The opinion I listen to is people who go to games not. Keyboard warriors. Don't worry Marty low ball I don't hide win or lose. Bonner is the man for the job players not doing it. Mc Hugh Mc brearty a shadow of the players they were a spell on the line might recharge the batteries. Another thing a n Conal man on lecturing Donegal how to play football how rich is that.lol

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2643 - 21/02/2022 10:51:22    2401520

Very poor performance, the expectations for this year keep getting lower and lower.

Conditions were atrocious but both teams had to play in it, we had no direction what so ever. No leaders either, conditions like yesterday don't suit Ryan and he can't play to his best, that's when we need a manager to be strong and make a decision. On a dry pitch there is no one better and always one of 1st names on team sheet, but no yesterday.

You look around for leaders and there was nobody stepping up, you would want the likes of McBrearty to step up and take charge, he's our most experienced and most capped player out there, I know he can't do it all by himself but if he sets the example others will follow.

Some positives at least from yesterday is Mcfadden and McMennamin back. 2 sure starters who will add a bit of strength and physicality to an otherwise weak team without Murphy and Langin.

FootballGuy (Donegal) - Posts: 278 - 21/02/2022 10:58:25    2401525

It baffles me that every time we lose a game, everyone slates Declan Bonner and its all his fault, never a mention of Stephen Rochford who is coaching the team for 3 or 4 years. Yes Bonner is the manager and the buck ultimately stops with him, but I don't see that Rochford has done anything, he must have input to how the team plays. Even if he's not getting paid, it's bound to be costing a fortune in travel expenses. I don't see any return at all on that investment.

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 710 - 21/02/2022 11:51:49    2401545

If I'm totally honest I wasn't expecting us to get a result down in Kerry. It has been a graveyard for us in terms of results for 30 odd years. Throw in the fact that we had numerous important players either unavailable or making their first appearances of the year and it was even more of a challenge. Kerry by contrast were near full strength.

That said, you'd still be looking for a performance of sorts, especially in the second half. We hardly laid a glove on them and never really made life uncomforatble for them at all. The slow build up, lateral and backward passing was a waste of time. We seem to be very one dimensional - work it through the hands at all times and very risk averse. Possession is important of course, but possession stats don't win games. We have a lot of talented footballers in the squad but seem reluctant to allow them to use their initiative and skill.

Things appear bleak this morning but I wouldn't go throwing the baby out with the bathwater just yet. We need another win and a draw to retain Div 1 status - definitely achievable. I'd be happy enough with the league campaign if we reach the end of it midtable with an injury free squad approaching full fitness.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9878 - 21/02/2022 11:59:20    2401549

@ Rory, U make us LOL. Bonners the man for the job, the players are to blame. What a summary! Nuf said.

thelowball (USA) - Posts: 400 - 21/02/2022 12:06:33    2401553

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 21/02/2022 12:19:55    2401561

Given the nasty aul weather I'm sure it was a long slog home for the team and glad they all got back safely.

Despite the conditions pitch was in great shape. Fair play to who ever looks after it down there.

The way Donegal have played since the start of the league is actually not reflective of the way Donegal played in the first few years under bonner. The last two years is hard to draw a conclusion given the bitty nature of both years.

The very first match under bonner was also in Killarney and although a loss was a very vibrant performance.

The way they played yesterday and the second half against mayo was basically a Donegal club football style at its worst. Possession first with very little kicking and being hyper cautious. Maybe players revert to type when they are under pressure. At least in the first 15 mins they did have end product out if it and were killing the clock. Though McFadden who is rusty kicked a ball over the sideline and it was a bit of a turning point. The plays near the end of the half were they tried to only hold on to the ball did not make sense. You have to at least try to be productive when you're losing.

The second half was very maddening. Even the very first play we won the throw in and went backwards. Why not hoof it in. The wind was that strong it would have nearly taken it over the bar. There is nothing wrong with the odd lump it in ball particularly when a team is not set and it's man on man.

The rest of the half players clearly wanted to go backwards. It just made no sense. It's not like we were winning. 5 points with that wind was very poor scoring.

Though funnily enough Kerry wil be a bit concerned about the middle period of the second half. They couldn't win their own kickouts and Donegal had a bit if a run in them and should have scored more. McHugh did not do well for the goal chance.

Unfortunately there are a lot of injuries being picked up. Mcgonagle looks be be out for a long time and we are so reliant on Murphy (even yet) and now langan as well.

Hopefully they can't their heads together for Tyrone and put a big shift in. A win their would be crucial to staying up. If terrible weather keeps going what chance it moving to letterkenny on Sunday?

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 898 - 21/02/2022 12:25:37    2401562

Bit calmer today than I was yesterday. I was raging with that 2nd half after travelling down Sunday morning from Belfast, I stopped off in my sisters' for last night in Galway and we set the world to rights about Donegal football.

It's the league and it was a stinker of a performance. There are worrying signs but we have talent enough to turn things around. I just absolutely despise that safety first football and it wasn't just yesterday, we invited Mayo into the game and Kildare as well. At some point you have to take what you're seeing on the field on its merits and not say things like "it's only a training match". If we lose to Armagh opening day of championship playing the same stuff will it be "only Ulster".

I'm not one to be on the Bonner out bandwagon like some on here but it is very frustrating to see something like that yesterday. There are positives because we do have good talented players but I don't really see anything on the pitch that tells me we have a pattern of play in terms of our attack, other than trying to get lads coming off the shoulder with a handpass into space. When that's not on, we turn back and try it again somewhere else on the pitch. It feels very easy to defend against.

