Commiserations everyone.

When i saw the result the first man i though of was Declan Bonner. I was critical of Bonner during his reign, i thought Donegal under achieved for a few years with some really good players... now I am looking at it (from afar) and thinking did Bonner do a really good job to keep the show on the road at all? Did he paper over a lot of cracks? Perhaps he deserves more credit that he got?

Going forward - no easy answers. You might get out of the Group but in some respect you might be better just drawing a line under 2023 and put it behind you.

Cbar (Mayo) - Posts: 308 - 24/04/2023 09:31:04    2473060

The game was there for the winning yesterday, Down are nothing to write home about although they are beginning to put proper structures in place which will take time. I would not look to blame any of the players that took to the pitch yesterday. It is clear that mentally they are not in a good place and have no belief in what is happening. This is why they don't look fit. If you are not in the right frame of mind mentally, physically you look off the pace. This has been going on for 6 months now and is taking it's toll on the players. This is all a result of the county board. Until we get a completely new board in place elected by the clubs, we are going nowhere and will continue to slip. The minors yesterday looked decent although Down were very poor. This minor team had about 18/20 months in the academy and it is clear to see that a bit of proper work has gone into them. However, what is going to happen to this team when the minor season finishes? With no structure in place, they will be left to flounder and no support for them to allow them to continue to develop. I hear they have put less emphasis on the gym since the academy has fallen apart, which is an example of things slipping already. It is back to the old ways of managers deciding for themselves what is best rather than having the long-term development of the players in mind. I would be extremely worried about what happens when the minor season finishes.
There is a massive amount at stake for Donegal football in the next few months. \ We need to get our affairs in order off the pitch or we will be floundering for a long-time and our players are not being given the chance to reach their potential. Our coaching officer, who in his role with the senior team as a logistics person, had a meeting in January with the family and partners of the senior team. He said that this was a start of a new era for Donegal football, and he wasn't wrong. Let's get our house in order and this responsibility lies with the clubs and the club delegates. The executive need to resign on mass, every single one of them and let's get a new board in place.

ryan (Donegal) - Posts: 724 - 24/04/2023 09:39:34    2473064

After the performance of the players especially and Management yesterday , the players who shafted Carr should hang their heads in shame. The Clubs thatvoted to spend 34 thousand euro on sending the panel and management to Carton House for a weekends training not much better. Big changes needed and Clubs need to look at who they sent to County Board meetings and how they vote there.

jacktheboy (Donegal) - Posts: 404 - 24/04/2023 09:43:39    2473072

Bonner had 5 years and Michael Murphy, nothing against the man but he had his shot, we needed a change, there have been a combination of factors that have brou6us to where we are now, involving a former chairman, a coaching officer and some goings that would make machiavelli baulk...

totalrecall (Leitrim) - Posts: 912 - 24/04/2023 09:45:04    2473074

I would love to hear the reasoning behind getting rid of Paddy Carr. If they insisted on O'Rourke and Bradley going as well you could maybe understand it as the whole coaching regime may have been well below standard. But to insist on Paddy stepping aside whilst keeping the others on, and serving up the exact same tripe is truly baffling.

The sooner this season is over and we can get our house in order, the better. If we lose anymore players things could get seriously embarrassing in the group stages. What would Dublin, in Croke Park do to this team at the moment?

ninety-two (Donegal) - Posts: 27 - 24/04/2023 09:46:01    2473075

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2389 - 24/04/2023 10:11:06    2473094

Very depressing result and proformance again..Imagine just 3 years ago we were touted as Dublin biggest challengers..The scares from that Cavan defeat run deep and I don't think they healing at all..:(

RoryGall35 (Donegal) - Posts: 167 - 24/04/2023 10:40:25    2473116

Looking back at the game, it was small margins... 1-05 to 1-05, McGee goes through and sticks it over the bar from 25m and Donegal go a point up. Since then Donegal were chasing the game as Down go down and score. COD goal chance @ 1-6 to 1-6 and that goes in games over.. Fair play to them 5pts down took it back to 1pt but that's where you'd need the bench to spring someone on for the last 10 to change the game....

tickets (Donegal) - Posts: 76 - 24/04/2023 10:53:36    2473123

Sadly the past is the past and we cant go back Bonnar had some great talent at his disposal and made nothing of them tactically naïve and too nice of a man to be a top manager . Top managers are ruthless and friends with no one especially the players , they don't make excuses they make changes .
Gillespie , Carroll, Breenan , Macneilis , Murphy , McBearty , Mchugh , Langan etc .. the list goes on

Now is time to move on !

we are not lacking players we are lacking serious managers and executives to run the county .

we need to hire a full time director of football . That can give clear guidance to the clubs and put in the place a county structure .
Aspects i love to see introduce:
1.the standard of club football in the county is appalling - too many clubs for the player pool .
In the past st josephs dominated Donegal club football but in fairness won the all ireland club title as well they were a divisional team made up of ballyshannon and bundoran, but instead of raising to the challenge of beating st josephs the county choose to dismantle the club .
We need to introduce divisional football, like they have in kerry and start competing at club level .
2. We need to win a minor all ireland title in the next five to seven years . To achieve this we need more schools competing in the MacRory cup competition, there should be at least three schools in the competition from Donegal . We need to be winning this tournament and the hogan . To do this lets bring top class managers in to train these school teams .
Lets have a donegal schools cup tournament so that vocational schools can compete against the college schools and bring in some top managers to manage the vocational system as well .
3. we need introduce coaching , S&C and tactical courses for all our club and school managers and we should introduce a " boot room locker system" i.e. the current county minor manager within five - ten years should be the next senior manager , U20's manager be the next donegal senior manager in three years etc .. so there is not this doubt or mad panic to find someone and this manager will be coached /trained well and will know the county inside out .
4. Set up a proper academy or club donegal offer members that donate - nice donegal gaa gear , gift vouchers throughout the year for a substantial membership fee.
5. we need serious private investment - county board needs to set up " a friends of donegal club" and reach out to the donegal millionaires across the world and lets get going ..

