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I am not totally sure of the exact breakdowns and stand to be corrected on this. To the best of my knowledge of the starters last night 7 of those who started also started in the 2014 AI final. There was an additional 4 players involved last night who started the 2014 final with one player brought on as a sub last night and in that same final. Of the 7 who started last night from the 2014 final 4 of those were also eligible in 2015. There were 3 lads who started last night who were involved with the 2015 minors and not the 2014 minors. As far as I am aware 2 of last years minor squad are in this years U-21 panel but both were injured last night. Donegal had a very good minor side in 2015 who in my opinion were definitely the best in Ulster and a better side than Kildare or Tipp who got to the latter stages of that years minor championship. But like what happens with young lads sometimes they performed nowhere near to their potential in the Ulster semi final against Derry. Despite this they missed a last min pen to advance to the final but contrived to miss it. Actually the shooting on the day was shocking but it was a day when the management also had a shocker. A blind man could see that keeping the ball away from Conor Glass especially on Donegal kickouts was necessary yet time after time the ball kept coming his way. To be fair he is some player and a big loss to Derry football. Anyways it means that Donegal have the best of 3 good minor sides to pick from with this years U-21's. I do fear Donegal might lack a footballing inside forward or 2 especially if a game requires more than one way of playing. Kerry have consistently been the best county for producing this type of player. panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 23/03/2017 23:43:46 1970578 Link 2 |
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I agree with your assessment of our 2015 minor side. On paper it was probably the best of the 3 teams between 2014-2016 but as you said sometimes young teams struggle to perform consistently and lost out to a Conor Glass inspired Derry that particular day. Donegal are probaly rightly favs to win Ulster but nothing is certain as that 2015 minor team showed but here's hoping lessons have been learned. If we are fortunate enough to get out of Ulster into the semi finals I think your point on inside forwards in a valid one. Getting Niall O'Donnell back from injury might help take the pressure off Jamie Brennan but I don't know when he is due back??
Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 24/03/2017 14:38:50 1970717 Link 0 |
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Those U21s are playing some game time now. Club, county senior and county u21s, a couple playing minors to boot. They must not have any lives other than football matches and training at the moment. Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 24/03/2017 14:54:41 1970724 Link 0 |
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It is tough going for them no doubt but I imagine they are buzzing given the calibre of games they are playing and how they are performing especially the lads involved with the senior set up. To be fair the players involved are not showing too many ill effects which is some credit to them. Not going to be much let up over the next 2/3 weeks.
panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 25/03/2017 00:30:19 1970855 Link 0 |
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We don't even need to look back to the 2015 minors Mobot for an example of nothing is certain especially with younger players. I was very confident last years minors would beat Galway in the AI semi final and look what happened there. I got fairly lambasted here for my confidence in the side after the game but everyone is an expert after the result, water off a ducks back to me so no matter. To be fair though they did not under perform to the same level as the 2015 minors against Derry and I think that Galway side were a much superior side to the one Derry one especially if you take Conor Glass out of the mix. But in saying that they did under perform on the day. Like 2015 it showed the importance of the sideline in getting things right, on the day the full back line got repeatedly exposed and David Goldrick was not man marked even though he was causing alot of the damage coming from deep. Losing Aidan McLaughlin relatively early did not help things as he would been the man to put right in front of the full back line. Regardless of losing Aidan there was still no player put there but I guess the game was to be chased by then given Galway's early scores. So yes I think the players and management have plenty of recent memories to learn and develop from and most importantly learn from. When you consider the players who are injured or coming back you shake your head at the talent there. As for Niall I have no idea what his injury status is. I think he might be still a bit slight for this age bracket but jaysus he is going to be one of the stars of next years inaugural U-20 Ulster Championship given Donegal progress through the rounds. Just a shame Jason will most likely be ineligible as he would be a behemoth at the grade. My worry in relation to the inside forward line is that most likely to progress outside of Ulster and win an AI you need more than just relying on the running game. Therefore variation is vital I think you need a player or two who is not just mercurial in front of goal but can also makes the team tick ala MM 2011-2014.
panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 25/03/2017 01:01:50 1970859 Link 0 |
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Will players be able to play League Football and the U20 Championship or will they be ineligible if they play any Senior IC Football? KYTotalFootball (Kerry) - Posts: 280 - 25/03/2017 14:16:45 1970935 Link 0 |
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It's 1 or the other unfortunately as far as I know ky. so if you line out for the seniors in the league you can't play U20s in the summer.
KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 25/03/2017 15:12:27 1970947 Link 0 |
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Galway put Mayo away handy enough tonight. Looks a strong Galway team. I would imagine Kerry are hot favorites though. Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1826 - 25/03/2017 20:22:41 1971001 Link 0 |
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Does not take a genius to workout who this rule was brought in for and despite being masked in other ways. As a result someone like Jason McGee who would be in the top 5 U-20's in the country won't be eligible to play. I would use a county like Westmeath as an example who won a minor AI followed up by a U-21 title and from this a first Leinster title. I imagine with these rules changes it will be very difficult for such a county to repeat this feat and success.
panamasam (Australia) - Posts: 2779 - 26/03/2017 02:02:42 1971058 Link 0 |
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Dubs to come through easy in Leinster, looking very strong. Galway to beat Sligo handy enough in Connaught. By all reports a very good team as well. Ulster is a mine-field with any of the 4 teams capable of winning it. In Munster, a massive game next Wednesday between cork and Kerry in final. Have cork a fighting chance or will Kerry steam roll them? Kerry will need to be at their best to beat them as cork have held the upper hand for the last few years. ryan (Donegal) - Posts: 724 - 26/03/2017 02:51:46 1971062 Link 0 |
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sad to think we are on the homerun of the last ever all Ireland under 21 rhudson (Galway) - Posts: 1478 - 26/03/2017 12:53:34 1971130 Link 0 |
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the grade is part of the issue. players at that age can be playing for the Colleges, County U21 & Senior and Club U21 & Senior. If they are from a dual club they are in serious bother! 18-21 is probably the biggest bottle neck for players in terms of the number of teams. don't think games are the issue. it is the training that is the problem. if you can coordinate ur training program so u are not duplicating and overloading that is fine but a lot of managers want their pound of flesh and it is nearly impossible to do that for so many teams. Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1826 - 27/03/2017 12:17:37 1971729 Link 0 |
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how do people think the munster final between cork n Kerry will go rhudson (Galway) - Posts: 1478 - 27/03/2017 19:07:02 1971981 Link 0 |
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Till be a tough tough battle alright, Cork are always handy at this level and home advantage will count for a lot. The Kerry side going out on Wed is only a few players different from the side that lost to Cork last year. Hope we can get the result, I think it's very important Kerry win the U-21s this year if they can. TheHermit (Kerry) - Posts: 6354 - 27/03/2017 20:27:46 1972012 Link 0 |
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A couple of interesting facets to the last ever Munster U21 Final on Wednesday night KYTotalFootball (Kerry) - Posts: 280 - 27/03/2017 22:23:54 1972070 Link 0 |
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Jack has picked a serious team for Wednesday night , a lot of runners and grafters so should be very interesting, last year was horrific with injuries, I was half expecting jack to call me out of the stand to tog off. KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 27/03/2017 22:43:28 1972081 Link 0 |
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Kerry are very short priced considering Cork have 9 players left from a team that could easily have won the All Ireland at this level last year. TheWestIsAwake (UK) - Posts: 529 - 28/03/2017 15:48:46 1972322 Link 0 |
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If Galway won by 6 playing badly then they are to be watched for sure.
Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 28/03/2017 15:58:05 1972333 Link 0 |
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They played very well especially in the first half but should their dominance wasn't reflected on the scoreboard. I think it was an average Mayo team, there's been a big gap between Galway & Mayo at minor level the last 2 years. I realise Mayo had 5 or 6 of the lads from last year but think one of the main reasons they won last year was because of the way they played collectively opposed to great individual talent.
TheWestIsAwake (UK) - Posts: 529 - 28/03/2017 16:23:35 1972354 Link 0 |
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No buses to Portlaoise for the Offaly v Dublin Wednesday night game. Does anyone know of any clubs doing a bus run? Thanks. CB CrubeenBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 28 - 28/03/2017 16:42:46 1972374 Link 0 |