Donegal GAA Discussion Thread

Nidgeweasel

harpsman wrote: »

Wasnt the only one-McConville and Canavan on BBC, McStay and Spillane on RTE, Michael Quirke on RTE radio-same oul ****-you knew what you were going to get so if you dont like it go watch the golf and let somebody who wants to analyse the game do it-in fairness to Canavan he has a great football brain and a dry sense of humour.
Tbh the more whingin i hear the more i savour the success now

McConville has a cheek to talk to anybody about style of play. His Armagh side were the biggest group of cyncial thugs to ever grace a field.

Spillabe referred to Fermanagh v Antrim as a 'great game of football' which sums up his intellectual capacity.

Mackas_view

Forget the people tryin to talk us down. The game is evolving and we are the reason for its evolution. I didn see the Sunday game yet as I travelled straight to work from the game. I'll be watchin it when I get home at the weekend. By the sounds of it Spillane was being his usual self. He has a short memory if he looks back over the Kerry teams tactics in the Munster final. Using parts of "our" (Jim's) System but keeping to their own "nice" football enough to save face.

The games more of a science now as happens with all sports. It's more industrial and tactical. I wasn't a fan at the start but 3 ulsters and an All Ireland in 4 years later and it's actually startin to grow on me. :-P it's more interesting and less of a spectacle.

These are good times let's enjoy them forget the rest

Redsoxfan

On a lighter note, anyone in Donegal Town last night?

Nidgeweasel

Mackas_view wrote: »

Forget the people tryin to talk us down. The game is evolving and we are the reason for its evolution. I didn see the Sunday game yet as I travelled straight to work from the game. I'll be watchin it when I get home at the weekend. By the sounds of it Spillane was being his usual self. He has a short memory if he looks back over the Kerry teams tactics in the Munster final. Using parts of "our" (Jim's) System but keeping to their own "nice" football enough to save face.

The games more of a science now as happens with all sports. It's more industrial and tactical. I wasn't a fan at the start but 3 ulsters and an All Ireland in 4 years later and it's actually startin to grow on me. :-P it's more interesting and less of a spectacle.

These are good times let's enjoy them forget the rest

Let's see what happens when his glorious free flowing Kerry side (with sweepers) come up against a team who isn't cork and actually decide to put some pressure on JOC et all. See what spiel he comes out with then.

How a man who has won 8 all irelands can be so poor at punditry is beyond me.

Brolly, a wind up merchant no doubt about it, but he is extremely intelligent and logical. The other two chancers are dinosaurs. Be aswell get someone like Banty on for what they offer. "Argha hunger begorahhhh, commitment arggghh, traditional" etc etc ad naseum.

I enjoyed Sunday's game. It was tight and enthralling. Donegal played the game on their terms from the off. If you can't appreciate that or find the other side of the game intriguing you're probably fairly juvenile in your appreciation or understanding of sport in general.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

Beffs

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

Let's see what happens when his glorious free flowing Kerry side (with sweepers) come up against a team who isn't cork and actually decide to put some pressure on JOC et all. See what spiel he comes out with then.

How a man who has won 8 all irelands can be so poor at punditry is beyond me.

Brolly, a wind up merchant no doubt about it, but he is extremely intelligent and logical. The other two chancers are dinosaurs. Be aswell get someone like Banty on for what they offer. "Argha hunger begorahhhh, commitment arggghh, traditional" etc etc ad naseum.

I enjoyed Sunday's game. It was tight and enthralling. Donegal played the game on their terms from the off. If you can't appreciate that or find the other side of the game intriguing you're probably fairly juvenile in your appreciation or understanding of sport in general.

There is more than one way to skin a cat.

So people who enjoy watching attacking, free flowing football more than they do overly defensive football, are fairly juvenile in their appreciation & understanding of not just football, but all of sports in general? Ok then. I suppose I'd better stop watching The Masters & Wimbledon so.

Jim McGuinness is perfectly entitled to have his team play in whatever system he choses. Cutting your cloth to suit your measure and all that. However, the people watching it are also perfectly entitled to have an opinion on it. That does not mean they are lacking in intelligence or understanding of anything. There really is no need for such wide sweeping and insulting comments imho.

Ceist_Beag

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Fair play to you - at least someone gets it.