This may sound like a pipe dream but far from it , this is what other counties are doing and we need to stop doing nothing but still expecting results on the pitch

red.hugh (Donegal) - Posts: 175 - 24/04/2023 10:58:04    2473124

Congrats to the minors they were a breath of fresh air, some brilliant fast football and score-taking, Down were poor of course but you beat what is in front of you and don't allow them to drag you into a dogfight or arm wrestle, I thought they were really really excellent and had me very excited for the seniors! I'm an optimist at heart and even Jason's opening goal I thought this is gonna be our day here, the way the Down sweeper and defender made a mess of it and Jason managed to burst away for the finish boded well in my opinion. However it was all downhill from there, some flashes from certain players and O'Baoil in my view put his hand up again as a leader, I thought Ward showed well (fantastic block in the 2nd half), McGonagle worked hard and Conor O'Donnell always a willing runner and shooter even when it's not sailing over for him, but I really really feel for the players, there seems to be very little nous going on or plans - it's all very individualistic and you can see them revert to what they knew under Bonner in terms of recycling the ball but they are clearly not believing in it, it's easy to defend against when you are not 100% committed to the idea and lads heading off on runs on their own or shooting from the sideline at the 45 because they feel nobody is showing for them or they have to take it on themselves... It's all a bit headless and the body language would zap any enthusiasm out of you just watching them. I have been in bad camps plenty over my years playing football and you want to keep showing up because you love your team but if things aren't right around the camp it seeps in very easily and you could be in great physical nick but if things aren't right elsewhere you look like a 40 year old with two bad knees trying to keep up with young pups

not absolving the players of blame completely, there is a serious dearth of leadership from some quarters and the people we would all be looking to to take things by the scruff and put some direction in place, players with heaps of experience and players which would hit some shots over the black spot with their eyes closed if they were playing for their clubs to be honest. I think back to the 2021 game against Tyrone when we lost Murphy to the red card in awful heat, the fight and spirit shown that day by the squad had me very encouraged after the disappointment of the Cavan Ulster final. Now we can't seem to raise a gallop against a well-organised but let's be honest, a very poor Down team.

It was a really strange atmosphere I felt there was sort of no noise and maybe the early Donegal goal had Down people thinking it was the same old from their POV, they only really seemed to get going in the 2nd half when it was clear as day they were going to win. Thin enough support from Donegal as well.

I would hope they could get the head down now for 5 weeks and maybe get the bodies right (although I would hope Langan is not rushed back, it's hardly worth it), but in reality I'd be looking at using the group stages to give lads a taste of championship football. If the remaining senior players can't raise themselves for Down then let them head off to America and clear their heads and have lads who want to be here playing for Donegal this year.

I hope the process has started already for planning for next year but realistically do we think things are actually going to improve. I don't know about others but from what I hear there isn't much in terms of introspection or looking inwards going on at CB level.

CCFabu (Donegal) - Posts: 94 - 24/04/2023 10:58:09    2473125

One question I have from yesterday. Why was Langan played? He didnt look fit and then of course pulled up early in the game. Who made the decision to play him? Same happened Oisin Gallen earlier in the year. Rushed back far too early and injury re-occurred. This is exceptionally poor management.

I sat beside a Down man yesterday who said O'Rourke made a mess of Down last year. Then we appoint him as coach?! Now he's making a mess of us. Of course, the men who appointed him are the real problem.

PeterQ92 (Donegal) - Posts: 102 - 24/04/2023 11:01:25    2473134

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 460 - 24/04/2023 11:06:47    2473136

Green_Gold (Donegal) - Posts: 1873 - 24/04/2023 11:09:48    2473141

SignTheContract (Donegal) - Posts: 197 - 24/04/2023 11:20:23    2473151

The keeper (Donegal) - Posts: 687 - 24/04/2023 11:23:38    2473154

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2389 - 24/04/2023 12:02:54    2473184

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9111 - 24/04/2023 12:37:06    2473212

greenfan (Donegal) - Posts: 460 - 24/04/2023 12:56:15    2473227

ballboy101 (Donegal) - Posts: 204 - 24/04/2023 13:02:12    2473231

It is hard to to know how much the turbulence and negativity around the county is affecting the team.It is probably to some extent but the main problem all season has been our shot selection and inability to pierce massed defences which is every team now.We are depending on Patton and Thompson for the frees in the absence of Murphy and McBrearty.You would wonder if some of our top players are managing injuries and not able to train at full pelt.The withdrawal of McHugh was a huge body blow.When you add all these things up it seriously reduces our potency.If we could manage to get Langan,Gallen, Mogan and maybe even McBrearty back and fit it would make a big difference.We would also need to revamp our half back line which should be O'Baoill,Eogan Ban and Mogan.
In normal circumstances the first game in the group stages would not be that scary ie a game away on May 20/21 against Sligo,Clare,Louth or Offaly. On June 3/4 we would be home to a Provincial winner.On June17/18 we will play a third seed which will have big hitters like Mayo and Tyrone.
Just imagine how exiting that would be if things were going well.I am hoping against hope that against all the odds something good will happen to turn things around

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1056 - 24/04/2023 13:16:25    2473237