Offaly Senior Footballers 2025

[Tmacmahon]

The panel is a bit different this year I hear,
Do we have an official list?

Are there any players over theage of 30 on the panel now??

[ruletheroost]

The panel is a bit different this year I hear,
Do we have an official list?

Are there any players over theage of 30 on the panel now??

Nigel Dunne the only player over 30 on the Panel.

[Behindthegoal]

Lads I said this weeks ago, these people who look at the table and go “ah sure we should be giving promotion a rattle” are absolutely deluded. Whether people like it or not we will be doing very well to stay up. Can someone tell me confidently where 3 wins to keep us up are coming from? Because the only game I can be confident of us winning is Leitrim. Kildare Sligo and Clare are all going to beat us. Then you’ve got Fermanagh Antrim and Laois I really would not be shocked if we get relegated

[Superhans75]

I suppose we will know where we are a week on Sunday lot of negativity which is understandable and a bit of hype as well.
Following Offaly .you sometimes feel like atlas
Holding the heavens up in the hope of something better.
It's up to the younger lads to put up or shut up which way that will go is anyone's guess
But give them the chance .
Have a good week

[SearingDrive]

Lads I said this weeks ago, these people who look at the table and go “ah sure we should be giving promotion a rattle” are absolutely deluded. Whether people like it or not we will be doing very well to stay up. Can someone tell me confidently where 3 wins to keep us up are coming from? Because the only game I can be confident of us winning is Leitrim. Kildare Sligo and Clare are all going to beat us. Then you’ve got Fermanagh Antrim and Laois I really would not be shocked if we get relegated

A realistic view BHTG. I think a more likely prospect is staying in Div. 3, but please try for promotion.

[jimbob17]

We were on edge of it two yrs ago. All things being right, we should challenge for promotion but that will likely not be the case in 2025. We are not blessed with vast amounts of talent and after last years fallouts, we have less talent available this year. The sad part is there is a choosing to leave lads off that are much better than some lads in there (imo). Harte wouldn't know lie of land and must rely on others opinions and maybe that's why we will be looking at relegation. Offaly have maybe 20 proper senior footballers in county from age 20 - 34. The best lads should be chomping at bit to get going with Harte arrival, but unfortunately, some will not get the chance - this year anyway. If only half of them are on the panel for various reasons, and we struggle with relegation, then who's fault is it. Lots of talent have gone through minor and u20 over last 15 yrs and the best of that talent should make up our senior panel now. I'd question if that is the case though and I'd worry about how we will fare this year as a result.

[Anonymous1]

I’m in two minds about the coming year.

On one hand I’m assuming Mickey Harte will get a tune out of them as he has done just about everywhere he’s gone and that alone should have them in the promotion hunt.

On the other hand I’ve seen the players that are on the panel and I can’t help but feel it’s one of the weakest we’ve had in a long time and as a result I think we’ll be fighting a rearguard action at the bottom of the table.

Time will tell whether the Mickey factor alone can overcome the weakness of the panel. I have my doubts especially given the current managerial set up but time will tell.

[Bord na Mona man]

Let's hold off on early judgement.
Player turnover is a reality that we need to accept. It's happening in other counties too btw. I don't see us being any more hampered than our rivals on that score.

The next question is how much the new season structure has limited the ability of a big ticket manager to make an impact?
In the old days, a Micko, or a Paidi, or a Tommy Lyons could use an Autumn, Winter and Spring to get a team right for a championship Summer. That's not possible any more. Even the O'Byrne is no longer there as a testing ground.

Anyway, let's see how it goes.

[ruletheroost]

We were on edge of it two yrs ago. All things being right, we should challenge for promotion but that will likely not be the case in 2025. We are not blessed with vast amounts of talent and after last years fallouts, we have less talent available this year. The sad part is there is a choosing to leave lads off that are much better than some lads in there (imo). Harte wouldn't know lie of land and must rely on others opinions and maybe that's why we will be looking at relegation. Offaly have maybe 20 proper senior footballers in county from age 20 - 34. The best lads should be chomping at bit to get going with Harte arrival, but unfortunately, some will not get the chance - this year anyway. If only half of them are on the panel for various reasons, and we struggle with relegation, then who's fault is it. Lots of talent have gone through minor and u20 over last 15 yrs and the best of that talent should make up our senior panel now. I'd question if that is the case though and I'd worry about how we will fare this year as a result.

Spot on Jimbob... Harte doesn't know the lie of the land and is relying on one person in DK to give an opinion on players. I have said it numerous times. You can't rely on the opinion of one Offaly person to give an opinion on every player in the County. I still can't believe this was allowed to happen. There should be at least 2 more Offaly people in there involved. Wexford and Down beat them in the last two weeks by 7 or 8 points each. Some of the senior lads are getting very frustrated as they know that the best 30/35 players in the county are not in there. Sligo will tell a big tale.

[brosna]

Completely agree BNM man.

Lets give Harte and Kelly the benefit of the doubt and the first few league matches before any judgement is cast.

If we win the first few we can say we've two All ireland winning mamagers we're on the up and if we start losing we can say Duignan bottled it with a joint manager and Kelly should be gone for setting the team back 10 years time will tell

[ah lethimoutwithit]

Completely agree BNM man.

Lets give Harte and Kelly the benefit of the doubt and the first few league matches before any judgement is cast.

If we win the first few we can say we've two All ireland winning mamagers we're on the up and if we start losing we can say Duignan bottled it with a joint manager and Kelly should be gone for setting the team back 10 years time will tell

Not a hint of irony or sarcasm or something in that statement.
I've felt before the starof each of the last few seasons that staying in Div 3 is our limit and as has been said here already, this year in particular will be difficult, I think we have lost a few valuable players. I think that other teams will also adapt to the new rules quicker than us as apart from Declan, the rest of the management team don't know the players, Mickey has been fairly set in his ways and Declan, whilst lauded for the U20 win and the style of our football, would not be known for this expansive style. There has been a clamour for more of the U20 players from the All Ireland win, but a number of them have just not delivered since. They are in there now in spades and its fair enough to say that there is pressure on them.
I've seen plenty of club games and I really do fear for some of the squad that are there. I see the mgt realistically working off about 18 players fit for this level at a push and the rest unproven.

However as has also been said many other counties have lost players as the committment required continues to rise and it remains to seen how this maybe levels the playing field.
Hopefully the team gets the support of the public and can get a couple of wins to build a bit of confidence and if Mickey has been able to rebuild morale in there, maybe we can do more than scrape survival.

[Loyalsupp]

The biggest concern for the coming year is how are we going to win primary possession from kickouts with the new rules.
We have to have the smallest intercounty team in the country

[ruletheroost]

I see Kildare named a full development squad today of 26 players. They named their senior panel yesterday of 37 players. Was that Offaly development squad last year a once off? Is there not enough interest from players or just not enough players?

[JiminyCricket]

Not sure they were treated that well.

[pigeon house biffo]

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