Meath vs Dublin - 26/06/16

[larryin89]

Dublin look beatable this year,  Tyrone,  Donegal,  monagahan and Kerry maybe will fancy thier chances. It will become very evident they have felt the loss of both ROC and jack mcaff when they come up against some of them sides.

Meath just didnt have the s&c  the last day to compete

[Fuzzman]

Larry in what areas do you think Dublin look beatable?

I think this early in the summer it's very hard to judge anybody that is realistically hoping to get to the last 4.
Most the big guns try to set their training agenda so that they will peak around August and Sept and that could explain why Mayo got caught with Galway with their eyes set on the Dubs.
Ulster is always tougher and requires teams to focus more on Donegal, Monaghan and Tyrone games with Cavan now showing they are catching up.

From what I've seen from the Dubs they are pushing further and further ahead of the rest. Yes they will miss Rory O'Carroll and to a lesser extent McCaffrey but their bench is so so strong I honestly can't see anyone getting close. Like all teams you learn more from defeats (and draws) and I think the Mayo draw last year gave them the wee kick in the backside to drive them on.
Their level of fitness and athleticism is on a professional level anyway but the fact that they often make 5 or 6 subs in the 2nd half gives them that edge to pull away from teams who don't have the same players to come in.
Their forwards are definitely their strongest point so even if you can stop Connolly or Brogan you still have loads more who can kick points or goals like McManoman. With Rock deadly from frees you can't give away soft frees either . The only chink I can see is what happens those forwards when things start going wrong for them like it did v Donegal 2 years ago.
Rather than teams trying to stifle their attack and stay with them until the hour mark, I wonder if a team really went at them hell for leather in the first 20/30 mins and so were leading by 4 or 5 at half time would the old Dublin worries come back to haunt them or are they made of sterner stuff these days.
You would imagine the cavalry would come on earlier but I'd love to see a game like that.

[larryin89]

Maybe im looking at it wrong,  i just think they're a bitteen vulnerable at the back,  the cian o sullivan tactiic looks great but i just have rather optimistic hunch that it will be exposed as a weakness later on.


Im not denying thay are worthy favourites and it will take a very well thought out tactical plan to beat them. 

Is it normal practice for kerry manager to attend a leinsyer semi final?

[Lar Naparka]

Populations in the counties out west are booming , huge increases the last years. Rural depopulation now  a bit of a myth................. thankfully.

Have you any sort of source for this as it goes against everything I've seen and heard.

As for the third-level graduate level there seems to be no change whatsoever in the numbers who move permanently from the rural areas once they graduate. Even in terms of folk back from Oz,Canada and the UK it seems to me they are returning to Dublin and the other cities where the jobs are as opposed to returning to rural areas.

Census results.

The census doesn't reveal the full story.
Remember we are talking about rural depopulation which doesn't include urban areas.
Over 40 years ago, I was a student at St Pat's Drumcondra and the geography head gave the final year students an assignment to produce a detailed socio-economic report on their own homeland areas. I recall some of the stats I included in mine.
There were 29 inhabited houses in my immediate locality back then; today there are just six.
I came from a village in Swinford parish in East Mayo and the depopulation of my homeland was certainly not unique. The same could be said about almost all small, rural communities in every region of the west.
Sure, there is an overall increase in each county's population, going by the 2011 census. But the increase has taken places in urban centres and there hasn't been a corresponding increase in the number or size of existing GAA clubs.
BTW, can anyone here tell me if any all-new GAA club has been established in, say, the last 25 years?
I can't recall any but I can rattle of a long list of clubs that were forced to amalgamate or who just went out of existence. The local GAA club was the central point of the rural communities, now whole villages or townlands are deserted or next door to it.

I accept that the Dubs fundraise for their holidays but is this by choice or out of pure necessity?
From what I gathered, the cats went fundraising because the county board didn't have the money to spend on their holiday.
I just can't see this being the case in Dublin.
Sure the money brought in comes in handy and allows other income to be used for different purposes such as providing coaches for underage teams and the likes.
BTW, I've nothing personal against Jim Gavin, a decent man, or his players. They'd be mad not to avail of the resources at their disposal but on many fronts but the gap between Dublin and the rest of the country is widening steadily.

[Jinxy]

The rural depopulation of East Mayo being discussed in the Meath vs Dublin thread.
Didn't see that one coming.

