Donegal GAA Discussion Thread

whats_my_name

bob skunkhouse wrote: »

Here, getting away from the football for a moment. There was a fairly serious medical emergency that happened a few rows below me in the stand about 50 mins before throw in. I have it on fairly sound advice that when they brought out the defibrillator to administer cardiac care, the thing had no batteries in it!If this turns out to be true, then puck me that's a fairly serious oversight.

If it's the same incident the man sadly passed away. A former chairperson of Monaghan Co. Board, Peter Sherry RIP.

bob skunkhouse

martyo wrote: »

While i agree with your take one hundred percent its worth noting monaghan conceded all donegal kickouts leaving three or four donegal men to pick the ball of durkan and while doing that for most of the first half having all fifteen men in theyre own half even when they counter attacked they relied on the frees as they were easily dispossed

Yeah, I agree with the unchallenged kick outs but the point is, Gallagher has a reputation as a forward thinker and word has it, is that he was as much the brains behind the JMG era as Jim himself. He's going to meet better organised teams with better offensive players than this Monaghan team. There's no getting away from the fact that we scored one score from play. What I saw on Sunday was a complete lack of 'plan b' and to me that's the worrying thing. His only answer was to make the few usual subs which included Colm. Why not give young O'connor a shot at it. Use his pace to run at the defence and then either take a pop or lay it off to one of the more established point takers. Stick Neil Gallagher in at FF and pump the ball in to him and Murphy for ten mins to see how that would go...anything alternative to the incessant lateral movement of the ball. I guess all I'm asking is where was the forward thinking, the game management to break down these types of defence?

Here listen, not to sound overly critical, Ordhran MacNeillis I think will turn out to be one of the Donegal greats. His skill on the ball is something to behold. Did you see him lead that Monaghan defender a merry dance in the second half - close to the stand side of the pitch. You wouldn't see too many point guards jink a swerve like that.

eddie73

I think that if Gallagher was such a forward thinker, then how come Kilcar only scored 6 points in a match with several county players on the team last October? I think that this blanket business is not going to have a happy ending for us, unless we can back it up with some attacking football.

jethro081

bob skunkhouse wrote: »

Terrible, terrible game to watch. I read Brolly's article in the Sindo last night and he was writing about teams having 12/13 men behind the ball. Well, yesterday I witnessed the whole 15 of Donegal's team back defending on multiple times. Not even Monaghan resorted to that - and they are noted for the mass defence. If this is what Gallagher is going to bring, I'd sooner have the local U12 manager take over. I'd many an argument the length and breadth of the country down through the years defending the 'blanket defence' but yesterday was indefensible. Not to make light of someone's misfortune, but the spectator who was stretchered out during the second half had a lucky escape in not having to watch the full game of this!

Reading Gallagher's comments in the NP's and him talking about the team been "too lateral and conservative" - well...I'm sorry Rory but is this not the way they're are coached? They persisted with the short passing into the wind in the first half but then continued with it in the second half. Like FFS, how long did it take you to see that that approach wasn't working? The only score from the game came from a direct long ball into the edge of the square. When this reaped a goal, why did they not try it a few more times? Nobody has to be an expert to figure this out. Where the puck was plan B?

Regarding your point about McFadden. While a great servant to the team down through the years, every dog has it's day and his was 2 years ago. His benefit to the team yesterday was zero. If Gallagher continues to show faith in him,then it's to the detriment of the team as a whole. Another thing, giving the ball 3-4 metres in front of Murphy isn't working. While he has the bulk to defend himself and ball when in possession, he doesn't have the pace to reach a ball that's kicked in front of him. Too many times yesterday the defender made it to the ball ahead of him. Another point, Mark McHugh was blown up for over carrying the ball when the nearest Monaghan player was 15 metres away. I mean, like c'on. This is a basic basic error. Maybe the point about the team looking tired and jaded isn't so absurd, but should they be feeling like this in the first week of March? I'm just thinking...I wonder is there a JMG hangover about the team. A new manager is meant to revitalise and invigour a team but I dont see this happening with this team. There were two instances in the game which got to me thinking. The first was Toye's shot from about 40m out that went gloriously wide. The ball went over and back, over and back about 20 times before he took the shot - which in my opinion was born more of frustration than any serious thought of sticking it over the bar. It wasn't even a shot to nothing! The second point, soon after that incident, again after repeated lateral movement, Neil Gallagher gave a pass into Murphy (I think - possibly Paddy Mc), anyway, Monaghan won the ball and started a counter attack. Well...Gallagher went nuts with the inside forwards, arms flailing - the lot - asking where the runners where. He was 100% right, nobody was making any moves at all at all...I'm thinking to myself...is there any disharmony creeping through the team. I'm sure the players themselves don't want to be playing this standard of crap football either.

