Is this not about Donegal v Tyrone, why all the negativity ( excuse the pun ) save your ulster v connaught debates for somewhere else if the mayo men don't like it don't watch but by the cut off your county team every time they bottle it in croke park they could do with watching this game.

redhanddefender (Tyrone) - Posts: 913 - 21/05/2013 16:03:23    1388356

Donegalman
County: All
Posts: 630

1388343 If u took Mayo out of Connaught, most U21 county teams would compete for the Connaught Championship.. It really is that poor. You can say all you like about Ulster football, but look back over the last 12 years or so, at the number of ulster counties playing and winning in Aug/Sept in the championship. Down, Donegal, Tyrone and Armagh have all been in finals, as well as Derry and Fermanagh being in semis. Other than Mayo and Galway, Cork and Kerry, Ulster and Leinster are by far the 2 most competitive provinces

Its strange that most under U21 county teams could compete for Connacht SFC, but they they cant compete against other Connacht U21 teams to wo win the All Ireland under 21 championship. Connacht has become dominant at this grade for a number of years.

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 21/05/2013 16:04:45    1388359

paddyogall
County: Mayo
Posts: 4956


As I mentioned above Donegal are one of the poorest All Ireland winners in a generation. Certain interventions in the Media from certain Northern Irish commentators went a long way to Dongeal winning the All Ireland last year against Mayo. That trick is gone this year though.

Ah Paddy,
Still blaming Brolly for losing last year's final?
Brolly had nothing to do with Murphy's goal or McFadden's goal. Mayo never looked like winning the game & to blame Brolly shows a level of delusion comparable only to Horan's assertion that he did nothing wrong, it was all down to the players.

Donegal went the whole way from the pre qualifier in Ulster, won seven games & beat all the top teams, Dublin excluded, along the way.
What more could they do?

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 21/05/2013 16:09:12    1388363

I see Mickey Harte talking about the pressure on Donegal again. This is a recurring theme with him this last couple of weeks.

Feeling the pressure himself a bit methinks.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 21/05/2013 16:13:37    1388369

McGuinness saying Lacey and McHugh are doubts as well due to match fitness and groin respectively, all media, would pay no attention to it....

JimmyTheCar (Donegal) - Posts: 6 - 21/05/2013 16:22:42    1388382

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 1225

1388369
I see Mickey Harte talking about the pressure on Donegal again. This is a recurring theme with him this last couple of weeks.

Feeling the pressure himself a bit methinks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course the pressure is on Donegal. They are the defending champions. They are the side who threw away their league ambitions for this year and next to focus solely on this game. They are the side who moved heaven and no small amount of earth to upgrade their ground and ensure that they got playing at home. They are the bookies favourites. Certainly, there is pressure on Tyrone too, but nothing like that which comes with the mantle of champions.

And talking about recurring themes, I've lost count of the number of times this year that Jimmy has followed a loss with the phrase 'we're not as fit as other sides yet - they are all ahead of us in terms of preparations'. Well, maybe that was true, and maybe it was just something to reassure his players that the losses were all part of his plan. Personally, I can help but suspect that, if it were true, Jimmy wouldn't have been shouting it from every available rooftop. Still, we'll see on Sunday.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 21/05/2013 16:27:51    1388388

redhanddefender
County: Tyrone
Posts: 415

Dont take it personally, the GAA is a game of opinions and I am right 99.5% of the time.

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 21/05/2013 16:51:51    1388425

Thomas Clarke
County: Tyrone
Posts: 452

I see Mickey Harte talking about the pressure on Donegal again. This is a recurring theme with him this last couple of weeks.

Feeling the pressure himself a bit methinks.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Of course the pressure is on Donegal. They are the defending champions. They are the side who threw away their league ambitions for this year and next to focus solely on this game. They are the side who moved heaven and no small amount of earth to upgrade their ground and ensure that they got playing at home. They are the bookies favourites. Certainly, there is pressure on Tyrone too, but nothing like that which comes with the mantle of champions.

And talking about recurring themes, I've lost count of the number of times this year that Jimmy has followed a loss with the phrase 'we're not as fit as other sides yet - they are all ahead of us in terms of preparations'. Well, maybe that was true, and maybe it was just something to reassure his players that the losses were all part of his plan. Personally, I can help but suspect that, if it were true, Jimmy wouldn't have been shouting it from every available rooftop. Still, we'll see on Sunday.

You're missing my point Thomas. You don't hear JMcG going on about Tyrone week in week out, not surprising since he has enough to be going on with. When you have to try and up the pressure by talking about your opponent then it is, in my experience, a sure sign that the old bum cheeks are clenching.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 21/05/2013 16:57:59    1388434

Jim McGuinness didn't say anything different at the beginning of the league than what he said at the end - but it is all being portrayed that he was making excuses for supposed bad league showing. He was consistent all along in saying that championship is what they were aiming for.

Also if some of the pundits, experts etc would have compared Donegal's league campaign this year with last year they would see that over the course of the league our performances were actually better this year - even though we got relegated. The biggest margin of defeat was 4 points and in all games we lost we were in contention to win until the end whereas in 2012 we got a couple of serious tankings along the way from Laois, Kerry and Dublin. Donegal actually played very well in the last league game against Dublin this year and if not for some wasteful shooting in the first half they would surely have won the game and stayed up so the margins are very narrow.

Now this may not make any difference whatsoever on Sunday but its worth pointing out anyway. And as you say all will be revealed on Sunday.

supporter (Donegal) - Posts: 205 - 21/05/2013 17:01:01    1388436

So a game in Connacht means good defending and if the game's in Ulster it's mean spirited play not within the rules and only allowed because the ref turned a blind eye.

