If I was from Meath or Donegal I wouldn't get carried away with yesterdays results as in both cases the opposition are poor in my opinion. However I do think that Meath are shaping up well but the real test will come against Monaghan,Down and of course Donegal. I expect Donegal to win promotion along with either Monaghan or Meath, then again it's early days and anything can happen.

OntheWhiteSide (Kildare) - Posts: 452 - 03/02/2014 19:48:28    1540914

There is not much point trying to have a logical debate with a 12 year old. Get back to your homework RD.

HEREBENJI (Donegal) - Posts: 421 - 03/02/2014 19:49:06    1540917

I know u21 success is no gurantee to senior reward but galway are both young and have good u21 success with 2 all irelands in 3 years. if we get our act together in terms of nailing a system of play we will be successful within 2 to 3 years at senior. every team has a 3 to 4 year cycle at its height and I think mcguinness is really going for it this season. he is a smart manager and knows that this is a defining year for donegal. the fact he has 1 senior in the bag will keep the wolves from the door. I know most will write us off for next sunday like they did yesterday but its early days and i expect our young guys to react over the coming weeks. still I think donegal will go up irrespective of how they do in pearse stadium.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 03/02/2014 20:02:03    1540928

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 5346

1540778
And yes Galway's defense may not have been that great but even when they were defending well we still carved through them.

Jesus, I can't wait to see this Meath team. Dublin must be crapping themselves!!

Look royal, if Meath were "carving" through them then Galway were not "defending well" By the time you come to Ballybofey I hope you will see what "defending well" means. I anticipate a close game with a big crowd & what more could either of us ask for.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 03/02/2014 20:16:37    1540938

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 5346

Michael Newman 22 I think
Donal keoghan 23 I think
Eamonn Wallace 22
Cillian O'Sullivan 20
Graham Reilly 25 this year
These guys are already household names.

These guys might be household names in Meath, but compared to Murphy, McHugh & McBrearty they are recluses

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 03/02/2014 20:25:02    1540945

on the white side I know it is only your opinion but if we are poor as you say we are what does that make ye? in fiarness one should not judge on the opening day of the league and we will see who progresses further come high summer.

kiloughter (Galway) - Posts: 1946 - 03/02/2014 20:45:48    1540960

First of all getting personal is not debating as for been 12? I was that watching jack Quinn play . Do the math.
If Donegal fans don't like what I'm saying as its too close to the bone well I can't help that, and actually I was been kind to them. IMO Donegal are nowhere near a top team at the minute, I'd rate Monaghan and down ahead of them this yearin league aand would expect a tougher match from both these counties. I will be shocked if we don't win in ballubofey and i think a fair few of the we betyer than div 2 lads will be surpriaed too

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 03/02/2014 21:09:05    1540971

royaldunne, Wallace is only 19. Himself, Harnan and O'Sullivan were all minor in 2012.

ClassApart (Meath) - Posts: 1200 - 03/02/2014 21:17:54    1540976

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 5346

Michael Newman 22 I think
Donal keoghan 23 I think
Eamonn Wallace 22
Cillian O'Sullivan 20
Graham Reilly 25 this year
These guys are already household names

Eamonn Wallace is 19 and so is cillian O'sullivan

pat_custard (Meath) - Posts: 125 - 03/02/2014 21:20:15    1540978

Thanks for that lads . Wasn't sure of there ages should have added from minor. Doh! But I did say I couldn't be sure.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 03/02/2014 21:29:26    1540992

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 5348


If Donegal fans don't like what I'm saying as its too close to the bone well I can't help that, and actually I was been kind to them. IMO Donegal are nowhere near a top team at the minute, I'd rate Monaghan and down ahead of them this yearin league aand would expect a tougher match from both these counties. I will be shocked if we don't win in ballubofey and i think a fair few of the we betyer than div 2 lads will be surpriaed too

It's not that you are getting close to the bone royal, just that you are talking bull.
You are entitled to your point of view but on what do you base your assertion that Monaghan & Down are ahead of Donegal?
I'm pretty sure that you haven't seen any of them play & on the only evidence you have, newspaper reports of the the first league game, then Donegal look to be in good shape.
As for your last sentence, I can't figure out what you are trying to say. Whatever you're drinking, it's good stuff!!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 03/02/2014 21:52:54    1541001

Muck . Let me explain. I have seen Monaghan plenty over past 2 years this will be Meath 4th game with them in that space and it reads 2 to 1 at the minute. They dispatched Donegal with ease in uf , in that respect I'd have them higher than Donegal, also they destroyed us in clones last year. Down I think were unlucky last year, and had some very good games in championship.
Donegal problems IMO is lack of strength in depth, now maybe that has changed I don't know
My last line was to poster who said that Donegal are a division one team playing in division two. That's nonsense your in the division you deserve to be and that goes for all counties , Donegal are a division two team like Meath Monaghan and the rest. They have no god given right to think we are beneath them or any other county. Now I have said from the off after dates and venues were announced I thought we would win away to Donegal nothing has changed my mind on that. I do think that Monaghan will top group and runners up is between yourselves and us and down. . Which one prevails? No one can say at this stage. Muck you know I like you and we can't keep this up for next 4 weeks, I don't expect you or any Donegal fan to agree with me. But sure we can have the craic anyway

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 04/02/2014 09:01:03    1541022

Kiloughter if you pardon me saying so your response is rather childish " if we are poor as you say we are what does that make ye?" I wasn't talking about Kildare as to whether we are poor or not I was talking about Laois and Galway so stick to the subject please.