Tyrone at home now will be a big game, I think we will raise ourselves for it because we always tend to against Tyrone, it would not surprise me if we win and we win playing well. But I think the bigger questions about the squad and management are absolutely fair, until they prove otherwise I think it's valid to question things like tactics, mentality, and style of play.

JoeSoap (Donegal) - Posts: 1432 - 21/02/2022 12:49:01    2401569

Wally (Tyrone) - Posts: 929 - 21/02/2022 13:03:06    2401576

Tough on supporters who braved a 500 mile round trip to Killarney in those elements to witness their team persisting with playing sideways and backwards in the 2nd half backed by a gael force wind and nine points in arrears. Sorry for the talented players running themselves to a standstill but badly hamstrung by baffling tactics. Strange as it may seem now is the time to get behind your players for the next two home games where you can expect a different attitude. It's possible that trips to Killarney and Croker weren't earmarked for picking up points anyway… open to correction here but I think Kerry won the corresponding fixture 16 - 08 in 2012. Nothing will boost confidence as much as a win or two towards securing safety in Div 1.

Curlew66 (Roscommon) - Posts: 623 - 21/02/2022 13:14:44    2401581

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2643 - 21/02/2022 13:15:47    2401584

Cant see Rochford ever managing a County team again , he has to agree with the negative back passing of Donegal team or else he should leave his post with Donegal. Apart from Donegal all teams are now kicking the ball forward and playing attacking football, especially when they are behind and need scores to win a game. You cant score in your own half of the field.

jacktheboy (Donegal) - Posts: 488 - 21/02/2022 13:34:58    2401590

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2643 - 21/02/2022 13:58:13    2401599

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2643 - 21/02/2022 14:04:17    2401603

I could write a couple of different articles on yesterdays display.

We spent 20 minutes in the warm up yesterday into the bottom goals working on our attack, condensed inside the 45. It was done at pace, with pressure being applied, and it looked good. The game started, and we played very well in the first 20 minutes, replicating what we had done in the warm up. Boys were moving at pace, applying pressure on the Kerry defence.

Then two men got involved in play, and then our game plan fell apart. Paddy McBrearty came out to the middle of the field to start moving the ball. And Shaun Patton came out the field offering his services. And then the problems started. Both men, each time they received the ball, they came to a complete stop, soloing on the spot. This gave the Kerry defence time to evaluate what was going on, and let them fill the gaps. And then inevitably, on a number of occasions Kerry pushed out, forcing a mistake/turn over, and a score. Kerry punished every little mistake. However, I felt that 9 points to 2 wasn't a massive lead in the conditions, and that we would make inroads in the 2nd half.

How wrong I was. Our 2nd half display was shocking. The lateral and backward play continued. And I understand why we would do it, to make space inside. But we had no movement inside. Again Paddy McBrearty, instead of testing a defender inside with a bit of movement, was out in the middle of the field, exactly where he shouldn't have been. We were so one dimensional, a club team could've defended against us yesterday in the 2nd half.

On the bright side, I thought McCole played well, as did McFadden Ferry at times. Jason McGee didn't do much wrong. And it was good to get Hughie, Farah back out there. But so many of our bigger names did not perform, and they looked stale at best, no fire in the bellies at all.

We will need a big step up in tempo this coming Saturday night. If we can't get up for Tyrone, the reigning All Ireland Champions in Ballybofey, we really have a mountain to climb.

SouthOfTheGap (Donegal) - Posts: 836 - 21/02/2022 14:35:19    2401614

Changing the manager won't make much difference. The players coming through now to the senior team aren't good enough, they're like robots, programmed to get the ball and handpass it sideways. Comes from years of neglecting our underage setup, putting underage managers in place who were only interested in results, no proper coaching of players, too much emphasis on fitness and defence,. I really hope this new academy setup under Karl Lacey/Aaron Kyles in Donegal works because we're in danger of getting left behind by the likes of Tyrone who are coaching and developing their players in a proper academy. However I wouldn't be too hopeful, considering the first thing Lacey/Kyles did was re-appoint the u21 and minor managers from 2021 without even advertising the jobs.

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 710 - 21/02/2022 14:44:58    2401619

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 21/02/2022 15:19:12    2401634

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2643 - 21/02/2022 15:34:40    2401643

That was a truly awful performance yesterday, the second half was shocking. Even being 7 points down at half time wasn't that bad but with a gale force wind in the second half, we decide to play the ball around the back and take no shots from distance. We were talking a few weeks back about the lack of noise our supporters make but the team has to give us something to cheer. We look like a Div 2 team without Michael Langan. I thought Brendan McCole had another great game and some positive displays from the younger lads Conor O'Donnell, Shane O'Donnell and Jason McGee. Worryingly our experienced players look dead on their feet.

I was very enthusiastic about Bonner in the first two years, not just because we won Ulster titles but we were playing exciting football. Where has that team gone? We seem to have abandoned that attacking game plan for a more negative keep-ball strategy. Some day soon we might even see a free kick passed forward lol. We are terrible at playing keep ball, it would give you a heart attack watching it. Structurally the team was all over the place yesterday, Patton was out in midfield and Conor and Shane O'Donnell back tackling in our full back line. Patton looks really uncomfortable out the field and just needs to stay on his line and concentrate on goalkeeping.

The good news is that its a short turnaround to the Tyrone game. We could do with a good performance, even if we lose, we just need a good 70 plus minute performance.

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1916 - 21/02/2022 16:03:52    2401666

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 711 - 21/02/2022 18:06:19    2401711