Have Galway been found out?

[Duine Eile]

No Galway haven't been found out, what has been confirmed about this team is that we have no midfield which is what every Galway person on here has been saying since last year, and the simple fact is until we find a couple of midfielders we're going nowhere. Surely there has to be a couple of half decent midfielders in the county, one thing is for certain, Joe, Barry and Niall Coleman, no matter what kind of combination is used, are not able to compete against the likes of Dara O'Se.

[nrico2006]

Poor Mulligan doesn't even get a mention!

Tommy McGuigan scored regularly last year and this year will see if Brian can get back to where he was, but again he was never a 5 points a game man.  Tyrone potentially this year could have a forward line containing McCullagh, SON, Mulligan, Tommy and Cavanagh who will all score - factor in the like of Penrose or Colm Cavanagh who can take a score.

Kerry have the Gooch, Donaghey and the O'Sullivans who will score regularly. 

Both these teams have forwards who will consistently deliver, and alongside that they have midfielders and defenders who are equally as comfortable at taking scores.  This is where the difference is.

[Sylvie]

 Galway will do fine so long as someone else takes care of Kerry for them 

[lynchbhoy]

to be fair Indiana
I think Kerry have 4 as have tyrone
coper, donaghy, walsh and declan osullivan - would only count sheehan from frees not from play
tyrone have
Stephen oneill, mccullagh, tommy mcguigan and
cavanagh (more of a forward running third midf imo - where he seems to get his scores and not as a FF)

I dont think that any team can have too many out and out scoring forwards in a balanced side (as mad as that sounds) you need work horses to win breaking ball (eg dooher and galvin - who can both score but its not their bread and butter role) and create scores/supply to ff line - that does the damage

Tommy McGuigan? I assume you mean Brian and only when he was at his best. He was average last year and Tommy is average full stop, he had a shocker against Mayo in last years qualifier and in no way could be classed a top forward. IMO Tyrone have Kavanagh and O'Neill as marquee forwards, McCullogh is nowhere near the Cooper/Meehan level. Tyrone's secret is spreading the scores and getting the likes of Dooher, McGinley, Davy Harte and even Gormley, from time to time, to chip in.

yep- tommy mcguigan

[OirthearMhaigheo]

to be fair Indiana
I think Kerry have 4 as have tyrone
coper, donaghy, walsh and declan osullivan - would only count sheehan from frees not from play
tyrone have
Stephen oneill, mccullagh, tommy mcguigan and
cavanagh (more of a forward running third midf imo - where he seems to get his scores and not as a FF)

I dont think that any team can have too many out and out scoring forwards in a balanced side (as mad as that sounds) you need work horses to win breaking ball (eg dooher and galvin - who can both score but its not their bread and butter role) and create scores/supply to ff line - that does the damage

Tommy McGuigan? I assume you mean Brian and only when he was at his best. He was average last year and Tommy is average full stop, he had a shocker against Mayo in last years qualifier and in no way could be classed a top forward. IMO Tyrone have Kavanagh and O'Neill as marquee forwards, McCullogh is nowhere near the Cooper/Meehan level. Tyrone's secret is spreading the scores and getting the likes of Dooher, McGinley, Davy Harte and even Gormley, from time to time, to chip in.

yep- tommy mcguigan

not the first cousin of a top forward, but he is the brother of one!

[lynchbhoy]

to be fair Indiana
I think Kerry have 4 as have tyrone
coper, donaghy, walsh and declan osullivan - would only count sheehan from frees not from play
tyrone have
Stephen oneill, mccullagh, tommy mcguigan and
cavanagh (more of a forward running third midf imo - where he seems to get his scores and not as a FF)

I dont think that any team can have too many out and out scoring forwards in a balanced side (as mad as that sounds) you need work horses to win breaking ball (eg dooher and galvin - who can both score but its not their bread and butter role) and create scores/supply to ff line - that does the damage

Tommy McGuigan? I assume you mean Brian and only when he was at his best. He was average last year and Tommy is average full stop, he had a shocker against Mayo in last years qualifier and in no way could be classed a top forward. IMO Tyrone have Kavanagh and O'Neill as marquee forwards, McCullogh is nowhere near the Cooper/Meehan level. Tyrone's secret is spreading the scores and getting the likes of Dooher, McGinley, Davy Harte and even Gormley, from time to time, to chip in.

yep- tommy mcguigan

not the first cousin of a top forward, but he is the brother of one!

