Dublin are immense. Monaghan's heavy defeat does put the Leinster standard into perspective and there are a lot of Leinster teams that could compete for honours in all other provinces. Dublin at this moment in time are the best in the country by a long way. Even though most of the Dublin games are over at half time it does not make it any less enjoyable for me. the quality, intensity and athleticism is a joy to watch. Machines of men with top skill levels. We can say what we want about the advantages financially that Dublin may have, but we cannot take away from the effort the Dublin players must put in year in and year out to get themselves into such peak shape. Any of us that play or played football know what it takes to get to a reasonable level of fitness so credit to these athletes for maintaining and improving their fitness levels each year. Next generation football is what this is! Mayo for me are number 2 and will play football with Dublin, but they are just still a bit off. Interesting times in gaa!

Jack Daniels (Westmeath) - Posts: 152 - 10/08/2014 13:51:56    1634272

I watched Armagh/Donegal and first half of Monaghan/Dublin on Sky. Apart from 3/4 players Monaghan lacked physical power. Maybe Dublin were flattered by the score. At one stage Clerkin and Hughes alone managed to bring the ball from Monaghan 30 metre line up to Dublin goals. Donegal will have 7/8 players as powerful, so I would give Donegal a good chance.

Hypo (UK) - Posts: 66 - 10/08/2014 14:15:22    1634285

Look I suppose a 7 day turnaround to face a team like Dublin was never going to be enough, Monaghan are no pushover at the best of times.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 10/08/2014 14:22:12    1634289

The great Kilkenny team won 4 in a row because they were simply brilliant. They raised the bar & it was up to the other teams to catch up. The same applies now in my opinion for Dublin.
You can talk about lack of courage all you want. I certainly didn't see any lack of it from Meath or Monaghan. If you're up against a much better team who play at 100% for the full game, you're almost certainly going to get well beaten. That doesn't mean you haven't got courage. If Donegal get closer (which I think they will do although they'll still be well beaten) it's because they're a better team than those teams.

Everyone else in other counties - players, management, County Boards - are simply going to have to raise their game. In the meantime, I for one am going to enjoy watching Dublin.

KildareKelly (Kildare) - Posts: 593 - 10/08/2014 14:38:39    1634298

I said it after the kildare v monaghan game. There is very little between Kildare,Down,Meath,Wexford,tyrone,armagh and laois on any given day.

Yesterday proves that thoery.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 10/08/2014 14:54:18    1634309

Soma
County: UK
Posts: 544

1634257
Muck are you saying Donegal have more courage than Wexford, Laois, Monaghan etc? Because if you are then you are entirely wrong.

I am not aware that I said that, if I did it's not what I was getting at.

Courage on it's own is nowhere near enough. Without belief & faith in yourself, your teammates, management & system of play then a team as good as Dublin will cream you.

Monaghan yesterday looked like a team that did not believe thy could win the game. As long as things were level they were doing well but as soon as Dublin got a goal they just collapsed.

Now, I also think that tiredness played a hand in this, but self doubt was a bigger factor & it is a crippling handicap to bring into any game against an opponent as formidable as Dublin.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 10/08/2014 15:22:41    1634321

Well done Dublin.Very disappointed we didnt give you's a better challange,but i cant slate our men as the have given me some great days out this past 10 years.........and we will be back hopefully next year.

I can tell everyone now Only Mayo can get to within 10 points of Dublin.........there on a different level to everyone.

hardcore (Monaghan) - Posts: 1366 - 10/08/2014 15:48:21    1634335

I said it after the kildare v monaghan game. There is very little between Kildare,Down,Meath,Wexford,tyrone,armagh and laois on any given day.

Yesterday proves that thoery.

That is like saying the shops open on a Sunday proves that there is life on Mars.

4 of the teams you mention played last weekend and Monaghan and Armagh proved better.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 10/08/2014 18:56:52    1634472

Stmunnsriver
County: Wexford
Posts: 948

1634100
northern football healthy? in my ass it is not on what i saw in croke park yeaserday

The truth in this statement is that if we are using Dublin as the yardstick football in every other county in Ireland is unhealthy.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 10/08/2014 19:06:56    1634490

Ulsterman

Gone hiding have ya?

