Donegal GAA Discussion Thread

Redsoxfan

Mushroom pickers have named a team. Drew Wylie on the bench. Neil McAdam and Darren Hughes at midfield. Mark McHugh's mate at 11.

fullstop

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Mushroom pickers have named a team. Drew Wylie on the bench. Neil McAdam and Darren Hughes at midfield. Mark McHugh's mate at 11.

I reckon wylie could start. They're fairly cringing it up with their promo stuff the last few days.

Alvin Holler

I don't think he'll play. He missed the end of the league and didn't look fully fit against Cavan and he must have missed most of the training since then.

It'll be interesting to see who picks up McBrearty, I presume Corey will be on Murphy as usual.

Ceist_Beag

Can't see Wylie starting, it would be a massive gamble. Corey on Murphy would be expected but does anyone think Rory has a surprise up his sleeve for tomorrow? I'm not sure who would come in or what change he will make but something tells me he has been planning for Monaghan since the start of the year and I expect he will have something different in mind for tomorrow.
Good news is the weather forecast for Sunday has improved as the week has gone on so it looks like it should be a relatively good day for the game tomorrow.

Redsoxfan

Squad v Monaghan for Ulster Final
1 Durcan
2 Mc Grath
3 N McGee
4 E McGee
5 R McHugh
6 Lacey
7 McGlynn
8 Gallagher
9 McElhinney
10 Toye
11 MacNiallais
12 O'Reilly
13 McBrearty
14 Murphy
15 Colm Anthony
16 MA McGinley
17 Thompson
18 Doherty
19 M McHugh
20 Hugh McFadden
21 C McGinley
22 David Walsh
23 Declan Walsh
24 Gary McFadden
25 McLoone
26 Jigger

Strongest squad we have named all year.

davegrohl48

Tallest forward line in the country that six. Only Reilly under 6'. Very hard defend against that amount of size. Also great pace in Toye n McBrearty.

Alvin Holler

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Squad v Monaghan for Ulster Final
1 Durcan
2 Mc Grath
3 N McGee
4 E McGee
5 R McHugh
6 Lacey
7 McGlynn
8 Gallagher
9 McElhinney
10 Toye
11 MacNiallais
12 O'Reilly
13 McBrearty
14 Murphy
15 Colm Anthony
16 MA McGinley
17 Thompson
18 Doherty
19 M McHugh
20 Hugh McFadden
21 C McGinley
22 David Walsh
23 Declan Walsh
24 Gary McFadden
25 McLoone
26 Jigger

Strongest squad we have named all year.

So does this mean Mark McHugh is certain to start;)

Griffin and Eoin McHugh are gone from the bench for McLoone and Jigger

doc_17

Murphy is key. Will he start? Wee fairy towl me he might be less than 100%

Which of course means he will play and get MOTM hopefully.

Redsoxfan

Alvin Holler wrote:

So does this mean Mark McHugh is certain to start

Interesting. I wonder what you have heard.

Alvin Holler wrote:

Griffin and Eoin McHugh are gone from the bench for McLoone and Jigger

Ah, Eoin is gone. Thought it was Daniel McLaughlin and Griffin. I would have liked to see more of Eoin McHugh - looks like he could have impact, but I guess two McHugh's is enough...

Redsoxfan

davegrohl48 wrote:

Tallest forward line in the country that six. Only Reilly under 6'. Very hard defend against that amount of size. Also great pace in Toye n McBrearty.

Toye? Pace?

Nidgeweasel

Redsoxfan wrote: »

It's a real shame alright. I had a degree of sympathy with him back in 2011, but I was largely in Jim's corner. His subsquent utterings have tended to support Jim's decision (as does the fact we won the All Ireland in 2012...)

Cassidy was a beast of a player for Donegal. We managed without him in 2012, and I don't think he would have made a difference in 2013 as we were just fooked anyway. In 2014, he would have been getting on and might not have been first choice anyway. I'm not clear that he would be fit for the sort of the role that Frank and Thompson have tended to play. I'm sure he might have been an asset in other ways, but such is life - he doesn't sound like he would have stuck with it anyway.

