Tribesmen Lose Their Way

What a difference a few weeks make.

In one of my blogging efforts last month I noted how many so-called football experts were touting Galway as real All-Ireland contenders after their impressive win over Tyrone in Omagh.

A few weeks earlier I urged the Galway Advteriser to keep its feet on the ground after describing Galway's NFL victory over Dublin as "epic" and "lyrical". In other words, people appeared to be getting carried away with Galway's early promise.

These same people don't half go the other way when things suddenly turn sour. This week, Ray Silke in the Galway Advertiser described the Tribesmen as "miles off" after "being given a good auld trouncing and a lesson in how to play Gaelic football by Kerry", and losing a place in the NFL Final in the process:

"They were miles off the pace, their handling was abysmal, and an awful lot of hard work and some soul searching will have to be done between now and the championship if they are to retain the Connacht crown."

Galway have some exceptional players, especially in a very talented forward line, but it's at midfield where their biggest problems lie. A huge concession of possession in this sector has led to them losing points in their last three league games, and Silke is in total agreement:

"The management team will have to sit down and reassess their best options at midfield for the up-coming championship and perhaps even over the next few years. Because, let’s be honest here, the combinations they have been putting out have not been doing the business and their ball retention on the few occasions they got it the last day was atrocious."

While Galway have problems at midfield, Kerry have an abundance of options, and the The Kerryman was keen to point this out in its match report from Tralee:

"In came Anthony Maher and Micheál Quirke on Sunday with the pairing looking like they could hold their own against the best in the game such was their dominance. And even if those two were feeling contented at how well the game was going for them they were served a fresh reminder as to the task awaiting them when Darragh Ó Sé and David Moran came on to replace them midway through the second half."

Now that's luxury.

The same article seemed very happy with Kerry's all-round display as they setup an NFL rematch with Derry:

"Such was Kerry's hunger, such was their pace, such was their fitness and such was their class that they simply blew Liam Sammon's Galway away."

I'm not preaching caution to the Kerry pundits at this point, because I'd readily believe every word of that.

It appears that despite their apparent progression this season Galway still have their work cut out to stop Kerry in their tracks come the summer. But if the NFL campaign is anything close to being a trusty indicator then so does every other county!