It may be too early just yet to make a definitive judgement. The lads didn't train all week which shows you the importance that was placed on this fixture. It was the same this time last year and Cork ran through us scoring 4 goals in the process. The fact that we're out that bit later in Ulster this year is playing a huge part in preparation. We looked very lethargic and unimaginative yesterday but I wouldn't necessarily say it's because the team as a whole is 'finished'.

Can I see us winning an All Ireland? No, not at this time.
Can I see us winning Ulster? Yes, but a big improvement and lift in intensity will be required. Hopefully what the management have in mind for the next 8 weeks.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9155 - 11/04/2016 10:28:28    1844169

McBreatty is wasted? He's a country mile there best player Murphy looks like an old man he was shocking yesterday McFadden is finished , Ryan Mchugh is great with his pace but let's be honest here Donegal have been found out 5 yeas ago no one had a clue what was going on and they win an all Ireland on the back of that but in 2014 after the semi final the whole country knew what had to be done you do exactly what they do you attack in numbers and defend in numbers and for me the team with the better players will always win now. I'm just being honest I'm not having a dig

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 11/04/2016 11:37:25    1844210

Donegal found out?

Garbage. They are still one of the four best sides albeit with Tyrone, Monaghan and now maybe Cavan nipping at their heels.
Donegal have older players yes but 32-34. Not over 35 as the media would have you believe.

Donegal were always up against it and are again this year for one important reason. We play our football in the bulldog pit that is Ulster.

Donegal now face at least three tough games to make the All Ireland quarter final. Fermanagh will be no pushover, Monaghan will be an all out war(please god its in Breffni Park not Clones) and if we survive that intact, whatever bodies are left will have to likely face Tyrone.

Thats just to win Ulster. Lose and we'll have to play too many games to get back by which time we'll again face a fresh Mayo side in quarter finals or win and hope we get a soft quarter final to get bodies back together.

In the meantime. Dublin play Kerry in two weeks and don't play another comparable match until they meet again in the AI semi final. Mayo too should progress though not as easily as Dublin to another AI semi final.

System does us no favours hence we are always longshots to go on and win an All Ireland
This year will be tougher still though as it appears like Kerry and Dublin have basically robbed Donegal's defensive gameplan and added on a more potent attack. Scary times ahead.

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 204 - 11/04/2016 12:29:23    1844237

Still possibly the third best team in Ireland. Apart from Dublin and Kerry, who would definitely beat them?

CmonAymonow (Laois) - Posts: 160 - 11/04/2016 12:44:00    1844243

Kerry have to play cork munster final, who are as good(on their day) as any ulster side and always try to peak for Kerry game I think this ulster championship is very predictable tyrone will be in the final v Donegal/monaghan simple as hardly the province of death anymore lot of mediocore sides and three decent ones

coopersleftfoot (Kerry) - Posts: 91 - 11/04/2016 12:44:54    1844245

Still possibly the third best team in Ireland. Apart from Dublin and Kerry, who would definitely beat them
mayo(unless it was a final) but that's it id say

coopersleftfoot (Kerry) - Posts: 91 - 11/04/2016 12:46:30    1844246

Still possibly the third best team in Ireland. Apart from Dublin and Kerry, who would definitely beat them
mayo(unless it was a final) but that's it id say

coopersleftfoot (Kerry) - Posts: 91 - 11/04/2016 12:46:39    1844248

Garbage? Ok will see, how are they the 3rd best team when Mayo have hammered them twice in there last two championship meetings?

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 11/04/2016 12:51:59    1844253

Shaggy wasn't a report issued recently which showed the vast majority of Donegal players injuries occurred at training!? This idea that playing in the Ulster championship is making them tired is a handy excuse that doesn't stand up to scrutiny at all. They will more than likely arrive at All-Ireland quarter final stage in August having played 3-4 championship games over 2 months. If that is making them too tired then there is something very wrong with their conditioning. If they had Dublins championship draw the complaint would be that they are coming into the quarter-final stage cold and playing teams who are battle-hardened.
The style of football Donegal play, and the type of training required to deliver it, is mentally very tiring and they now look like a team who could do with a completely new approach to try and reinvigorate themselves.

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 11/04/2016 12:56:41    1844254

Kerry have to play cork munster final, who are as good(on their day) as any ulster side and always try to peak for Kerry game I think this ulster championship is very predictable tyrone will be in the final v Donegal/monaghan simple as hardly the province of death anymore lot of mediocore sides and three decent ones

coopersleftfoot (Kerry) - Posts:40 - 11/04/2016 12:44:54

Bit unfair on the Ulster sides there, I think. While I can't see an Ulster side winning Sam this season, most of their teams were in either Division One or Division Two this year, and tbh I don't think you can compare having to play three tough championship games (as Donegal would have to) with Kerry skittling a hurling county before playing Cork.

Gleebo (Mayo) - Posts: 2208 - 11/04/2016 12:57:55    1844255

I would say judge Donegal in 9 weeks time...they've now got an ocean of time to work for the first time in a few years, foolish to write them off just yet.

Antrim and Fermanagh won't be thrilled at seeing what happened yesturday. Donegal didn't want to be in the league Semi's - the fact Gallagher gave them a week off before the final shows as much.

GetOverTheBar (Tyrone) - Posts: 1388 - 11/04/2016 13:14:31    1844259

don't think you can compare having to play three tough championship games (as Donegal would have to) with Kerry skittling a hurling county before playing Cork
mediocre was a bit harsh 2nd or 3rd tier maybe? If playing Fermanagh/antrim is seen as a tough game then all Ireland contenders you are not, I wasn't comparing the route anyway just that Kerry will play one tough game in munster compared to potentially 2 for Donegal. ye have it as tough as Donegal imho with galway and roscommon

I said 4th tbf. I'd have Mayo above Donegal right now but any of the big four can beat each other on their day if conditions are fair.

