Galway v Monaghan, Super 8s Phase 3. 4/8/18. Pearse Stadium.

[Mayo4Sam14]

Nil all draw incoming.

[Main Street]

This is not a bad scenario for Monaghan to meet Galway in their stick or twist state.
I'd say a number of their star players will be on the subs bench but ready to be rolled out if needs be.

[seafoid]

Could be like Germany and Austria in the 82 world cup. They didn't want Algeria to qualify from the group. Starring Kerry as Algeria.

[RedHand88]

Could be like Germany and Austria in the 82 world cup. They didn't want Algeria to qualify from the group. Starring Kerry as Algeria.

Perfectly legitimate analogy. 

[galwayman]

Neither side wants the Dubs in the semi final though so it’s not that straightforward.

[Jinxy]

Monaghan know exactly what they need to do.
Galway on the other hand might be a bit wishy-washy.

[GalwayBayBoy]

Good to see Ian Burke getting a bit of recognition finally although Kevin Walsh might prefer if he wasn't in the minds of opposition coaches so much.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/gaa/ian-burke-is-as-important-as-damien-comer-to-galway-857694.html

Perched in the Hogan Stand last St Patrick’s Day for the AIB All-Ireland Club SFC final, it was clear we were watching an attacking master craftsman at work for Corofin.

And no, we are not talking about Martin Farragher, scorer of six points in open play.

Instead we are referring to a man Joe Brolly called the “consummate footballer” on The Sunday Game, Ian Burke.
The roaming corner-forward, something a man on the field that day in Tomás Ó Sé acknowledged, also on The Sunday Game, tormented Nemo Rangers. Scratch that, we’ll go with mesmerised.

Burke is not particularly imposing physically, but he has the Goliath of footballing brains. Added to that, he has the vision of a shrewd snooker player, the real top-level ones that think four, five and six shots ahead of their opponent. And both his brain and vision allow Burke to appreciate space more efficiently than the other players around him.

Burke raised just two white flags against Nemo, and one in St Conleth’s Park in Newbridge last Sunday.

Yet, on those occasions, and as has generally been the case throughout this year for club and county, I would strongly doubt any other player in the country has directly contributed to as many scores for his teammates than Burke. The man must have the highest assist count in the land.

When Galway get Burke on the ball in the opposition’s defensive third of the field, scores tend to follow.

Traditionalists that prefer the use of the foot as a player’s greatest weapon might lavish less praise on Burke. However, he is arguably the deadliest fist-passer of a ball in the game at present.

After he drops off his marker to turn and face the goal the Tribesmen are attacking, Burke sees the landscape in front of him as Magnus Carlsen would a chessboard.

And his execution of a pass that links the play so effectively is devastating. Short kick-passes and handpasses might seem like the easiest things in the world to get right. However, at that level you have so little time to get the execution on the money that they are far tougher exercises than some people might suggest.

And, as we saw in Monaghan’s last attack in added-time against Kerry when the game was there for them to win again, if a handpass is mistimed or misplaced even a tiny bit, an offensive play can breakdown easily.

Yet, with Burke around, Galway do not have that problem. Obviously, no player is going to be completely accurate and penetrative with his plays, but the forward in question is right at the top of his game currently and whichever team meets the westerners in the All-Ireland semi-final, they will have a task on their hands to nullify him.

While some will point to Damien Comer as being Galway’s central attacking operator, there is a swell of support behind the theory that Burke’s presence is of equal importance.

Galway, basically, would not be half as effective offensively without him.

Therefore, their potential opponents may be based served to man-mark Burke in the last four of the All-Ireland series.

Of course, even then he may still have the desired impact on the game Kevin Walsh and co so desire.

[joemamas]

Monaghan know exactly what they need to do.
Galway on the other hand might be a bit wishy-washy.

True,
Do they go baldheaded for it and end up losing by a point or two and risk a key injury for a game a week later.
One thing for sure Monaghan wont be holding back.
I think Monaghan win in either scenario.

[Pocaide]

Do think Galway will go all out for the win to avoid Dublin. Probably will rest maybe two or three of the starting 15.

[Jinxy]

If I was Galway or Monaghan, I'd rather play the Dubs in a semi-final.
They'll be going in on the back of a 20 point hammering of the Rossies.

[Duine Eile]

Poor Paul Conroy actually has breaks in both his legs after the Kerry game. Hopefully his recovery goes well for him. I hope we see the likes of Danny Cummins, Kieran Molloy, Adrian Varley etc get a start in this game, of course they're going to want to win and top the group but putting out a full team after a busy few weeks, possibly losing or picking up unnecessary black/red cards would be madness. We're going to have to play Dublin at some stage if we have notions about this team, what does it matter whether it's a semi final or a final.

[Jinxy]

I've never heard of anyone in any field sport breaking both their legs at the same time.
Talk about bad luck.

[Duine Eile]

I've never heard of anyone in any field sport breaking both their legs at the same time.
Talk about bad luck.

Right leg not as bad as the left but still rotten luck.

[galwayman]

If I was Galway or Monaghan, I'd rather play the Dubs in a semi-final.
They'll be going in on the back of a 20 point hammering of the Rossies.

Sure that makes no difference to them. They go into their quarter and semi finals most years on the back of hammering somebody.
And they are already top of the group so will rest a heap of their main men anyway.

[Jinxy]

Nerves more of an issue on final day.