Bennybunny, the championship is the be all and end all. As a player myself (not at county level obviously), yes, I would far rather work hard to progress in the championship than the league. Nobody remembers who won the league, they do the championship. Div 2 is the only division Down have any chance of winning - off the top of your head can you tell me who won Div 2 in 2010? I'm fairly sure it was Armagh, the only reason I can remember is that they beat us in the final. But I certainly do remember playing Kerry and Kildare before losing to Cork in the final by a point.

If you actually think getting beaten by a poor Derry side in Ulster followed by the end of championship football for the year in June at the hands of a team who were relegated from Division Four is a good year, you need your head examined. I have yet to hear from a Down fan who thinks this year is a success. Would it be a success for Cork if Clare beat you in the Munster semi and the got knocked out by Derry in Round Two of the qualifiers after you got to the league final?

OgraAnDun (Down) - Posts: 406 - 30/06/2015 14:08:29    1745441

Offside - Dont know why my post was edited but I said we hadn't won a match in Ulster in 4 years. After being hammered by Armagh in 2010 and out of the championship in June - what businesses would have wanted to invest in us then? Thats my point, you have to start somewhere.

Re the Down manager - to me his interview looked much like a man trying to put a gloss on a bad year - trying to give reasons why he should keep hold of his job.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 30/06/2015 15:31:34    1745508

OgraAnDun Down arent a great side (bit like us) Very similar as we go up and down from 2 to 1 each year (although we had 2 in div recently) Face facts. You had a cracker unexpected run a few years ago as one team does every year

DoireCityFC (Derry) - Posts: 1580 - 30/06/2015 15:44:16    1745524

OgraAnDun


(1)Bennybunny, the championship is the be all and end all. As a player myself (not at county level obviously), yes, I would far rather work hard to progress in the championship than the league. Nobody remembers who won the league, they do the championship. Div 2 is the only division Down have any chance of winning - off the top of your head can you tell me who won Div 2 in 2010? I'm fairly sure it was Armagh, the only reason I can remember is that they beat us in the final. But I certainly do remember playing Kerry and Kildare before losing to Cork in the final by a point.

(2)If you actually think getting beaten by a poor Derry side in Ulster followed by the end of championship football for the year in June at the hands of a team who were relegated from Division Four is a good year, you need your head examined. I have yet to hear from a Down fan who thinks this year is a success. (3)Would it be a success for Cork if Clare beat you in the Munster semi and the got knocked out by Derry in Round Two of the qualifiers after you got to the league final?

1. For the few counties that are capable of winning it, yes this statement is definitely true. However an awful lot of others are beginning to see sense and actually put emphasis on the league. Your own county for one. Clare are another. You can also see the amount of constant guys leaving lots of counties panels. Why would they train all year to do that then? If championship was the be all and end all. Ultimately these fellas couldn't be bothered hanging around wasting their time for the inevitable hammering. There best off enjoying themselves elsewhere. Oddly you don't see many of the Dublin or Kerry players heading off?

2. So you would like Down to beat Wexford, possibly Meath before getting the most unmerciful hammering of Dublin/Kerry? You are as well off out now so ye can get on with the club championship instead of prolonging the misery. Anyway, you were beaten by Derry who at this point in time may be poor but are better than Down. No disgrace there. At the start of the year Down had NO chance of winning Ulster given that to win it you would have had to beat 3 Divsion 1 teams. NO chance of winning the All-Ireland as you have had to beat 5/6 Division 1 teams. There was only one competition where you had a realistic chance of doing something in. It was a very tough Division 2 and you got out of it. If you are not happy with that and you genuinely thought you had a chance at something else then go and get your own head examined, so to speak.

3. Of course it would not be successful. Clare have beaten us once in a hundred years. It was a silly question. The championship is rigged in our favour. The Munster championship is a two horse race which effectively guarantees us a place in the quarter final every year. After last year's pathetic effort and under current management success this year for us would be to stay in Division 1 (we had 4 away games v Ulster opposition)and a more respectable effort against Kerry. Massive success would be to beat one of the big 4 and get to the semi-final. For now, we have succeeded in one and hopefully Sunday we can put it up to Kerry.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 30/06/2015 15:59:14    1745538

Unfortunately RTÉ2 coverage of CLG games has lost so much respect for themselves. If it wasn't for Michael Lyster, it would be 100% controversial and solely to do with ratings. They should do themselves a favour and get rid of some that are there and try freshen themselves to counter the SKY challenge.

beansycpn (Down) - Posts: 128 - 30/06/2015 16:58:36    1745586

McHugh talks too fast for a start. His most famous rant was on a BBC preview for the Armagh v Tyrone semi final in 2005. He was asked for a one word prediction and went on some story about how Maradona thought he was the best and Pele thought he was the best. There was a pause after he finished because no one knew whether he was done or not. Jarlath Burns didn't know where to look! On Sunday he glanced over at Tomas O'Se about 7 times for validation. Tomas didn't want a bit of him!

The Face (Monaghan) - Posts: 890 - 30/06/2015 18:21:42    1745629

McHugh loves the sound of his own voice.Wouldn't have much time for him as a pundit.Speaking of lazy if he was any good pundits like him and Spillane would get off the couch and manage a team.I've lot more respect for Kevin McStay who went out and managed a team.Done brilliant job with St Brigids

Gael85 (Dublin) - Posts: 1433 - 30/06/2015 19:12:06    1745660

Gael85 - you do realise that he managed Cavan to an Ulster title from nowhere in 1997!

