theshamen
County: Mayo
Posts: 88

1635518
Big blow for Donegal if Lacey is out

If as reports say he was able to play 70 mins on it against Armagh then 3 weeks should be enough time to have him right.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 12/08/2014 14:51:06    1635658

Very risky leaving a player of his importance on the field injured like that!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8812 - 12/08/2014 14:55:35    1635663

royaldunne

Congratulations on post of the year. You have no respect whatsoever for ulster teams it would seem. Tell me what year in the last 10 that you think Wexford, Meath or Laois would have won an Ulster title. I would make a case for Kildare because they have reached an All-Ireland semi in recent years but in that year were beaten by an Ulster team that didnt even win the Ulster Championship. Some of your comments really show you up.

SamT2012 (Donegal) - Posts: 66 - 12/08/2014 15:43:47    1635718

MuckrossHead
County: Donegal
Posts: 3065


I wouldn't be throwing my hat up in the air just yet young Stormcrow.

Nobody, & I mean nobody has the personnel to even attempt what Dublin are doing apart from them it's hard to see who the flagbearers for "attacking" football are.

What is a lot closer to the truth is that teams will try to do what Donegal, Armagh, Monaghan, Mayo, Cork, Kerry & most others are doing which is to get numbers back when you don't have the ball & attack at speed when you do have it. Each team will have it's own variation but that will be the basic plan for all of them.

You will notice that I didn't mention Cavan in that list. Nobody anywhere will be trying to do what Cavan do, whatever it is they do.

Ah ha, good reply man.

Of course other teams can adopt Dublin's style. High intensity, swarm attack as opposed to swarm defence, unrelenting pressure on every defender coming out with the ball, push up on kickouts, work on speed, these are all things teams are capable of doing. Yes, not every team will have 6-8 footballers who can swing them over at will, but the rest is achievable. I wouldn't class Kerry or Mayo as defensive either man, they get numbers back, but they're not afraid to utilise their inside forwards and hit them with quick ball, the opposite of what takes place in Ulster where you go 60% of the way up the field and then backwards and sideways for 5-10 minutes.

The thing about the ultra defensive model is that it will take you to within an inch of beating the best. But that's as far as it will go because the philosophy is based on damage limitation. Perhaps the greatest game ever played involving ultra defensive versus ultra attacking football was Cavan v Dublin in the u21 semi final this year. We played the defensive game to absolute pitch perfection. Yet we lost by a point because when we had the upper hand, we were too constrained to kick over another score, instead focusing on stopping the opposition, ultimately it cost us the game.

Croke Park is too big to play an effective blanket.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1071 - 12/08/2014 18:07:26    1635869

theshamen
County: Mayo
Posts: 88

1635518
Big blow for Donegal if Lacey is out

Once again the rumour mill is in over drive Mark McHugh is returning to Ireland next week with social media suggesting he will be involved in the Donegal squad against Dublin..... Would this be a good thing for the county?

fielder (Donegal) - Posts: 137 - 12/08/2014 18:16:54    1635878

Donegal at 1/10 with the bookies have been wrote off as having no chance of beating D'invincibles.

Now as to what tactics Donegal can use in an attempt to upset the odds.

I think Donegal will have to line out with Murphy and McFadden/McBrearty in a two man full forward line. They will park the rest of the team behind their own 45, inviting Dublin to run at them and hoping for turnovers, resulting in quick delivery to Murphy and co.

Perhaps a bit of gamesmanship, push Cluxton around the goalmouth before his kickouts, or little friendly digs to the ribs of Connolly, O Gara and some of the more feisty dubs to rattle their cages, and of course, an abundance of good strong manly tackling throughout the game.

bryanadams (Kildare) - Posts: 733 - 12/08/2014 18:53:12    1635901

You just summed up why Donegal will not beat Dublin bryanadams :-)

hurlingdub (Dublin) - Posts: 6978 - 12/08/2014 18:59:55    1635904

1) Mark McHugh will not be involved for Donegal V Dublin
2) We will not beat Dublin !

