Football Championship Thread 2013

K-9

Slattsy wrote: »

Just reading through this thread. I'm astounded with some of the Donegal boys' comments in relation to McHugh. How in the blue hell could any of you think it was intentional. 2 boys went for a ball, full tilt. One came out worse than the other. Cop on lads.

As for McGuinness' comments over the weekend. Well I really doubt anyone was surprised by that. He's not really right in the head is he? That fella sees what he wants to see. And i tell you one thing else, he was no shrinking violet when he played. Double standards and all that. Donegal are the most cynical team in the land by a long way.

It wasn't intentional, it wasn't a fair shoulder either. As for McGuinness, he's no different to Harte or most other managers, sees what he wants to see.

The full transcript of the interview is on the Indo site: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/mcguinness-fumes-over-dangerous-challenges-29455640.html

He makes a fair point, 4 concussions in 3 games is more than in Munster or Leinster rugby. 1 or 2 could easily be explained as accidental, 4 is a ridiculously high number.

DoctaDee wrote: »

Was the Donegal/Laois match as bad as is being reported ?, there was a throwaway comment on tv @ Saturdays match that Donegal were reverting to type with 14 men behind the ball - I'd hate to think that Donegal are regressing to the 2011 football

Laois played 15 behind the ball at times, Munnelly and Kingston kicked some great long range points exactly because they'd nobody to pass it to in the FF line.

Moneymaker

airneal wrote: »

The only lads that slates Donegal are from Dublin. Same old principles, everyone from the west are culchies, and we the dubs are the best thing since sliced bread! Time yee boys gave your own team an honest evaluation in terms of principles on the field!!! Making silly loose comments about management or cynical teams!

airneal wrote: »

I have nothing against the Dubs what so ever btw! Yee will probably go on and win Sam this year, but some of the posters on here, think they have a god given right to slag or put Donegal down including players or management...if ye give it boys...yee will have to take it...

I've not said one word against Donegal.

We've no god given right to anything. I've come to games and watch us be destroyed by Kerry/Tyrone down the years. We had to scrap and fight and claw for our All-Ireland, just as you did.

airneal

Rochey18 wrote: »

Did you watch the Dublin Donegal semi final. Did their management come on to the field of play?
Do Donegals management constantly try to intimidate linesman and referees?
Did they handle the McBrearty case well?

They are facts, no one is imaging them.

Snap, that's exactly the example I'm insinuating...do you remember the red card incident!! I said it then and I'll say it again, it was thuggish!! Principles... !!! Some referees and linesmen by the way always favourite the home birds!! Who you trying to kid!!

In relation to McBrearty, sure if he was bitten, he was bitten, hardly going to forget about it!

harpsman

Nialler15 wrote: »

donegal had 14 men inside their own half on kick outs. Thats really open expansive football....

You re talkin thru your arse.
They pushed up on the kickouts

Lemlin

BNMC wrote: »

No such thing as square ball from open play anymore.

Dreadful miss, he had so much time to tap it in but it looked like he panicked. Even Seanie would've stuck that in.

Others have already pointed out that you are wrong about the square ball.

Seanie never scored a championship goal for Cavan so I'm not sure he would have got himself in the position to score it.

Seanie was dropped from our team anyway.

I heard he was throwing his lot in with some team down in Leinster that like picking up rejects

I'd take Keating over him any day of the week.

intellectual dosser

Whether or not its a bit hypocritical I think Jim McGuinness has some valid points. The game seems to be getting very aggressive and tactics are turning ugly. I'm looking forward to the black card being brought in.

smashey

DoctaDee wrote: »

Was the Donegal/Laois match as bad as is being reported ?, there was a throwaway comment on tv @ Saturdays match that Donegal were reverting to type with 14 men behind the ball - I'd hate to think that Donegal are regressing to the 2011 football

I was at the game. Laois packed their defence and it was horrible stuff for a while. In saying that, even though Laois got back to within two points in the second half, they never appeared to be a serious threat. Donegal were by far the superior team and held Laois at arms length for most of the game.

Dyr

intellectual dosser wrote: »

Whether or not its a bit hypocritical I think Jim McGuinness has some valid points. The game seems to be getting very aggressive and tactics are turning ugly. I'm looking forward to the black card being brought in.

In the dying minutes of the game black cards could make the tactical fouling worse I reckon, teams will drag out the substitutions to run down the clock even more

harpsman

DoctaDee wrote: »

Was the Donegal/Laois match as bad as is being reported ?, there was a throwaway comment on tv @ Saturdays match that Donegal were reverting to type with 14 men behind the ball - I'd hate to think that Donegal are regressing to the 2011 football

It was pretty grim alright-believe it or not Laois were the team with 15 men in their own half-fair enough as it probably gave em the best chace of winning.

