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Well covered Lone Shark

Bruton had to make his move now. There was no way FG were going into the next general election with Enda Kenny in charge. It would too dangerous to let him up against Cowen for debate, even with all the cards, he could still lose!!! The last general election was up for grabs up until he went head to head with Bertie in the TV debate and lost (also the late late show patronising fawning over Bertie during the last week of the campaign was another factor)

He couldn't wait because you cannot change party leader one year out from an election as it smells like panic. See 2002 and FG for that.

I know the timing seems poor but the Government will hang together until the end, the MAD principle holds here. And there will soon be further reports, unemployment figures to bash the government with.

I think if they pick Bruton as leader and get another crediblt spokesperson on finance, they will be guaranteeing themselves in Government next time around. This blood letting will be forgotten by the elecorate in 6 months and there is plenty of time to highlight the new leader before the next election. Enda Kenny is a nice guy but lacks credibility and people will not vote for him as leader of this country.

To read the football gossip today, Liverpool could lose Torres, Gerrard, Mascherano, Benyaoun(sp), Kuyt, Babel, Rieira and Cavalieri (sp) this summer. What the hell is going on? If this happens, we'll be fielding the youth team next season and favourites for relegation!!!

They need to find a manager soon, they'll be playing in the Europa League soon enough!!

If Richard Bruton replaces Enda Kenny so there is now no chance of a Mayo Taoiseach, what are the chances that Johnno will be returned? I can't see it happening, he is going to have to work like crazy over the next two years to be re-elected and where does that leave the senior team.

Only winning Sam could retain his seat I would say!!!

I take it Alan Burke is being lined up to mark David Kelly in a few weeks time then?
I think it's a better bet than his brother then.

I assume Bradshaw and Blake will come back into the half back line and Breathnach into the half forward line?

Seems a bit hypocritical to me for him to criticize the way a half back was moved to corner back to mark David Kelly when in an All-Ireland final some years ago he made 4 or 5 changes when he lost Dermot Flanagan to injury. Maybe he learned from experience that you need to play players in the correct positions!!

Is this the summer of our discontent?

Serious rumours of Gerrard and Torres going, possibly Mascherano too.

All of this money will go to fill a hole of debt like Anglo-Irish bank.

IMO,Torres and Gerrard are the only two things stopping us from mid-table obscurity even worse than 7th. If they go, it could take a decade to begin challenging for Champions League football again.

I hear the Liverpool echo or some other site is asking people to pick the first 11 for the first premier league game of the season. We wouldn't have a clue, seriously worrying times!!

In fairness Rafa has to go. I mean we have had the worst league finish in 11 years. There is no money in the kitty so we have to go with what we have and get the most of the players there and I don't think Rafa is up to it. I think the players have lost faith in him also.

I have a lot of respect for Rafa but his standing is falling fast. If he lasts the summer, he would under pressure in nearly every game and if they lose one or two games, then he'll be gone for sure.

I think some of us are very optimistic of the amount of money that will be available to spend.

Consequently I cannot see as many changes in personnel as others have.

I think Aurelio, Degen, Rieira and Babel will go. Babel needs to go now while he still has some transfer value left.

I can't see Kuyt and Lucas go, no matter how much I would like to see it happen.

I think the main areas for rebuilding are striker (we need another including this free transfer guy),
left back and midfield/winger.

I think the time has come to start Skrtel and Agger at centre backs also.

One question though, since Liverpool will begin the Europa League so early (end of July), do all the players become illegible in Europe if they are sold.
If so, then we need to get a move on and start selling before the transfer value drops for those who we want to sell.

This has been a season where Torres has been injured quite a lot and Gerrard has been completely off form, where there was bad luck and rotten luck and they still finished seventh.

I think midtable mediocrity is much more a relaistic future than relegation.

The owners will not sack Benitez, he will only leave for a better offer of if new owners come in and pay him off.

I think we need to try to make a positive out of a negetive as much as possible. Since they will be back in pre-season before other team due to early involvement in the Europa League, then hopefully their increased fitness and match sharpness will stand to us at the beginning of the season.
If they can start next season well and get a few wins and the confidence begins to come back, then we'll have a different team.

Is this some sort of joke? Worst idea ever. 

You may aswell be sharing a stadium as do that.

No accounting for two home matches at the same time. This may not be the case in the Premier League but Europa League?

Yeah I feel that while he seems to have the measure of Conor Mortimer every time they play against each other, he struggles against other corner-forwards, particularly pacy forwards.

Not sure if we should try Declan Meehan there again. He was tried there a couple of years ago and a lot of people didn't agree with it. Maybe he can be tried there again. Although this should be tried in the league and not now.

I do agree that Blake struggles against pace. I watched the match against Dublin and one forward who had a lot of junk in the trunk still shot past him easily enough.

Agree with An Fhairche Abu on all counts. I would give Damien Burke a go at No. 6. He is not a corner back, is always fouling and getting yellow carded. He might have the pace to cover centre back which is his club position.

I thought Greg Higgins played well for Corofin against St. Galls in the All-Ireland semi-final and though he was worth a run. To be honest I don't think there is a hidden gem in this area and we need to do damage limitation in his area.

For this reason I see Fiachra Breathnach starting at No. 11 as a ball winner in the half-forward line with Sice and Bergin. I think the plan is to flood the middle with bodies and give space up-front for Meehan, P Joyce and Nicky Joyce, Armstrong whichever of them plays. Hopeflly they don't be isolated up-front.

I think what will represent progress is if we tighten up at the back and become hard to beat. Also some sort of tactical awareness would be progress. Playing a man in front of Murphy and McFadden last year and we would have beaten Donegal. If we can stop giving away easy frees and become hard to beat, hopefully our quality in the full-forward line will get us through. Its better to win 0-13 to 0-12 than lose 2-15 to 1-15!!!

Not sure if this has been posted. Michael Meehan is to be the new Galway Captain. He won't play aginst New York but will be available in the next game.

Just want to congratulate him on this and wish him all the best in this year's championship.

Hopefully he can lead from the front!!

I thought that in the drawn game between Galway and Roscommon in '98 Prior had made his mind up quite early on that he was making a draw out of the match. I remember him pulling Donnellan for a foul pass after he put someone through on goal and it was never a foul pass. He was always making a draw of it, it didn't matter what team got ahead at the end of the match, he would have levelled up the game.

To my mind I think O'Mahony's record speaks for itself but maybe time has caught up with him in the way it did with Sean Boylan. Will still be grateful for him for what he did for Galway. I don't think anybody could have won an All-Ireland with that team. It's easy to forget that Kevin Walsh was not rated in Galway prior to '98 and a lot of people would have had Ja and Michael Donnellan at midfield taking away from the forward line. And he placed Padraic Joyce at full forward where most of his underage career was played at wing-forward.
I think this thread reminds me of "he is not the messiah, he is a very naughty boy"