OFFALY V DUBLIN (FORECAST)

DD · Post by DD » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:08 am

Jasus lads, with some of the doom and gloom of the last few posts there is no point in either players or supporters going up on Sunday.
I think everyone woulg agree that Dublin have a better collection of players than us and their performance against Laois was excellent but it's a one off game of football.
How did Westmeath win a Leinster? How did Fermanagh get to an All Ireland semi? They were bigger achievemnts that what we are striving for this Sunday and there is no point in us going up to Croker with a negative attitude.
There is no way this Offaly team are the finished articles but fuck, part of coming on a messageboard like this is to suspend reality, talk up your county and dream of winning. Call it overexcitement but it's certainly not arrogance.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:21 am

Lone Shark wrote: But surely, once every so often, a team will come along that justifies the hype? But like the boy who cried wolf, we don't believe it because we've heard it all before.

Maybe this Dublin team is a team that justifies this hype, but all i'm saying is, i haven't seen proof of it this year. The struggled for long parts of the game against Longford, a team they hammered in last years championship. they tore apart Laois in their semi final, and to be fair, they showed moments of sheer class, but, these were few and far between while Laois still put up a challenge. Dublin pulled away and laois fell apart, then we saw the performance that has gained all this hype. The media jumped on a 'great dublin performance' but to be fair, it was only great once laois accepted they were bet and dropeed their heads. Look, i could well be wrong, this could be a Dublin team challenging for an all-ireland in september, but so far in this championship, i haven't seen evidence of an all-ireland winning team there.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:22 am

"EDIT"

turk · Post by **turk** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:26 am

I think Dublin are justifiably favourites!

Offaly have done well to win the three matches - it's really good to be in the final!

We'll give a good rattle and won't lie down, but i think Dublin will win at the end - they're not the greatest team in history but they're not a bunch of idiots either

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:27 am

DD wrote:Jasus lads, with some of the doom and gloom of the last few posts there is no point in either players or supporters going up on Sunday.
I think everyone woulg agree that Dublin have a better collection of players than us and their performance against Laois was excellent but it's a one off game of football.
How did Westmeath win a Leinster? How did Fermanagh get to an All Ireland semi? They were bigger achievemnts that what we are striving for this Sunday and there is no point in us going up to Croker with a negative attitude.
There is no way this Offaly team are the finished articles but fuck, part of coming on a messageboard like this is to suspend reality, talk up your county and dream of winning. Call it overexcitement but it's certainly not arrogance.

It's not doom and gloom at all DD. I think we have a chance of winning - around 20% chance, maybe - I've gone to games where we've had a lot less chance than that, and will do so again. I flew into Ennis when we had feck all chance of winning and feck all chance of qualifying even if we did win. Certainly puts a weekend like the one coming into perspective.

We do have a chance here - but we're not going to get it as easy as Westmeath did. We hit 16 wides and lost by a point that shouldn't have been - Dublin choked, Forde disappeared for Wexford that day and Laois had an injury list a mile long - that's how Westmeath won Leinster. Fermanagh were just a good team, I dare say a better team than we are right now.

I'm also very excited about Sunday, but I'm not sure where you're going with the "Suspend Reality". Maybe that's just because my soul is a bit too battered after a sequence of bad knocks this decade, but I find it very hard to turn the reality switch off. I was merely remarking that everyone else seems to be able to do that. Like I said - I'd make us 20%, the Dubs 80% to lift the Delaney Cup - yet 13/17 posters tipped on Offaly win - not hoped for, or think is possible, but genuinely tipped it as their most likely result.

You'll do well to find a better example of suspending reality than that.

Bord na Mona man · Post by **Bord na Mona man** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 11:45 am

Up until the Leix game, I don't think Dublin showed much to worry anyone. Dublin played well against Leix, but we shouldn't get carried away. Dublin do become a great team to watch once they a few points ahead. They do play with style and swagger. The Hill gets behind them on and its party time.

I would be shocked if we folded like Leix did. We've had a bad run in the last few years, but look at our losing margins when exiting the Leinster championship - Almost always against the pace setters in the province.

00 - 3 points Kildare
01 - 2 points Dublin
02 - 1 point Kildare
03 - 3 points Leix
04 - 1 point Wastemeath
05 - 2 points Leix

Offaly don't collapse in the same way as our fancy neighbours from Leix do. I have good reason to hope that Offaly will be in touch with Dublin as the match nears the finish. Granted against Leix and Tyrone last year, Dublin didn't lose a tight game, but they were helped by some generous refereeing.
They mightn't be bottlers in tight games, but they haven't proven themselves to be winners either.

Offaly seem to be much better in close games this year. My slight worry is how we perform if we were to go more than a goal behind. There is no sunshine team, or set of supporters quite like Dublin's.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:01 pm

Perhaps Dublin aren't all that good - I just think that because we're all sick of hearing about them so much, there is an instant reaction to explain away any good performance with some mitigating factors, rather than give it credit for what it was.

