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What's wrong with Down?

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Is Marty Clarke still off the panel? Killarney.87 (Tipperary) - Posts: 2513 - 12/02/2017 16:13:02 1955281 Link
Replying To cacsmckilly: "what about a manager from Tyrone? Its helped Monaghan football and now cavan have a tyrone man in there too." We've had an Armagh man before Burns so why not. Jody Gormley maybe? Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 12/02/2017 17:48:17 1955394 Link
Replying To cacsmckilly: "what about a manager from Tyrone? Its helped Monaghan football and now cavan have a tyrone man in there too." We've had an Armagh man before Burns so why not. Jody Gormley maybe? Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 12/02/2017 17:49:05 1955397 Link
A year in Division 3 will not be the end of the world. We were there in 2008 & 9. It could be 2020 or more before we are back competing against Ulster though. With James McCartan, etc, working with the younger talent, hopefully we'll be back sooner. ajdoyle78 (Down) - Posts: 520 - 12/02/2017 18:34:34 1955465 Link
There are many factors contributing to Down's demise, many of which have been discussed on the Down section on the HS. Focusing on the here and now, Eamonn Burn's has got to ship the majority of the blame. His team selections have been woeful. If you take Down's bench in the first two league games as an example. Kevin McKernan, Jerome & Ryan Johnson, Conor Maginn, Peter Turley, Darragh O'Hanlon & Paul Devlin (who hasn't kicked a ball for Down yet this season, yet is one of Kilcoo's star performers). These are currently 6-7 of our most experienced county players and yet they are all sitting on the bench? Eamonn Burns is either showing complete contempt for the league, or he hasn't a clue. His record as Down manager (league and championship): Played 11 - Won 0, Drawn 0, Lost 11. For 5-106 Against 13-181 Diff -99 Eamonn Burns should do the decent thing and walk away. Yes, we haven't got a large pool of talent, but we're better than this. Division 3 is a certainty unless we start fielding our strongest 15. MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 13/02/2017 10:42:46 1955998 Link
Replying To Killarney.87: "Is Marty Clarke still off the panel?" He said his Down days were behind him just last week. For the life of me I can't remember where but there was a video of it. Possibly something to do with the Sigerson. GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 13/02/2017 12:31:32 1956075 Link
cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1675 - 13/02/2017 13:06:39 1956098 Link
Replying To GetOverTheBar: "He said his Down days were behind him just last week. For the life of me I can't remember where but there was a video of it. Possibly something to do with the Sigerson." He's working with EirSport and was asked about playing for Down, that's where the video came from. Martin McHugh said on Radio Ulster that he heard a few Down players walked out in disgust when Eamonn Burns named the team for yesterday's match. If true, I honestly can't blame them. Mark Poland seems to have been one that has disappeared off the scene, he wasn't in the squad at all yesterday. Complete shambles. MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 13/02/2017 13:12:10 1956102 Link
this is very sad ------ cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1675 - 14/02/2017 13:01:46 1956626 Link
why wasn't this thread entitled "What's Up with Down" an opportunity missed. s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 14/02/2017 14:52:39 1956690 Link
You could write a book on this. 1 marty clarke has never been called by the management to ask if he would come bk ( shocking ) 2 kilcoo 5 in a row county champions can't even get 1 player into starting 15 in 2 league games ( bloody disgrace ) 3 players have walked out of squad last week when the team was named senior lads who have put there heart and soul into the county jersey for the last few years some were not even in the match day panel ( mark poland being one ) 4 manager has not got a clue ( really hate saying this about our manager ) tactical inept, seems to be no game plan, kickout strategy is non existence going to Clare was must win and nothing really changed from Fermanagh performance ( what the hell our they doing at training ) 5 This all boils back to the previous manager ( still should be there ) the county board our totally to blame for this they need to stop giving the job to anyone who played in the 94 all ireland winning team. 6 Underage is a major problem we have had 1 decent u18 and 1 decent u21 in the last 20 years or so even the better underage players have no interest also within the county we have some very good players not turning out for the county which is really annoying. 7 See you all in div 3 ahhhh. Yourjoking (USA) - Posts: 705 - 14/02/2017 16:03:30 1956714 Link
