Eugene McGee was on Terrace Talk with Weeshie Fogarty on Radio Kerry yesterday evening and he called the game an "abomination" of football....I more or less said the same thing myself on here yesterday. However, he was also very critical of the Dubs in that it took them so long to adapt to Donegal's gameplan, a gameplan they must surely have prepared for.

Cute_Kerry_Hoor (Kerry) - Posts: 2518 - 30/08/2011 10:34:39    1022577

ta32
County: Tyrone
Posts: 4454

1022488
ulsterman.
this is unreal fair play to you for standing up to this type of abuse that is common on these boards the venom that is spat at northern gaels it is despicable and sickening i am fed up with it and all these wannabe g.a.a men from the capital spouting it big time . I HOPE AND I REALLY HOPE KERRY RUN AWAY WITH SAM ,M IN FAIRNESS TO THEIR SUPPORTERS THEY ARE GENUINE G.A.A SUPPORTERS WHO I HAVE MET MANY OF THEM , and they have not came out with the crap that be spoted on these boards .

Once again Ta32 an example of said venom if you please?

Jackeen (Dublin) - Posts: 4097 - 30/08/2011 10:35:24    1022579

This thread and the connolly one are a joke, a lot of posters showing their true colours.

Breffni40 (Cavan) - Posts: 12120 - 30/08/2011 10:41:05    1022587

While I wouldn't be a fan of Donegal's system, I thought the intensity & tackling they brought to game were incredible. A bit like the Dublin hurlers against Tipp in their semi. That's the defensive mentality that you see every week in rugby or soccer & noone is too critical of that! Having said that, I hope it doesn't catch on.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 30/08/2011 10:57:15    1022614

Look, here is the way I see it with regards Donegal...

It was horrible horrible stuff to watch but there are a couple of caveats - 1) they made it to an all-ireland semi, won their province and won their league first year into a new system of play 2) judge them this time next year. If they stick to the narrow mindedness of this year then fair enough, they deserve the stick they get for not trying to win games but I think they overachieved during a development year. They'll have to learn to link up the defensive side with the attacking side to push on 3) you can only win with a style that suits the limits of the players at your disposal - lets wait and see what happens to the panel and the style over winter

Dermo Connolly - you see lots of similar stuff going unpunished but you cant argue with the red. Fists + face/neck/whatever means red. Forget the reaction, forget the otherstuff - if it was done to you in a club game you'd look for the ref to protect you and send the player off.

Dublin v Kerry. Dublin are a good team with great athletes, a great team ethic and some very nice footballers. Kerry are a good team with great athletes, a great team ethic and some absolutely naturally gifted footballers (gooch for starters). my heart longs for Dublin but the head says Kerry on paper. I dont think Kerry have to have an 'off day' and dublin a good day for the Dubs to win - I think it will be closer then that, but I think Kerry just have an extra dimension of footballers when they'll need it most.

Heres to a great day & a Dublin win.

DNS16 (Dublin) - Posts: 53 - 30/08/2011 11:01:39    1022620

do u soccer i mean dubs fans ever shut up about a game where the dubs scored 2 points from play and donegal got 4 from play shut up about puke football u cricketers

EunansRebel (Donegal) - Posts: 47 - 30/08/2011 11:02:08    1022622

Donegal has been ruining matches all year yet it only really gets a big reaction when they do it against the GAA'S favourite county Dublin. They played this rubbish from day one in the ulster campaign, even against Antrim. All of Ulster are glad they are out because footballl matches should be won by good footballers not a team of spoilers and cynical foulers. As to the final i hope Dublin win, theyve been good for so long now its time they got their dues. No one wants a Kerry win im sure.

cacsmckilly (Tyrone) - Posts: 1294 - 30/08/2011 11:08:48    1022630

30/08/2011 10:30:14
Lifford Gael
County: Donegal
Posts: 1277

1022568 Just reading some of the posts on here about the match on Sunday.

To be honest bar a few rationale posters the rest of you have lost the plot completely. Are you not able to make up your own minds or do you have to have the likes of Spillane and RTE make them up for you? The venom etc is nothing short of outrageous and indeed incitement to hatred.

