2010 FBD league

[The flame still burns]

Report from Garrymore

http://thereisalightthatnevergoesout.wordpress.com/2010/01/17/no-all-ireland-is-ever-won-in-january/

[Barney]

Good to get the year off to a winning start. An improvement on other years. A winning mentality is important, and we need some confidence before what is an extraordinarily difficult league fixture line-up having to face Kerry, Tyrone, Cork and Derry all away.

I think JOM obviously feels the same.

Disappointed to hear of regulars making simple mistakes. It is not unusual as we know.

Looks like corner-backs and corner-forwards are still going to be problematic positions. Donal Vaughan is going to have to shape up a lot from his nightmare last August. Personally I don't believe he is good enough and definitely not suited to the corner. Will be interesting to see how Alan Feeney gets on.

Parsons and McGarrity need game time together and a partnership needs to be developed. Midfield improvement is crucial for us.

Fair play to Ronaldson. He has great heart for a young lad and does well for both college and county but there is no escaping that he is too small.

We can put together a relatively fluid forward line with AOS, Dillon, and Kilcoyne our best options. I'm beginning to think that we are better off without Mortimer Beag.

[moysider]

Think our fullback line is the biggest cause for concern. Alan Feeney played very well there today it seems. He s not a player I m very familiar with but if he could fill any of the back 3 positions then it would be a massive development. Particularly if he could fill 3 as it would free Cafferkey to 6 ideally, or more likely he would have to fill 2 or 4. The obvious thing to do as well is send for Aidan Higgins. We should send a delegation to Johnno s clinic to plead to him to have sense. He can do nothing about the economy, floods or snow but this is one problem can be solved by a phone call. We simply cant go into championship again with Vaughan and Keith Higgins in the last line. If likes of Kevin Keane has a good Spring we might well have a solid fb line by end of spring. Maybe that is wishful thinking and I think Johnno may well go with todays corner men until the house comes crashing down again in Summer. That s what has happened the last 3 years.

[Foreverhopeful]

i dont caffferkey will end up at 6 to be honest. He isn't good enough on the ball. I think trev could be the man.
              Clarke
Cafferkey  Feeney  A Higgins
Higgins     Trev       Burke
      Mcgarrity Kilcullen
Howley     A Moran   Dillon
B Moran A O Shea  Douglas/Kilcoyne/Ronaldson

[Foreverhopeful]

Barry moran could play at no. 12. Be an option from kickouts. Worked extremely well in 05 against kerry when mcgarrity played there. Put dillon in corner

[ross4life]

for those that dare to care... Sligo IT beat us today 1-7 to 1-6 Ger Heneghan made his return after a year out

[moysider]

i dont caffferkey will end up at 6 to be honest. He isn't good enough on the ball. I think trev could be the man.
              Clarke
Cafferkey  Feeney  A Higgins
Higgins     Trev       Burke
      Mcgarrity Kilcullen
Howley     A Moran   Dillon
B Moran A O Shea  Douglas/Kilcoyne/Ronaldson

Interesting. I d like to see McLoughlin, Harte and Parsons included. There s no doubt there will be plenty competition for places and half back line should be cut-throat. I ll have to disagree re Caff and Trev. I reckon Caff s forte is his strength on the ball. 6 is his best position with his ability to break tackles carry and lay off ball. Like Trev kicking would nt be great. At the end of the day who gets picked where may well depend on how we set out our stall. Will we play a running game, or like today kick everything down on top of O Sé? As regards tactics Johnno s always been predictable enough. The other thing is our midfield may well need a dig out and Trevor looks like the best option to buzz around the middle third. That should mean a big one and a small one in the ff line. They will have realised by now that the no 11 cant be the water carrier as well. As you say Andy probably best option for 11.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Andy for 11 might not be a bad shout but wouldn't rush to judge on it just yet. Alan Feeney could do well in the full-back line. A cerebral defender who made his name in the  half-back line, he really came into his own when shoved back to full-back for the Mitchels this year. Reads the game so, so well and is pacy. Physicality might be an issue but we'll see. Ger Caff isn't terribly strong either so we'll see.
Ger Caff chb? I dunno. Would like to see Kieran Conroy there myself although Howley was good there today for a time but the Joe Sheridan experience still hangs over him like a bad smell. We need a strong man there who is quick on the ground too. I think Conroy fits that bill.

Way too early to be picking a team for championship but I would make the following observations
- There isn't room for both Parsons and McGarrity in the team. One of them to play beside a strong man - Kilcullen, S O'Shea etc - and it would be no harm to let both of them know that so they might up their game
- We need to stop playing guys like Donie Vaughan and Keith Higgins in the full-back line. We need to find full-back liners. At the minute we have the following - Kevin McLoughlin, Trevor Howley, Ger Caff, Kevin Keane, Alan Feeney. Could Ger Caff do a job in the corner if either of Keane or Feeney stepped up?
- Barry Moran has serious work to do to start in the full-forward line, at the minute I'd be inclined to start O'Shea on the edge and put finishers either side of him. Kilcoyne will definitely be one if he's fit and backto last year's form and I really think there is room for Mark Ronaldson.
- Trevor Mortimer is a wing-forward and nothing else. Seeing as he will be in the team what we need is a centre-half forward and another wing man. Dillon and one of Harte or Andy Moran

