Using a famous quote from a equally famous Donegal man referring to the gooch cooper, could this phrase be applied to Jim McGuinness and DONEGAL? Kerry today had to play a brand of football they no doubt despise, they played a Donegal brand of the game. It was the right decision. They mirrored Donegal tactics and came out top.Kerry showed that they can adapt their play depending on the opposition. Is this Donegal outfit finished? Is McGuinness a one sam pony? I think they are, they have been found out, dublin showed us all how not to play them, Armagh and Kerry showed us how to. Do onto them as they do onto others and if your team has the better players they will prevail.

cacsmckilly (Tyrone) - Posts: 1294 - 21/09/2014 17:23:06    1654523

In one word...yes

Rockies (Cork) - Posts: 947 - 21/09/2014 18:37:33    1654608

hopefully that'll be he last of them for another 20 years.

Miler (Mayo) - Posts: 1015 - 21/09/2014 19:14:45    1654667

Donegal werent well beaten like dublin were in the semi-final. If Durcan didnt mess up and McFadden/O Connor scored it could have been a very different scoreline.

Saying all that, both teams were not at their best, thats for sure.

Ronan1989 (Donegal) - Posts: 81 - 21/09/2014 19:26:18    1654688

Maybe cacs Tyrone GAA people would be better off asking why they have fallen off the radar as a top team and also pose the question whether the multi million pound development at Garvaghey has been a waste of money given the lack of talent coming through?

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9697 - 21/09/2014 19:28:44    1654697

I don't think tonight is the time for posts like this. This Donegal team are not blessed with riches of natural footballers but what they have achieved in 4 years is one of the best all time GAA stories. Your own county were blessed with 20 plus natural footballers and achieved greatness after copying a blueprint from your nearest neighbours which allowed Senior success. The big question now for your county is to find a pony out of limited resources which allow you to compete like this great Donegal team have. Let this Donegal team take credit for there achievements they owe nobody nothing, being successful is easy when you have naturally great players, being so when you dont deserves respect, that one trick pony you talk about give Donegal there best ever era.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 21/09/2014 19:42:50    1654727

That was a woeful bad final. Wretched football for the first 40 minutes, then finally a bit of a spark towards the end. Are Donegal a one trick pony? Well, Kerry toyed with them for the last 10 minutes, and when Donegal needed to press men up the field they sat back and persisted with this wall defence. Kerry just played the ball around in front of them, yet they refused to go man for man and push up on them. Cost them the game in the end.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1071 - 21/09/2014 19:50:41    1654737

They were outsmarted in a poor all Ireland but if they had won it would be all about how tactically superior they were.
In truth it took kerry 3 weeks to out master them at there own system cause pound for pound they had better footballers no matter the system.

OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1764 - 21/09/2014 19:51:42    1654742

Miler
County: Mayo
Posts: 484

1654667
hopefully that'll be he last of them for another 20 years.

That long losing streak is weighing heavy on some lads!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 21/09/2014 19:57:21    1654752

Well said Ned _stormcrow

Pat29 (Kerry) - Posts: 2 - 21/09/2014 20:19:33    1654793

Donegal players called dublin 1 dimensional maybe they should of kept quiet till they won something

D5dub (Dublin) - Posts: 283 - 21/09/2014 20:29:54    1654814

Donegal players called dublin 1 dimensional maybe they should of kept quiet till they won something

D5dub (Dublin) - Posts: 283 - 21/09/2014 20:31:33    1654821

Donegal were 2-3 points down close to stoppage time and I counted 14 Donegal men behind the ball

But hey... they were within a whisker of drawing the game

But it woulndnt have been fair on Kerry

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 21/09/2014 20:32:12    1654825

Not a great team,but a good team.they proved today that any system has it's flaws.

bistokid69 (Dublin) - Posts: 20 - 21/09/2014 20:44:50    1654846

Errrr.........so 2012 doesn't count then D5Dub?

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9697 - 21/09/2014 20:47:05    1654850

donegal players are nowhere near skilled as Kerry ,like man on man Donegal would be destroyed , if you had to stick to man on man like the old days ,the final would of been dublin v kerry and probably a good game too ,donegal were afraid to kick it long ,cant tackle unless there's three other players there to help out,playing it back the way all the time ,kept themselves in the first half by handy frees i think it was twenty five minutes before the first score from play ,and i have not seen a good donegal game since Jim took over ,they kind of got a taste of there own medicine today .they would never cope against donaghy and o donoughe man on man , never !
brutal final but well done kerry .

bisto kid (Cavan) - Posts: 492 - 21/09/2014 21:00:20    1654868

bisto kid
County: Cavan
Posts: 452
i have not seen a good donegal game since Jim took over.

It is not often that I am left speechless, but this is one of those times.

I'm off to bed now, I feel a headache coming.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 21/09/2014 21:05:56    1654878

Donegal were there for the taking but a lot of teams couldn't cause they didn't know how or underestimated them, for the sake of football I'm delighted they got beaten but they showed what can be done with a limited panel and have given a lot of us minnow s hope and a goal.
I just pray to god it evolves and is a better spectacle in the future.

OhtobeARossie (Roscommon) - Posts: 1764 - 21/09/2014 21:16:29    1654890

Unbelieveable.

After The Dublin victory people throughout the country were rightly praising this Donegal side for what they have achieved after playing brilliantly to knock out last year all ireland champions.
One game later and the critics come flying in again saying that they are One trick pony team that is terrible for the Gaa.

As I said, unbelievable.
Proud of my team and county.

fielder (Donegal) - Posts: 137 - 21/09/2014 21:29:34    1654906

Ronan1989
County: Donegal
Posts: 9

1654688
Donegal werent well beaten like dublin were in the semi-final. If Durcan didnt mess up and McFadden/O Connor scored it could have been a very different scoreline.

Saying all that, both teams were not at their best, thats for sure.


yeah and if connolly or o gara scored their goal chances donegal would have been beaten too by the same scoreline
as monghan were by dublin.

hill16no1man (Dublin) - Posts: 12665 - 21/09/2014 21:32:49    1654911