The second best football team?

[Will Hunting]

I don't think you could argue, with any real substance, for any team to be labelled the second best in the country at the minute.

But to look at it totally objectively, you would probably have to say Dublin are the next best to Kerry - at least on performances this year. They have also been fairly consistent in the past 3 years and weren't far away in the semi. I would worry about their ability to come as far again next year, but they may have another big push left in them.

Cork are a very poor side. This was highlighted on Sunday in the biggest game of the year. On their day they can play well (like against Meath) and they can trouble the likes of Kerry. But they don't have the consistency, and more importantly, the players to win an All-Ireland.

Meath came strong this year. They probably surprised themselves at how well they did. Their aim this season was to get into Div 2 (next year) and to win Leinster. Had they beaten Dublin, this was well within their grasp. That will be their main aim again next year, and it's hard to see them putting an All-Ireland win together. But if they get on a run they are capable.

Tyrone might be regarded as many, based on their previous wins (and rightly so), as the team most capable of knocking Kerry off their perch. Without Canavan though they will struggle to do so. The likes of O'Neill is struggling to hit form, and Dooher is past his best. They are without a solid midfield and full-back line, and imo will struggle to put another All-Ireland run together.

Derry had a good year, and the fact that an all-ireland q-f appearance is viewed as such, shows where Derry are. Too inconsistent i feel to put a run together (although were capable of making the final this year had the draw been kinder), and are struggling in the half-back and half-forward lines to put the pieces together.

Monaghan surprised a lot of people this year, and with a bit of luck could have won Ulster. But I don't think they are close to being the second best team in Ireland. They didn't meet Kerry's 'A' game i felt, and would struggle against Kerry in full flow. Their one aim next year will be to win Ulster - this might be their limit.

Armagh are in transition as everyone keeps saying and may come good again in the next 3 years. Donegal have a great nucleus of talent, but like Derry, they just don't have it when it comes to the crunch.

Galway are in transition also; Laois have possibly already peaked; but i feel Mayo might have what it takes to at leat contest another All-Ireland. They have a couple of great players coming through, and the break this year might do them good.

[magpie seanie]

Cork are a very poor side.

I'm sorry Will but they are not a very poor side. They are the only team to avoid defeat in a championship game v. Kerry since Tyrone in 2005 (they managed this twice). If they had a goalkeeper the last day they would still have been well beaten but not thrashed. To call them a poor team is well wide of the mark.

[Will Hunting]

Seanie, i see where you're coming from in that they have a reasonably good record over the past couple of years, but after watching them on Sunday i really couldn't get over how poor they actually were. We can leave the mistakes aside, but Cork struggled to score 1-9. They had no plan, no tactics, it was almost as if they hoped Murphy would win the midfield battle and the rest would look after itself. Their half-forward line produced as poor a performance as I've seen in a long time. Cussen at full-forward has very little football in him, and only for O'Connor and Goulding, they would barely have scored at all!

[David McKeown]

After Kerry I think the next group of teams are so close that it really would come down to day and who got the rub of the green. 

[armaghniac]

They are the only team to avoid defeat in a championship game v. Kerry since Tyrone in 2005

yes they did win the Munster final in 2006 , but were beaten by Kerry in August 2006, other counties didn't have the opportunity to play Kerry in Munster.

[tbrick18]

Cork are not a really poor team....they have been in three all-ireland semi-finals in a row and and all-ireland final.
If thats the mark of a poor team the rest of the country are rubbish in comparison.

I personally dont think there is one second-best team in the country at the minute. In my opinion there are about 6 teams on level terms....Cork, Meath, Dublin, Derry, Monaghan, Donegal (only because they won the league). Tyrone and Armagh cant be considered as both were poor all year...and I know this comment will annoy and upset those poor tyrone supporters as they won ulster but that is my opinion. They had one good game against Donegal and so cant be considered as second best in the country.

Out of the teams mentioned above, none of them stand head and shoulders above any of the others  and any of them could beat any of the others. Kerry are in front by a country mile, but after that there are a group of teams all at a similar level.

[uselessfootballer]

Emotions and county loyalities aside it's between Dublin who have narrowly lost out in the last 2 semis and Cork who have reached the same stage in each of the last 3 years.
I think Dublin edge it as they have beaten or run close every team they have played in the championship over the last 3 years.

[paddypastit]

On form right now it has to be Dublin.  Cork realistically are poor.  Like Mayo in '06 (vs. Dublin) they played really well once and gave us all falkse hope that they would be contenders in a final. Running Kerry close in a Munster final in this era of second chances is no marker of true AI winning potential.  Take that performance and the Meath flash out of their season and you are left with very very ordinary displays against Limerick, Louth, Sligo and Kerry second time around. Dublin pushed Kerry to the last three minutes at the business end of the season and beat one of the other semifinalists as well - in June without playing well on the day. On the basis of this season, Dublin is clearly the second best performer and form team in Gaelic Football today... which will mean absolutely nothing in 2008.

[magpie seanie]

Dublin pushed Kerry to the last three minutes at the business end of the season

With the prevailing wind of a kind referee it might be argued. Undoubtedly, Kerry performed better in the final than the semi. No doubting its Cork or Dublin (and possibly Dublin are better than Cork) but this notion of Cork being poor is one I can't subscribe to.

[Kerry1980]

2nd has to be Dublin, they really should have an all-ireland to their name for their efforts in recent years. I thought they could have done with a change and let pillar go.

3rd I'd say is Monaghan, had they been more experienced they might have beaten us, heck they almost did anyway. Could be a serious threat next year.

[his holiness nb]

Dublin pushed Kerry to the last three minutes at the business end of the season

With the prevailing wind of a kind referee it might be argued.

But Seanie, didnt you know the ref has favoured us in every game we ever played?

[paddypastit]

In fairness I'd completely agree with Seanie on the ref in the S/F but I still think that Dublin had more about them this year than Cork and you could say that they should be because apart form one or two, it is pretty much the same group developing together for four or five years whereas Cork are at least a year maybe two less developed. Dublin will sheight or bust next year and then will see a few changes on and off the field whereas that Cork group can look forward to a few more years of growing.  Big problem is that Kerry have a few sweet young ones coming through as well - witness the bench last week and the likes of Paddy Curran ('06 minor captain?  Think that was his name?) and that Walsh lad they had at FF on the minors this year

[Louth Exile]

Dooher is past his best. They are without a solid midfield and full-back line, and imo will struggle to put another All-Ireland run together.

I could pick you up on so much of your analysis but your thoughts on Tyrone are clearly the widest from the mark.
Was Dooher's display against Donegal not the single most outstanding performance of the year?
Any line that has Conor Gormley in is 2/3rd of the way there anyway.

Looking at the ovting results so far it shows that there are a fair few messing with their votes, ie. Armagh, Meath, Sligo, Derry & Donegal. I can see why Dublin is leading and as Gnevin already pointed out it, it is hardly due to the number of Dublin posters on the board