Down Club Hurling & Football

[PAULD123]

Darragh O'Hanlon has played a lot of football at half-back and PD at half-forward. Why line them out in positions they are not used to?

Why not bring Boyle and Mallon back in and make use of their extended run of competitive matches at club level?

Why play three players under 5'7" in the full-forward line?

Are Arthur and Connor Garvey unfit? Because they both deserve  a place

Continuing with Pete Fitzpatrick at midfield when he isn't even the best midfielder in Division 2?

Benny McCardle at Midfield? Played his best at corner or wing back!

Jerome Johnston who is generally a full-forward line playing out at half forward?

Ryan Johnston nowhere in sight.

Makes me wonder if Jim is a bit of an Armagh secret agent!!!!!!!

[Dubh driocht]

VG interview with Marty Clarke on Newstalk

http://www.newstalk.ie/player/podcasts/Off_The_Ball/GAA_on_Off_The_Ball/80015/2/Marty_Clarke_

[5 Sams]

Big test for McCorry tomorrow night. Actually looking forward to the game...not looking forward to the cnut of a drive to Cavan though

[Orior]

Driving down to Newry tonight, I overtook a van with the numberplate AN10 DUN.

Was that deliberate or a fluke?

[A man from Down]

PAULD123, I would'nt get too carried away with positions. Kevin Cassidy's recent column in Gaelic life gives a good summary of how positions have changed in recent years.

An obvious thing which I'm happy about is that McCorry seems to be trying out lots of players in lots of positions. At least he's not afraid to have a look at his options. Hopefully he will know get all his experimenting done and dusted and learn from it in time for the championship.

As for Marty Clarke that was a great interview. It looks like its going to be a long road back for him to wear the red and black. I wish him well, he's such a talent and having a fit and well Marty Clarke would obviously increase our chances of success greatly.

Below is the Kevin Cassidy piece by the way:


  THERE has been a lot of talk and discussion recently about the current state of our game. Players, ex players and pundits have all had their say and the general consensus is that our game is in decline.

Some players have refuted the fact that our game has taken a step backwards recently but in reality it probably has. Players feel that the game was at its best when they played it themselves.

I remember times when I was playing for Donegal and ex players, turned pundits, might have made a comment and you would say to yourself "what does he know sure the game has moved on so much since he played".

True but we all see the game through our rose-tinted glasses!!

The fact is that the game continues to evolve. I am only out of it a few years and I would say that there have been significant changes in relation to training methods since I last donned the Green and Gold.

That's the nature of our sport like it or lump it. GAA teams have now adopted a win-at-all-cost mentality. Forget about if we're making it attractive, forget about what kind of game we are leaving behind for the next generation, forget about the long-term health of our players. It's now all about win percentages at the end of the season.

Last weekend we had two fantastic Club semi-finals with Gaels taking to social media to boast about the quality on show.

Current players used it as an example to counter the arguments of pundits who spoke about the standard of play in recent weeks.

My advice to those players would be to look closely at those four teams involved, study the coaches and philosophies of each team and you will quickly realise that they are a dying breed in our sport.

Mickey Moran wouldn't entertain negative defensive football nor would starlets like Diarmuid Connolly or Micheal Lundy play it.

Whether we like it or not, our game has changed. The criteria for selecting an inter county player has changed so much over the past decade.

I am currently on a family holiday and while walking home last Sunday I bumped into Down and Warrenpoint legend and All-Ireland winner Peter Rooney.

We stopped for a while and while shooting the breeze along the promenade (it amazes me as to how quickly you can become comfortable around someone with similar interests, especially GAA) when the conversation swung towards how the game is played nowadays. We both agreed on one thing, that our game has become hard to watch.

Peter said that "managers are now looking for greyhounds not footballers". I couldn't have agreed more.

We parted by saying that hopefully In the next few years managers and coaches will return to something that resembles the game we both love.

After I left Peter my mind began to wander and I tried to put myself in the shoes of an inter-county manager and tried to envisage what type of players he would be looking for in this day in age.

Goalkeeper

Mobile, quick and accurate with short kickouts and who can convert 45s

Full back line

Strong, fast and extremely fit. No need to be a seriously tight marker as they will be protected by the 10 bodies in front of them. Must be able to run the length of the field to create the over lap for the running game.

