Antrim v Galway

[saffron sam2]

We'll probably just do the same as Sligo again.

Getting a right habit now.

Brilliant. Or Burilant as Buchanan would say.

[Syferus]

Some craic in Casement tonight I'd imagine.

The lads in Belfast will run out of things to throw at people with all these people in orange marching around town.

[bannside]

100% HS. What did mama used to say?

[Tony Baloney]

Antrim are real fancy dans

You'll regret that.

Go to bed.

[bannside]

To be respectful of Galway, we do see this as a big scalp. Paddy Power must have thought so too!

HS wont give a fiddlers (neither do I) but must be frustrating for Galway followers with 3 x all ireland under twenty ones in the last ten years.

That said, try being a Saffron. Second biggest county in Ireland. No reason we cant kick on from this!

[bannside]

Seafoid, were ya at the match?

[Syferus]

Antrim are real fancy dans

You'll regret that.

Go to bed.

Give me my moment in the sun.

To be fair, you'll have to go to bed for that.

[Farrandeelin]

I'm happy for hardstation.

[ONeill]

Massive chance for Antrim to make the quarters. A nice draw, then Clare.

The smile on my young lad's face will stay with me. It was his first experience of such an atmosphere. He asked me if Antrim play Tyrone are we enemies. I said 'we are son. We are.'

[bannside]

It definitely is bedtime in that case  HS! Me too.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Galway, more than any other team, take pride in playing a traditional direct and open style of football. 15 against 15, man to man marking all over the field. Kerry pretend they play that way but they don't. Mayo used to but changed their style. Cork, Dublin, Donegal and Tyrone obviously don't play that way at all these days. Sligo and Antrim didn't when they played Galway because they both analysed how they could beat them.

Galway seem to be the one team that are so set in their traditional style of play that they cannot adapt to the modern game at all. Traditionalist gobshites like Spillane and McGee love them for this but the reality is that it is the very reason why they cannot be successful. The game has moved on - Galway haven't.

Regarding the underage success - we're not yet at the stage where minor and under 21 teams play 11 men back, these grades tend to be more open and this suits Galway teams. But other teams pick their best underage talent and mould them into a different kind of senior player whereas Galway try to get the players to continue with the same style.

Can't disagree with too much of that. I think we have won underage All-Ireland's recently because tactically at underage you are generally allowed to play football. Far less thought is put into stopping the other team playing. In that kind of situation we have players who can look fantastic. At senior grade though we look like a relic. If we come across any team with a defined defensive system we look completely befuddled by it and even worse we generally leave the door wide open at the back ourselves. Even Kevin Walsh recognised this. He isolated his full forward line against Galway by sending his half-forwards into midfield and when they won the ball there was acres of space in front of the Galway full-back line. All you need then is half decent ball in and forwards will generally make hay given such space.

Long way back for us now. Mulholland managed the senior team this year like it was an underage team. Not very many sides will just allow you to play ball unhindered anymore. Hopefully the last two games although painful will be something he learns from. We all hoped for a united squad under him but still players like Nicky Joyce and Cormac Bane walked off the panel during the Summer. As much as Alan Mulholland needs time I do feel he's been rather naive during his first year in charge. Some of his selections too have been questionable. For example continuing to persist with Sean Armstrong for every game even though he didn't play well all Summer. He didn't even play well against Roscommon in a game we won by 14 points ffs. Yet he starts again today and is subbed off after 25 minutes to nobody's surprise.

[Syferus]

Galway, more than any other team, take pride in playing a traditional direct and open style of football. 15 against 15, man to man marking all over the field. Kerry pretend they play that way but they don't. Mayo used to but changed their style. Cork, Dublin, Donegal and Tyrone obviously don't play that way at all these days. Sligo and Antrim didn't when they played Galway because they both analysed how they could beat them.

Galway seem to be the one team that are so set in their traditional style of play that they cannot adapt to the modern game at all. Traditionalist gobshites like Spillane and McGee love them for this but the reality is that it is the very reason why they cannot be successful. The game has moved on - Galway haven't.

Regarding the underage success - we're not yet at the stage where minor and under 21 teams play 11 men back, these grades tend to be more open and this suits Galway teams. But other teams pick their best underage talent and mould them into a different kind of senior player whereas Galway try to get the players to continue with the same style.

Can't disagree with too much of that. I think we have won underage All-Ireland's recently because tactically at underage you are generally allowed to play football. Far less thought is put into stopping the other team playing. In that kind of situation we have players who can look fantastic. At senior grade though we look like a relic. If we come across any team with a defined defensive system we look completely befuddled by it and even worse we generally leave the door wide open at the back ourselves. Even Kevin Walsh recognised this. He isolated his full forward line against Galway by sending his half-forwards into midfield and when they won the ball there was acres of space in front of the Galway full-back line. All you need then is half decent ball in and forwards will generally make hay given such space.

Long way back for us now. Mulholland managed the senior team this year like it was an underage team. Not very many sides will just allow you to play ball unhindered anymore. Hopefully the last two games although painful will be something he learns from. We all hoped for a united squad under him but still players like Nicky Joyce and Cormac Bane walked off the panel during the Summer. As much as Alan Mulholland needs time I do feel he's been rather naive during his first year in charge. Some of his selections too have been questionable. For example continuing to persist with Sean Armstrong for every game even though he didn't play well all Summer. He didn't even play well against Roscommon in a game we won by 14 points ffs. Yet he starts again today and is subbed off after 25 minutes to nobody's surprise.

It's always been the Connacht way. You get all the plaudits for playing 'nice' football but most of the time that nice football comes in heroic defeats. It takes time to change the ways of many lifetimes.

The craziness of our game is probably explained by how open both teams were willing to play (and for us this was with at times two sweepers back, which makes it quite a paradox in). Once you lose midfield like we did that tactic can lead to a flood.

[seafoid]

I'm happy for hardstation.

me too. The antrim monaghan thread was pure nihilism. Someone said it didn't matter who won.

[ck]

Sure didnt Galway have northern managers and coaches last year and they still got beat. Tactics me arse, they simply have a bunch of over rated players who play for themselves first

[From the Bunker]

Time for Galway to give up listening to Pat Spillane praising them for doing well in Connacht playing nice football. 1998 and 2001 are in the past and it is time for a new set of heroes to emerge. The journey to the top will be long but if you have a plan, a goal and a system. With a bit of patience it's amazing how quick progress can be.

Galway won their last AI in 2001. Armagh won the AI in 2002......football had changed forever. Since them Galway have hidden behind that great success as well as winning a few Connacht titles in a weakened Connacht championship.

People are feeling sorry for the (expected) retired Padraig Joyce to go out in such a game. Don't, the man leaves the game a legend with two AI medals and he will always be remembered for the good days.