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Re the kickouts last week. The biggest reason for that was the fact that we played without big men around the middle. Us picking no midfielders is not Gleesons fault. Under the current rules you need to fight for possession a lot more than before, so if you're playing without physicality in the middle third you will lose the midfield battle.

We really need to find someone who can kick two pointers from long range frees off the ground. It's huge in these rules. Walsh and Tierney have both sustained injuries kicking off the ground so that has meant they don't take many.
Gleeson has the range but his radar is way off.
Surely he could be worked with and developed into a consistent free taker?

Otherwise we need to find someone else - even if they otherwise wouldn't make the team it would besiege playing someone who can kick them as the rewards are so high

galwayman2 (Galway) - Posts: 1348 - 31/01/2026 08:50:07    2654112

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Replying To jm25:  "Do you know how many kickouts Galway did not retain in 2024 final ?

Lazy lazy analysis"
Can the goalie not change the kickouts or vary them??

Alwaysencourage (Galway) - Posts: 567 - 31/01/2026 10:16:54    2654115

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Replying To Alwaysencourage:  "Can the goalie not change the kickouts or vary them??"
Yes if he has more than basic kicking skills and has average visual agility.

backtooldwall (Galway) - Posts: 210 - 31/01/2026 11:26:53    2654122

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Replying To galwayman2:  "Re the kickouts last week. The biggest reason for that was the fact that we played without big men around the middle. Us picking no midfielders is not Gleesons fault. Under the current rules you need to fight for possession a lot more than before, so if you're playing without physicality in the middle third you will lose the midfield battle.

We really need to find someone who can kick two pointers from long range frees off the ground. It's huge in these rules. Walsh and Tierney have both sustained injuries kicking off the ground so that has meant they don't take many.
Gleeson has the range but his radar is way off.
Surely he could be worked with and developed into a consistent free taker?

Otherwise we need to find someone else - even if they otherwise wouldn't make the team it would besiege playing someone who can kick them as the rewards are so high"
Good point about 2 pointers. This was highlighted at the recent Dingle Finbarrs Munster final I thought, when Dingle played most of the football all through, had imo the better footballers through the field, barring 2or3 exceptional Finbarrs players, and still wound up in a massive 7or8 point hole on the scoreboard due to Sherlock landing an astonishing six 2pointers in little more than a half of football, 4 of them placed balls. Dingle dramatically survived of course, needing 3 spectacular 2pointers of their own to do it.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4530 - 31/01/2026 12:11:13    2654127

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Replying To Alwaysencourage:  "Can the goalie not change the kickouts or vary them??"
Yes they can but how is that relevant??

We were 16/18 from our kickouts in 24 final.

Yet we have someone on here going on about our retention rate in that game been an issue.

I'm just finishing on this is he one of the top 10 goalies in the country? No

Is he the best goalie in Galway ? I think he is

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1919 - 31/01/2026 12:32:11    2654129

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Replying To galwayman2:  "Re the kickouts last week. The biggest reason for that was the fact that we played without big men around the middle. Us picking no midfielders is not Gleesons fault. Under the current rules you need to fight for possession a lot more than before, so if you're playing without physicality in the middle third you will lose the midfield battle.

We really need to find someone who can kick two pointers from long range frees off the ground. It's huge in these rules. Walsh and Tierney have both sustained injuries kicking off the ground so that has meant they don't take many.
Gleeson has the range but his radar is way off.
Surely he could be worked with and developed into a consistent free taker?

Otherwise we need to find someone else - even if they otherwise wouldn't make the team it would besiege playing someone who can kick them as the rewards are so high"
I don't under stand this about us not having big men which was the biggest reason. If Danny De Vito was playing midfield for Galway you'd surely stop going long and try something else no.

smallfrank (Galway) - Posts: 573 - 31/01/2026 13:33:23    2654134

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Replying To jm25:  "Yes they can but how is that relevant??

We were 16/18 from our kickouts in 24 final.

Yet we have someone on here going on about our retention rate in that game been an issue.

I'm just finishing on this is he one of the top 10 goalies in the country? No

Is he the best goalie in Galway ? I think he is"
It's relevant if you are getting wiped in the middle like last Sunday, we made Bob Tuohy look like Darragh O'Se and needed to vary it. Totally get it's not all Gleesons fault but if you put Cluxton in that position there's no way he keeps booming it out to the middle

smallfrank (Galway) - Posts: 573 - 31/01/2026 13:37:29    2654135

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Replying To jm25:  "Yes they can but how is that relevant??

