Where now for Galway?????

MaroonAndWhite · July 21, 2007, 07:26:35 PM

Its been two bad years for us football followers down Wesht..........the post mortem is inevitable. Where do we go now? Who's for the chop? Who should have been in the senior panel that wasnt??

Denn Forever · July 21, 2007, 07:57:37 PM

Don't know but some very wierd decisions? Padraig Clancey not starting and when he came on, where did he play? Lisstening to the radio, he seemed to be around the midfield. Is Forde for the drop

Leo · July 21, 2007, 07:58:15 PM

I like Galway football and this team has some lovely footballers. Unfortunately that wins nothing these days and you need big mean men like Meath, Dublin, Tyrone etc., or at least a few of them in key positions. I watched the game today and Galway seemed tame, without urgency, some nice moves, great individual skills. If Carlsberg played football they'd probably play the nicest football in the world ...... but this game is for hardy porter drinkers these days.

Barney · July 21, 2007, 08:04:20 PM

Forde has to be a goner now. Galway need one of their own to steer them through a 3/4 year transition project. There is potential in the team but the style of play has to be changed to maximise their strengths up front. The first half today it was tough dour defensive stuff. They got caught out and when they reverted to playing football had Meath under pressure.

its a bad year for the west all in all. With due respect to Sligo the rest of the pack came back for them to get over the line. I don't think they'll be competitive in the quarters. Mayo were dire. Roscommon might even have been worse. Leitrim were honest but still well short. Up until last year in the minor the previous four or five years saw Connacht teams losing in the quarters of the minor championship. The standard in the province was low - maybe there are a few dark years ahead for all of us?

orangeman · July 21, 2007, 09:17:08 PM

I thought Pagraig Joyce looked unfit - was he injured or is time catching up on him ?

Tyrones own · July 21, 2007, 09:59:57 PM

How did M. Meehan do?

GalwayBayBoy · July 21, 2007, 10:21:55 PM

Well I'll give a longer more specific Galway post mortem maybe tomorrow but I have to say that I think football in Connacht is on a bit of a downward slope at present. I might get pelters for saying it but when the Sligos and Leitrims are winning Connacht titles it's a sure sign that the likes of Galway and Mayo are at a low ebb. This is just the reality of the situation and I think people know it deep down. No disrespect to Sligo who are as deserving as anyone of their success and I'll be cheering them on but the standard of football in Connacht is dreadfully low at present.

Galway, Mayo and Roscommon all have teams ranging from poor to middling right now and with the former two about to lose some big names to retirement I don't see it changing in the next year or two. I saw the Carlow minors playing Laois last weekend and I'm not even sure if the Connacht champions Galway will beat them in the quarters. For a Galway football fan to even entertain the notion of losing to Carlow in the past would have seen you committed to the nut house but not any more.

Yes Galway, Mayo and Roscommon have all won either U-21 or minor Al-Ireland's recently but as we all know underage success guarantees absolutely nothing. As you can tell I'm quite pessimistic about the immediate future of Connacht football. I feel we may be entering a bit of a slump for the next few years. However sometimes it gets darkest before the dawn.

mannix · July 21, 2007, 10:24:59 PM

They cannot go on forever,p joyce and co are near the end of the road and as it is in mayo new young lads are needed and they must be big,fast and tough with a will to fight, i reckon the fight is gone for most of the older lads except when they meet mayo.

dodo · July 21, 2007, 10:30:59 PM

Quote from: Tyrones own on July 21, 2007, 09:59:57 PM

How did M. Meehan do?

Micheál Meehan had a decent game. Showed well for ball and took Fay for a point when you would of expected Fay to make the score more difficult for him. Won the penalty when there was no apparent foul commited, took the penalty and blasted it past Murphy in the Meath net.

Forde has to be finished now in Galway. A highly rated manager prior to taking over the Tribesmen, now his stock is greatly fallen. Was it that his management style was unsuited to Galway ? I don't rightly know. It will be very interesting who will take over from him as they seem rudderless and stale for the last few years. Only raising it for Mayo match in this years championship.

paulocon · July 21, 2007, 10:34:12 PM

GalwayBayBoy,

Exactly the conversation we had in the pub before the games today - I think Connaught football is at a low ebb and would be suprised to see Sligo make any impact in the QF's.. Have to say I nearly fell off the seat with some of the kicking by Sligo in the Connaught final but they still managed to win it despite themselves..

Stayed on for the first half of the Galway game today and there is a strange mix of old and young on the team. Watched the 2nd half in the pub and dragging on the battled-hardened veterans looked like a desperate throw of the dice. To me, it looks like Galway need to move on and rebuild. I think the GAA needs a strong Galway and Mayo team..

Farrandeelin · July 21, 2007, 10:51:01 PM

Well said GBB. Mayo are totally out of all grades including u-16 Ted Webb Cup now. Connacht needs Mayo and Galway to be strong. I think Connacht will be the weakest of the provinces for a few years now. I said that a few years back but Mayo came and beat the Dubs last year. Hopefully it will only be for a few years and not something like the 32 year famine..

darbyo · July 21, 2007, 11:37:41 PM

I feel a lot of ye Connaught lads are being overly pessimistic, I think Silgo will acquit themselves well in the QF. If both Mayo and Galway focus on their younger players and rebuild they'll both be challenging for major honours within two years.

Mitch Bucannon · July 21, 2007, 11:50:39 PM

Watched the game today and have to say Galway were a well beaten team - much more than the scoreline suggested. The 'penalty,' which was extremely harsh to say the least only flattered to deceive. The problem for a few years seems to have been in defence with no more major problems in attack. Would any Galway people answer me a question. What is the verdict on this Kieran Fitzgerald fella? Always a lot of talk about him but he is roasted nearly every game I watch and never taken off. Personally I think he's out of his depth at this level.

MaroonAndWhite · July 22, 2007, 12:07:01 AM

I think theres the guts of a decent team there if they can get a bit more direction in their attacking play. Defensively we are relatively sound bar the calamitous five mins before half time when all and sundry fell asleep.
Midfield is still a major problem, no football in Cullinane at all. On another thread i heard him compared to O'Domhnaill which would be about right. He seems more concerned with niggling off the ball than anything else. Coleman is a wing forward....doesnt have aerial ability for midfield. Geraghty is not the answer either. I wonder has Kevin Walsh any sons???!
The forwards play as individuals and unfortunately, the ball going into them is terrible for this level of football. Hoofing aimless high ball in doesnt constitute quick ball. No support runners, and little teamwork by 10-15.
It should be a tempting job to an outside manager.....theres good players there but they need some structure, a game plan.......any plan really.
It would be a sad way for some lads to go out but its time to move on from 6 years ago......i think some of the lads havent. We're second tier now and the sooner we realise it the better

GalwayBayBoy · July 22, 2007, 02:07:50 AM

QuoteIt would be a sad way for some lads to go out but its time to move on from 6 years ago

It's very sad alright as not many counties have our tradition in the game. In itself that guarantees nothing but we expect to be dining at the top table even when we don't deserve to. We are a proud football county but we have to accept that we are building from the bottom floor again. It should be a fresh start next year with the last of the legendary old guard gone and a new coach. Probably a Galwayman who knows the young talent coming through. Don't ask me to name him though.

There is no hunger and very little spirit in the current team. Nobody wants to support a teammate and make a run for him. Too many individuals and no team ethic. No appetite for a battle. I expect more from players wearing the famous maroon and white but maybe I'm just naive like that.