Laois footballers the Championship 2018 What went on and the review!

[Tony]

What's your team don?

Very good interview with John Sugrue, pre Monaghan: https://m.soundcloud.com/midlandssport/john-sugrue-pre-monaghan

[BallyroanAbu]

What's your team don?

Very good interview with John Sugrue, pre Monaghan: https://m.soundcloud.com/midlandssport/john-sugrue-pre-monaghan

If they lose, you'll be the first to attack them on Monday morning. It seems you can criticise the players, but woe betide anyone who contradicts your view.

I'd have Tony down as one of the least critical, many things you can accuse him of, but been critical is not one.  I would say guilty of blind loyalty more than anything else.

[High Fielder]

Yeah I'd second that Ballyroan. Tony and Junior are two of the good guys. There are a few crankies, and I'd rank myself amongst them, but Tony and Junior generally drink from a half full glass. I found the above intervention a little odd, but look, that's the internet for you. You won't get on with everyone all of the time. I think in the main, we are respectful towards our lads and the effort they give. I know I wanted to say something in the context of the above debate about the team for Sunday, but decided not to do so because it might have been too critical.

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

So what if it's a bit critical High Fielder, no one minds a bit of constructive critisism especially from a respected poster like yourself. Sometimes lads pop in and out of this forum throwing in a few low blows with very little substance to them.
Very few pay any heed to their comments as they mean very little but then there are lads that post and even if it is a bit critical almost everyone knows that what's being said is for the right reasons, to improve our teams and get behind them. It's an open forum and I think the majority of people here respect all our players and mostly keep insults to the minimum.

[Leixlad]

I'd go with something like this:
         

          Brody

Strong Timmons Dillon
   
   Damien O Connor

Crowley Begley Collins

        JOL Lillis

Evan O'C  P Kingston Donoher

   Donie    Gary Walsh

No sweeper please just go for it  Its Monaghan, we have footballers to beat them! No seriously i hate the sweeper. I know it must be used at times but let the full back line mark their men man on man and trust them. Will they drop someone out the field themselves, probably, leaving a free man. Let the free man cover the other 2 and help out. Play another in the full forward the instead where we have a threat,  leave 3 up instead of 2 free defenders. What the hell.

Also i think you have some neck leaving players off your team as you sit anonymously on the internet! 

[Don Draper]

What's your team don?

Very good interview with John Sugrue, pre Monaghan: https://m.soundcloud.com/midlandssport/john-sugrue-pre-monaghan

Have you seen a game where Donie and Gary have lined out on the same forward line? I have, a few times, it isn't pretty.

Sugrue picks the team, not me.

[on the hop]

Going to be a big ask to get over the line here, monaghan don't seem to be in the best of form either but they have an athleticism in their team that we don't do well against. No matter who is selected in the forwards we can't miss the chances we have been getting. There is a general sloppiness at times throughout all the games we have played especially with frees. Generally we get between 12 to 15 scores in games, usually when we go above this we have a great chance of winning. Goals have been key and Sunday will be no different

[Unlaoised]

    Brody

O Connor Timmons Dillon
   
 

Strong  Begley Collins

        JOL Lillis

A Farrell  P Kingston Donoher

   Donie   Ross  Evan O carroll

Thats the team I'd go with have Farrell to come back and help out in defense Switch Strong and O connor depending who wants to pick up who.Dillion will be on mcmanaus!

[Tony]

I don't really agree that Monaghan aren't in good form - they beat Tyrone and had a solid league, beating Dublin in the process. They also annihilated Waterford and Leitrim. So the only real blip on their CV this year is that Fermanagh game where they lost with a late goal after being 2 points up.

That being said, I think we're better than our 2nd half performance against Dublin suggests. Monaghan will be very tough to play against and have some top players in Beggan, Whylie, Hughes, Malone and McManus. We've only had 6 days to analyse them properly, but I think John can come up with something to make us competitive. I'd love to see a good performace above anything else and see where it takes us. If we do lose, it'd be good to go out on a good performance and build for next year. Right now i can't see anything but a 4-6 point loss or so, being realistic. Bookies usually aren't far wrong. monaghan are 1/6 to win and we're 5/1. Whatever happens though, it's been a very pleasing year for us and progress has already been made. We're really in bonus territory as stated before, so let's give 100% and see where it takes us.

[BallyroanAbu]

Like I said before the Dublin game, it's actually quite important we put in a performance.  While we have achieved quite abit this year, Sundays match is an end of year report.  I think we can cause a shock this year but this is the last chance saloon, a severe beating would have the opposite effect.  A good performance and we look to next year in hope a bad performance we are in a bad place.  It would be the most brutal end result that is simply we don't have the players. 

Saying that I think we have the players and look forward to a good performance, possibly a win on Sunday. Fingers Crossed, Toes Etc

[Gmac]

Not sure if Monaghan play a sweeper but If they do I'd like to see Darren strong push right up on him don't think the corner suits him at all , would also be athletic enough to help chase runners from back from Monaghan

[jimbob2]

Monaghan are a huge powerful team and I am afraid they will over run our weaker players, they also have a top class subs bench. their performance against Tyrone was one of the best in the championship,unless Laois get a good start and maybe a bit of luck I cant see anything other than a Monaghan victory. I would have started Walsh. As regards Donie with one arm tied behind his back he is still the best Laois player I have seen. Dont forget in the last 5/10 years defenders have improved so much bordering on the ridiculous the way they pull drag and entangle them selves around the player in possession. his skill levels are a joy to watch and if we do get a result on Sunday he will have played a big part of it.

[Giovanni]

Did you see Ross Munelly, Tom Kelly or Joe Higgins in 2003? Or Tom Prendergast? Or Colm Browne? Or Liam Irwin? Or Barney Maher?

As far as I'm concerned, Donie is one of 15 Laois players who will take the field on Sunday. He deserves the same respect as all the rest of them and hopefully he will play a significant role.  Win or lose, all 15 will play a big part.

And I can assure you, he will need both his arms on Sunday.

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Laois team for Sunday, Finbarr Crowley and Niall Donoher dropped for Evan O'Carroll and Darren Strong ..






              Monaghan Team for Sunday

                           Rory Beggan

      Kieran Duffy, Conor Boyle, Ryan Wylie
   Dessie Ward, Colin Walshe, Karl O'Connell

             Niall Kearns, Darren Hughes

  Ryan McAnespie, Dermot Malone, Fintan Kelly
Conor McCarthy, Jack McCarron, Conor McManus

[The Boy Wonder]

Did you see Ross Munelly, Tom Kelly or Joe Higgins in 2003? Or Tom Prendergast? Or Colm Browne? Or Liam Irwin? Or Barney Maher?

As far as I'm concerned, Donie is one of 15 Laois players who will take the field on Sunday. He deserves the same respect as all the rest of them and hopefully he will play a significant role.  Win or lose, all 15 will play a big part.

And I can assure you, he will need both his arms on Sunday.

Good gosh - you left out Willie Brennan and The Beano 

I do like this management's style - horses for courses. I'm very happy wth Ross's selection and I think Glynn has been chomping at the bit too.
It's not just a fifteen man game so it's no bad reflection on the lads not starting - it's great to have quality players on the bench.

Best of luck to the lads.