We were 16/18 from our kickouts in 24 final.

Yet we have someone on here going on about our retention rate in that game been an issue.

I'm just finishing on this is he one of the top 10 goalies in the country? No

Is he the best goalie in Galway ? I think he is"
We'll agree to disagree. I think there are better goalies in Galway. Yes even Power or Breathnach despite their past experiences. They're better kickers and in Breathnach's case free taker. I just think him and Power are the 2 best goalies in Galway in my opinion. You think Gleeson. Fair enough. Galway can only work with the 3 keepers on the panel at the moment.
I think the main gripe people have is that Flaherty hasn't got many chances in the league. He was played in 2 championship games last year and he didn't look good but Gleeson often had similar performances but kept his place. Would it be any harm to try Flaherty in league? If he's still no improvement after a few games then stick with Gleeson until a better keeper comes along. Gleeson is excellent bar his kickout variety which is why there are always questions marks over him. I hope he proves me wrong this season because that's all he's missing. He has everything else.

jobseekersbent (Galway) - Posts: 395 - 31/01/2026 13:38:43    2654136

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Replying To smallfrank:  "It's relevant if you are getting wiped in the middle like last Sunday, we made Bob Tuohy look like Darragh O'Se and needed to vary it. Totally get it's not all Gleesons fault but if you put Cluxton in that position there's no way he keeps booming it out to the middle"
What happened cluxton kickout v Meath last year

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1919 - 31/01/2026 15:04:25    2654147

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Replying To smallfrank:  "Do you think Gleeson has the same range to his kick outs as Shane Ryan, Blain Hughes, Stephen Cluxton. The last 3 All Ireland winning goalkeepers"
Blaine hughes ?? I'd take David Blaine

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1919 - 31/01/2026 17:38:00    2654164

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Very poor attacking performance in the first half. Slow attacks and lots of lateral passing around the arc. Armagh much quicker in attack. Getting the ball forward and runners coming from deep. Luckily we got a bit of a lucky goal and Armagh had two breaches in a row to end the half. One positive is our own kick outs have been much better than last week.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2476 - 31/01/2026 17:55:49    2654165

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Lucky to be ahead at half-time, Blaine Hughes poor on both goals, Jack Glynn has been good for Galway. Tierney,McDaid on the field gives Galway a stronger balance to the team now.

Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 672 - 31/01/2026 18:01:33    2654167

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Spoke too soon. Our own kickouts a disaster again after half time. Lost 6 of the first 7.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2476 - 31/01/2026 18:21:33    2654169

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Big win. However the stat that stands out a mile.

Galway's own kick out since half time.

Kickouts 14
Won 3

Luckily they won the very last one that set up the winning point.

Those stats are not sustainable though. Won't win many big games unless that improves a lot.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2476 - 31/01/2026 18:41:25    2654171

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Crazy Crazy match. Nice to get a road win against one of the better teams in the League.

SouthGalway (Galway) - Posts: 192 - 31/01/2026 18:43:17    2654172

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Won without playing well a sign of a good team?

Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 672 - 31/01/2026 18:50:03    2654174

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Great win by the lads. Guts and skill won them the game. Onwards and upwards.

galwayford (Galway) - Posts: 2721 - 31/01/2026 19:26:06    2654179

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Fixed up the defensive issues last week mostly, and actually scoring goals now. I would say only McDaids chance and the other one Hughes saved were the missed chances.
Kelly defensively better I think? Hard to say he had a tough job on conaty most of the time. Thought he wasn't great for o neills first half point at end of game but then did way better to deny I think conaty a fisted point at end of game.

Having trouble getting out of defense would say we got hit for a few after being turned over coming out of own third.

systematic (Galway) - Posts: 241 - 31/01/2026 19:28:38    2654180

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Any day you go up and beat that gang in their own backyard is a good day IMO.
Some stats probably don't make pretty reading, kickouts being the obvious one, but vital points won and that's the main thing.

streaker (Galway) - Posts: 572 - 31/01/2026 19:31:19    2654182

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