Lads I am currently abroad so have only seen the McHugh incident this morning as I had no access to the RTE player. Taking that incident on its own, I have no idea what the big fuss is. In my opinion there was no malice from either player and Mark came off worse. I watched it over and over and have the same conclusion each time.

TheFlaker (Mayo) - Posts: 8458 - 29/07/2013 18:37:04    1446811

Im very dissapopinted with jim mcguinness comments, ive been a big fan of donergal over the last few years and certainly would not begrudge them of any of there success. I just think its ridiculous him coming out and saying something like this considering the big physical side he has turned donegal players into over the last few years. Stephen Gollogoly is a great player and has given years of good service to Monaghan and recieved a pretty nasty eye from the collision himself, i doubt he would have been happy sitting out the rest of the game. Im not sure if his comments are aimed at him or if they are aimed at the Laois game. Maybe Jim is under a bit of pressure now all of a sudden!!!

Muineachain76 (Monaghan) - Posts: 180 - 29/07/2013 18:41:11    1446820

Its like teh reverends wife out of the simpsons...

Will someone please think of the children!

bluedubstar (Dublin) - Posts: 835 - 29/07/2013 18:41:18    1446821

For crying out loud can i get a straight answer off any donegal person.

The McHugh incident happened last sunday week.

Why did Jimmy wait till after he beat Laois to say anything?

Are you honestly saying to me it had nothing to do with him knowing he had a high profile game in croker against Dub/Mayo Or Kerry to contend with next sunday?

This is why people cannot take his concern on merit as it is a cynical ploy (funny enough}to influence officials.

51longago (Mayo) - Posts: 2981 - 29/07/2013 18:46:33    1446829

'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' in Donegal must be taught as the story of a boy who while incorrect about the incident in question was congratulated that he highlighted the dangerous potential of animal attacks in the area even though they never happened.

doublehop (Kildare) - Posts: 4172 - 29/07/2013 18:52:06    1446838

Horan ready for Donegal challenge
MAYO ADVERTISER, JULY 29, 2013.
GAA: All Ireland SFC QF
By Colm Gannon

The luck of the draw pitted Mayo and Donegal against each other in next Sunday's All Ireland quarter-final and with that James Horan will square off against Jim McGuinness once again on the sideline. The Mayo manger looked confident and relaxed at the Mayo press event in Breaffy House on Sunday night and was looking forward to taking on last year's All Ireland champions once again.

When asked about the scuffle that happened in Carrick on Shannon on Saturday evening, between members of the Donegal management team and their Laois counterparts, Horan admitted he did not see it but he had some views on that sort of incident. "I didn't see the scuffle, I'm not too interested in it to be honest. Jim and Rory on the sideline are competitors and they'll use any means at their disposal to try and get an advantage. Look, I didn't see the thing so I don't know what happened, but I certainly know that of them. Look, Donegal and their backroom team are competitive, they're All Ireland champions, anything that will give them an advantage they will try."

When asked whether there was much banter between him and his backroom team and his counterpart on Sunday on the sidelines in the past, the Ballintubber man said, "I wouldn't think so, no. Although maybe a bit more banter with other teams, it might be a better way to say it. Look, Jim McGuinness and Rory Gallagher on the sideline, they do their thing. Look, when I'm on the sideline I just focus on what's the best way to help the team that's on the field. I try and stay as composed as I can."

It was then put to him that it might appear that there was no love lost between the two sides. He answered: "Maybe show me a team that has good body language towards Mr McGuinness on the sideline, maybe that's a better question. Look, Jim's a successful manager, so good luck to him."

Horan had earlier addressed the extra physicality that he said Donegal had brought to the game last year, and following comments from the Donegal camp about some of the tackles that had left them with injuries to some of their key men. Without knowing the specifics of the Donegal camps concerns Horan said: "As I said earlier on Donegal have been the leaders in that, there's no doubt about that, they've brought physicality in GAA to a new level and fair play to them. I know they've got a few injuries this year, as I said every inter-county team in the country has significant injuries, more than what Donegal have had. From our position, we don't whine or whinge about it, our two goalies were gone within two days of each other, you just dust yourself down and get on with it, and that's one of the features of Gaelic football and top level sport."

He had earlier said that Donegal were the front runners in the game in increasing physicality and used it to their advantage last year. "Last year they mastered many new skills and brought football to a different level on many fronts, and in particular in the area of physicality, they really ratcheted that up last year and put a lot of teams to the sword based on their strength and power and tackling. I don't know if any of you have been on the end of a Michael Murphy tackle recently, but there's, serious, serious physicality in that team, they've been the leaders on that front."

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 29/07/2013 19:01:14    1446853

51longago
County: Mayo
Posts: 2725

1446829
For crying out loud can i get a straight answer off any donegal person.
The McHugh incident happened last sunday week.Why did Jimmy wait till after he beat Laois to say anything?
Are you honestly saying to me it had nothing to do with him knowing he had a high profile game in croker against Dub/Mayo Or Kerry to contend with next sunday?
This is why people cannot take his concern on merit as it is a cynical ploy (funny enough}to influence officials.