A super player. His attitude in some respects could be questioned but he never really shirked it on the field.

He was immense for us in 2011, he showed really leadership and pure guttural defiance at times. Obviously Kildare stands out but he also kicked an absolutely massive score for us just before half time in the Tyrone semi final. We'd gotten the run around and that score really steadied us to push on in the second half. It was a watershed result that one and he was key to it.

I was 100% behind Jim myself. I appreciate that it was a sad end for a great servant to Donegal but that was very much tempered with the fact that Jim was boss and his word was law, it had to be.

Was funny because at stages in 2012 it looked like it could be a blessing in disguise. With Frank pushing higher up the field etc. We had more dynamism and pace which we wouldn't have had with Cassidy. Funny how things work out.

His departure really done us absolutely no harm, maybe that's hard to take for him, I don't know.

jethro081

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Mushroom pickers have named a team. Drew Wylie on the bench. Neil McAdam and Darren Hughes at midfield. Mark McHugh's mate at 11.

Excuse you me, with your mushroom puckers.

That's very insulting.











We wash diesel too don't you know.

davegrohl48

Redsoxfan wrote: »

Toye? Pace?

Toye is quick. He displays this time and again usually from the bench. Comes into a game and drives at teams with his speed. When do you ever see Toye not sprint on past the tackler either with or without the ball? As he's 6'2" might be assumed Toye is not quick but he has good leg speed and obviously a big stride.

Nidgeweasel

davegrohl48 wrote: »

Toye is quick. He displays this time and again usually from the bench. Comes into a game and drives at teams with his speed. When do you ever see Toye not sprint on past the tackler either with or without the ball? As he's 6'2" might be assumed Toye is not quick but he has good leg speed and obviously a big stride.

He's no slouch but he's not that quick. His ball carrying ability has always been his biggest strength for me but I've never thought him that quick a player. He is incredibly robust and very hard to dispossess especially when he's thundering forward on those really powerful runs but he's not a 'quick' player.

On tomorrow/today, I'm slightly more positive as throw in approaches.

We have the better 15 and apparently all fit. We're carrying the hurt from the all Ireland last year which JMcG has cited as being a driving force in us this year. I don't think 'hunger' is going to be an issue, nor is playing in Clones.

Monaghan are going to set up defensively and reduce it to a dogfight, they can and have beat us doing so on several occasions. We have no Indian sign over them they won't have any worries about playing us.

The Derry game remains a concern, I think any assertion that we somehow purposely played within ourselves as a decoy is ridiculous. We were flat, possibly because of the 13 day turnaround, but faced with a blanket we again made shocking decisions on the ball and there was no support play. Why that wasn't there is anyone's guess but we know what's coming tomorrow and we better have righted it.

I feel we need to hit them hard at the start and dictate the terms thereafter to win this. Given Wylies (supposed) absence and the nous of Wile E. O'Rourke it wouldn't surprise me that they put a complete emphasis on a strong start defensively, giving no quarter and then it's a case of who can pick up the odd score easier then with McManus and a couple of long range shooters.

My worry all along is that the players are going to end up running on gas very soon but specifically regarding Monaghan that if it is in the melting pot then their bench can make the difference for them. We don't quite have that unless there's a change to the lineup.

I'd love if Rory had something up his sleeve based on the league game etc but there's by alot you can do is there.

Being positive and (dangerously) ignoring Derry, I'm sure we will be fresher, we are better than Monaghan and these boys will want this as a vehicle to get back into the AI series.

It is split so evenly this just hopefully we can just get a performance from everyone and then que sera sera. Let's just pray to whatever deity is up there that we're walking back down the hill into town with 4 out of 5. I'm very greedy, I'm desperate for another one.

Safe journey all.