Most of us have lived through an era where Donegal had good footballers but we never won anything worth a damn and were constantly second best to Armagh and lost regularly in Ulster. There are some in Donegal who would decry the football we play under Jim McGuinness but most people I know are thankful for what he has done for the County team. We can also see what it means to him to be manager - just witness him running onto the pitch to embrace his players after the match yesterday - it was just like the aftermath of the 2011All Ireland Quarter Final. It's not just his cold calculating approach to the game, it's his ethuasiasm and passion that we love.

Some of the bile in the Ulster Final match thread was amusing to read. As was a tweet from Redmond Barry that the Irish Times printed today. I don't let it bother me anymore, I just smile and think of the success we've enjoyed in recent years. If others want their counties to play 'nice' football and win SFA, that's fine.

Aontaoim leat go hiomlan RSF! I couldn't care less what the likes of Spillane think these days. I find the Donegal style of play fascinating and always worthy of discussion. Sure Dublin play a lovely brand of football but anyone who prefers to see the likes of the Dublin Meath game over the Ulster final just doesn't get what it's all about. Yesterday was tough, uncompromising but extremely intelligent and tactical and had much more of the qualities I like to see in a GAA match. Also I love the fact that Jim and the lads don't care a whit what anyone thinks about their style even if they are being booed or jeered (as they were in 2011 and no doubt will be again on the 9th). As has been said before, these last few years have been special for Donegal fans and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

Nidgeweasel

Beffs wrote: »

So people who enjoy watching attacking, free flowing football more than they do overly defensive football, are fairly juvenile in their appreciation & understanding of not just football, but all of sports in general? Ok then. I suppose I'd better stop watching The Masters & Wimbledon then so.

Jim McGuinness is perfectly entitled to have his team play in whatever system he choses. Cutting your cloth to suit your measure and all that. However, the people watching it are also perfectly entitled to have an opinion on it. That does not mean they are lacking in intelligence or understanding of anything. There really is no need for such wide sweeping and insulting comments imho.

It's not about enjoying one over an other it's understanding and being objective in assessing the other method. And absolutely if you are incapable of doing so then your appreciation of sport is probably quite juvenile.

I'd have been just as happy being in Croke Park watching Dublin tear up the turf on Sunday as I was in Clones watching Donegal on the grind. That's the point. There is a malaise and an ignorance about football which is anything other than this mismash of what the purists deem is acceptable is almost deemed to be an affront to the game. You don't get it at that level in any other sport. Maybe it's an Irish thing.

Read some of the garbage that is being thrown about regarding the match on this very forum not least some apparently 'respected' journalists and broadcasters and the only term that can be used is ignorance.

It's defensive, it's muck, won't somebody think of the children.

I get as much enjoyment from seeing a well marshalled, supremely organised, flying fit defensive unit screening and stopping two of the best forwards in the game, and then counter attacking with pace and speed creating fantastic scores like Donegal did yesterday. It's a pity some of the people lamenting it can't implement something similar in their own county and give their people some success. I imagine the planning and execution that goes into that type of game plan is something above the heads of most but that gets lost too.

But again, it's a mishmash, some skwered notion of what should happen and every game must be 15 on 15 and scores a'plenty otherwise it's "Ulster tripe", "Boring Donegal, everyman behind the ball". Its ignorance and a total misunderstanding of the game in question and then generally on the point that there are always, like I said, more than on way to skin a cat in every single sport.

Soccer as an example, Liverpool blew everyone away this year playing fast free flowing exhilarating football and were on the cusp of a first league championship in god knows how long. Mounriho's chelsea rolled into town, parked the bus sat back, defensive, puke football, whatever you want to call it, won the match and probably cost Liverpool a title. Chelsea received nothing but praise for their ability to set out their stall in the manner that they did. Even from admittedly devastated Liverpudlians.

If Donegal beat Dublin this year will they get the same credit? I wouldn't have thought so. RIP Gaelic Football- The attacking team didn't win.

harpsman

Beffs wrote: »

So people who enjoy watching attacking, free flowing football more than they do overly defensive football, are fairly juvenile in their appreciation & understanding of not just football, but all of sports in general? Ok then. I suppose I'd better stop watching The Masters & Wimbledon so.

Jim McGuinness is perfectly entitled to have his team play in whatever system he choses. Cutting your cloth to suit your measure and all that. However, the people watching it are also perfectly entitled to have an opinion on it. That does not mean they are lacking in intelligence or understanding of anything. There really is no need for such wide sweeping and insulting comments imho.

