Dublin v Monaghan - Parnell Park - 13/03/10

[heffo]

Dublin seem to have really tightened up their defence this year so it'll be hard to engineer scores

Bear in mind that if Mayo had not missed an open goal, hit another 17 wides and left another 5 shots short, they would have engineered a score of 2-30 against our "tightened up" defence!

In fairness some of the new lads at the back have been doing well. In particular I like Fitzsimons. Conlon, O'Carroll, McMahon have had decent outings too. But our system of play needs a massive improvement from the last day out.

Take your point completely but we've had enough glorious defeats playing swashbucking/naive (insert where appropriate) football, that I'll take a lucky narrow win playing ugly at this stage

We seem to have real options all over the pitch now and some of the regulars who are out currently are going to struggle to feature IMO - I only see four regulars - Brogans x 2, Keaney & Cahill getting back in

[GrandMasterFlash]

Take your point completely but we've had enough glorious defeats playing swashbucking/naive (insert where appropriate) football, that I'll take a lucky narrow win playing ugly at this stage

Are you implying that it won't be free-flowing or 'one for the purists' football Heffo?? 

[heffo]

Take your point completely but we've had enough glorious defeats playing swashbucking/naive (insert where appropriate) football, that I'll take a lucky narrow win playing ugly at this stage

Are you implying that it won't be free-flowing or 'one for the purists' football Heffo?? 

I think it'll be reminiscent of a Down v Kerry game from the mid 60's - catch and kick - no 13 men behind the ball, one you'll tell your grandkids about!

[INDIANA]

Take your point completely but we've had enough glorious defeats playing swashbucking/naive (insert where appropriate) football, that I'll take a lucky narrow win playing ugly at this stage

Are you implying that it won't be free-flowing or 'one for the purists' football Heffo?? 

Will be  a shootout of the freetakers. Mc Manus and Finlay vs Benard and Keaney.

Both sides play very defensively.

[thebandit]

How's Dick's counselling going Main Street? Is he alright now. I know it was a difficult experience for him

You may mock Indiana but that episode affected Dick much deeper that we feared. Post Parnell pk, the trauma set in motion a slow decline for Dick, he had a hard time last year and never really got going, even cowards like the Derry players started to laugh at him and gave him the odd kick when his back was turned, without any fear of retribution.  He was emasculated, a paltry shadow of the fearless warrior he once was.

Dick has rehabilatated himself over the winter. Not only is the testosterone back flowing like a raging torrent (eg.yellow card after 5 minutes) but he looks leaner, athletic and more skillful. I am actually astonished. I now believe in the power of the Holy Spirit.

The wee bit of boxing training did him the world of good

I thought his point in Inniskeen was a turning point the last day, I know he maybe should have passed with the goal on, but to barrel past 3 men from a bad starting position on the sideline and take it on himself gave us imetus at an important time.

[Canalman]

Should be imo a bumper car of a game. PP is a remarkably tight pitch......... played there many a time while unfit and never struggled ( while getting roasted on other pitches). Will be a tight game but I think Dublin will shade it. Honestly think Monaghan have gone back a tad (not by a huge amount) and probably needed a new face at the helm ......... McEneaney  imo has brought them as far as he could to be fair to him.

Might be the lengthening days but I think that the future for Dublin football is not as bad as I thought last Summer....... the 3 "O's" from Crokes will tighten up the defence and I can see some fighting for places in the near future.

Have my doubts about our midfield though and think that Fennell will be caught out badly later in the year. Don't rate McConnell or think McGee is consistent enough.

If and it is a big if Keaney plays to his ability then we will be hard to beat . Wouldn't deem Alan Brogan as a definite starter (never thought I would ever say that).

[INDIANA]

Should be imo a bumper car of a game. PP is a remarkably tight pitch......... played there many a time while unfit and never struggled ( while getting roasted on other pitches). Will be a tight game but I think Dublin will shade it. Honestly think Monaghan have gone back a tad (not by a huge amount) and probably needed a new face at the helm ......... McEneaney  imo has brought them as far as he could to be fair to him.

