Does anyone know whether the Dr Mckenna Cup Squad has been named yet?

new_bred (Down) - Posts: 14 - 19/12/2008 14:15:08    168185

It is in this weeks Gaelic Life, no real surprisesHugh Davey Joe Ireland and Michael Magee included. No Ambrose, but other than that it is what you would expect. Only 28 names though so there will be another 2 players added at least.

Ambi (Louth) - Posts: 8 - 21/12/2008 19:43:11    169022

Its on the down website now as well.

Doesn't look that strong,think our division 1 clubs are not well enough represented.

Looking at last years league table and the amount of players that are included from our top sides is poor.
Kilcoo 2nd in Div1 - no players
Rostrevor 3rd in Div1 - 1 player
Castlewellan 4th Div1 - 1 player

Surely these teams should have many more players on the squad.....

Looking futher down division 1,Loughinisland, Liatriom and Longstone only represented with 1 player between them, this leaves half our our top flight teams from last year with only 3 players on the county team,surely this shouldn't be the case.

theladd (Down) - Posts: 43 - 22/12/2008 09:06:15    169171

Aghaderg Rory Simpson An Riocht Brendan McVeigh John Clarke Annaclone Gary McArdle Ardglass Michael Magee Atticall Louis Sloan Ballyholland Paul Murphy Ballymartin Peter Fitzpatrick Bryansford Joseph Ireland Burren Ciaran McGovern Eoin McCartan Kevin McKernan Castlewellan Kevin Duffin Clann na Banna Michael McAllister Clonduff Aidan Carr John Fegan Drumgath Jackie Lynch Loughinisland Gareth Johnston Mayobridge Brendan Coulter Cathal Magee Conor Garvey Ronan Sexton Rostrevor Martin Cole Saval Stephen Kearney Daniel Hughes Shamrocks Hugh Davey Damian Rafferty Warrenpoint John Boyle

A.Derg (Down) - Posts: 67 - 22/12/2008 10:15:51    169204

Good analysis there theladd. One a lot of people probably were not aware of.

The only thing i could say is that there are a few boys from these clubs involved with university tea,s. O'Reilly from Loughinisland, Murney from Rostrevor, Crilly from Castlewellan. These boys may or may not be involved with the county set up later in the year.

RedAdmiral (None) - Posts: 85 - 22/12/2008 11:10:31    169245

theladd i tink u wil find kilcoo won the league so u should say 1st kilcoo just thought id point tat out 2 u as
u hve said 2nd kilcoo in ur last comment.......... but ur right bout the rest ther should b more players frm division teams on the county panel.....

brfforlife (Down) - Posts: 136 - 22/12/2008 18:51:14    169617

No Michael Walsh either, there is bound to be a few lads on that Kilcoo team worth a place in the mcKenna cup squad?!

down gaa (Down) - Posts: 119 - 22/12/2008 21:47:07    169671

seems to be every year we have this issue that no kilcoo lads are in the county team.. joke i think thats the likes kevin anderson( not county materia)l is better than the likes of conor lavery etc!! castlewellan should be well more represented to an longstone but sure give ross 1 more year an he could be gone.

dj27legend (Down) - Posts: 641 - 23/12/2008 19:35:47    170156

get ross out

THATSRIGHT (Down) - Posts: 16 - 23/12/2008 21:35:46    170207

seems to be that the ones posting looking ross out are the ones with the issues. what more could any other manager have done with the team in 08. very little im sure you are saying. its was the first time in 14 years we played a chamionship match in croke + we were still playing football in august. i think that is progress, major progress at that. so if your dont like the way things are going stay at home and be a critic, but no doubt yous are the ones who will be there and from the first whistle til the last mouthin off. wear the red and black and go support your county and get behind the team and just not in the big games,start on sunday and go to at least all of the home matches up until the championship and then follow them with pride right through the summer

newryview (Down) - Posts: 748 - 01/01/2009 21:40:23    171919

Sorry newryview have to disagree with you that last year is as good as we could of done,Armagh was a game we should or could of won and we should of been capable of beating Wexford.I'm not saying that progress had not been made but looking at this years McKenna cup squad I don't really see us pushing forward when for some reason we seem unwilling to look at players from our top club sides and surely the McKenna cup is the time to be doing this.Would be nice to hear why these players aren't being selected but once again it all happens behind closed door and no body wants to explain their decisions,surely that cant be to much to ask for?How is the McKenna cup being approached this year?trails for players?seeing how players fit into a team?seeing how players fit into a system?hard to make judgements on what is going on when we have little or no information.

