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Donegal GAA thread

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So let's think of this if we had a proper functioning executive who had the best interests of Donegal GAA at heart.

- We could have a management team of Rory Kavanagh, Karl Lacey, and Jim McGuinness.
- We could have a Karl as head of academy joining all things together, a similar role as Paul Kinnerk does with Limerick. He coaches the senior team but also oversees their academies.
- We could have both Jim McGuinness, Michael Murphy, and Paddy McGrath involved in coaching our academy teams.

It's time this mess was sorted out once and for all.

ryan (Donegal) - Posts: 748 - 15/03/2023 18:04:55    2464098

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Is the county board going to hope that this blows over with each damning revelation that comes out? My fear if the the whole board steps down, that the clubs will just nominate people of the same ilk, people who are not remotely qualified on paper or off to be in these positions. It sickened me to watch posters defend the county board over the last period, but probably club rivalries have something to do with that thwarted thinking.

It's an absolute disgrace that not one Donegal sports journalist chose to dig into the biggest story of the last few years and have continued their ceremonial bowing towards and tip-toeing around the Donegal county board and it's management tickets. I've lost complete respect for Devenney as a result for his shambolic performance with opposite a much braver Eamonn McGee.

The performance of our seniors is shambolic. We would struggle in Division 2. Over the last almost fortnight, I've heard fans, management and posters here laud Hughie McFadden in his role as a target man. If this is what we as a county have accepted as a new standard, that's worrying. We're unable to score, afraid to take shots in scoring positions and the defence piercing runs of Eoghan Ban and Mogan have disappeared. We don't have the engines of other teams.

StockholmGael (Donegal) - Posts: 143 - 15/03/2023 18:30:56    2464100

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The former chairs difference to McGuinness should be of no surprise to many. Probably afraid he would steal his spotlight.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1198 - 15/03/2023 18:52:10    2464106

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Think it's important anger is not taken out on Paddy Carr in all this. He seems a passionate Donegal man trying his best. Every man deserves a chance and we can judge him on results at the end of the year. It's a shame that some players have stepped away as a result of this carry on in the background..serious questions need to be asked now of the county board. Let's get behind the team at the weekend and keep the other issue, as serious as it is,for the county board meetings.
We need to be working on our underage sides and this was happening under Karl's watch. We need to be producing a steady stream of player's for the senior team to progress.

TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1208 - 15/03/2023 19:16:34    2464109

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Replying To KerrymanStuckInDonegal:  "Not minding going down to Div 2? Reminds me a certain Donegal clubs getting relegated from Senior, thinking they will win a handy intermediate championship and taking far longer to get back up.

If Donegal don't stay up , you could be in a relegation dogfight to Div 3 next year.....

There is a reason teams fight to stay in Div1. Like Monaghan...."
I think we played in div 2 before under Jim, didn't do us any wild pile of harm from what I remember, anyway we can want and wish all we want but we are in trouble on and off the field and unless we pull a mighty performance from somewhere on Sunday and start taking our scores then we are heading down to div 2 simple as that.
Of course the lads deserve our full support, it just sickens me to know the shambles the county board have made of everything.
We could end up like them soccer fans you see across the water holding up signs calling for the board to be sacked.
Look at the management team we could have had, Kavanagh Lacey and McGuinness that's before you even think of the mess they made of the academy. They wouldn't let me post the term I have in mind for what the county board have done but the term begins with cluster....
I think if that management team had been appointed then Michael might have stuck around another year or two at the edge of the square, and no better man to keep swinging over those frees for us too that we are having issues with.
Only good thing as someone said is I think we are hitting rock bottom and now is the time to get rid of the poison at county board level and start playing the football we are capable off up here in the hills.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3186 - 15/03/2023 20:02:26    2464116

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Replying To jacktheboy:  "No harm to McGuinness but he destroyed football once , is that not enough."
Such a load of nonsense. There's hundreds of coaches coaching teams all over the country every night of the week. It's up to them how they decide to set up their teams. Jim mcguinnesss isn't standing with a gun to their heads forcing them to do anything.

