Wednesday Talk

TALKING POINTS

So Louth got the win we desired it wasn’t pretty but it didn’t need to be ......and here’s a few things that need to be digested.

On our positives We have to take in account how poor Westmeath were and the fact we have a voodoo hex on them this past couple of season’s but let’s look at what did we learn from the weekends game and the major talking points from our perspective.

Tactic’s
We weren’t tested defensively Our whole set up seemed to be very defensive, Jim McEneaney seemed to be playing wing back at times. whether this was the attitude of the players towards a no lose game or nervousness from the top down. We appeared ultra cautious as a result. It affected us going forward and how we flowed.....our delivery to the forwards was slow and inaccurate as a result and lacked support play because we were stretched so much.

Centre back Although Sharry had a lot of possession he failed to exploit Derek Crilly (our most versatile player). Considering he is a forward come defender he held the centre back position well. Cleaning up a number of breaks and as the game went on he crashed into tackle’s and dispossessed a number of times he passed the test and as a result he will hold his position for Sunday versus Galway and Conroy will suit him. (more about Galway tomorrow)

Substitutions
They were a major part of the game and gives us the best insight to the way Fitzer is thinking.

First off, why did Pop Rath not start the game? Coming on after 7 minutes was a waste of a substitute and unfair on Ronan  Greene.....who was doing nothing wrong and didn’t have had the time to even!!, his confidence will be shot now.....but in fairness to Pops he done an excellent job when he came in.
Peach Califf will also have a dent in confidence after the weekend and you can’t blame him for feeling a bit miffed! He played his first game of the year in an uncustomary position for him, and to say the delivery was poor was an understatement, making his marker look even more impressive. Bringing Aaron Hoey for his first outing also send out the wrong message, to the future and the rest of the squad! Fitzer obviously likes his big target man on the square. A swap with Jim or Ronan Carroll could have worked and should have been tried instead. Under pressure Fitzer chose the short term gain of winning at all costs on Sunday.

I think we can see a trend occurring there was no place for risk on Sunday

when the out of sorts Derek Maguire finally made way (think he’s playing on a bad ankle) and Andy McDonnell was introduced you could tell that even though the player might have just got off a plane the day before, he’s one of our top forwards and could do a job. Consequently you have to feel aggrieved for David Reid and Cathal Bellew both showing a bit of form recently and not getting backed. What made it even more bizarre was, Reido came on the wing for a few minutes and not Bellew who plays and started there recently.

Then the whopper of them all

Just when you think you can see a trend in Fitzers thinking, of win at all costs, minimal risk in selection and substitution, just get over the line today and forget about tomorrow.

In the dying minutes three points between the sides in the most crucial game of the year He takes off our fullback Dessie Finnegan who was solid throughout and not coming off injured and brings in Stephen Fitzpatrick.

First off you never take of your full back it’s just an unwritten rule of the GAA
Secondly Dessie was marking their most threatening forward Alan Giles at the time and dangerously bringing a fresh player off the bench to mark him
Thirdly young Fitzer is a wingback never a full back plus fourthly he’s never played there before never mind this year and
Fifthly What does it say to David Collier who played every game in the build up at full back surely if Dessie was being taken off it was Collier who’d replace him?

This was emphasised further when young Fitzer’s first involvement was to foul Giles, leaving two in it until Clarkie scored at the death Okay I think you’ve got my point that it just showed some the most audacious cautious hypocrisy ever, but a talking point nonetheless only because it really could have cost us the crucial game! 

Finally
I’ll leave on a positive note, we scored nine points from play on Sunday highlighting that we are accurate. We have scoring potential even without Andy and Derek Maguire firing on all cylinders and Brian White, Mark Brennan, Shane Lennon to come in it’s easy to be optimistic Plus our midfield will give us that platform to compete in most games at this division I just wish our management did.

TOMORROW: A look at Galway and our best team to face them.