s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 3071


I don't think you did actually. you only "went for it" when it was too late.
bad tactics and bad selection policy by J McG. clearly showing too much loyalty to certain players.
I didn't like J McG comment that the team were flat and had no energy. well whose fault is that ?. I actually don't believe that was true. I think McG was tactically out-thought but wasn't man enough to admit it and laid the blame with his players.

We nearly got a goal at the death. It was a very well worked move.
re Bad tactics, I think that we actually were good in the first half yesterday despite not creating much. We only conceded a single free which was not a free btw.
I think that the team was lethargic yesterday, and others have pointed it out. JMG would have done all his homework on recovery time etc, and I wouldnt blame him.
I agree that there were better options on the bench I will give you that.
I think that a mistake from our keeper in the second half ultimately gave kerry an enormous platform to work from. they went 4 up and we clawed it back to one. Not sure how this equates to bad tactics.

Ultimately, kerry were a wee bit better in the second half. Our kick outs after the second goal were fearful, and gave them possession. I wouldnt blame mcguiness for this. I think he spoke well at the end, and certainly didnt play any blame game, just that we were a bit flat. going back to the thread at hand and bottling a game, I dont think anyone would say we bottled it yesterday.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 22/09/2014 09:57:11    1655007

s goldrick
County: Cavan
Posts: 3071



I don't think you did actually. you only "went for it" when it was too late.
bad tactics and bad selection policy by J McG. clearly showing too much loyalty to certain players.
I didn't like J McG comment that the team were flat and had no energy. well whose fault is that ?. I actually don't believe that was true. I think McG was tactically out-thought but wasn't man enough to admit it and laid the blame with his players.


I agree fully with this post. Surely, Jim above all people should realise what happened yesterday. Donegal were no more flat than Dublin, Cork, Armagh or Kerry were over the last few years when they were beaten by Donegal. What happened was Donegal were beaten by a team plying Jim's own tactics. And he couldn't even see it after the game!! As for the kick out, if he had kicked it long and accurate it would never have happened. If he had more high ball and breaking ball winners then they would rarely need to go short. Kerry were ready to pounce throughout the game on any mistake on the short kick outs. Durcan was under pressure.

thykingdomcome1 (Kerry) - Posts: 78 - 22/09/2014 09:59:10    1655011

Donegal were out Donegal'd.
Simple as that....

Fionn (Dublin) - Posts: 3733 - 22/09/2014 10:27:46    1655058

Donegal didn't bottle it, combination of factors but Kerry out fought and out played them and so deserved to win on the day. I don't think we can complain about that but we were still in it at the end. We could look at 2 goals conceded cheaply, look at our misses (Kerry were very poor in front of the posts) but I think Kerry defensive system they employed worked a treat for them. The difference in both system is Donegal can tackle, Kerry fouled a lot form midfield back, pulling and dragging and Donegal couldn't penetrate that (again no complaints about their system). Donegal had a goal chance or 2 also but Kerry did enough.. Bad game to watch, both teams put in huge effort and Kerry won.. Congrats to you, enjoy.. The 2 best teams in Ireland were watching on and thinking on next year.

81DLSAM (Donegal) - Posts: 281 - 22/09/2014 10:36:48    1655070

I feel your pain peile, if Mayo lose they bottle it, while some other teams are just unlucky/unfortunate or victims of a conspiracy. Its the same for Dublin, we never simply lose a match because we are bad or the opposition good on any given day, its always because we 'believed the hype' or think we are better than others. At the end of the day its football, and teams win or lose depending on how they perform on the day, but as has been said here already, its a game of very small margins at the top level, so no need for insulting players, (or entire counties) when they come up short.

AHP (Dublin) - Posts: 323 - 22/09/2014 11:19:40    1655120

Donegal didn't bottle it they just never went for it.

There is very little between the top 4 teams and if Kerry played Donegal next week there could easily be a different result.

tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1109 - 22/09/2014 12:00:39    1655172

Man for Man Kerry are not a better team than Donegal. Kerry just beat Donegal at there own game. IF Donegal had went for it and pushed Murphy up they would have won all this talk Kerry won by 3pts the butt of the post was the difference between a win and a replay and this was with Donegal playing poorly.

All in all it was a dog of a game and final was an overall reflection of the football championship this year. With the exceptions of a few teams.

jacktheDub (Dublin) - Posts: 944 - 22/09/2014 12:17:30    1655197

jackthedub

Man for Man Kerry are not a better team than Donegal. Kerry just beat Donegal at there own game. IF Donegal had went for it and pushed Murphy up they would have won all this talk Kerry won by 3pts the butt of the post was the difference between a win and a replay and this was with Donegal playing poorly.

All in all it was a dog of a game and final was an overall reflection of the football championship this year. With the exceptions of a few teams.

________________________________________

Man for man, Donegal are not a better team than Dublin (in my opinion), But isn't that the great thing about sport ? That sometimes favourites are beaten and shocks can happen. I think thats brilliant i really do.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 22/09/2014 12:24:42    1655205

I said for weeks leading up to our semi with Donegal that, in my view, Donegal would have prepared all year for a possible confrontation with Dublin in the semis.