Might be the lengthening days but I think that the future for Dublin football is not as bad as I thought last Summer....... the 3 "O's" from Crokes will tighten up the defence and I can see some fighting for places in the near future.

Have my doubts about our midfield though and think that Fennell will be caught out badly later in the year. Don't rate McConnell or think McGee is consistent enough.

If and it is a big if Keaney plays to his ability then we will be hard to beat . Wouldn't deem Alan Brogan as a definite starter (never thought I would ever say that).

If you don't deem Alan Brogan a definite starter you need to lie down and get some rest. Possibly the most ludricrous assessment I've seen on this website in quite some time.
Every other Dublin forward has packed it in bar none on the big days- he hasn't- not even once and you can trawl through every Dublin video in the championship over the last 7-8 years. I wouldn't start any other Dublin forward ahead of him.
A lof of Dublin fans are already losing the run of themselves.

[Canalman]

Have to disagree with you there Indiana. Don't think any county should have a "definite starter" on the panel. Alan, while a favourite of mine will have to wrest his place back from a member of a winning team and that is how it should be.
Saw in person the work ethic currently in place in person while at game in Killarney and wondered to myself if AB would buy into all that. Just a personal observation.

Personally would only rate Barry Cahill, Bermard Brogan, Cian O'Sullivan as our "bankers" come Summer time. The rest are "droppable".

[INDIANA]

Have to disagree with you there Indiana. Don't think any county should have a "definite starter" on the panel. Alan, while a favourite of mine will have to wrest his place back from a member of a winning team and that is how it should be.
Saw in person the work ethic currently in place in person while at game in Killarney and wondered to myself if AB would buy into all that. Just a personal observation.

Personally would only rate Barry Cahill, Bermard Brogan, Cian O'Sullivan as our "bankers" come Summer time. The rest are "droppable".

The same Bernard who contributed nothing against Kerry? Bernard has no top class championship performance against a top class team yet and you want to build a team around him?

[heffo]

Should be imo a bumper car of a game. PP is a remarkably tight pitch......... played there many a time while unfit and never struggled ( while getting roasted on other pitches). Will be a tight game but I think Dublin will shade it. Honestly think Monaghan have gone back a tad (not by a huge amount) and probably needed a new face at the helm ......... McEneaney  imo has brought them as far as he could to be fair to him.

Might be the lengthening days but I think that the future for Dublin football is not as bad as I thought last Summer....... the 3 "O's" from Crokes will tighten up the defence and I can see some fighting for places in the near future.

Have my doubts about our midfield though and think that Fennell will be caught out badly later in the year. Don't rate McConnell or think McGee is consistent enough.

If and it is a big if Keaney plays to his ability then we will be hard to beat . Wouldn't deem Alan Brogan as a definite starter (never thought I would ever say that).

Every other Dublin forward has packed it in bar none on the big days- he hasn't- not even once and you can trawl through every Dublin video in the championship over the last 7-8 years. I wouldn't start any other Dublin forward ahead of him.

Have to agree with you there - he has delivered the goods for eight years at championship level and even on dark days for the team in general, he has stood out.

Bernard is without a doubt a huge talent, but we have to be realistic - the game in Leinster v Westmeath last year was the first time he completed a full game for Dublin and was last seen firmly in Tom O'Sullivans back pocket - he will undoubtedly fulfill his potential, but right now, Alan is the one with the credits built up to be a definite starter..

[Maguire01]

Looking forward to this game - it's a hard one to call.

Dublin will be favourites, but i'm not sure they're as good as their 6 points suggests.

I was at the game in Killarney and have no doubt that Monaghan would have beaten Kerry on that day. Whilst Dublin looked good, Kerry were very poor.

Then Dublin beat Derry. A good result, but it's hard to know where Derry are at, given their mixed bag of results.

As for the Mayo game, I didn't see any of it, but from what i've heard (and as mentioned earlier in this thread) Mayo kicked themselves our of the game and even with the collosal number of wides, Dublin only won by the minimum.

