Clare v Kildare AIFQ R3

[Zulu]

That doesn't make any sense.

It's pretty clear. The match hasn't been played.

You did far more than that.

Nope.

They're about Tipp's level on league form who beat Laois who did better than Armagh in the league, who just knocked out Tyrone a division 1 team and league division one finalists were knocked out by Longford. If this was Longford at home, Roscommon at home or Cavan at home then most people would view this is a potential banana skin or even a likely loss for Kildare but because it's Clare they are dismissed by folks who know little about Munster football.

We see every year that division 3 and 4 teams are well capable of catching division 2 or lower level division 1 teams in championship matches, sure Clare already ran Kerry close so the idea that it's ludicrous to give Clare a chance at home against a Kildare team that can be very good or very bad is arrogant nonsense.

I wouldn't back Clare to win but to say it isn't a potential banana skin is rubbish, especially when you only have league football to back up that comment. We've already seen how poor an indicator league football can be when it comes to championship.

Tipp have been building for years, Clare are only starting to get their act together. They are far less comparable than you seem to think. Clare's record for the last quarter of a century makes the likes of ourselves, Longford or Cavan look positively stellar too. They are a county that has a long road ahead of them. They made good progress this year but you're putting a pile of manure and the cart before the horse trying to make a case for them beating Kildare. Kerry usually play non-Cork games in Munster at much less than their best (how many times have Limerick ran them or Cork close only to be easily turfed out in the Qualifiers?) and I highly doubt Kildare will be as casual in a knock-out match.

If you think Tipp beating an over-rated Laois team (and Jesus, they almost made a meal of that too) is going to mean Clare can beat a decent Kildare team then you're going to be sorely mistaken on Saturday. Clare don't have the panel or the experience to win, even on if Kildare don't play to their best.

It still doesn't make any sense.

This is what you said about Kerry when talking about their 2013 All Ireland prospects -

Kerry aren't even at the race, nevermind in it.

They might sneak into the AIQF given the soft draw and either beating Cork (who themselves are chugging, but have far better overall prospects) or by drawing a lower division team in R4 that still looks at them as Kerry, The Bestest County Ever and not Kerry, the team in terminal decline.

They ain't going any further than that.

No mention of Dublin beating them and a prediction they might sneak into a QF 

Clare and Tipp both gained promotion from division 4 this year, they played out a competitive league final, they both ran the Munster superpowers close and Clare's conquerors hammered Tipp's. Clare then did to Carlow what Meath, conquerors of Kildare, did to them. So by any reasonable assessment of Clare and Tipps current standing they are comparable. Tipp should get much better over the coming years but this year they are close.

Who was overrating Laois?

Kildare should win this weekend, they might even win comfortably, but to dismiss Clare as having no chance is arrogant nonsense.

[Syferus]

I was talking about 2014, I thought obviously enough. Not the place to get into 2013 predictions about Kerry, which were proven true after a fashion.

[Zulu]

It was 2013 you arrogantly wrote them off and having claimed they would barely make the QF you're now claiming you were right? I admire your neck anyway.

Look, I expect Kildare to win on Saturday but I take exception to you completely dismissing Clare's chances, especially when all known form points to a close game. You don't have to be a football genius to favour Kildare but you can surely see how a game between a 2015 division 3 team at home against a 2015 division 2 team could be close? To claim differently is very strange.

If Clare have no chance go out and put €10,000 on Kildare and enjoy your nearly €3000 winnings. If it's the lock you suggest there's surely no risk in betting that kind of money.

[Syferus]

It was 2013 you arrogantly wrote them off and having claimed they would barely make the QF you're now claiming you were right? I admire your neck anyway.

Look, I expect Kildare to win on Saturday but I take exception to you completely dismissing Clare's chances, especially when all known form points to a close game. You don't have to be a football genius to favour Kildare but you can surely see how a game between a 2015 division 3 team at home against a 2015 division 2 team could be close? To claim differently is very strange.

If Clare have no chance go out and put €10,000 on Kildare and enjoy your nearly €3000 winnings. If it's the lock you suggest there's surely no risk in betting that kind of money.

They played a Cavan team in the AIQF. I like everyone else knew they were likely to win that one, they could have got teams that would have had every chance of beating them had they been unlucky in that draw or had they lost to Cork. Kerry making the AISFs doesn't prove me wrong. What happened when they met a contender? They lost.

I have made about two bets my entire life and I'm not weak-willed enough going to make one because you try to goad me.

[Zulu]

They played a Cavan team in the AIQF. I like everyone else knew they were likely to win that one, they could have got teams that would have had every chance of beating them had they been unlucky in that draw or had they lost to Cork. Kerry making the AISFs doesn't prove me wrong. What happened when they met a contender? They lost.

Ah stop will ya, you mentioned nothing about All Ireland contenders so you're embarrassing yourself now. If you just said I underestimated Kerry and got that one wrong you'd be better off, we all get them wrong on occasion. There's nothing wrong confidently predicting something but at least hold you're hand up when you get it wrong (Kerry) or support your view with some evidence (Clare).

I have made about two bets my entire life and I'm not weak-willed enough going to make one because you try to goad me.