Donegal broke no rules and committed no cynical fouls.


---------------------------------

You're hilarious! :D

Count_Awesome (Kildare) - Posts: 736 - 30/08/2011 11:34:15    1022666

Lifford Gael
County: Donegal
Posts: 1277

1022568
Just reading some of the posts on here about the match on Sunday.

To be honest bar a few rationale posters the rest of you have lost the plot completely. Are you not able to make up your own minds or do you have to have the likes of Spillane and RTE make them up for you? The venom etc is nothing short of outrageous and indeed incitement to hatred.

Donegal broke no rules and committed no cynical fouls. The only cynical foul all day was Lacey being taken out of it by Barry Cahill. I also didnt agree with Connollys sending off but thats another days comment. If you dont like our style of football, fine but some of you need to take a long hard look at yourselves as regards your knowledge of GAA (Dublin played similar tactics). Also for your info, Donegal scored 4 points from play, Dublin scored 2.

Just sickened to the teeth of some of the posts I've seen on these boards.

And as for the KIldare crowd....to use the issue to justify your own misconceptions about the result of the Donegal Kildare game...what a sad sad shower you are!

Last time on this site for a long long time. Lost faith in the majority of you as decent individuals apart from the few who are able to see through the nonsense that is going on. I really do fear for the future of Irish society if ye are our future. God help us all!


You might need to watch the Murphy/O'Carroll incident when the dust settles

tomaoo7 (Dublin) - Posts: 5896 - 30/08/2011 12:13:27    1022730

Lifford Gael
County: Donegal
Posts: 1277

Donegal broke no rules and committed no cynical fouls



Really?? So what about Anthony Thompson sticking his fingers in Ger Brennans eyes then! What was that all about??

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 30/08/2011 12:28:25    1022747

Firstly congratulations to Dublin - On balance they deserved to win, they finished stronger, kept their defensive shape in the last quarter better than Donegal, Brogans class, some direct running from Kmc etc etc.

As a Donegal Fan I have nothing but pride for what the team have achieved this year and can't see that any apologies are owed to anyone for the set-up adopted. Last year we were out of the championship in June after 2 games, the year before we were annihalited by Cork and for a decade this team have been the butt of jokes about indiscipline, lack of commitment and fondness for the high life. McGuinness has turned this around and there was a genuine buzz in the county for the past month - where recessions and doom and gloom and bank bail outs were forgotten evidenced in the numbers that travelled and supported Donegal on Sunday. I certainly didn't speak to any Donegal fan that was disgusted and saw tens of thousands of fans clap their team off the pitch.

Also defending is a skill and an integral part of the game - Other sports like Soccer or Rugby have seen teams win through defensive set-ups and nobody asks for the basin to be passed. I was at the 2003 Champions league final and Sunday was certainly easier on the eye than that. I appreciate that Neutrals might not have liked what they saw but I would argue that the tactical battle is certainly more engaging than say a foregone conclusion like a Kerry v Limerick quarter final or in fact any AI final that Kerry have won in the last decade all of which were a non contest after 15 minutes.

For about fifty minutes Donegal put up a defensive display more intense more committed than has possibly ever been seen in Croke park and there is no shame in that. I would also concede that the Donegal system is the most negative but Dublin, Kildare and Mayo have also adopted a system where the only difference is 12/13 or 14 men back. I was at Dublin v Down in the league and Dublin played most of the game with 12 men back.

That aside I think Donegal were too negative when the game was in the balance. It almost seemed like MCGuinness reacted to the 13 men behind the ball criticism by playing fourteen men behind the ball which is what it was with only McFadden forward. The system worked in the first half where men went forward with the ball carrier to pop over points when the rare change did arise e.g Cassidy's score. In the second half Dublin kept their shape and Donegal did not have the legs to support in numbers with a lot of ball lost just inside the Dublin half from isolated men in possession.