Was my answer not clear enough for you 51? Malice, no. Dangerous, yes.
The only reason he spoke out was because he was asked a specific question on Today FM after the Laois game "Do you think your key players are being targetted?"
Does he want protection from referees, yes he does.
As for outsiders not taking his concern for his players as genuine, Jim couldn't give a rat's ass what they think. He was asked a straight question & answered it.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/07/2013 19:06:26    1446867

Word is that James Horan has an article in tomorrow's papers.
Things are hotting up nicely!!!!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/07/2013 19:08:14    1446870

http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/62723

paddyogall (Mayo) - Posts: 5110 - 29/07/2013 19:50:17    1446933

Oh dear god wait for the reaction to this.... (I don't even know where to start but I think I'll just pass)

tirchonaill92 (Donegal) - Posts: 156 - 29/07/2013 19:57:27    1446944

Jim Mc Guiness has a very good point. I wholeheartedly agree with him. so does that mean that we wont be seeing anymore of this type of play from Donegal ? His men were no saints on their day out in Ballybofey in May. If O Neill hadent have got his hands out in time his head would have been in mush against the wall behind the bottom goals in Ballybofey and there would have been war on the sidelines and many would have been hurt as there was no safe exits. Also in a championship game in Clones a few years ago Joe Mc Mahon had held Michael Murphy very quiet for the game up until a bloke was brought on who went straight up the field, laid Mc Mahon out and was taken off straight away. Jim I respect your views, get your own house in order first and when you do others will follow.

border Gael (Monaghan) - Posts: 920 - 29/07/2013 20:07:54    1446969

I must admit "The Mayo Advertiser" was not what I had in mind when I said "newspapers".
If James wants to create a stir he should ring our Jimmy and get a couple of phone numbers!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/07/2013 20:12:50    1446982

Jim is just trying to influence public opioion and therby the referee. This was done before the All Ireland by Brolly. It seemed to influence the ref. I think we are all wiser now.

mod (Mayo) - Posts: 859 - 29/07/2013 20:29:38    1447017

Amazed at the responce of the posters. Everyone knows that it is to influnce the refs in the coming games. Hell jim knows this as much as everybody in the country knows this. The point is if it changes the refs decision in one incident it could be the difference between winning and losing. So why the crying and whinging. THINK OUSIDE THE BOX LADS. Its modern sport psychology to gain the slighest edge in the game. So ignore it and try and beat it. Horan has started it already as well, indeed started after last years all ireland with his comments. Everyone in donegal knows its going to be tough to beat mayo as this donegal team is tired. The same as most all ireland champions over the last 25 years because of the level of fitnees required increasing every year

THE EXTRAMAN (Donegal) - Posts: 554 - 29/07/2013 20:32:34    1447023

mod
County: Mayo
Posts: 605

1447017
Jim is just trying to influence public opioion and therby the referee. This was done before the All Ireland by Brolly. It seemed to influence the ref. I think we are all wiser now.

It worked last year, why wouldn't it work this year?

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 29/07/2013 20:41:32    1447032

There is no doubt that Mcguinness is trying to influence the attitude of referees before the game on sunday. This is not an issue as far as i am concerned. It happens often enough before games, I remember 2 years ago a kildare mentor drew attention to donegals cynical fouling before the lilly whites went out in extra time playing rugby! Not just that, there is a litany of this sort of comment made before and after games. Dont forget, that the journalist brought it up. It was not McGuinness himself.

If a ref listens to the main point of the point, re reckless tackling, then there is something to be gained by everyone. Yes it is a mans game but there is a line that you have to draw, and it is no harm to draw it. Analysts are not going to back up his comments on tv as they would not like to be seen to be yellowing away from a tackle themselves.

If Horan came out and said exactly the same thing coming up to the game on sunday, or any other team for that mater it may not be a bad thing at all.

.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3853 - 29/07/2013 20:44:30    1447037

I can't disagree with McGuinness in relation to the heavy tackling, but there is no way his player was targeted that is now just the nature of the modern game. Unfortunately that is the game we now have, poor man's rugby. Yet any time there is a suggested rule change in these area's of the game Ulster squares up shoulder to shoulder and says its usual No. For third man tackles it has to be a straight red end off, that is NOT playing the ball it is playing the man and worse a man who is at his most vulnerable.
But in terms of the McHugh injury it was a fifty-fifty ball tough luck but that is the game we have now.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4955 - 29/07/2013 20:49:38    1447046

Bordergael are you Omaghjoe in disguise by any chance? Refer to my earlier post for a bit of info on that incident, worthy of a red card? Yes it was a red card offence, if it was the other way about I would certainly be looking for red. But to suggest his sole purpose was to go on and take big Joe out and then come off again is ridiculous, as someone else alluded to why risk one of your better players (who isn't a dirty player either) when he could have put in a fringe player who was unlikely to see much game time anyway

tirchonaill92 (Donegal) - Posts: 156 - 29/07/2013 20:57:04    1447055

I would suspect this actually is about player welfare not anything about referees or whatever. Martin Mc Hugh was actually on the radio (Newstalk I think) a few weeks before this incident and talking about player welfare and that the game generally is becoming too dangerous.

tyroneed (Tyrone) - Posts: 753 - 29/07/2013 21:03:40    1447063