Half Back line

As they now generally have no one to mark as the oppositions 10 and 12 now retreat they have become the play makers of the modern game. Half backs now see more ball than any other player on the pitch. They need to be able to pick a pass and kick scores.

Midfield

No need for high fetchers as opposition will just bypass midfield with short kick outs. Must be big strong and extremely athletic. Need to be able to go from their own 20 yard line to the oppositions 20 for 70 minutes attacking and defending.

Half Forward line

You are looking for a players who can run all day and is about 12 stone in weight. Unselfish players who do not want to shine or to score but are happy covering in front of the full back line hoovering up loose ball.

Full forward line

First and foremost they must be ferocious tacklers and have a phenomenal work-rate. They must be willing to leave behind what makes forwards so special in that they play off they cuff, they must now be willing to play the percentages and to stick to the plan even though it may go against every natural instinct they have.

So there you have it to make it nowadays in any of those positions that is what most managers are looking for. I wonder would legends such as Maurice Fitzgerald, The Bomber Liston and Trevor Giles even make the bench nowadays, probably not. That alone is enough to back up Peter's argument that we are now looking for greyhounds not footballers!!

Twitter KCASS7



- See more at: http://gaeliclife.com/2015/02/kevin-cassidy-a-game-for-greyhounds/#sthash.NIUtf00o.dpuf

[Aristo 60]

Driving down to Newry tonight, I overtook a van with the numberplate AN10 DUN.

Was that deliberate or a fluke?

No fluke. Just a pity 2010 didn't work out.

[Mourne Rover]

Posts from PaulD123 are always worth reading but he should put forward his alternative selection if he really thinks that tomorrow's line-up is all wrong.

McCorry knows Devlin better than most and clearly has a reason for keeping him at half back. O'Hanlon has yet to prove himself in county football  but deserves a chance in the area where he generally prefers to operate.

Boyle, Mallon and indeed McGarry and Carr are likely to be involved but, having just returned to the squad, it is not unreasonable to keep them on the bench.

We will have a two rather than a three man full forward line and O'Hare's height has been listed in recent programme as 5'11'' rather than 5' 7'', while McConville has been a very effective impact sub so far and Garvey is struggling for form.

Our options at midfield are limited but Fitzpatrick was much improved in the second half against Roscommon and, as someone who has been played in the position in All Ireland finals at minor, u21 and senior level, still has plenty to offer.

McArdle is certainly not his natural partner but is a fine athlete who may well swap roles with Madine in the course of the match.

Jerome Johnston may have been named at wing forward but will probably not play there and his brother Ryan is a fine prospect who has yet to nail down a starting place.

It would be fair to suggest that McCorry picked the wrong team the last day, and we are taking on a decent side at Breffni, so there will be plenty at stake tomorrow night.

[DuffleKing]

Darragh O'Hanlon has played a lot of football at half-back and PD at half-forward. Why line them out in positions they are not used to?

Why not bring Boyle and Mallon back in and make use of their extended run of competitive matches at club level?

Why play three players under 5'7" in the full-forward line?

Are Arthur and Connor Garvey unfit? Because they both deserve  a place

Continuing with Pete Fitzpatrick at midfield when he isn't even the best midfielder in Division 2?

Benny McCardle at Midfield? Played his best at corner or wing back!

Jerome Johnston who is generally a full-forward line playing out at half forward?

Ryan Johnston nowhere in sight.

Makes me wonder if Jim is a bit of an Armagh secret agent!!!!!!!

Dunno about the rest of that stuff but lads having an extended run with their club at intermediate level is not something to make use of. The only thing that would achieve is position said players waaaaay off the pace of county football.

[charlieTully]

Posts from PaulD123 are always worth reading but he should put forward his alternative selection if he really thinks that tomorrow's line-up is all wrong.

McCorry knows Devlin better than most and clearly has a reason for keeping him at half back. O'Hanlon has yet to prove himself in county football  but deserves a chance in the area where he generally prefers to operate.

Boyle, Mallon and indeed McGarry and Carr are likely to be involved but, having just returned to the squad, it is not unreasonable to keep them on the bench.

We will have a two rather than a three man full forward line and O'Hare's height has been listed in recent programme as 5'11'' rather than 5' 7'', while McConville has been a very effective impact sub so far and Garvey is struggling for form.

