Offaly senior football team 2012

[Ahlethimoutwithit]

Abercrombie, I beg to differ on Meehan, Mulhall streets ahead of him at the moment, but let him answer the call if he gets it and put pressure on Mulhall!

[townman]

What about the Gracefield goalman can't think of his name off hand, but he didn't let a goal in the whole championship
well up to the semil final i think he was with the offaly minors as well a few years ago.

Alan Mulhall is the number 1 for the county at the moment Kevin Meehan was there before and had his chance
Mulhall plays out field for his club! so does Steven Cluxton and it doesn't do him any harm.

[offalyguy]

Is nobody willing to give Mulhall a chance outfield? It's not like he isnt up there with the top scorers in the championship.

[happy harry]

mulhall is no where near athletic enough for outfield. yes a good club player but at intercounty; no way. we as a county have to start doing things better and a change is needed with the panel....alot of lads gave great service but ultimtly were not up to it...harsh but true.we need a balance to our team aswell...lads should not play on reputation...playnig midfielders in the forwards is craz imo. we have to have a link man on th 40 and nigel dunne of rahan would be my chioce there..id have anton sullivan roaming in a brian dooher role...with niall mac makn hay off both as he only needs a siff...i hope he cums back

[Long John]

mulhall is no where near athletic enough for outfield. yes a good club player but at intercounty; no way. we as a county have to start doing things better and a change is needed with the panel....alot of lads gave great service but ultimtly were not up to it...harsh but true.we need a balance to our team aswell...lads should not play on reputation...playnig midfielders in the forwards is craz imo. we have to have a link man on th 40 and nigel dunne of rahan would be my chioce there..id have anton sullivan roaming in a brian dooher role...with niall mac makn hay off both as he only needs a siff...i hope he cums back

Harry, your stirrin. Your dropping in some bait everytime.

[DAF]

Meehan was excellent in golas for Offaly however I seem to remember his kickouts not being as good as they could have been.Maybe that was the reason he was dropped

[happy harry]

long john how so? i just think we need a better system of play....hows all in shamrocks after the turbulent year?ye'l bounce back...think of edenderry and what they did...ps meehan for number 1.

[offalyman18]

kevin Meehan is definatly the best goalie in offaly and from what i saw in the county final has improved an awfull lot under the high ball made a brilliant catch in the 1st half under pressure..p.s i am not a clara man if people think i am just being biased

[Lone Shark]

I'd be slow to get involved in these debates simply because there are always plenty of players asked in who don't want to go for various reasons, while neither do we know a lot about Gerry Cooney's ethos as a manager. What way does he want to play? Does he envisage picking big, fielding midfielders, or does he prefer more mobile and aggressive tacklers, like the current Dublin set up? Does he want his centre forward to be a hard working forager who eats breaking ball and covers a lot of ground, or does he want to fit a playmaker in there who will control the attack? Does he like his wing backs to be pacey, overlapping attacking types or does he want down to earth defenders who mark their man, use the ball simply and let the forwards do the creative stuff? Of course we're not in a position to leave talent aside, but debates like this are kind of futile until we get some idea how he wants to set up his team and what attributes are most important.

In terms of the goalkeeping debate, I will say this - there is no more thankless position in a squad than reserve keeper. You never get fifteen minutes at the end to see what you can do, and injuries are rare. Managers never make a change here tactically, and even doing so to give the reserve guy a shout can undermine the main guy. So I can understand that it's a role that some players might not want to take on, because you still have to put in the hours.

In terms of the two lads mentioned, neither is a weak link and Kevin Meehan has improved his kickouts, that much is without question. If Alan Mulhall wasn't on the scene, I'd have no hesitation handing him the jersey. However Mulhall has been very impressive in goals, arguably our player of the year last year. Seeing as he's also a universally popular guy who understands the game well and provides some leadership in a squad painfully short of it, I'd say he's an absolute banker to hold the jersey until he suffers a dramatic dip in form.

[corner back]

Mulhall plays out field for his club! so does Steven Cluxton and it doesn't do him any harm.

Are you sure? What position does he play. I thought I saw a picture of him in a goalie jersey in the paper the day after Parnells lost so he could go with the International Rules

[ironmike]

Its down to people oponion here on who the best keeper. And the manager will pick the number one keeper by whatever way he see's it. But this is what we want, if both keepers are called in then there competition for number 1 jersery. Over the past few years there has being a lack in competition for places on the team. It just a pity that we are not giving out oponions over center back and full back positions. Full back has being a problem and Scott has being our choice cause there no body else. So this thing of who is the best can only be good and gerry cooney knows that he has two good goalies in the squad that's if they both offer their services, which i hope they will.

[DAF]

Its down to people oponion here on who the best keeper. And the manager will pick the number one keeper by whatever way he see's it. But this is what we want, if both keepers are called in then there competition for number 1 jersery. Over the past few years there has being a lack in competition for places on the team. It just a pity that we are not giving out oponions over center back and full back positions. Full back has being a problem and Scott has being our choice cause there no body else. So this thing of who is the best can only be good and gerry cooney knows that he has two good goalies in the squad that's if they both offer their services, which i hope they will.

Scott Brady defintely cant play full back he is far too slow at inercounty level for the position and he would be exploited by a team who had a quick forward.Having said that he was one of Offalys best players in the championship last year.It's a pity Joe Quinn isnt available I still cant fathom why he would sacrafice a year of his own intercounty career in order to be a coach of players of similar ability to himself but each to his own I suppose

Ruari Allen is a cert for centre back.

[Bord na Mona man]

Meehan was excellent in golas for Offaly however I seem to remember his kickouts not being as good as they could have been.Maybe that was the reason he was dropped

At the start of his career he wouldn't have had a long kick out, however he has added a good few metres to them since.

Definitely around 2007 or Meehan should have been installed as the first choice county keeper as Padraig Kelly was reaching the end of thge line.
That said Alan Mulhall has really grown into the role and unless he loses the plot, I can't see him losing the #1 jersey.

[happy harry]

look maybe ls is right , we are debating who will be this and who will be that....it all depends on what cooney fancy's. once we have 30 men who are committed and give their all thats all i and us as a county and supporters can ask for. are they back training yet does any1 know?

[OffalyDub]

[quote=That said Alan Mulhall has really grown into the role and unless he loses the plot, I can't see him losing the #1 jersey.[/quote]

Have to agree with you on this. I can't think of too many mistakes from him this year. I'd go even further and consider bringing him up to take the 45's and lond range frees. He is as consistant as anyone else on the scene with these.