Donegal GAA Discussion Thread

Redsoxfan

downthemiddle wrote:

We should take a leaf out of Kildare's book.

Hire McGeeney?
Lure Seanie Johnston?
Lose?

No thanks.

Comic Book Guy

downthemiddle wrote: »

We should take a leaf out of Kildare's book.

Would love to see Donegal v Dublin in Clones.

I'm probably preaching to the converted here but read Jim's book over the weekend. Very insightful. The sheer amount of time, effort, and commitment he put into the job was unreal.

Congrats on the Ulster win, great brand of football and ye are building nicely. Hope to see ye in Super 8s in the flesh in late July but that's for another day!

Brego888

McBrearty has done his cruciate. Season over. Disaster.

Murphy14

Brego888 wrote: »

McBrearty has done his cruciate. Season over. Disaster.

Ah no !!! Big loss good luck to him with his recovery

Nidgeweasel

Huge blow.

raiders11

Massive blow for us.... Wishing him a speedy and full recovery..

Ceist_Beag

**** it, massive loss

bob skunkhouse

Hang on lads..hang on....huge blow no doubt, but far from a season ending disaster for the county. Big opportunity for Mulligan to make a marker now. Mightn't have the scoring ability of Paddy Mc but his pace offers another dimension. OMacN left footed free taker. If I recall correctly he used to take a few frees a wheen of years back.

charlie14

Brego888 wrote: »

McBrearty has done his cruciate. Season over. Disaster.

You sure about that ?


Meet him with my nephew in Dom`s Donegal Town on Sunday night and he reckoned he would be OK for the Dublin game.
Massive loss if otherwise.



I would have thought when they put this Super 8 thing together their would have been a reward for winning your provincial, rather than being left with your home game the final one of the round when it could be just a dead rubber.

Redsoxfan

Desperate news.

All the best Paddy, hope this is a once off.

charlie14

See the County Board have confirmed.

Huge blow for Donegal football and for Patrick in particular who was having a massive season.

Wishing him all the best and a speedy and full recovery.

squareball1988

Paddy never would have got that injury under Rory Gallagher for he wouldn't have been allowed to shoot.

Credit where credit is due.

harpsman

charlie14 wrote: »

You sure about that ?


Meet him with my nephew in Dom`s Donegal Town on Sunday night and he reckoned he would be OK for the Dublin game.
Massive loss if otherwise.



I would have thought when they put this Super 8 thing together their would have been a reward for winning your provincial, rather than being left with your home game the final one of the round when it could be just a dead rubber.

Another gaa farce. We have 2 away games (only team to do so) before our 1 home game just so It can be fixed to make sure Dublin don’t lose. Wouldn’t be tolerated in any other sport.

Apparently it won’t happen next year but hierarchy too stupid to do things right in the first place

Ceist_Beag

I don't think we're the only team to be away the first two games. All teams bar Dublin are away for the first round by virtue of the fact all round 1 games are in Croke Park. Each team then has 1 home and 1 away game - we're no different to 6 of the other 7 teams in that regard. The only exception is Dublin who have 2 home games - and isn't it always the way with them! But we're the same as Kerry and Galway in that our first two rounds are away from home. I would agree though that you would have thought it would be fairer for the provincial winners to be home in round 2 and away in round 3, not the other way around.

ArnoldJRimmer

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

I don't think we're the only team to be away the first two games. All teams bar Dublin are away for the first round by virtue of the fact all round 1 games are in Croke Park. Each team then has 1 home and 1 away game - we're no different to 6 of the other 7 teams in that regard. The only exception is Dublin who have 2 home games - and isn't it always the way with them! But we're the same as Kerry and Galway in that our first two rounds are away from home. I would agree though that you would have thought it would be fairer for the provincial winners to be home in round 2 and away in round 3, not the other way around.

Big difference is that other teams are playing at a neutral venue, whereas we are away. Not something to get annoyed over really, I think taking on the Dubs in Croker is a perfect game for this team at this moment in time. Nothing to lose and two more chances to get results after this game. And even without Paddy, no reason to fear those other opponents whoever they may be.

fullstop

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

I don't think we're the only team to be away the first two games. All teams bar Dublin are away for the first round by virtue of the fact all round 1 games are in Croke Park. Each team then has 1 home and 1 away game - we're no different to 6 of the other 7 teams in that regard. The only exception is Dublin who have 2 home games - and isn't it always the way with them! But we're the same as Kerry and Galway in that our first two rounds are away from home. I would agree though that you would have thought it would be fairer for the provincial winners to be home in round 2 and away in round 3, not the other way around.

They should make dublin play their 'home' game in Parnell Park. And then move it to Cork for health & safety reasons as Parnell can't accommodate the crowd.