I'm not goading you but when you dismiss a teams chances altogether then it isn't betting it's making easy money to back them. If you believe Clare have no chance then fair enough but there's little supporting evidence to suggest that's the case.

[INDIANA]

It was 2013 you arrogantly wrote them off and having claimed they would barely make the QF you're now claiming you were right? I admire your neck anyway.

Look, I expect Kildare to win on Saturday but I take exception to you completely dismissing Clare's chances, especially when all known form points to a close game. You don't have to be a football genius to favour Kildare but you can surely see how a game between a 2015 division 3 team at home against a 2015 division 2 team could be close? To claim differently is very strange.

If Clare have no chance go out and put €10,000 on Kildare and enjoy your nearly €3000 winnings. If it's the lock you suggest there's surely no risk in betting that kind of money.

Are you from Cork Zulu?

[Donnellys Hollow]

Kildare name an unchanged team although it would hardly be a surprise if Smith and O'Grady start.

[Dinny Breen]

Kildare name an unchanged team although it would hardly be a surprise if Smith and O'Grady start.

Smith definitely deserves a chance to start, O'Flaherty to make way I'd say. O'Grady did well when he came on too but I though McGrillian had a good first half and it was only when Down switched Coulter on to him did he start to struggle and Ryan made that switch pretty early (obviously learned from the Meath side-line management debacle). I do think we have the stronger squad and our conditioning is excellent, really like what Barry Solan has built on from Julie Davies and we are definitely in my opinion more mobile and quicker this season while still retaining good strength.

Podge Collins plays a roaming role with Clare so it will be interesting how we approach this, I'd be tempted to man mark him with Ollie Lyons and deny him anytime on the ball. Our midfield matches up pretty well against Clare's but I love the bit of dog Chalky brings to Kildare, just a p***k to play against. Keep it tight at the back and we have the scoring forwards to do damage on the field and we have a good plan B off the bench.

If we win I hope it's a close game as winning those type of games will help the long-term development of this team which won't be getting old any day soon.

[Dinny Breen]

It was 2013 you arrogantly wrote them off and having claimed they would barely make the QF you're now claiming you were right? I admire your neck anyway.

Look, I expect Kildare to win on Saturday but I take exception to you completely dismissing Clare's chances, especially when all known form points to a close game. You don't have to be a football genius to favour Kildare but you can surely see how a game between a 2015 division 3 team at home against a 2015 division 2 team could be close? To claim differently is very strange.

If Clare have no chance go out and put €10,000 on Kildare and enjoy your nearly €3000 winnings. If it's the lock you suggest there's surely no risk in betting that kind of money.

Are you from Cork Zulu?

He's from all over Munster as far as I can tell 

[Zulu]

Clare were a very defensive team in the league this year. Best defensive record in the division too. Strange that all the talk is about weak backs. Clare are only average going forward and will be doing well to simply stay in D3 next year.

This isn't a banana skin for Kildare.

Hmmmm

[Syferus]

Clare got the early hop and did better than I thought and got a good lead heading into the last 27 minutes. Didn't score a thing after that.

Like I said, Clare couldn't live with Kildare for the full 70. Plenty to work on for next year, though.

You can PM me a thanks for all that money I saved you on Clare, Zulu.

[INDIANA]

It was 2013 you arrogantly wrote them off and having claimed they would barely make the QF you're now claiming you were right? I admire your neck anyway.

Look, I expect Kildare to win on Saturday but I take exception to you completely dismissing Clare's chances, especially when all known form points to a close game. You don't have to be a football genius to favour Kildare but you can surely see how a game between a 2015 division 3 team at home against a 2015 division 2 team could be close? To claim differently is very strange.

If Clare have no chance go out and put €10,000 on Kildare and enjoy your nearly €3000 winnings. If it's the lock you suggest there's surely no risk in betting that kind of money.

Are you from Cork Zulu?

He's from all over Munster as far as I can tell 

I'd nearly lay odds he's from Cork and played senior inter county football not so long ago.

[INDIANA]

Clare got the early hop and did better than I thought and got a good lead heading into the last 27 minutes. Didn't score a thing after that.

Like I said, Clare couldn't live with Kildare for the full 70. Plenty to work on for next year, though.

You can PM me a thanks for all that money I saved you on Clare, Zulu.

Kildare will be looking for Mc Geeny back soon. Clare always had a good footballing tradition and seem to well organised this year.

You can't beat winning games for confidence. They took the league seriously and drew massive confidence from it. Fair play to them and hopefully they'll progress now.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Didn't think we had that in us when we went 6 behind. Bench made a big difference. Fair play to Clare. They play proper blood and thunder football. Just ran out of steam in the end.

[Zulu]

Clare got the early hop and did better than I thought and got a good lead heading into the last 27 minutes. Didn't score a thing after that.

Like I said, Clare couldn't live with Kildare for the full 70. Plenty to work on for next year, though.

You can PM me a thanks for all that money I saved you on Clare, Zulu.

No money Syfrus I thought Kildare would win too but I think you should respect Munster football a little more.

I'd nearly lay odds he's from Cork and played senior inter county football not so long ago.

Thanks Indiana, I played IC at one point but not with Cork. I've lived in a few Munster counties so I like to see them all do well however I defended Clare because I thought Syferus was beinging unfairly dismissive.