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Galway Football thread

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Replying To Really:  "In 1983, AI final v Dublin was the most gutless performance by a Galway team ever seen in a final - today's performance imo, exceeds that."
Disgraceful post. The lads kept going right to the end, put in a huge effort, when the legs and lungs were burning.
We didn't perform well yesterday, but it had nothing to do with guts. It's one we all know we left behind us and it's very hard to take.
Players and management aren't immune from criticism. They know that well and that's part of sport. However, questioning their guts is a load of nonsense. I didn't see a team giving up yesterday.
Mistakes were made on the pitch and the sideline yesterday. Some players didn't perform well and some of the decisions made cost us.
I hope we get another chance to rectify it, but sport doesn't always work like that. We'll just have to carry the pain of this one and keep going.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2187 - 29/07/2024 11:17:56    2562518

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Sam Maguire and Celtic Crosses left after us. So, so disappointing. Our worst performance in ages and we still only lost by 1 point. But lose it we did and to a, let's be honest here, very mediocre Armagh who mustered up a grand total of 12 scores in 76 mins and still beat us! A really substandard day at the office from some of our lads and from all of our management yesterday. Poor man management had a big part to play in 12 missed chances. An easier opportunity at an All Ireland title you'll hardly witness again in your lifetimes. One that got away. A galling day for Galway football. Also, so many of our fans, while they were there, are practically mute. We're the quietest, nicest ladeens and girleens at matches, some of us Galway folks just won't shout or cheer!

togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 971 - 29/07/2024 11:18:58    2562519

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Replying To eslinchickenmaryland:  "Anyone else notice how Fitzmaurice on rte was constantly praising Armagh's tactical prowess and using all those horrid basketball buzz words that have infested our game. I wonder why he was praising them so much? Tomas O'Se also. Answers on the back of a Kerry flag.

That being said if you drop a few frees into the welcoming arms of a goalie without any contest for that missed chance then that is a failure of forwards coaching too in the case of Galway. No way should a goalie have a free shot at catching a ball like that. Not scientific enough for the coaching gurus to have two forwards hovering around the square these days for a rebounded free etc."
Fitzmaurice and Donaghy ticket been lined up in Kerry for 2025 if rumours are to be believed.

Players not happy under Jack O Shea.

Past hurler (None) - Posts: 797 - 29/07/2024 11:25:01    2562523

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I've said it all year long, and from last year that we need a top class forwards coach. An innovative, aggressive forwards coach. Our forwards had zero cut to them. Rudderless, training ground lateral arcs. A defenders dream. We've more forward talent than most and it's utterly wasted.
We also need a dedicated, specialist free taker. Shane Walsh is a great fella but I'm sorry he's categorically not a reliable free taker. He misses far too many scoreable ones with the 'will I take it off the right or left?' shaping! Shocking free taking at club level, never mind at the top level of IC

togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 971 - 29/07/2024 11:27:53    2562525

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yeah like, gun to head now, which of the Div 1 teams in next year's NFL would you pick as your tip for the All-Ireland?
I think 2025 will be a fascinating Championship. But I really hope we see some tactical innovation during the League. It's a wee bit worrying, and it will only be reinforced after yesterday, that the successful teams are all adopting this cagey approach of protecting the D and looking for turnovers. Must be incredibly frustrating to be an inside forward in the current era. The way it is now, it's your middle third players who you want to be extremely adept at kicking scores."
I think Derry will be back with a bang.

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3969 - 29/07/2024 11:32:51    2562529

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Replying To smallfrank:  "Cooke is an interesting one, when you see how well Maher and Darcy did yesterday I think he would have been suited to that game. For all the talk about a stronger panel, I'm not sure P.J. really trusted the panel. We don't see training or AvB games but maybe he had his reasons. The subs were the same, I get the feeling that if McGrath or Finnerty got injured after 8 minutes, Heaney was going to come on. Plus the fact that Sean Kelly, Comer, Walsh and Finnerty have been played when not 100% at stages. Cian Hernon went from not on the panel in the Connacht Final to starting against Westmeath, again P.J. seems to trust him."
We are blessed with midfielders add in O'Neill McLaughlin mcglinchy should be close in next couple of years.

They are big men McLaughlin especially would he be worthwhile trying as a Tommy Walsh 14.

We are low on top inside forwards best bets are Thompson &costello.

Tierney is a fine left footed free taker and first free was only slightly more difficult taking it right footed, as was well out and central why someone felt the need to take it with their weaker foot I don't know.

I'm sure he won't want to sit it out but for greater good Sean Kelly should not play any group stages for club possibly should not play again till league

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1281 - 29/07/2024 11:33:42    2562530

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Replying To Ailteoir:  "Whilst your comments on Paul Conroy are spot on [what a servant he's been to Galway football
, your comments on Walsh are bizarre.