Come on man, some big words before the game

Why so quiet now... :)

jimbodub (Dublin) - Posts: 20763 - 10/08/2014 19:08:35    1634491

One of the surprises of yesterdays game is that the physical examination many on here were telling us Monaghan would give Dublin never really materialised. We were told that Monaghan hit really hard, harder than any other team in Ulster, and that if nothing else Dublin would be at least sore the next day and know for the first time this year that they had been in a battle. Was it a case of Monaghan not being able to get close enough to Dublin to use this advantage, was Monaghans physicality over-stated in the build up, or are Dublin actually a bigger side physically than most people realise?

Soma (UK) - Posts: 2630 - 10/08/2014 19:16:53    1634504

dublin have been as physical a side as anybody for a number of years now...anybody who thinks they werent has not been watching a whole lot of matches..physical capabilities was never dublins problem when they werent winning for instance

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 10/08/2014 19:21:05    1634508

Monaghan were extremely poor yesterday. As bad a team as I've seen at the quarter final stages for awhile.

I think they were being slightly over rated by some because they won a soft enough Ulster title last year by pipping an under functioning Donegal in the final after a fairly handy run.

Dublin were okay at times but very sloppy also. They'll need to seriously improve the performance if they're to have a chance against the likes of Donegal/Mayo/Kerry.

MesAmis (Dublin) - Posts: 13833 - 10/08/2014 19:27:04    1634515

According to the programme stats Soma, only one of Dublin's starting 15 in last year's final was sub 6ft - the shortie was Bernard Brogan, who's 5'10". That said they don't have any regular starter (that I can think of) above 6'3". They're pretty modular as players and athletes, and it works well for them with the mobile gameplan they've developed.

Pericles (Mayo) - Posts: 2521 - 10/08/2014 19:33:41    1634523

Why would Alan Brogan walk away after this year? He's as fit and fast as ever and surely he's thinking there's a few more all Ireland's to be won with this team

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 10/08/2014 19:37:56    1634529

Pericies,

I'd take those stats with a pinch of sault.

Lads give their own height so you could have some throwing an extra inch in.

daytona11 (Kildare) - Posts: 4012 - 10/08/2014 19:42:43    1634535

One of the surprises of yesterdays game is that the physical examination many on here were telling us Monaghan would give Dublin never really materialised.

I think after last weekend it was clear that Monaghan were not going to provide the challenge that some thought they would have earlier in the year.

After Donegal beating them without really breaking sweat they struggled badly against Kildare. In addition they had extra time to play in poor conditions in that game.

If you want to play a defensive game in Croke park you need a very high level of fitness to bring a lot of intensity to the closing own and tackling.

Monaghan against Kildare looked like they had run out of legs and would have struggled against a fair few teams yesterday so to have to play Dublin they were really only showing up for the last rites.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 10/08/2014 19:58:25    1634550

Nayser you could be right about Monaghan being tired after the Kildare game, certainly not ideal preparation. But to be honest Dublin made Meath look tired after 20 mins . I think its more a case that Monaghan have made great strides under Malachy O Rourke ,Ulster titile last year , beating Tyrone this year, Div 1 football to look forward too, but no matter what preparation they had for this game Dublin were just a bridge too far and at a higher level with different goals. .Monaghan have made huge strides and deserve enormous credit , looking forward to going up to clones in league next year.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 10/08/2014 20:31:21    1634573

monaghan are just a very small county and have reached their peak pretty much..malachy o rourke has done an excellent job but that is just their level

fabio8 (USA) - Posts: 2182 - 10/08/2014 20:36:54    1634580

AthCliath I agree with what you are saying and thought I was clear that I felt Monaghan would have struggled with most teams yesterday but to have to face Dublin they were not going to struggle rather they were gone.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 10/08/2014 21:19:14    1634631