taking nothing from kerry played unreal yesterday and we made a few simple mistakes harshly punished ..watched it back today and i think people talking about kerry tactically may be right ...some of it a tad cynical though ..hanging off langan and thompson to stop them opening up the defense and also weve been passing the ball and running on all year and that was stopped of the ball as well cynically enough in my view ..is it just me though ? kerry better overall anyway but these things make a difference

Peadarw (Donegal) - Posts: 44 - 28/07/2025 22:14:59    2628844

Fantastic Donegal supporters turning out in their droves to welcome back the team in awful downpour in Donegal Town this evening....real supporters, great pride in these players from the whole of Donegal. Unreal bond between team and supporters

totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1149 - 28/07/2025 22:25:26    2628849

For all the talk about the zonal defence being dead it wasn't the key issue to me. The first giveaway 2 points was really crucial. Kerry had thundered into the game but 5 to 3 was more than OK given their start. You just can't give the ball away so cheaply. That giveaway made it 7 -3 instead of maybe 5 -4. It also brought clifford into the game with a free pass, brought their support to life and then being the super player he is he then added another 2 pointer shortly after. Mccole was unfortunate for the 2 point free, there was the giveaway for the other clifford point and then the repeated occurrence of the lack of game management with the last two point giveaway.

The last play of the first half also does though make you question the over reliance on the zonal defence, if they had pushed out then maybe they would have conceded 1 point but 1 point was better than 2 and unlike say meath you are playing against a player who will hit the 2 pointer more often than not.
These mistakes added to the kerry kickout superiority were much more the reason for the defeat than the zonal defence. It doesn't mean you don't look to assess its merit and look to change it but it wasn't the losing of the game.

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 922 - 28/07/2025 22:38:01    2628855

Well done Kerry on a thoroughly deserved AI title. Hard luck our lads...we are still proud of your effort and performances all through the league, ulster championship and AI series.

I wouldn't analyse this one for too long as the Kerry performance was as close to perfect as you can get. They controlled the entire game and finished strong too.

So the question now is are they value for 2026 AI title @ 7/4?

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3854 - 29/07/2025 00:08:03    2628865

Sorry Donegal lost but you just met a fine team on fire on the day. Winning is often like the steps of a stairs, one step higher each year: last year semi-, this year final, and why not going all the way next year? Donegal has the footballers, I believe. You just need to tweak, re-organize, just do a few things differently, as a lot of what you do is great.

On another note, and it is not something that I see many people anywhere mention. Thompson going off injured was a huge loss. It really cut down the option of a left-footer kicking two-pointers. McBrearty seemed to force his effort and did not seem at all on song. It's too far out to bring Niall O'Donnell. A couple of two-pointers could have put great buzz into Donegal and the game in the second-half, but ultimately, I think Kerry would have won it anyway. There was just not stopping them, the mood that they were in on the day.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2354 - 29/07/2025 02:12:32    2628870

papa_pump (Donegal) - Posts: 86 - 29/07/2025 06:35:36    2628873

After Donegal's antics before the game, I'm delighted they were beat. Delighted. And, as an ulsterman, I wanted them to win all week. Play silly games lads.

On the game, I thought Jim McG had a nightmare. His tactics were awful. Allowing Paudi Clifford 94 uncontested possessions?? What could possibly go wrong? Tyrone always put a man marker on him. Gavin White, doing untold damage, no switch or sun to come on and mark him.

Not starting McFadden or McGee? Two big men would can compete at midfield…….what was Jim thinking! Subbing Gallen for McBrerety. Really

As I said, delighted Donegal were hammered after their actions and disrespect to our games

The_Fridge (Tyrone) - Posts: 2102 - 29/07/2025 07:07:56    2628874

We shouldn't have broken away from the parade early. We are a traditional organisation and I think we should take part in all the pomp and circumstance associated with the All Ireland.
I was listening to some of the absolute garbage spouted by Clifford yesterday. On the one hand he was saying that he was being disrespected because of being hyped up as the best ever and Kerry being talked about as one man team. Then, in the next sentence, he said Jack O'Connor was barely mentioned in the run up as being a great manager and he felt that was disrespectful. Honestly, which is it? You can't talk about them, you can't not talk about them? The absolute rubbish that teams talk about when they win an All Ireland! Seems no respected team has ever won annual Ireland, football or hurling.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 80 - 29/07/2025 08:15:17    2628881

The poor lads looked downtrodden at the homecoming in Donegal Town. Like they'd rather be anywhere else in the world. Completely human response and very sorry to see that weight laid on them. I hope time spent back with their clubs can help ease the pain that was palpable last night.

papa_pump (Donegal) - Posts: 86 - 29/07/2025 08:34:36    2628884

Those homecomings are tough. They should probably be on sooner as well, no reason why Donegal couldn't have been back and had it out of the way by 6 or 7 and then let them off. Just watched the game there, how David Clifford didn't get man of the match is beyond me. Sometimes people can get too cute or think they are being smart by awarding it to someone else. But if 9 points from play doesn't get you the award then I don't know what does.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 80 - 29/07/2025 09:22:52    2628894