Last October, with only Kavanagh the serious retiree from the panel, I felt confident of Donegal making another AI semi final at least. After yesterday's game, I'm not so confident now.

One final comment, I went in to the Derry/Kerry a few weeks back and the one noticeable thing I took away from that game was that once he Kerry forwards got to within the score zone, nearly everyone of them managed to stick the ball over the bar, and this was despite them having 3 Derry men hanging off them. The Donegal forwards seem incapable of doing this either through lack of ability,or lack of confidence.

That man passed away. This isn't even close to funny.

bob skunkhouse

jethro081 wrote: »

That man passed away. This isn't even close to funny.

NO! A chance to defend myself before you start passing judgement. First of all, the news only broke yesterday that he had passed away, long after I wrote the piece so at that stage how could one know the severity of the illness?

Secondly - the man that I refer to in the initial post was not the man that passed away (RIP). If you read the piece again, I stated that this man took ill in the second half of the game. Follow the blog further down and you see that I clearly state that the more serious of the incidents happened long before throw in and this was the incident where the poor man passed away - NOT the passage you quote from my initial piece.

smashey

jethro081 wrote: »

That man passed away. This isn't even close to funny.

Let's just nip this in the bud before it gathers momentum.

The Assistinator

bob skunkhouse wrote: »

Yeah, I agree with the unchallenged kick outs but the point is, Gallagher has a reputation as a forward thinker and word has it, is that he was as much the brains behind the JMG era as Jim himself. He's going to meet better organised teams with better offensive players than this Monaghan team. There's no getting away from the fact that we scored one score from play. What I saw on Sunday was a complete lack of 'plan b' and to me that's the worrying thing. His only answer was to make the few usual subs which included Colm. Why not give young O'connor a shot at it. Use his pace to run at the defence and then either take a pop or lay it off to one of the more established point takers. Stick Neil Gallagher in at FF and pump the ball in to him and Murphy for ten mins to see how that would go...anything alternative to the incessant lateral movement of the ball. I guess all I'm asking is where was the forward thinking, the game management to break down these types of defence?

Here listen, not to sound overly critical, Ordhran MacNeillis I think will turn out to be one of the Donegal greats. His skill on the ball is something to behold. Did you see him lead that Monaghan defender a merry dance in the second half - close to the stand side of the pitch. You wouldn't see too many point guards jink a swerve like that.

Exactly thats the big question here where is plan b i can only hope plan b is coming in may when it counts, against tyrone but saying that it does not in anyway excuse that dyer performance on sunday losing can become as big a habbit as winning and confidence can take a real pasting from these such defeats

Nidgeweasel

Least we probably won't win the league anyway. Imagine the horror.

Redsoxfan

Nidgeweasel wrote:

Least we probably won't win the league anyway. Imagine the horror.

Indeed, remember what it did to our Championship in 2007.

eddie73

Victory on Sunday is very unlikely. I think that all the chips are on the game in ballybofey rather than the games away. The only saving grace is that Tyrone might indeed win away to Cork this weekend, in which case we may see a side not as intense when they play us. If they lost to cork on the other hand, they will fly out of the blocks against us.

That means it could come down to our trip to castlebar to stay up. I would not like the prospects of staying up with this game between us and the second division. We have a foul record away from home. Lets hope for a good performance against kerry with a bit more ambition. Remember, we have a very good team and they will click all of a sudden some day. I dont think they will if they believe in a system rather than going for a score instead.

wackokid

eddie73 wrote: »

Victory on Sunday is very unlikely. I think that all the chips are on the game in ballybofey rather than the games away. The only saving grace is that Tyrone might indeed win away to Cork this weekend, in which case we may see a side not as intense when they play us. If they lost to cork on the other hand, they will fly out of the blocks against us.

That means it could come down to our trip to castlebar to stay up. I would not like the prospects of staying up with this game between us and the second division. We have a foul record away from home. Lets hope for a good performance against kerry with a bit more ambition. Remember, we have a very good team and they will click all of a sudden some day. I dont think they will if they believe in a system rather than going for a score instead.

