Donegal GAA Discussion Thread

retalivity

Balls to that anyway. Expectations for the year are dipping lower and lower...

charlie14

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

County Board have announced Neil Gallagher has retired due to injury.

That is a huge blow.

I hadn`t very high hopes for this year to start, but that has certainly lower them a few notches.

Like recent departures, the big man owes Donegal football nothing.

He has put in some serious shifts.

A shame that it is through injury though.

Redsoxfan

**** this year anyway.

babybuilder

Big Neil has been one of our best midfielders ever. Genuine footballer who could hold his own and more against any midfielders in the country. Talk about a rebuilding job!

retalivity

retalivity wrote: »

Balls to that anyway. Expectations for the year are dipping lower and lower...

Exactly what I thought!

Redsoxfan

We should probably wear black on Sunday.

This is crushing news for any number of reasons. Sure, Big Neil was probably coming to the end of his career, but we sure could have used him this year. Given he missed the Championship last year, and that he helped Glenswilly to the County title, I was hopeful he had one more season left in him. Sad that he, like David Walsh, didn't get the chance to leave it behind on the pitch. Worse still it's thon charlatan announcing it.

Then you have the fact that like Christy, Big Neil meant more to the supporters than most others. He did't suffer like Christy did with injuries, but nothing came easy to him in a County jersey. Even under McGuinness, it took time for him to prove himself - he didn't exactly seem like a McGuinness player but by the end of that era he has integral to the setup. Three Ulster Championships, an All Ireland and two All Stars say it all.

Everyone will recall his performance against Cork in 2012, but probably the most amazing thing was to see him score a point in the All Ireland Final. That was the cherry on the cake for me.

Way before then, his bloodied bandaged head made our only significant title between 1992 and 2011 all the more memorable. Hard to believe he was captain back then and if I recall correctly he was harshly enough treated in losing it.

Personally, I'd know him to talk to and he was good enough to bring Sam to my brother's wedding for a photo the week after we won it so I'll always be grateful to him for that. A real gent.

Fare thee well Big Neil. It will be a long time before we have anybody to fill those boots.

Redsoxfan

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

PM sent lads. I listened back again and I think I was wrong - he had his GAA bag with him so would have been hard for it not to have been him alright! Whatever about the rights and wrongs of it, he has a lot to learn about being cute about it!

Listened to it, and I'd say that's someone messing. Bit to eager to say who he was and that he hoped to play Senior some day....

Ollieboy

With this amount of players dropping away from the panel it as to ask questions about Rory... if these players thought there was even a chance of winning something they would hang around for another year. So to me it indicates that the players have no confidence in the management and I know you can argue about each players fitness or age but a medal is a medal and winners don't give up on that to easy.

I am just baffled how the country gave him a 3 year contract and he's won nothing.

doc_17

The way things are going I wouldn't be shocked to see Lacey going too.

Redsoxfan

doc_17 wrote:

The way things are going I wouldn't be shocked to see Lacey going too.

Nor me. Is he injured at the moment or just being rested?

Redsoxfan

No Paddy McBrearty for Sunday. Injured (or once bitten twice shy?).

doc_17

No McBrearty? Where are the scores gonna come from?

Murphy will be busy - and probably triple marked....

doc_17

He'll be playing in midfield, he'll have his hands full with Fenton and MacCauley

charlie14

Deleted User wrote: »

Murphy will be busy - and probably triple marked....

Playing both in midfield and at full forward, and being triple marked in both, he certainly will.

Ceist_Beag

It's only February so Rory won't want to reveal anything to those Dubs just yet - expect a damage limitation exercise on Sunday with very little ambition*. It's just a shame it can't be moved to Letterkenny so that we can use that excuse!

* if we have a right cut at the Dubs I'll take it all back of course!

Redsoxfan

Ceist_Beag wrote:

It's only February so Rory won't want to reveal anything to those Dubs just yet - expect a damage limitation exercise on Sunday with very little ambition*. It's just a shame it can't be moved to Letterkenny so that we can use that excuse!

He is very complimentary of them in today's Donegal Post.

Buttering us up for a **** show.

Steve The Barman

doc_17 wrote: »

No McBrearty? Where are the scores gonna come from?

probably from some of the other 15 lads that are starting i'd guess

Nidgeweasel

The Dubs streak is coming to an end.......step forward Hugh McFadden.

