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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Yea agree but apart from mc Cole we're not producing defenders like say Jason foley.mike breen etc big imposing defenders who are also mobile. Most of our defenders are small pacy who like to attack but who are not comfortable in 1 to 1. I know the zonal system has its merits but good footballers like kerry have, will work round it.."
Yeah I agree that a team as good as Kerry can work around it, but I suppose my thinking would be that if we improved our midfield contest and got our hands on enough ball, would we engineer enough scores the other way and the zone just does enough?

probably a somewhere in the middle really because I don't see McGuinness moving away from the zone or tearing up the script next year. if McGonagle sat at 6 and another type like him who is mobile and covers the ground well, along with McCole, and you probably have a good mix of that type of defender and then the zonal system as well?

my concern now is really around the midfield. Jason was fit enough to be on the bench towards the end of the season but didn't complete a 70 minutes all season did he? Has he got that in him with his hip problems or is it a max amount of time he can give on the pitch and that's why he only played a half v Louth and bench appearances since then? Can we rely on him coming back and flying it like he was last year for example. Hughie is another year on and was brilliant this year, but again has he 70+ in him? So we're asking Langan and Thompson around the middle but we need a spoiler type and another bit of badness around there in my view. I'm a big fan of McGonagle but think his best position is 6 and don't reallly want to move him from there to be honest.

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 274 - 01/08/2025 11:33:04    2629629

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Replying To papa_pump:  "
Replying To Commodore:  "[quote=Mousie34:  "Hi Commodore, you are kind of reinforcing my point - of course Patton wasen't dropping the ball in top of Joe O'Connor [that would just be daft
but if you seen that Joe O'Connor was being mobile switch it up. I think after the second one didn't work it should of been switched up, I don't think you need instruction from the side line to tell you that. It's a bit late at half time to get to grips with it. I was chatting to a family member of the squad before the match and he was telling me that the noise in Croker it is hard to hear the man beside you even! I don't think I'm being too critical, maybe I am, but as I said it is just my analysis of the season and thoughts for the future. Hopefully there will be lessons learnt, but I just can't see them bouncing back next year - hopefully I'm wrong though, I would gladly eat my words!! Whatever the storey is they will have my 100% support..."
Ok, well I get your logic, but I think the issue was with the outfield players, not Patton.

If you watch out the field when Patton is about to kick out, he looks around for a hand signal, different players hand signal to him to show they are open or space near them is open and he kicks then.

A lot of players didn't signal until it was too late, he was scanning the field before lining up his kick and numerous times I could see that nobody was signalling, Eventually a few of them would signal, but by then it was too late."]A point I always thought was interesting was from Jim Gavin's training sessions. The dubs used to play A versus B in the buildup to a big game at Croke Park, but they weren't allowed to talk during the session, with the point being that you won't be able to hear each other on All Ireland final day so you need to be able to read your team mates body language etc"]That's an interesting one, never heard that before.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1452 - 01/08/2025 11:38:54    2629632

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Replying To Donegalexile:  "My only issue with going for more out and out defenders is we could end up robbing Peter to pay Paul. Throughout the year and in build up to the game, one of our major strengths always referenced was our ability to get scores from anywhere, 10-12 different scorers per game. In the 2 games we lost this year, on Sunday we had 6 scorers and against Tyrone 5 scorers. I would have a fear if we were to replace 2 attack minded defenders with 2 out and out defenders, the lower spread will happen more often and it would require Gallen and COD to go to another level to make up the deficit.

While I agree more traditional defenders are needed in the 11v11, It definitely feels like a double edged sword."
I agree with you. Our zonal defence worked well all year, it shouldn't be totally abandoned because of one bad game. The main problem against Kerry was that we lost every kickout in the first half and we had no possession. I think we all agree that we don't have man-to-man markers in the county so McGuinness plays a zonal system. The full forward were good on Sunday, got scores with very little ball. With the new rules the midfield battle at kickouts is going to determine most games.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1930 - 01/08/2025 12:17:55    2629641

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Replying To ahsure.:  "Yep I think Clifford was averaging 9.5 points per game coming into final, McCole kept him to9 (which is good going considering 3 x 2pts) but that score conceded needs to come down big time going forward to impact scoreboard.

How that's done, I do not know."
He's the best player I've ever seen but Jesus Christ this "9 points" talk is a little anoying. He scored 3 two pointers and one of them was at the footer and had nothing to do with McCole. It's very difficult to defend against players who can hit them. He also got a handy 1 pointer from a mistake that wasn't on McCole. In truth he had 6 points in old currency and 3 of which were from long range. Not like he broke free and roasted McCole. Prime Neil McGee would have struggled against him too.
It's not like Clifford scored 9 shots. It was 6. Still an amazing performance but come on.

For the record, I like the 2 point rule but in no way should it be given for frees beyond the arc. It's much more difficult to hit it from play then a placed ball or a free with the ball in your hands.

Already buzzing for next season. Hope Jim gets everyone to commit back next year and he finds a gem or two during the club championship. We're as good as anyone but need to keep that confidence going in to next year.

eddieSize5Balls (Donegal) - Posts: 227 - 01/08/2025 16:05:13    2629672

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Replying To Green_Gold:  "I agree with you. Our zonal defence worked well all year, it shouldn't be totally abandoned because of one bad game. The main problem against Kerry was that we lost every kickout in the first half and we had no possession. I think we all agree that we don't have man-to-man markers in the county so McGuinness plays a zonal system. The full forward were good on Sunday, got scores with very little ball. With the new rules the midfield battle at kickouts is going to determine most games."
Possession from kickouts and breaking ball is a bit of a lottery.Kerry cleaned up in the first half but against Tyrone they won very little but they really walked through Tyrones man marking and were unlucky not to have 6 or 7 goals,I don't think a team will dominate midfield 2 days in a row.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1188 - 01/08/2025 16:40:39    2629681

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You would have expected that Mogan,Roarty,McHugh,Moore,Langan ,McGee,Thompson and McBrearty would have landed about 8 points between them but nothing.
You would also think the 2 point rule would suit us with the likes of Murphy,Gallen McBrearty Langan and Thompson all strong and accurate kickers of the ball.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1188 - 01/08/2025 16:52:08    2629683

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