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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To rorysboys:  "We are miles behind don't fool yourself in thinking we're not.. the reason we took Derry to extra. Time in 2022 is because we're a well organised team with all our players available. A lot of players didn't make them selves available this year ,wudnt take a genius to know why, I could have told yous that early this year.. Derry have win two all Ireland minors this last few years why because they have a brilliant under age set up. There colleges are always competing at the top level, they have a lot of good club teams, teams who have win club all irelands and went to finals. . What under age success have we. Absolutely nothing our club football is a borefest I could go on. Nobody no more disappointed than me. My fear next year if we Don't get our act together is that we'll end up in the tailteann cup.. forget about outside managers there a waste of time, get donegal men in who care about our county team."
Miles behind Derry, I beg to differ..we were 2 points up on them with 15 minutes to go and pattern hit a short one to Stephen mcmemien and he ticks his eyes off it for a second and drops it and gives away the free allowing derry to score a soft free and also we were leading that almost identical Kerry in injury time in Croker in 2019 to let it slip..more likes inches than miles my friend

RoryGall35 (Donegal) - Posts: 184 - 20/07/2023 11:21:42    2495772

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Replying To RoryGall35:  "Miles behind Derry, I beg to differ..we were 2 points up on them with 15 minutes to go and pattern hit a short one to Stephen mcmemien and he ticks his eyes off it for a second and drops it and gives away the free allowing derry to score a soft free and also we were leading that almost identical Kerry in injury time in Croker in 2019 to let it slip..more likes inches than miles my friend"
Totally agree. We tried to defend a 2 point lead with 15 minutes to go instead of going forward and pushing for more scores.

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 402 - 20/07/2023 12:24:42    2495786

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Replying To RoryGall35:  "Miles behind Derry, I beg to differ..we were 2 points up on them with 15 minutes to go and pattern hit a short one to Stephen mcmemien and he ticks his eyes off it for a second and drops it and gives away the free allowing derry to score a soft free and also we were leading that almost identical Kerry in injury time in Croker in 2019 to let it slip..more likes inches than miles my friend"
Yea that was a few years ago, a lot has changed since that, Murphy gone, Mc Hugh not there. Are our young players as good as the Derry or Kerry young lads. Definitely not. I'm just stating fact which doesn't always go down well.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2537 - 20/07/2023 13:34:02    2495807

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Any of Gweedore lads on this forum..if so could yous give us an update on Kieran Gillespie if possible?

RoryGall35 (Donegal) - Posts: 184 - 20/07/2023 14:53:28    2495833

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Yea that was a few years ago, a lot has changed since that, Murphy gone, Mc Hugh not there. Are our young players as good as the Derry or Kerry young lads. Definitely not. I'm just stating fact which doesn't always go down well."
Was it not 1 of murphys worst games for donegal? Did his man Rogers not get man of the match and dictate most of the play for derry. Michael didn't look fit to keep up with him and our line stood and watched it for full game.

marty234 (Donegal) - Posts: 158 - 20/07/2023 22:58:28    2495908

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Replying To RoryGall35:  "Any of Gweedore lads on this forum..if so could yous give us an update on Kieran Gillespie if possible?"
According to his instagram, he's in serious physical shape and coming along slowly but surely. Non-stop training videos. Made a few sub appearances for the club in recent games and I'd say he's just building. Hard to know if he'll ever make it back to intercounty level of performances/fitness or whether that's on his radar and of course whether he can stay injury free.

StockholmGael (Donegal) - Posts: 132 - 21/07/2023 02:22:04    2495914

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Totally agree with your last point, saying it this last few years but nobody listens to rorysboys. You need the players to be successful just look at Jack o Connor , he done nothing in Kildare but is going for his second all Ireland in two years in Kerry. If you having the tools you'll win nothing ."
In Donegal we do have the tools/players to win an All Ireland, however finding suitable quality management is our main problem. Looking at the likes of Dublin, Kerry, Derry, Monaghan, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Armagh etc, I believe at full strength we have the talent and depth to beat any of them and win the All Ireland, however unfortunately very few coaches or managers within the County seem able to imagine the possibilities.

The 2023 Donegal squad was missing a lot of key players, yet we got to the last 12 of the All Ireland and put up respectable performances despite the management mess near the end of a brutal League campaign.

