Offaly v Longford National League 5th February 2012

[Deadandgone]

We must be the only county that is missing so many players. Is this down to players r manager. My take on it is we need everyone,old and young. It is a panel game now and use players at diff parts of the game. From what i hear we lost our way in the last 20_25 mins. This is when we need the mc manus,slats and scot bradys. Then the manager says we lack experience and they are young. You need the young lads and the likes of mc manus/slats to bring on these young lads.look at the result against monaghan last year,build on that result but no what do we do get rid of 10_13 guys from last years panel.

[jimbob17]

I think in fairness that a clean out was needed badly and the management have gone that way. However, i do agree with deadandgone and think that the likes of Scott Brady and Karl Slatts should still be around the place. However, Karl Slattery left of his own accord despite Gerry Cooney openly stating that he wanted him involved. So there is nothing you can do in his case.

Scott Brady wanted to still play however, yet the management chose to leave him out for some reason, possibly his age, i dont know. I do think that this is an error of judgement for he was one of Offalys best performers last year consistently at full back, a problem position at present. However, Cooney has said that he hasnt closed the door on anyone so he might feature yet.

It is a crying shame however in my book that two young talented footballers that should have something to offer are not involved of their own volition. Noel A Graham and Brian Connor when fit could be serious county footballers. However, unfortunately, there is a breed of young fella in the county that lack the leadership skills and personal discipline to fulfill their potential and like to take the easy way out. Brian Connors fitness levels were disgraceful last year in the game v Westmeath in the league. They dont realise that they are throwing their talent away and probably wont till it hits them in 5 or ten years time when they are sitting on a high stool full of regrets. You could also throw James Rafferty of ferbane and Thomas Deehan into this bracket too. Now if the county had these few players along with the likes of Scott and Karl Slattery, then we would be in a much better place right now.

However, this is not the case, and in my opinion there are reasons for this malaise of personal discipline and disrespect for the jersey. As far as i am concerned, this is the penalty that should be placed firmly at the county board executives door. For many years now, underage development from 18 to 21 has been neglected as ive stated before. Lads got jerseys too easy without working for them at this level. Thus the respect has been slowly eroded from poor quality coaching to bad treatment of players on the county boards part for the sake of a few bob. This mismanagement is costing us dearly. However, there is some hope for the 21 s this year and they have put in a good effort thus far so it'll be interesting to see how they do.

There has been serious talent go through the underage levels in football in the past 6 years that hasnt been harnessed. Getting to 3 or four minor leinster finals doesnt happen by chance. And we should have definitely won one two years ago v Longford. This years minor team were unbeatable in leinster a few years ago at underage and there are teams below them at a few underage levels with serious potential and have consistently beaten the best in Leinster. I am led to believe that there is a lot of good work done with underage development teams prior to minor aswell. The schools have generally done well in their respective competitions also during this time. However, it isnt brought thro for a variety of reasons like ive said and the present senior team is the result. Mismanagement is the only explanation. The boys at the top cant see the wood from the trees........

[Deadandgone]

I agree with everything u say and if slats,brady and mac were involved they would get these lads playin. You have to keep after lads. If we had everyone available for selection then we would be lookin at gettin out of div 3. So is it the players, manager r county board. I think the talent is their but u can not be with out so many players.

[Lone Shark]

I would disagree with the decision to cut Scott Brady, but I don't feel you should go chasing after lads whose time has come and gone. Both Karol and Ciarán left on a high, in the sense that Ciarán played some of the best football in his career in 2011, while Karol was still hugely effective despite carrying a lot of injuries. Both men will continue to give it hell for leather on the club scene and enhance our domestic championship in that regard, so if I was manager and either man said they wanted to step aside, I would have just said "are you sure?" and then thank them profusely and let them know that the door was open if they wanted to change their mind.

However none of this changes the fact that nobody on this board is manager, Gerry Cooney is. I've often thought that one of our biggest problems was the fact that no matter who was appointed captain, no matter who was picked in what position, Ciarán McManus and Scott Brady were the dominant voices in the dressing room. That's understandable because both men are natural leaders - Slattery leads by example but isn't really a big talker - and it allowed players who should have been taking on more responsibility to continue acting like lads just after getting a call up to the squad. Hence the dearth of leadership on the field last Sunday.

I also disagree hugely that the presence of McManus, Brady, Slattery, or even a comeback from Vinny Claffey, Tony McTague and Matt Connor himself would be enough to encourage lads who don't have the motivation within them to do what needs to be done. Everybody now knows that the commitment required to play intercounty GAA is incredible - club players now do what All Ireland winning county teams did a generation ago. You cannot do that, and go through the sacrifice and hardship, unless it means the world to you. There's a reason why McManus was our best player last year - because he wanted success more than any other player in that squad. He went the extra mile and back again, without quibble. Without getting into the specifics of the two players you named, any footballer than has to be cajoled, convinced and mollycoddled into returning to the scene won't have the will to push himself that last step, to do that extra set in the gym, to turn down that pint on Saturday night when it's been a hard week. They would see their football as this thing forcing them to make sacrifices, whereas the great footballers see the game as this great opportunity, a chance to achieve, and that the pints and the curry chips will still be there long after the legs have failed.

[Deadandgone]

Sure while we r at it bring back willie bryan. Thats not the point. Mac is flyin fit he still has something to offer and i reckon he would have given it another year. The same with slats and brady. Mac would be great for there younger lads at trainin and to give them advice. Whats goin to happen is we will be back in div 4 and no body will want to play foot ball for offaly

[Lone Shark]

Mac is flyin fit he still has something to offer and i reckon he would have given it another year.

Slattery and McManus retired. If they wish to come back of course they would be brought into the panel and rightly so, but it's a bit presumptuous to say that you know their thinking better than they do themselves.

[Deadandgone]

Reports were that mac was not called back in hence retirement.maybe thats not true. But i am just sayin u need everyone. I know lads have to make up their own mind but if a guy still has some thing to offer which i think he has he should be kept after to play.

[Hyper]

LS. you being a betting man and all that, what odds would you be given about Mac having retired?