[Lar Naparka]

Larry in what areas do you think Dublin look beatable?

I think this early in the summer it's very hard to judge anybody that is realistically hoping to get to the last 4.
Most the big guns try to set their training agenda so that they will peak around August and Sept and that could explain why Mayo got caught with Galway with their eyes set on the Dubs.
Ulster is always tougher and requires teams to focus more on Donegal, Monaghan and Tyrone games with Cavan now showing they are catching up.

From what I've seen from the Dubs they are pushing further and further ahead of the rest. Yes they will miss Rory O'Carroll and to a lesser extent McCaffrey but their bench is so so strong I honestly can't see anyone getting close. Like all teams you learn more from defeats (and draws) and I think the Mayo draw last year gave them the wee kick in the backside to drive them on.
Their level of fitness and athleticism is on a professional level anyway but the fact that they often make 5 or 6 subs in the 2nd half gives them that edge to pull away from teams who don't have the same players to come in.
Their forwards are definitely their strongest point so even if you can stop Connolly or Brogan you still have loads more who can kick points or goals like McManoman. With Rock deadly from frees you can't give away soft frees either . The only chink I can see is what happens those forwards when things start going wrong for them like it did v Donegal 2 years ago.
Rather than teams trying to stifle their attack and stay with them until the hour mark, I wonder if a team really went at them hell for leather in the first 20/30 mins and so were leading by 4 or 5 at half time would the old Dublin worries come back to haunt them or are they made of sterner stuff these days.
You would imagine the cavalry would come on earlier but I'd love to see a game like that.

You are dead right. Mayo have been doing this for years and sooner or later, they were going to be caught. They damn near lost to Sligo in the Connacht final in 2012 and were cat lucky also against Roscommon in 2011.
Sooner or later, they were going to be caught and so they were this year.

[Lar Naparka]

The rural depopulation of East Mayo being discussed in the Meath vs Dublin thread.
Didn't see that one coming.

Well, there is feck all else to talk about, is there?
Dublin turned up for the match; Meath, as per usual, didn't and that's about it-same as always. Nothing to see here.

[Beffs]

Kerry and all counties along the western seaboard have serious problems with rural depopulation/ emigration and clubs having to amalgamate in order to survive. Neither Kerry, nor indeed any other county, has the playing numbers and resources of Dublin.

They don't get to play all their championship games on their home pitch either.
Supposing some of Dublin's panel had to get into their cars after work or college and set off for a training session over 100 miles away. After getting back around 1.30 am or so and then be up for work or college and repeat this two or three times a week, they might not be as invincible as they are now.
And the gap between Dublin and the rest is only going to widen in the foreseeable future. I've no problem with Jim Gavin and his players per se but spare me the crap that if only other counties tried harder, they could match the Dubs without a bother.

All of this has always been true, no? Dublin has always had a population advantage. Rural areas have always hemorrhaged young men leaving to to look for work in cities. Dublin players have never had 2-3 hour commutes for training. Dublin have always had access to big sponsorship money. They have always played most of their games at Croke Park. These things have not only come into play over the past few years.

Yet prior to their current run of success, they had won only one All Ireland in nearly 30 years. All of their advantages in population and resources didn't prevent a 16 year gap between the 2011 win and the 1994 one. A lot of the Dublin players who held up Sam last September, were a part of the panel that were being hockeyed by Kerry and Meath in 2009 & 2010. So what has changed? It can't all be about money and resources and population, can it? That is a lazy over simplification imo.

[muppet]

Larry in what areas do you think Dublin look beatable?

I think this early in the summer it's very hard to judge anybody that is realistically hoping to get to the last 4.
Most the big guns try to set their training agenda so that they will peak around August and Sept and that could explain why Mayo got caught with Galway with their eyes set on the Dubs.
Ulster is always tougher and requires teams to focus more on Donegal, Monaghan and Tyrone games with Cavan now showing they are catching up.