Well he didnt say that for starters.

2nd youre quite right that people are entitled to their opinion but given that Spillane paid by the licence payers I think we are entitled to demand better than "theres a tribe in Iraq called the shi' ite muslims well this is shi' ite football". If thats the quality youre after then good man- youre certainly getting value for money:eek:

Nidgeweasel

Redsoxfan wrote: »

On a lighter note, anyone in Donegal Town last night?

Didn't go down. Another great turn out by all accounts.

A good night had by all from what I can gather. Charlie Collins has a couple of videos up on the DonegalTV youtube channel.

Great for the seniors to have another night like that but have to say watching the videos, It's great for the minor lads to have the crowd out and be part of it too.

It really was a special day yesterday. It's funny when you think now we've won 3 in 4 (still can't quite get my head around that) There will be some young lads/lassies who think this is the norm! Will have to crack out the "When I was but a lad......." stories over the coming weeks to keep them grounded!

Videos here.

jimmy the car

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

It's not about enjoying one over an other it's understanding and being objective in assessing the other method. And absolutely if you are incapable of doing so then your appreciation of sport is probably quite juvenile.

I'd have been just as happy being in Croke Park watching Dublin tear up the turf on Sunday as I was in Clones watching Donegal on the grind. That's the point. There is a malaise and an ignorance about football which is anything other than this mismash of what the purists deem is acceptable is almost deemed to be an affront to the game. You don't get it at that level in any other sport. Maybe it's an Irish thing.

Read some of the garbage that is being thrown about regarding the match on this very forum not least some apparently 'respected' journalists and broadcasters and the only term that can be used is ignorance.

It's defensive, it's muck, won't somebody think of the children.

I get as much enjoyment from seeing a well marshalled, supremely organised, flying fit defensive unit screening and stopping two of the best forwards in the game, and then counter attacking with pace and speed creating fantastic scores like Donegal did yesterday. It's a pity some of the people lamenting it can't implement something similar in their own county and give their people some success. I imagine the planning and execution that goes into that type of game plan is something above the heads of most but that gets lost too.

But again, it's a mishmash, some skwered notion of what should happen and every game must be 15 on 15 and scores a'plenty otherwise it's "Ulster tripe", "Boring Donegal, everyman behind the ball". Its ignorance and a total misunderstanding of the game in question and then generally on the point that there are always, like I said, more than on way to skin a cat in every single sport.

Soccer as an example, Liverpool blew everyone away this year playing fast free flowing exhilarating football and were on the cusp of a first league championship in god knows how long. Mounriho's chelsea rolled into town, parked the bus sat back, defensive, puke football, whatever you want to call it, won the match and probably cost Liverpool a title. Chelsea received nothing but praise for their ability to set out their stall in the manner that they did. Even from admittedly devastated Liverpudlians.

If Donegal beat Dublin this year will they get the same credit? I wouldn't have thought so. RIP Gaelic Football- The attacking team didn't win.

But I for one would not give one iota if every man, woman or child outside Donegal abused me down to the ground if we beat Dublin and went on to win the All Ireland with our so called brand of football.

As has been said ad nauseum it seems every county should play the way Dublin play, wide open expansive football scoring 2-25 every game. The only reason they are racking up these scores is they haven't come up against a defensive unit to stop their midfield and half forwards contolling the game and scoring at will which makes it so fascinating that if we hopefully get through the quarter final how do they cope with the blank defence that we do on occasion utilise.

We've a game to go before than coversation can happen and the 3 teams we could meet and not where they are now cause they're bad teams so lets worry about them first then run scared at how we're going to stop the Dublin train. :P

overshoot

harpsman wrote: »

2nd youre quite right that people are entitled to their opinion but given that Spillane paid by the licence payers I think we are entitled to demand better than "theres a tribe in Iraq called the shi' ite muslims well this is shi' ite football". If thats the quality youre after then good man- youre certainly getting value for money:eek:

what bugs me is its peoples inability to analyse the game themselves. when i hear someone around me ranting about how many players donegal have back, i just quite loudly do the same when we are attacking and it shuts them immediately. This happens every game but if you listen to Spillane its only us that will do it. It just takes skill and organisation to effectively do it, people tend to ignore or pretend otherwise for the sake of their holy grail of all out attack.
Personally I quite enjoy our counter attacking football and il take a tense on edge encounter like last sunday every time over Dublin marching through whatever useless team leinster have put in their path... 9/10 yea thrilling spectacle down there. Id value the spectacle of a well worked point under pressure any time over 5 where the player has 10 yards of space to take his shot.

anyway that and anything else id add would be echoing most of what was said earlier, on a lighter note work was tough yesterday! handy having the homecoming on the door step!