The potential of this Donegal sqaud is off the chart when adding in players who were missing this year, we just need an energized management team to help make it happen.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1182 - 21/07/2023 08:25:33    2495916

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Stop will you ,so we have the players to win an all Ireland but as usual blame all the managers if we don't. That's the attitude of a lot of Donegal fans the players can do no wrong. Even with a full squad we're miles off the likes of Kerry Dublin and Derry. I don't like saying it but this is fact. Get me three more defenders and I might agree that we could make a semi final.for the time being forget all Irelands as the old saying goes learn to walk before you can run."
Donegal's potential is off the chart, we've just never had enough educated and intelligent coaches to harness that over the years.

Our underage has been a mess for years, apart from the very rare minor or U20 title we haven't been developing successful underage teams in comparison to the likes of Tyrone, Derry, Monaghan etc in Ulster or other Counties. This has been the case for a very long time, yet at senior level we still won 5 x Ulster titles and 1 x All Ireland in the last 12 years, reached numerous Ulster finals too and have hovered around Division 1 most of the time. That should tell you something, the only time we ever got a top manager in charge we were consistently challenging for All Irelands for 4-5 years.

If we don't have players for key positions, a good management team should be making it a priority, but we currently don't lack the talent, just need a great proactive management team.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1182 - 21/07/2023 08:35:42    2495918

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Replying To Commodore:  "Donegal's potential is off the chart, we've just never had enough educated and intelligent coaches to harness that over the years.

Our underage has been a mess for years, apart from the very rare minor or U20 title we haven't been developing successful underage teams in comparison to the likes of Tyrone, Derry, Monaghan etc in Ulster or other Counties. This has been the case for a very long time, yet at senior level we still won 5 x Ulster titles and 1 x All Ireland in the last 12 years, reached numerous Ulster finals too and have hovered around Division 1 most of the time. That should tell you something, the only time we ever got a top manager in charge we were consistently challenging for All Irelands for 4-5 years.

If we don't have players for key positions, a good management team should be making it a priority, but we currently don't lack the talent, just need a great proactive management team."
Agree with a lot of this. We've always produced good players but our success trophy-wise is limited in all honesty. You can argue that all sport is cyclical. I get that. There are periods when the stars align, generational players come along at the same time and under the right management and conditions, success follows. The 2012 team is the perfect example of this. There was a clutch of very talented players, but until McGuinness came along and structured things the way he did, would we have won what we did in that period? Doubtful.

What we've always been lacking is a kind of coherent pathway for our best players to achieve all that they can. I know this type of thing costs a lot of money, and getting the right people involved is difficult. I keep ranting on about it, but letting the Academy situation deteriorate the way it did was an act of supreme self-sabotage. The main thing is obviously the young players getting a lot of quality coaching. But almost as important was that coaching standards would also have improved simultaneously. If you had the brightest young coaching minds in the county working together an learning then that would inevitably feed back into the club system.

Ahh anyway, I'm going to stop crowing on about it. A good weekend on the beer is badly needed.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9438 - 21/07/2023 10:14:45    2495930

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Replying To StockholmGael:  "According to his instagram, he's in serious physical shape and coming along slowly but surely. Non-stop training videos. Made a few sub appearances for the club in recent games and I'd say he's just building. Hard to know if he'll ever make it back to intercounty level of performances/fitness or whether that's on his radar and of course whether he can stay injury free."
I wish him all the best. And he should just work at looking after his own body and well-being. He's had many big injuries, he doesn't need another one. And that's what he might get if he subjects himself to the rigours of senior football. Play a bit of reserve for a year or 2.

SignTheContract (Donegal) - Posts: 197 - 21/07/2023 10:38:21    2495938

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Replying To StockholmGael:  "According to his instagram, he's in serious physical shape and coming along slowly but surely. Non-stop training videos. Made a few sub appearances for the club in recent games and I'd say he's just building. Hard to know if he'll ever make it back to intercounty level of performances/fitness or whether that's on his radar and of course whether he can stay injury free."
Thanks StockholmGael for the update..I must check out his instagram..would be a great addition to the backline if he got back to where he was..Do you know what age he is..

RoryGall35 (Donegal) - Posts: 184 - 21/07/2023 11:02:10    2495947

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Replying To RoryGall35:  "Thanks StockholmGael for the update..I must check out his instagram..would be a great addition to the backline if he got back to where he was..Do you know what age he is.."
He sure would. Turns 27 this month, I believe.

