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'Horan wants to peak in an All Ireland final but that's risky'

We have two live games on Off The Ball this weekend with the football taking precedence.  To...
Newstalk
Newstalk

21.09 31 Jul 2014


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'Horan wants to peak i...

'Horan wants to peak in an All Ireland final but that's risky'

Newstalk
Newstalk

21.09 31 Jul 2014


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We have two live games on Off The Ball this weekend with the football taking precedence. 

Tonight on the show, Dara O'Cinneide, Conor Deegan, and our own Colm Parkinson previewed the All Ireland football action which you can listen to via the podcast:

 

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Mayo v Cork (QF)

Mayo have been hard to gauge so far in the Championship and Wooly has "less belief in them this year" in comparison to 2013. But he also revealed that manager James Horan told him that training has been tailored to prevent them from peaking as early as they did last year.

"He wants to peak in an All Ireland final if possible but that's a risky game as well," said Wooly, who sees them as the second best team in the country so far.

O'Cinneide thinks they still lack something in the forward department, especially if Cillian O'Connor gets plenty of attention from opposition backs.

"You need more than one top class forward to be registering more than three or four points," he said. 

Meanwhile, Cork have changed their system although the team has not been changed from the Sligo win.

O'Cinneide believes the Rebels will have to flood midfield and win breaking balls due to issues with Ken O'Halloran's kickouts.

Deegan also believes that they do not trust their midfield in the way that they used to and have lost  their mid third dominance.

 

Kerry v Galway (QF)

Deegan believes the Kerry team will be feeling confident after their Munster Final triumph and was encouraged by some of the "workmanlike" aspects of that good performance.

Wooly thinks that they are on the slide however, although he is impressed by Eamon Fitzmaurice's tactical changes. 

O'Cinneide is also enthused by the way that the pressure seems to have been taken off the shoulders of the players who appear to be enjoying their football. 

"I think the first priority with this management group is to make them defensively solid and then try and express themselves," he added.

As for Galway, Deegan believes they will have to turn the match into a battle if they are to have a chance of progression.


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