I didn't see the Down Fermanagh game only highlights on the Sunday game. If I seen it all and it was puke football then I would call it as I see it. Thats why I give Donegal so much stick cause I know other teams will copy them and the game will become a farce.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/06/2012 12:53:43    1186575

clondalkindub
County: Dublin
Posts: 2065

1186575 I didn't see the Down Fermanagh game only highlights on the Sunday game. If I seen it all and it was puke football then I would call it as I see it. Thats why I give Donegal so much stick cause I know other teams will copy them and the game will become a farce.

No clondalkindub, the game was a farce for decades anyway. For decades Kerry and Dublin won bucket loads of All Irelands, and what did it do for the game?
It did feck all for the game, apart from give them two counties huge ego's, and the stupid notion that the whole country wanted them to keep winning All Ireland titles. And to make it worse, The country had to sit through puke commentary on RTE listening to weak pundits backing Dublin for All Ireland success every year from 1996 until September 2011. Why? Because Dublin has the largest pool of potential viewers, and it would be pundit suicide not to back them.

Donegal's system works so well, because they have a talented squad of players. In fact Donegal have always had a decent team over the last 8 or 9 years, probably Ulster 3rd team for most of that period of the Tyrone/Armagh dominance. It was their volatile and self destructive nature that hampered them most often. Although constantly getting their bogey team Armagh year after year didnt help either.

As for other teams adopting it, There simply are not that many teams with the players to implement this Donegal system successfully. Like who of the lower teams could implement this system against the likes Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Kildare, Tyrone, Down, Mayo, Galway etc and get away with it? Donegal only manage it because they would be a top 8 team regardless of how they play most years. And out of the teams i actually listed, how many of them play ultra defensive football?

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 04/06/2012 20:32:44    1186926

Donegal only manage it because they would be a top 8 team regardless of how they play most years. And out of the teams i actually listed, how many of them play ultra defensive football?

Donegal changed their system because they werent a top 8 team,

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 04/06/2012 21:53:01    1187024

Steve
County: Fermanagh
Posts: 179

1178963 I for one am grateful to Donegal. Sunday had been a long day for me, and so I was more than happy for Donegal to come along and put me to sleep for a couple of hours. My god, what a boring brand of football.

Maith thú Steve. Fermanagh adopt the same tactics as Donegal but make a total balls of it. Hope you slept well Sunday night.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9136 - 06/06/2012 08:45:23    1187854

I had a fine nights sleep on Sunday Lockjaw, thank you for asking.

Its true to say though, that I feel less shame at a very limited bunch of players parking bus than you should at a morally bereft manager telling some of the best forwards in Ireland to play as one of 15 defenders.

Steve (Fermanagh) - Posts: 293 - 06/06/2012 11:35:02    1188008

Ignorance must be an awful affliction Steve!

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 06/06/2012 14:07:13    1188202

AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 640

1187024 Donegal only manage it because they would be a top 8 team regardless of how they play most years. And out of the teams i actually listed, how many of them play ultra defensive football?

Donegal changed their system because they werent a top 8 team,

That is incorrect, Donegal were a top 8 team for most of the last 10 years.
3 x Ulster finals, All Ireland quarter finalists 2004, 1 x All Ireland semi final 2006, National league champions 2007.
Donegal changed their tactics in order to break into the top 4. But they have always been a good side, with talented squads/players.

Top 8 teams of last 10 years, 1. Kerry, 2. tyrone, 3. Armagh, 4. Cork, 5. Dublin ( Purely based on All Ireland wins in 10 years).
After that, if you look at National league Division 1 or All Ireland QF teams, Donegal are up there a fair bit of the time.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 07/06/2012 14:39:50    1188970

GaryMc82
County: Derry
Posts: 62



They hadnt won an Ulster championship match in years before last year!

Top 8 team?

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20600 - 07/06/2012 15:19:52    1189008

Ahh yes, 'PUKE FOOTBALL'....now that brings me back I can tell ya: We used to play this game all the time!!.....Just have lots of kitchen roll handy and remove anything that easily breakable from the room before you start!!!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 07/06/2012 15:41:30    1189024

jimbodub
County: Dublin
Posts: 9019

1189008 GaryMc82
County: Derry
Posts: 62



They hadnt won an Ulster championship match in years before last year!

Top 8 team?

Your correct in that they hadnt won a Ulster match for 3 consecutive years ( 2008, 2009 and 2010 ).
However on either side of that, they did fairly well considering the dominance of Tyrone and Armagh in Ulster and indeed Ireland to a degree.
2 x All Ireland semi finals, 2 x All Ireland QF, 4 x Ulster finals. National league champs.

2007 Ulster SF ( Lost to Tyrone ), and later Monaghan in Qualifiers.
2006 All Ireland QF/Ulster runners up ( Armagh )
2005 Qualifier rd 2.
2004 Ulster runners up (Armagh )
2003 All Ireland SF
2002 Ulster runners up ( Armagh ), All Ireland QF ( Dublin replay )

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3017 - 08/06/2012 10:38:53    1189529