an average club team would have a field day against that Kildare defence, Saturday will be their final day out this summer.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 28/07/2014 14:10:34    1627289

Jaysus sage

Ye will beat Kildare in your sleep. I see at least 10 points in it.

Hon the farney!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 28/07/2014 14:12:08    1627291

The Ulster Final was terrible to watch, these kind of matches are driving people away from the sport in droves.

Traleenative (Kerry) - Posts: 44 - 28/07/2014 14:16:39    1627294

The 32000 at clones would disagree with that statement. Far better than the Mickey Mouse hidings dished out in Leinster Munster and Connaught finals which you could have left at half time.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 28/07/2014 14:37:06    1627319

Traleenative
County: Kerry
Posts: 4

1627294
The Ulster Final was terrible to watch, these kind of matches are driving people away from the sport in droves.

Jesus tralee, if you don't want to watch it don't watch it. Going by the crowd at the Munster final they don't think much of the football being served up in Munster at the moment or are ye all waiting for the third week in September?

Here in Donegal, we all think the standard is great. Big crowds going to games, Ulster final a sell out & flags everywhere you look.

All this oul open football is last year's thing, defensive, negative, dour in all the rage for 2014. Donegal at the cutting edge as usual!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 28/07/2014 14:45:59    1627331

Well said The Sage. And fully representative of Monaghan people's attitude. I can assure you nobody in the county is disrespecting Kildare and looking beyond Saturdays game. They were unlucky to be relegated from Div 1 and we've had manys a tough battle against them the last few years.

RightFull (Monaghan) - Posts: 74 - 28/07/2014 16:03:36    1627396

Traleenative
County: Kerry
Posts: 4

1627294
The Ulster Final was terrible to watch, these kind of matches are driving people away from the sport in droves.

The usual lazy analysis!!! You gloss over the attack side of these defensive matches because you cant stand an all-Ireland going to any county up North...you unfairly exaggerate and overemphasise when an ulster team is successful. I was at the match, best in a long time, I hope the tactics continue and become more popular, better than the training match kick-about that Kerry had against Cork and Dublin had with Meath...BORING! There are some great attack displays also...great forwards that produce moments of magic to score! The games are tighter, more competitive all round! As I say, let it continue!

DwnSouthSh8 (Donegal) - Posts: 5 - 28/07/2014 17:02:38    1627435

Admin I put a perfectly good post up about Ulster teams and it didn't go through. Nothing controversial in it.

I'll sum in up again...... Ulster is always competitive because most of the teams except one have always been poor.

All the Ulster teams at the moment are behind Donegal in terms of preparation and player development. The second best county beat a hungover Donegal with lots of injuries last year. This year a hungry Donegal disposed of Monaghan with ease.

Still Cork, Kerry, Dublin, Mayo and Donegal's fight.

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 28/07/2014 17:32:02    1627468

Glad to see it's not just me jayp!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 28/07/2014 17:36:19    1627473

DwnSouthSh8
County: Donegal
Posts: 3

1627435
Traleenative
County: Kerry
Posts: 4

1627294
The Ulster Final was terrible to watch, these kind of matches are driving people away from the sport in droves.

The usual lazy analysis!!! You gloss over the attack side of these defensive matches because you cant stand an all-Ireland going to any county up North...you unfairly exaggerate and overemphasise when an ulster team is successful. I was at the match, best in a long time, I hope the tactics continue and become more popular, better than the training match kick-about that Kerry had against Cork and Dublin had with Meath...BORING! There are some great attack displays also...great forwards that produce moments of magic to score! The games are tighter, more competitive all round! As I say, let it continue!

------
Good Lord!

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 28/07/2014 18:17:09    1627508

Its a bit boring at this stage. You have Cavan & Antrim supporters talking up ulster as if it somehow raises their own status. Well it dosent and its a disservice to the quality Ulster teams that are still in the championship. For an Antrim supporter to redicule Kildare defending is typical of the type of provincial biased rubbish that stirs response.
To the Cavan supporter I can't remember the last time Kildare were in Division 3, but they were in Division 1 when Mcgeeney took over and when he left so again its like saying we could never be in division one without an Ulster manager which is completely wrong. When were Cavan ever in Division ?

Monaghan are rightly favourites this weekend based on form and the fact that Monaghan were Ulter champions last year.
Armagh too are favourites against Meath. I don't see either game as being clear cut and am really looking forward to a good weekend of football.
I'm hoping for Kildare & Armagh to come through

jonno (Kildare) - Posts: 260 - 28/07/2014 18:29:38    1627516

"Ulster is always competitive because most of the teams except one have always been poor".

JayP. With ridiculous statements like that, am not really surprised they didn't allow your post!