...and the son of one ! ! !

tommy is a scoring forward, wasnt at the races v may-o last year but in most other games, his scoring from play as well as frees kept tyrone winning through qualifiers - maybe the tyroneies would like to comment
brian mcguigan imo is not a scoring forward, but is a great passer and man to set up scores.

[INDIANA]

Disagree brian mc guigan is well capable of scoring off each foot. I've watched extensive videos of tyrone for my own benefit and pretty much up to 2005 he was scoring in every game. kicked a couple of crackers against kerry in the 2005 final if I recall.

[mckieran]

Would not say we have been found out. It has been well known that Galway have major issues at midfield for the last couple of years. At the moment, I see the Galway team looking like this come champioship:

1. Faherty

2. Coyne
3. Hanley
5. D.Burke

Here, I think you have the best full back in the country and two very good corner backs.

5. Bradshaw
6. Blake
7. Mullahy

By all accounts Blake was poor against Kerry and he was poor against Mayo. His lack of pace is a major negative for him. I can see Declan Meehan coming in here for Mullahy too. Bradshaw is guaranteed to start as he seems to be a favourite under Sammon, How he wasnt taken off against Mayo was beyond belief!

We have plenty of options in the backs, players like Sice, Fitzgerald & Dec Meehan are not on this team but could all offer something.

8. Cullinane
9. Bergin

Midfield is the major concern because there is no other options than these 2 (Niall Coleman, Mark Lydon & Gary O'Donnell will not improve things). The problem is currently highlighted even more as Bergin isnt playing particularly well. I do not think Bradshaw is big enough for midfield. Same with Blake who was tried there when Ford was manager. I genuninely cannot see what we can do to improve this area. Someone suggested that Ford should have tried Fitzgerald there against Kerry. Not sure it would work but it would be something different

10. Armstrong
11. P.Joyce
12. Bane / Clancy

Was surprised that Armstrong was left out on the wing for the entire league. Would have been intersting to see how himself & Meehan got on together inside.

13. Conroy
14. M.Meehan
15. N.Joyce

Maybe it woule make sense to switch Joyce and Armstrong but Meehan is unstoppable at the moment. Problem is getting the ball to him enough. Conroy will have to play as a third midfielder.


Biggest disappointment of the league for me was that despite out obvious failings at midfield, We continue to kick the ball out down on top of them. Why not try some variation. Dublin have master kickouts to the wing where Shane Ryan gathers the ball with ease. Last weekend, Donegal also varied their kickouts quite well. Why not try something like this???

I really hope that they dont start loading the half forward line with midfielder, like Lydon, Joyce, Coleman because it never works and you just lose the balance of the team. It is an easy trap to fal into. If Conroy is playing as a thrid midfielder, then there should be three forwards in the half forward line!!!

[OirthearMhaigheo]

to be fair Indiana
I think Kerry have 4 as have tyrone
coper, donaghy, walsh and declan osullivan - would only count sheehan from frees not from play
tyrone have
Stephen oneill, mccullagh, tommy mcguigan and
cavanagh (more of a forward running third midf imo - where he seems to get his scores and not as a FF)

I dont think that any team can have too many out and out scoring forwards in a balanced side (as mad as that sounds) you need work horses to win breaking ball (eg dooher and galvin - who can both score but its not their bread and butter role) and create scores/supply to ff line - that does the damage

Tommy McGuigan? I assume you mean Brian and only when he was at his best. He was average last year and Tommy is average full stop, he had a shocker against Mayo in last years qualifier and in no way could be classed a top forward. IMO Tyrone have Kavanagh and O'Neill as marquee forwards, McCullogh is nowhere near the Cooper/Meehan level. Tyrone's secret is spreading the scores and getting the likes of Dooher, McGinley, Davy Harte and even Gormley, from time to time, to chip in.

yep- tommy mcguigan

not the first cousin of a top forward, but he is the brother of one!

...and the son of one ! ! !

tommy is a scoring forward, wasnt at the races v may-o last year but in most other games, his scoring from play as well as frees kept tyrone winning through qualifiers - maybe the tyroneies would like to comment
brian mcguigan imo is not a scoring forward, but is a great passer and man to set up scores.

