Offaly will win the match on sunday,the team wont start as selected as Renyolds is not or will not make it as a wing forward.The only way you will get a return out of John is at full forward and Pascal on the fourty! Both players will then be in positions they are comfortable in.
Sean Ryan is now a real option to bring in-he had a great O'Byrne Cup,got a few runs in the league and after his outstanding performance against Bragnagh in the Championship last saturday he apears to be comming into form at the right time.
Paul Mc Conway will need plenty of support around him as Wexford will play a lot of ball up his wing.Could run out of steam with Cathal comming on and Nigel going to the wing.
Another big performance from Alan in the middle will ensure a date with the Dubs!
I bow to the knowledge of so many here about our fringe players. I dont see any Offaly Club games so maybe Shaper has put in some efforts that deserve credit and reward.
Trying to remember how Wexford outplayed Meath, they certainly knew how to use their extra man. Their runs and overlaps were very intelligent and they twisted Meath inside-out. I would expect that our team is alot more mobile than Meath's and so I would hope that they would not find that space again.
When Matty (or is it Mattie?) Forde goes walkabout, should Ger Raff stick to him like glue or just adopt a holding position a few yards off him but always inside him. I think it is unfair or impossible to expect any normal defender to deny Forde most of his expected possession. I think we ca only try to watch for his breaking runs which start from around the 45m line. It's risky as he can kick long range points with the best of 'em, but if we can block those runs and hopefully stop him getting in closer, then I think we can minimise his damage.
It will take a heck of a lot of concentration on our part, and of course there are other Yella-Bellies to watch too. Hopefully, some of them will be worrying about watching out for Karol's trademark runs up-field. It has the makings for a cracker of a game.
azoffaly wrote:The horizontal bars are more correct, but the Tricolour with gold instead of Orange is acceptable too. The Green White and Orange tricolour should not be used.
Have ye seen the new gold and white chequered flag with the new crest thereon? At first glance it looks like an Antrim flag.
The Biff wrote:
When Matty (or is it Mattie?) Forde goes walkabout, should Ger Raff stick to him like glue or just adopt a holding position a few yards off him but always inside him.
Lord i think it is unfair to ask anyone to stay inside mattie forde. in that case he can run at you, and if he runs at you you're bet. i've heard loads of arguments... firstly for the point of view of standing off him, and secondly for the point of view of standing beside him. (always making sure you can grab his shirt.)
To be honest, i hope raf sticks to him. if he runs at raf, then all it takes it takes is a quick jink and he's by him. if raf sticks to him, then he can hassle him and slap for the ball. even if he doesn't get it, at least he has some hope of being beside him when he takes a shot. if you're beside him when he takes a shot then, a hand in, a jostle, a slap at the ball or anyhting, might put him off, but its better than being left flat footed with him running at you and by the time you turn around he's 10 yards past. he is an exceptional player, but if he can't get the ball then he's only as good as the fella beside him...
... thats why i think winning midfield has got to be the biggest aim of the day. Even if we don't catch every ball, if we can limit ball going to Mattie then we can limit his impact. This being said, midfield was one of our worst positions in the kildare game. Dermot Earley caught two, maybe three balls in midfield, un challeneged...WITH ONE ARM!!!!. No one in the wexford midfield can be given this much freedom. We need to win midfield and get ball into our quick full forward line. Thomas and Niall can do alot of damage, especially to a full back line that was left so exposed by the meath forwards on a few occasions.
I agree that the best (maybe only) way to curtail Matty's scoring is to curtail his supply lines. That means we must dominate in Midfield and our own Half-back lines, as Forde tends to come out well from the corner to get his first sniffs. It's a big ask, but can be done, as others have proved since he came to prominence.
Cutting the supply to Forde is the key. Wexford dominated midfield against meath the last day and got their reward.
I say the key to stopping Forde is to cut off supply, it's really to key to stopping any good forward. I'm sure Wexford will have the same idea to cut supply into our forward lines or at least slow up the supply.
I have to say, it's a nice idea, cutting off the supply - but in truth, Wexford are going to win at least 70% of the clean possession around the middle, and around 40% of the breaks. (We are a poor primary possession team, but a good scavenging one, in my mind).
But how do you then stop them playing the ball into the forwards - I don't get it. The truth is either we're going to hoover up everything at midfield, or else we'll double team Forde leaving another man free, or else he's going to get on the ball around 20 times. Normally I'm one for the school of stand up, drive the player wide, and if he can hit the target from a narrow angle on the run, then fair play, you've done all you can do. Because he is so good, I think double teaming is the way to go. Let someone like Grennan man mark him, and let either Brady or possibly Hunt sweep up in front. If he goes out to centre forward, just make sure that when he doesn't track his man that he's not left on his own - that happened all the time against Meath.
WEXFORD (SF v Offaly) - J Cooper; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; R Barry, D Murphy, P Curtis; R Stafford, D Kinsella; C Deely, P Colfer, D Fogarty, L Murphy, PJ Banville, M Forde.
Overall their weak line is definitely that half back line. Murphy is steady but slow, Barry is a forward by nature who has a decent turn of foot, but I would consider him a great distributor of the ball, while Curtis has never impressed me in the few games I've seen him in. I don't like the style of game normally, but I think if we can run at these lads, particularly down the left, we'll get joy. While I like the ploy normally, Morris and Wallace are excellent man markers. I know Meath got in for goal chances, but Sheridan is big and gangly, and funnily enough can create chances just by being so. I'm very worried that McNamee and Deehan could have very quiet days.
I'd be interested to see what the plan is for when Banville is replaced by Hudson as well. Banville will run down every blind alley in existence, pulling the full back all over the shop, never really looking to score himself but just draw the defence out of shape and generally run the legs off his man. Then with 20 mins to go, Hudson, who's moderately quick, big and awkward and much more dangerous will come in. I wouldn't like to see him matched up with Sullivan - I'd be hoping that management is ready for this and once Hudson comes on Rafferty is straight on to him. I'll believe it when I see it though.
Our trump card is Slattery on Deeley. Deeley has been a revelation for them this year in his first year with the team - he's been the secondary scorer to Forde. If Slattery can keep him occupied on defensive detail, we'll have knocked out one of their main weapons.
Lone Shark wrote:I have to say, it's a nice idea, cutting off the supply - but in truth, Wexford are going to win at least 70% of the clean possession around the middle, and around 40% of the breaks. (We are a poor primary possession team, but a good scavenging one, in my mind).
well we did a fair job cutting off the supply. How many did Forde get from play? 1 or 2? and both of them the ball was handed to him. great play by the backsmen. Shows, alot to be said for Tommo and Niall too. They did really well winning their own ball.Midfield still gonna have to improve for the next day though. Ball won't be easy won against the Blues.
Fair enough, Forde didn't get many from play, but he did draw a lot of those frees himself as well - in saying that I think we did do well on him, so kudos to the backs for that.
However I would suggest that Wexford cut off their own supply - running in on top of the forwards like that (like we used to do last year) just led to crowded back lines, little or no space and a lucky dip as to who was taking the shot - as evidenced by the fact that their midfielders and half backs scored more than the five other forwards.
Offaly will win the match on sunday,the team wont start as selected as Renyolds is not or will not make it as a wing forward.The only way you will get a return out of John is at full forward and Pascal on the fourty! Both players will then be in positions they are comfortable in. 
