Donegal will not retain Sam in 2013, Tyrone will put Donegal into the Rd 1 Qualifiers.

kerryrowz (Kerry) - Posts: 833 - 13/01/2013 19:41:35    1317767

Are you a fortune teller Kerry?

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 13/01/2013 19:46:55    1317770

Donegal won the Mckenna cup in 2009 and were out of the championship in June (badly)
Had a miserable Mckenna cup campaign last year

Go Figure

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 13/01/2013 19:49:16    1317772

kerryrowz
County: Kerry
Posts: 519

1317767
Donegal will not retain Sam in 2013, Tyrone will put Donegal into the Rd 1 Qualifiers

The first round of the Ulster championship is six months away. I follow Donegal round the place & haven't a clue what is going to happen next June so you repeating this mantra all over the place is strange to say the least.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 13/01/2013 20:09:29    1317791

I reckon Tyrone are a dark horse for Sam this year, Justin McMahon, S Cavanagh and K Coney were missing last year for tyrone and only for a brillant save by Durkan from penrose was the diff that day.

Donegal have some of my fav players such as K Lacey and M Murphy but i feel they lack a bench. Their superior fitness carried them last year and at this stage in 2012 Donegal had 3 months training. Donegal are not a team that will retain Sam.

kerryrowz (Kerry) - Posts: 833 - 13/01/2013 20:27:21    1317807

The Donegal lads are still on holiday mentally (they were in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, cant remember which) and are not fielding their best team( due to players playing for college or simply trying out new players, When Fermanagh bet them the other night, they did not field a single player from the all-ireland winning team. I think Jim wants to inject some new blood into the championship to freshen things up and give himself more options. Dublin are doing the same, getting beat by wicklow at home today. Any Dublin or Donegal fans wont be worried, they are still favourites to lift their provincial titles and be in a position to reach the big one in september

john.no1 (Sligo) - Posts: 470 - 13/01/2013 20:33:59    1317813

Your right Kerryrowz, Donegal are done for! Bring on 'Clones' in June.

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 13/01/2013 20:36:35    1317815

I really think it has backfired on Jim McGuinness sending out youngsters to play for the senior team. How demoralizing it must be to represent your county as AI champions and to take such hammerings on the pitch. I know it might seem a bit dramatic but these results really can dent a young players confidence in the long run. Granted it's only the McKenna cup, but even so it is rather mystifying- Has Jim taken his eye off the ball?

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 13/01/2013 21:03:08    1317835

Balancing 2 teams in different sports seems to have affected Jimmy's judgement!
Donegal will not retain the AI this year!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 13/01/2013 21:29:13    1317857

It never fails to amaze me how much people read into these warm up competitions. Donegal in the summer are light years ahead of Monaghan.

ballybannongael (Down) - Posts: 547 - 14/01/2013 08:33:02    1317881

You can't take anything from these results at all, for the serious contenders its a chance to look at other players, you have to take the results for what they are, but they have no bearing whatsoever on even league form never mind championship.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4954 - 14/01/2013 08:44:56    1317886

It is true that this is not any reflection of league or championship form.....but i also believe Donegal will be lucky to make semi's this year! They won a lucky all-ireland last year because they were well drilled in a year where none of the big guns fired!!!

pigonastick (Dublin) - Posts: 487 - 14/01/2013 10:26:54    1317916

It was no lucky AI for Donegal last year pigonastick, youv'e some neck on
ye saying that after the fortuitous AI the Dubs won in 2011! ;)
Yesterday's game is nothing to go by, fair enough, but Donegal may well
suffer from burnout this year! Do they want it as bad as they did last year,
is the question! The Dubs certainly didn't last year.

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 14/01/2013 10:37:06    1317922

Pigonastick

Lmfao

Would it be luckier than the one ye won in 2011, where ye beat nobody, beat a Donegal team in the semi with one forward (and still made dam hard work of it) and then were gifted the win in the final by a referee and a Kerry team that took the foot off the gas?

Lifford Gael (Donegal) - Posts: 1925 - 14/01/2013 10:42:49    1317927

I honestly think Tyrone will beat them in the first round but they will do well trough the back door .

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 14/01/2013 11:01:48    1317941

TheGateKeeper
County: Tyrone
Posts: 1213

1317815
Your right Kerryrowz, Donegal are done for! Bring on 'Clones' in June

I wouldn't be putting my life savings on Clones as a venue if I was you Gatekeeper!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 14/01/2013 11:08:48    1317945

kerryrowz
County: Kerry
Posts: 520

1317807 I reckon Tyrone are a dark horse for Sam this year, Justin McMahon, S Cavanagh and K Coney were missing last year for tyrone and only for a brillant save by Durkan from penrose was the diff that day.

Donegal have some of my fav players such as K Lacey and M Murphy but i feel they lack a bench. Their superior fitness carried them last year and at this stage in 2012 Donegal had 3 months training. Donegal are not a team that will retain Sam.

Tyrone are untested really, they left it far too long to rebuild and now have to bleed a new generation of players. I was at the Tyrone v Donegal last season in Clones, and Donegal should have won by more. Tyrone were a mess in Killarney, definitely not the same side that Donegal had played.

As for Donegal, I don't think your statement is an accurate. They were as fit as Cork, Mayo and Dublin, but i dont think they were any fitter than those sides. They were better drilled and organised. And had their tactics right more than their opposition.

By saying fitness carried them, is basically saying the Donegal players would not be skillfully good enough otherwise. Donegal have produced some fantastic footballers over the last 25 years, and have had some fantastic teams. They always lacked the discipline and were known to self destruct.
Like many other teams, they didnt have the underage setup of others. Thus limiting what they could produce

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 14/01/2013 11:24:06    1317958

I think Tyrone are good value this year. Some very good young players in the panel and if they can keep their key players fit I think they will go very far in the championship. PLayers like Matty Donnelly, Coney and there is a young fella from Omagh I can't think of his name seem to be serious players. If they can keep the more experienced players like Cavanagh and O'Neil fit then I can't see them being beaten.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 14/01/2013 11:36:15    1317971

In all fairness i dont think Donegal are too worried. No familiar faces on the team. Watch them in the league!

db9 (Meath) - Posts: 283 - 14/01/2013 11:39:11    1317976

I also think Donegal will win Ulster again. People are forgetting Jim has never lost a big game and Tyrone are a poor enough team these days. Only calling it as it is. last 2 championship exits testify that. Cant see them beating Donegal in Ulster this year.

db9 (Meath) - Posts: 283 - 14/01/2013 11:45:08    1317980