Eddie auld stock, Tyrone are at home to Cork next Sunday and Duffys Circus is refereeing. That little runt will surely cause mayhem. No cameras so the people of Ireland will be spared the spectacle.
I give Donegal a right chance if Maher is still concussed.

bob skunkhouse

I'll stick my head out and call it like this -

Derry will beat Monaghan (in another dour fest) but lose out to both Dublin and Cork.
Monaghan will lose their remaining three games to Derry, Kerry, and Dublin.
The Donegal results become immaterial if there's any result other than 3 losses as this will move us off 4 points and into safety.
In the event of three losses, we'll end up on the same points as Monaghan - with Derry already relegated on three points. Kerry and Dublin by virtue of their victories over Monagahan will leave them on a minimum of 6 and 5 points respectively; enough to avoid relegation. Thus leaving Tyrone as the only possible team to slip into the relegation battle.
Tyrone I fancy will take - at the very least - a point from their two remaining home games - with possibly a victory over Cork this weekend, and as a result ensure Div 1 football next year. That now leaves the bottom three teams as - Derry (relegated), Monaghan, and Donegal. As there's only two teams involved in the tete-a-tete, that leaves Monaghan avoiding the drop by virtue of their victory over Donegal.

Must go pick a Cheltenham winner now.

eddie73

Bob Skunkhouse, I dont think that Monaghan will lose to Derry they had their bad game v Mayo and it bucked them up. But stranger things have happened. Wakokid, that is hilarious. Duffy's circus in town, in Omagh for that matter, would be worth a hidden camera or 2. What a guy!

Redsoxfan

Donegal defeat Galway in high scoring challenge match

Pity we couldn't gave played Monaghan behind closed doors....

Redsoxfan

Team named to face Kerry. Hugh McFadden coming in for Eamonn Doherty will solve all our problems.

1 Durcan
2 McGrath
3 N McGee
4 E McGee
5 McGlynn
6 Lacey
7 Mark McHugh
8 Gallagher
9 Toye
10 O'Reilly
11 MacNiallais
12 Ryan McHugh
13 McBrearty
14 Murphy
15 Hugh McFadden

Ceist_Beag

Hugh McFadden certainly can't complain that he hasn't been given every opportunity!

Redsoxfan

Ceist_Beag wrote: »

Hugh McFadden certainly can't complain that he hasn't been given every opportunity!

Indeed. What exactly he has been told to do when on the pitch is something I am curious about. He seems to be playing to a very limited plan. He hasn't been tried at full forward at all, which is where he may be most effective. But, I am still not sure if he's up to it at this level.

Anyone know if he's still U-21? They play Cavan on Wednesday.

Alvin Holler

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Indeed. What exactly he has been told to do when on the pitch is something I am curious about. He seems to be playing to a very limited plan. He hasn't been tried at full forward at all, which is where he may be most effective. But, I am still not sure if he's up to it at this level.

Anyone know if he's still U-21? They play Cavan on Wednesday.

almost certain he is.

Redsoxfan

Alvin Holler wrote:

almost certain he is.

Very odd that he wouldn't play last weekend and is named to start on Sunday.

ghostfacekilla

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Very odd that he wouldn't play last weekend and is named to start on Sunday.

It could be a final warning for Colm Anthony to shape up or ship out.

I'd rather they had experimented with Jigger to the same extent at this point.

Redsoxfan

ghostfacekilla wrote:

It could be a final warning for Colm Anthony to shape up or ship out.

I don't think he's being used in the same way as Colm. It's Colm or Paddy for that second forward spot.

ghostfacekilla wrote:

I'd rather they had experimented with Jigger to the same extent at this point.

I agree, he started the All Ireland Final FFS! In fairness, I did hear that he was under the weather lately or something. But it seems odd that we have seen so little of him.

jjdonegal

Anyone on here making the trek to Kerry tomorrow?

Redsoxfan

jjdonegal wrote:

Anyone on here making the trek to Kerry tomorrow?

I am in Tralee right now. Spotted one lad in a Donegal hoodie. So there's six of us at least.

jjdonegal

Redsoxfan wrote: »

I am in Tralee right now. Spotted one lad in a Donegal hoodie. So there's six of us at least.

I'll be there in 1 hour. Not optimistic to be honest but we can always live in hope.