Ceist_Beag

There's an awful lot of lazy analysis on the media these days by pundits who have to talk for the sake of it sometimes. Yesterday I heard Anthony Moyles talk about how some teams stick a big immobile midfielder in who just sits in the middle of the pitch for kickouts ... like Neil Gallagher for Donegal he cited as an example! Big Neil who covered every blade of grass on Sunday, really Moyles? :rolleyes:

Not that one

Really impressed with the kick outs and the outfield/keeper combination as well.

Durcan rightly gets praise for the placement of the pass, but it takes a lot of players tuned in to get it right.
Most of us would have been taking a breather and sucking in oxygen for all its worth in the 30 seconds or so the kick-out turnaround takes, but it shows real composure all around the pitch for the strategy to works so well.

Was at a NFL game in Ballybofey earlier this year (Meath maybe) and the kick-out strategy looked a mess.

Think that sums up Jim's attitude to the league best. Worth the bad days in the League when things look sh1t, working things out to get it right at championship time.

SM746

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

There's an awful lot of lazy analysis on the media these days by pundits who have to talk for the sake of it sometimes. Yesterday I heard Anthony Moyles talk about how some teams stick a big immobile midfielder in who just sits in the middle of the pitch for kickouts ... like Neil Gallagher for Donegal he cited as an example! Big Neil who covered every blade of grass on Sunday, really Moyles? :rolleyes:

As is mentioned; Spillane is the worst. I am probably the only person in the country who hopes Sky run the risk of getting every single game soon so that it forces:
1. RTE to up their game and actually analyse a game on its merits; not the 1970s/80s catch and kick football Spillane still demands be played.
2. Or they get rid of Spillane and bring top quality pundits like O'Se on to the panel; a man who will analyse the game on what actually happened.

As for Moyles comments; it's typical lazy punditry that we read every single day.

Redsoxfan

Great speech from Jim on Sunday night

NIMAN

I think you can see how much this Ulster title meant to Jim and the squad from their reactions after the final whistle. You'd have thought they won the AI.

K-9

Mackas_view wrote: »

Forget the people tryin to talk us down. The game is evolving and we are the reason for its evolution. I didn see the Sunday game yet as I travelled straight to work from the game. I'll be watchin it when I get home at the weekend. By the sounds of it Spillane was being his usual self. He has a short memory if he looks back over the Kerry teams tactics in the Munster final. Using parts of "our" (Jim's) System but keeping to their own "nice" football enough to save face.

The games more of a science now as happens with all sports. It's more industrial and tactical. I wasn't a fan at the start but 3 ulsters and an All Ireland in 4 years later and it's actually startin to grow on me. :-P it's more interesting and less of a spectacle.

These are good times let's enjoy them forget the rest

I loved the way RTE analysed the Munster Final as if this was some new thing for Kerry, the aristocrats getting down with the peasants.

Kerry haven't been slow to get men behind the ball when it suited them over the last decade. All right it maybe it wasn't system but it was on a needs must basis.

K-9

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

It's not about enjoying one over an other it's understanding and being objective in assessing the other method. And absolutely if you are incapable of doing so then your appreciation of sport is probably quite juvenile.

I'd have been just as happy being in Croke Park watching Dublin tear up the turf on Sunday as I was in Clones watching Donegal on the grind. That's the point. There is a malaise and an ignorance about football which is anything other than this mismash of what the purists deem is acceptable is almost deemed to be an affront to the game. You don't get it at that level in any other sport. Maybe it's an Irish thing.

Read some of the garbage that is being thrown about regarding the match on this very forum not least some apparently 'respected' journalists and broadcasters and the only term that can be used is ignorance.

It's defensive, it's muck, won't somebody think of the children.

I get as much enjoyment from seeing a well marshalled, supremely organised, flying fit defensive unit screening and stopping two of the best forwards in the game, and then counter attacking with pace and speed creating fantastic scores like Donegal did yesterday. It's a pity some of the people lamenting it can't implement something similar in their own county and give their people some success. I imagine the planning and execution that goes into that type of game plan is something above the heads of most but that gets lost too.