Having said that I watched the highlights of Cork Galway and the lack of any intensity in the game was pretty shocking-wasnt even challenge match level- Cork looked like a team really going through the motions.
Personally I dont actually enjoy these types of games at all even if there are some nice kicks in them

Syferus

smashey wrote: »

I was at the game. Laois packed their defence and it was horrible stuff for a while. In saying that, even though Laois got back to within two points in the second half, they never appeared to be a serious threat. Donegal were by far the superior team and held Laois at arms length for most of the game.

Black cards wouldn't have affected that game anyways, the 'third man tackle' on Murphy was a dive by the big man and the tempo of the game was dictated by two teams set up to defend space on a very small pitch.

Laois had the chances - a big goal opportunity in the first half for one - to be a serious threat but they didn't have the skill in front of goal to take enough of chances they got.

It was interesting to see how Donegal coped without McHugh and Lacey on the back of a quick turn-around but not much else could be gleaned for that game.

DoctaDee

harpsman wrote: »

It was pretty grim alright-believe it or not Laois were the team with 15 men in their own half-fair enough as it probably gave em the best chace of winning.

Having said that I watched the highlights of Cork Galway and the lack of any intensity in the game was pretty shocking-wasnt even challenge match level- Cork looked like a team really going through the motions.
Personally I dont actually enjoy these types of games at all even if there are some nice kicks in them

Yeah thanks for that & others that posted - Anyone @ the Dublin/Donegal SF (well certainly Dublin fans) left Croker bewildered at the 70 mins witnessed that day. Dublin & Donegal have moved on since then to find a more refined style although vastly different. The legacy of the 2011 system of Donegal is the application of it by other counties - while Cavan & Monaghan would seem to have taken aspects of the strategy into their work ethic and team play - Laois would appear to have implemented its full course.

Moneymaker

DoctaDee wrote: »

Yeah thanks for that & others that posted - Anyone @ the Dublin/Donegal SF (well certainly Dublin fans) left Croker bewildered at the 70 mins witnessed that day. Dublin & Donegal have moved on since then to find a more refined style although vastly different. The legacy of the 2011 system of Donegal is the application of it by other counties - while Cavan & Monaghan would seem to have taken aspects of the strategy into their work ethic and team play - Laois would appear to have implemented its full course.

That was one brutal game alright. I was almost in physical pain watching it.

Credit where its due however, Donegal learned from that day and refined their playstyle and got their rewards.

It sends chills down my spine that other teams would even consider copying that style however.

Hibbeler

Bambi wrote: »

In the dying minutes of the game black cards could make the tactical fouling worse I reckon, teams will drag out the substitutions to run down the clock even more

I think you could be right there. There were a couple of occasions in the last few minutes of the Meath-Tyrone game when the Meath players looked to take a quick free only to be held back so that the referee could give out a yellow card. It would only be easier for a team trying to run down the clock to milk time from the substitution. The only way it would work IMO is if the clock were stopped at every stoppage or if the ref was allowed to add on time for each of the black card substitutions.

Only way to punish cynicism is really to get a score out of it and unfortunately Meath weren't really cute enough

willabur

Lemlin is correct, seanie was dropped by Cavan before last season and spat the dummy out. Mackey was in a similar situation but in fairness to the lad he has put his head down, put in the work and is now reaping the rewards. If there are two players you should compare it would be with them. I'm sure seanie probably regrets his action at this point as even the odd appearance in croke park with your own county counts for 10 times as many with another.

Keating on the other hand has the potential to be a top class centre forward, his shooting can be erratic and very often takes the shot on when there are better options available. He needs to cut that out of his game in order for him to fulfil said potential. The miss was just one of those freakish things, almost too easy. I expect him to bury the next one

keane2097

Hibbeler wrote: »

I think you could be right there. There were a couple of occasions in the last few minutes of the Meath-Tyrone game when the Meath players looked to take a quick free only to be held back so that the referee could give out a yellow card. It would only be easier for a team trying to run down the clock to milk time from the substitution. The only way it would work IMO is if the clock were stopped at every stoppage or if the ref was allowed to add on time for each of the black card substitutions.

Only way to punish cynicism is really to get a score out of it and unfortunately Meath weren't really cute enough

The clock is going to be paused for stoppages from January 1st.

DoctaDee

Moneymaker wrote: »

That was one brutal game alright. I was almost in physical pain watching it.