StockholmGael (Donegal) - Posts: 132 - 21/07/2023 11:25:05    2495957

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Replying To marty234:  "Was it not 1 of murphys worst games for donegal? Did his man Rogers not get man of the match and dictate most of the play for derry. Michael didn't look fit to keep up with him and our line stood and watched it for full game."
Welcome back lad I think you might find that rogers get man of the match in a lot of games.. Kerry's much vaunted midfield found that out.. they'll be no all irelands till we get another player like Murphy. I said it b4 Murphy was the man that made it all tick in 2012.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2537 - 21/07/2023 11:32:06    2495959

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Welcome back lad I think you might find that rogers get man of the match in a lot of games.. Kerry's much vaunted midfield found that out.. they'll be no all irelands till we get another player like Murphy. I said it b4 Murphy was the man that made it all tick in 2012."
Jim mcguinness made it tick roryboy. Been proven in years before and in years after. No semi in 8 years before he came in, none since 2014 when he left. Says it all ready that's that argument settled. Can't see many more until we get another manager of that standard. Rogers wasn't deployed a lot at midfield last year. By playing Michael out the field we by chance got to see how good Rogers was instead of forcing him to play at full back. Derry got a good young full back over the winter and their mgt seen that they could use Rogers full time at midfield. You have a lot to learn about fball yet roryboy lol

marty234 (Donegal) - Posts: 158 - 21/07/2023 13:08:32    2495984

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Replying To marty234:  "Jim mcguinness made it tick roryboy. Been proven in years before and in years after. No semi in 8 years before he came in, none since 2014 when he left. Says it all ready that's that argument settled. Can't see many more until we get another manager of that standard. Rogers wasn't deployed a lot at midfield last year. By playing Michael out the field we by chance got to see how good Rogers was instead of forcing him to play at full back. Derry got a good young full back over the winter and their mgt seen that they could use Rogers full time at midfield. You have a lot to learn about fball yet roryboy lol"
So if Murphy wasn't playing we would still win the all Ireland in 2012. That's how much you know lad. Answer me this did Jack o Connor win an all Ireland in Kildare if not answer me why. Lol. You must have been delighted how 2023 went.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2537 - 21/07/2023 14:04:16    2495993

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Replying To rorysboys:  "So if Murphy wasn't playing we would still win the all Ireland in 2012. That's how much you know lad. Answer me this did Jack o Connor win an all Ireland in Kildare if not answer me why. Lol. You must have been delighted how 2023 went."
Gun to head, who would you name as Donegal's best ever manager?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9438 - 21/07/2023 15:40:27    2496013

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Replying To Commodore:  "In Donegal we do have the tools/players to win an All Ireland, however finding suitable quality management is our main problem. Looking at the likes of Dublin, Kerry, Derry, Monaghan, Galway, Mayo, Tyrone, Armagh etc, I believe at full strength we have the talent and depth to beat any of them and win the All Ireland, however unfortunately very few coaches or managers within the County seem able to imagine the possibilities.

The 2023 Donegal squad was missing a lot of key players, yet we got to the last 12 of the All Ireland and put up respectable performances despite the management mess near the end of a brutal League campaign.

The potential of this Donegal sqaud is off the chart when adding in players who were missing this year, we just need an energized management team to help make it happen."
Now that's optimism.

I've been hearing this same talk from Donegal supporters for the last 5 years. It's time to be real, the current team simply isn't good enough or near the level of your 2010's cohort (that was some squad).

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1631 - 21/07/2023 15:42:14    2496014

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Will the list of candidates be revealed over the weekend? Today's the deadline. When will the five person committee be named?

TheRock2121 (Donegal) - Posts: 1183 - 21/07/2023 17:16:28    2496023

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Gun to head, who would you name as Donegal's best ever manager?"
Il go with Jim, done brilliantly with Donegal, but what I'm trying to say is at the end of the day it's the players that win you big matches, Jack o Connor being the perfect example.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2537 - 21/07/2023 21:50:04    2496046

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Replying To ahsure.:  "Now that's optimism.

I've been hearing this same talk from Donegal supporters for the last 5 years. It's time to be real, the current team simply isn't good enough or near the level of your 2010's cohort (that was some squad)."
Hate to say it but I agree with you. I love following donegal but I'm pretty downbeat at the moment.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2537 - 21/07/2023 21:52:44    2496048

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