I might be just me, but I feel my own county are shown a total lack of respect by the media, opposite county supporters and the referees. On Seo sport Tomas o'se described Monaghan as the most physical team in the country, but with very good footballers. I find that analysis sicking monaghan have super footballers. Monaghan are not anymore physical than the next team but because the media portray them as over the top on physicality referees who are only human buy into it the two defeats against Cork and Mayo the referee was extremely poor and the foul count was quiet high, what was a free for the opposition wasn't a free for Monaghan and I find it frustrating. I do believe both players deserved to be sent off against Mayo. Every time Monaghan win we get critisied by the so called experts. Against Tyrone we blow them out the water but instead of focusing on Monghan super performance the media reflected on how bad Tyrone where. In the Donegal match ( the only match monaghan played a blanket ) both teams got lambasted but again monaghan only won because Donegal was bad, in fact monaghan should have won by a hell of a lot more. In the Derry game Monaghan in second gear kicked 14 points from play with only one from a free but do the media say this god no. Again Monaghan won because Derry played badly.
In all Monaghan games expect the Donegal game Monaghan have played man for man.
Reading the Sunday world and pat Spillane he again showed a lack of respect again. He said Monaghan where a one man team and if Conor McManus doesn't play Monaghan won't win. Well we beat both Donegal and Tyrone minus Conor McManus.

On Sunday I think monaghan will beat Kerry but still with Kerry missing half a team monaghan are completely wrote of by the media and supporters alike. Monaghan are the best team in Ulster and deserve respect

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 28/03/2015 09:57:13    1707178

All teams deserve respect

But respect also has to be earned

Monaghan have bounced back very well from their heaavy defeat to Dublin last year

Played v well in the league so far and have every chance of reaching a semi-final

They no doubt coud cause Kerry some big trouble, but Kerry are verry adapt to playing Ulster teams at present with their own version of it... very difficult game ahead for both teams

But again back to respect having to be earned... in footballing terms Monaghan are a minnow

I dont think thats an outrageous thing to say

How you progress is by winning regulary and competing at the top lvel over a pro-longed time

Until Monaghan can do this then you'll find that you wont get the same plaudits

Best of luck against Kerry - hope you take points off them

Sets it up nicely then for the Dubs game

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20601 - 28/03/2015 10:23:09    1707183

Shaggy why do you waste your time reading what journalists have to say ? Why do you waste your time reading The Sunday World which in my opinion is nothing more than low grade toilet paper ? Finally why do you waste your time reading that inveterate self publicising sensationalist Pat Spillane ? His own people in Kerry steadfastly refuse to give him a job with their county teams . That says it all. Jimbodub Monaghan with 60,000 have the fourth smallest population in Ireland. Pound for pound they are probably the best outfit in the country.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 28/03/2015 10:34:50    1707185

Best team in Ulster. Hahaha. 3 Ulster titles and 1 Sam in the past 4 years as well as a final appearance in both Ulster and All Ireland in the same period for the Tir Chinaill men scuppers that theory. Nice try. Come back when you can back up statements like that. :-)

DLGael (Donegal) - Posts: 111 - 28/03/2015 10:39:25    1707187

I hve seen monaghan a few times and they are a good side. think though you are over sensitive on the respect thing. also greengrass monagnan by and large only have gaelic football and I have come to the view a one code sport in a small populated county is nearly easier to overcome politics than in larger counties where there are multiple codes. slightly off topic I know but the counties who are at a bigger advantage in my view are the likes of donegal kerry and mayo where they have reasonable populations but only one code and believe me local politics is huge when football and hurling are pretty equal. that has been my experience in galway where on occasion I feel one code is holding the other back when it comes to resources. in the galway case the old hurling board and their disastorous decision making in purchasing land for a centre of excellence that will never happen means we won't have a cent to spend for years and football is suffering in the county as a result.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1949 - 28/03/2015 10:52:12    1707189

Monaghan have done well to stay up in Div 1 this year. Fair play to them.

They won Ulster in 2013 after a soft run to the final and they did very well to defeat a misfiring Donegal. More success in the leaue and championship is the aim now I'd imagine.

They look to be a decent outfit and should give Ulster another rattle this year hopefully.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13719 - 28/03/2015 10:56:00    1707190

I admire donegals success over the last four years what Jim done was amazing turning a county under achieving and ill disciplined players into a team to be feared and respected. But without Jim things will be different. Gallagher couldnt even get near the business end of the championship with a very good kilcar team ( Hegarty, Ryan McHugh,Mark McHugh and McBrearty) so I honestly think Donegal will come backwards. On current form and I know league is nothing compared to the championship but monaghan have beaten all their Ulster rivals. With a county with 30 clubs we are punching way above our weight. Also considering the three main town in the county which would cover 1/3 of the population only has three county players. It shows how well we are doing.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 28/03/2015 11:06:12    1707194

Well we're not a big traditional football county so the likes of like Spillane will rarely give us our due. Last week he criticised us for only having one forward apart from McManus scoring against Derry, while completely ignoring the spread of scores from other areas, including four from play by Dessie Mone! If a Kerry wing-back did that imagine the praise he'd be laying on him. I've learnt to ignore the media in general, we'll rarely be the favourites against a decent team but that hardly affects the performance by the team.

MesAmis, that's a very backhanded compliment about how we won Ulster in 2013. Yes it wasn't the hardest run to the final, but everyone expected Donegal to walk through us that day as they looked unstoppable, it's a bit unfair and simplistic to simply say they were misfiring, I'd imagine our defence that day helped.