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 633 - 15/03/2023 20:36:44    2464120

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https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2023/0315/1363487-stale-donegal-hit-by-negativity-from-all-angles/

A devastating assessment of us by Lee Keegan.

SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 777 - 16/03/2023 08:07:12    2464125

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To me, the most frustrating thing about it is the apparent sense of entitlement and arrogance of the county board.
What's that Karl? You want answers from us? Who do you think you are? A 4 time All Star winner?!?
Thanks for your interest Jim, we'll be in touch......

Men who have gone to the well for Donegal GAA and won it all. To not be utilising their expertise when they're clearly so passionate about Donegal GAA is an act of total self-sabotage. I listened to James O'Donoghue and Paddy Andrews yesterday and they were saying that a Kavanagh-Lacey-McGuinness management ticket would be exciting for ANY county in Ireland. They also referenced the fact that we have only made ONE All Ireland minor final in our history with total astonishment. The Academy would surely have helped change that statistic in the long run.

Change has to happen, and it won't come about by ranting on forums like these, or by pundits saying this or that on podcasts or whatever. Get down to your next club meeting and raise your concerns. If enough clubs go back to the next county meeting and demand answers/change then things might happen. I'd also challenge local media to show some gumption and disobedience, and demand entry to proceedings. Back to the arrogance bit, banning press from meetings like they were in charge of some tinpot banana republic. Jesus Christ like....

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9759 - 16/03/2023 08:55:14    2464129

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Just curious…

There have been a few snide remarks here saying it's a disgrace posters are defending the county board.

I haven't read anything here where posters are defending the county board - would someone mind helping us out here and showing where they see that please??

I think some of us here are looking for ways to be deliberately offended.

eunans4ever (Donegal) - Posts: 1693 - 16/03/2023 10:14:34    2464144

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Replying To TheFlaker:  "I was attacked by 2 posters on here when I said Devenney was on side with the coaching officer in question. I was attacked on here when I said Jim was ready to help with more than one coaching ticket. I am delighted it's all coming out. This executive won't survive the year. A big change is coming for the better of football in Donegal."
No you weren't attacked at all….

U said DV was good friends with the coaching officer - I told u that he is NOT good friends with him at all.

Where are u getting an attack from that ??????

eunans4ever (Donegal) - Posts: 1693 - 16/03/2023 10:17:22    2464147

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Replying To SouthOfTheGap:  "https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2023/0315/1363487-stale-donegal-hit-by-negativity-from-all-angles/

A devastating assessment of us by Lee Keegan."
Unfortunately it is difficult to disagree with anything said in this article. We are trapped in a negative style of play, safety first, hand passing the ball from the back to the 45 metre line and then backwards again or across the pitch. You know what we are going to do before the attack even begins. If the ordinary supporter can see this, then surely the opposition will. It is difficult for any manger to change this style of play when it is so prevalent in our club game. We have no success at underage level and our club football is terrible but somehow we expect to be challenging for the All Ireland, I think we need to get real.

Do we have the players to play a more direct type of game, I don't think so. This is why our academy is so important. It is important to have a proper academy that could develop a style of play as well as having the players ready physically, otherwise we are wasting our time just hoping a golden generation of footballers come along.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1906 - 16/03/2023 10:24:39    2464148

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Keegan hits the nail on the head. We're trapped in this constipated safety first style and most teams have it well figured out by now. It must be soul destroying to be an inside forward for Donegal.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9759 - 16/03/2023 10:44:33    2464154

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Replying To eunans4ever:  "No you weren't attacked at all….

U said DV was good friends with the coaching officer - I told u that he is NOT good friends with him at all.