[Foreverhopeful]

harte is too inconsistent. When he is good he is the closest player in the country to Sean Cavanagh (style wise) but he doesnt do it enough for Mayo. Seems to be afraid to take on responsibility and is in a comfort zone. He is not a no. 11 for me.
Where would you play K McLoughlin Moysider?
Agree with Sniper Parsons and McGarrity cant play together at midfield. Maybe parsons at 11 ala pearse o neill? Has the speed, strength and can take a score.
Have doubts about kilcoyne coming back. Has busted his collarbone a few times now and may never be able to take the hits at IC level.  Hopefully though cos he was finally fulfilling his potential. Chance for douglas and ronaldson to nail no. 15 jersey. Both can get scores from play.
Would love to see howley at 10. He was brilliant there for Knockmore. Reminded me of Galvin.
Cafferkey is good and can only get better but will never be a no.6 IMO. He is not that strong. He got bullied by J Sheridan and M Meehan (for the goal, did alright for rest of game).

[moysider]

Andy for 11 might not be a bad shout but wouldn't rush to judge on it just yet. Alan Feeney could do well in the full-back line. A cerebral defender who made his name in the  half-back line, he really came into his own when shoved back to full-back for the Mitchels this year. Reads the game so, so well and is pacy. Physicality might be an issue but we'll see. Ger Caff isn't terribly strong either so we'll see.
Ger Caff chb? I dunno. Would like to see Kieran Conroy there myself although Howley was good there today for a time but the Joe Sheridan experience still hangs over him like a bad smell. We need a strong man there who is quick on the ground too. I think Conroy fits that bill.

Way too early to be picking a team for championship but I would make the following observations
- There isn't room for both Parsons and McGarrity in the team. One of them to play beside a strong man - Kilcullen, S O'Shea etc - and it would be no harm to let both of them know that so they might up their game
- We need to stop playing guys like Donie Vaughan and Keith Higgins in the full-back line. We need to find full-back liners. At the minute we have the following - Kevin McLoughlin, Trevor Howley, Ger Caff, Kevin Keane, Alan Feeney. Could Ger Caff do a job in the corner if either of Keane or Feeney stepped up?
- Barry Moran has serious work to do to start in the full-forward line, at the minute I'd be inclined to start O'Shea on the edge and put finishers either side of him. Kilcoyne will definitely be one if he's fit and backto last year's form and I really think there is room for Mark Ronaldson.
- Trevor Mortimer is a wing-forward and nothing else. Seeing as he will be in the team what we need is a centre-half forward and another wing man. Dillon and one of Harte or Andy Moran

Agree with most of that. Parsons and McGar do not look right together in midfield. We might be stuck with it though. There s no dog putting his hand up for rough work at 8 but maybe I m being a bit unfair here. O Sé or Kilcullen ideally should be in the picture. What about Conroy? Or does he just not have enough devil for that job.

I dont think Howley is an option for corners - cant turn or recover. McLoughlin is. He has the savvy to play anywhere - and that may well be his undoing. I think he ll play as a forward in the U21s because Dempsey will realise how good a catalyst he is. I expect him to maybe be 11 and that may well define his future. And ours maybe.

Caff def an option for a corner where is lack of height would nt be a hindrance and his pace would be an asset.

Agree re Barry Moran. I must say I ve always thought he was a player we needed to come through and I believe he has a future. I was amazed last year with the work he had done in the gym and the size of his legs. Obviously he was advised to do this work to try and beat the pulls and tears that were holding him back. But his mobility has been affected badly and he needs to get the balance right - if he can now. I dont think he s an option for midfield or half forward. not a bad backup for O Sé as a target but hard to include the two in same team.

I like Ronaldson as well. Ok he s small but he s tecnically brilliant and he s smart.

[rosnarun]

I agree Ronaldson is becoming a must esp as he can become the main free taker , and its good to see Omahony is taking the full back problem seriouly , there were a lot of blind eyes thown on caffekey last year when he was blanantly not ready/not good enough . it allowed heaney to midfied but cover must be found or else heany will have to go back there again.

[Foreverhopeful]

Ya kieran conroy could be an option at no. 6. Has the height, quick enough and can play ball. I honestly think barry moran (FIT) is needed on mayo team. He could well end up in midfield. He has put on the muscle which was holding him back when playing there before. B Moran for 8,12 or 14.

[moysider]

I agree Ronaldson is becoming a must esp as he can become the main free taker , and its good to see Omahony is taking the full back problem seriouly , there were a lot of blind eyes thown on caffekey last year when he was blanantly not ready/not good enough . it allowed heaney to midfied but cover must be found or else heany will have to go back there again.

I think you ll find that Johnno will go again with the same back 3 again this year.And you know how I feel about that. If Caff was fit today he would have started and Feeney might have got 20 minutes somewhere. Lets be realistic here, the other lads from the Meath match will be played until their wheels come off and likes of Feeney might not even be around for the league - never mind championship. Of course Johnno by default might get a good team. Dempsey s U21 s could well hand him a few ready made championship players. In fact I expect that to happen. What often annoys me is people saying we dont have the players. If anything we have too many options for managers that cant see the wood from the trees.

[Foreverhopeful]

what players you expecting apart from the obvious ones in the u-21's?

[moysider]

The obvious ones would be a good start. likes of McLoughlin, Keane and Doherty. And maybe a young corner back. I m getting a bit alarmed that Joe Keane has not been mentioned. Also I believe a fit Cafferty can push on. Then there s the Freemans. Throw in the Douglas s and Keegans and who knows. Get 2 good seniors from those and we re progressing.