He was poor today, but was in good company in that respect. He made a difference in the Connacht final against ye so your memory is selective.

Neither Walsh or Comer have looked 100% for some time and today was no exception. Not helped by the slow, ponderous build up which would be a nightmare for any forward [aside from the 5-10 minutes at the start of the 2nd half]. Philly McMahon commented at one point in the 1st half that the ball up to the forwards was so slow getting there, it was no good for the likes of Walsh. We got away with it against Donegal, we didn't today. Armagh moved the ball noticeably quicker than we did."]OK - I accept I was a bit harsh on him on his overall contribution to Galway - maybe I was more annoyed at the way Galway lost than I should be!

He was poor yesterday and poor against Mayo in Salthill last year. So at the very least he is inconsistent. Many of the chances he missed yesterday were frees or marks and then he missed one from open play where he was inside the '21 - I don't think I could blame slow build up for any of that.

Anyway that's it for another year. That's 4 out of 5 finals that were contested by Connacht teams this decade and we haven't won any - and only 1 good performance to show (Galway '22). Can Ross end what will be a 45 year gap for their first win in CP and show us all how it is done in 2025? Not likely!

Cbar (Mayo) - Posts: 332 - 29/07/2024 11:41:40    2562534

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A legacy defining day for Damo Comer. He has been overrated his entire career. 1 good game in croke park in a semi final v Derry. A complete spectator in both all Ireland finals. A good provincial player and that is it.

Dermot_Desmond_96 (Galway) - Posts: 40 - 29/07/2024 11:46:31    2562535

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "Looking elsewhere really? Are you in some way more informed than the rest of us? You miss SEVEN frees/marks/'placed balls' in a match with a 1 point losing margin, that goes on top of the autopsy 'findings' imo."
100% Pope_Benedict: It also begs the question what was happening on the sideline and why he just wasn't taken off the frees. I seem to remember Gleeson kicking a nice point in Salthill back in May! Really surprised by Joyce.

Cbar (Mayo) - Posts: 332 - 29/07/2024 11:51:04    2562536

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Replying To sean og:  "No words will make this morning any better for Galway fans but I'd just like to say what a great support you had yesterday, very vocal & passionate and what I really wanted to say a very sporting crowd, if I had a pound for every shake of the hand yesterday from tribesmen well I would be doing very well. Your day will come."
Fair play to you and enjoy the celebrations, they're well deserved.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 881 - 29/07/2024 11:58:47    2562542

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Replying To Fionn:  "I think Derry will be back with a bang."
Yeah the Mickey Harte experiment was disastrous. If they got someone like Malachy O'Rourke or Damian McErlain appointed I'd be very wary of them yet.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9517 - 29/07/2024 12:05:00    2562545

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Replying To FallenStar:  "The only thing I'd describe as gutless is the cowardly nature of your posts. A nameless faceless individual who sees fit to call such things gutless when in all likelihood you were never fit the grace a football pitch.

We're all disappointed. Even me. And for all the opinions I have on our management team, it is completely out of order to call anyone who was representing Galway yesterday gutless."
Well said!

Crashingwaves (Galway) - Posts: 73 - 29/07/2024 12:08:26    2562548

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Replying To Gilberto_Eire:  "Best thing we can do now is move on from Joyce and ONeill.
There was two AIs available and we threw both of them away.

We let Armagh win all their kick outs until the 68th minute when we were half buried and then they lost 3 from the next 4(two clean and one kicked away immediately after they won it).

Why you would think that's a good tactic is beyond me.. "after every wide or point we kick we'll let ye have an attack"... If you don't win the kick out, you need to either turn the ball over or hope the other team kick a wide.. I know where id rather try to win it back from those options.

We got away with that stupidity in the previous two games but not today... We won despite that tactic, not because of it.

Leaving Walsh on the frees was braindead stuff as well, him refusing to kick the 45 free and passing it off summed up his mentality at that stage.

We need a management team who'll grasp and gain the inches available, not give them away and make winning harder.

Our slow and ponderous attack is not a positive, we just go over and back and over and back into the corners and out without any real purpose. We have some great players who can move the ball quick... Let's get someone in there who can use that to their advantage and not have them hamstrung.