Credit where its due however, Donegal learned from that day and refined their playstyle and got their rewards.

It sends chills down my spine that other teams would even consider copying that style however.

Yes indeed brother ... strangely enough I'd posted elsewhere that the greatest atmosphere I'd ever witnessed in Croker was the Dublin/Cork SF the year before - the whole game it never let up I was physically wrecked afterwards

Contrasted to the 2011 SF .. I think I can only remember the crowd coming alive at the sending off and even tho walking out on the right side of a result I felt numb at what I'd witnessed

Dubliner28

DoctaDee wrote: »

Yes indeed brother ... strangely enough I'd posted elsewhere that the greatest atmosphere I'd ever witnessed in Croker was the Dublin/Cork SF the year before - the whole game it never let up I was physically wrecked afterwards

Contrasted to the 2011 SF .. I think I can only remember the crowd coming alive at the sending off and even tho walking out on the right side of a result I felt numb at what I'd witnessed

Fully agree with this, specially on the parade, the noise, the singing of the anthems. Maybe it was the fact it was the DubsvCork at the business end of the championship for the 1st time in years. Was in the Hogan that day. Great atmosphere and craic with the Dubs and cork fans for the whole game.

Was at the final in '11, been to 4 hurling AI finals but nothing has ever matched that day for atmosphere in all my visits to Croker.

Lemlin

Dubliner28 wrote: »

Fully agree with this, specially on the parade, the noise, the singing of the anthems. Maybe it was the fact it was the DubsvCork at the business end of the championship for the 1st time in years. Was in the Hogan that day. Great atmosphere and craic with the Dubs and cork fans for the whole game.

Was at the final in '11, been to 4 hurling AI finals but nothing has ever matched that day for atmosphere in all my visits to Croker.

Hopefully a few Cork supporters turn up this Saturday. There was all of about 50 there last weekend for the Round 4 games.

Dubliner28

A Cork lad I work with says that now they are in the hurling semi, he'd be lucky if 4-5k turn up for the football on Saturday.

Monaghan and Tyrone will bring a massive crowd with the Dubs bring the usual 25-30'000 so your probably looking at about 65'000

Neeson

Referees:

Mon Tyr Cormac Reilly
Dub Cor David Coldrick

Cav Ker Eddie Kinsella
Don May Joe

royaler83

Neeson wrote: »

Referees:

Mon Tyr Cormac Reilly
Dub Cor David Coldrick

Cav Ker Eddie Kinsella
Don May Joe

No Maurice Deegan .......:rolleyes:

Lemlin

Neeson wrote: »

Referees:

Mon Tyr Cormac Reilly
Dub Cor David Coldrick

Cav Ker Eddie Kinsella
Don May Joe

Who's Eddie Kinsella?

Two Meath men on Saturday and the Dubs don't get Joe for once!

Neeson

The really shouldn't have a Meath man doing the Tyrone game you'd think.

Moneymaker

DoctaDee wrote: »

Yes indeed brother ... strangely enough I'd posted elsewhere that the greatest atmosphere I'd ever witnessed in Croker was the Dublin/Cork SF the year before - the whole game it never let up I was physically wrecked afterwards

Was in the Hill for the Cork game.

It still hurts.

CastingCouch

Hopefully Dublin or Mayo win it outright. 2 good footballing teams who play it the right way. None of this fluffing about with hand passes.

Syferus

Ha, Mayo not hand passing, nevermind them not playing defensively. You're in for a shock on Sunday.

tayto lover

Lemlin wrote: »

Who's Eddie Kinsella?

Two Meath men on Saturday and the Dubs don't get Joe for once!

A Laois man I believe.
Refereed last years Minor Final.

CastingCouch

Syferus wrote: »

Ha, Mayo not hand passing, nevermind them not playing defensively. You're in for a shock on Sunday.

Good one. I've seen enough of Mayo for the last 5 years to know how they play.

Big Pussy Bonpensiero

Lemlin wrote: »

Hopefully a few Cork supporters turn up this Saturday. There was all of about 50 there last weekend for the Round 4 games.

Doubt there'll be many with the 7pm kick off, wouldn't have been many anyway but the GAA have made as difficult as possible for any Cork fans.

ProudDUB

Heard that there are not going to be any late trains to Cork laid on for Sat evening. Unless that changes, I'd be surprised if a big Cork crowd shows up. Even though I'm a Dub, I think its very unfair to have such a late game, and make non driving Cork fans have to stay overnight if they want to go to the game. Especially as a lot of them would have just had a very expensive weekend following both the hurlers and footballers.