But again, it's a mishmash, some skwered notion of what should happen and every game must be 15 on 15 and scores a'plenty otherwise it's "Ulster tripe", "Boring Donegal, everyman behind the ball". Its ignorance and a total misunderstanding of the game in question and then generally on the point that there are always, like I said, more than on way to skin a cat in every single sport.

Its getting very old at this stage. Everybody has a right to criticise it but come on, even Spillane said before the game he knew what was coming. If people hate it, don't watch it, because you are going to moan anyway, why put yourself through watching it!

Soccer as an example, Liverpool blew everyone away this year playing fast free flowing exhilarating football and were on the cusp of a first league championship in god knows how long. Mounriho's chelsea rolled into town, parked the bus sat back, defensive, puke football, whatever you want to call it, won the match and probably cost Liverpool a title. Chelsea received nothing but praise for their ability to set out their stall in the manner that they did. Even from admittedly devastated Liverpudlians.

Ah, us pool fans moaned a lot! The 2 contrasts were compelling to watch as will a match up against Dublin. Chelsea took advantage of 2 mistakes like scavengers, Donegal do that as will Dublin if we make a mistake on the counter. Enthralling stuff.

If Donegal beat Dublin this year will they get the same credit? I wouldn't have thought so. RIP Gaelic Football- The attacking team didn't win.

The press will hype it up whatever the result is, but I can definitely feel a hint of bitterness at Donegal this year, I think many didn't expect us to be here at all.

K-9

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

There's an awful lot of lazy analysis on the media these days by pundits who have to talk for the sake of it sometimes. Yesterday I heard Anthony Moyles talk about how some teams stick a big immobile midfielder in who just sits in the middle of the pitch for kickouts ... like Neil Gallagher for Donegal he cited as an example! Big Neil who covered every blade of grass on Sunday, really Moyles? :rolleyes:

I was reading the Mail yesterday and Liam Hayes was quite complimentary. Always liked Hayes, tells it as it is, probably the first player to tell the truth in his autobiography in the late 80's or so. Bit like the Roy Keane one, openly admitted he targeted players at times because he, and many on that team, had a win at all costs mentality. I was at one of the Meath Cork finals and it was atrocious to watch, yet that Meath team is fondly remembered now.

I can't think of the name of former inter county manager that had a snippet on us, basically saying we were as bad as 2011. Lazy analysis, we played a lot of hand passing, possession football but that was dictated largely by Monaghan. There was no point putting long balls into a mass defence as it would be playing into Monaghans hands. One game doesn't make a style of football!

Alvin Holler

For all the talk about our defensiveness, we did score 15 points yesterday which is fairly decent and could easily have scored 1-17 or if we'd taken a few more easier chances. I doubt there's a more attacking full back than Neil McGee, fouled for one of McFadden's frees and laid on the pass for Thompson in the McHugh goal chance.

overshoot

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

I heard Anthony Moyles talk about how some teams stick a big immobile midfielder in who just sits in the middle of the pitch for kickouts ... like Neil Gallagher for Donegal he cited as an example! Big Neil who covered every blade of grass on Sunday, really Moyles? :rolleyes:

haha i was just saying before the match how underrated most of Neil Gallagher's play is. He is always lauded for his fielding, but he in instrumental in a lot of the tidying up work and getting attacks on the move

K-9 wrote: »

The press will hype it up whatever the result is, but I can definitely feel a hint of bitterness at Donegal this year, I think many didn't expect us to be here at all.

may be an element of truth to that, many seemed to take glee in the system being taken apart last year, that it was finished and glossed over the simple issue that most of the key players in the team were injured.

rightyabe

Is this jims last year in charge..?

His celebrations on Sunday on the pitch were of a man frantically savouring the moment..

Ceist_Beag

rightyabe wrote: »

Is this jims last year in charge..?

His celebrations on Sunday on the pitch were of a man frantically savouring the moment..

Most people I spoke to believe it is his last year alright. We won't know until the campaign is over but I think he will probably leave as well - much as I would love to see him pledge to stay for another 4 years!

Nidgeweasel

rightyabe wrote: »

Is this jims last year in charge..?

