[ad_1]
- Email [19659009] And then there were four. The race for Ireland's senior hen championship in 2018 has been reduced to champions Galway, Minster, Cork, Clare and Limerick.
Three of the South are aiming to end Galway's reign as holders of the Liam MacCarthy Cup, but while all the remaining counties will see their chances, the Westerners are my advice to keep it.
In advance of the two semifinals I run the rule on the foursome chasing the biggest prize by screaming, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, and identifying the key man for everyone.
I also make a verdict for each county and when the dust settles, my prediction is that Galway will celebrate consecutive titles for the first time since 1987/88.
The final opponents will be Limerick, who are best placed to catching Galway's hopes, with Cork and Clare left to think final defeats
Galway
Highlights: Their physical prowess and ability to mix long and short, as we have seen against Kilkenny in the final painting of Leinster and Replay.
Of the four teams left, they are one of the ju st two (with Clare) who knows what it takes to pbad the line and win an All-Ireland title, in addition to not not have to run after their first Liam MacCarthy Cup in almost 30 years
to chase something you already have rather than being obsessed with what you have not had in such a long time.
They have an excellent bench with Jason Flynn, Conor Cooney, Seán Loftus and Thomas Monaghan waiting behind the scenes for name, but a few. They play a style and system similar to those of the Kilkenny teams of the late 2000s, with a line and midfielder in deep half-strokes, and the movement of their attackers is first-rate.
They also have this option to Johnny Glynn on the edge of the square and, as we have seen against Wexford and Kilkenny, it is a huge badet and a nightmare for the opposition.
Weaknesses : I have trouble finding one because it's the full launch package. They hugged each other and, even though Colm Callanan's goalkeeper change to James Skehill could be considered a concern, Skehill has discharged his task until now.
Key player: Pádraic Mannion. Mr. Consistency and Galway's best player of the championship so far. He sets up numerous attacks and is also the man to put a defensive fire on call. Prediction: All the champions of Ireland.
Limerick
Highlights: Character, Resilience and Solidarity. It's a tight group, as manager John Kiely pointed out, and this Limerick team is different
There is a real spirit in this pack and their combined qualities have helped them to win tight games in this championship.
There is an attitude of never saying to die in Limerick and they will continue until the end.
From now on, the games will be tight and Limerick will be using these traits again.
In terms of physicality, they are the next best thing in Galway, they play on a system and the players follow it to the letter.
They have accumulated mbadive scores and, like Galway, there is a bench to call Many of their players have won U21 All-Ireland medals and they are relieved by the weight of history, and not carrying no psychological baggage.
I referred their strength from 1 to 9 before their victory over Tipp in Munster; it's an established unit and dashboard for any team.
Weaknesses: For the majority of these guys, Croke Park and the end of the affairs of the All-Ireland Senior Championship is an unexplored territory. They are heading to the unknown and few things can prepare you for that.
They will sink or swim at GAA HQ and even if their back line is solid, they may need a position switch to cope with a large
Limerick struggling with John Conlon de Clare in Munster and Seamus Harnedy could cause them similar problems in a semifinal of the Irish team. It may be best to ask Richie English and Mike Casey to exchange, with Casey lugging backwards. How they deal with hype is another key factor. They did not do too well before playing Clare in Munster and that did not happen in 2013 when they lost a semi-final against Ireland against Clare after claiming the provincial title
. the championship for the first time in 45 years, a county is once again excited and Kiely must protect his players from the hype.
Key man: Declan Hannon. At 25, he is almost the oldest statesman of this young team, and he has semi-finals experience in All-Ireland in 2013 and 2014. S he can lead with a big performance, or performances, the rest will follow. Verdict: Finalists defeated All-Ireland
Cork
Highlights: Their division forward and their pace numbers 8 to 15. From a point of view Offensive, Cork is as good as Patrick Horgan and Seamus Harnedy, who stand out in pressure cooker situations
Both have shown phenomenal leadership and the return to physical fitness. Alan Cadogan Will Provide John Meyler
Anthony Nash's rounds are well documented and have a huge influence on how Cork plays.
It also upsets opposition leaders who are trying to find a way to counter them. 19659004] Cork is very fit and finishes well with every game. They seemed to be the only team in Munster able to cope with this three-game rotation during the round robin round and that tells me something about the strength of their mental resolve.
Meyler's men show real fighting qualities this year. When the questions were asked, they answered them.
Unlike previous years and even though they have enormous qualities, I am still not totally convinced.
Still, I was wrong on Cork before and maybe a little naughty for them.
It will probably be necessary that they grow to win an All-Ireland title before I get fully on board.
Weaknesses: Similar to Clare, they are great in front, but there are areas at the back where they can be placed.
The past defeats of Croke Park can also play in their minds and if the opposition get out of the Nash curves and take control of Seamus Harnedy, do they have the ability to win the hard ball?
I also wonder if Meyler is sure of the composition of his six back?
They were exhibited by John Conlon de Clare in the Munster final, while Limerick's Seamus Flanagan wreaked havoc in the draw at Páirc Uí Chaoimh
Mark Ellis is a defensive option coming back from the injury and it will be interesting to see what Meyler is coming.
Key Man: Seamus Harnedy. What year does this guy have? He plays a key role in Cork's air game and in the first leg when the chips are dropped. We saw him in the Munster final when he showed incredible leadership before half-time and throughout the second half. Verdict: Semifinalists beaten All-Ireland
Clare
Highlights: Firepower. Clare has the staff on a given day to beat any team in the country.
They have a targeted man inside John Conlon, who is in a scintillating form, and this attacking unit has a lot of pace and savor the great outdoors Many of these players have All-Ireland medals in their pockets and they will like to have the chance to imitate the great teams of Clare from 1995 and 1997, who have won the Liam MacCarthy Cup twice.
Clare They also have good options on the bench of Conor McGrath, Ian Galvin, David Fitzgerald and Jason McCarthy.
Their short game may upset one of the remaining teams in the race and this may be the key to breaking Galway.
The return to the best form of Podge Collins and Shane O Donnell could not be better and the emergence of Peter Duggan is another major badet.
True, he missed two crucial relays in the Munster final, but he is generally good on placed balls and a mbadive aerial presence in the front. Weaknesses: For all that firepower, Clare sends big scores to the other end of the field. They present far too many opportunities to score to their opponents and that is a concern.
Question marks still weigh on this back line and Clare can shoot at crucial times, as we saw in the Munster finale. They allowed Cork to come back before halftime and the Rebels did not need a second invitation.
Clare was a far superior team at Wexford last weekend but only three points separated the sides when it should have been well closed. On the plus side, Clare showed some determination and character when the pressure came to end out.
It's going to be a mbadive demand for Clare to go and take Galway but they have the game to trouble them. I'm just worried about them at the back and I do not see them having enough to hold on.
Key man: Tony Kelly. He is the man who makes Clare's success and he can play at Croke Park as he did in 2013, anything is possible. Prediction: Semifinalists beaten All-Ireland.
Irish Independent
[ad_2]
Source link
Tags advantage among Fab Galway
