Floops
County: Dublin
Posts: 1218

RoyalClass it was you I was ridiculing not your county. It behooves you as a Meath man not to be wailing like a newborn! I couldn't be holding your county in higher esteem by saying that. Now go and show some of the class you claim to have... going by your name...

Do I seriously have to justify that statement with an answer? "Wailing like a newborn", you're either taking the proverbial "mick" or having hallucinations. My posts have had no emotional baggage attached to them whatsoever. They weren't rants or complaints, just genuine observations. In what part of my previous posts did I give the impression that I was in any way begrudging the "Elite"? If anything I'd say I'm quite happy the way they're setting the bar for everyone else and promoting the game's competitiveness.

RoyalClass (Meath) - Posts: 790 - 23/05/2013 18:51:52    1390024

FWIW I think this thread could generate a decent debate/discussion.

The game evolves the whole time and its possible in ten years time someone will have found a way to beat the swarm defence/counter at
tack etc. Then we'll have every county moving in that direction. Its all about who finds the right ingredients first.

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 23/05/2013 20:38:09    1390107

sedico
County: Kildare
Posts: 1135

1390107 FWIW I think this thread could generate a decent debate/discussion.

The game evolves the whole time and its possible in ten years time someone will have found a way to beat the swarm defence/counter at
tack etc. Then we'll have every county moving in that direction. Its all about who finds the right ingredients first.

Maybe Gavin this year :)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 23/05/2013 20:49:25    1390115

AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 1933

1390115 sedico
County: Kildare
Posts: 1135

1390107 FWIW I think this thread could generate a decent debate/discussion.

The game evolves the whole time and its possible in ten years time someone will have found a way to beat the swarm defence/counter at
tack etc. Then we'll have every county moving in that direction. Its all about who finds the right ingredients first.

Maybe Gavin this year :)

Its theirs to lose.

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 23/05/2013 20:59:30    1390125

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 3744

1389455
Again don't buy into div one thing, is anyone really saying that donegal wont be competitive this year cause they got relegated,? Or more importantly next year?? Are we all saying that this time next year donegal ain't got a snowballs chance of not only winning all ire but been even contenders??? Its management not league football, Jimmy proved one thing, you dont have to have best players to win all ire.

I think there is a good chance Donegal's relegation could have a negative impact on them. I don't think speaking in definite's is the way to approach this either. The League is an indicator of success. The best teams, unless for some reason they intentionally disregard it, are the one's who tend to do well in the league and take it into the summer. This doesn't mean that a league precedes an All Ireland but its very rare that a team comes from nowhere to win Sam. Donegal are an exception, but there will always be exceptions. The point isn't intended to be completely conclusive as it never can be, but in general it does stand up!

seany16 (Dublin) - Posts: 1663 - 23/05/2013 21:04:54    1390133

sedico
County: Kildare
Posts: 1136

1390125 AthCliath
County: Dublin
Posts: 1933

1390115 sedico
County: Kildare
Posts: 1135

1390107 FWIW I think this thread could generate a decent debate/discussion.

The game evolves the whole time and its possible in ten years time someone will have found a way to beat the swarm defence/counter at
tack etc. Then we'll have every county moving in that direction. Its all about who finds the right ingredients first.

Maybe Gavin this year :)

Its theirs to lose.

Only wishful thinking on my part, our young lads wouldnt have a hope against an experienced team with a long term manager like Kildare waiting in the long grass for us.;-)

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 23/05/2013 21:09:59    1390137

Shure we have more young lads then Dublin. Cribbin, Flynn, Kelly, Hurley and Brophy. You can be guaranteed Dublin won't have that many. My money is already down on Dublin to win it out. I'm extremely confident of collecting.

sedico (Kildare) - Posts: 1682 - 23/05/2013 21:18:25    1390142

What has changed hugely is the calibre of manager in the "elite" teams. Many people would claim that Donegal have only ordinary players, & to a point I would agree. However they do have some very good players in key positions McGee at full back, Lacey at centre half back,
Gallagher @ midfield & Murphy at fullforward. Once the spine of the team is strong a top class manager will get 100% out of the others & you have a team that will compete with anyone.
The one thing you can't do without in the modern era is a top class manager who has the full support of his county board.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 24/05/2013 10:00:10    1390263

RoyalClass
County: Meath
Posts: 582


TheMaster, you hit the nail on the head there. It seems apparent that if you want to get anywhere in the championship, the perfect way to prepare is by competing in division 1.

...and that's the way it should be.

