5 defeats in a row, serious miles on the clock, no Ulster team stays successful forever therefore are we starting to see the end of Donegals glory years. I cannot see how they will compete with Dublin, Mayo or Kerry and it appears Monaghan have worked them out in Ulster. I predict an early visit to the Qualifers for this team.

sam1884 (UK) - Posts: 999 - 10/04/2016 18:06:02    1843967

I wouldn't disagree with your post .

We don't have any sort of a game plan . Still think we could win Ulster and you never know after that .

Can't see us challenging anymore !

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 10/04/2016 18:26:27    1843970

We looked lively at the start of the league but once the fitness of other teams progressed, we seemed to be short on ideas. I think we are less sure under Gallagher what we are about tactically. Under McGuinness it used to be very assured within the team what was happening. We are neither attacking not defending very well of late. Donegal players owe us nothing. Have been magnificent servants but Tyrone and Monaghan are ahead of us I would feel this year for Ulster.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 10/04/2016 18:39:39    1843979

Have to agree with Sam its curtains for this Donegal team they had one
good year under Mcguinness it will be along time before they will win
Ulster looked a poor team today

wfkerry (USA) - Posts: 933 - 10/04/2016 18:45:58    1843985

Donegal a bit too downbeat, few teams are going to get close to this Dublin outfit this season, still life in the old Donegal dog yet.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 10/04/2016 18:50:47    1843989

I don't like kicking a team when they're down but I would be inclined to agree. The last few years, their lack of strength and depth has really cost them and it was really shown up today when 2 of the subs they brought on have a combined age of almost 70. McFadden and Toye have been great servants to Donegal but their best years are well behind them. The talent that is Michael Murphy is being completely wasted. McBrearty has the potential to be mentioned in the same breath as Cillian O'Connor or James O'Donoghue and is being completely wasted. I'm sure Donegal fans were delighted when Donegal won the All Ireland in 2012 but surely even they don't want to see their team make a show of (at least) 2 super footballers just to win an All Ireland. No fan wants to see their team post 4 points from play or have a much vaunted defence shipping a whopping 1-20!

With Tyrone and Cavan motoring well and on the opposite side of the draw, Donegal could stumble to another Ulster final but after that, have they the legs to go to September again? Only time will tell but they need to unearth some new tactics and some new players sooner rather than later if they are to do that.

Long.Dub.Glic (Dublin) - Posts: 190 - 10/04/2016 18:51:47    1843991

Donegal did not train once this week.
Eyes on a bigger prize.
Keep the faith.

bcfb (Donegal) - Posts: 18 - 10/04/2016 18:59:10    1843994

Kerryman, i think they had more than one good year under McGuinness now in fairness. That's a fairly lame assessment.

Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1321 - 10/04/2016 19:06:54    1844000

I think that donegal's best years are behind us. Last year was the beginning of the end, not this year.

There is such a thing as transition, ours could be a long one. We dont have the squads that either dublin or kerry have (or indeed mayo).
I think that we may well push on in ulster as I dont think that monaghan are really that good despite their recent victory against us, but the likes of tyrone and particularly cavan, are waiting in the long grass. We will see.

On today's performances, you would say that the all ireland is now a 2 team competition, I am delighted we won sam in 2012, and got to a final 2 years ago. But it really is at a stage of development in the 2 big counties that other teams can only aspire to.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3830 - 10/04/2016 19:09:12    1844003

Donegalman

I agree,I also fear that the gap will get bigger and bigger sadly..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2016 19:10:08    1844004

Donegal look like a team in decline, , looked like a team who did not think they could win, but maybe saving their best for the summer

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2142 - 10/04/2016 19:40:32    1844020

Plenty arriving to stick the knife into Donegal.

No surprises there ;)

greatpoint (USA) - Posts: 427 - 10/04/2016 19:47:29    1844024

They lost a League Semi Final that they didn't seem that interested in.

I'd hold off on the obituaries.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13707 - 10/04/2016 19:54:38    1844031

Donegal didn't train once this week because they've eyes on the bigger prize? Saving themselves for their Championship opener - in 2 months?

CroiGorm (Dublin) - Posts: 1547 - 10/04/2016 20:40:06    1844062

Donegal ...found out....no longer can they try and beat dublin by putting their whole team behind the ball..were'nt as negative today as the last day..but seems dublin have learned to deal with these kind of teams since that 2014 semi final..they where losing either way today be it ultra defensive or partly atrack minded..a run in the qualifiers this year is all there suited for on todays performance anyway..tyrone will be gunning for them this year in ulster..

GGdub (Dublin) - Posts: 260 - 10/04/2016 20:44:43    1844066

Definitely not has assured playing the system as they were under McGuinness. To borrow a Martin McHugh simile, there's a bit of the one trick pony about them in the tactics department. Once a team gets a 3 or 4 point lead on them it seems there is no way back for without goals. They don't seem to be able to gather any kind of attacking momentum to put a string of points together. I still think there is life left in them. The game plan needs to be tweaked and their fitness levels improved but they would still be dangerous opposition for anyone during the summer.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4700 - 10/04/2016 20:52:50    1844078

Donegal ...found out..

GGdub (Dublin) - Posts:12 - 10/04/2016 20:44:43

Now where have I heard this piece of idiocy before?

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/04/2016 21:11:22    1844087

Disapointing to have lost so heavily today but would be one of the band to wait and see what championsip donegal are like before passing final judgement.
Seemed to me today looking at it from the stands that there was no huge effort by donegal to win the game. Im not saying the save themselves for a rather uninspiring championship opener in 2 months thing but just that there was no concerted effort made to establish a strategy for beating dublin, which would have been put in place for a championship match.
Man for man donegal will not beat dublin and today that was the case. It seemed to me there was just an atitude of go out and give it a go but no real plan. This is not the way it would be for either side come august.
Worrying signs for me is that players, even murph, were operating today outside of a defined system and that would be back to the old donegal. There's no place for the individual in the modern game and the only time you see one is where the overall system has failed. It's not just today either, the past few games have seen individuals trying to make things happen which as depressing as it might sound is not a positive thing in the modern era.
The nature of a must win in the first round of an ulater championship will say a lot more about summer prospects than today

2ndcumin (Donegal) - Posts: 22 - 10/04/2016 21:16:56    1844089

Donegal may well be a spent force but don't have any more mileage than the spine of a very good Kerry team,

It was a minor miracle that the were so competitive in 2011, 2012 and 2014 what with it being the economically poorest county ravished by emigration of its football playing population. The well being of its panel back then was financed by personal contacts of their coach and is no longer a given from the county board. Its true to say that as underdogs they have punched way above their weight and their players owe little to their fans at this stage.
I must admit a begrudging admiration to their refusal (until today) to be bullied by media, punters and ex players of prominent counties to be steam rolled by a super power by going 'man to man' .. that approach would definitely not have won 3 Ulsters and an AI. For those of us not liking their style of play..well we didnt have to watch it except when they played our own county.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 506 - 10/04/2016 21:51:26    1844112

Neither team was full out for this match, really hard to judge anything

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 11/04/2016 08:21:33    1844121