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Gale force wind at our back and they still won't kick the ball forward, pathetic performance tbh, I see Bonner with pen in hand most of the game, maybe he's planning writing a wee resignation letter to the county board, Kerry hardly out of 3rd gear today, lucky Clifford didn't net a few more times. Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3323 - 20/02/2022 15:21:53 2401309 Link
We are so far of it. Too many limited players, no ambition, no attacking plan just reverse and traverse, no forward gear at all. It is beyond a joke at this stage. Ulsterchamps72 (Donegal) - Posts: 159 - 20/02/2022 15:27:05 2401310 Link
As a neutral with a keen interest on all ulster teams it's sad to see the way that Donegal side has regressed..quite simply how bonner got another 3 year term is beyond belief.. he needs to do the decent thing and go.. Donegal has as much talent as the next team but tactics are chronic…a complete shambles.. mick2007 (Monaghan) - Posts: 578 - 20/02/2022 15:43:21 2401315 Link
Replying To The keeper: "We could have clifford, Murphy and the Gooch in full forward for donegal and we would still not use them to full effect. Donegal football is destroyed with possession possession possession at all cost, and are afraid to take a man on, and god forbid kick the ball in. Its all club teams do now in donegal. The result is very few players are used to taking on there man and actually beating them, and are afraid to have a go at a score from outside the 14 yard line. Mcguinness played defensive football, however when they counter attacked, we attacked at speed and had strength and courage to have a go at a score. This donegal side is the most frustrating side i have watched in years, and i believe we have great footballers so the management and coaching need to get there act together. This is not just about todays game, the same issues have been around this past few years, and we are not learning from our mistakes." Well I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks like this, I'll tell you the truth I wouldn't pay the money in and have the expense of going to a game to watch the rubbish we are playing now, I mean for Gods sake what is wrong with them, they can't all be so stupid to not see what's wrong with the way we are playing, looked to me at times they were trying to confuse the Kerrymen by playing in the same direction as them. Of course we'll have Bonners fan boys on here later on saying how great they are for supposedly having travelled to KIllarney etc etc. Like Barry McGowan said to that buck in Leiter years ago, you'd have to be a quare feckn ejit to travel to Killarney today to watch and support this sh1t show from Donegal. Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3323 - 20/02/2022 15:56:52 2401325 Link
Replying To Ulsterchamps72: "We are so far of it. Too many limited players, no ambition, no attacking plan just reverse and traverse, no forward gear at all. It is beyond a joke at this stage." I do not blame the players, i think we have a lot of very good footballers, its management and lack of direction. Management have learned nothing this past few years as we are playing the same crap as previous years. We are physically and mentally weak and thats managements job to instill in a team. Of course we will have a certain poster on here defending bonner, and attacking anyone that questions bonner. But how could you possibly defend the utter crap we are playing. But sadly its to late for change, and our county board would not have the balls to act anyway as everyone is to cosy in the old boys club The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 20/02/2022 16:14:38 2401329 Link
I feel for the players. They aren't allowed to play at all. Safety first EVERY time. If you're faced up by the opposition turn around every time. We have a limited defence but good forwards yet Bonner has no clue what to do with them irrespective of who is there. Playing the exact same way both into and with a game. I can't believe we have two championships of this to look forward to. The issue is a deeper one though. We have very poor management in all our county teams and this is a repeating problem. It's a pity managers with success at club level within the county aren't being persuaded and helped by our county board to step into the county set up. Ex players aren't the answer either, good players aren't always good mangers. Rory Kavanagh and Jim Mc are the exception. Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1677 - 20/02/2022 16:38:30 2401341 Link
Weather aside, that was fairly clueless stuff. Hand passes going everywhere, going backwards with the wind at our backs and a deficit to claw back.. hard to fathom. Felt like Rory was back in charge there. Feel sorry for the players. Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1478 - 20/02/2022 17:04:25 2401346 Link
Replying To Tir Conaill Abu: "I feel for the players. They aren't allowed to play at all. Safety first EVERY time. If you're faced up by the opposition turn around every time. We have a limited defence but good forwards yet Bonner has no clue what to do with them irrespective of who is there. Playing the exact same way both into and with a game. I can't believe we have two championships of this to look forward to. The issue is a deeper one though. We have very poor management in all our county teams and this is a repeating problem. It's a pity managers with success at club level within the county aren't being persuaded and helped by our county board to step into the county set up. Ex players aren't the answer either, good players aren't always good mangers. Rory Kavanagh and Jim Mc are the exception." Club managers in donegal are playing the same safety first crap, its all over club football in donegal. Including Rory kavanagh teams. My own club are one of the worst offenders of safty first and constant hand passing. In every department we are behind the top teams, in the physical stakes, the mental side and by the looks of things, our management are clueless. The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 20/02/2022 18:22:17 2401374 Link
Is there an e-mail address I can submit expenses to for the drive down to watch that? JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 20/02/2022 19:35:39 2401416 Link
At the start of the 2nd half, Kerry won a free around halfway. They were facing the wind, and with the free they immediately looked up and KICKED THE BALL FORWARD. Sean O'Se got his goal chance from that and hit the post. Other than from shots, I don't think we hit a free forward all game. Every single time the man with the ball in hand looked back and inevitably kicked it to Patton. The first instinct every single time was to turn away from the attacking part of the pitch. In the 2nd half we eventually got a score when Conor O'Donnell had the ball and realised he had acres of space in front of him as the Kerry men were just expecting him to turn back to his own goal yet again. He ran up the sideline and played it on to Shane O'Donnell who scored. We've had a mixed bag so far this year, we were missing Murphy and Langan of course, but some of the main "Big" players for us just looked like they weren't interested there today. I'm not one for hyperbole and I'd hope regular posters on here would know that, but that was one of the worst performances in my memory. Maybe it feels extra bad because of the trek down to Killarney in that fecking weather. JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 20/02/2022 19:41:11 2401419 Link