I would agree that Boyle dive was disappointing and I also thought that McGuiness and the physios overplayed some of the stoppages (on one occasion when Donegal had momentum). In addition we were lucky not to lose someone in the fracas with Connolly.
Connolly raised the hand and from what I saw struck a face- it was harmless enough but to the letter of the law is against the rules.

Aside from that as with any game we could argue all day about the rights and wrongs - Laceys departure was a key moment in the game and the challenge was very late against a man who was not expecting it. McMahon clearly handled the ball on the ground in his own D on when the score was 0-7 0-6. But I'll finish as I started on balance Dublin deserved it and maybe a game like that was exactly what they need. The space they will have in the final will seem galactic after that.

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 30/08/2011 12:39:59    1022761

Not too much mention about the cynical fouls by Dublin in the last 10 minutes. Deliberately bringing players down in the Donegal half and then preventing the quick free being taken to allow the blanket defence to get back. The referee should have booked at least 2 Dublin players in the last 5 minutes for these actions.

spyboy (Antrim) - Posts: 343 - 30/08/2011 12:46:28    1022768

PJ
County: All
Posts: 2057

What minute of the game did that hapen PJ? I want to have a look at it on the RTE player

Break_er (Donegal) - Posts: 798 - 30/08/2011 12:46:43    1022770

Break_er
County: Donegal
Posts: 432

1022770 PJ
County: All
Posts: 2057

What minute of the game did that hapen PJ? I want to have a look at it on the RTE player


Second half, but you should watch the whole match, just to see the manure that Donegal served up!

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 30/08/2011 12:57:19    1022784

Excellent piece, ruanua!

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 30/08/2011 13:06:51    1022792

look at the clsoing credits of the sunday game highlights programme and you will see it in slow motion breaker

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 30/08/2011 13:07:10    1022793

when the final whistle went Donegal were still handpassing the ball about and everyone screaming at them to get players up the pitch. did they realise that the game was nearly over. why didn't mcGuinness order more people forward at the end. did he not want to win. even the most defensive soccer teams will push the keeper up for a last minute free or corner if they are losing a knockout game. I think Mcguiness' only fear was losing by a big score. he wasn't afraid of losing. that is a bad trait.
The record book will show that Donegal lost a semi-final, same as they did in the other 4 semis prior to winning the all-ireland in 1992. where's the glory in that ?

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 30/08/2011 13:21:48    1022801

There was also an incident in the second half where Cian Osullivan made an honest tackle on a donegal player, Jim McGuinness and his side kicks ran onto the pitch claiming Cian had elbowed the lad in the face, Sullivan was then given a yellow card, there was no contact with the face and no elbow, in fact it was hardly even a free kick. There were 3 incidents with Donegal players going to ground holding their face when there was no contact with that part of their anatomy what so ever! The gamesmanship of the Donegal team was a disgrace and at times was akin to what you might see in the premiership.

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 30/08/2011 13:22:10    1022802

ruanua
County: Donegal
Posts: 3827

McMahon clearly handled the ball on the ground



Since when is your elbow part of your hand!!

PJ (None) - Posts: 2288 - 30/08/2011 13:28:35    1022809

PJ
County: All
Posts: 2060

1022802 There was also an incident in the second half where Cian Osullivan made an honest tackle on a donegal player, Jim McGuinness and his side kicks ran onto the pitch claiming Cian had elbowed the lad in the face, Sullivan was then given a yellow card, there was no contact with the face and no elbow, in fact it was hardly even a free kick. There were 3 incidents with Donegal players going to ground holding their face when there was no contact with that part of their anatomy what so ever! The gamesmanship of the Donegal team was a disgrace and at times was akin to what you might see in the premiership.
30/08/2011 13:28:35


Whilst there is no doubt that he didn't elbow him, the tackle was fairly high and to suggest that it wasn't a foul indicates that either you know nothing about the rules of GAA or thought you were watching rugby

omaghredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 3656 - 30/08/2011 13:40:11    1022821