JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 08/08/2016 18:22:00    1898258

It's very simple EVERY single team targets certain players. the amount of baised and blind supporters here makes a mockery of the whole thing. Dublin targeted Donegal players and vice versa same and tyrone and mayo.

Most of the people here are blind idiots. This targeting will not stop until the umpires do their job properly, instead they are just lazy overweight flag wavers. Ref can't be expected to see everything. Umpires need to raise things likes players being pulled. This cop-out of giving both players yellow has got to stop. 1 player had to start it and should be solely punished.

kevin03 (Tyrone) - Posts: 280 - 08/08/2016 18:49:54    1898278

Mobot you as much as said that O'Reilly was giving Connolly treatment because he is small. Look back at your posts. Have you changed your mind now? Nobody is disputing that Connolly has a temper but sure that's what Gallagher wanted to exploit. The first yellow should not have been a yellow, neither player should have got one. The second one was a yellow as a high tackle. I've no problem in saying that.

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4742 - 08/08/2016 19:00:51    1898285

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1428 - 08/08/2016 19:29:29    1898301

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4742 - 08/08/2016 20:35:01    1898322

BlastCalyle (Mayo) - Posts: 216 - 08/08/2016 20:55:16    1898338

On off the ball tonight Bernard Flynn said jim Gavin had some neck talking bout his players being targeted with what Johnny cooper and Philly mac do be at , he also said that Dublin are as cynical and maybe even more cynical then everyother team in the country so what do ye think of that now?
Jims angels eh!

KingdomBoy1 (Kerry) - Posts: 14092 - 08/08/2016 21:14:20    1898350

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4742 - 08/08/2016 21:28:45    1898359

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 08/08/2016 21:34:10    1898362

Tomás oshea said that the top players are being targeted ,so there you go ,it's not like anyone who knew their football or wasn't trying to be a smartarse wouldn't see.

Dubh_linn (Dublin) - Posts: 2313 - 08/08/2016 21:40:30    1898367

This thing of targeting players has been going on for as long as I can remember in gaelic football. I think it's a hell of a lot worse now though, I mean the effort and extent that teams go out to do it is ridiculous. Correct me if I'm wrong but I thought sledging was a black card offence. Now I know that becomes something that is extremely hard to enforce but watching the way Dublin, Donegal, Mayo and Tyrone were at it over the weekend it's very much part and parcel of a teams game plan.
I thought the lads on Newstalk called it best, when you see lads running lengths to get involved, to get in someones face after they kick a wide or get knocked over the line like Tyrone did a couple of times to Aidan O'Se at the weekend is akin to Martin Keown's antics with Ruud Van Nistelrooy back in 2002.

Anyone taking Bernard Flynn's opinion on all things disciplinary should take it with a big pinch of salt. He played on a team that could teach the current generation a thing or two

keithlemon (Australia) - Posts: 920 - 08/08/2016 22:05:25    1898399

McKeon sums it up perfectly here. Mickey Harte makes some good points also, the two yellow card cop out. I think McKeon is right also, it's sometimes worth a yellow to get the opposition's best player on a yellow.

http://m.herald.ie/sport/gaa/double-yellow-is-refs-biggest-copout-34945355.html

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4742 - 08/08/2016 22:12:34    1898405

I think some Dublin fans on here need to take a step back and see a bit of sense. I'm not condoning the treatment Connolly gets but come on, are you telling me he didn't deserve to walk? I'm not a Dublin fan but he ticks me off mostly because he's arguably one of the best talents in gaelic football, one of the sweetest strikers of a football you will ever see but carry's on like a lunatic.
You can make excuses but he's no good to the team with that kind of discipline, by acting like this he's giving the opposition excuses to keep at it. If you're being honest with yourselves I'd say you were well ticked off yourselves when you saw him getting the line.
But at the same time, some Donegal supporters trying to play down that Murphy hit on Fenton, that's just as bad. Maybe there was no malice intended but it was clumsy at best and could have resulted in a much more serious injury that Fenton got. Just like the Dublin fans, there's some Donegal fans on here that need to admit to themselves that he was a very lucky boy to stay on the pitch. We've seen reds for less

keithlemon (Australia) - Posts: 920 - 08/08/2016 22:13:59    1898411

I think it's fair to say that 'targeting' is the buzzword issue of 2016. Seems to be something different every year.

benjyyy (Donegal) - Posts: 1428 - 09/08/2016 00:07:07    1898507

Thoroughly enjoyed Saturday's double header, great value for €30.
Great banter between quick witted Dublin supporters and very friendly Donegal fans. Good respect evident between between the majority of players during and after the match despite the strong rivalry on the pitch. A very knowledgeable St Vincent's lady told us that McCauley, O' Gara along with former players D Farrell and Bonner all had a Donegal parent with the reverse being true for McBrearty.
Very impressed by CLUXTON'S restarts , he wasn't content to kick it short to an unmarked corner back but regularly drilled it 45m to a team mate . He still managed to find a Dublin player with pinpoint accuracy when his team were short one and later two players. Yes I know that he will be replaced as a shot stopper but very few if any brings so much with their kicking game.
My neutral view on some of the talking points :
MURPHY : Closer to a red car than a yellow. Sure people will argue that it wasn't deliberate but there is a duty of care not to injure your opponent with a careless/reckless action. There wasn't a punching action but the back of a closed hand albeit a straight arm from such a strong man is capable of inflicting a lot of damage. It seemed to play on his mind for a while as he didn't have the same appetite for the contest, a fully focused /fit Murphy would have claimed one or two of of the four poorly kicked balls into him later on.
CONNOLLY: A superb player capable of outrageous scores. Not sure what Rory Gallagher was at detailing the corner forward to mark him, talk about a mis-match in size and physical presence ..should have led to a goal after 45 seconds. Dermot was targeted a lot more in last year's semi final and got red carded when pushing a player off him after being dragged to the ground off the ball. His two yellow cards on Saturday had little to do with retaliation/targeting.
I got a bird's eye view of the first yellow card and felt it was closer to a black card. Donegal were breaking out at pace and Dermot obstructed a supporting player Ryan McHugh , dragging and pining him to the ground. All the referee saw was McHugh squirming manfully under Connolly and proceeded to book both players. The second yellow was simply a high tackle. No Donegal player was hit or injured by Dermot Connolly and no one here should call him a Wally .. leave that to TSG afternoon pundits who rejoice in that kind of offensive labeling.
O'GARA : Red card was a joke and will be reversed . He did nothing more than tickle McGee's tummy ..neither player should have got a card. Umpires have chosen to ignore much more serious incidents during this year alone and the very one time they intervened they get it so wrong... convinced the referee that it was a punch when it was anything but.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 604 - 09/08/2016 00:10:35    1898509

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 09/08/2016 00:28:16    1898512

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 09/08/2016 01:34:22    1898525

Mobot (Donegal) - Posts: 459 - 09/08/2016 10:36:15    1898616

avonali (Dublin) - Posts: 1990 - 09/08/2016 11:18:41    1898651

Joxer (Dublin) - Posts: 4742 - 09/08/2016 11:26:54    1898663