The 2024 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

why has it to be?

I tend to say that Derry got their priorities wrong early in the season, they went full wack to win the league and playing all the club all Ireland winner players so early in the season was a recipe for disaster as proved yesterday. Derry remind me of Monaghan, the nearly men that just didn't quite make the expectations of them. They are bang average losing 4 times in championship say no more. Brolly can put that up his pipe and smoke it.

It was pure muck yesterday I couldn't watch it and only kept one eye on it from a distance checking score, I went away from it at one stage it was 7 each and came back 10 minutes later and it was 8 each shocking stuff and yes kerry contributed to that muck as well, it will be hard to sell tickets for Kerry and Armagh game probably could but 2 semi final on one day might create a bit of an atmosphere. T

Not axiomatic. I don't think Kerry are as good (or any better) than 2 years ago, while Galway have a stronger panel, albeit with the usual caveat about injuries and availability. And there's no guarantee they'll beat a resurgent Donegal side who played the best football of the weekend.

Kerry were poor yesterday and are not at the level they were two years ago, that said they'll waltz past Armagh.

Galway despite beating Dublin who were terrible in the second half are a decent side, I hope they don't regret the OTT celebrations which were reminiscent of Mayo in 2021 when they beat Dublin..

Donegal are the best team on form.

Donegal v Kerry final IMO.

Why are Donegal the best team on form?

Galways performance v Dublin is better than anything they have done.

Kerry beat Cork and absolutely trounced Louth.

I expect Galway to beat Donegal and give them a great chance of an AI.

Wow, I certainly touched a nerve there!! It's an observation!

Firstly, players should absolutely celebrate a victory, certainly when beating a team that's ostensibly better than you and a team that have been the standard bearers in the game you play. I thought Joyce and his management team dancing across the pitch was a bit OTT given they've been to an AI final two years ago!

My abiding memory of the 2021 AI semi final was the Mayo celebrations, particularly O Hora when giving his man of the match interview. Now they had more reason to celebrate as they had just beaten a team they had heretofore been unable to beat but remember what happened to them in the final.

I made no mention of 'booze' or what the 'week' holds for the players, you're extrapolating a narrative there I didn't state.

It must be some village so! Sounds a bit like Cuala in the hurling for Dublin, a place you wouldn't expect hurling to be at all.

Years ago Kerry people seemed to like to win Sam but they like to win it when challenged, as well as playing nice football. Years ago I remember meeting a Kerry fella after an Ireland win (I think it was v Mayo around 2006).

I said to him "You must be happy with that win?" Fella looked deflated "Arragh, that was no match at all".

I get the impression that is what has changed now with Kerry it is now win at all costs, grind out results if required. As viewed in the last match v Derry. That makes Kerry a more dangerous animal overall, but at the same time a structured team always has a chance v Kerry. Especially as there is less "flair" in the team. It is not like they have a team with loads of fellas like the Gooch, Mike Frank, D.O'Sullivan. Fellas that play off the cuff.

I think that the unpredictability is being trained out of players in general in football, David Clifford is a one off. Dublin are not likely to see a new Alan Brogan. It is all about possession, turnovers "breaking the lines" with power.

knowing the Galway teams and culture they probably are on the lash

'' Thugs'' ?? Maybe you're more used to watching ladies tennis.

Post game celebrations having an impact is the type of thing only fans or pundits trying to fill air time analyse. You hear that nonsense in every sport - I remember it being said about Connacht rugby after they beat Glasgow in league semi final, they went out and hammered Leinster in final seven days later.

The half hour Galway spent on the pitch celebrating after the game will have zero impact on the outcome of a game two weeks later.

No idea, I merely commented that I felt the celebrations were a tad OTT and drew a parallel with Mayo in 2021. Time will tell.

They lost to Cork in round two of the round robin, they weren’t through at all and they were at high risk of not topping the group as it left Cork with two wins from two games. Not topping the group results in not getting to semi finals the vast majority of the time.

Kerry and Galway are unbeaten in championship football regardless of what you say about opposition and in the latter’s case, that opposition has included Mayo, Derry, Armagh and Dublin.

Heard PJ told them not to break out and they fell in with that. They returned home after the match and I know of one prominent player who was in the pool early next morning.

Yep I think Armagh are the best Ulster team left. I would have Kerry no.1, not by a lot but they have an all Ireland medal, reached final last year so have to give it to them on that basis alone I think.

There’s not a lot between the other three, I would have Galway ahead were the injuries even reasonable but given captain went off after twenty minutes on Saturday and the entire full forward line aren’t close to 100% that makes any gap negligible imo.