There were 2 clear punches in the Connacht game but I suppose that's alright and all part of the game. If the Cavan and Armagh players had been sent off would it of been okay?

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13846 - 21/05/2013 17:10:06    1388449

cant see tyrone team take down this donegal team on sunday yes tyrone had a great league went all the way to final and looked very good on the way to that final just think this donegal team will be so up for this game that there no way they will let it slip yes i see donegal win ulster again this year cas after they win sunday there no other team that will cum near them cant see them doing back to back all irelands but sunday and ulster yes donegal by 5 points

castlebar (Mayo) - Posts: 8 - 21/05/2013 17:12:42    1388450

Paddyogall
"I really fear for Tyrone this weekend, I feel a Galway type beating for Tyrone and cant see how they have a possible chance of beating Donegal. Now dont get me wrong Donegal are no world beaters and are possibly one of the worst All Ireland winners in a generation. But I am afraid I cant see Tyrone doing it."
"As I mentioned above Donegal are one of the poorest All Ireland winners in a generation. Certain interventions in the Media from certain Northern Irish commentators went a long way to Dongeal winning the All Ireland last year against Mayo. That trick is gone this year though."



These type of posts are the reason I forget about the
genuine Mayo supporter and look forward to seeing Mayo
bottling the AI every year!
Better shape up themaster, paddyogall is outdoing you
on this thread! lol

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 21/05/2013 17:46:20    1388482

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 1226

1388369
I see Mickey Harte talking about the pressure on Donegal again. This is a recurring theme with him this last couple of weeks.

Feeling the pressure himself a bit methinks.


Just turning the screw on poor Jimmy methinks muckross;
its the art of war lad! ;)
And I wonder how injured or unfit Lacey and McHugh will
be come Sunday! lol Smoke and daggers; love it!
Its all part of the game muckross, the problem for you
Donegal lads is that Mickey has been playing it for longer!

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 21/05/2013 17:58:05    1388493

Why are people getting annoyed with Mayo folk and their opinion. Their inferior province is almost a joke at this stage. The reason why Mayo lose finals on a regular basis is because they win a few EASY matches, then win one big game and cannot win back to back matches. It is funny how they have one big win and think they are infallible again. Cannot wait for Sunday

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 21/05/2013 18:19:46    1388512

keithlemon
County: Australia
Posts: 79

1387315


I think It was all new to Donegal last season in many regards. That bunch of players were not experienced at going 5-10 points up against teams like Kerry, Cork and Mayo and then sitting tight while maintaining pressure. They were clearly better, but for some reason they would let their foots off the gas.

My reason for backing Donegal over Tyrone is simple, they are Ulster strongest side at present. Different Derry and Tyrone fans told me last season that Donegal would not beat Tyrone in that semi final, because as reigning 2011 Ulster champions they would lack hunger needed to retain the title. The poor league campaign helped these fans make up their minds that Donegal would be going nowhere in 2012 and Tyrone would out-fox them. Others said that getting rid of Kevin Cassidy would be too big a loss for Donegal.

I felt differently about Donegal back then, and I still feel the same in 2013.

Donegal will likely be better in 2013 than they were in 2012. I don't think hunger will come into it for them, I don't think one All Ireland will be enough for these players.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3057 - 21/05/2013 18:22:36    1388513

Just on the subject of pressure. I would say both the Donegal and Tyrone camps will both be feeling under similar amounts of pressure this week. Donegal will be playing in front of a packed and expectant home support. As AI champions massive things will be expected of this Donegal side to replicate the successes of last season, and after a poor league campaign McGuinness will want to put that to bed by beating Tyrone again, whilst also showing the heavyweights of Ireland that Donegal mean business again in 2013. If Donegal are beat questions will arise over their hunger for success. On the other hand Mickey Harte and Tyrone will certainly feel under pressure to beat this Donegal side who has knocked them out of Ulster 2 years in a row, they certainly won't want it happening again as it would signal complete Donegal dominance over them. Psychologically it would be a huge blow to this young Tyrone side if they were to be at the end of another defeat to Donegal, something which may scar them for the rest of their playing careers.

MourneArmy (Down) - Posts: 1787 - 21/05/2013 18:46:50    1388531

"Psychologically it would be a huge blow to this young Tyrone side if they were to be at the end of another defeat to Donegal, something which may scar them for the rest of their playing careers."
Mournearmy



LOL, psychologically smologically mournearmy!
Jaysus, everybody is a psychologist these days,
and the is the best one yet! LOL

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 21/05/2013 19:17:45    1388552

Even without Lacy and McHugh I expect Donegal to pull through and win by 5 or 6 points

Tyrone will beat a few teams in the Championship definitely on the way back but not ready for Donegal just yet

potnorwindow (Cavan) - Posts: 363 - 21/05/2013 19:32:14    1388559

Fierce hard to call this one, a tough uncompromising game awaits methinks where anything could happen, I'll take Donegal to scrape home by 1 or 2, maybe!!

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3772 - 21/05/2013 19:49:39    1388571

There is very little to choose between Donegal and Tyrone. 2 very good sides. There will be a point or 2 in it come 70 minutes on Sunday. The back door route for either team is not the end of the world as they will stroll through these early qualifers. Best of luck to both teams. I will be rushing out of Fitzgerald Stadium very quickly Sunday afternoon to catch this potential epic Ulster encounter.

kerry74 (Kerry) - Posts: 1354 - 21/05/2013 19:51:10    1388573