His celebrations on Sunday on the pitch were of a man frantically savouring the moment..

Were they? Or were they just celebrations?

Just think he was celebrating an impressive provincial win, a trophy which already means an awful lot to our county and having come back to answer his critics.

Gary Neville

K-9 wrote: »

I was reading the Mail yesterday and Liam Hayes was quite complimentary. Always liked Hayes, tells it as it is, probably the first player to tell the truth in his autobiography in the late 80's or so. Bit like the Roy Keane one, openly admitted he targeted players at times because he, and many on that team, had a win at all costs mentality. I was at one of the Meath Cork finals and it was atrocious to watch, yet that Meath team is fondly remembered now.

I can't think of the name of former inter county manager that had a snippet on us, basically saying we were as bad as 2011. Lazy analysis, we played a lot of hand passing, possession football but that was dictated largely by Monaghan. There was no point putting long balls into a mass defence as it would be playing into Monaghans hands. One game doesn't make a style of football!

There's something that a lot of critics are forgetting - You'll probably have to beat Dublin to win the AI. Dublin have such a pool of talent and such organisation that they will destroy you unless you are incredibly disciplined in defence.

We saw how Cavan limited the Dublin U21 side and I think that Donegal and Armagh are set up better that others to limit Dublin.

McGuinness has no real issues with injuries or club fixtures this season and is well capable of preparing an ambush for Dublin. If that happens, the critics will change their tune quickly.

Redsoxfan

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

Were they? Or were they just celebrations?

Just think he was celebrating an impressive provincial win, a trophy which already means an awful lot to our county and having come back to answer his critics.

This was the line being peddaled by Adrian Barry on Off the Ball last night - that McGuinness was desparately trying to instill a sense of enthuasiasm for the ocassion into his players. Maybe they didn't look as overjoyed and enthuasiastic as him because they were knackered.

aveytare

Redsoxfan wrote: »

This was the line being peddaled by Adrian Barry on Off the Ball last night - that McGuinness was desparately trying to instill a sense of enthuasiasm for the ocassion into his players. Maybe they didn't look as overjoyed and enthuasiastic as him because they were knackered.

I think they would've been delighted to win - revenge for last year's Ulster final defeat and they were written off before this season's championship. There are a few Donegal players who hadn't won an Ulster medal as well.

K-9

Redsoxfan wrote: »

This was the line being peddaled by Adrian Barry on Off the Ball last night - that McGuinness was desparately trying to instill a sense of enthuasiasm for the ocassion into his players. Maybe they didn't look as overjoyed and enthuasiastic as him because they were knackered.

True, a few players looked absolutely shattered near the end. That heat plus the physical battle Monaghan (despite their performance) always put up was bound to have an effect. Great for the younger lads to experience that too.

Speaking of media mentioned earlier, very little mention of the intense cliche in reports of the other provinces matches. It was something that always stood to the great Tyrone teams imo, 08 a great example. They just didn't have it when Down knocked them out, 2 classic open matches they were, and slowly built it up in the qualifiers. By the time they got to Croker they blitzed Dublin and matched and beat Kerry's.

It could be something that comes into it later on (we've a tough game against Meath/Armagh yet which we shouldn't discount). No disrespect to the rest but Dublin just had competitive training sessions in their games so far. Hayes mentioned it yesterday, their squad is huge and so talented, but they aren't learning much about them in games like this. We are giving the young lads starts or bringing them on into competitive games.

We seem to be slowly building momentum, others like Dublin, Kerry and Mayo haven't really had to exert themselves too much so far. Looking at our side of the draw, I don't know if Monaghan have the legs to give Dublin a good game, remind me a bit of us last year and Kildare are so hot and cold, I don't think they are ready yet to give Dublin a good go.

Armagh seem to be building that intensity as well, that's 2 very good wins in a row behind them and playing to a system. That could be the best qualifier to watch.

Nidgeweasel

Who do we want in the quarter?

Nidgeweasel

Redsoxfan wrote: »

This was the line being peddaled by Adrian Barry on Off the Ball last night - that McGuinness was desparately trying to instill a sense of enthuasiasm for the ocassion into his players. Maybe they didn't look as overjoyed and enthuasiastic as him because they were knackered.

I was pitch side at full time and they looked made up to me. Jumping about singing once they'd got through the corden. Jigger and Ryan McHugh were ecstatic which is hardly surprising.