Redsoxfan

Focusing on actual football for a moment, while the main thing with Paddy is that his surgery and recovery goes well and he makes it back playing as well as ever (see Andy Moran) and is not cursed (like Colm O'Neill), what does this mean for the rest of our Championship?

Paddy was our one pure forward. Michael plays wherever these days and Jamie Brennan moves around a lot too and as a finisher, he is more close range than Paddy can be.

If he is replaced with Cian Mulligan, it is nothing like a one for one swap.

We also have the issue of who takes the frees on the right. Ciaran Thompson is the obvious choice if he keeps his place. Does MacNiallais ever kick frees? I can't recall him ever taking one, certainly not at County level. As far as I recall, Langan is right footed. As is Ryan McHugh who regularly kicks frees for Kilcar. Same for Hugh McFadden.


Thompson is not nailed on to start or finish a game. Neither is MacNiallais. It's not just the frees, but who will kick a score like Paddy kicked against Armagh in 2014 if we need it to win a tight game?

It's likely to have a deep impact on how we play. A true test of Declan Bonner as a manager now - how will he adjust?

boxer.fan

Sad for Paddy. He was rightly getting into the groove this year. Great opportunity for somebody to make their mark in the forward line.

Ceist_Beag

Spot on RSF. Not only all that but Paddy puts manners on a defence, he keeps them disciplined. No replacement would earn the same respect. Thompson would be the obvious replacement on frees alright and in fairness to him, he's a decent free taker but as you say he's not guaranteed to be on the pitch for the whole match.
Ultimately right now as you say the main concern has to be for Paddy and that he recovers from this so best of luck to him.
In terms of the team, as you say, it's a real test for Declan as to how he manages this. Hopefully someone does step up to the plate to grab their chance here.
Cian is a lovely little footballer but tbh he has not impressed when starting and has had much more impact coming on as a sub in the second half. There is every chance Declan will bring in Caolan Ward to the starting 15 again as the only change from the last day (apart from Neil coming back in place of McMenamin again), especially as it's Dublin in Croker.

Alvin Holler

I'd agree, it'll definitely be a defender who comes in. Thought it was a great move by declan to drop ward who has done nothing wrong and pick mcniallais as fermanagh don't play many forwards.

We've the opposite problem against Dublin as we need six defenders who can mark their opponents. Even in the earlier games mcglynn had kind of a free role as those teams dropped players back.

I'd say we'll see:
Mcgee on rock
Mcgrath on Andrews/costello
Eoghan Ban on mannion
Mcglynn on scully/whoever
Brennan on kilkenny
Whoever comes in on con o'c

...I see ciaran gillespie is fit and was on the bench the last day.

Redsoxfan

I'll be disappointed if it is Ward for Paddy tbh

Whoever replaces him needs to be able to kick a score or 5.

Redsoxfan

Alvin Holler wrote:

...I see ciaran gillespie is fit and was on the bench the last day.

On the bench, aye. But is he really fit?

Alvin Holler

Redsoxfan wrote: »

I'll be disappointed if it is Ward for Paddy tbh

Whoever replaces him needs to be able to kick a score or 5.

Time to unleash Niall O'Donnell

I presume Gillespie must be fit although don't think he's played a game all year. There were other options to put on the bench who are fit like mcclenaghan or mcginley

doc_17

I’d love to see Kildare make it through to our super 8 group. That would mean Dublin would have 3 home games. Then it would expose the whole thing.

doc_17

Delighted they are gone. Not only as they are a team to be feared but Especially after the way they saw out the game against Donegal in the league. Once McLoughlin took his 13 steps and put it over they started a fight and then the ref never added any time

charlie14

A possibility of Dublin having a home game and two "neutral" games in Croke Park.?

doc_17

charlie14 wrote: »

A possibility of Dublin having a home game and two "neutral" games in Croke Park.?

They’ll move the Kildare game, should it pan out that way, to Nolan Park maybe.

charlie14

doc_17 wrote: »

They’ll move the Kildare game, should it pan out that way, to Nolan Park maybe.

When they are at it the could move our "neutral" venue match with Dublin.


Clones would be grand :cool:

Bonniedog

charlie14 wrote: »

When they are at it the could move our "neutral" venue match with Dublin.


Clones would be grand :cool:

It is not a neutral venue. First four games were to be played in Croke park. Just as quarter finals have been since God was a boy.

If you want to whinge about it, perhaps contact your delegate. They voted for it

rebel girl 15

Bonniedog wrote: »

It is not a neutral venue. First four games were to be played in Croke park. Just as quarter finals have been since God was a boy.

If you want to whinge about it, perhaps contact your delegate. They voted for it

Its in this year's official guide, so no changing it!