16/02/2014 12:11:46
SamOnErrigal
County: Donegal
Posts: 62

1546736 I also think Gary Mac has this black card and Donegal nailed on. I really think it will suit us ,especially our runners. What I said before Donegal just have to get the tackle right, this team understands one another on the field of play,they can execute the defensive side of the game,they interchange with their running game and they communicate well with one another Plus on the day we have as good as full forward line as is in the country. For me Sam lies between Donegal,Mayo and Dublin.


I actually think Mayo will suffer a similar fate this year to what Donegal suffered last season. They have a lot of Injuries already, and that could easily turn into a continuous cycle of men stuggling to get fit like Donegal were crippled with last season.
I've said before that this Mayo outfit have been on the road since 2011, but have yielded no return outside of successive Connaught titles. It's been a long road of 1 x AI SF and 2 x AI final's back to back, and I expect they may suffer a "burn-out" year. James Horan had signalled his Intentions to try and win the league this season, which is already unlikely after losing two games on the trot.

I expect Donegal and Tyrone to both challenge for the All Ireland, Dublin as always will challenge and be there near the end.

Outside of that, I fancy Monaghan, Meath and Derry to do damage. Cork may have a tilt at it this season, but I don't think they will win an All Ireland this year. I really don't think Kerry will be any stronger this year, and thus it is unlikely they will win an All Ireland.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 16/02/2014 13:25:39    1546786

Thomas Clarke
County: Tyrone
Posts: 595

1546685
Muckross, I got your point, and remarked that you criticised those making predictive statements, immediately before making one yourself.

Anyway, the hypocrisy of your post wasn't really the issue. The point is that this is a discussion forum, and nailing your colours to the mast is part of it. Personally, I'd much rather read a post where someone makes and defends a firm opinion, as opposed to being told that any of 9 unnamed counties are in the running for the AI. Could that fence get any bigger?

I totally agree that this is a discussion forum & every poster is entitled to their opinion. My argument is that some are not stating opinions but making declarations of fact that have no basis in reality. What these guys are doing is not contributing to the discussion but are instead exposing their prejudices for all to see. All I was saying is that I find this very funny.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/02/2014 13:27:35    1546788

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 2088

1546781
TheGateKeeper
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2494

1546720
Ulster is between Tyrone and Derry Muckross;
you know it lad! Donegal are yesterdays news!
The system was found out, the black card will be
Donegal's bane! Tir Eoghain abu! ;)

Gatekeeper my old friend, I hope you wintered well!!!!

I have to say that it is remarkable how all you Tyrone lads are writing Donegal off in February. The truth of it is that we can nearly smell the fear coming from Tir Eoghain, which is hilarious.



Just some friendly jousting muckross! ;)
As for "smell the fear", you're some craic lad;
the only thing I as a Tyrone supporter would be
afraid of is 'NOT' meeting Donegal this year!
What's that on the horizon...its payback muckross;
and payback is a b#~ch! ;)

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 16/02/2014 14:05:38    1546806

TheGateKeeper
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2495

Just some friendly jousting muckross! ;)
As for "smell the fear", you're some craic lad;
the only thing I as a Tyrone supporter would be
afraid of is 'NOT' meeting Donegal this year!
What's that on the horizon...its payback muckross;
and payback is a b#~ch! ;)

Gatekeeper

You heard it here first, the big yellow bus is back on the road!!

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/02/2014 14:22:03    1546814

What's that smell like my old Muckross head.
Think Tyrone will have it all to do to get to an Ulster final and I also believe Micky Hart has won his All Ireland's as a manager as for Kerry winning I can't see it, I think they will get relegated from div1 I take Mayo to beat them in the next round. Since 2009 I don't think Kerry have won a national title plus in my view they did not introduce young blood soon enough as they have been on the wane ,especially in the championship over the last number of years.
Donegal v Dublin this year would really interest me. I can't have it that Dublin are so far ahead,in fact people were saying the same thing about Donegal 2012. The Dublin bench looks strong but I suspect their midfield. Look up replays of last years semi final and final and you can't say Dublin were a far,far better than Kerry or Mayo. Kerry were level after 69 minutes and the goal Dublin got at that stage was due to a mix up by two Kerry players.
I thought Mayo done very well against Dublin and to me some of the younger Dublin players like Kilkenny,Mannion and some of their half back line did not perform Mayos backs done ok but the big weakness was up front To sum it up I can see Donegal resume where they left off 2012. And they have the players to do the defensive stuff plus the runners and the finishers (Murphy and McFadden) I think competition for places on the Donegal team will be intense. We have all the All Ireland winning side plus most of the bench that year and now newcomers like R McHugh O McNellis D oConnor and Hugh Mc Fadden. Also a fully fit C Toye will be a massive asset As regards being yesterday's team that's old hat
Also don't think that the black card will stop all the physical contact I can see plenty of hard hitting and indeed plenty black cards. The big question is :::: HAVE WE GOT THE REFEREES and WILL THEY BE UP TOO SCRATCH ???