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 12/08/2014 19:27:19    1635928

Taking into account Jim McGuinness's approach to teamwork, honesty of effort, squad togetherness, physical preparation and all the behind closed doors phsycology that goes with it - I would find it bizarre if he would allow a prodigal son who has been sunbathing, chill axing and the rest on a J1 ER back into the squad at this stage of the season even if he was Gooch, Canavan and Matt Connor all rolled into one.( And I don't mean the family view on Gooch's ability here !)

I,d love to have McHugh back and I can see it happening but if and when he does McGuinness will have him on a personal penance programme running sprints up and down Muckish for two winter months - then he will join the squad for January training

ruanua (Donegal) - Posts: 4966 - 12/08/2014 19:29:21    1635931

bryanadams
County: Kildare
Posts: 503

1635901
Donegal at 1/10 with the bookies have been wrote off as having no chance of beating D'invincibles.

Now as to what tactics Donegal can use in an attempt to upset the odds.

I think Donegal will have to line out with Murphy and McFadden/McBrearty in a two man full forward line. They will park the rest of the team behind their own 45, inviting Dublin to run at them and hoping for turnovers, resulting in quick delivery to Murphy and co.

Perhaps a bit of gamesmanship, push Cluxton around the goalmouth before his kickouts, or little friendly digs to the ribs of Connolly, O Gara and some of the more feisty dubs to rattle their cages, and of course, an abundance of good strong manly tackling throughout the game.

-----
Have to laugh at the idea of a back giving O'Gara or Connolly a 'friendly dig'. It would be a brave, or stupid, man. Monaghan tried to give Connolly a 'how are ye' on Sat and 30 secs later he waltzed by 3 of them and placed the ball in the corner of the onion sack. Dublin will not be physically intimidated by any team so would suggest that Donegal try to win the game using methods within the rules.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4748 - 12/08/2014 19:52:17    1635947

Joxer......

Is there noThing this Dublin team can't do.... They won't be beat by football, they want be beat by the physical stuff.......... They really are the bee's Nee's this Dublin team.....

Well a combination of both the above will beat yous........ And we will do it on the 31/08/2014

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 12/08/2014 20:41:19    1635978

Seriously though folks, Donegal @ 7/1, I have to admit I'm tempted!

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8812 - 12/08/2014 20:58:56    1635994

Joxer - yous are just a superior group of people . Just try not to systematically injure Lacey this time .

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 12/08/2014 21:12:56    1636007

ben1977
County: Donegal
Posts: 147

1635978
Joxer......

Is there noThing this Dublin team can't do.... They won't be beat by football, they want be beat by the physical stuff.......... They really are the bee's Nee's this Dublin team.....

Well a combination of both the above will beat yous........ And we will do it on the 31/08/2014

-----
After a rant like that let's hope so for your sake or you will be red faced like the Ulster posters who were claiming that Monaghan were going to out muscle Dublin on Sat and that Dublin would know they were in a game, blah, blah, blah. I've never said that this Dublin was great or the bees knees but I've seen them enough to know that they won't be physically beaten by any team. They may lose by being closed down by a good 'system' but they won't be beaten up. Just sayin.

PS - to play football you have to use your feet so unlikely that Donegal will beat us doing that.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4748 - 12/08/2014 21:24:20    1636012

Just because Dublin have been running riot all year does not say they will do it on 31/08/14. People on here how the game will pan out, how all Donegal's players will have to play to their very best , how Dublin's pace , scoring ability and how physical they are and some saying Donegal won't get within 10 points of Dublin.
Now I would not heed too much into all that talk. I do admit we will have to perform , everyone of us including the subs but don't forget Dublin and that includes everyone of them will also have to perform. Because I can see Jim McGuinness having this Donegal team really well tuned and fit to play the game of their lives. Nobody has made a point of what could happen if Dublin get caught in the Donegal web and can't handle it. By that I mean the defensive system. Also the way Donegal players interchange ( backwards and forwards) could leave Dublin players not knowing who they are marking(NeilMcGee gave an example on Sat scored 1point and shot another effort wide.