Despite two bad championship defeats last year, we have built on 2013. The squad has been strengthened and we went straight back up to Division 1, where hopefully we'll stay. I'd be confident in any game against an Ulster side, and 3 from 3 against Ulster teams in the league should leave us confident going into the summer. The next step is to be more competitive and win games against the big non-Ulster teams. We were a bit unlucky against Cork and probably should have won that while everything went wrong against Mayo, our discipline included. Tomorrow is another opportunity, it'll be tough but it's a great experience for the younger players and these are the games you want to be playing before the championship.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 936 - 28/03/2015 11:21:27    1707202

DLGael
County: Donegal
Posts: 102

1707187 Best team in Ulster. Hahaha. 3 Ulster titles and 1 Sam in the past 4 years as well as a final appearance in both Ulster and All Ireland in the same period for the Tir Chinaill men scuppers that theory. Nice try. Come back when you can back up statements like that. :-)

DLGael there have been five league and championship matches played between the two teams over the last three years. Monaghan are ahead on the head to head three to two. There have been three finals played between the two teams in that time period . Again Monaghan lead the head to head two to one. Twice Monaghan stuffed Donegal in those finals. The difference between Monaghan and Donegal was that after last years Ulster Final Malachy O Rourke was gracious in defeat and congratulated Donegal on their victory saying the best team had won. All Monaghan people heard after their final victories was endless excuses about players being "tired", "injured" or players "being taken out of it". No class in defeat. Kilcougher, winning Ulster titles and holding your own off a population of 60,000 is a serious achievement.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 28/03/2015 11:37:38    1707203

patk
County: Monaghan
Posts: 300

Mightn't have phrased that very well. I meant that Monghan at the time took advantage of the fact that Donegal weren't great in 2013, as Mayo showed a couple of weeks later.

That Ulster title probably came a little earlier than maybe expected during this particular Monaghan's side development.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13719 - 28/03/2015 11:42:29    1707205

Until we go to croke park in August or september and beat kerry or dublin mayo or cork we will never get the respect end ov

prideof85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 851 - 28/03/2015 12:02:58    1707208

greengrass did i not say monaghan are a good side. my point while slightly off topic as I admitted is based on fact. on respect for monaghan most people I know acknowledge their achievements from ulster winnes in 2013 totheir incremental improvement.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1949 - 28/03/2015 12:22:52    1707210

28/03/2015 12:02:58
prideof85
County: Monaghan
Posts: 339

1707208
Until we go to croke park in August or september and beat kerry or dublin mayo or cork we will never get the respect end ov

Spot on,that's the bottom line. Dublin had that issue until we got the job done in 2011.Its all ifs, buts and maybies until you win an all Ireland and even then you'll still get the whingers on about this went for you or that went against them.That's something that you can put up with a lot easier when you have a title.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2312 - 28/03/2015 12:31:18    1707214

shaggylegend
County: Monaghan
Posts: 1336



Monaghon have got a hell of a lot stronger over the last few years ,with obviously better players and a system, because of that it got you to the last 8 in the AllIreland championship. Something a lot of other counties have done .but it still has to be applauded considering the mount of counties with bigger populations and squads who couldnt do that .
Monaghon get the respect they deserve from opposing Managers, thats all id worry about.
Every county when they are winning always feel they dont get the aknowledgement for the good players they have.
Probably bar Kerry who are like the illuminati with their people in joourno jobs everywhere ;)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 28/03/2015 13:05:19    1707217

Only one way to earn respect in this game, and even then you might not get the full credit you deserve!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8597 - 28/03/2015 13:13:01    1707219

The General consensus on here is monaghan play ultra defensive but they don't unless the play the likes of Donegal and Dublin. But the pundits say monaghan are ultra defensive so the gaa followers think the same thing because they are being told. In castlebar a Mayo fella was crying about blankets and I ask him to point out where on the field did he see mass defence. He couldn't

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 28/03/2015 14:05:23    1707234

shaggylegend
County: Monaghan
Posts: 1337

1707234
The General consensus on here is monaghan play ultra defensive but they don't unless the play the likes of Donegal and Dublin. But the pundits say monaghan are ultra defensive so the gaa followers think the same thing because they are being told. In castlebar a Mayo fella was crying about blankets and I ask him to point out where on the field did he see mass defence. He couldn't

In the scheme of things would you say Donegal,Tyrone are more defensive. Yet you get percieved as being the same ?
Who would be described as the most attack minded Ulster county. .

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 28/03/2015 14:19:50    1707242

Donegal and Tyrone are a lot more defensive than Monaghan. I'd imagine Down would be the most expansive team in Ulster.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 28/03/2015 14:43:26    1707248

It's true that Monaghan are going to have to win against the bigger counties where they have fallen short before but here's a what is said about Monaghan in RTE's preview for the weekend's game:

Fans of the Farney County won't need reminding of the hammering the Kingdom dished out in the 1979 All-Ireland semi-final. However, the Ulster side's stock would improve and they went on to give Kerry a real fright in the '85 semi-final and the '07 quarter-final.

I just think this is seriously lazy, no talk about this season's games (we do have the same amount of points as Kerry, shock horror), no reference to coming back well with two wins in a row after a bad day against Mayo. Instead just random references to games from decades ago. Sure we constantly talk about the day Monaghan played Kerry in 1979! (sarcasm). It's pieces like these, which are all too common, that grate on me.

I would say that Monaghan are a top 5 or 6 side at the moment but the coverage we constantly get gives the impression that we're lucky to win no matter who we are playing.

SomeLad (Monaghan) - Posts: 9 - 28/03/2015 14:55:05    1707251

My take on it is that the pundits believe that monagahan are among the top 6 or 7 sides in the country, but havent a hope of winning the all Ireland as the big four are so far ahead of the rest..
Spot on in my view (and before you say it, I know theyre better than Galway).

joncarter (Galway) - Posts: 2692 - 28/03/2015 15:17:57    1707260