All-Ireland U21 Football Championship 2014

[ross4life]

I didn't belittle Roscommon, they can only beat who is in front of them. However, on my opinion Connacht was a poor standard this year. Comparing a championship game to a challenge is just silly. Westside made a legitimate point when he said Ros would have benefitted from a tough game before playing Cork. I agree. The real problem on this thread is that some Ros contributors cannot accept any comment which doesn't declare Ros to be anything but a legendary team that can only be beaten by themselves, the ref or an act of God.

Feck it one final comment.

Never said you were. How much do you really know about what we beat? I wouldn't normally read anything into challenge games myself but it was before key championship games & both played strong sides which is rare for those matches.

We got a tough game against Sligo why have yourself & Westside ignored this? some Ros contributors or one just Ros poster with many posts? TBH even Galway supporters said at the time they had the rub of green against us in that Connacht final last April so that was legitimate point.

Now lads move on change the record. Best of luck to ye against the Dubs. We have injuries concerns going into this semi final one out another two doubtful that alone could swing a tight game.

[Syferus]

I didn't belittle Roscommon, they can only beat who is in front of them. However, on my opinion Connacht was a poor standard this year. Comparing a championship game to a challenge is just silly. Westside made a legitimate point when he said Ros would have benefitted from a tough game before playing Cork. I agree. The real problem on this thread is that some Ros contributors cannot accept any comment which doesn't declare Ros to be anything but a legendary team that can only be beaten by themselves, the ref or an act of God.

Feck it one final comment.

Never said you were. How much do you really know about what we beat? I wouldn't normally read anything into challenge games myself but it was before key championship games & both played strong sides which is rare for those matches.

We got a tough game against Sligo why have yourself & Westside ignored this? some Ros contributors or one just Ros poster with many posts? TBH even Galway supporters said at the time they had the rub of green against us in that Connacht final last April so that was legitimate point.

Now lads move on change the record. Best of luck to ye against the Dubs. We have injuries concerns going into this semi final one out another two doubtful that alone could swing a tight game.

Don't be a tool.

I expect that shite from Itchy but better from you.

[ross4life]

Don't be a tool.

I expect that shite from Itchy but better from you.

Jaysus good job i didn't mention you the on post. You aren't newbie anymore & i didn't realize you were highly sensitive either. It doesn't take much to get on the tits of Cavan supporters that much is known now, they probably need to cool the jets & stop reading "legendary Ros team" related posts.

[Syferus]

Don't be a tool.

I expect that shite from Itchy but better from you.

Jaysus good job i didn't mention you the on post. You aren't newbie anymore & i didn't realize you were highly sensitive either. It doesn't take much to get on the tits of Cavan supporters that much is known now, they probably need to cool the jets & stop reading "legendary Ros team" related posts.

I don't care about some fella with an axe to grind mis-representing what I say but another when it's someone I have a wee bit of respect for.

[mylestheslasher]

Roscommon are shite.

[Westside]

Connacht can be weak and Roscommon can still be good you know? Seems to me that this is obviously the case. The teams Cavan have played have had a greater number of successful underage sides recently and more Senior footballers in the ranks. I think Ulster was and almost always is tougher than Connacht. That in no way means Roscommon aren't possibly a better side than Cavan. In fact I'd imagine they are. Cavan had what it took to get out of Ulster. Roscommon, in my opinion, are more likely to win the All Ireland. They have the forwards and they have the history of competing outside of their province. Cavan don't.

[Syferus]

Connacht can be weak and Roscommon can still be good you know? Seems to me that this is obviously the case. The teams Cavan have played have had a greater number of successful underage sides recently and more Senior footballers in the ranks. I think Ulster was and almost always is tougher than Connacht. That in no way means Roscommon aren't possibly a better side than Cavan. In fact I'd imagine they are. Cavan had what it took to get out of Ulster. Roscommon, in my opinion, are more likely to win the All Ireland. They have the forwards and they have the history of competing outside of their province. Cavan don't.

In what sense? We both made recent U21 AI finals and but for conservative attacking play ye could have easily made another last year against Cork. We were bet by the last four AI champions but really both counties' fortunes have mirrored each other.

[Westside]

Cavan have won 5 underage titles since 2011. We've won one game against Wexford and we were relatively lucky to win that, Wexford kicked free after free wide despite cleaning us at midfield. But for a fantastic performance from Jack Brady and Niall McDermott we were in big trouble. That said it was 3 days after the Ulster Final.
Other than that we lost to Galway twice, Roscommon and Cork. The Cork game being the only decent performance. Roscommon have beaten Armagh, Cavan, and had very good performances against Tipperary and Dublin (both AI Champions)

I think this year we are in a much better position to challenge outside of Ulster but for me there is little doubt that Roscommon have performed much better in the All Ireland series.

[rodney trotter]

Injuries didn't help Cavan in 2012 Semi.. Cavan were without Barry Reilly, captain and play maker, Turloc Mooney and Paul O Connor against Roscommon, all attacking players. It was a poor display from Cavan on the day, but with those players available Cavan would have offered a better threat.

Why do you think this year we are in a better position to challenge, when you didn't think the forwards were there?

[Westside]

Realistically we never really had Barry Reilly or Mooney in 2012. Barry made a few short appearances but never enough to impact on on the Championship. I don't think Mooney appeared at all? We got through Ulster without them so we can hardly blame our failure to beat Roscommon on their absence. O'Connor, granted, was a loss.

When I say I think we're in a better position to challenge I mean the mentality of the team is better. It wasn't right in 2011 for the final (management and players have said as much since) Nor do I think it was right in 2012. We powered through Ulster that year and then looked absolutely awful against Roscommon. It improved last year and the players finally looked like they felt they belonged in an AI Semi Final. This year I have no doubt that they believe they are able and ready to challenge for the All Ireland. I don't think we have the forwards to do it ultimately but neither do I think we'll give it up to Dublin easily.

[rodney trotter]

Cavan had all those players in the Hastings Cup is what I mean. Cavan beat Roscommon in Roscommon during the Hastings Cup with those players playing or being involved, Obviously they weren't involved in Ulster but coming up a side like Roscomon who were hard beaten in the Hastings, Cavan were going to struggle. Wouldn't say Cavan powered past Tyrone in Ulster final that year, there was only a kick of a ball in it. Tyrone had no Ronan O Neill that year either through injury

[Westside]

We dealt with Tyrone as comfortably as we ever have in our underage meetings, penalty in the first minute and never looked back. We sat back a bit towards the end but Killian Clarke was imperious in the full back line, it was 100% more comfortable than the final the previous year and Cavan never looked like losing the lead. You seem to put a lot of focus on the players teams are without Rodney..

[rodney trotter]

Just saying it as it is Westside, Were you at the Hastings Cup that year?

[Shrewdness]

This will be a very quiet thread by this time next week if Roscommon and Cavan both get beaten on Saturday. I don't recall any contributions here from anyone from Dublin and Cork.

[Westside]

Well you're not really, we have no idea what effect the absence or presence of certain players would have had on the outcome of games. Noting who was missing means very little.

I wasn't at the Hastings Cup but I don't see what it has to do with the All Ireland Semi Final between the two teams? Different competition, different mindset, has no relevance.