Where are u getting an attack from that ??????"
I meant in the sense that Devenney was clearly not criticising the county board which he still hasn't done. He was being fed information by the coaching officer. If you want to deny that then go ahead.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8384 - 16/03/2023 10:50:50    2464156

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Replying To Green_Gold:  "Unfortunately it is difficult to disagree with anything said in this article. We are trapped in a negative style of play, safety first, hand passing the ball from the back to the 45 metre line and then backwards again or across the pitch. You know what we are going to do before the attack even begins. If the ordinary supporter can see this, then surely the opposition will. It is difficult for any manger to change this style of play when it is so prevalent in our club game. We have no success at underage level and our club football is terrible but somehow we expect to be challenging for the All Ireland, I think we need to get real.

Do we have the players to play a more direct type of game, I don't think so. This is why our academy is so important. It is important to have a proper academy that could develop a style of play as well as having the players ready physically, otherwise we are wasting our time just hoping a golden generation of footballers come along."
Keegan says Galway should have beaten Donegal in Letterkenny.Great Punditry.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1149 - 16/03/2023 10:58:26    2464159

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Replying To greenfan:  "Heard today that a club is planning a no-confidence motion in the county board. I hope this is true and I hope other clubs join in. Whatever went on, and whether there is blame on both sides or not, the buck stops with the county board. Its their job to manage these situations and if they can't do that they should resign and if they don't resign, they should be removed."
Hi greenfan: Will more clubs stand up and be counted I wonder? Surely members are putting pressure on their clubs to ask questions at meetings and where are the parents of Academy players? Remember the time the Gaoth Dobhair and St Eunans delegates were used to shaft Brian Mc Iver and force him out, where are they now.

AudiMan (Donegal) - Posts: 683 - 16/03/2023 11:03:55    2464161

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Replying To gunman:  "Keegan says Galway should have beaten Donegal in Letterkenny.Great Punditry."
he's right, they should have

ModernMaharaja (Donegal) - Posts: 91 - 16/03/2023 11:23:07    2464169

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I think Keegan misses the mark on the cohort of youth that Declan brought through and his first few years in charge to be honest. We were stale under Rory Gallagher and it got very stale under Declan the last few years. But there were signs early in his tenure and I think Keegan is wrong to say we've been stuck since 2014.

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 173 - 16/03/2023 11:24:03    2464170

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Replying To gunman:  "Keegan says Galway should have beaten Donegal in Letterkenny.Great Punditry."
Whether they should have or shouldn't have is beside the point in the overall context of what he's saying about where we're at currently.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9759 - 16/03/2023 11:31:17    2464174

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Replying To jacktheboy:  "No harm to McGuinness but he destroyed football once , is that not enough."
And how did mcguinness destroy football?
By playing great counter attacking football that won us an All Ireland and brought us to the final in 2014
Is it mcguinness fault that uneducated coaches try to copy that style of play and are unable to.
The answer is very simple, mcguinness can't be blamed for the job other coaches are doing with there teams, its a weak excuse and every manager has to take responsibility for the job there doing.
Its uneducated and silly to blame mcguinness for the mistakes of others.
And anyone that thinks the county are better off without mcguinness, lacey and others involved in the academy, well then maybe that explains the mess we are in.

I dont blame the players or the current management.
The previous chairman and a selection of others are involved for years for Donegal, not for the betterment of Donegal. But for the betterment of there own profile and legacy.

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 16/03/2023 12:22:52    2464181

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Whether they should have or shouldn't have is beside the point in the overall context of what he's saying about where we're at currently."
From what I can see nearly all teams are playing the same style of football with the exception of Mayo.Even Armagh who played a fairly exciting brand of football have gone very defensive this year.Galway are very defensive.I watched the Kerry v Armagh game and it was turgid stuff from both teams.It is evident that scoring in general is low this year.With regard to Donegal I wouldn't dispute that the style of club football we are playing is not good for the development of players but it seems to be winning Co championships.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1149 - 16/03/2023 12:23:24    2464182

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