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Donegal GAA thread

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Replying To rorysboys:  "What are you trying to say lad. A bit confused are you. A lot of wafflers on here this last few days."
I wouldn't put fight and the managers club men in the same sentence. There's a reason they play Junior B.

Would you call renowned analyst and former Anglo Celt winning captain Pauric McShea a waffler? Because he has echoed a lot of what has been highlighted on here already.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1354 - 31/05/2022 14:23:35    2421394

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A Manager who played Murphy as a sweeper , and thus allowed his opposite number the fullback score three points and get player of the week, well enough said . what might have been if Murphy had stayed at Full Forward for whole match, me thinks Donegal Ulster Champs.

jacktheboy (Donegal) - Posts: 505 - 31/05/2022 15:16:05    2421404

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This talk about how hard it is going to be to lift things for the qualifiers really annoys me.How can it be hard to lift yourself to play in the All Ireland championship,One game away from where you would have been with a win on Sunday or is our ambition just to win an Ulster title,something that will probably be gone soon anyway .Management made mistakes the last day,a lot of players did not play well.Surely management and players should be chomping at the bit to do better.All Irelands have been won through the qualifiers and I don't understand this sort of giving up.Is this the sort of mentality we have,so easily knocked back.

gunman (Donegal) - Posts: 1196 - 31/05/2022 15:33:08    2421409

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The old saying "A pat on the back is only 20 inches from a kick up the ****" comes to mind here.

The Ulster final was a draw at Full time and after 73 minutes I thought Donegal had been marginally the better team until that point and had we converted 45's and a few other chances, we could have won the match. We went ultra defensive to combat Derry's version of our own 2011/2012 system after seeing Tyrone and Monaghan's struggles, mirroring this system is seen as the most effective way to combat the mass defensive system that Derry deployed.

Was there tactical mistakes? Yes, Murphy playing midfield for most of the match was a mistake, particularly in the Extra time. Failure to make changes when players were suffering cramp was a mistake, slow reaction from management team to make changes, which has happened before.

While I understand fans being upset, I think people need to be respectful and fair to management and players. Its not like us getting hammered out the gate in 2017 by Sligo, we lost to a very good Derry side. Yes we could have beat them, but its the fine margins where we seem to be lacking.

Commodore (Donegal) - Posts: 1471 - 31/05/2022 15:47:15    2421412

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Disappointed to say the least. Players and management give their all and come up short, devastating for them. Derry deserved it. However we were the kick of a ball away from winning. We haven't played well all year.

I can see both sides the argument both for and against Bonner. I do think we have all the best club players playing ball for Donegal at the minute but perhaps lack the right mix. I don't think we use the league to blood players well enough. For instance A. Doherty hardly seen all league then expected to make difference on Sunday. He did make a superb mark. C. MC Guinness giving loads of league time then disappears come championship. Tony MC Glenaghan utilized for some of the league does well enough then not a sniff come championship, same happened a few years ago too. Jeac MC G another one who I think could offer us something different, good engine too. I think the same failings are evident each year which is what worries me.

I would like us to get a nasty element back into our game. If that means picking some lads whom may not have the same footballing ability of others but can bully oppenents then so be it. We are way too nice in the tackle. Seeing defenders and forwards shadowing oppenents without getting any contact in makes my blood boil.

A huge worry of mine is that at club level we are not developing natural forwards. Each player is a prototype of the next. I would like to see the development squads recognise this and nurture raw talent in the forward position. Let's make a statement at development squad level and say this is how we play from the u14/15 level up to u 20 i.e 4 scoring forwards left up the field with two working half backs. 6 or 7 years of honing their attacking skills, movement, evasion techniques etc. Anybody can be taught to track back at a later date if the work rate and passion is there.

DLlegends (Donegal) - Posts: 503 - 31/05/2022 15:48:30    2421413

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Replying To gunman:  "This talk about how hard it is going to be to lift things for the qualifiers really annoys me.How can it be hard to lift yourself to play in the All Ireland championship,One game away from where you would have been with a win on Sunday or is our ambition just to win an Ulster title,something that will probably be gone soon anyway .Management made mistakes the last day,a lot of players did not play well.Surely management and players should be chomping at the bit to do better.All Irelands have been won through the qualifiers and I don't understand this sort of giving up.Is this the sort of mentality we have,so easily knocked back."
Is it not slightly different to that though? Sure, one game on paper. But then you meet the provincial winners, not the other qualifiers. And as you can't play Derry again, so you've a 2/3 chance to play Kerry or Dublin.

Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2484 - 31/05/2022 15:48:59    2421414

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Time to look forward big game in two weeks. Probably neutral venue . Good chance to get the wheels back on the wagon. Get out and support the lads it's the least they deserve.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2667 - 31/05/2022 15:57:15    2421418

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Rochford has offered nothing

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1244 - 31/05/2022 16:14:59    2421423

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Replying To rorysboys:  "Time to look forward big game in two weeks. Probably neutral venue . Good chance to get the wheels back on the wagon. Get out and support the lads it's the least they deserve."
Do you offer anything but effusive praise for the management?

greatpoint (USA) - Posts: 459 - 31/05/2022 16:37:03    2421428

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Replying To jacktheboy:  "A Manager who played Murphy as a sweeper , and thus allowed his opposite number the fullback score three points and get player of the week, well enough said . what might have been if Murphy had stayed at Full Forward for whole match, me thinks Donegal Ulster Champs."
Without a shadow of doubt

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 4243 - 31/05/2022 16:43:47    2421433

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Replying To greatpoint:  "Do you offer anything but effusive praise for the management?"
Blind club loyalty.

peiledoir20 (Donegal) - Posts: 1354 - 31/05/2022 16:58:32    2421439

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A question has to be answered by Bonner, was it Murphy's own decision to play out round the middle or was he instructed to play there?
if he was told to stay inside but came out himself then that's obviously wrong. (ignoring the manager)
if he was instructed to play out the field then that's also the wrong decision again by Bonner,
so either way you look at it that's the managers fault,
either he is playing Murphy in the wrong position or he is too weak and Murphy just does whatever he wants,
I wish Tom Comack had asked Declan Bonner in the Highland Radio interview after the match why was Bonner playing where he was, that question has to be answered by him.
Was Murphy doing what he was told or was he doing what he wanted?
No waffle just straight question straight answer.

Tirchonaill1 (Donegal) - Posts: 3457 - 31/05/2022 17:14:35    2421440

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Replying To jacktheboy:  "A Manager who played Murphy as a sweeper , and thus allowed his opposite number the fullback score three points and get player of the week, well enough said . what might have been if Murphy had stayed at Full Forward for whole match, me thinks Donegal Ulster Champs."
No doubt, if Murphy stayed inside the 21 yard line at least 2 Derry players would stay back and the other defenders would be keeping an eye on him. Can't understand why teams set up to outwit the opponents when they should play to their own strengths and let the opponents worry about them.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2406 - 31/05/2022 17:15:53    2421442

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Replying To peiledoir20:  "Blind club loyalty."
Do you think so. Your moaning here this long while. Time to move on. There's a big game coming up. When Rory was manager I was accused of being a friend of his. . I know my football I don't like people with a vendetta. Life's too short lad. You r probably a gweedore man.

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2667 - 31/05/2022 18:11:12    2421452

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Replying To DLlegends:  "Disappointed to say the least. Players and management give their all and come up short, devastating for them. Derry deserved it. However we were the kick of a ball away from winning. We haven't played well all year.

I can see both sides the argument both for and against Bonner. I do think we have all the best club players playing ball for Donegal at the minute but perhaps lack the right mix. I don't think we use the league to blood players well enough. For instance A. Doherty hardly seen all league then expected to make difference on Sunday. He did make a superb mark. C. MC Guinness giving loads of league time then disappears come championship. Tony MC Glenaghan utilized for some of the league does well enough then not a sniff come championship, same happened a few years ago too. Jeac MC G another one who I think could offer us something different, good engine too. I think the same failings are evident each year which is what worries me.

I would like us to get a nasty element back into our game. If that means picking some lads whom may not have the same footballing ability of others but can bully oppenents then so be it. We are way too nice in the tackle. Seeing defenders and forwards shadowing oppenents without getting any contact in makes my blood boil.

A huge worry of mine is that at club level we are not developing natural forwards. Each player is a prototype of the next. I would like to see the development squads recognise this and nurture raw talent in the forward position. Let's make a statement at development squad level and say this is how we play from the u14/15 level up to u 20 i.e 4 scoring forwards left up the field with two working half backs. 6 or 7 years of honing their attacking skills, movement, evasion techniques etc. Anybody can be taught to track back at a later date if the work rate and passion is there."
I actually think he bloods quite well. Shane O'Donnell was blooded in the league this year. Conor O'Donnell got loads of chances and did well. He struggled to make an impact in the congested defence when he came on Sunday. Maybe Aaron doc could have been but oisin farrah would be ahead of him and he's injured now. Mcclengahan got injured and lost his place and has been injury prone. Also think he's probably not quite at the level. Jeaic mck made his debut in championship against Tyrone and if he was at the level needed he'd be playing. Jason McGee got a good run in the league and had a fine game Sunday. He looks to be really cementing his position now. McGuinness from NC is fine club player but he didn't do enough in the chances he had.