Our options at midfield are limited but Fitzpatrick was much improved in the second half against Roscommon and, as someone who has been played in the position in All Ireland finals at minor, u21 and senior level, still has plenty to offer.

McArdle is certainly not his natural partner but is a fine athlete who may well swap roles with Madine in the course of the match.

Jerome Johnston may have been named at wing forward but will probably not play there and his brother Ryan is a fine prospect who has yet to nail down a starting place.

It would be fair to suggest that McCorry picked the wrong team the last day, and we are taking on a decent side at Breffni, so there will be plenty at stake tomorrow night.

From watching a lot of county championship games over this past while, Ryan has always stood out,he is the type that when he gets on the ball there is a sense of excitement something can happen, a slight negative would be occasional half hearted attempts to track back. I thought he would be a guaranteed starter.

[whitegoodman]

Posts from PaulD123 are always worth reading but he should put forward his alternative selection if he really thinks that tomorrow's line-up is all wrong.

McCorry knows Devlin better than most and clearly has a reason for keeping him at half back. O'Hanlon has yet to prove himself in county football  but deserves a chance in the area where he generally prefers to operate.

Boyle, Mallon and indeed McGarry and Carr are likely to be involved but, having just returned to the squad, it is not unreasonable to keep them on the bench.

We will have a two rather than a three man full forward line and O'Hare's height has been listed in recent programme as 5'11'' rather than 5' 7'', while McConville has been a very effective impact sub so far and Garvey is struggling for form.

Our options at midfield are limited but Fitzpatrick was much improved in the second half against Roscommon and, as someone who has been played in the position in All Ireland finals at minor, u21 and senior level, still has plenty to offer.

McArdle is certainly not his natural partner but is a fine athlete who may well swap roles with Madine in the course of the match.

Jerome Johnston may have been named at wing forward but will probably not play there and his brother Ryan is a fine prospect who has yet to nail down a starting place.

It would be fair to suggest that McCorry picked the wrong team the last day, and we are taking on a decent side at Breffni, so there will be plenty at stake tomorrow night.

I would agree with most of what Paul has said.  It is as if Jim hasn't been around Down football for 10 years and is getting to know the players.  There isn't a defender in the half back line, McArdle at midfield, McKernan everywhere but the right place and Jerome out the field.

With the players available I would have thought this might be better

Kane
O hagan
Howard
Turley
Garvey
Carr
McArdle
Fitzpatrick
Mckernan
Mallon
Poland
R Johnston
Laverty
O hare
J Johnston

O hare and Jerome inside, laverty and Poland floating, power, size and pace on the wings and two natural midfielders.  Oh and a couple of defenders in the half back line just to shake things up !!!!

[supersub]

A lot of people airing opinions on what is the right and wrong selection for Down - and so be it, it is a discussion forum after all. However could I suggest doing it without questioning the integrity of a recently installed manager in his 3rd proper game in charge. He obviously picks people in the positions they are in for a reason. He is the one that sees them every night of the week and who is in the best shape and form for the next game. The manager is there for a reason, to manage the side. He knows a lot more than your average or not so average keyboard warrior. Of course opinions are there to be made, but not while bringing the reputation of a coach coach into question. We also have to realise that the game is developing and changing, the way teams play is indicative of positional choice. Half backs in a lot of games now have a lot of space and need to be good on the ball and take a score as mentioned above in the article. Horses for courses to an extent - maybe with so many behind the ball for Cavan PD will get a lot of opportunity for long range scores, while O'Hanlon will get through a lot of work tracking back and trying to stop Cavans slow build up from the back. Just an example.

[whitegoodman]

Who is questioning his integrity? A few might be questioning his selection but that's about it   

[lfdown2]

Anyone any audio/video streams for tonight's game?

[rory]

http://www.stream2watch.me/sports/football/cavan-vs-down-live-stream

[PAULD123]

A lot of people airing opinions on what is the right and wrong selection for Down - and so be it, it is a discussion forum after all. However could I suggest doing it without questioning the integrity of a recently installed manager ...

I wasn't questioning his integrity. I thought people would see that the last comment was meant as a sort of whimsical statement exemplifying my general failure to understand some of jim's decisions. Certainly I support him fully, hope he is a success and have said for some time now that he earned his position with the superb job he did at Kilcoo. But I am still baffled by his decisions. Especially leaving out Arthur.

But to be clear it was a joking comment and I didn't mean it seriously