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Are Donegal a real live contender in 2017

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Replying To rossy15: "Not talking about the last 10 years I said donegal are this current dublin tames bogey team . Since 2011 they've always given dublin a tough time even n defeat they made ye sweat . If anyone is to beat ye next year I wouldn't bet against donegal is what I said Even last year when ye appeared to b well beating them they managed to run n goals and get under yer skin Also the only team to have beaten dublin n the last few years . That is all" Donegal had no fear of the Dubs in 2014. However fear was one of the main reasons that they lost in 2011 and 2016. They were far too conservative in the two games they lost. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 20/01/2017 20:23:37 1947448 Link
Donegal will make it to the last 12 but that's as far as I see them going but on any given Sunday who knows what could happen, could depend on how early they are out of Ulster championship, if they have a few games in qualifiers like Mayo last year then they could make the quarter final riverboys (Mayo) - Posts: 1389 - 20/01/2017 20:34:32 1947453 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "Donegal had no fear of the Dubs in 2014. However fear was one of the main reasons that they lost in 2011 and 2016. They were far too conservative in the two games they lost." In 2011 it wasn't fear more lack of belief i would say Didn't see much fear either last year either tbh for whatever reason dublin have been unable to put them away over the last few years ye always look edgy and less composed against donegal If the qtr final draw next year gives dublin v donegal cud b interesting rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 20/01/2017 20:41:15 1947457 Link
Replying To rossy15: "In 2011 it wasn't fear more lack of belief i would say Didn't see much fear either last year either tbh for whatever reason dublin have been unable to put them away over the last few years ye always look edgy and less composed against donegal If the qtr final draw next year gives dublin v donegal cud b interesting" They were playing against 14, then 13, then 12 players last year and were still too afraid to come out and play! MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 20/01/2017 21:20:30 1947466 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "They were playing against 14, then 13, then 12 players last year and were still too afraid to come out and play!" Ha ha grand so my man .... but it seems like the thoughts of them in jan even gets under supporters skin..... Big Michael Murphy on the edge of the square ... young Ryan mchugh running straight lines thru ye ..... diarmuid connolly getting the line after tangling with mcgee Roll on summer ... Cannot wait ! rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 20/01/2017 21:40:04 1947471 Link
Replying To rossy15: "Ha ha grand so my man .... but it seems like the thoughts of them in jan even gets under supporters skin..... Big Michael Murphy on the edge of the square ... young Ryan mchugh running straight lines thru ye ..... diarmuid connolly getting the line after tangling with mcgee Roll on summer ... Cannot wait !" Michael Murphy on the edge of square would be a scary thought. If they ever actually play him there. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 20/01/2017 21:58:19 1947472 Link
They are not even contenders for Ulster never mind the All Ireland. Could possible be relegated from Div 1 along with ourselves. Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 20/01/2017 22:13:15 1947478 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "Michael Murphy on the edge of square would be a scary thought. If they ever actually play him there." B careful what u wish for:) rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 20/01/2017 22:20:01 1947483 Link
Replying To Mobot: ""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." Thanks Mobot.....I think there is a big difference in the comparisons you make between Odhran and ROC, JMcC and MMcH. In the cases of ROC and JMcC both won All Ireland and provincial titles so reached the pinnacle of what it is to be a GAA player. Would both if either have taken a year out without reaching those pinnacles? I think probably not and also both have delivered to a high level on their talent and potential as players, personally I don't think Odhran has even come close especially on a consistent basis. As for MMcH did he actually leave the squad or was that just a spin that was put out at the time. There have been numerous rumours that I am not going to speculate on here about what went on but I do believe there is no smoke without fire. I have to laugh that Paddy McGrath might be close to retiring too. There is a constant agenda with Donegal players and retirement which I do find a little infuriating. I have lost count of the times I have read same about Frank McGlynn and Neil McGee both just past 30 now but reading this last 2-3 years. panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2782 - 20/01/2017 23:58:15 1947493 Link
As for the Dubs fearing Donegal? Absolute nonsense. The Dubs fear nobody least of all Donegal. If Donegal were still managed by Jim McG I think they would be very wary but after their most recent games absolutely no way. Like last year in the championship Donegal had so much going for them and just sat off. The league game earlier in the year was in the melting pot at HT but Donegal's 2nd have performance was as dejecting and negative as I can remember. Despite this and make no mistake Donegal are still the biggest threat to Tyrone in Ulster this year. Saying that Tyrone I think will win it, they have hunger, togetherness and the right management in place. A Donegal squad who could still call on the likes of RK, Christy and Odhran would be tough prospect for any of the top teams. Unfortunately under the current management Donegal have not utilized their squad strength and have under achieved the last 2 seasons which is really a waste. panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2782 - 20/01/2017 23:58:51 1947495 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "They were playing against 14, then 13, then 12 players last year and were still too afraid to come out and play!" Exactly. We played with complete addiction to the system despite its shortcomings on the day. When Leo McLoone came on we got a goal almost immediately. What was he doing on the bench last year? Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 21/01/2017 11:21:01 1947514 Link
No thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1746 - 21/01/2017 12:05:53 1947516 Link
Exactly. We played with complete addiction to the system despite its shortcomings on the day. When Leo McLoone came on we got a goal almost immediately. What was he doing on the bench last year? Donegalman (All) - Posts:2712 - 21/01/2017 11:21:01 That game was there for Donegal imo. Now the Dublin players that were left did very well to see the game out, Kev Mc, Kilkenny and Paul Mannion in particular were outstanding, so Donegal's tactics may have worked on another day to be fair to Gallagher and the players. MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13718 - 21/01/2017 12:09:05 1947517 Link
Replying To MesAmis: "Exactly. We played with complete addiction to the system despite its shortcomings on the day. When Leo McLoone came on we got a goal almost immediately. What was he doing on the bench last year? Donegalman (All) - Posts:2712 - 21/01/2017 11:21:01 That game was there for Donegal imo. Now the Dublin players that were left did very well to see the game out, Kev Mc, Kilkenny and Paul Mannion in particular were outstanding, so Donegal's tactics may have worked on another day to be fair to Gallagher and the players." They might have worked if you were holding a lead but not when you are chasing a game. Dublin do not fear or see Donegal as a threat to them. After 2014 they will always treat them with respect but deep down that Donegal under the current management are victims of their own system with little licence to operate outside of it. panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2782 - 21/01/2017 12:49:57 1947524 Link
If we had a manager like Jim Mc Guinness then yes the players are there, but I don't trust the current management to get the best out of these players and from talking to ppl high up in the Donegal executive I'm not sure if giving the current unproven management another few years was advisable. I think the sacrifice's that the Donegal setup are willing to make since Mc Guinness left fall short and I don't believe Donegal will be able to match Tyrone to won Ulster this year, or have a good league campaign either. In saying all that, I very much hope I'm proven wrong, but I suspect I'm not. Charismatic (Donegal) - Posts: 13 - 23/01/2017 23:58:12 1948284 Link
An awful lot of negativity around us here, I'll admit the recent retirements and Odhran taking a step back took me a bit by surprise and I felt a bit negative about our chances overall but I wouldn't be so down on us as some here. Obviously the management is a big bone of contention with many Donegal fans, I personally wouldn't have given Rory another 3 years but felt he had earned the chance to go again this year at the least. The frustrating thing for us is that there is a definite feeling of leaving titles behind recently. 2014 All-Ireland and the last 2 Ulster finals were really there for the taking and it's hard to take when you walk off the pitch feeling like you'd left a lot out there rather than just being soundly beaten on the day. Similarly against the Dubs last year, I felt we let ourselves down with a lot of individual errors in the first half and let Dublin get way too far ahead of us. Sure, once the red cards came we should have thrown off the shackles, but I'm still of the belief that game was lost in the 1st half with poor shot selection, balls bouncing off lads chests and easy turnovers for the Dubs. In terms of last years Ulster final, I think it's safe to say we lost that on the sideline. The reason I'm talking about these things though is I believe they are all fixable. Rory's poor decision making at times, I would hope he's learned from his mistakes in the Ulster final and elsewhere and will avoid similar mistakes this year. Lads not being fully tuned in for a big championship match in Croker - that's all about focus and something they can definitely work on. I know there has been a big turnover of players, we have a lot of young lads now and maybe we're not sure how they'll cope with championship football. But I wouldn't be so negative about our chances. I still believe ourselves and Tyrone are the strongest teams in Ulster, I still think we would be a match for Kerry or Mayo come championship and when it comes to the Dubs, well, it's about getting absolutely everything right on the day and a bit of luck as well. We're not a million miles away. Saying all that, if this summer is more of the same in terms of team selection, rigid tactics and weird substitutions, it'll be safe to say management have learned nothing and we'll be in trouble a couple more years yet. JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 24/01/2017 09:42:18 1948322 Link
