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[Apparently he didn't touch the ball inside the Dutch box in 120 mins]

Golden Boot is decided on by the journalists I think. They vote on the award before the final.

Messi was man of the match in 4 out of the 6 games he played before the final.

Apparently he didn't touch the ball inside the Dutch box in 120 mins. Missed a sitter in the final too. But yeah, v good against Iran.

He didn't touch the ball inside the Dutch box for 120 mins... Maybe had more to do with the tactics of both teams, the Arges played really defensively in the semi, and the tactics (along with the dutch high offside line, kept Messi and co away from the box. The dutch didn't have a single shot on target in the first 90 mins, does that mean Robbin had a bad World Cup.

The in final, Messi missed the sitter, I agree, but he also had an effort cleared off the line.

I just don't understand how black and white some of the opinions are about Messi. HE didn't play to his amazing standards, but he didn't play terrible either

Messi

I don't understand how anybody could be overly critical of Messi's performance last night or in the whole World Cup.

I thought the man who the German's clearly had game planned for, was the centre of most of Argentina's attacking play last night. The fact that the German's controlled the ball for long periods shouldn't negatively impact the opinion of Messi's performance (i.e he went missing for long periods when his team didn't have the ball). Compare how well Messi did to Muller etc, who played on a team who controlled the ball, and had less impact.

As an attacking player, with the exceptions of Lavezzi, he was the only one between Germany and Argentina who performed anything close to expections. He nearly got two passes in the box to players in better positions, only for great last second German defending. Had one shot saved off the line after an amazing run. Gave a great pass to the winger who crossed for the offside goal, and of course missed the one on one.

He was the only man in the tournament to be marked by three players all the time, yet significantly contibutedin every game .

For example, Switzerland, layed on the pass for the final goal. Belgium, amazing skill and pass which resulted in the blocked shot that was volleyed in. Holland, put a couple of players through who should have scored

And for the comments comparing him to Maradonna, does nobody remember the 86 final. Maradonna was totally played out of the game, except for two passes for goals. But Messi's performance last night was better that Maradonna's in 86, and was getting on the ball and challenging the Germans.

Last point, instead of talking about Messi, the whole conversation should be around Lavezzi, why was he taken off? He was creating space for Messi, that was missed once he was taken off

I must admit, looking back now on my old alma mater, St Patrick's Maghera, they were 30 / 40 years ahead of the game.

The academic structure there is that it is open to all students, regardless of performance of 11 plus.

In 1st year, kids are put into classes aligned with ability, so you finished up with a vocational school, with a grammar stream.

Each year after, the kids are continuously realigned according to ability, so someone who failed the 11 plus, but performed well in school, could move up, and vice versa.

However, when you come to GCSE's, your subject elective choices leads to a cross fertilization of sorts, where a class could have a mixture of students across the ability range

I believe that it was a fair solution, and it supported respect across the student body. No snobbery etc

And when it came to sports, the school wasn't compromising there academic philosophy by "sneaking players in for sports" who otherwise would meet there normal academic standards.

If somebody moves home to  a new location, then they are free to transfer due to the parish rule. Therefore, a Rasharkin lad could transfer to a another club, and the county would be in trouble if it blocked it. If the Rasharkin sec and the new club sec signed the transfer forms then the lads would be free to transfer.

Regarding the Rasharkin lads.

Any of the lads who were individualy suspended, will serve there suspensions.

The rest of the suspensions are not individual, but are team / club suspensions.

That means R'kin players can play for 3rd level education teams, county teams, and even get 60 day sanctions for overseas. But they cannot repersent Rasharkin

The county can't block inter club / inter county transfer either, if there is a just reason for the transfer, or they will be open up to legal proceedings.

 UCC can play in Munster, but if any of their players  have a club team in the Munster championship, they have to declare for their club

handpassing doesn't annoy me. Maybe limiting the number of players in defense.

More importantly, lets bring back the hitting into football. It's too soft. lets allow shoulder tackles to stand (as they do in hurling)

For me, the discussion is focusing on the wrong topic.

I look at this from an "International Dimension" point of view. Does the GAA really want to develop a really strong, grassroots organization? Or does it view it as social expat sports?

From a NY perspective, a number of clubs are putting in great work at youth level, Brooklyn Shamrocks, Rockland, Raymond's, St. Barns. etc, etc. What does the GAA (US and Ireland) need to do to ensure we at least maintain the efforts, but more importantly, expand this good work.