Tír Conaill abú.

davegrohl48

Quite confident in a Donegal win. Their counter attack can be stopped for no more than 45-50 mins. Early on they can foul the runs of Toye/McGlynn/Lacy/McBrearty. After some time usually few yellows handed out and Monaghan dont have a pacy bench.
For me Donegal have far more game winners in Gallagher/Toye/Murphy/McBrearty/MacNiallas in attack.

Redsoxfan

Christy Toye is not quick.

Anyway, good post Nidgeweasel. I don't take much confidence from anything I have seen this year. My only hope is that we are building towards something. Otherwise, we could be in for an unpleasant afternoon. I know that we have the talent and the experience, but that on it's own won't be enough. Our big 3 of Neil, Big Neil and Michael need to win their battles. Paddy McBrearty needs to be able to give us something. MacNiallais needs to put in a good 70 minutes. I can only hope Eamon McGee and Karl Lacey are right.

RGM

The game was lost when Gallagher thought it would be smart to go back to 2011 and ignore everything the team has evolved to be since then. The wides in the second half were from a team scrambling to get back into a game that was thrown away in the first half. This loss is on the manager and the manager alone.

fullstop

RGM wrote: »

The game was lost when Gallagher thought it would be smart to go back to 2011 and ignore everything the team has evolved to be since then. The wides in the second half were from a team scrambling to get back into a game that was thrown away in the first half. This loss is on the manager and the manager alone.

What a ****in disaster. Didn't get to see it but from following it online it seemed like wide after wide? Does that leave us playing next week again now?

ArnoldJRimmer

Despite some poor shooting options that were more difficult than necessary, we absolutely kicked that game away in the second half. The last 2 points conceded in the first half though were shocking and probably left the team with too much to do.

muincav

RGM wrote: »

The game was lost when Gallagher thought it would be smart to go back to 2011 and ignore everything the team has evolved to be since then. The wides in the second half were from a team scrambling to get back into a game that was thrown away in the first half. This loss is on the manager and the manager alone.

That is exactly what happened....there is no way that this Monaghan team is better than Donegal but yet they have beaten them in 2 Ulster finals and Monaghan will go no further...why cant Donegal just go out and play football the way we all know they can? They just played to suit their oponents and not to their own strength. Im sorry to say McFadden is finished and has been for a while so I was a bit surprised to see him start.Being a neutral I must say this was the worst Ulster final I have ever watched and only resembled football at times, I even enjoyed watching Dessie Mone doing his usual diving routine to break the boredom but he only gets a 5.4 for style on his 2 dives today...lol

Nidgeweasel

It's been a long time since I've been angry at a Donegal defeat.

I'm absolutely livid with that, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. Atrocious first half left ourselves too much to do and then some utterly pathetic shooting.

The thing that really f*cking irks me we'd got it down to 1 through running straight at them, mcHugh in particular then we start that playing it backwards bollocks again.

Well done Monaghan bla bla bla. We've thrown away an Ulster championship for me. Not sour grapes just the facts.

Feel rotten. We're out of steam too and I have no doubt that we will lose the qualifier, just hope it's not to those mouths across the border.

dgl1992

F€&k it

K-9

Some very poor decision making, I couldn't understand either why they didn't persist with the running game when it was bearing fruit with McHugh, Monaghans discipline went when we did that.

The breaks just didn't go for us but that first half performance was shocking. We'd no intensity at all and seemed to be stepping back all the time, doubt we got a turnover in defence in the last 20 minutes.

Wasn't a free at the end and I've my doubts about that last wide.

STB.

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

It's been a long time since I've been angry at a Donegal defeat.

I'm absolutely livid with that, we have nobody to blame but ourselves. Atrocious first half left ourselves too much to do and then some utterly pathetic shooting.

The thing that really f*cking irks me we'd got it down to 1 through running straight at them, mcHugh in particular then we start that playing it backwards bollocks again.