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 262 - 29/07/2025 09:38:29    2628902

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9943 - 29/07/2025 09:42:31    2628905

Hard luck Donegal, tough one to take but Kerry just got everything right on the day.
The zonal defence will work most of the time but not against a smart footballing team, Jim Gavins Dublin team were very good at breaking it down and Kerry have the pace and skill to do it as well. You need width and runners from deep to come at pace, the defenders are like statues then and Donegal just couldnt get a hand on the Kerry attackers.
Donegal performance felt very like Mayos performance against yerselves in 2012, a nervy start that left ye with too much to do. Donegal on Sunday were actually very efficient with there shooting, but when ye got back to within 4, was it 3 wides in a row and that was a real killer, if McBreaty 2 pointer had gone over you just never know what would have happened, but like 2012 when ye never looked like losing it, Kerry never looked like losing it Sunday.

McBrearty didnt look fit when coming on, was it more a sentimental decision by McGuinness which is bad way to go about things in a final, id prefer to see Gallen stay on, O Baoill i might have taken off if anyone but might be harsh on him too.
The injuries to Thompson and McHugh didnt help, and there wasnt much attacking from Mogan and Moore who are usually a good threat up the field.

tommy132 (Mayo) - Posts: 649 - 29/07/2025 09:43:30    2628906

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9943 - 29/07/2025 09:45:12    2628907

On the game itself I have already congratulated Kerry and they were fully deserving winners, completely outclassed on the day and that is hard to take. I am on the Donegal thread so naturally enough I am going to focus on Donegal here.

I am very very proud of the entire squad and Jim and the backroom team, they are great ambassadors for Donegal and a nicer group of young men you'd be hard pressed to find. The time they have given the fans all year long is incredible, they have given a lot of themselves to the county and we don't see the work behind the scenes that are doing as well and the sacrifices they are making. I think the Abbey Hotel's post last night from the homecoming of Murphy with the two young boys sums the whole squad up being honest, I personally wouldn't have blamed them if the homecoming was cancelled or made smaller or something, it's a horrible place to be after losing a final, but I'm glad it went ahead and they could see the appreciation the county has for all they've done this year. I expect there will be a couple of retirements, some unexpected maybe, but overall I think the squad is in a really good place and I know from what Jim was saying at the homecoming they will try to harness this in to next year. It's a long road back to the final year on year mind you but we live in hope.

I think tactically most of the points I would make have been covered, really it was a big mistake to start McGonagle over McFadden, we lost the midfield completely and really only sorted things out when Hughie came on in the second half. He has been colossal this year and should have started, you need a spoiler and someone to start a row, at one stage Langan was surrounded by 4 Kerry men pushing and shoving him. And then when Thompson went off we were goosed in that midfield, I understand bringing on O'Baoill as a two point option but that was the wrong focus at that stage, we needed to steady the midfield and either McFadden or McGee needed to come on at that point.

What really hurts about Sunday, and to be honest I think I am in the minority here but this hurts as much as 2014 for me - we did not perform to our best. I was full sure that no matter what, they would perform to their best abilities in the final. I think the players themselves would say that they didn't. Now would we have beaten that Kerry performance, even if we were 10/10? I don't think so, they were brilliant. But we sure helped them along the way with poor decisions and bad execution throughout the game. That is what really hurts me and it'll be an awful long winter thinking about it

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 262 - 29/07/2025 09:46:39    2628908

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 262 - 29/07/2025 09:48:14    2628910

Scenicparish (Donegal) - Posts: 724 - 29/07/2025 09:54:07    2628913

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1438 - 29/07/2025 09:58:15    2628917

Firstly hard luck to Donegal, can have no arguments on the day. Never got out of the starting blocks really and the game was pretty much over at half time as a contest. Eamonn McGee said similar on OTB this morning too.

I spent last week in your beautiful county on holidays and the one thing that Jim has done yet again is have the whole county believing that there would only be one winner on Sunday. That will make the come down even harder to take I'd imagine. Will be a long few months ahead and you would expect Murphy will retire and McBrearty also. Another poster mentioned one or two others who might not be obvious also. Jim (if he stays) will need to bring a few of those good U20s into the fold and try to shape a fresher team out of things. I did say on here previously that I felt this was Donegal's win or bust year based on having Murphy essentially still playing top tier stuff. Was gutted for him on Sunday but time waits for no man and Kerry targeted him to keep him moving and in Croke Park there is no let up. Kerry were relentless and full value for their win. Its up to the rest now to figure out a way to keep them close and hopefully not let them go on a run of a few in a row.

IF Jim did decided he doesn't want to go again (I tihnk he will based on his comments at the homecoming) - who is being groomed to take over? Lacey?

TrueBlue35 (Dublin) - Posts: 308 - 29/07/2025 10:11:34    2628923

Unlike 2014, at least there's hope going forward as Jim will be back.

ThroughTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 80 - 29/07/2025 10:46:08    2628936