Well done Mayo on a great win yesterday.Donegal struggled all year,getting relegated from div 1 was seen as acceptable as the team was getting ready for the championship.Unfortunately,after the Tyrone game,Jim was focused on Mayo and with the injuries we had coupled with a tough ulster championship,it never looked like happening.
We were destroyed alright,but will take our beating and hopefully be back in croke park next year.

catchtheball (Donegal) - Posts: 9 - 05/08/2013 13:08:41    1453165

It's astonishing the way the media can peddle myths about teams and hype them up to be something they're not. Who will ever forget Joe Brolly cheerleading for Jimmy McGuinness? Who will forget the "yesterday is banned in Donegal" article in Gaelic life, and the "Donegal are a footballing superbug" comments. Utter nonsense.

Sergeant_Slash (Cavan) - Posts: 2182 - 05/08/2013 13:28:31    1453196

Yeah my sky box only recorded the first game for some reason. Tv3 player is a joke. No match in full just post match interviews. Sigh!

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11634 - 05/08/2013 14:55:58    1453303

Stunning performance by Mayo, I thought they may come in a bit cold after the Connacht championship but they were on fire, it was a joy to watch them yesterday, well done lads.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 05/08/2013 14:56:58    1453307

Yeah that was probably the best performance by any team this year. The Mayo forwards were on fire, their backs tackled with great intensity and Aidan O'Shea had a flawless game in the middle. It was a fantastic team performance. I was stunned by Donegal though. They were absolutely rudderless after the 5th minute. They couldn't keep up with their markers, couldn't catch a ball around the middle and although, having one of the best inside forward lines in the business, instead of planting the ball in long and accurately to do the damage, they persisted with the slow lateral-passing build up that they have become infamous for. Surely some blame has to be laid at Jimmy's door as there was absolutely no plan B with 60+ mins to go. Again you have to wonder about his obsession with the Tyrone game and apparent lack of interest in the league. Did this come back to haunt him yesterday?

Anyway commiserations to Donegal fans. No doubt they will be a force again next year and will spring back from Div 2, some great talent in that squad. If Mayo can keep up that form they will not be stopped. Harte will inflict the Tyrone system on Mayo but they have the players to combat it a la Dublin in 2011. With Dublin shambolic up front at the moment and suspect at the back I think Mayo can be passed the favourites tag at this stage.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4746 - 05/08/2013 15:16:01    1453334

African Gael, you obviously weren't at the game.

saddam (Mayo) - Posts: 414 - 05/08/2013 15:32:42    1453353

Still absolutely gutted after yesterday and felt really sorry for our lads but fair play to Mayo, yous played with passion, desire and buckets of skill to really put us to the sword. Yous reminded me of us last year and will be hard to stop if you keep that performance level up but just a word of warning, we played poorly all season and just didn't have the fight in us but Tyrone always have the fight so be prepared for a real battle.
Special word for your most loyal fans whom I thought were great winners after the game and would love to see yous win Sam this year.
We'll be back next year with a new hunger.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1677 - 05/08/2013 17:07:11    1453493

Great win for Mayo. It's best performance I've seen from a Mayo team since I started going to matches in the late 80s. 2 more similar performaces required in order for the year to be a success. Donegal were savage team last year but were worn out yesterday.

pdempsey (Mayo) - Posts: 1313 - 05/08/2013 17:31:52    1453539

51longago
County: Mayo
Posts: 2774

1452732
Ahh sure now twas great. Delighted we destroyed Donegal, more pleased with their demise than Mayo s victory.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Thats not how its supposed to work.You might be unwell.You should go to your doctor............ immediately.

seanie_boy (Tyrone) - Posts: 4235 - 05/08/2013 18:16:29    1453593

Not to belittle Donegals or for that matter Dublins or Corks achievement before them, yesterday was proof again that bar Kerry, the knockout nature of the All Ireland championship allows any team to go and win it. The same as say the FA cup (if anything this is a harder competition to win due to the number of games played) any team, depending on all mitigating circumstances can reach a final and win it.
Not kicking Donegal when they're down here, if anything I think its testament to the fact that they came from relatively nowhere in the last 2 years to go and win a competition they had won only once before. But the fact is, as Donegal proved, it can be done. Yes Donegal have some stand out talent in the likes of Lacey, McHugh, McGlynn, McFadden and Murphy but I think its fair to say that they wouldn't have the best players in all positions against the rest of the country's teams. The Ulster teams in the early 90s were mostly one hit wonders (bar Down) that just had good teams that given year, were able to play above themselves and perhaps got a bit of luck in certain matches.
Dublin 2011 were built in a similar fashion to Donegal and although they're back again in contention for the top spot now, I think its fair to say that Dublin were never going to be real contenders again until they actually won it. Dublin never had the same dogged will to win or the know how to win the big one like Kerry and Tyrone had over the last 10 years or so.
I think Donegal will be back but it wouldn't surprise me either if they weren't. Donegal had to play a certain style to be successful, they would be foolish to have tried to say out football Kerry. McGuinness did what all good managers did with his players and his playing system, hide the negatives and accentuate the positives as well as instill a winning mentality in his team. The reason why I say it wouldn't surprise me if they didn't return to championship winning glory is because the system is so rigid, it demands a lot out of amateur players. We all wondered how well the system would do when having to come back from an early deficit and even taking away yesterdays result, Monaghan showed that Donegal's system was very redundant in that scenario. I think McGuinness has a very hard job in installing the same belief and expectation of commitment into that bunch of players. If no new talent is coming through then I think they'll be found wanting I'm afraid.
But on that note, those who begrudge Donegals success for whatever reason should accept the fact that they did what so so few have been able to do. I don't mean winning Sam but McGuinness thought outside the box, removed himself from the traditional way of playing the game in some respects and reaped rewards. No reason why other managers can't try to be innovative and think of different playing systems.