I do also think you can support your team and also not think that everything that is happening within the system is correct and surely its better to say that here than from the stands on Sunday when the team will need our support.

theladd (Down) - Posts: 43 - 02/01/2009 11:06:38    172008

Totally agree Newryview, disappointing we didn't get promotion from div 3, and turned in a diabolical display against leitrim to seal it, however the standard of the teams above us was shown by the progression in the c/ship of Fermanagh (ulster final replay) and Wexford (all-ireland semi), so we have strong reasons to be optimistic on league 2009. Also, we played 6 games in the c/ship, a damn sight more than expected when the draw was made. Ross has done better than could be expected with a mediocre team (exception of 2-3 star performers). Glad to see experimental panel for the McKenna Cup, as need some new blood to work with the experienced few we have (Down still have one of the lowest average aged panels in the Country). Its easy to knock the management for collective teams poor performance, as its "not the done thing" to criticise individual players, however until someone can come up with 15 players of the calibre of the current Tyrone or Kerry squad, we work with what we have. Everyone should get behind Ross & DJ 100%, and give committed support a chance for a change !

Burnsey (Down) - Posts: 561 - 02/01/2009 11:09:08    172009

THATSRIGHT, get ross out?? dont be stupid! were u even at the games last year??
if someone said to me at the start of the year that down would be playin at croke park in august i wouldv laughed. ross did well with that team last year. We beat the AI champions, got beat by the ulster champions and got put out by AI semi finalists wexord! that squad that he picked is there to work with through the mckenna cup and national league. obviously its not the championship squad. he knows what he's doin.

glenn_abu (Down) - Posts: 515 - 02/01/2009 18:14:43    172164

we got tyrone on an of day, wexford and armagh made us look lyk we boys simple as.........
wel if the man pickd the best playrs in the county it would help ross hasnt a clue
theres plyrs frm clubs lyk longstone,castlewellan,rostvervor,kilcoo and mayobridge that should b on the panel instead of plyr from div 2 and 3 teams who shuldnt b near it.....

THATSRIGHT (Down) - Posts: 16 - 02/01/2009 19:56:17    172214

Down have not progressed since POR left, Down were a division 2 side then and by the time DJ and Ross experimented with anyone who'd buy them a drink we ended up in DIV 3!

Down havent played a championship game in years in croke park - yeah that's right, but thats not due to progress thats because of the Qualifiers as well as Croke Park being opened more often!

It's only fair to give new players a chance - but they have to be of a certain standard to begin with!! DJ & CO need to take their heads out of the sand, there are better players in Down - for the future of Down football!!

downsupporter1 (Down) - Posts: 13 - 02/01/2009 20:35:13    172231

its a disgrace how kilcoo the league champions dont have 1 player on the county they shud have at least 2
ross mustnt watch division 1 games

stonedog (Down) - Posts: 352 - 02/01/2009 21:04:56    172239

I h8 the ppl talk about the teams players play 4, im not sayin that there isnt a few players that shud b on the down squad that play 4 top reams but there are a few fanastic players on the squad that arent playin 4 the best of teams but they are as good an even better than players in the top teams. Selecters go by what teams players play 4 rather than giving players a chnace, thats wat is wrong wif down football from the underage development.

updapoint (Down) - Posts: 18 - 02/01/2009 23:17:45    172281

Thatsright, how can you say we got tyrone on an off day when it took extra time in a replay to separate the teams !! Are you saying we got tyrone on an off 170 mins ?? Thats a ludicrous statement, so either you can't count, can't read football, or most likely, you weren't there !!

Burnsey (Down) - Posts: 561 - 03/01/2009 14:24:33    172364

THATSRIGHT, your just wind up. you actually make me laugh! If it was an off day the 1st game against tyrone, do you not think that they wouldv put us away in the replay!? jesus man!
And here see all this rubbish about "Kilcoo division 1 winners, should have players on county"?? Who cares? Clonoe, the winners of the tyrone championship ad no players who wer on the county team that won the AI! Maybe theres attitude problems, maybe there actually not good enough, maybe theres still players that are going to be called up for the league, i dont know. but i know for fact that ROss will do his best to pick the best team possible!!

glenn_abu (Down) - Posts: 515 - 03/01/2009 15:58:08    172396

glenn_abu your views show that your from a low division club and seem to be jealous of the top teams in division 1
some of the players on the county panel wouldnt make some division 1 teams its a disgrace

stonedog (Down) - Posts: 352 - 03/01/2009 20:17:16    172452