Ah no Lynchboy, I hear what you're saying, he is decent player. I just thought the initial point was not many counties have more than one or two top class scoring forwards, like a Meehan or a Cooper. For me Tommy McGuigan does not deserve to be classed as being in the same category as the likes of them, O'Neill or Kavanagh. We may have to agree to disagree on that one!

[GalwayBayBoy]

Bradshaw is guaranteed to start as he seems to be a favourite under Sammon, How he wasnt taken off against Mayo was beyond belief

Bradshaw overall has had a very good league and even had a very good first half against Mayo. Unfortunately he gave two loose passes in the first few minutes of the second half against Mayo which cost us 1-1. He's young though and will learn from it.

Biggest disappointment of the league for me was that despite out obvious failings at midfield, We continue to kick the ball out down on top of them. Why not try some variation. Dublin have master kickouts to the wing where Shane Ryan gathers the ball with ease. Last weekend, Donegal also varied their kickouts quite well. Why not try something like this???

They'll have to come up with something because just hoofing it straight down the middle isn't going to work. Tyrone don't have ball fielding giants in midfield yet they still always win enough possession to win games. Mainly from breaking ball.

[INDIANA]

Bradshaw is one of the best young footballers in Ireland. An absolute Rolls Royce of a player.

[mckieran]

Bradshaw overall has had a very good league and even had a very good first half against Mayo. Unfortunately he gave two loose passes in the first few minutes of the second half against Mayo which cost us 1-1. He's young though and will learn from it.

He was excellent in all the matches I saw except for the Mayo match where he was very poor for the entire match, even in the first half when Galway were very much on top. The thing that worries me about Sammon is that if Coyne of Mullahy had been playing that badly, I am fairly sure they would have been taken off. I suspect he has favourites (Well he obviously does as people have pointed to the example of Breathnach on this board many times). And I dont think that is good for a manager, It impairs your judgement.

Actually, I would be interested to know how Bradshaw did on Declan O'Sullivan on Sunday. I havent seen any back do a good job on him in years!

In many ways, I think out team is a lot less settled now than it was at the beginning of the league. The league has brought about a lot of questions, thats for sure.

[marym]

John Miskella did very well on Declan o Sullivan in the Cork and Kerry matches last year. Sean Boylan made special mention of it on TV3 and Miskella made the International rules panel afterwards.

[kevmy]

Bradshaw overall has had a very good league and even had a very good first half against Mayo. Unfortunately he gave two loose passes in the first few minutes of the second half against Mayo which cost us 1-1. He's young though and will learn from it.

He was excellent in all the matches I saw except for the Mayo match where he was very poor for the entire match, even in the first half when Galway were very much on top. The thing that worries me about Sammon is that if Coyne of Mullahy had been playing that badly, I am fairly sure they would have been taken off. I suspect he has favourites (Well he obviously does as people have pointed to the example of Breathnach on this board many times). And I dont think that is good for a manager, It impairs your judgement.

Actually, I would be interested to know how Bradshaw did on Declan O'Sullivan on Sunday. I havent seen any back do a good job on him in years!

In many ways, I think out team is a lot less settled now than it was at the beginning of the league. The league has brought about a lot of questions, thats for sure.

Well the thing with Bradshaw against Mayo was that in the 1st half he played most of it in the half forwards as he followed Ronaldson who played as a sweeper. He got caught immediately after the start of the 2nd but then so did the rest of the Galway team, all the supporters and the 3 dogs outside the stadium with Mayo's change in pace, ferocity and attitude.

It's great to see most people writing off Galway yet everyone to a man still expects them to win Connacht easily. I'm sure thats exactly the way Johnno would like it. While I don't expect us to beat Galway in Salthill I wouldn't write us off. We were only a point of Galway last year after giving them a 5 or 6 point head start and with our defence all over the place. Mayo have improved from last year. Overall the defence is tighter and we found a full back and have options at full forward.

Having said all that Galway in Salthill must be favourites but I don't think there is a hell of a lot between the two teams.

[myball22]

I know a player from Moycullen who said once he heard Sammon had the job that Bradshaw was a cert to play because he loved him at St. Mary's.

I still don't understand how we went the entire league and mif-field is still a major problem which it looks like we have made no attempt to resolve.