db9
County: Meath
Posts: 182

1317980
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.

I can think of 1 or 2

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 14/01/2013 12:00:24    1317995

Behave yourselves lads. Most of that Donegal team are young pups just, many of them playing Division 4 football. The Championship starting 15 will bear absolutely no resemblance to the 15 that started yesterday.

I'm reluctant to mention a certain pundit from the Oak Leaf seeing as how he is being debated to death on another thread. But I read an article he wrote over the weekend where he said he had it from an excellent source that Mickey Harte has told his Tyrone panel that they will win 3 out the next 5 All-Irelands! A bold statement but who would I be to snigger at anything the great Tyrone manager says!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9804 - 14/01/2013 12:05:29    1317998

sgoldrick - well done you. I am struggling to think of 1 or 2 big games that Cavan have won in recent times!

theboydonegood (Donegal) - Posts: 522 - 14/01/2013 12:05:51    1317999

theboydonegood
County: Donegal
Posts: 487

1317999
sgoldrick - well done you. I am struggling to think of 1 or 2 big games that Cavan have won in recent times!

so am I... and your point is ?

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5522 - 14/01/2013 12:25:38    1318011

in fairness boyhood I don't think S Goldrick is claiming that.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 14/01/2013 12:28:53    1318014

theboydonegood
County: Donegal
Posts: 487

1317999
sgoldrick - well done you. I am struggling to think of 1 or 2 big games that Cavan have won in recent times!

And what's your problem?

He correctly pointed out that Jim McGuinness has lost a couple of big games as manager (as all managers) have and yet you react like that.............

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13816 - 14/01/2013 12:29:57    1318015

S goldrick; Who can you think of in the Ulster championship that has beaten Donegal under McGuinness?!?!

Correct me if I'm wrong but did we not beat all comers in Ulster from the preliminary round the last two years in a row, a feat never before achieved and including taking the scalp of the mighty Cavan in 2011 and 2012?

LetterkennyMan (Donegal) - Posts: 393 - 14/01/2013 12:37:22    1318022

The only big match Donegal have lost under jim mcguinness was 2011 all Ireland semi final a match that the 2012 Donegal side would have walked.

seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1894 - 14/01/2013 12:59:18    1318045

db9
County: Meath
Posts: 183

1317976
In all fairness i dont think Donegal are too worried. No familiar faces on the team. Watch them in the league!

I wouldn't expect too much in the league either. The only game JMcG is planning for is the first round of the championship against Tyrone. Same applies to Mickey Harte I expect.
Everything else will be sacrificed on that particular altar

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 14/01/2013 13:04:07    1318049

Waste of time even discussing these results. As some people have already pointed out these kick-abouts have no relevance for the league which in turn has no relevance for the Championship.

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1145 - 14/01/2013 13:16:02    1318064

Donegal are already falling to pieces ;)
I think not.
It will take some serious team to wrestle their truly deserved title out of their hands

Beelzedub (Dublin) - Posts: 480 - 14/01/2013 13:23:10    1318074

seanie08
County: Monaghan
Posts: 535

1318045
The only big match Donegal have lost under jim mcguinness was 2011 all Ireland semi final a match that the 2012 Donegal side would have walked.

As a manager he has lost 2 big games of note.

The above mentioned game as well as the All-Ireland U21 Final too.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13816 - 14/01/2013 13:54:05    1318107

The story is, there's no story.

brendtheredhand (Tyrone) - Posts: 10897 - 14/01/2013 14:17:02    1318129

GaryMc82
County: Derry
Posts: 338

1317958 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


.
Donegal are limited as a team bar lacey Murphy Mc Glynn MCfadden and McBreaty, the rest are workhorses. If they were that skilfull of a team they would go man for man against the likes of Kerry and Cork and see how they would get on.

kerryrowz (Kerry) - Posts: 833 - 14/01/2013 15:43:14    1318207

Kerryrowz sure Kerry don't even go man for man anymore. Your argument is poor. The day of going man to man is over

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 14/01/2013 15:51:29    1318211

I would,nt go reading to much into this result im sure donegal wont be pushing any panic buttons just yet...

DUB1 (Dublin) - Posts: 5583 - 14/01/2013 15:59:06    1318215

gotmilk
County: Fermanagh
Posts: 1068

1318211 Kerryrowz sure Kerry don't even go man for man anymore. Your argument is poor. The day of going man to man is over

I watch kerry all the time and they do go man for man . Donegal play is terrible to watch.

kerryrowz (Kerry) - Posts: 833 - 14/01/2013 16:00:19    1318217

Donegal are terrible to watch? Did you not watch them in the summer? It was great to watch them break at speed. I hate to break it to you but Kerry have adopted the blanket defence also.

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 14/01/2013 16:18:52    1318230

Donegal's first team were training yesterday morning as opposed to playing in the McKenna Cup. They are training every morning at 6am for the next 3 weeks in preperation for the Kildare match. That is Jims first test for 2013.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 14/01/2013 16:36:20    1318241

Kerryrowz is bringing up the tired old argument that comes from them every year when they don't win. Where does it state in the rule book that Donegal had to go man for man? Time for Kerry to man up beside crying when teams don't play it "their" way...

county man (Limerick) - Posts: 1145 - 14/01/2013 17:52:18    1318301