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 16/02/2014 14:29:19    1546823

Gatekeeper
Hope your dream game comes through What an exiting Ulster final ,Donegal v Tyrone Better still lad navigate your way through the back door after Down beats you in the first round and meet us ( the big yellow bus in the All Ireland final That would be some final to look forward to Imagine all those Buses and cars heading through Tyrone with thousands of Donegal supporters going up to Dublin Better still what about us coming back down with the SAM Could be exiting Summer ahead ,never thought of that Donegal v Tyrone All Ireland final and it would be really great as it would settle all the bragging rights for a long time.
Must say thanks for great posters in 2012 from Strabane to Aughnacloy wishing Donegal well. we did not let Ulster Football down that day ,same as yourselves in2003/05/08 but Croke park in September would be a fine setting for Donegal vTyrone. What do other Ulster counties think of Don v Ty I an All Irl final

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 16/02/2014 14:45:13    1546839

SamonErrigal,
how far up Errigal are you lad?! Down beating Tyrone,
have you got altitude sickness or something?!
Tyrone v Donegal AI final; not a hope, a division 2
teamin an AI final is unheard of! ;)
As for your comments regarding Mickey Harte, he will
an another AI before 'Jimmy the System' does!
The system has been found out lads! ;)

TheGateKeeper (Tyrone) - Posts: 2843 - 16/02/2014 15:03:50    1546848

TheGateKeeper
County: Tyrone
Posts: 2496


The system has been found out lads! ;)

Repeating this in every post sounds like you are trying hard to convince yourself of the truth of it.
Still if it keeps you warm & comfortable on these cold February evenings, who am I to deny you?

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/02/2014 15:30:29    1546860

The system has not been found out and JIMMYS NEW SYSTEM can win another SAM Donegal had not the legs or fully fit players to implant the system last year As far as US. Donegal WANs are concerned last year is history. Plus we will be. Div one team when the championship starts. Our system made great teams look average ::: Cork and Kerry in 2012 and more of the same can work again this year.
Why can't Down beat Tyrone ???? Of course they can. Would you not like to meet us in an All Ireland final then?? Just think of it ,Donegal and Tyrone taking over Dublin on the last weekend in September. But what about the result??? Up here in Donegal we would not class Tyrone as our boogy team as we had plenty of good results over the last few years and must admitt Tyrone were a good and still are a good team with a top class manager but JIMMY THE SYSTEM is every bit as good. Mind them Donegal buses and cars on the A5 in September

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 16/02/2014 15:31:53    1546862

I have got to say that tyrone will not fear us this year. They will be highly motivated and ready. They have improved on last year. This is not to say that we will not have a chance against them. I think that we will have a chance against anyone this year if we play well, and the running game that we have seen so far evolves into championship football.

Interesting and competitive year ahead.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3853 - 16/02/2014 16:22:10    1546887

A lot of noise coming out of Donegal

Expectations seem high...

With it being Jims last season... and let's be honest Donegal wouldn't have won anything without him in charge

His contributions have been massive... Huge...

It must be playing on your minds a wee bit... if you don't do it this year...

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 16/02/2014 16:42:47    1546898

Hard to know where all the confidence is coming for certain counties perhaps its just wishful thinking. Tyrone won't win it, Donegal would have to improve by 50% on 12. Now while that is possible just don't see it, you'd have to say that Kerry may have gone to the well too many tines, mayo have the players but not the mentality, Cork have a fantastic team with a good manager but maybe too much retirement etc to do it this year. Kildare finally have a good manager but beliefs are far too low, including a large element within Kildare that want him to fail. Monaghan are a team that could produce the goods but again experience is against them, Derry have been the most impressive so far in league but just lacking Sam credentials, Meath are still way to inexperienced to even contemplate at this stage and Leinster is the goal this year.
When you look at all the contenders you have to keep coming back (unfortunately) to Dublin, only two things can beat Dublin this year Dublin's attitude and Dublin themselves, as a Meath man it pains me to say this but if Dublin perform every other county is just playing to get beat in final. They are so ahead of the rest its frightening.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 16/02/2014 17:35:43    1546925

jimbodub
County: Dublin
Posts: 11883

1546898
A lot of noise coming out of Donegal

Expectations seem high...

With it being Jims last season..