Armagh will likely get knocked out in the 1/4s next year... A typical day for Galway really and not in any way unexpected, we really are similar to Mayo despite the fact we try to mock them."
Agree with everything you've said.
Gutted for Galway, but have been so for past few years - well, the style that they've adopted.
Getting to All-Irelands has been brilliant for the county no doubt, but I honestly think ye would've had a lot more success under different management. IMHO Galway's incredibly talented squad has been limited big-time, by management's overall approach and also by its often poor in-game management.
Yes, had Galway taken their chances, they'd be champions this morning, but their limited playing style was always going to lead to tight matches (even against the likes of Sligo) and ye're not always going to win the tight ones. Galway played to well below their potential again yesterday ... and I don't think individual players should be blamed.
The players seem play with a lot of fear most of the time ... electing not to shoot even when the shot's on. Ye're best performance, by miles, was against us in the 2nd half and for once, the shackles were off ... giving a glimpse of how good ye could be.
Post game yesterday, Joyce was quoted as saying "You have no choice but to hit long-range shots when you're playing against 15 men behind the ball all day. There's not much we can do there." I really don't think that's acceptable. Most Ulster teams have been doing this for years and good management teams have been able to penetrate those defences and score in the scoring zone.
I think almost everyone agrees on the need for rule changes which, I think, would benefit the likes of Galway more than most ... and maybe Joyce would change tack and play more positively in such a scenario ... but his in-game decisions (or lack thereof) would still be of great concern to me.

DubSanIarthar (Dublin) - Posts: 20 - 29/07/2024 12:09:30    2562549

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Gleeson left his goal to take one of the frees near the end and he was sent back. Shane took it and missed again. Who sent him back?

Frees weren't going well for Shane, it was madness to keep on letting him take them. Fantastic player but he was awful on the frees and there are others on the pitch that could have and wanted to step up. Even if they missed, let them try. I'd question why the sideline didn't change it

galwayfball (Galway) - Posts: 1704 - 29/07/2024 12:12:05    2562551

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There is a culture in Galway and Mayo, whereby it seems some players are above reproach. Who despite having poor games are not taken off or not dropped.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2565 - 29/07/2024 12:20:53    2562553

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Replying To Cbar:  "
Replying To Ailteoir:  "Whilst your comments on Paul Conroy are spot on [what a servant he's been to Galway football
, your comments on Walsh are bizarre.

He was poor today, but was in good company in that respect. He made a difference in the Connacht final against ye so your memory is selective.

Neither Walsh or Comer have looked 100% for some time and today was no exception. Not helped by the slow, ponderous build up which would be a nightmare for any forward [aside from the 5-10 minutes at the start of the 2nd half
. Philly McMahon commented at one point in the 1st half that the ball up to the forwards was so slow getting there, it was no good for the likes of Walsh. We got away with it against Donegal, we didn't today. Armagh moved the ball noticeably quicker than we did."]OK - I accept I was a bit harsh on him on his overall contribution to Galway - maybe I was more annoyed at the way Galway lost than I should be!

He was poor yesterday and poor against Mayo in Salthill last year. So at the very least he is inconsistent. Many of the chances he missed yesterday were frees or marks and then he missed one from open play where he was inside the '21 - I don't think I could blame slow build up for any of that.

Anyway that's it for another year. That's 4 out of 5 finals that were contested by Connacht teams this decade and we haven't won any - and only 1 good performance to show (Galway '22). Can Ross end what will be a 45 year gap for their first win in CP and show us all how it is done in 2025? Not likely!"]He's inconsistent, especially on frees. As I said earlier on this thread, why he wasn't taken off them after the 2nd miss is one for the management to answer, especially when Tierney and Gleeson were other options.

Ailteoir (Galway) - Posts: 881 - 29/07/2024 12:21:00    2562554

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With the way things have panned out in the last couple of weeks, Corofin are now as good a 2/1 shot as you will find to win the championship. All their players came out fine from county while Rob is surely heading for surgery on his leg which kills Salthill and Mountbellew without Michael Daly. Sean Kelly nowhere near fit for Moycullen and they wouldn't have a chance anyway unless Cooke is back alongside him. Tuam not good enough and Claregalway probably a year too young.

galway19 (Galway) - Posts: 790 - 29/07/2024 12:24:35    2562558

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Replying To Miami305:  "Who's yer man from Donegal ? He's some craic haha."
I haven't seen him making any contribution to the Donegal thread, probably not from Donegal! He loves Galway anyway, to the point of obsession, despite all our failures!

Crashingwaves (Galway) - Posts: 73 - 29/07/2024 12:26:18    2562559

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Replying To Dermot_Desmond_96:  "A legacy defining day for Damo Comer. He has been overrated his entire career. 1 good game in croke park in a semi final v Derry. A complete spectator in both all Ireland finals. A good provincial player and that is it."
Jeez I said the same before the Final and all hell was unleashed on me.... ;o)

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3969 - 29/07/2024 12:32:13    2562563

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "Yeah, it's almost like Fitzmaurice is moving with the times and commentating on the game that's in front of him instead of whinging about the past being better like the old guard on the Sunday game that they binned off for good reason. Nobody likes to wallow in misery but the miserable. Obviously Hoganstand is the place to be for some of them."
If you want basketball speak, watch basketball

Football was much better a generation ago than the dross there is now, however there seems to be a lot happy with gaelic handpass, especially up in Ulster

eslinchickenmaryland (Leitrim) - Posts: 274 - 29/07/2024 12:34:53    2562564

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