RightFull (Monaghan) - Posts: 74 - 28/07/2014 18:49:09    1627535

JayP, a very simplistic post there. We won Ulster last year because we too were hungry and the best on the day, I don't see why excuses have to made as to why we won. We won by twice the margin Donegal did this year, but apparently we were lucky to meet a hungover team while this year we were beaten with ease. After last year Donegal were determined to turn things back around and they did, and there was no complaints from us, we were outfought and Donegal wanted it more. We also had injuries this year, and I could say there wasn't the same motivation as last year, but you don't hear any Monaghan people using those excuses, as far as I seen everyone to a man congratulated Donegal and wished them well. And yes, as it stands Donegal have the best chance of going furthest this year, but I don't see how that makes all other counties poor.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 936 - 28/07/2014 19:07:32    1627558

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 2973

1627226
Lockjaw,

I agree 100%. If Dublin do play Monaghan I would expect them to beat them but there will be a lot of sore bodies the morning after as Monaghan are without doubt the most physical team left in the championship.
If Dublin are not up for the battle or are not really disciplined then things could get interesting.

-----
This Dublin team are no set of shrinking violets. They have mixed it with the toughest and come out on top, up in Tyrone, against Cork, Derry. Monaghan will be no different. One things for sure, if this game is fixed then the Monaghan players better be prepared to see every blade of grass on that Croke Park pitch because the Dubs will take them to places in HQ that they didn't know existed.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 28/07/2014 19:35:12    1627588

Joxer
County: Dublin
Posts: 1660

This Dublin team are no set of shrinking violets. They have mixed it with the toughest and come out on top, up in Tyrone, against Cork, Derry. Monaghan will be no different. One things for sure, if this game is fixed then the Monaghan players better be prepared to see every blade of grass on that Croke Park pitch because the Dubs will take them to places in HQ that they didn't know existed.

Joxer, those were league games, this is championship. The three teams you mention all went out tamely, in Cork & Derry's cases shockingly so. Monaghan hit harder & more often than any team in Ireland & will do so again should they meet Dublin.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 28/07/2014 19:44:10    1627595

Too many people on here are falling victims to this so called tag of Monaghan being physical. The truth is, the ref's won't allow teams to get physical and the Ulster Final showed it up perfectly. On one occasion at the start of the 2nd half, Dick brushed by Michael Murphy and Michael spent the next 4 mins on the ground as a result. There were far to many incidents like that in the game that very little football was played all day, and every time there was a free ( and there were many ) both teams took about 40 seconds to take it. Physicality has been removed from the game, and most teams fall in around the same category in terms of strength and conditioning. BTW, Donegal were the best team on the day and good luck to them for the remainder of the championship.

drumlinbelt (Monaghan) - Posts: 179 - 28/07/2014 19:54:29    1627605

Muck, when you move as slow as Donegal do you will get hit. Dublin have by far the quickest team in the country. Much more difficult to hit when there is wave after wave of attack coming at you. Just ask Mayo, Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Meath all of whom Dublin have disposed of in the championship in the past 12 months.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 28/07/2014 20:00:40    1627617

The Sage
I can tell you Monaghan will win their first championship match since 1930 next Saturday evening

Floops
How many times will they kick it over the bar, will they equal 2011 total or will it be less(5/6 points) or will it be more , around 10//11 points , the average Donegal concedes.

If Dublin/Donegal meet I think Dublin will have to reduce speed after they cross the half way line as it will be a bumpy ride all the way into the Donegal goals and I have to warn all Dublin supporters that a good few teams took a wrong turning and got lost in the traffic jam.

So what if Dublin beat Kerry , Mayo Cork or whoever as they are not DONEGAL or they don't have a influence like JMCGUINNESS

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 28/07/2014 21:07:29    1627694

I agree drumlinbelt, this notion that Monaghan are over physical is OTT. I admit that not all our players are choirboys but we are no less or no more physical than most other counties.
I also cannot understand the comments by some posters than Monaghan will win easily on Saturday evening…
Yes I know Kildare were poor against Meath for 50 odd minutes but when they did decide to start to play, they could quite possibly have rescued that game in the last 20 minutes if they had taken a few goal chances that came their way. Meath fans will say they eased off having had the game won but make no mistake, Kildare had them worried for that last 20 minutes.
Also to then go up to Parc Esler and beat Down by 1-18 to 0-11 was no mean feat.
Not many teams have done that to Down in Newry (no matter what form Down might be in at the moment)
Monaghan's form has been a bit patchy & inconsistent in the c/ship, so to suggest that we only have to turn up and stroll to victory on Saturday has no justification in my opinion and is also disrespectful to Kildare.
I expect a close game that could go either way….particularly if it's a wet showery evening with a greasy CP pitch (as early weather indications are predicting)

Monagael (Monaghan) - Posts: 99 - 28/07/2014 21:35:48    1627718

28/07/2014 18:29:38
jonno
County: Kildare
Posts: 58

1627516
Its a bit boring at this stage. You have Cavan & Antrim supporters talking up ulster as if it somehow raises their own status.

That whole living vicariously through the success of another county in the province is rather tiresome.

Reminds me of when British people claim they 'won the War', or their joining the 'Coalition of the Willing' in 2003 ;D

Still would be roaring for the Farneymen if they're making the Dubs sweat in the last 20 mins (if they beat Cill Dara)...the underdog is irresistible!

an tseabhac (Kerry) - Posts: 441 - 29/07/2014 15:08:42    1627966