Tyrone v Offaly

[tyroneman]

May as well get this one off the ground.....

Difficult enough start for Tyrone.  SoN doubtful, PJ gone, Carlin out. Morgan sidelined for season.

Options shrinking as the Tyrone injury curse strikes again.

Unless they give this game full attention I fear Tullamore is a very realistic banana skin.

Perhaps this will see Coney start to motor again, with a RoN cameo.

McCrory prob a lock to get his place.

Whatever happened to Tim Harney? Will he get a call up?

[everymanaman]

Add another injury- Joe Mc Mahon left the field with an ankle injury in the first half against Clonoe last night

[orangeman]

Huge injury concerns for Tyrone now.

Offaly won't be easy beat in Tullamore.

[LeoMc]

                McConnell
McCrory   Clarke     McMahon
Harte¹       Gormley  McKenna
        Cavanagh    Cassidy
Donnelly  Penrose  Donnelly
McAlliskey  Cavanagh Coney²   

1. If Mickey is going to play him anyway it may as well be where he is most effective
2. If O'Neill is fit I would play Cavanagh & O'Neill in the full forward line to have 2 big ball winners in there.

[Fuzzman]

I don't think Stevie will be fit for Sat week

[God14]

Id start Kyle Coney even if SON is available. The lad is potentially top class, but is in dire need of game time. We've alot of smaller tricky type forwards on our panel who are struggling to adapt to the way the modern game is going, so id perservere with Coney starting & bringing on the likes of McCurry & R O'Neill as subs
McConnell is a great keeper to bring in, but we've lost the free taking option of Morgan
I thought Morgans kickouts were very positive against Donegal, with much more variation & accuracy than we were used to during the McConnell / Devine era. Packie tends to boom it long and wayward, or play a predictable short pass which puts pressure on the defense straight away & lends itself to slow cumbersome attacks, and running into blind alleys as we work our way up the pitch and face into 'the blanket'.
Pity Mickey didn't invite Ray Mulgrew onto the panel - like he should have - last February. Our half forward line is high on workrate, tracking back etc but we're calling out for a man with a bit of vision & creative passing. Perhaps time for an opportunity for Conan Grugan. Quality young player on the panel all year & not yet kicked a ball in anger.

[yellowcard]

Could be the potential for an upset here, similar to Westmeath almost beating Kerry last year in Mullingar. Tyrone have problems with injuries and squad defections and the bigger sides are at their most vulnerable in the earlier rounds of the qualifiers away from home. Definitely think this will be alot closer than some people think.

[Denn Forever]

AZ, have ye a hope? All neutrals will be rooting for Offaly but if ye win it might tempt Cowen back into politics.

[Bord na Mona man]

AZ, have ye a hope? All neutrals will be rooting for Offaly but if ye win it might tempt Cowen back into politics.

Cowen could be lining out for Offaly yet. He never got over being cut from the panel the winter before the 1982 campaign. He'd have a point to prove.

[Gaffer]

I don't think Stevie will be fit for Sat week

What the Frig is wrong with him now???

[Fuzzman]

Have we played Offaly before in the championship?

I went and wiki'd it and here are all the qualifiers we've played in the last 10 years.
Sligo, Laois & Kerry are the only 3 defeats in 19 matches, of which only 3 were at home including a replay to Louth

2002 Wexford(a), Leitrim(?), Derry (casement). Sligo(CP)
2004 Down (a), Galway(CP), Laois (CP)
2005 Monaghan (CP)
2006 Louth(Navan & Replay Omagh), Laois(a)
2008 Louth(a), Westmeath (h), Mayo (CP)
2011 Longford(a), Armagh(h), Roscommon (CP)
2012 Roscommon(a), Kerry(a)

[Hardy]

I fancy Offaly. Tyrone always get the heebie-jeebies when they play sound, manly footballing teams.

[sam03/05]

Big potential for an upset here with the amount of injuries Tyrone have
Will Mickey call anyone else up to the squad?
Names that spring to mind would be
1/D McCaul
2/ Sean O'Neill Dromore
3/ McReynolds ( Edendok goalkeeper ) or John Devine / J Curran

I think young Sludden from Dromore would have had a chance only for his leg break.

[ONeill]

I remember going down there in the league in 2006 as All Ireland champions. They gave us a hell of a fright. Two late goals sealed it for Tyrone but I remember Stevie pulling us out of a hole in the first half when they reeled off about six points in a row.

This'll be tough, division 4 team or not. If Tyrone's heads are not in the right place they could sink us. However,

Offaly 1-13
Tyrone 2-12

[sam03/05]

Mickey O'Neill the clonoe keeper called up.
good enough keeper.

no shortage of good keepers in Tyrone
Morgan, Devine, McConnell, O'Neill,McReynolds, Curran - all top class keepers each as good as the other.