Connacht 25

[heffo]

Mannion was shown up as not being a corner back v Roscommon in 2001

Well, if I ever heard bullshit, this is it. One of the key attributes of a corner back is pace. Mannion had serious pace in the 90's when he was in his peak and made a top corner bak. This pace was gone in '01 and thats why he was so exposed. The fact that he was able to transform himself into one of the top centre backs in the country just tells you what a top player he was

He was fortunate not to have encountered Linden or Brolly in a final in their pomp.

He marked Brolly in '98 and kept him scoreless

[moysider]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

[SLIGONIAN]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

Id agree with above although i would say slightly better than Donnellan. We are blessed to have a talent like him, so inspiring to watch over the yrs and Im very grateful he stuck with us especially when his ambition wouldnt have been matched by others. He got is reward in 07 but you know id say the way he looks after himself and what i saw in Div4 final he'll be around for at least another 2/3 yrs if injury free, and you never know might bag another Nestor cup medal. I will be shocked if Sligo go another 10yrs without Nestor with the talent coming through.

[GalwayBayBoy]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

Id agree with above although i would say slightly better than Donnellan.

Certainly had greater longevity than Donnellan but not as good a footballer when both were fit and at the peak of their powers. O'Hara was an excellent player though who I would have on a Connacht 25 team somewhere. Donnellan was just a freakish talent bedevilled with too many niggly injuries in later years.

[SLIGONIAN]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

Id agree with above although i would say slightly better than Donnellan.

Certainly had greater longevity than Donnellan but not as good a footballer when both were fit and at the peak of their powers. O'Hara was an excellent player though who I would have on a Connacht 25 team somewhere. Donnellan was just a freakish talent bedevilled with too many niggly injuries in later years.

Why did he stop so early GBB, great player to watch and Galway could of done with him longer?

[GalwayBayBoy]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

Id agree with above although i would say slightly better than Donnellan.

Certainly had greater longevity than Donnellan but not as good a footballer when both were fit and at the peak of their powers. O'Hara was an excellent player though who I would have on a Connacht 25 team somewhere. Donnellan was just a freakish talent bedevilled with too many niggly injuries in later years.

Why did he stop so early GBB, great player to watch and Galway could of done with him longer?

Think he got frustrated with all the injuries he kept picking up. Hamstrings and his back especially was giving him grief for years. Still played on for Salthill and was the main man who led them to their club All-Ireland but had to cut something out and that was all the intercounty training and games.

[mckieran]

Mannion may well have marked Brolly in the 98 semi-final. Can't remember was it him or Tomas Meehan picking him up though.

It was Mannion. A better performance came against Martin Lynch in the final of that year

[DJGaliv]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

Id agree with above although i would say slightly better than Donnellan.

Good God.

When making a team like this you have to consider the fact that Galway won two all-irelands, and Mayo contested numerous All-Ireland finals. Winning a Nestor in 2006, and a few games in the qualifier is all well and good.
You can talk all you want about "if only he could play with better players etc.".

There are numerous allstar forwards in Connacht, don't mind your Paul Taylor.
Over the last 25 years,
If you're talking about forwards, Joyce and Donnellan have 3 All stars each. Val Daly, Ja Fallon, and James Horan have 2.
While the likes of Savage, McDonald, Dillon, C Mort, Kevin O'Neill, Durkin, McStay, Earley, McManus, and O'Hara have one each.
Don't be talking about Paul Taylor.

[DJGaliv]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

Hard to believe you would favour an athlete over the most naturally gifted footballer to have played the game in Connacht over the last 25 years.

[rosnarun]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

I agree to mention ohara in the same breath as donnelan is sacrilege. along with Canavan Dara o se and maurice fitzgerald he is the outstanding player of the last 25 years  where as o hara is a shining light in a dark hole

Hard to believe you would favour an athlete over the most naturally gifted footballer to have played the game in Connacht over the last 25 years.

[NetNitrate]

Connacht in the last twenty five years has only produced four lets call them attacking players who I would say were fit to grace the great Kerry team of 1975 to 1986. They in my humble opinion were Michael Donnellan, Kieran McDonald, Tony McManus and Padraic Joyce. Does not mean they would have made that team if they were fortunate enough to be Kerryman, but they were all skillful enough. Ask yourself if it came down to it John Egan or any of the above quartret. Those who know your football will know the answer.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Connacht in the last twenty five years has only produced four lets call them attacking players who I would say were fit to grace the great Kerry team of 1975 to 1986. They in my humble opinion were Michael Donnellan, Kieran McDonald, Tony McManus and Padraic Joyce. Does not mean they would have made that team if they were fortunate enough to be Kerryman, but they were all skillful enough. Ask yourself if it came down to it John Egan or any of the above quartret. Those who know your football will know the answer.

I have to admit that after Jack O'Shea, John Egan was my next favourite Kerry player.  I would actually rate him above most of the higher profile Kerry forwards of that era.  However, I dont agree that the above players would struggle to get into the Kerry team between 78 - 86.  I would have the above 4 before Tommy Doyle, John Kennedy, Timmy Dowd, Willie Maher, possibly the Bomber and maybe even the highly decorated Ger Power & Ogie would come under pressure.  Sheehy, Spillane & Egan were certs. 

[SLIGONIAN]

No. Jnr would come into the reckoning as would Val Daly. Would have great time for O Hara myself. Reckon if we had him we would have won at least one AI in the 96-2006 era. Easily the equal of Michael Donnellan imo.

I agree to mention ohara in the same breath as donnelan is sacrilege. along with Canavan Dara o se and maurice fitzgerald he is the outstanding player of the last 25 years  where as o hara is a shining light in a dark hole

Hard to believe you would favour an athlete over the most naturally gifted footballer to have played the game in Connacht over the last 25 years.

Lots of insults in there, disgraceful posts.  An athlete implies O Hara had no football in him, O Hara can read the game like a book, great footballer aswell, his mesmerizing runs were his forte, his ball carrying skill at speed was there anyone better, is that not football. Whats the one thing defenders hate? Also a great passer maybe not in the mcdonald mould who is probably the best foot passer i ever seen, but even mcdonald his decision making was poor, his overuse of the spectacular pass when a simple one was on made him inconsistent. Donnellan a better footballer than O Hara just yes, as Ohara is erratic at times, but Ohara had more pace and influence on game through his ability to read the game and get involved and got many a great score for us like Micheal did for galway. Donnellan as I remember used to show flashes albeit spectacular ones. I thinks playing with better players and better teams also is a huge advantage in comparing players, also on national stage more people would of seen galway mayo play than Sligo. O Hara had to the job of 3 players and was always covering and sacrificing his own strengths to help others, Did Donnellan, Joyce, McDonald etc... have to do the same or just worry about there own performance?

So stick your athlete comment down your hole is about the jist of what im saying, he was much more than that and everyone with a football brain knows it.

A bit confusing as to who says what there DEEL? but duly noted thanks. Whoever said it hasnt a clue.

[the Deel Rover]

i think it twas dj galiv who mentioned the Athlete part Sligonian 

[ludermor]

It was definitly Ros who mentioned the dark hole!