To me it looked like they peaked for that game, beat us, but actually didn't seem to be prepared for a possible final against Kerry.

Their final performance rated about 6 out of 10, whereas their semi performance rated 9 out of 10 (not 10 / 10 because of the first 20 minutes). They dropped off very badly from their form of only 3 weeks ago - you can't really blame nerves or the occasion as they were experienced 2012 champions going into their second final in 3 years.

So my conclusion is they prepared well for months for a meeting with Dublin - but hadn't prepared for a final versus Kerry.

Ciaran Whelan said it last night, most teams up their performance a lot when facing Dublin at a packed Croke Park, but Donegal were not able to repeat that when it really mattered. Its not bottling it, it just is very difficult to maintain top form all the time.

Beacaire Gorm (Dublin) - Posts: 597 - 22/09/2014 12:52:36    1655249

We just didn't perform well on the day,that's football,it was a poor enough match,I think if we'd managed the draw we'd have hopefully done better in the replay but the best team won on the day.
I'm proud of my team and my county,they are great lads and a great example to young people here,they done their best but it was just a bad performance overall,felt so sorry for them after all the hard work,but that's life,nobody died,we'll be back again next year to try our best again.
Well done and congratulations to Kerry, Tir Chonaill Abu.

TirChonaillabu2 (Donegal) - Posts: 344 - 22/09/2014 13:13:43    1655284

foreverroyal
County: Meath
Posts: 274

1654646
Donegal didn't bottle it. Donegal have very average players who by shere luck got a manager with a system that has thrown so many a team. Let's be honest they had the worst players to ever win a all ire. But they did it by been totally focussed on the system , kerry today played donegal at their own game and even if they only played it at 40 percent the better footballers would win through. It makes me laugh looking at our pages when someone says meath should copy the style and fools saying that it would have to be trained from u14 up , well eamonn fitz did it in 3 weeks. So that puts that one to bed. Donegal didn't bottle it , they just got found out. So much for the mighty ulster.

I would suggest you follow another sport because you clearly can't grasp the even the basics.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9147 - 22/09/2014 13:27:26    1655301

Donegal don't have enough top drawer forwards and the absence of Mark McHugh was keenly felt.

Once Kerry decided to defend in numbers, it made Donegal's counterattacking game far more difficult to execute. goes to show, how Dublin's performance actually facilitated Donegal's brilliance that day, whereas the kingdom played cautiously and conservatively and prevailed.

they looked daunted by the occasion too and McFadden was well marshalled by the timeless Marc O'Se

JackoDub (Dublin) - Posts: 458 - 22/09/2014 13:37:47    1655314

The term bottle it is really insulting to a group that sacrificed everything in the presuit of success.

I felt Donegal looked jelly legged early on and the tank was empty.

in hindsight maybe the training in fermanagh camp for a week took too much out of these lads?

I said this to a Donegal man yesterday but Donegal will regret not taking Kerry on more.

When we got a second goal, Donegal knew they had to play so they got real rewards, 3 consecutive points.
then they sit back again! very frustrating from a Donegal perspective.

Look in any sport there comes a time when you should impose your own game on your opposition
I just don't understand a system that is based on stopping your opposition.

Kerry had to learn from the Dublin game and thankfully we got all our match ups correct.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 22/09/2014 13:40:19    1655316

Beacaire Gorm
County: Dublin
Posts: 531

So my conclusion is they prepared well for months for a meeting with Dublin - but hadn't prepared for a final versus Kerry.


don't agree with this. Donegal would have had to prepare well for Derry in the first round of ulster, because they knew that if they didn't they were in the play-offs. Antrim was handy enough in the semis but are you trying to tell me that they didn't have to be at their peak to beat Monaghan and then Armagh, They had 3 weeks to prepare for Kerry and JMcG as an experienced manager should have had them prepared physically and mentally (and I believe he had) it's just they were fighting a losing battle given the tactics employed on the day by both teams.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 22/09/2014 13:58:16    1655332

peile
County: Mayo
Posts: 165

1654559
Having being widely informed that Donegal don't lose finals having only being in 2 until today did they bottle it? Being within a kick or two of a team having played woefully after conceding an early goal and another from a mistake everything would point to Donegals lack of mental strength and that in fact they bottled it.Hopefully they will be back.


No I don't think they bottled It, to answer your question directly. Having already won an All Ireland, they showed they have the mental steel to win the thing.

I think Donegal are guilty of being a tad complacent, especially in not supporting their attacking runs. But all in all, when the dust settles they will look back at this as a game they left behind. They have no fear of Kerry entering this game, and they certainly won't have any fear after that game.

But all in all, Kerry took their chances and Donegal didn't. Fair play to Kerry, our All Ireland Champions of 2014.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 22/09/2014 14:29:49    1655362

One thing no one is mentioned is Donegal's match ups,

How did JMG not put Murphy on the square for a few high balls?

You didn't need a lad up a tree to tell you we are we struggle under the high ball.

westkerry (Kerry) - Posts: 1250 - 22/09/2014 14:51:58    1655382

Fitz had his tactics spot on. End of. :D

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7865 - 22/09/2014 16:08:37    1655482