Don't kid yourself about dubs and Kerry there - they are as negative as anything out there often playing with 14 behind that ball

eunans4ever (Donegal) - Posts: 1595 - 19/01/2017 21:03:46    1947164

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 19/01/2017 21:17:25    1947175

No

giveballaghback (Roscommon) - Posts: 296 - 19/01/2017 22:07:23    1947194

No

border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 894 - 19/01/2017 23:25:32    1947212

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 20/01/2017 09:13:58    1947238

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 20/01/2017 09:44:17    1947251

It is really difficult to know where Donegal are at the moment. We have lost 8 players from last year's team, 5 of those you could expect as they were near their mid-30's, possibly Christy Toye could have stayed on and been effective as a sub. However 3 of those players, McNeilis, McLoone and Anthony Thompson should be part of our team for this year.

Most Donegal supporters were not keen for Rory Gallagher to get an extra 3 years. Now that he has got the 3 years he needs the same supporters to have patience. However he needs to earn that patience as well by bringing some variation to his predictable tactics. The past 2 seasons have seen us being far too defensive and trying to hang on to slender leads, also not using his available subs. We had the ridiculous situation last year where he reintroduced players that had already been taken off instead of using a fresh sub such as Leo McLoone or Ciaran Thompson. This happened in 4 Ulster championship games last year.

We have a brilliant crop of younger players and hopefully Rory is the right man to bring them on. I'd still fancy us to be competitive in Ulster but don't see us challenging for the All-Ireland.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1876 - 20/01/2017 10:24:35    1947267

"As for rumours of unrest in the squad there is no smoke without fire. Yes you can point at some of the retirements being obvious but it was the timing more than anything especially in the case of Christy Toye. No surprise Leo left the panel with the treatment he got from the current management but then Anthony Thompson and Odhran McNellis. Must be some coincidence then if some supporters are making up rumours. In the case of Odhran he is 24 and most would agree he is a supremely talented footballer. I ask the question if he was playing in Kerry or Dublin where players have more freedom to express themselves would he be taking a year out? Or if Jim McG was still in charge? I doubt it in both cases. He is asked to perform a role in a system which tempers his talent in order to constantly chase back. So while some would say rumours are unfounded the facts would say otherwise."

Panamasam, I enjoy reading your posts and usually agree with what you say on here and even this post I'd agree with most of it but I completely disagree on the Odhran point. You say if he was playing with Dublin or Kerry he wouldn't be taking a year out? I'm not so sure about that. Didn't former POTY Jack McCaffrey take a year out for the Dubs and ROC is on an extended break. You say Odhran wouldn't be taking a year out if Jim was still in charge? Again, I'm not sure about that, if Jim was still in charge Odhran would be playing to a system as he was since 2014 and didn't Mark McHugh take a year out when Jim was still there? Odhran was argubaly our best player in Ulster last year and was a key player for RG so I don't think there is any issue between the 2 men. If Odhran's heart wasn't in it this year then he was 100% correct to take a year out and come back fresh and hungry next year (He may even return later this year...who knows?). Michael Murphy was on OTB last night and he even said he can completely understand why a player would want to take a break because its a 11 month season nowadays. The timing of Toye's retirement isn't that unusual either. Players retire in January regularly. He was probably due to go back training this month and either his mind or body wasn't in the right place so he decided to call it a day. I completely agree with the others points you make in relation to the young lads coming through, our outdated gameplan and current management. I just hope we can adopt a fresh new gameplan this year that we can enjoy as supporters and see how far it takes us.

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 20/01/2017 10:55:59    1947283

I don't see Donegal as a realistic contender this year, winning an Ulster title and reaching an All Ireland semi would be seen as great progress given the retirements and drop offs. Donegal are in transition as there's no guarantees that they will be contenders in the next few years because they've got some good younger players coming through.

Donegal have had great success the last 6 championships and have reached the last 6 Ulster Championship finals, thats a difficult feat to keep up for a county with the resources like Donegal have. The likes of McGee, McGrath, McGlynn, Lacey & Gallagher aren't that far off retirement either, I just can't see Donegal challenging realistically for several years but will be happy to be proven wrong.

TheWestIsAwake (UK) - Posts: 529 - 20/01/2017 11:23:56    1947293

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 20/01/2017 11:33:24    1947296

They weren't last year and they definitely won't be this year. Haven't been the same side since Colm Mcfadden went past his prime.

realman2 (Kildare) - Posts: 464 - 20/01/2017 12:24:14    1947323

Donegal people tend to think emotionally when it comes to our team, not logically.

I think that we are in a place where Armagh were 10 years ago, or Tyrone were 7 years ago. The question is how we are going to handle the transition. i would guess we are going to handle it well enough, provided we allow new players onboard. The McKenna cup u21 experiment may well pay off. It will blood in some lads into what it feels like to play senior football and will stand to them. But there are still issues around our team selection from last year that leads me to believe that all is not well behind the scenes. If this is the case, then it does not matter how good our team is on paper. We have got to get the spirit right.

Also, I believe we are addicted to a fear based system of playing. We are trying to smother teams into frustration and trying to get over the line. This is all well and good when they didn't expect it, but they do now, and know how to play against it. Couple this with referees who will benefit a team who try and play a bit, rather than the team who go percentage into the tackle, and we are at a disadvantage.

I think that Gallagher will do exceptionally well to turn this ship around, and this will start with staying up in division 2.

As for ulster, I don't think we have a hope against tyrone.

As for the all ireland, this is crazy talk.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 20/01/2017 12:28:24    1947326

When Jim McGuinness left I thought Donegal would decline rapidly straight away, as the system was always far better than the sum of the parts. But the new management did well to steady the ship somewhat. But in saying that, they still are regressing each year since McGuinness left, albeit slowly, and don't have a hope in winning Sam.

32_4_1 (Meath) - Posts: 4122 - 20/01/2017 14:15:41    1947359

I don't think Donegal have been a contender since Jimmy parted company with them. The only way I see them getting back in the hunt is if Jimmy makes a return.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 20/01/2017 14:22:28    1947364

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 20/01/2017 16:24:55    1947394

InishowenMan (Donegal) - Posts: 216 - 20/01/2017 17:41:54    1947408

InishowenMan (Donegal) - Posts: 216 - 20/01/2017 17:42:41    1947410

Kurt_Angle (Dublin) - Posts: 567 - 20/01/2017 18:12:50    1947419

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 20/01/2017 20:10:33    1947444

rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 20/01/2017 20:18:58    1947446