So where's the line then joncarter? If the system deployed by Gilroy is acceptable but not what Derry did tonight? Just so we're all clear. Or is it just the line is when you're from Ulster? I never remember Kildare being booed under Micko and he practically invented the blanket. Cork in the last few years were very slow and elaborate with the ball but no abuse for them either.

Now a few years of journalists drinking the kool-aid about Gavin's supposed swashbuckling style, which as I said is still a system based on counter-attacking, and apparently there's a sense of entitlement there about Ulster football. It doesn't stack up against the facts.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 28/03/2015 21:50:43    1707469

Lads, relax.

The conditions played their part tonight too to make it as low scoring as it was. Those of yous sitting on your sofa mightn't hae appreciated that. On a nice evening for football Derry would've been beaten a lot earlier than they were. A perfect night for defensive football.

Dubs did what needed to be done, even though it took them a long time to get into the lead. Against a better side than Derry they'll need to be a little quicker on the uptake me thinks.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 28/03/2015 21:51:46    1707470

The one answer to this rubbish is for people to stay away from the games.

So called progressive managers are ruining the game.

tireoghainabu (Tyrone) - Posts: 276 - 28/03/2015 21:56:15    1707474

Refs are favouring the defensive tactics. Blocking of runs, swarm defence with lads slapping a guy! Like 5 lads around one attacker, they are all tackling......but how many are going for the ball.

Officials are allowing this muck to happen, especially against Dublin. If I was reffing Mayo against one of these systems every time a Mayo boy came into a blanket sandwich just award a free. Easy score, better team goes 4-5 points up, blanket is a waste of time then.

Where's the black card. This is the reason the Ulster counties didn't want it! So they could foul!

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 28/03/2015 21:57:43    1707476

supermon
County: Monaghan
Posts: 739

1707461
I wish people would look at facts and stats . Some games are ultra defensive, some are attack minded. Same as in any other sport. I wish football Neanderthals would wake up and smell the coffee. Gaelic football has entered the 21st century along with every other field sport. It has progressed tactically and this is reflected in the many different styles of play offered by all teams. Somr days are high scoring, some are not.

I for one enjoy the game as it is. It's better than the standard on offer 30 years ago. I challenge anyone to watch a full game of football from 70s or 80s and then come on here and say they prefer it. Tactics can be summed up as 1. Try and win the ball 2. Hoof it as high and as far in the opposing teams goal and hope for the best.

People in general do not like defensive play in any sport.People do not pay to watch teams have a 90% defensive game plan.

Has one person on this thread said it was better in the past because the truth is that a lot of games in the 70's and 80's were dreadful as you described above.

However the game is not as good as it should be and that is the issue .A very large proportion of teams in football currently play an very defensive style and I would suggest that the proportion of defensive minded teams is higher in Gaelic Football than any other sport because it is so easy to implement and get a relative degree of sucess with in football.The blanket defence takes almost no skill from the players involved just organisation.

A large amount of football fans are fed up with the game and once you get people who actually love the game being bored by it then things need to change.People continually complain about overly defensive football yet I have almost never heard anyone complain about teams that go out and attack and play with the aim at the start of the game to outscore the opposition rather than grind them down.

The blanket defense is not a tactical progression it's a backward step for the game and it is not a sign of any tactical nous on behalf of a lot of the managers who coach it. Anybody could coach a team to play a blanket defence.

People prefer attack inded high scoring games and the rules should be changed to ensure there is a greater proportion of games like that.

uibhfhaili1986 (Offaly) - Posts: 1296 - 28/03/2015 21:58:59    1707479

I guess it could be said that we look like we haven't learnt how to deal with the blanket, one way is to fight fire with fire, and the other is to be patient. But still, out of the 3 big blankets we've played, we have beaten two of them and drew with the other, not too shabby!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 28/03/2015 21:59:42    1707481

Lots on here saying the rules should be changed to stop defensive football. How exactly ?

CharlieM (Donegal) - Posts: 427 - 29/03/2015 09:20:22    1707491

Donegal_abroad
County: Donegal
Posts: 319

1707402
Dublin fans only boo or go totally silent when they are losing.

----
Yeah but what were Donegal fans doing in Letterkenny when they were 'expressing their discontent' at the blanket up there, waving white handkerchiefs?

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/monaghan-pip-donegal-in-a-match-to-forget-1.2131049

The game is dying.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 29/03/2015 09:27:44    1707494

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 4576

1707481
I guess it could be said that we look like we haven't learnt how to deal with the blanket, one way is to fight fire with fire, and the other is to be patient. But still, out of the 3 big blankets we've played, we have beaten two of them and drew with the other, not too shabby!

-------
+1. RD

Contrary to what some people seem to be suggesting from certain counties, Dublin have been very successful against the blanket in recent years. Donegal in last years semi is the only blip in a long while against that system.

I watched some of the game back last night but really wanted to see the interviews. The McIver interview summed it up. He said...

"We came here to STOP Dublin playing FOOTBALL. And WE SUCCEEDED"

That for me sums up everything that is now wrong with the sport. A victory is now classified not in terms of winning the game (you were beaten by double scores Brian!) but in terms of stopping the other team from playing. Note that McIver not once mentions winning the game, scoring, attacking, attempting to win. It's all about STOPPING. That says it all.