The whole structure of club football does seem to stifle creation of a typical forward. I would agree on that the academy that focuses on the skills on not on tactics. It's hard though at minors (minors should be under 18) and under 20 because players want to win. Player development and the skills of the game do have to be the focus. In saying that I don't that it isn't (especially from under 16 down)

Ulsterchamps_32 (Donegal) - Posts: 943 - 31/05/2022 19:08:50    2421463

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Replying To jacktheboy:  "A Manager who played Murphy as a sweeper , and thus allowed his opposite number the fullback score three points and get player of the week, well enough said . what might have been if Murphy had stayed at Full Forward for whole match, me thinks Donegal Ulster Champs."
Me thinks if a Milford man was in charge we would win Ulster.I hear the smart money is on Sean pol Barrett if bonner decides to go

rorysboys (Donegal) - Posts: 2667 - 31/05/2022 19:14:11    2421464

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Replying To jacktheboy:  "A Manager who played Murphy as a sweeper , and thus allowed his opposite number the fullback score three points and get player of the week, well enough said . what might have been if Murphy had stayed at Full Forward for whole match, me thinks Donegal Ulster Champs."
I agree. Murphy is one of the best full-forwards of the modern era. Moving him 70 metres out the field is doing the other team a favour. Then asking him to mark younger players for a full 90 minutes outfield is ludicrous. Watched him chasing a player in the final minutes of exta time and you wished other players had his heart.

Gaa Fan (USA) - Posts: 764 - 31/05/2022 19:22:47    2421467

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Well lads another big let down. Badly shown up again on the line. The national pundits spotted it a mile away so now finally after 5 years our internal pundits are starting to say what I have been saying since year 1. Far too much loyalty to certain players and if use don't know who they are you really shouldn't be reading anything about gaa. I knew this would end badly but our county board only 1s to blame for debacle last Sunday. Everyone that expresses an opinion is told they don't know what's inside the ball or never kicked a ball. Well there was a lot of them that spent hard earned money to go to clones on Sunday to watch a full back dominating a game and not a thing done about it. I honestly never seen worse. Even rorysboy couldn't paint up this one. Not that it gives me any joy but i was right and guess what I told use.

marty234 (Donegal) - Posts: 158 - 31/05/2022 19:31:30    2421469

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Ah lads.. I'm am absolutely gutted about that final.. I really think we have an unbelievable attacking talent and we play like that.. Am I'm missing something that bonner is seeing. I can't figure it out.. Its so depressing.. I've lost interest in Donegal football now.. No real interest in the qualifyers now. Where do we go from here now.. I'm not anti bonner or anything like that but surely with our attacking talent we should have at least have a go of a high ball into the forward line. Remember the kerry game when we went toe to toe with them.. It was then I realised that we have as good as an attacking talent as kerry if we play like that.. These days lads I find myself watching over and over the 2011 ulster semi final against Tyrone, (Cassidy point from the side line just before half time) 2012 semi final V Cork(big Neil give a master class) and 2014 semi final V Dublin(Ryan announced his arrival) and the 2019 V kerry and remember what was good about Donegal football.. I really hope I see them days again folks..) :

RoryGall35 (Donegal) - Posts: 193 - 31/05/2022 19:55:33    2421473

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Replying To Green_Gold:  "I was fuming yesterday so decided not to post anything on this thread in case I said something out of order. I think its terrible people abusing the manager and players on the likes of Twitter and Facebook. Unfortunately its part of modern day society. I do feel most posters on Hogan Stand are fair. some are anti-Bonner for sure and wanted him out from year one.

There is nothing I would like more than Bonner and Rochford to succeed but its looking less likely as time goes by. The game against Derry was an amalgamation of all the bad things we saw in the league, slow build up play, passing backwards and sideways, even if we had taken pot shots from around the 45 we would have probably got enough scores to win in normal time. The passage of play that summed it most was the end of normal time, holding on to the ball for about two minutes without having a shot. I actually don't mind getting beat, that happens, I am more disappointed with our style of play. I would love us to be more attack minded and start using the foot pass into the forwards instead of endless hand passing. We may not have the players to be winning All Irelands but we still have a really good squad and are definitely better than we are showing this year.

Going back to the end of last year, I do agree with your overall point that there were no decent candidates coming forward. We could end up in the same situation if Bonner left. The only man inside the county with the credentials is Jim, he isn't interested at the moment so we are probably looking at an outside manager. What are your thoughts if we go out in the qualifiers? Do we stick with Bonner and Rochford next year? Granted we need to let this season play out before making any decisions."
Malachy ó Rouke is one person who's spring to mind

RoryGall35 (Donegal) - Posts: 193 - 31/05/2022 20:23:43    2421478

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