Ollieboy

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

It's only February so Rory won't want to reveal anything to those Dubs just yet - expect a damage limitation exercise on Sunday with very little ambition*. It's just a shame it can't be moved to Letterkenny so that we can use that excuse!

* if we have a right cut at the Dubs I'll take it all back of course!

Sorry, but loads of people said this same crap last year about Rory... He doesn't have a plan A, B C or anything else and it will be the same crap this summer again from him. He just tries to copy a system that worked well 5 years ago under a smart manager/trainer and he has just trained these players to not play football but play a system that is easily defended against. What's worse, he can't even see it and comes out with the same rubbish which is very disrespectful to the fan's, players and other counties.

If we actually went back to playing man to man we would get better results instead of this current crap.

Under his management we have gone from top 3 team to around 6 to 8 in 2 years.

And before people start with the excuses this same squad were average before McGuinness took them over and gave them the tools and confidence to win a AI. That's what a good manager does and the same was done by Sean Boylan and other people like him but it will never been done by Rory.

If you play the Dubs in Feb and let them walk all over you then it will have two affects:

1. your own confidence against them will go down
2. there confidence against you will go up

Winning is a drug and we have totally lost it under him due to this very poor management and current county board. The dubs are the best team at the moment but they don't fear us and that's a major issue.

Ceist_Beag

Oliie, I think you missed the sarcasm in my post! I think we're on the same page in terms of how we view Rory.

doc_17

Steve The Barman wrote: »

probably from some of the other 15 lads that are starting i'd guess

With insight like that you bring shame on all barmen.

Redsoxfan

Team named for Dublin game

Durcan
McGrath
N McGee
EB Gallagher
R McHugh
Ward
Paul Brennan
J McGee
C Thompson
Carroll
O'Reilly
E McHugh
Jigger
Murphy
Jamie Brennan

Yes, the official match programme says Papa starts. A sick sick joke in what has been a bad enough week already.

Redsoxfan

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Team named for Dublin game

Durcan
McGrath
N McGee
EB Gallagher
R McHugh
Ward
Paul Brennan
J McGee
C Thompson
Carroll
O'Reilly
E McHugh
Jigger
Murphy
Jamie Brennan

Yes, the official match programme says Papa starts. A sick sick joke in what has been a bad enough week already.

I wish!

Nidgeweasel

Plenty for us to target based on the Dublin 15 named.

I dread to think what they're saying about ours!

Ultimately think it'll be somewhat of a shootout (if there is such a thing) and Cluxton (along with their midfield) will be the difference.

Good exposure for some of our lads especially the midfielders.

Alvin Holler

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

Plenty for us to target based on the Dublin 15 named.

I dread to think what they're saying about ours!

I doubt they know who half our players are!

We should have enough pace to match them but we'll struggle physically.

Hopefully the younger guys can develop and learn from this.

Redsoxfan

On paper, it looks like a good opportunity. But we gave up a load of chances at home to Kerry and were sloppy against a very average Roscommon side. The absence of Paddy McBrearty is big as he would tie up one or two of their backs. Jigger and Jamie won't worry them too much. No doubt we will take heart from what Tyrone achieved on a wet night a few weeks ago and it is a damp day up here for sure.

But like Tyrone, we will probably come up short. Trend in these league games is that Dublin tend to finish strongly against us.

Hopefully Jason McGee will show a bit more today and Gallagher and Ward will continue to show well enough.

Martin McHugh has stepped down as Kilcar manager. Strange timing.

ProudDUB

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

Plenty for us to target based on the Dublin 15 named.

I dread to think what they're saying about ours!

Ultimately think it'll be somewhat of a shootout (if there is such a thing) and Cluxton (along with their midfield) will be the difference.

Good exposure for some of our lads especially the midfielders.

Have you seen our full forward line? I wouldn't hold your breath. :rolleyes:

Redsoxfan

This has been Monaghan in Letterkenny 2015 bad. But then it got interesting. 2014 interesting : -)

charlie14

Playing without forwards and leading by 3 points at half time. Strange game.

Btw, on the mention of forwards, I thought Mac Niallais was off on his travels?

He is credited with 3-05 for Gaoth Dobhair v Kilcar yesterday in Towney in Comortas Peile na Gaeltacha