Let's not forget Dublin did not play that well last year in the AI final, a cutter team than Mayo might have beaten them. Also some of the Dublin players I thought played badly in last years final.
For me I can see a massive defensive system set up , the screw really turned on and if Dublin only have around five points or so at half time we would then have a good chance. The lower the score and the longer we keep it that way the better for us. Nobody knows how we will handle Dublin or wheather we will but the same applies to Dublin , will they handle us. Let's face it they have more to loose than we have and the one positive I take out of it is that we play well against Dublin.

SamOnErrigal (Donegal) - Posts: 1427 - 12/08/2014 21:26:07    1636015

Joxer
County: Dublin
Posts: 1706

1635947
Have to laugh at the idea of a back giving O'Gara or Connolly a 'friendly dig'. It would be a brave, or stupid, man. Monaghan tried to give Connolly a 'how are ye' on Sat and 30 secs later he waltzed by 3 of them and placed the ball in the corner of the onion sack. Dublin will not be physically intimidated by any team so would suggest that Donegal try to win the game using methods within the rules

In fairness I felt Monaghan tipped toe'd around both Kildare and Dublin, and really left the more physical aspect of their game back in Clones.

Donegal are not a dirty outfit at all, I would say they have one of the cleanest discipline records around. They are one of the better conditioned teams around too, and I can't see them being physically Intimidated by any team.

At full tilt, I think Donegal are a stronger team than Mayo. If they could produce their absolute best, I think they can beat Dublin on August 31st. But anything less than their absolute best, and they will likely get a heavy tanking.

If Dublin are going to win, they will need to bury Donegal early. If they are still in it with 20minutes left, the odds will favour Donegal then.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 12/08/2014 21:32:55    1636026

realdub
County: Dublin
Posts: 3764

1635663
Very risky leaving a player of his importance on the field injured like that!

don't believe that rubbish if lacey played 70 mins with hamstring injury he must be superman

D5dub (Dublin) - Posts: 283 - 12/08/2014 21:43:06    1636037

bryanadams
County: Kildare
Posts: 503

1635901
Donegal at 1/10 with the bookies have been wrote off as having no chance of beating D'invincibles.

Now as to what tactics Donegal can use in an attempt to upset the odds.

I think Donegal will have to line out with Murphy and McFadden/McBrearty in a two man full forward line. They will park the rest of the team behind their own 45, inviting Dublin to run at them and hoping for turnovers, resulting in quick delivery to Murphy and co.

Perhaps a bit of gamesmanship, push Cluxton around the goalmouth before his kickouts, or little friendly digs to the ribs of Connolly, O Gara and some of the more feisty dubs to rattle their cages, and of course, an abundance of good strong manly tackling throughout the game.

They done that in 2011 and failed

D5dub (Dublin) - Posts: 283 - 12/08/2014 21:47:40    1636041

bryanadams
County: Kildare
Posts: 503



Perhaps a bit of gamesmanship, push Cluxton around the goalmouth before his kickouts, or little friendly digs to the ribs of Connolly, O Gara and some of the more feisty dubs to rattle their cages, and of course, an abundance of good strong manly tackling throughout the game.

Very interesting to see a poster from kildare giving advice on how to beat dublin. If it were that simple, how come you didnt do what u are suggesting when you had the chance last year? The only way to beat dublin is if for some reason they dont turn up for the game. Unlikely this is going to happen, unless the hotel they are staying in the night before the match is filled with vice and distraction!

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3853 - 12/08/2014 21:52:50    1636045

SamOnErrigal
County: Donegal
Posts: 543


I agree that Donegal have been completely wrote off, and mainly due to how Dublin beat Monaghan. I know Monaghan fell apart very quickly, and it really ended as a contest after 30mins. But Dublin were superb in attacking, and players like B Brogan applying pressure to Monaghan defenders spoke volumes.

I suppose Donegal should have really beaten Monaghan by about 10 points, to give a true reflection of how much better they were in the Ulster final. But they won by 3 in the end, after conceding a stupid goal and hitting a few handy wides.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 12/08/2014 21:58:27    1636054