Tirchonailabu2
It's hard to argue with that, we are gona be frustrated , just like 2012.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 11/09/2014 20:38:13    1651122

Can't imagine for a minute what might lead you to conclude that I was referring to your good self legend, though I suppose there are some similarities alright.
As for the bookies, I wouldn't place too much emphasis on them as a good barometer. Look how wrong they have been.I prefer to go with the good old fashioned gut instinct when calling these things.
By the way who do you think will win ?

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 11/09/2014 21:00:56    1651138

Plike
After we lost to Mayo last year, Jim Mc GUINNESS came up with a few stats::::: certain players on the team only trained 43 per cent, 50 per cent and some under 60 per cent. Now in this day and age do you really think a team could win an All Ireland and some of their best players missing roughly half of the training sessions. Do you honestly think that Mayo this year would have hammered Donegal
Did you not read that on condition of taking the job in 2014JMcG wanted the club championship deferred until Donegal exited the championship( which they haven't ) the Donegal team were burned out last year but look at the difference this year.
On a lighter note ::: the war cabnite will be meeting over the next few days in Enniskillen where Defence and Attack will be the main topics. Sam and Tom for the HILLS.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 11/09/2014 21:03:05    1651142

I said i'd hold my first post on this topic for awhile. Donegal are favourites but I still think Kerry will win. Eamon will have his homework done and the match ups right Donegal will probably switch Gallagher and Murphy through out so I hope O Mahony follows him leaving Moran to mark Gallagher in midfield and when he does go into the square that Maher goes in with him and not allow him to catch clean ball. Marc will probably pick up McFadden and even though he hasn't been great this year one good ball in and it could be a goal so he will have to be on his best. Paul Murphy to track McHugh all day if he goes toilet he's standing their having one with him he can not be allowed run riot!!

Moran to pick Gallagher up while he's playing out the field and Maher then follows him into the square. Finally Donnchadh has to pick up McGlynn to stop his runs up and down and force him to defend more. Its up to the Donegal defenders to stop our forwards creating space and making runs we give enough ball to James, Stephen and Paul and we can win it. There will be a period that they will be on top we have to force them to kick wides and put pressure on the kicker but there will also be a period that they will make us kick long range scores Dublin only had Flynn to do this we have Moran and Buckley who can do this along with Bryan Sheehan on the bench.

Finally I wouldn't start Donaghy because the Donegal full back line will be licking their lips. When there is 20 minutes to go and lads lose concentration and tire then I would spring him. 8 of our lads have never played in all Ireland before so yes there is an advantage to Donegal but our bench is full of experience and we are going to need all of it to get over the line on the the. An Riocht Abu!!

Jackos_Wacko (Kerry) - Posts: 417 - 11/09/2014 21:04:07    1651144

DUBJOHN
County: Dublin
Posts: 216

1651076
Plike could you please explain how YOU think donegal humiliated dublin! Donegal were well deserving winners v dublin but i certainly dont think they humiliated us!

He lives!!!! He speaks!!! He is back among us!!!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 11/09/2014 21:06:08    1651146

11/09/2014 08:01:33
legendzxix
County: Kerry
Posts: 3709

1650798
lol, you haven't had to be too patient SLLY! Going by what you're saying, the bookies must have applied the very same logic in deciding the favourites.

11/09/2014 21:00:56
SLLY
County: Dublin
Posts: 83

1651138
Can't imagine for a minute what might lead you to conclude that I was referring to your good self legend, though I suppose there are some similarities alright.
As for the bookies, I wouldn't place too much emphasis on them as a good barometer. Look how wrong they have been.I prefer to go with the good old fashioned gut instinct when calling these things.
By the way who do you think will win ?

@ SLLY - The first part of your post there makes no sense whatsoever. There is no mention at all or question in the post to suggest I was wondering if you were referring to myself. You might be confused with a different thread where I asked a question of Snuf.

Regards the bookies, ok well you now are reading my post. Im my opinion they are a good baramoter. It's a reflection really of where teams are heading into the final. There are many unknowns about our team going into the final. If they have the answers, they can cause a shock. Donegal will have answers to questions posed throughout the final so it is going to be one very difficult afternoon.
It's hard to answer that question. Naturally I'm optimistic we'll win. There is however the reality of the situation heading into the final. Donegal are in a better place going into the final.