Culann (Dublin) - Posts: 2306 - 24/05/2013 10:08:28    1390272

Its all about putting a good structure in place (Tyrone early years, Dublin 2011, Donegal 2012), getting your players to give 110% everytime they step onto the pitch and none of this "Oh they all try hard, they train 5 times a week" yes they do, but do they put the effort in in training? Donegal are the prime example to everyone, particularly to aspirering county's like my own, that with the right plan, everyone gives everything they have to the cause, they stay grounded (Big problem we have), fitness level hit their peak and are ruthless is their pursuit of glory, and of course the big talented lad up front. No reason why most county's can achieve them all bar the talented lad up font. There's no excuse for bad attitude.

cilldara13 (Kildare) - Posts: 261 - 24/05/2013 14:49:52    1390614

sedico
County: Kildare
Posts: 1140

1390142 Shure we have more young lads then Dublin. Cribbin, Flynn, Kelly, Hurley and Brophy. You can be guaranteed Dublin won't have that many. My money is already down on Dublin to win it out. I'm extremely confident of collecting.

Good man, good to have you on board shouting for the Dubs.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 24/05/2013 16:09:12    1390697

seanie_boy
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2430

1388708
Aye its too hard this oul training craic.........ye should be able to show up after a feed o' pints the night before and still be fit te play.An oul fag and half an orange at half time...........bottle o' miracle water incase ye get an oul boot round the shins.Good te go.

Sounds like the approach Offaly hurlers adopted in '98. Worked alright for them :)

Maroonatic (Galway) - Posts: 1081 - 24/05/2013 16:37:45    1390724

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 3745

1389455
Again don't buy into div one thing, is anyone really saying that donegal wont be competitive this year cause they got relegated,? Or more importantly next year?? Are we all saying that this time next year donegal ain't got a snowballs chance of not only winning all ire but been even contenders??? Its management not league football, Jimmy proved one thing, you dont have to have best players to win all ire.

It all depends on your approach. After the All Ireland Donegal basically took six months off to recharge their batteries, get injured players right & introduce a few new faces. They didn't want to be relegated but if that was the price to be paid then they were willing to pay it. The proof of this is that cahampionship training started on the first week of April, even though this was the week they played Dublin in the last game of the league.

If you are single minded enough about achieving All Ireland success & set your system up for it, then being in Div 2 will not be the end of the world, the toughest game Donegal got last year was against Tyrone who were at that time in Div 2. And just because people say it can't be done means nothing, it was a universal belief that you couldn't win Ulster from the preliminary round & the Donegal went & did it. People said at one time that the four minute mile was impossible, once Bannister did it every Tom Dick & Harry broke the 4 minute barrier. All it takes is foe one person to do it.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 24/05/2013 19:23:43    1390841

Were not saying Division 1 status is vital to succeed. But playing the top teams every week and lefts face the intensity in the year this year was very high, can only help. I wouldn't worry about Donegal as they've already got the run out against the division one teams and there plains were always based solely on Championship. But I can't think of the last team to win an All-Ireland from Division 2 of that year or lower? Its certainly an advantage...

cilldara13 (Kildare) - Posts: 261 - 24/05/2013 20:26:30    1390862

Interesting article from Dessie Dolan on the, as he also calls them, "Elite" teams. He says how he notices teams are being beaten far more comprehensively than he's ever known and the level of preparation and expense the top counties go through seems to be ever increasing. Its also interesting to note that he also notices how the gulf in class between the top teams and the latter is widening to a greater extent than ever.

It seems I'm not the only one going crazy.

RoyalClass (Meath) - Posts: 790 - 28/05/2013 11:49:46    1393367

Full time ..Mayo 5-12 Cavan 0-16. challenge game in Ballina. Mayo stepped out in the second half two points down and just blew Cavan away , Andy Moran is back with a bang, two goals.

51longago (Mayo) - Posts: 2981 - 03/06/2013 15:04:41    1397667

Conceding 0 - 16 to Cavan is not the sort of form that will have the Gavin or JMcG shaking. Just confirms how poor Galway are.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5030 - 03/06/2013 18:39:37    1397859

Its only a challenge I wouldn't go reading anything into it.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13659 - 03/06/2013 18:45:17    1397868

I think Donegal are an example of there not being an 'Elite' or fair playing field for all counties.

As recently as 2009 I would have put us as 5th or 6th best team in Ulster behind Tyrone, Armagh, Down, Derry and Monaghan. Or at least no better than the latter 3. And look how far we have come and all through personal commitment of time and effort from the players to get behind the management. They all work and travel longer than anyone else in the country to attend training I would imagine whether it be from Dublin or around the county.

There are always 3, 4 or 5 teams ahead of the rest, apart from the 90s maybe. I remember a time when it was pretty much just Dublin and Kerry for around 15 years. Dessie Dolan is wrong, his team played well within themselves on Sat its too easy to say they can't compete with Dublin.

SeanieSense (Donegal) - Posts: 328 - 03/06/2013 19:36:56    1397930

Cavan Mayo challenge result was 5-13 to 0-16 at full time. Cavan were leading by 2 at half time but played an entirely different 15 for the second half. Good challenge game and nothing more. Great news for Mayo is that Andy Moran is back and scored 2 goals.....other than that nothing can be taken from the game

ExiledCuCu (Cavan) - Posts: 295 - 03/06/2013 20:39:47    1397991