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Tyrone booked their place in the GAA Football League Final with victory over Kildare. Emmet Ryan breaks down the tactical battles from the game.
Too many long balls
Tyrone’s decision to go deep paid dividends early but took the imagination out of their attack. Stephen O’Neill set the tone for their hot start with a score from [...]
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The second of our GAA Football League Semi Final previews sees Emmet Ryan break down the strategic battles between Dublin and Mayo.
A question of consistency
The positive for Mayo heading into this game is that their last half of Football was by far their best defensive showing of the season. Unfortunately for James Horan’s charges, [...]
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Winning one All-Ireland is tough, retaining the title is tougher. Emmet Ryan, author of Tactics not Passion, looks at what Donegal needs to do to win Sam again in 2013 and how the rest of the country will try to stop them.
There was an easy narrative this summer. The Donegal of 2012 was a different [...]
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St Brigid’s quest for a third straight Connacht title remains on course after a comprehensive victory over Galway champions Salthill/Knocknacarra. Emmet Ryan breaks down the tactical factors that saw the Kiltoom club cruise to victory.
Salthill suffer an early blow up front
The Galway champions came out with a clear attacking plan but were forced to [...]
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Dr Crokes cruised to the Kerry title on Sunday with a comprehensive win over Dingle. Emmet Ryan breaks down the tactical factors that led to their victory.
Crokes play fast up front, calm at the back
The defending champions wasted no time looking to hurt Dingle and Colm Cooper was at the heart of their attacking thrust. [...]
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Our part-Welsh Football writer Henry Bridge weighs in on the cultural takeover of Cardiff City FC.
Last Friday saw the start of the 2012 European Championships. A (mostly) joyous celebration of the game of football, international tournaments at their best bring people from different nations together, both uniting opposing fans and reinforcing proud national identities. Just [...]
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The 2012 Flora Dublin Mini Marathon takes place this Monday and Emmet’s here with our no-holds-barred guide to getting through it in one piece.
1. Don’t panic
The most common concern I hear from people is about whether or not they’ll be able to go the full 10k. Trust me you will. Think about it this [...]
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Depth won out over accuracy in Tullamore as Dublin effectively choked out Roscommon’s resistance down the stretch. Emmet Ryan explains how even when trailing, Dublin played the game that would eventually secure victory in the 2012 All Ireland Final.
Roscommon counter well early
Defensively Roscommon handled Dublin’s overloading on high balls well in the early going. With [...]
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Henry Bridge offers an important reminder that we don’t just go to Football games to see who wins.
Kenny Dalglish finally said something sensible this week. In the lead-up to the Merseyside Derby on Tuesday, he insisted Liverpool’s season had been successful, claiming that happy players and fans, and a financially stable club, were more important [...]
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The 2012 Formula 1 season kicks off this weekend in Melbourne with the Australian Grand Prix. We once again have the good fortune to have Stephen Errity on hand to break down the most interesting stories going into this year’s campaign. Stephen is a lifelong F1 fan and experienced motoring journalist and he spoke to [...]
Tactics Not Passion, the book looks at the strategies that defined Gaelic Football over the last year. It's available in paperback from Original Writing and as an e-book from amazon.com, iBooks and most other online stores.