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 30/06/2015 19:15:31    1745661

I'm well aware of that but that was 18 years ago.Cavan had a strong u21 team then.Why didn't he take Donegal job after that?

Gael85 (Dublin) - Posts: 1433 - 30/06/2015 19:23:41    1745666

Wasn't exactly from nowhere that team came from was a very good under 21 team with OReillys Dermott McCabe and Anthony Forde if memory serves me right. Should have won more. Motivated good young footballers when he was still a big name hardly the work of a mastermind. He had one trick where the full forward line pulled out and the the ball was played in behind, for the on rushing have forward.
He is hard to listen to especially when Donegal are playing.

bugsie (Leitrim) - Posts: 199 - 30/06/2015 19:33:14    1745668

if only he had a 'one trick pony' for that one trick forward line bugsy

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2386 - 30/06/2015 20:38:13    1745697

Like to sum it up, I'm involved in cumann na mbunscol primary school football in laois. In the boys football there are 8 divisions to cater for the different school sizes. Division 1 is invariably won by portlaoise which has the biggest numbers. Imagine sticking a two teacher village school in division 1 year on year, not allow them to be relegated or promoted, and when they fail tell them to work harder. Joke.

Malonemagic (Laois) - Posts: 767 - 30/06/2015 21:19:59    1745724

to be fair to McHugh here, I don't think he mentioned either of the words in the title of this thread "lazy" or "disgrace" in relation to Leitrim.
also We in Cavan will never forget what he did for the County team. yes he had a good crop of players to work with but the older lads were not "winners" and had been beaten 4 years in-a-row by Donegal in the Ulster Championship. He got them to the ulster final in '95 and with the help of the under-21s from the '96 team that were narrowly defeated by Kerry in the all-ireland final we won ulster in '97. the one and only time in my life time. We have won one ulster in 46 years.
McHugh put his heart and soul in to that job. He was mentally and physically wrecked afterwards. Of course it is documented that he went for the Donegal job around that time but was not offered it. He has a genuine love for the weaker counties and he feels that sometimes all that it needs is for everyone to buy in to the project. I don't think he was saying that Leitrim should be up there with the big boys but they should be more competitive.

sometimes it seems like he has too many thoughts in his brain and his mouth can't keep up with it but I think his heart is in the right place.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 30/06/2015 21:41:21    1745730

Breffni39
County: Cavan
Posts: 9650

1744919
No pundit is perfect but it seems people are going out of their way to find fault in what he is saying recently.

Ye dont really have to go out of your way to find fault with him, Just watch his lips move and then listen to what comes out , He offers absolutely nothing to discussing the current Gaa Championship. By far the worst pundit on tv at analysing games, just mutters little idioms.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 30/06/2015 21:50:58    1745740

McHugh even had to resort to saying with Spillane said last year or the year before- 'every county should have 30 players'- why doesn't he think for himself and share his own comments without having to regurgitate comments of other pundits!

DamoK (Leitrim) - Posts: 50 - 01/07/2015 08:56:12    1745750

whatever about his opinion about Leitrim he is right about the six counties teams
To me county football is not as strong as what it was in the six counties. Take for example Donegal v 6 co teams since 2011... Not once did we get beat And J McGuinness never lost to one in the championship. Now Tyrone were pretty decent around 2011/2012/13 (still are) so it took tough games to beat them
As for Donegal v Monaghan meeting for three years in a row , well that never used happen or indeed Donegal vCavan Monaghan vCavan
Donegal played Cavan in 1983 final and since that a team from the 6 counties contested the Ulster final up to 2013
I think Donegal played Cavan in three Ulster u21 finals over the last five years plus Cavan. Monaghan and Donegal won the last three minor titles
It was a great credit to the six county teams how they kept going all through the troubles and in a hostile environment But to me strong counties like Derry and Down went backwards over the last 15/20 years, 1998 Derry and 1994 Down last won Ulster So M MC H has a point about the 3 and the 6
As regards Leitrim they will find it hard to develope , emigration is a big think there and it will be tough to compete with the likes of Galway /Mayo But then again only for Galway Connaught would have a terrible record as regards winning Sam over the last 50 years

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 01/07/2015 09:31:09    1745777

AthCliath - I have to disagree with you on that. McHugh is a massive step ahead of other pundits on analysing games. Maybe it doesn't come across on RTE but at least on the live games on BBC or his work for Highland radio he really goes into tactics and positional switches etc.

DamoK - yeah because all the other pundits say something completely original and never repeat each other right?! I mean if you believe something you are allowed to say it, regardless of whether somebody else has already said it or not. Jeez what a complaint to have

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 01/07/2015 09:39:49    1745781

SamOnErrigal

The stats might say he has an argument but I really cant see it there. My opinion would be that its cyclical and bound to happen sooner or later that Donegal and Monaghan would be strong at the same time. Cavan have done well at u21 but it hasn't really translated into senior level as yet. To blame it on the troubles seems very much like jumping to conclusion on this one.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1422 - 01/07/2015 09:44:14    1745783

Just want to comment on Martin McHughs shocking theory on Sunday night that the 6 counties of ulster have dipped in their G.A.A success recently and it is somehow linked to the peace process in the north and that Monaghan,Donegal and Cavn are now stronger as a result!!!

Dessie Dolan and Tomas O Se didn't know where to look at this inexcusable comment and quite frankly I am amazed it hasn't had any response in the media as its unjustified and totally out of order and would love to see Martin McHugh comment further on this and explain himself......

macca999 (Fermanagh) - Posts: 1098 - 01/07/2015 17:01:16    1746121