From what I've seen from the Dubs they are pushing further and further ahead of the rest. Yes they will miss Rory O'Carroll and to a lesser extent McCaffrey but their bench is so so strong I honestly can't see anyone getting close. Like all teams you learn more from defeats (and draws) and I think the Mayo draw last year gave them the wee kick in the backside to drive them on.
Their level of fitness and athleticism is on a professional level anyway but the fact that they often make 5 or 6 subs in the 2nd half gives them that edge to pull away from teams who don't have the same players to come in.
Their forwards are definitely their strongest point so even if you can stop Connolly or Brogan you still have loads more who can kick points or goals like McManoman. With Rock deadly from frees you can't give away soft frees either . The only chink I can see is what happens those forwards when things start going wrong for them like it did v Donegal 2 years ago.
Rather than teams trying to stifle their attack and stay with them until the hour mark, I wonder if a team really went at them hell for leather in the first 20/30 mins and so were leading by 4 or 5 at half time would the old Dublin worries come back to haunt them or are they made of sterner stuff these days.
You would imagine the cavalry would come on earlier but I'd love to see a game like that.

You are dead right. Mayo have been doing this for years and sooner or later, they were going to be caught. They damn near lost to Sligo in the Connacht final in 2012 and were cat lucky also against Roscommon in 2011.
Sooner or later, they were going to be caught and so they were this year.

Kerry do this frequently as well.

Time for us to do a Kerry and bate Galway in the final. I'm sure Galway will be happy enough just making the AIF. 

[Syferus]

Larry in what areas do you think Dublin look beatable?

I think this early in the summer it's very hard to judge anybody that is realistically hoping to get to the last 4.
Most the big guns try to set their training agenda so that they will peak around August and Sept and that could explain why Mayo got caught with Galway with their eyes set on the Dubs.
Ulster is always tougher and requires teams to focus more on Donegal, Monaghan and Tyrone games with Cavan now showing they are catching up.

From what I've seen from the Dubs they are pushing further and further ahead of the rest. Yes they will miss Rory O'Carroll and to a lesser extent McCaffrey but their bench is so so strong I honestly can't see anyone getting close. Like all teams you learn more from defeats (and draws) and I think the Mayo draw last year gave them the wee kick in the backside to drive them on.
Their level of fitness and athleticism is on a professional level anyway but the fact that they often make 5 or 6 subs in the 2nd half gives them that edge to pull away from teams who don't have the same players to come in.
Their forwards are definitely their strongest point so even if you can stop Connolly or Brogan you still have loads more who can kick points or goals like McManoman. With Rock deadly from frees you can't give away soft frees either . The only chink I can see is what happens those forwards when things start going wrong for them like it did v Donegal 2 years ago.
Rather than teams trying to stifle their attack and stay with them until the hour mark, I wonder if a team really went at them hell for leather in the first 20/30 mins and so were leading by 4 or 5 at half time would the old Dublin worries come back to haunt them or are they made of sterner stuff these days.
You would imagine the cavalry would come on earlier but I'd love to see a game like that.

You are dead right. Mayo have been doing this for years and sooner or later, they were going to be caught. They damn near lost to Sligo in the Connacht final in 2012 and were cat lucky also against Roscommon in 2011.
Sooner or later, they were going to be caught and so they were this year.

Kerry do this frequently as well.

Time for us to do a Kerry and bate Galway in the final. I'm sure Galway will be happy enough just making the AIF. 

Ye might make the Junior AI final alright.

[Ohtoohtobe]

I wouldn't think Dublin this year could possibly be as strong because you can't just lose players of the calibre of O'Carroll and McCaffrey and be as good as you were.
They're still red-hot favourites and rightly so but it wouldn't shock me in the least if they're beaten by Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.

[Beffs]

I wouldn't think Dublin this year could possibly be as strong because you can't just lose players of the calibre of O'Carroll and McCaffrey and be as good as you were.
They're still red-hot favourites and rightly so but it wouldn't shock me in the least if they're beaten by Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.

I think they will be caught too....but not by Kerry. They are too old. They don't have the pace to stick with Dublin for the full 70 minutes.

[tonto1888]

I wouldn't think Dublin this year could possibly be as strong because you can't just lose players of the calibre of O'Carroll and McCaffrey and be as good as you were.
They're still red-hot favourites and rightly so but it wouldn't shock me in the least if they're beaten by Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final.

I think they will be caught too....but not by Kerry. They are too old. They don't have the pace to stick with Dublin for the full 70 minutes.

by who then?

[skeog]

tyrone

[Canalman]

Would fear Mayo myself more. Have them probably in 1/4 finals when they are primed to ambush us.

Imo, Tyrone will huff and puff no end, make it hard for anyone to beat them etc. Just cannot see the class of forwards there they had in the noughties to actually win an AI.