NavyNBlue (Dublin) - Posts: 1357 - 05/08/2013 18:23:51    1453601

Tremendous manly performance from Mayo yesterday particularly their skill allied to relentless workrate from start to finish. On another note I was in the lower Cusack behind a large crowd of Donegal supporters and heard no name calling etc wharsoever. Credit to the vast bulk of Donegal supporters who stayed to bitter end.

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 05/08/2013 19:51:04    1453728

Well done Mayo - Just awesome

tonto21 (Donegal) - Posts: 181 - 06/08/2013 10:09:12    1453991

ipswichgaillimh
County: UK……………… The last game I went to in Ireland was the AI Final in 1989, Mayo v Meath as I've been in England since then.............
Actually it was Cork who undid Mayo in 89. Why not come home and shout for us in this year's final (versus the Dubs).

beal (Mayo) - Posts: 1388 - 06/08/2013 12:36:05    1454157

Bloody superb display!

Hard luck Donegal... you just werent at the races all year

You'll always have 2012 and maybe you'll have 2014 yet

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 06/08/2013 12:39:14    1454163

05/08/2013 19:51:04
mod
County: Mayo
Posts: 610

1453728 Tremendous manly performance from Mayo yesterday particularly their skill allied to relentless workrate from start to finish. On another note I was in the lower Cusack behind a large crowd of Donegal supporters and heard no name calling etc wharsoever. Credit to the vast bulk of Donegal supporters who stayed to bitter end.


+1. And I didn't see any crying children either. More dung

MayoMark (Mayo) - Posts: 332 - 06/08/2013 13:12:27    1454219

First off - well done Mayo. Hope they can go on and finish the job now.

Just want to say there is a theme running through this thread in relation to posters from certain counties - for example Kildare, Meath counties like that who think thay should be better than Donegal and to see us winning an All Ireland fed into their own insecurities! I'd say we'll be along time waiting for either of those two counties to climb the steps in Croker for Sam. We won the All Ireland in 2012 and were undeniably the best team in the country in that year and we did it playing some stylish, open football (who in Donegal will forget the vitories over Cork and Kerry)

For those who say McGuinness should go - they don't know what they are talking about and should look at it in the overall context of where Donegal where at before he took over. He has been a fantastic servant to the county and if he did decide to leave good luck to him.

supporter (Donegal) - Posts: 205 - 06/08/2013 13:54:17    1454264

For those who say Mc Guinness should go.....seriously? Brought them Ulster in 2011 for the first time in 19 years. Brought them the holy grail in his second season for the first time 20 years.....get real people.

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 06/08/2013 14:19:01    1454297

Well done to Mayo absolutely brilliant display from start to finish,they were hungrier,sharper and more economical on the day,I just hope from a Mayo point of view that this isn't their all Ireland and they can kick on.

From a Donegal point of view I'm obviously very dissappointed but proud of the team that brought us so many good days over the last three years.

Last year we were brilliant,hungry and lucky with injuries this year we sustained a lot of injuries which affected our performances and when it comes down to it maybe we just wern't hungry enough but I think the break will do us the world of good and hopefully we will be back stronger again next year.

DL (Donegal) - Posts: 210 - 06/08/2013 14:47:38    1454341

Firstly, let me congratulate Mayo on an absolutely awesome performance on Sunday. It was an unrelenting, ruthless display of football that I haven't seen the like of since the days when Kerry and Tyrone were dominating in the 00's. Keith Higgins, Donal Vaughan, the O'Sé's and Cillian O'Connor were simply outstanding and are certainties for All Stars even at this juncture I would suggest. The wing backs Boyle and Keegan were superb aswell. They remind me an awful lot of how Frank McGlynn and Karl Lacey were operating last year. I wish them the best going forward, and hope that they finally land the big one.

I feel very disappointed for our lads. They have given us some fabulous memories to treasure these past few years and owe us nothing. Obviously, the injuries and possibly burnout have taken their toll. I would also suggest that mental fatigue, aswell as physical has been a factor. They have been great ambassadors for the county - always willing to turn up for this function, or that function with Sam and they can all look forward to a well deserved break now for a few months. Although they'd obviously prefer to be looking forward to an AI semi.

The glee from some quarters over our demise is a good one. Boys from Carlow, Kildare and Meath seemingly delighted that Donegal are gone? I can't get over that. Have Carlow ever won a thing? Kildare have a couple of O'Byrne cups recently but they might as well be tea cups. Fair enough Meath are a good successful footballing county. But you boys were as dirty and cynical as anything Donegal got up to back in the day. Bewildering stuff.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9793 - 07/08/2013 09:58:05    1455026

Lockjaw, the glee from these other counties is directly due to jealousy and begrudgery, a very common Irish trait sadly

keithlemon (Australia) - Posts: 920 - 07/08/2013 10:29:31    1455060