Replying To JoeSoap: "An awful lot of negativity around us here, I'll admit the recent retirements and Odhran taking a step back took me a bit by surprise and I felt a bit negative about our chances overall but I wouldn't be so down on us as some here. Obviously the management is a big bone of contention with many Donegal fans, I personally wouldn't have given Rory another 3 years but felt he had earned the chance to go again this year at the least. The frustrating thing for us is that there is a definite feeling of leaving titles behind recently. 2014 All-Ireland and the last 2 Ulster finals were really there for the taking and it's hard to take when you walk off the pitch feeling like you'd left a lot out there rather than just being soundly beaten on the day. Similarly against the Dubs last year, I felt we let ourselves down with a lot of individual errors in the first half and let Dublin get way too far ahead of us. Sure, once the red cards came we should have thrown off the shackles, but I'm still of the belief that game was lost in the 1st half with poor shot selection, balls bouncing off lads chests and easy turnovers for the Dubs. In terms of last years Ulster final, I think it's safe to say we lost that on the sideline. The reason I'm talking about these things though is I believe they are all fixable. Rory's poor decision making at times, I would hope he's learned from his mistakes in the Ulster final and elsewhere and will avoid similar mistakes this year. Lads not being fully tuned in for a big championship match in Croker - that's all about focus and something they can definitely work on. I know there has been a big turnover of players, we have a lot of young lads now and maybe we're not sure how they'll cope with championship football. But I wouldn't be so negative about our chances. I still believe ourselves and Tyrone are the strongest teams in Ulster, I still think we would be a match for Kerry or Mayo come championship and when it comes to the Dubs, well, it's about getting absolutely everything right on the day and a bit of luck as well. We're not a million miles away. Saying all that, if this summer is more of the same in terms of team selection, rigid tactics and weird substitutions, it'll be safe to say management have learned nothing and we'll be in trouble a couple more years yet." JoeSoap that is exactly the way I feel. Sure I ain't Rory's biggest fan but he is the best available to us at the moment. The retirements are not a big deal as most wouldn't have been on my starting team this year. Odhran will be a miss but its a chance for someone young to step up. People in Donegal know that we have players coming through and if they can click and get a game plan in place then we will definitely compete with the teams you mentioned. Most teams would kill to have them young lads coming true. We need to just get behind the team and support them. The last thing the young lads need is the supporters giving off about them and why the management started them. One question though. Do we know who else is in the back room team. Is maxi still there? I know we have a new trainer from Tyrone who iv heard is getting on well with the team. dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 24/01/2017 16:22:27 1948474 Link
Replying To dstuction: "JoeSoap that is exactly the way I feel. Sure I ain't Rory's biggest fan but he is the best available to us at the moment. The retirements are not a big deal as most wouldn't have been on my starting team this year. Odhran will be a miss but its a chance for someone young to step up. People in Donegal know that we have players coming through and if they can click and get a game plan in place then we will definitely compete with the teams you mentioned. Most teams would kill to have them young lads coming true. We need to just get behind the team and support them. The last thing the young lads need is the supporters giving off about them and why the management started them. One question though. Do we know who else is in the back room team. Is maxi still there? I know we have a new trainer from Tyrone who iv heard is getting on well with the team." I wish Donegal well in the league although I think it will take some time for what is largely a new team to develop. Why are Donegal posters so hard on Gallagher? do the players not play for him? neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 24/01/2017 20:20:17 1948553 Link
This time last year I felt Donegal would be a major headache down the road but they were poor against us and I don't think we were ever going to lose that game. This year I'm not so sure, maybe that's a good thing :), but they will need MM on fire to do well and I haven't seen him play well in a long time. I'd worry about his state of mind after all the years of wasted talent out on the 40 and deeper. Unfortunately I think we've seen the best of him at this stage unless Donegal change their tactics a little at least. realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 24/01/2017 21:45:10 1948569 Link
Replying To realdub: "This time last year I felt Donegal would be a major headache down the road but they were poor against us and I don't think we were ever going to lose that game. This year I'm not so sure, maybe that's a good thing :), but they will need MM on fire to do well and I haven't seen him play well in a long time. I'd worry about his state of mind after all the years of wasted talent out on the 40 and deeper. Unfortunately I think we've seen the best of him at this stage unless Donegal change their tactics a little at least." I think that's what most Donegal fans want to see also. The man looks wrecked in every game. He cant be everywhere and I would rather concede midfield and have him in FF. I think Donegal supporters can see how we can be better which is why its annoying sometimes when the management cant. Patrick McBrearty CAN be a great forward but when he is triple marked that isnt possible. With a 2 man forward line with Murphy an Opposition would have to put 3/4 players back there and even then our boys have a chance. When Murphy is inside we dont need to hit the big hoof all the time. He is more than capable to receive a low ball into the corner. That big ball should be used once or twice when Murphy is isolated in there. This play allows us to have 12 defenders which should be enough in most scenarios. We need to train on a kick passing and a running game. Last year when we tried the kickpass it was poorly executed but that should be fixable with the calibre of player we have. The problem now is that with only Big Neil and McElhinny experienced in the middle ( loss of Kavanagh, Toye and Mcneillis) I feel Murphy will be required to do some of the load out there again. For this reason I hope in the league they give time for McGonagle, McFaddan and Ciaran Thompson in that midfield. If 1 of 2 break in then that would allow Murphy more freedom. dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 25/01/2017 08:59:23 1948613 Link