Well done Monaghan bla bla bla. We've thrown away an Ulster championship for me. Not sour grapes just the facts.

Feel rotten. We're out of steam too and I have no doubt that we will lose the qualifier, just hope it's not to those mouths across the border.

Couple of things.

You need to lose the sense of entitlement. Monaghan outplayed Donegal at their own game today. This Monaghan team are the same Monaghan team that beat yis in the league this year.

Donegal only won three games in the league this year and have carried that form into the championship.

That Donegal team's performance today showed that there was no plan B. They were one dimensional, lacklustre and looked exhausted at half time. They are the facts.

Fortunately there will be more days.

Nidgeweasel

We've got Galway?

Why not an open draw?

K-9

Don't understand that one myself. I thought previous meetings didn't matter. Unless provincial finalists are different.

jdbarry

Nidgeweasel wrote:

We've got Galway?

It said during the week we couldn't play either Tyrone or Derry because we've already played them. So Galway it is, even if we win that we have Mayo in the quarters and Dublin in the semis, not a nice route!

STB.

Nidgeweasel wrote: »

We've got Galway?

Why not an open draw?

I am guessing (edited as such).

01/02/03.08.2015
(Sat/Sun/Mon)
Round 4B

Two Games

Each of the two teams defeated in the Provincial Finals (Connacht, Uladh) shall play against one of the two Winners of Round 3B.
Subject to avoidance of repeat pairings where feasible.

http://www.gaa.ie/content/documents/GAA%20Football%20Championships%202015.pdf

Stinicker

Why don't Donegal just attack more often? They attacked Kerry briefly in the second half of the All-Ireland and got three points but then retreated back into Defensive mode and this was what cost them. Similarly they started in defensive mode against Dublin in last years semi-final and Dublin looked to have them on the rack until they went forward and actually started attacking with great passion and subsequently destroyed Dublin. Donegal can be a good side and a force to be reckoned with but until they get out of their defensive style then they will be going nowhere. Attack is the best form of defensive, not swarming with 15 men behind the ball and inviting your opponent in on top of you.

Monaghan today were very lucky and it was a dire spectacle to be honest. Monaghan showed no imagination and withdrew back behind the ball every bit as much as Donegal. Monaghan lads ran through twice for goals when they should have kicked or fisted the ball over the bar.

Unless Donegal start to play attacking football and feed the ball in then I fully expect Galway to beat them as Galway will play a style of attacking football and will send in big high ball into the forwards which will upset the swarming defensive style of Donegal. Donegal are huge force but their continious reliance on negative defensive tactics will ultimately cost them.

Nidgeweasel

STB. wrote: »

Couple of things.

You need to lose the sense of entitlement. Monaghan outplayed Donegal at their own game today. This Monaghan team are the same Monaghan team that beat yis in the league this year.

Donegal only won three games in the league this year and have carried that form into the championship.

That Donegal team's performance today showed that there was no plan B. They were one dimensional, lacklustre and looked exhausted at half time. They are the facts.

Fortunately there will be more days and Tyrone are a soft draw.

Sense of entitlement? Behave yourself.

What your point about league results has to do with anything I'm not sure. We're not a team that puts massive emphasis on the league. We were a last minute point away from being relegated in 2012 (AI winners) and operated out of division 2 last year (AI finalists). "Carrying that form over" is such bollocks anyway I can't even be arsed going into it.


The first half approach was totally and utterly wrong (Management error). The second half was better where we changed our approach and began running the ball (was that not a different approach) with support runners off the shoulder. We then made wrong options at times and kicked a horrific number of wides. They did (because they are) look tired though so blue Peter badge for you for picking up on that. Well done.

So yes, Donegal pissed that game away through incompetence on the line and the worst shooting in a long time.They could have won it pulling up had they been at it.

Also, they "beat Donegal at their own game" and they "out donegaled Donegal" has to be the laziest, most tiresome tripe that will be trotted out for the rest of the week. Up there with "the blanket" and "negative football".