OntheWhiteSide (Kildare) - Posts: 452 - 04/02/2014 09:59:47    1541043

It not nonsense what I said about Donegal being a DivOne team playing in Div two Only for Dublin getting a late point to draw Kerry would have been in Div two. If Kerry were playing in Div two would people still not class them as Div one team And if Kerry were in Div two they would still be classed in the top six in Ireland. Regain 80 percent of our form of 2012 and with the same players who won Sam then We will win promotion and back as you were:::: DIV 1 team And I never said we have a divine right to be superior to either Meath or Monaghan or anybody else for that right. But the truth is WE were superior in 2012 and went all the way. If you are working on last years Ulster Final to make a case for Monaghan to being a superior team to Donegal you are treading on thin ice Look at the record over the last 25 years :::: Donegal:::: two A I ,4Ulster titles,div1and div2 titles Monaghan:::two Ulster and I think one league title. Don't judge Donegal on last years showing. A lot of people on here know they have not gone away and I'll make one prediction :::We will go further than Meath or Monaghan in the championship.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 04/02/2014 10:48:40    1541085

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 5350

Very very young team. And while it won't be end of world for either team it will be a marker for the year.
The two counties really are at different scopes, the view in Meath spoken in whispers and bar rooms and club games is that the majority of this team will win all Ireland within 5/6 years. Whereas Donegal have been at the pinnacle and looking for one last huurah. I'd actually say its the other way around Donegal have to do it this year as its last chance saloon. With jmcg probably not going to stay on, and the blanket defense looking old hat. Whereas Meath have time on their side to perfect the game. Look by no means are Meath the finished article, but everyone can see what that finished product will look like, and it is as my teenage daughter would describe as awesome
Really. I can't believe people are talking about the O'Byrne cup final, honestly that was a run around for very experimental b team, yesterday was more like the championship team and even some of them needed that run out. And here again is the thing, Meath are likely to improve significantly with game time , and still produced that performance





I dont think that anyone can say that a team will win something in the next 5-6 years, it usually comes out in the wash after 2-3 years of work ie that you win a provincial. As of yet we will have to wait and see.

I agree that the Donegal team are older, but there is a massive amount of youth on the team, and if we can unearth another colm mcfadden and a midfielder this season, then we will be in good shape looking forward to 2015, not 5-6 years down the line.

I will stand by my thoughts on this. Meath have to do well this year. Otherwise they will benchmark their expectations the same way that mayo have, their manager and players will not improve together and that will be that. This is not to say that they wont do well this year, although I dont see it. They have a big chance to prove themselves. And if it is meant to happen, it will happen sooner rather than later. If I am made look silly at the end of the summer by this post, then thats fair enough.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 04/02/2014 11:14:05    1541099

Dont get carried away there Royaldunne, Meath have a long road to travel yet. Big test in Clones to come and will be a great yardstck as to teams progress since the same stage last year.
Also Donegal are a well seasoned outfit who are ready for one more crack the big title. Meath would do well to keep it respectable up in Ballybofey imo.

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 04/02/2014 11:51:06    1541120

To answer the original question on this post "Will Donegal take Division 2 seriously?", Sundays result against Laois was the perfect answer. Fully expect Donegal to repeat that against Galway, with promotion between themselves and Monaghan.

moylagh (Meath) - Posts: 484 - 04/02/2014 11:51:21    1541121

To be honest its hard to tell.
People think if Donegal win this year that it means they are taking it serious.
Murphy has already came out and said he is already thinking of Derry match in Championship.

Div 1 is a tough league. It doesnt allow for teams to start training late or for players to be injured.

Yes Donegal took the league easy last year but If you look at the teams we fielded they were full strength last year too.
This year I expect Donegal to get promoted because a) its div 2 and so is alot more forgiving of bad days out b) We have been back training since december (last year Donegal didnt start collective training untill end of january) and c) So far we are mainly injury free (2 players out with minor injuries)

The league is still not a priority. I go to league games to see progress of the team and see some of the newer players in action.

dstuction (Donegal) - Posts: 1209 - 04/02/2014 12:03:05    1541130

Royaldunne you talk some Brown on these forums..Meath win one game and youre already on about All Irelands.

Meath10 (Meath) - Posts: 183 - 04/02/2014 12:37:36    1541149

I wouldn't read into last weeks result against Laois. I was at the game and unless Laois improve 200% they will go through the entire league without a point. They didn't look at all fit and had a very poor game system if any!!

Donegal can only beat what was in front of them and last week that wasn't much. We did look well and are certainly in better shape than this time last year. Being able to give a run out to the fringe players was also a benefit and the likes of the new fellas that started all done well. Looks positive in the camp at the minute but Galway will certainly be a step up, lets hope they don't get 4-11 this weekend.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 04/02/2014 12:43:17    1541155