Áth Cliath vs Iarmhí

[INDIANA]

whelan and connolly are flying in training, the B team actually beat the A team last saturday apparently i was told yesterday.

[liihb]

I wonder if Charlie hadn't have written that article would casey have been dropped!

Good enough team, though I still would be concerned about the defence, Cullen at CB especially, and O'Shaughnessy too.
Bit harsh on Andrews, thought he should have left him on longer the last day to blood him, and now he's dropped, can't be good for the confidence.

Think Whelan will get on fairly quickly - he's played hardly any games all year and needs game time.

[Jinxy]

whelan and connolly are flying in training, the B team actually beat the A team last saturday apparently i was told yesterday.

The B team always beats the A team!

[Croí na hÉireann]

First time I can remember that Phlem Caffrey has put out his strongest available team, trust him to do it against us  we're right up against it, especially with the loss of Flan...

[AN other]

Westmeath marksman Denis Glennon has admitted that shooting into a Hill 16 packed with Dublin fans can be a daunting task.

'It can be intimidating enough,' the Tyrellspass clubman said. 'Any forward plays on confidence and when you get put down, like the way the Dubs' supporters do to any opposition forward, it can get in your head if you're not experienced enough.'

The 23-year-old believes that the mountain of supporters Dublin bring to Headquarters is a huge advantage to the 'locals'.

'To be honest I'd say it is worth about four or five points to them in every game,' Glennon added. (The Sun)

I'd say it's worth more!

Very strong Dublin team. I don't know if it's just nerves but I'm getting progressively more pessimistic about our chances in this game as Sunday approaches. Dublin could win it handy if they get off to a strong start. I think it may take the performance of every single Westmeath players' lives to get a result out of this. It would be quite demoralising to get stuffed after a decent year up to now.

[INDIANA]

wouldn't agree croi, this is your best ever chance mate, we could pick a stronger lineup. but you never get a better chance than sunday and beyond of landing another leinster championship. i'm pretty fearful on sunday, and i genuinely mean that.

[Croí na hÉireann]

wouldn't agree croi, this is your best ever chance mate, we could pick a stronger lineup. but you never get a better chance than sunday and beyond of landing another leinster championship. i'm pretty fearful on sunday, and i genuinely mean that.

Fennell has been the find of the year for yous and by keeping him in MF Phlem has sent out a strong message that it's performances on the day that will keep your position, not your reputation. It would've been a catrostophy to put Whelo in there beside him as Shane Ryan is half the player in any other position.

It's taken Phlem 3 and a half years but he's finally dropped Casey, a liability if ever there was one, and replaced him with Moran, who should never have been in the forwards anyway. Flynn has some reputation in Dublin GAA circles and has looked the part anytime I've seen him, it'll take some effort to make sure he doesn't win the breaking ball.

Bernard Brogan along with Alan and Jayo will take some watching and it says something about the player when he can walk straight back in after suspension in only his second full season with the Dubs, personally I think he'll be better than the brother.

You said the same about never having a better chance to Louth, I didn't buy that then and I don't buy this now. This is a serious Dublin team with really strong options on the bench, the crowd and Hill are some chips to have in your corner. We're gonna have to get early ball into our ff line and get scores from every delivery. If Glennon and Budda (if he starts) play like they did the last day, we're fucked. Can't be letting the Dubs have half the shots the Biffos were let have either because they're gonna be a lot more efficient. Like AN Other said, it's gonna take the performance of every single Westmeath players' lives to get a result out of this, we live in hope...

[Hound]

the crowd and Hill are some chips to have in your corner....

They certainly are if the opposition believes so....

[AN other]

the crowd and Hill are some chips to have in your corner....

They certainly are if the opposition believes so....

I don't think there's an opposition team/supporters within the other 31 counties (or too many honest Dubs) that wouldn't agree with the fact that the crowd is a big factor for the Dubs in croker, so I think your point is a little irrelevant there Hound...

[AZOffaly]

I suppose it's how you handle it though. Obviously it's a factor, because they are there, and they are loud. But does that become a negative, or a positive? The Dubs are so used to it at this stage that it's not a 'lift' any more for them, it's just standard practice.

For the opposition, you can either be intimidated out of your normal game by it, or else just decide to let it rise you as well, so you can shut them up.

