Clare v Galway - The return of GerLock

[mouview]

On a night of horrors perhaps the most terrifying thing of all about Sat. evening was the resurrection of that great zombie of Galway hurling who climbed out of the grave and stalked Cusack Park - the spectre of the 'one-handed hurler'. How many times did you see Tony Og (absolutely rubbish), Ger Mahon, Hayes et al taking several attempts to rise the ball only for it to be knocked away eventually or taken off them? To repeat, Tony Og is now simply desperate, Mahon with his hurl constantly aloft looks like a lad running around after a bullock with a stick, Tierney waaay too inconsistent, Forde too limited, Cloonan (though one of the better performers) too slow, Tannian too tentative - where do I stop? I've never seen ball striking from a Galway side as bad - how many times did they hit tame shots into the Clare goalie's hands or harmlessly wide? Where has all the skill and drive from 2 years ago gone? What has Gerlock done to them? Answers to Jaws if there's anyone left now who cares.

[johnneycool]

Whilst it was a shocking standard of hurling from both teams I still think Galway have more scope for improvement and was about to say will go further than Clare later on but it seems that if they beat Antrim will have Kilkenny in the quarter final. A huge task for any team let alone one low on confidence.

Whilst the narrowing of Cusack park certainly caused Galway problems due to lack of physique, the decision to deploy Kerins as a loose man behind his half back line invited Clare onto them and with the Galway fullback(s) all at sea it was only a matter of time before the rigging was hit and it was this that let Clare take the lead in the second half. Fegal Healy was the pick of the Galway defenders over the 70 minutes.

On a side issue i don't think too many Clare people will be hankering after Davy Fitz much longer if their new keeper keeps up those levels of performance. (Another kiss of death after my John Lee comment)

[AZOffaly]

I don't think Ger Loughnane places too much emphasis on the skills of the game, per se. His biggest factors for success are drive, determination, will to win and never say die. He runs the shite out of lads for months to toughen them up mentally for games.

The thing about that is, you have to have a certain outlook and mentallity already as a player for that to work with you. Clare had it, and were able to fill in the gaps around Jamsie, Seanie Mc, Lynch and Anthony Daly, who were their only real stick men in my opinion. Galway are, and have been a totally different kettle of fish, and rely much more on 'Leinster' style hurling (pre 2000 at least), flicks, speed and open spaces. Wristy hurlers as such. That sort of game needs constant tuning, or you can lose split seconds, which translates into foostering in a championship game.

I think Ger has been emphasising the former, and neglecting the latter in Galway this year. Some teams don't care whether they win ugly or win beautiful. Clare won ugly, Kilkenny can win both ways, as can Cork. I think Galway can only win beautiful.

[Punxsutawney Fergal]

I think Ger has been emphasising the former, and neglecting the latter in Galway this year. Some teams don't care whether they win ugly or win beautiful. Clare won ugly, Kilkenny can win both ways, as can Cork. I think Galway can only win beautiful.

Could not have put it better, get this man on RTE

[Jim_Murphy_74]

On a side issue i don't think too many Clare people will be hankering after Davy Fitz much longer if their new keeper keeps up those levels of performance. (Another kiss of death after my John Lee comment)

Brennan has a much better-directed puckout than Fitz ever had.   Fitz drove it long/high but never accurately.  Cost Clare the game against Cork in 2005 and made Gardiner's life a lot easier.  Presuming Laois are beaten then a Clare victory against Limerick will ensure a second year for Tony Considine.  This in turn will cement Brennan's place and Davy's retirement.   All achievable compare to Ger who'll have to get Galway past the All-Ireland champions to save the bacon!


As for John Lee, Diarmuid McMahon did very well on him.  Diarmuid will never give you a Dan the man 3-3 performance but as a classic "stopper" he will limit the influence of a centre-back.  It's an important task and should never be underestimated.

/Jim.