When I said Donegal were tired I meant Donegal have a far greater risk of losing in their provincial system. Once they do that, the backdoor means we have to play matches two weeks in a row sometimes like both times when Mayo easily beat us.

We lost to Monaghan both times, had short windows and were over the top come Mayo.
Even in 2014 after we had a monumental win over Monaghan our players were still struggling come the quarter final and we got the rub of the green against Armagh who could have beaten us. Then with a bit of rest and planning we took out the best side in the game in Gavin's only championship defeat in three years.

Donegal are not built for games in quick succession and playing at such intensity as Ulster whilst Dublin and Kerry and to a lesser extent Mayo means Donegal are always disadvantaged from the off compared to the other big guns.

HOWEVER... do what Joe Brolly and Eugene McGee are doing now. Write us off. Call us no hopers. We have some battle just to get back to another Ulster final never mind win it but if we do and are still standing come the AI semi final we are still a dangerous foe that can beat any and all of Mayo, Dublin and Kerry especially if we get Papa Durcan back. Defence is still rock solid on the big day and youth is getting its chance up front.

The players are there. As for the coach though, the jury still out

shaggykev (Donegal) - Posts: 204 - 11/04/2016 15:21:54    1844333

Soma - I've watched my county lift Sam on two occasions - that's twice as much as you have seen your county do it so need to put the boot in.

In relation to Ulster - there will be four Ulster sides in D1 next year and three in D2 therefore it is factually the most difficult province . Not even Tyrone in their pomp could win back to back . Most years , Mayo don't have to play a D1 team until August .

The premier league is the most competitive league but doesn't have the best side (s ) in Europe . No Ulster side will win Sam but it's still the toughest province .

As regards our chances this year . I think
yes we are in decline but that's okay because most counties apart from Kerry or Dublin stay at the top for long .

We have overachieved with limited resources these past few years . And yes '
Limited resources ' . I can debate that if one wishes .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 11/04/2016 15:49:35    1844350

It's hard to know what to make of what Donegal are at these days.
It's fair enough saying that the championship is the main aim but does that excuse the performances of the last few weeks?
For the first time in a long number of years I didn't travel to any away games, yesterday included.
I saw senior players who were obviously overweight staggering round Croke Park in a way that was embarrassing. What happened to the policy of giving the younger lads a go?
There are a lot of eggs in the championship basket this year. Will we rise like a soufflé or sink like a stone? I have my fears.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 11/04/2016 16:06:58    1844355

I don't think you can write off Donegal after yesterdays display as their approach seemed to be a bit casual to say the least. They were like a group of players whose team talk consisted of "go out lads and enjoy yereselves". Dublin approached it a little differently as they have a few lads on the fringe of the team who wanted to impress and a few of the regulars who were shaking off the cobwebs. The Dubs management would have rathered a tough game yesterday to keep them focused. The biggest problem Dublin have this year is complacency with the risk of being caught cold when they have their first real challenge in August. Donegal will regroup and will again be a major force in Ulster. I don't know if they are capable of winning Sam again but I think it would be foolish to take them lightly. Kerry looked like the Kerry of old yesterday and Roscommon found out just how hard it is to win matches in Croke Park. Maybe now they will have a little more sympathy for the trials and tribulations of their near neighbours. (I won't hold my breath).However Roscommon now know that having nice handy footballers is no longer enough and that they need to toughen up if they want to compete at the top. The talent is there but the dedication needed is crazy.

Llaw_Gyffes (Mayo) - Posts: 1113 - 11/04/2016 16:08:34    1844357

Yes I would hold off my judgement of this Donegal team for now, looking back at it last night it did look like they just turned up to fill the fixture.
Or maybe I'm taking away from how good we were?

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 11/04/2016 16:31:48    1844371

It's hard to know what to make of what Donegal are at these days.
It's fair enough saying that the championship is the main aim but does that excuse the performances of the last few weeks?
For the first time in a long number of years I didn't travel to any away games, yesterday included.
I saw senior players who were obviously overweight staggering round Croke Park in a way that was embarrassing. What happened to the policy of giving the younger lads a go?
There are a lot of eggs in the championship basket this year. Will we rise like a soufflé or sink like a stone? I have my fears.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts:3883 - 11/04/2016 16:06:58 1844355

Very fair comments , if I say it well it looks as though Im gloating , which is not the case , really is a case of wait and see , as some lads have said a lot of miles on the clock and perhaps aiming to peak at exactly the right time is the strategy , if it works genius if it fails well a lot of time wasted and quite a lot of Donegal supporters Id imagine will view most recent displays in a somewhat different light.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 11/04/2016 16:31:49    1844372

TRS
Soma - I've watched my county lift Sam on two occasions - that's twice as much as you have seen your county do it so need to put the boot in.
It's even more impressive than that as Lancashire are yet to win Sam so you have seen them win it 2 times more than my own county rather than just the once that you stated! Still, Donegal should probably measure themselves against bigger teams than ourselves.
Not sure what I said there makes you think was me putting the boot in, your own physio for the last 2 years has called for more games and less training, yet we are to believe recent championship defeats are due to Donegal being tired?!

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 11/04/2016 19:28:47    1844434

The simple truth is that donegal don't care one bit about the league. Their main objective was to retain division 1 status and they accomplished that with ease. Yesterday's performance was poor yes but I wouldn't write us off quite just yet. We won't be far away come september

Terrorist (Donegal) - Posts: 91 - 11/04/2016 20:10:21    1844442