@ Jackos_Wacko - great post! You've articulated well some battles that lie in store for Kerry and how they will have to come up with solutions. There will naturally be many more questions posed when the ball is thrown in. We'll have a time of dominance and so will Donegal. There's is going to be some tussles all afternoon. Ciarrai abu!

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 11/09/2014 21:23:27    1651161

Just a question re a team in transition, does it mean you are in transition when your best player is out injured, or are there other factors? seems there are a good few very experienced heads on the kerry team, and I rated them as all ireland finalists all year.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 12/09/2014 09:40:11    1651207

Kerry and Mayo minors were very nervy last time. Kerry have a hoodoo at this grade. Still, I fancy Jack's lads

At senior level, much will depend on Kerry's acuracy from distance and Donegal converting goal chances. If It is tight in the last quarter with Donegal up, the Initiative will be with them. Unless the ref has a shocker, it should go to the wire. I expect Kerry to vary the play and be disciplined and accurate. If Donegal can trump that then good luck to them.

plike (Kerry) - Posts: 569 - 12/09/2014 09:46:29    1651208

Donegalman
No not just gooch out injured but we lost Tomas o'se Eoin Brosnan and Paul Galvin as well , imagine if Lacey mcglynn and macfadden retired And then imagine ye lost Murphy for the season through a knee injury, that's transition , plus we're gona lose Marc Aidan and Declan after this final more transition for next year.

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 12/09/2014 10:20:32    1651228

The pressure must be getting to you if you don't recognise your own post and indeed I would suggest traits from the creature described.
Also you do seem to have an unhealthy obsession with the one you call snuf. Perhaps you see this snuf as a kind of father figure or could it be snuf has rejected you in the past.
The contradictions in your post suggest a lack of credibility also as you say you see the bookies as a good barometer of where teams are while yet being optimistic of a win.

Someone once said ( if ignorance is bliss , tis folly to be wise ).
By that yardstick , you must be the happiest man in Ireland.

Of that there can be no doubt !

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 12/09/2014 10:27:23    1651231

It's generally been accepted that this final appearance is a year ahead of schedule. All the hallmarks of a team in transition. Noone's had a problem with it all year until now. We'll be up against it but obviously the lads will be putting in a great effort to try and pull off yet another shock in what's been a decent championship so far.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 12/09/2014 10:29:23    1651232

Jaysus I am already getting butterflies just reading through these posts. There are so many factors to consider when trying to logically predict an outcome of this match -

- Do Kerry start Donaghy or hold him in reserve? Personally I'll be glad if he does start. Eamon McGee loves that type of match up and the bigger the name the better. I'd be reasonably confident McGee could do a good job on him and limit the type of impact he had against Mayo. However, he's definitely an alternative weapon to utilise late on though if required, and would give the Donegal defence plenty to think about with 10/15 minutes to go.

- Do Donegal play Murphy inside early on? A lot has been made of Kerry's full back line. Might we see Murphy deployed on the edge of the square like in 2012? For the sake of my blood pressure it would be great to see the big man rocket home another early goal!

- Who will pick up James O'Donoghue? I'd imagine it will be Neil McGee with possibly Lacey doubling up. Higgins did a great job on him in both semi fixtures. I think they key is to starve him of possession inside and force him out the field. If he gets ball in space in the full forward line and gets turned he's very hard to stop.

- Midfield. I'd acknowledge that Kerry may have the upper hand here. But I'd be confident in Jimmy devising an alternative kick-out strategy and Durcan being able to successfully implement it.

- Gooch! The mere sight of that ginger barnet warming up will cause consternation with the Donegal fans! Obviously Fitzmaurice isn't an idiot and won't risk him if he isn't right. But, even if there was 10 minutes in him, it would be certainly worth it to throw him in, even for the lift it would give Kerry and their supporters!

- Psychology. Kerry are Kerry and have all that tradition of winning All Irelands. That said, we beat them in 2012 so there shouldn't be any inferiority complex about facing them in Championship football, even if it is in a final. Neil McGee was quoted recently as saying Jimmy is a master at putting the players' minds at ease. Before the final in 2012 they slept soundly and regarded the match as just another game.