What's disappointing is that Derry played Dublin off the park last year in Celtic park playing some nice open football.

Anyway the foot of the table says it all. This system is not working in the league. It's up to the other teams to keep it that way.

As for somebody above calling the Dubs 'the so called saviours of football'. I don't call that FOOTball. That's fistball.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 29/03/2015 09:43:24    1707497

I completely understand why Derry played that way and im not having a go at them they were right to do that cause going man on man they would of been hammered but surely posters can't say they were entertained watching that last night? I said 4 years ago after the semi final between Dublin v Donegal that Gaelic football was in serious trouble cause everyone will copy Donegal and that's exactly what's happening, 3-2 at half time give me a break that's a soccer score ffs Dublin were shocking bad making the same stupid mistakes over and over again but playing against 14 players in there own half there is no real pattern of play to break it down other than patience, for posters who come on saying stop crying we've lost one game to a defensive team in the last 4 years it's not about losing or winning its about the future of Gaelic football cause last night people start leaving the staduim half way tru the game and didn't come back maybe they were hurling supporters but still if they were enjoying it they'd never leave. Jayp your so right the refs let the defensive team tackle anyway they like they get away with murder and then defensive county posters come on here after and say there great tacklers ha. There is no tackle rule it's whatever the ref is feeling at the time ive played Gaa all my life and I still don't know the tackle rule cause no ref is the same on the tackle rule. Honestly last night was the worst I've ever seen cause it's so easy to play this defensive game and every county will do it now and I mean every county cause there all afraid of taking a hiding off the Dubs.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 29/03/2015 09:48:47    1707499

Dublin fans booing!! Whatever next.

IsMise (Tyrone) - Posts: 119 - 29/03/2015 10:01:19    1707503

I'm sorry and prob get killed for this,but blame the Northern counties generally..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/03/2015 10:10:24    1707513

I do have to laugh at some of the rubbish spouted on here.

This was a league game played in desperate conditions in early March & people are complaining about not being entertained with fast flowing champagne football!!

As for the sad & predictable nonsense about Ulster teams championing this type of football the following is what Donegal, supposedly the doyen of nasty Norde football, scored in 2012

V Cavan 1-16
v Derry 2-13
v Tyrone 0-10
v Down 2-18
v Kerry 1-12
v Cork 0-16
v Mayo 2-11.

Let us not forget either the 3-14 against Dublin last year.

Grow up guys, the game is what it is, if you want to see something different then change the rules.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/03/2015 10:10:40    1707514

joncarter
County: Galway
Posts: 1707

1707365
Nothing beats being there!! The tagline for the GAA.
I feel sorry for the people who paid to see this.
Must be said however that Dublin have been brutal.
Id give Jim Gavin a 1/10 in terms of preparation.
The Dubs learnt nothing from the Donegal defeat.

How do you work that one out,
Derry got no goals ,Scored 1 point in the second half ,went 40 odd mins without getting a score ,didnt break on the counter into big wide open pitch like Donegal did.
We didnt leave our half backs up in the oppositions half and turned over the ball everytime Derry tried to attack .
The fact the game was so poor was that we did learn from Donegal game and didnt go gung ho .
We won a dire game of football by being patient ,albeit with some woeful shooting and passing at times, but by being Defensively sound.
Weve beaten Donegal, Derry and drawn with Tyrone. Monaghon next . Yet people are saying we have learned nothing, we are expected to blow teams away.
If a team has no interest in winning a game and only keeping the score down ,it is going to be a long night as last night showed.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 29/03/2015 10:18:40    1707516

an absolutely disgraceful performance....by the so called dublin supporters...but then again given our experiences of the past are we really surprised?...dublin scored ONE point in the first 33 mins...is that derry's fault?...no way...dublin played only one forward up...brogan..frequently connolly and rock were back in their own half back line...of course dublin can get men behind the ball but no other county is allowed to do it...the commentary on this has been disgusting...time for the dublin centric media to kop on

mayotyroneman (Tyrone) - Posts: 1821 - 29/03/2015 10:27:22    1707521

muckrosshead

the game is what it is?? I am sorry but the likes of your county has brought the game to this..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/03/2015 10:43:10    1707537

always find it funny when people compare this thing to Basketball,because Basketball is far more entertaining than this rubbish..I watched the game (recorded it without knowing the score),I find it funny that people from northern counties defend this rubbish.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/03/2015 10:48:53    1707541

MesAmis

the conditions were much worse in Newry and 2-21 was scored as opposed to 0-12,and that was dv1 football.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 29/03/2015 10:51:45    1707544

I didn't see the game obviously with Meath playing but judging by the scoreline and subsequent comments it must have been putrid stuff. The only thing is you have to put the game in context, it was a rotten night for football and Derry were going to try whatever they could to survive in div1, those two things alone point to a poor show.

Now I understand if you paid in you obviously weren't going to be impressed by the poisonous levels of defensive football but you can take that up with the Gaa, they've stood by and watched it grow for the last 10-15 years and done nothing, it's not a new phenomenon.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 29/03/2015 10:52:04    1707545

I'm sorry but anyone can't coach a blanket defense.

supermon (Monaghan) - Posts: 1073 - 29/03/2015 10:59:09    1707555