[FTJC]

They have gone noticeably backwards this year. I was never going to back them to win the All-Ireland but thought that under Loughane they might show signs of going in the right direction. More speed, strength and power in their play but what they're doing is the total opposite. They're sluggish and weak. Some of the guys who used to be big men are now just tall thin lads. Lee, Collins, Regan, Eoin Lynch, Kavanagh all these guys have shed too many pounds and have lost alot of their power without showing any increase in pace. Cloonan is too slow and David Forde can't hurl...then again it isn't just last Saturday we found that out.

I believe Hartmann drew up the physical plan and they have followed it. Now far be it from me to question Hartmanns methods and their implementation....maybe the plan states they're due to peak at one minute to 3 before the ball is thrown in against Kilkenny!!

[INDIANA]

would disagree about the analysis of the coaching ability of loughnane. i saw a few of the training sessions before everyone was kicked out of them and the speed they moved the ball at in the drills was unreal.Loughnane would be in the centre like a ringmaster screaming at them. The Clare players had been hockeyed in two Munster finals- and also included guys who never thought they would ever play at county level.In other words they bought 100% into what he was doing.
Galway are different-most of their players have won minor-u21 club all-irelands and probaly can't buy into his methods of training because it's so different to what they are used to. I think Loughnane won't get anything out of Galway running the shite out of them.It's isn't in their psychological make-up -they've always been hurlers. Clare had 6-7 hurlers- 3-4 fitness freaks and 4 sledgers and because cork-kilkenny were at their lowest ebb for 20 years they made the breakthrough.
This time it's different- you have 2 of the best cork and kilkenny teams in history.Galway have terrific skillful hurlers in their squad and will only have a chance against the others using that skill. by the looks of saturday they've been doing no hurling training. If Loughnane doesn't change he'd be better off leaving because what worked with Clare won't work anywhere else-it was a unique situation. As for this crack of naming the team in the huddle- is he having  alaugh? Wouldn't surprise if he wanted to lose the game so he'd get Kilkenny.

[FTJC]

Right it's time to bite the bullet and put out a right team for the next 2 games. Cut out the sh*tehawking Loughnane and leave this 15 on the park against Antrim for at least 60 minutes.

1.Callanan - has done OK since he came in

2.Joyce - Has to start. Tigerish and committed
3.Mahon - He's the future we have to start him.
4.Moore - Played well the last day. Deserves his spot

5.Kavanagh - Strong, good clearance, and fitter than Hardi.
6.Lee - He's our future at No.6
7.Collins - Playing him in the corner was a joke. This is his spot.

8.F Healy - Best stickman in Galway. Showed it the last day.
9.A Kerins - Roamed well the last day and midfield would probably suit him.

10.A Callanan - Has been one of the best performers in the club championship and has largely been forgotten(by myself included)
11.Tannian - He's our future at No.11. Leave him there and let him settle.
12.Murray - Played OK the last day. Deserves another day out.

13.Broderick - Has to start to see if he really has got the sparkle back.
14.Wade - Deserves a shot at No.14. He's the club championship top scorer. Good free-taker.
15.Hayes - I'd give him license to go anywhere out as far as the 65.

The above line out has big men up the middle bar No.14. Our half-back and half-forward lines are our tallest players. All 15 are good pacy hurlers and that inside line is lethal if it got the right supply of ball which I feel Healy and Kerins are capable of giving. All of the guys from midfield up are able to take a score. Even our half backs shouldn't be afraid of having a pop. It's sh*t or bust time for these guys now.

[mouview]

Close enough Joeen in fairness, though I wouldn't have Mahon next, nigh or near the team. See my previous messages to see my thoughts on him. Even Diarmuid or Conor Dervan, slow though he is, would be better. In my team, Niall Healy might displace Broderick who once again could be used (hopefully much better this time round) as an impact sub. Equally Tannian would want to include a bit more drive in his play to hold off Mark Kerins. Ger Farragher may yet have a say in the c'ship this year. David Collins is a good lad with the right attitude but needs to pull his socks up a bit also - restoring him to wing-back would be a help admittedly.