned into world class players although Greenwood may well do down the line albeit away from OT.

A major clearout is required but thats been the case for years and its not happened.

A disappointing performance but that starting team is about a poor a team that started a must win match we've ever had in the CL.

Front 6 had 1 player in Fernandes who should be starting regularly in a proper United team, 2 youngsters who should be bit part players and 3 players in Antony, McTominay & Amrabat who aren't good enough. Dalot is just woeful, does so much good work then lacks any sort of quality with a final ball and lacks awareness which results in him been dispossessed time and time again. Wan Bisaka not much better, limited going forward and he also lacks concentration. That team lacked quality,

United should have got through and taken 12 points from the 4 games against the other 2 sides but ended with 4.

Muscle injuries are out of hand, Shaw, Casemiro & Mount are all on their 2nd muscle injury of the season. That might even be Maguire's 2nd muscle injury of the season, Wan Bisaka was out with one too! The way they messed up Martinez's injury from last season is amateur hour too.

Sunday won't be pretty either, would imagine Mount, Casemiro & Diallo will be back for West Ham and not for Sunday.

Might get worse before its going to get better, thankfully there's not a huge appetite to sack ETH amongst United's support. If the club wasn't such a shambles from top to bottom then that might be different but given the context of the situation we find ourselves in then I really want him to stay.

He's not blameless but with a proper structure then the likes of Antony wouldn't be signed for £80m and neither would have Casemiro. That team that started on Saturday is about as poor as I've ever seen, only Shaw & Fernandes would be stating in a proper team; I'm a huge fan of Garnacho but he wouldn't be starting every week in a really top side but he has too at United.

Expectancy is low for the week ahead but playing the same way we have in recent weeks tactically will likely lead to 2 serious beatings. Mount must be close to a comeback for midweek, he'll probably start at Anfield.

Surely there must be a swap deal United can do in the short term with Sancho, there's been rumours of Raphina who was a revelation at Leeds but United are going to have to get another centre forward this January.

Any views on Lanzarote for a week at the end of January?

Best area, accommodation....medium budget.

I've been to Costa Teguise and Puerto Del Carmen, a lot more going on in Puerto Del Carmen.

Arsenal going to have to play better to win the league which I hope they do, they won't replicate what they've done in the first half of the season in the 2nd half in terms of late goals.

City more then capable of winning 19 out of the remaining 23 league games, if they drop points in any of the next 4 league games which I expect them to win then maybe there is a bit of an issue.