www.uibhfhaili.com

Agree likj on that. you can add a few more names to that list too, plenty of lads who were just touching off that team and some who played in the earlier rounds. Conor Evans (year out), James Rafferty, James Coughlan, Trevor Phelan, James Keane, Thomas Coughlan, Kevin Lynam, Damien Hunt, Rory/ Ross Connor, David Egan, Padraic Bracken, Sean Casey, maybe one or two more that i cant remember. What a shame that that talent was let fall through the cracks. Pat Roe has got to take some blame. He also let Colm Quinn Roy Malone John Kenny Cathal Daly Mark Daly retire early when they still had a lot to offer while in their very early thirties, ie 30,31,32. Think a few of them would have stayed on too at the time if they were wanted.......

Long list of names there alright. Although, I would see it as a combination of factors and not just that they should not have been let fall through. For some of them they were not good enough, some of them didn't want to make the choice to be an inter county footballer, some of it was also down to mgnt factors too.

I feel that having the skill to be an intercounty footballer is one thing, but having the ability to manage everything else in your life, so that you can do what is required on the field, is equally important.

In fairness, not many county teams manage to keep every promising 20-22 year old interested enough to keep working hard at their game. Certainly it's a lot easier in Dublin, Kerry or Tyrone where there is a reasonable chance of success and profile by way of doing so. Due to the absence of those "carrots", quite often in Offaly a footballer will do enough to keep himself ticking over, and if that keeps him on the county team, so be it. We just don't have the culture here of promising footballers delivering fully on their potential.

Also, I'll have to check the dates, but I remember doing something either two or three years ago and Offaly actually had the most players still starting from five or six years previously. We may have lost a few fringe guys, but there were plenty more that stayed around. You'll always have player turnover, even if there were a few individual cases in there that do stand out.

Interesting appointment of the management team at the Under 21 grade tonight. This just in from Midlands Radio:

Paschal Kellaghan is the new Offaly Under 21 football manager; Tony Kenny, Ger Rafferty, Benny O'Brien and Mark Daly are his backroom team.

The under21 management selection is spot on and will do a good job

On the list of names under the brief "talent allowed to fall through the cracks", please spare me that nonsense. A lot of those guys had every chance and were called in year after year, and as Lone Shark said for a variety of reasons they did not make it.
It happens, and unfortunately it happens more often in Offaly than elsewhere, its harder to get off a panel than on to it. Shane Sullivan is one prime example, a very good club footballer, but not suited (lack of pace) for county. And a certain amount of the remainder of the list just phsically are not up to the demands of County football.
I would say that we really need to look at the development of players physically from the age of 16 through to 22, and put in a template for clubs to follow. I was looking up an Armagh training website and some of the core training work they are doing is phenomenal and would be a real advantage to roll out at club level underage to have that level of physical strength, which also brings a level of mental toughness which is vital in the modern game.
What is needed is a joined up approach, and what we can take some pride in this year is the teams that have won the top 3 championships are backboned by a good spread of young players who have driven on their teams at crucial stages. Cappincur, (Croghan & Rhode included the 2 as Croghan should really have won) and of course Edenderry.

By the way, well done on the U21 management appointment. Good men in there who have had a good involvement in club football and a spread of guys who can work with the players in groups and are up with modern methods.
Best of luck to them and along with the appointment of John Leahy for minor hurlers is a ray of hope after a traumatic year.

What's the story about Paddy Carr? He announced during the week that he wasn't an Offaly SF selector for 2012.

SearingDrive wrote:What's the story about Paddy Carr? He announced during the week that he wasn't an Offaly SF selector for 2012.

During the week I saw the following headlines in the paper...

Cooney backs Carr
Carr tyres of prolonged interview process
Negotiations with Carr break down
Carr driven out of Offaly
Carr on the way to Rhode
Carr seat now vacant on management team

Carr found burnt out in Louth?

Bord na Mona man wrote:

SearingDrive wrote:What's the story about Paddy Carr? He announced during the week that he wasn't an Offaly SF selector for 2012.

During the week I saw the following headlines in the paper...

Cooney backs Carr
Carr tyres of prolonged interview process
Negotiations with Carr break down
Carr driven out of Offaly
Carr on the way to Rhode
Carr seat now vacant on management team

Still haven't answered the basic question. You must have seen that headline on toilet paper!!

Any word on the Carr situation, did he pass the NCT test or not?

Carr is exhausted and indicated that he needs to recharge his batteries.
Then Carr might reverse his decision.
If Carr makes a u-turn now, it would give him time to gear up for the championship, where hopefully we see some vintage Offaly performances.

While not wanting to fuel speculation, I'd expect Carr to tow the line, rather than crash out of contention.

Bord na Mona man wrote:Carr is exhausted and indicated that he needs to recharge his batteries.
Then Carr might reverse his decision.
If Carr makes a u-turn now, it would give him time to gear up for the championship, where hopefully we see some vintage Offaly performances.

While not wanting to fuel speculation, I'd expect Carr to tow the line, rather than crash out of contention.

Great punography there Bord na Mona Man

You should change your name to ESB man, you have too much time on yer hands BNM!!