So all in all, I'm edging towards a Donegal win but I can't see there being much in it. I will change my mind back and forth throughout the week ahead no doubt, but all joking and spurious self deprecating aside, I think we'll do it by about 3 or 4 points.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9151 - 12/09/2014 11:03:23    1651255

The key to winning this game for Donegal will be the pressure placed on Kerry in the middle third. If Donaghy is playing then he can outfield all our defenders which means we need to put pressure on the kicker to limit the accuracy of the ball going in. We did that well in 2012 and this limited his influence for most of the game. When he did get the right ball he goaled and there shows the danger he possesses.
Putting pressure on the kicker will also be the best option for limiting O Donoghue. If he gets an accurate dink ball he will cause us major problems so we need to limit the accuracy of this ball.
I've admired Kerry's kick passing all season, the accuracy and speed of this ball is great to watch. I can't help but to think that Gooch showed them the way with his performances at No.11 last year.
Even if we limit Kerry we still need to do it at the other end. I'm expecting the last great hooray from Mc Fadden and wouldn't be suprised to see a new hero, jigger maybe?

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1671 - 12/09/2014 11:30:49    1651275

The Donegal posters have blown up this team they are an old and overrated
will be found out in the final Up the Kingdom

wfkerry (USA) - Posts: 933 - 12/09/2014 11:45:03    1651277

legendzxix
County: Kerry
Posts: 3713

1651232 It's generally been accepted that this final appearance is a year ahead of schedule. All the hallmarks of a team in transition. Noone's had a problem with it all year until now. We'll be up against it but obviously the lads will be putting in a great effort to try and pull off yet another shock in what's been a decent championship so far.


Lady's and Gentlemen ,
I present to you the Kerryerraticus Godhelpus. A fine specimen indeed .

Thank you, Thank you.

Good night.

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 12/09/2014 13:23:05    1651315

Well the dust has finally settled on two great semi finals, and thoughts can now turn to what should be a great final, It is hard to predict how this one will go, so many intriguing potential match ups make it a game to really looking forward to. Hats off to Fitzmaurice on how he has put this Kerry team together, their conditioning and intensity, Likewise to McGuinness who has revitalised a team that looked at the end of the road last year. Really looking forward to the performance of Michael Murphy in the final, he is the best player in the country at the moment and could prove to be one of the greats of the game

NorthKildare (Kildare) - Posts: 197 - 12/09/2014 14:10:04    1651330

Those wild claims are neither here nor there really. I predicted Donegal's Ulster final win and their subsequent victory over the Dublin Region. They will be a difficult opponent no doubt.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7868 - 12/09/2014 14:47:29    1651347

KingdomBoy1
County: Kerry
Posts: 2397

1651228
Donegalman
No not just gooch out injured but we lost Tomas o'se Eoin Brosnan and Paul Galvin as well , imagine if Lacey mcglynn and macfadden retired And then imagine ye lost Murphy for the season through a knee injury, that's transition , plus we're gona lose Marc Aidan and Declan after this final more transition for next year.

Galvins last good year was in 2011, before he started to fade. So he was not the core kerry team since then imo. Likewise, Eoin Brosnan retired in 2009, and came back into the fold in 2011, so he would hardly be classed as a core player under this circumstance. Tomas O Se for sure, he was core and key. So With the exception of Gooch and Tomas OSe, you have a situation where players who were past their best or came back from retirement to play again, and then retired at the end of last year.

Donegal will genuinely be in transition for the next couple of years, there will be several big retirements after the final. Yes McGlynn, Lacey, Gallagher, Kavanagh, McFadden, Durkan, Walsh etc would all be massive losses if they go and we would be in transition. If most of them stay on we will not be in transition.

Every team sheds a couple of players every year, it is when a glut of players leave then you are in a serious transition. And it should last 2 years. After that, then it is laboring the point.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 12/09/2014 15:40:07    1651368

Take a bow. Yerra.

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 12/09/2014 15:43:54    1651372

Donegal must fancy their chances (and rightly so). Kerry are underdogs, and should play accordingly. It is extraordinary what Fitzmaurice has done. No Gooch. D O'S and BS on half measure. Never mind the sneering, the àchievement is. extraordinary.

plike (Kerry) - Posts: 569 - 12/09/2014 15:58:56    1651380