[INDIANA]

I disagree Croi and this is why.

I think you seriously underestimate your team and the fact that your manager knows absolutely everything about each Dublin player through his involvement in Kilmacud Crokes over the past 15 years. There are no gamble selections on the Westmeath team. Half of them have won Leinster championships (beating Dublin) and are all experienced inter county footballers.

It is difficult to describe how bad Louth were. At least 5 club teams in Dublin would have beaten them quite easily.

Fennell has been a terrific find but this is a 75000 crowd on Sunday against a noted midfield pairing. Dublin's lynchpin midfielder is on the line. I believe personally its the correct call Croi, but its still a gamble. And he's under huge pressure because a lot of Dublin fans want Whelan in the team.

Flynn has been a very good find this season but again he didn't have the benefit of the Louth game. Its a good call but its a gamble. i hope it goes well for him because if it does he could be more effective than a defender in the half forward line. But its still a gamble. And he's also on ennis or healy who are arguably 2 of the best wing backs you'd find anywhere.

I suppose Connollly is the one i'm a tad disappointed about although I could be accused of bias. After the club season he's had i find it difficult to believe he's not one of our best 6 forwards remembering that he is the most natural forward in the county. Yeah he's a great option on the bench but i can't help feeling if he was in Kerry he's be starting. In other words i'd think he'd be more effective starting on the team.

Overall i'm happy enough but the confidence or (arrogance) of a lot of the Dublin fans is a bit unnerving and smacks of 2003/2004. As Mayo's pessimistic outlook showed last week sometimes its no harm to be approaching a game with a bit of fear.

[AN other]

I wouldn't agree that it's not a lift for the Dubs anymore AZ. I don't see how anybody, even professionals across the water, wouldn't get a lift from getting shouted on by 60,000 odd people.
If the crowd wasn't a big factor in encouraging a home team in any sport there would be little advantage to home games. (I know Croke Park isn't technically Dublin's home before somebody points that out!)
That said it is all about how an opposition handle it but if I were given the choice of performing in front of 60,000 fans supporting me or 60,000 fans cheering the opposition on (we won't go into the jeering!!) I know what I'd be choosing.

[AZOffaly]

I agree about Connolly Indiana, I picked him last year as a young lad to watch for the '07 championship, but I definitely thought he'd be forcing his way in to Dublin teams now. He's the type of forward ye don't have a lot of. An unrushed style, with a lovely kicking motion. A lot of Dublin forwards, I feel, over the years have been manufactured, whereas Connolly, to me, seems to be a lot more natural.

As for Westmeath, they will be bringing something new to the party on Sunday, with this new cautious, counter-attacking gameplan, which they are getting better at. Offaly made a balls of it, as our 'tactic' for combating it, was to introduce it ourselves, which left 2 forwards and about 6 backs in both halves. Dublin won't do that, and are physical and strong enough to punch through the cover. Healy and Natchie are a lot more defensive minded, or seem to be, this year (at least against Offaly), but what you will see with Westmeath is almost rugby like when they force turnover ball. A line across the pitch, attacking in waves, until they can get the ball into Glennon or Dessie.

[AZOffaly]

I wouldn't agree that it's not a lift for the Dubs anymore AZ. I don't see how anybody, even professionals across the water, wouldn't get a lift from getting shouted on by 60,000 odd people.
If the crowd wasn't a big factor in encouraging a home team in any sport there would be little advantage to home games. (I know Croke Park isn't technically Dublin's home before somebody points that out!)
That said it is all about how an opposition handle it but if I were given the choice of performing in front of 60,000 fans supporting me or 60,000 fans cheering the opposition on (we won't go into the jeering!!) I know what I'd be choosing.

I'm not saying it's not a factor, if it wasn't there it would be missed, but I think they've become so used to it by now that it's more or less taken for granted. If Westmeath ran out on Sunday and there were 60,000 Maroon and White lads roaring, that would be a serious lift, because it's unusual. Dublin would be used to it, so it's effect has to wane a bit.

Of course, the inverse of that is that if you quieten them, it would have a negative impact on the Dubs, because then they'd know things were going against them, and a big quiet crowd becomes a negative.

[small white mayoman]

http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=xNDEGm5z0qk


This is the way to quieten the hill