Maybe Laois did lie down and die - but you can't ignore how Dublin put them in a position to do so. They did only beat Longford by two points - but on the other hand, they were away from home when we all know Croke Park is worth four or five points to them, and they'll never have to leave Croke Park for the rest of the year. Also it's not like Longford have proven to be pure muppets either. Maybe Derry will beat them by ten points on Saturday eveing, but I doubt it. Now look at their formline in the championship, who it takes to beat them. In 2005 it was Tyrone, 2004 Kerry, 2003 and 2002 it was Armagh. These lads mightn't be top three themselves just yet, but they aren't far off - they are a lot closer than we are.

I don't think we'll fold - perhaps part of the reason why I'll always have a little bit more grá for the footballers than I do for our hurlers is for that very reason - the honesty is always there. But I do think Dublin will go on a ten minute run at some stage, and the damage they'll do will be more than we can claw back.

azoffaly · Post by **azoffaly** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 12:21 pm

And I'll say this again, for the umpteenth time. If our backs put pressure on Dublin forwards, and I mean real, fair, pressure, then Dublin's forwards will not kick enough scores to put them out of sight.

If we are economical with the ball on our attacks, then we can score enough to beat them, assuming the first part of my plan above goes well.

In my opinion that's it in a nutshell. Dublin will win a power of ball, they always do. But they have no Steven McDonnell, Gooch Cooper, Steven O'Neill, Michael Meehan etc that will kick points under pressure.

Keaney, Cosgrove, Quinn are all weaker technically than any of those lads.

Dublin are the kind of team where a lesser talented team CAN beat them on huge effort and clever, economical ball use.

I believe we can do that, and I've seen the Dubs too often to believe they have morphed into as slick a unit as some people here. Maybe on Sunday evening I'll be holding my hands up to admit that Dublin have come on in leaps and bounds.

I just happen to believe they haven't, we've improved a little, and we were never that far off the pace to begin with. I think we have a genuine, fighter's chance.

Muck Savage · Post by **Muck Savage** » Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:25 pm

I'm a long way from home right now but Christ the nerves are hitting me hard already. There will be a fair few other Offaly heads here heading into a mouldy pub to try shout down the many Dubs that'll be in there. I know there's a Leinster in this team but there are a few things I'm worried about
1) It's been said here a few times but size. We'll need to use every blade of grass on that pitch to our advantage, if the space is used then we'll be right in there most of allin the forwards.
2) Midfield - I really think this is where we'll struggle. Not saying the Dubs are super here but I don't think we're strong. I'd be happy with 40-60 return here and hope to God we can do better.
3) Crowd - Even though the lads are use to Croke Park it a hell of a lot different with 82,000 people in here. The first 10 mins are going to be so important, if we're there after 15 mins it should be a good game.
4) Fittness - From the games I've watched already I think we have looked unfitter than any of the other teams. In the Westmeath game a few lads went down with cramps....
5) The Kilmurray factor - He scares me no end. He could do anything and this could kill us. Was great that he was in the stand the first few games but now that he's on the line....

It'll be great to see Offaly in front of a full house again, wicked hard not being able to be there but a win would be unreal!

naasmanxrhode · Post by **naasmanxrhode** » Fri Jul 14, 2006 4:27 pm

Did anyone watch that crap abouth the Dubs repeated during the week, Kilmurry should show it to the offaly lads an hour before the game and they would go throgh them, such sh?t. I hope we beat them fair & square and shut that feckin hill aswell.

Lone Shark · Post by **Lone Shark** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 4:36 am

All of a sudden Dublin's 2 point win in Pearse Park looks like solid form rather than a weak display. I continue to think more of the Dubs with each passing day - hopefully that trend will stop tomorrow.....

syron · Post by **syron** » Sun Jul 16, 2006 10:13 am

Lone Shark wrote:All of a sudden Dublin's 2 point win in Pearse Park looks like solid form rather than a weak display. I continue to think more of the Dubs with each passing day - hopefully that trend will stop tomorrow.....

Its somewhere inbetween. Longford are a better team than people give them credit for being. Where as Laois are nowhere near as good as the hype might suggest.
Hope its a great game today. Best of luck, tis great to have the old rivals back again.

Tom · Post by **Tom** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 3:57 am

well, just in the door.. a fair few jars in me. turns out Lone Shark was right. for the last few weeks i'd feared you might be rite, but i didn't want to believe it. Turns out Dublin are as good as the hype suggested. Yes, we fell apart, similar to laois, but we had a lad (harshly) sent off (again). Mark Daly should ave been brough on earier, because at least he'd break ball in midfield. Offaly were as good as we thought they were, but DDublin were as good as we had hoped they weren't. The ref was as bad as i've seen in an inter-county game in a very long time, but unfortunately, we have no one to blame except ourselves, for the loss. we do however have alot to be proud of. we contested a dual leinster final for the first time since 1962. we contested a leinster final for the first time since 1997. it's been a good year, and we'll fancy a crack at laois. Bring on Leix and lets prove ourselves as a competent team, able to challenge fo leinster honours in the next few years. I'm off to bed, half cut, but optimistic about the future of Offaly football.