There is a number of things wrong in Down , think we are just living of glory days , which really is not a good thing , people can blame current management etc , but at the end if the day we have went threw quite a few managers in past few years and we are still no better ,,, as I have before it's the underage structure is the problem,granted now they have started to try to put that right but there is a lot of work still needs done , one example comes to mind , our minors where playing Louth 2 weekends ago and it wasn't until late on the Friday night that the parents got the text about a time and a place for the match surely this is not good!!! As for the senior team , players walking out and not wanting to play etc ,,, Marty Clarke saying he was never ask back ! Am I not right in saying when current manager took over was all clubs in Down not notified about trails for senior footballers,, surely Marty's club would of received notification as well , if so is that not upto his club to send him ?? ,, like no one should get special treatment! As for kilcoo players yes I agree that more of them should be on the panel , they have not won 5 in a row threw luck , but I have heard there was more asked and they declined the offer !!! as for the funding that is needed ,,, ClubDown is back up and running so I am told but as yet have not heard how to join for new members, full break down of the money situation,it's been said it's going to mourne academy, but is it all going there ?? Who is treasurer of this new venture,,,,, these are questions people are asking and before we can move forward as a county and get back to the top ,, we need answers ,,, as I have also said before get a public meeting for all to attend trash out all the difficulties we have as a county and everyone get behind it and push it forward otherwise it's Div 4 in 2 years from now topdownfan (Down) - Posts: 555 - 14/02/2017 23:40:35 1956931 Link
A bit of insight as to the shambles that's going on in Down gaa http://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/Off_The_Ball/GAA_on_Off_The_Ball/179619/The_Sorry_State_of_Down_Football__how_is_it_so_bad ciaran08 (Down) - Posts: 171 - 16/02/2017 20:22:13 1957584 Link
Liam Hayes once said that Kikdare's biggest problem is that we don't produce enough psychopaths. To my mind, Down have the same problem. They always seem to have talent, but are rarely nasty enough to survive in Ulster That's their perennial problem. Their current problems seem to go beyond that though Count_Awesome (Kildare) - Posts: 736 - 17/02/2017 15:57:34 1957757 Link
Replying To Count_Awesome: "Liam Hayes once said that Kikdare's biggest problem is that we don't produce enough psychopaths. To my mind, Down have the same problem. They always seem to have talent, but are rarely nasty enough to survive in Ulster That's their perennial problem. Their current problems seem to go beyond that though" Sorry to disagree but there's no talent in Down at the minute - the talent pool has totally went dry, no structures for youth worth talking about and there seems to be no reversing this trend in near future - they really risk being the Cavan of the modern era. IrishGael3 (USA) - Posts: 1092 - 17/02/2017 18:09:40 1957785 Link
Replying To IrishGael3: "Sorry to disagree but there's no talent in Down at the minute - the talent pool has totally went dry, no structures for youth worth talking about and there seems to be no reversing this trend in near future - they really risk being the Cavan of the modern era." have to agree with you , although there should be enough talent in the county to stay in Div 2 if the best players in the county where playing ,,, to late now though I expect topdownfan (Down) - Posts: 555 - 17/02/2017 20:17:57 1957816 Link
Replying To topdownfan: "have to agree with you , although there should be enough talent in the county to stay in Div 2 if the best players in the county where playing ,,, to late now though I expect" I am not sure Down have the players or the mental attitude to survive the dogfight in division 2. Down are a county in complete free fall. For those outsiders in the county, like me, it has been a joy to watch! For years I listened to Down folk revel in the Croke Park defeats of other northern counties whilst spouting "we have five." They reminded me of loyalists with their 'WATP' bile. The standard of Down football (with the exception of Kilcoo and a handful of south Down clubs) is mediocre at best. It will be a long time before I hear "we have six." 2setsofrules (Down) - Posts: 99 - 18/02/2017 08:51:55 1957869 Link
Replying To 2setsofrules: "I am not sure Down have the players or the mental attitude to survive the dogfight in division 2. Down are a county in complete free fall. For those outsiders in the county, like me, it has been a joy to watch! For years I listened to Down folk revel in the Croke Park defeats of other northern counties whilst spouting "we have five." They reminded me of loyalists with their 'WATP' bile. The standard of Down football (with the exception of Kilcoo and a handful of south Down clubs) is mediocre at best. It will be a long time before I hear "we have six."" Dare to ask you but suppose your county is the mighty Tyrone !!!! ,,, now as for Down we will keep supporting them threw this tough time and we will get our difficulties sorted out and be back at the top someday,,, topdownfan (Down) - Posts: 555 - 18/02/2017 21:39:09 1958066 Link
Replying To essmac: "Down are now the worst I've ever seen them in many years. Remember, this was a team that arguably could have nicked an All Ireland in 2010 (esp if they hadn't had their best man sent off in a dodgy call in the semi). As a Tyrone fan, you always looked forward to a clash with Down, they always played with confidence (arrogance) and style. That's all gone; and football is the poorer for it. From a puzzled outsider's perspective, just two qs: why is P McGrath not manager of Down; and is Burns really the man for the Down job?" The really don't have the players simple as that - underage talent has dried up, funding way behind the big counties. IrishGael3 (USA) - Posts: 1092 - 27/02/2017 14:28:54 1961615 Link
Two wins on the trot. The slide has been arrested since they got a couple of their old guard back. Glad to see it. keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 05/03/2017 17:00:12 1963922 Link