With NY ladies, this is an ideal PR opportunity, get US airtime, newspaper space on a feel good story, and promot a competitive sport.

In the US, we need to get the sports into schools and colleges (scholarships). This is a great sport, and it could take off. But does GAA HQ really want it to take off?

In this particular case, where the majority of girls are "home based", surely the GAA (not just LGAA) should fund it.

They have wasted countless monies on All Star trips to the back end of nowhere (in gaa circles) to promote the game. Achieving nothing.

The spend countless monies on the compromised rules, which does nothing to promote gaelic games.

Here we have girls born in the states. Clubs provided good coaching. End result, an international based team that are able to compete with Irish teams.

Is this not the model that the GAA should be aspiring too to spread the word and make it an internation game???

BTW, NYGAA are not even promoting it agressively. WTF. They are cut from the same cloth as HQ

People are missing the point about the gym monkies 'v' coaching

Any intercounty footballer should have the basic skills, so does he need to be coached in the traditional sense on the skills. He shouldn't.

But at intercounty level, he will need to be able to execute the skills under a high intensty pressure from other players etc. The fitter, stronger they are, the more capable they will be to carry out the drills.

I had the pleasure to watch the All Blacks and Aussies in training a number of years ago, and the physically intensity in there drills was alarming. There was no physical work, just high intensity drills

We asked you of their trainers regarding the absence of fitness work, he stated that the have already run the sh@t out of them for two months, so the have the fitness levels to complete the drills and bring it into the game.

In my opinion, Dublin training schedule fitted into this mind set. They were now fit enough to execute their skills for a full 72 minutes.

haranguerer

I always thought that he was good. but yesterday I thought he was great. On hindsight, wrong choice of words in my original post.

Previously, I never liked his head down running style, running into trouble alot (especially in the big games). I didn't see much of that yesrterday

Dinny
Agreed (Sullivan going to ground) but I always view this differently than purposly trying to get someone sent off with the "shoot by the sniper dive" a la Donaghy.

The dark arts of forward play (under pressure and a defender throws in a lazy hand, down you go), must be considered with the dark arts of defending (half fouling everytime to slow down the forward). Both cancel each other out.

So I agree that both things are unslightly, but one is part of the game (winning fouls) the other belongs to another sport.

Christ, the ref in the hurling game took a bigger slap than Donaghy and stayed on his feet

Regarding the Brennan - O'Sullivan incident. Can we stop complaining / analysing it. If you want to talk about, how about bringing in the fact that O'sullivan shouldn't have been on the field after he broke the half backs nose with his elbow in the first half.

BTW, don't believe that any of them should have been sent off, can we not have the same level of physicallity in football that we have in hurling.

Regarding Brennan's hand in the face. We should be analysing Donaghy's reaction. Worse than the Donegal reaction to Connelly in the semi.

Last point. Never really rated Darren O'Sullivan before. Yesterday I thought he was fantastic, and I would have given him the MOTM. In the first half when Kerry were under the cosh, he was brillant, and in the second half, when Kerry were turning the screw, I though that he was in the middle of a lot of Kerry's moves. Brillant performance from him, best play on view in my opinion.

Have to agree with a lot of the comments regarding Tomas.

The thing that I like about him is that he walks the line everytime he plays. Really aggressive, but if someone gives it back to him, he doesn't moan or dive, just plays on.

in 05 when Tryone looked as if they were going to give Kerry a serious hiding, Tomas got the ball and drove down the field eventually leading to a goal. The rest of the match was nip and tuck. I always viewed that particular play was the greatest insight into his mental strength. He didn't lay down. Didn't wait for someone else to take leadership. Just took the ball and drove on.

Looking at the photo now, I believe that these two acts could be used on every child coaching course as an example of how the games is meant to be played. Play hard, never stop, and at the end of the game you don't win, shake you opponents had and say fair fcuks

Def agree about basics, or lack of them

In two years being coached by him, we never practiced high catching in pressure drills, taclking in pressure drills.

The games that we played were full of crazy stuff. Like the attacking team would only be allow one forward to score. Result, stupid passes, bad team play, and the players knew it too.

The problem that I had with him, was that when you expressed opinions that were contrary to his about one of his drills, his response was that you didn't understand what the drill was about.

What he didn't understand, was that you could see it for what it was, crap drill