Messages

I hate the way Woods carries on, with a passion.
I'd say I hope he never wins another tournament again but from an entertainment point of view he adds so much to a golf tournament.
The sense of expectation created when he started to make moves on Friday and Saturday could not have been created by anybody else. He doesn't half know it. I don't think his behaviour would be tolerated by anybody but for his ability and what he adds to a tournament - fans or officials.

[McIlroy came out there a while back and said something to the effect that Tiger had lost his aura and nobody was fazed by him anymore.]

McIlroy came out there a while back and said something to the effect that Tiger had lost his aura and nobody was fazed by him anymore. It sounded like something Poulter would say. Might be relatively true but I'd still say Tiger's having a right old giggle at McIlroy now....
Comparisons with Garcia are fairly relevant, bags of undoubted potential but his putting his very patchy.

Seriously ? Did he say that ? What was he on ? Definitely wrote off.

It was a while back. It caught my attention because I thought he might come to regret it...

McIlroy came out there a while back and said something to the effect that Tiger had lost his aura and nobody was fazed by him anymore. It sounded like something Poulter would say. Might be relatively true but I'd still say Tiger's having a right old giggle at McIlroy now....
Comparisons with Garcia are fairly relevant, bags of undoubted potential but his putting his very patchy.

There's a difference between not liking an atmosphere and coming out with the sh1te that LaurelEye is coming out with.
I couldn't even begin to count the matches I've been at with a similar atmosphere at the end. High horses indeed.
O'Shea also made the situation ten times worse than he needed to. Why did he have to stand around on the pitch and why did it take him so long to head for the tunnel? It reminded me of Sludden standing around booking players last year. Why was he grinning as he headed towards the tunnel?
The gas thing is that I haven't heard one Westmeath fan blame the referee for loosing, he just made a complete mess of the game. Maybe there was a general over-reaction, some of it possibly misdirected frustration arising from Heslins indiscipline and flanagan's awful descision making, but I'm sure there's a few throwing the first stones and there's certainly an over-reaction here.

LE, you mustn't go to too many football matches if that was one of your most unpleasant experiences. You're very interested in everything Westmeath (players and fans) did at the match. Why don't you talk a little more about Longford and being in a Leinster final? Seems you're obvious blind hatred and obsession with your neighbours is getting in the way a little. There's always one.

I didn't see what Heslin did, others seemed to have and I'd well believe he did something to deserve the red. Massive turning point. Seems to be a bit of a prima donna, plenty of ability but not enough application, possibly no harm that he's away to Ozz.
Can't really blame the ref (Brian O'Shea - Dublin) for loosing the game but he's intolerable. Was "stamping his authority" on the game before the ball was even thrown up at the start by insisting everybody was behind the 45s (I think somebody's shoelace was touching the line). Third time he's refereed a game I've been at, he's one of the worst I've ever seen. Some ridiculous decisions and totally ruined the flow of that game. Could have been a much better game of football.
Flanagan's decision making on the line is terrible.
Heslin stupidly getting sent off had a major influence on the result but Longford hit some great scores towards the end to win it. There's some very good Westmeath footballers on that U21 team and I hope that they can stop the rot a little bit with the seniors. I also hope I never have to see O'Shea with a whistle near his mouth again.

Some eegit on Newstalk News announced that both teams finished with 10 men, I couldn't wait to get home to see what the story was! Somebody was obviously watching Liverpool Chelsea this afternoon...

Westmeath (SF v Louth): D Quinn; J Gaffey, R English, K Maguire; F Boyle, K Gavin, C Jordan; B Murtagh, D Corroon; C Lynam, Denis Glennon, G Egan; P Greville, David Glennon, D Dolan.

Think this is a slightly risky selection defence wise. Seems to be trying out too many players. Definitely would have stuck Kieran Martin and Doran Harte in there somewhere. I don't think Kevin Maguire even feature in the O'Byrne Cup. Maybe he was cup tied somewhere...
Maybe Flanagan thinks this his strongest team at the moment and maybe he's right but if he's experimenting, as I think he might be, I don't agree with it. Probably our toughest game in the group and I would be going all out for a win here. There'll be much more suitable league games to experiment in.
Forwards look strongish though. Glennon did ok centre forward in a couple of O'Byrne Cup games and delivered some decent ball but I don't think it's the position for him unless Flanagan can get him to do something he has never done before. This being showing a bit of fight and determination when things start going against him a little.
I'd also have Lynam inside and give David Glennon a chance another day.

Big Joe was made for this game.

Big Joe my hole.

[Betty Boop]

I was almost compelled to stage a one man invasion to have a swing at Betty Boop the shite he was coming out with.

http://beeastarpersonalizedbooks.com/Throws/Betty%20Boop%20throw-L.jpg

Final Pundit Watch Update

Down

Joe Brolly - I think he was tipping Down - he was half-cut rambling about history and swagger and how Down expect to win in Croke (obviously ignoring their semi-record)
Tommy Carr - delighted with this as I find him an awful pudit - has tipped against Kildare for every game - taking the stopped watch approach
Seán O' Domhnaill
RTE.ie
Ross Carr
Billy Morgan
PaddyPastIt - http://gushtystuppencehapenny.wordpress.com./

Kildare

Dara o'Cinneide - thinks Kildare will just create too much
Tony Davis - cites the loss of Rogers being a big swiing in Kildare's favour
Kieran Donaghy
Star Bets - The Shark makes his case http://starbets.ie/gaa/down-out-without-rodgers-230810
Coman Goggins
Dara O'Shea
Hoganstand.com
Joe.ie
Paul Grimley
David Brady
Peter Canavan
Martin Carney 
Seamus Monyihan
Mick O'Dwyer

What about Liam Hayes? He's the only pundit that counts in my view. He's guaranteed to call it wrong!

I don't know why meath county board needed a bloody referees report at all. He obviously didn't get the call right whatever his report was going to say.

All they did was protract the whole situation. Why couldn't they have consulted the players alot earlier and just made a decision to either offer a replay or not offer a replay? Instead of whinging about being put under pressure they should just have put an end to the matter a long time ago.

This whole fiasco could see Louth's season extend further than it might had they won. They won't be short of motivation for the qualifiers.
Had they won yesterday they probably would have been happy enough with their leinster. They'll be pretty determined to win a few more matches now.

Don't think Pat Flanagan has the head for inter-county management. Some bad decisions.

At the end of the day though, we just don't have a midfield at the moment. Defence and forwards are decent while obviously not the best in the country. We're not a hundred miles off though, find a midfielder somewhere, possibly Heslin, and if some of the younger players step up to replace some of the older guys we could compete for leinster again soon enough. We weren't exactly bet out the gate against Louth.

Joe Sheridan should have steered clear of the media after the match and kept his mouth shut. He was pushed nowhere and only embarassed himself.

Louth should have had the game well wrapped up near the end, there'll be a few players kicking themselves.

Louth supporters let themselves down, Meath free-taking was booed from the off. I'd say the Louth support doubled from that which was at the Westmeath game. Enough said. 50 years since they won leinster? I'd say half the Louth support wasn't at a single game in those 50 years.