Alvin Holler

Thought there were a lot of positives there today. Gave the ball away too easily which cost us but at least there's something to build on after last week.

babybuilder

Better performance today from what I saw of the second half. Obviously, there are more positives today. Don't think they deserved anything but had a couple of chances which went a begging. Better link up play with the forward line in a few instances. At least Mcfadden got a score.

From what I saw in the second half there was a Kerry period of domination around the middle third, a repeat of the All-Ireland final. Kerry kicked a ot of long balls into the last third some. However at a critical part of the match before and after Kerry got the goal there were three or four turn-overs from where Kerry registered three scores. Toye, McHughs, Lacey all guilty of getting isolated and surrounded by Kerry players.

From what I've seen in the National League so far the lighter Donegal players are too easily knocked off the ball and dispossessed. Even saw Lacey going in for two tackles and ending up on his backside on the ground. I still believe that they must move the ball a lot quicker ideally using foot passes. Carrying the ball into traffic is inviting counter-attacks.

This Kerry team have certainly beefed up and must be doing some serious Gym work.

Redsoxfan

Ok, it was better than last week, but there's still plenty to work on and we are no closer to staying in Division One after another defeat.

Positives were the four points for Paddy McBrearty. He probably should have had 1-3. I thought Hugh McFadden had his best game yet in terms of distribution and a fine point, but he again he offered little in defence and in terms of breaking/catching ball at midfield. Disappointing that he seemed to take a bad knock and from what I saw, he will do well to be fit for the U-21s on Wednesday night.

But, there was a lot of sloppy play, especially from the likes of Christy Toye and the McHughs. Our full back line was pretty awful. I thought Neil McGee did ok until I saw the highlights and saw that it was him that was stripped of the ball in the lead up to Kerry's first goal. Eamonn McGee was ineffective against Donaghy for the second game in a row. In mitigation, Donaghy was getting away with pulling his jersey nearly every time the ball came in. Still, he needed to find a way to deal with that.


Overall, we only really played in bursts. I would question our fitness, Kerry seemed sharper and some of our players were visibly puffing during the game. That can be solved I guess.

Our tackling was so poor. Lazy and undisciplined. That may be reflective of our fitness I guess. Martin McElhinney had to be taken off after a yellow and a tick, and that's probably why Toye ended up playing for so long when he was clearly having a poor enough day.

Our kick outs were put under tremendous pressure and kicking to midfield was a hazard. In fairness, Maher and Moran especially were excellent and there probably isn't a better pairing in the country. I would question the wisdom of kicking the ball to the likes of Mark McHugh when he's being marked by a much bigger man like Johhny Buckley. Buckley was man of the match for me, we couldn't put a hand on him all afternoon.

Michael Murphy had a good day from dead balls, save for one poor effort, but he seemed strangely subdued when in the full forward line where his man seemed to have the beating of him every time.

Hard to see what our tactics were, I suspect it was a fairly unstructured plan, which isn't unusual for this time of the year I guess, McGuinness played man for man for most of the league in other seasons.

No argument with the result. Felt that Kerry were full value for the win, although we had chances to take some points. McHugh and McFadden had bad misses, but Kerry missed good chances themselves.

Tl:dr, better from Donegal but plenty to work on. In fairness, it couldn't have got much worse than the Monaghan performance.

Redsoxfan

U-21 Starting Team v Cavan tonight (per Twitter)

Danny Rogers (Dungloe)
Conor Morrisson (St Eunans)
Conor Parke (St Eunans)
Jack O'Brien (Naomh Muire)
Eoin McHugh (Kilcar)
Daragh Mulgrew (St Eunans)
Eoghan Ban Gallagher (Killybegs)
Tony McCleneghan (Moville)
Oisin Crawford (Glenswilly) (Conor O'Donnell of St Eunans named in programme)
Ciaran Thompson (Naomh Conaill)
Ryan McHugh (Kilcar)
Hugh McFadden (Killybegs) (Willie Gillespie of Naomh Colmcille named in the programme)
Darach O'Connor (Buncrana) (Jamie Brennan of Bundoran named in programme)
Daire McDaid (Termon)
Stephen McBrearty (Kilcar)

Good to see so many of last year's minor team starting and on bench.

Alvin Holler

Strong enough team, Rodgers is a minor this year as well.

Off to a good start anyway. 5-1, thompson with 3.

Redsoxfan

Alvin Holler wrote: »

Strong enough team, Rodgers is a minor this year as well.

Off to a good start anyway. 5-1, thompson with 3.

Sounds like we should be further ahead at half time. 5-4 ahead.