As for Monaghan, I missed the first two games, but reports were that the performance against Cork was pretty good (albeit very loose in defence). We were in the Galway game right up until Finlay was sent off. Then on Sunday, we managed to shake the Tyrone monkey off our back.

Now before anyone gets excited, i'm not saying Monaghan will have no problem here, just that it would be very foolish to predict this game on the basis of position on the table. There's a lot more behind the points.

[Hound]

I'm in the camp of Alan Brogan being a definite starter. Our best forward in my view, still a good head in front of his brother in second.

Our win last week was in spite of our style of play rather than because of it. If Mayo had played like that in our swashbuckling/naive era, we would have broken the Castlebar hoodoo long before now!

Don't think Keaney is playing this weekend.

[INDIANA]

Should be imo a bumper car of a game. PP is a remarkably tight pitch......... played there many a time while unfit and never struggled ( while getting roasted on other pitches). Will be a tight game but I think Dublin will shade it. Honestly think Monaghan have gone back a tad (not by a huge amount) and probably needed a new face at the helm ......... McEneaney  imo has brought them as far as he could to be fair to him.

Might be the lengthening days but I think that the future for Dublin football is not as bad as I thought last Summer....... the 3 "O's" from Crokes will tighten up the defence and I can see some fighting for places in the near future.

Have my doubts about our midfield though and think that Fennell will be caught out badly later in the year. Don't rate McConnell or think McGee is consistent enough.

If and it is a big if Keaney plays to his ability then we will be hard to beat . Wouldn't deem Alan Brogan as a definite starter (never thought I would ever say that).

Every other Dublin forward has packed it in bar none on the big days- he hasn't- not even once and you can trawl through every Dublin video in the championship over the last 7-8 years. I wouldn't start any other Dublin forward ahead of him.

Have to agree with you there - he has delivered the goods for eight years at championship level and even on dark days for the team in general, he has stood out.

Bernard is without a doubt a huge talent, but we have to be realistic - the game in Leinster v Westmeath last year was the first time he completed a full game for Dublin and was last seen firmly in Tom O'Sullivans back pocket - he will undoubtedly fulfill his potential, but right now, Alan is the one with the credits built up to be a definite starter..

Thats pretty much my view as well.
It never ceases to amaze me the contingent of fans out there who have yet to recognise the talent he has and how others are anointed on the basis of a few league games and championship games against bad teams.

[INDIANA]

Looking forward to this game - it's a hard one to call.

Dublin will be favourites, but i'm not sure they're as good as their 6 points suggests.

I was at the game in Killarney and have no doubt that Monaghan would have beaten Kerry on that day. Whilst Dublin looked good, Kerry were very poor.

Then Dublin beat Derry. A good result, but it's hard to know where Derry are at, given their mixed bag of results.

As for the Mayo game, I didn't see any of it, but from what i've heard (and as mentioned earlier in this thread) Mayo kicked themselves our of the game and even with the collosal number of wides, Dublin only won by the minimum.

As for Monaghan, I missed the first two games, but reports were that the performance against Cork was pretty good (albeit very loose in defence). We were in the Galway game right up until Finlay was sent off. Then on Sunday, we managed to shake the Tyrone monkey off our back.

Now before anyone gets excited, i'm not saying Monaghan will have no problem here, just that it would be very foolish to predict this game on the basis of position on the table. There's a lot more behind the points.

So in other words Monaghan only have to turn up- interesting.

[Main Street]

 

In other words, Dublin will have to firing on all cylinders to justify the hot favourites tag of 1/2.
The league is a notoriously unreliable barometer of where a team is in their preparations.
Like Maguire I believe that Monaghan will make a  'good fist' of it.
I don't know what part Grimley has brought to the mix but overall the team has absorbed 6 or 7 newcomers into the line up and managed to up their overall quality of performance as compared to last year,  re confidence, some good football, free kicks converted from all angles, young McManus and fitness levels.