You do all know that NFL games are training games? SurelyToGod (Donegal) - Posts: 472 - 20/02/2022 20:05:07 2401435 Link
Replying To JoeSoap: "At the start of the 2nd half, Kerry won a free around halfway. They were facing the wind, and with the free they immediately looked up and KICKED THE BALL FORWARD. Sean O'Se got his goal chance from that and hit the post. Other than from shots, I don't think we hit a free forward all game. Every single time the man with the ball in hand looked back and inevitably kicked it to Patton. The first instinct every single time was to turn away from the attacking part of the pitch. In the 2nd half we eventually got a score when Conor O'Donnell had the ball and realised he had acres of space in front of him as the Kerry men were just expecting him to turn back to his own goal yet again. He ran up the sideline and played it on to Shane O'Donnell who scored. We've had a mixed bag so far this year, we were missing Murphy and Langan of course, but some of the main "Big" players for us just looked like they weren't interested there today. I'm not one for hyperbole and I'd hope regular posters on here would know that, but that was one of the worst performances in my memory. Maybe it feels extra bad because of the trek down to Killarney in that fecking weather." And CERTAIN players too big or with a surname/family history to be taken off it seems... peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1263 - 20/02/2022 20:50:48 2401450 Link
Difficult to watch that game earlier. We didn't kick at all in the first half and it was clear we were not going to get through Kerry's defence. I suppose we had to do some sort of damage limitation during the first half and I was hopeful we would crack on from there. The second half we never used the ball quickly, we were slow and cumbersome. As the league goes on we will get fitter. I think we are at the stage where a stint in D2 would not be the end of the world. Under Bonner I don't have much confidence in doing anything so we should probably use the time to sort bigger problems out. In our remaining games I would expect a draw against Tyrone and Monaghan with a win against Dublin. We have had Armagh's number for the last few seasons and I fully expect us to beat them with a few points to spare. If it is a relegation battle between us and them I would fancy us. McGo72 (Donegal) - Posts: 68 - 20/02/2022 21:04:58 2401457 Link
Not long home from Killarney, very very poor performance, we don't seem to have any coherent attacking plan. Any scores we get seem to be off the cuff. We were 7 down at halftime and played the same easy with the breeze as against it. We were too easy to play against. Langan was a huge loss as he would have given us an out ball in the second half, but would we have kicked it in to him? totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1112 - 20/02/2022 21:57:06 2401475 Link
Replying To SurelyToGod: "You do all know that NFL games are training games?" I hope you're right and that Bonner has some sort of attacking master plan up his sleeve but I'm doubtful. I do get what you're saying, Tyrone's huge defeat to Kerry last year which reversed come championship means I'll never pay too much heed again to league form but in a condensed season, it's concerning. So many issues yesterday that it was hard to see the sunny side; lack of leaders, lateral play, misplaced hand passes, no urgency, second to a lot of breaking ball. Complete lack of an attacking system. Senior players disinterested looking. I really hope it's all simply early season growing pains. Donegal_abroad (Donegal) - Posts: 1478 - 21/02/2022 09:29:17 2401490 Link
Replying To SurelyToGod: "You do all know that NFL games are training games?" There not training games, there games against the better sides in the country whey you can test some players out to see are they fit for championship. And to try out new ways of playing, new tactics. Have we tried out new players, yes. But from what i see, we have not learned anything tactics wise from previous years. Take yesterday out of it, the previous games, same issue when we have a few points lead, we automatically move into safty mode, invite teams on to us, and the result is we lose momentum. We did it against mayo and got caught, against kildare we just got lucky they kicked tons of wides. The sad thing is, when murphy is back he will spend most of the time out the field, instead of in full forward where we should use him far more. I believe we will stay up, but it will be down to the talented players we have, and definitely not management who seem clueless or incapable of bringing us to the next level. The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 21/02/2022 09:29:40 2401491 Link
I am just wondering what the hell rochford Bonner and co are doing with these players in training?? The first thought seems to be to turn around and look behind for a low risk pass. No one is looking forward, when we do cross the 45 we have some very poor movement inside but that may because the ball is never played early. I would say Patton had more touches than any player on the field yesterday which speaks volumes. totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 1112 - 21/02/2022 09:42:55 2401493 Link
@rorysboys. What a terrible inept and disgraceful Donegal display. You must have found a rock somewhere in the beautiful county of Kerry to hide under after that effort. Donegal have talent, seems to be no game plan, side to side stuff. No attempt to break a tackle and now the likes of Ryan McHugh, who should be sat down on yesterday's showing is doing the managing. Bonner out of his depth ,what is he waiting for. For the good of Donegal football, step away Bonner. Need a change of scenery. thelowball (USA) - Posts: 400 - 21/02/2022 10:00:58 2401496 Link
How can a team that are 7 points down at half time and with a very strong wind at their backs in the second half continue to play the Ball back to the goalkeeper. jacktheboy (Donegal) - Posts: 488 - 21/02/2022 10:02:08 2401497 Link
Replying To jacktheboy: "How can a team that are 7 points down at half time and with a very strong wind at their backs in the second half continue to play the Ball back to the goalkeeper." A team coached to be safety first and take no risks. Contrast this to Tyrone and Kidare which was played in similar conditions. Rolo2010 (Donegal) - Posts: 746 - 21/02/2022 10:23:06 2401508 Link