Do you know something we don't jimbo???????

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/02/2014 18:53:11    1546955

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 5444

1546925
Hard to know where all the confidence is coming for certain counties perhaps its just wishful thinking. Tyrone won't win it, Donegal would have to improve by 50% on 12. Now while that is possible just don't see it, you'd have to say that Kerry may have gone to the well too many tines, mayo have the players but not the mentality, Cork have a fantastic team with a good manager but maybe too much retirement etc to do it this year. Kildare finally have a good manager but beliefs are far too low, including a large element within Kildare that want him to fail. Monaghan are a team that could produce the goods but again experience is against them, Derry have been the most impressive so far in league but just lacking Sam credentials, Meath are still way to inexperienced to even contemplate at this stage and Leinster is the goal this year.
When you look at all the contenders you have to keep coming back (unfortunately) to Dublin, only two things can beat Dublin this year Dublin's attitude and Dublin themselves, as a Meath man it pains me to say this but if Dublin perform every other county is just playing to get beat in final. They are so ahead of the rest its frightening.

While I agree that Dublin are ahead of the rest I don't for one minute see them as unbeatable & you can be sure that neither JMcG or Mickey Harte think they are unbeatable either. Kerry stayed with them until the last 5 minutes in the semi final & they beat Mayo by one point in the final, hardly frightening stuff especially when we all know that it is difficult to defend a title.

As for Donegal having to improve by 50% over 2012, I don't think so. Donegal won at a canter in 2012 with only Kerry giving them grief in the QF & then only in the last 5 minutes. If Donegal get back to 2012 levels, & that is a big if, they won't be far away

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/02/2014 19:00:11    1546968

2012 level won t be enough maybe plus 15% Dublin and mayo have pushed on and its up to other teams to catch up.

Midlu1 (Louth) - Posts: 790 - 16/02/2014 19:21:21    1546986

Midlu1
County: Louth
Posts: 450

1546986
2012 level won t be enough maybe plus 15% Dublin and mayo have pushed on and its up to other teams to catch up.

Lat year's final, one of the poorest in years, would give a lie to the assertion that Dublin & Mayo have significantly raised the bar. Mayo were brilliant in the QF against a ravaged Donegal team but were only a pale shadow in the final with all the confidence & swagger gone. The fact that Dublin fell over the line against them means that they are beatable & the Donegal team of 2012 would, in my view, have done so.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 16/02/2014 19:32:10    1546997

jimbodub
County: Dublin
Posts: 11883

1546898
A lot of noise coming out of Donegal

Expectations seem high...

With it being Jims last season... and let's be honest Donegal wouldn't have won anything without him in charge

His contributions have been massive... Huge...

It must be playing on your minds a wee bit... if you don't do it this year...

I have to agree with u, there is high expectation and no better bunch than us to get carried away. I am not. I believe that the likelihood is that we will not win sam this year, I am saying this not out of negativity but out of realism. There are so many good teams out there. But it is no harm to dream now and again.
I would also say that jim McGuinness will put in a serious shift this year as well as the lads. If they win absolutely nothing, they owe us no apology after winning 2 ulsters, an all ireland. Dublin are the team to beat, the form team and champions. I think that there is pressure there for sure, but no different than years gone by. Enjoyable times ahead, win lose or draw

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3853 - 16/02/2014 19:56:53    1547027

Have to laugh how dismissive some people can be of certain counties chances! You'd swear this was the first championship they ever predicted - countless how many underdogs have come from nowhere to win big championships. I always find people giving their opinions on threads like this to be a small bit naive. If I know anything at all it's that this year's championships are wide open and no one team are guaranteed to win a game, let alone the thing outright.

Former_Poster (Meath) - Posts: 394 - 16/02/2014 20:13:08    1547048

Muck OK perhaps not 50% maybe 20. But 12 form I don't think will cut it. I actually think if the Dublin v Kildare last year plays no team will get within 5 points of them.
Yes they weren't great in the final last year but you could always see they would win.
Look my fear is that they will actually improve and not just by a little. I so hope I'm wrong but I think they've only scratched surface. And could be OK of football with been almost unbeatable. Really hope I'm wrong.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 16/02/2014 20:23:17    1547055

Naivety would be to say that Dublin are not on a totally different level to other counties, yes they can be beaten but for that to happen they would have to have a off day or opposition surpassed themselves. Really I have been watching matches since early 70s and I have not seen anything to compare to them. If second year syndrome doesn't creep in again they are going to take some stopping , it can happen of course, but only the most deluded would think Dublin are easy beat. If they perform they are unbeatable. And that hurts to say. :(

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 16/02/2014 20:40:22    1547072