Replying To Commodore:  "I agree that Ryan has put in solid league performances, but I think the key problem for him is when we are up against a top 2 or 3 team in Championship, like a Kerry or Galway. We need a starting 15 that can each individually take on and beat their man over and over during the match, and I don't think Ryan has the gears to do that anymore.

He is a quality player, safe hands, I think he is the type of presence we need to bring in the last 10-15 minutes of the match when teams are tired. But If you pick any player in the Kerry starting lineup, who could he take on and beat repeatedly? I can't see many.

Murphy is similar, if he is regularly starting, opposition teams can usually prep a man marker for him. But if you spring him off the bench in the last 15 - 20 minutes, the opposition will usually have to readjust in order to tackle him, as he is a very different type of threat than Oisin Gallen, Jamie Brennan or Conor O'Donnell. The might anticipate him being a sub, but it still requires a shake up and that can work for us."

Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "Who do you start instead of Ryan?
Not sure why you mention Jamie Brennan, solid squad player but never gonna be a starter in championship anymore. I agree on Murphy though but I'm just not sure again who would be better starting instead of him. I wouldn't be starting any of the new forwards yet in a big championship game."

Replying To Commodore:  "I agree that Ryan has put in solid league performances, but I think the key problem for him is when we are up against a top 2 or 3 team in Championship, like a Kerry or Galway. We need a starting 15 that can each individually take on and beat their man over and over during the match, and I don't think Ryan has the gears to do that anymore.

He is a quality player, safe hands, I think he is the type of presence we need to bring in the last 10-15 minutes of the match when teams are tired. But If you pick any player in the Kerry starting lineup, who could he take on and beat repeatedly? I can't see many.

Murphy is similar, if he is regularly starting, opposition teams can usually prep a man marker for him. But if you spring him off the bench in the last 15 - 20 minutes, the opposition will usually have to readjust in order to tackle him, as he is a very different type of threat than Oisin Gallen, Jamie Brennan or Conor O'Donnell. The might anticipate him being a sub, but it still requires a shake up and that can work for us."

Replying To CCFabu:  "I seem to remember you talking about Ryan not being good enough to start for us a few years ago either because he wasn't physical enough for the half back line? or at least you were banging the drum that we were too small and the first person you were talking about putting on the bench was Ryan?

I think you're underestimating him and his role in the team regardless. He is a leader in the squad and when he is in form (which he seems to be this year), he's one of our most important players in my opinion. and he still has the wheels, even if he's not as quick as he was when he broke on the scene. I don't really understand why you're mentioning Murphy and the other attackers either. Ryan has been in the half back line for probably a decade at this point. Why are you grouping him in as a threat like our out-and-out attackers, or someone we want to take on and beat players? Who would you start instead of him?

You should be talking about him in the context of the middle third and getting on the ball and developing our patterns of play - when we are attacking he's always out around the 45 getting on a pile of ball and helping to engineer the space. He has been willing to take on shots more this year than I have seen him in the past which is good, but his main role is like Shane O'Donnells. And when we're defending he is coordinating and communicating an awful lot back there. Who is always one of the last men back, getting the ball under pressure under a high press, comfortable to receive it and get us out of a hole? Ryan and Peadar Mogan are absolutely key for us back there in those situations.

I still think he should have tagged Paudie Clifford in the final. He did it to Grugan in the Ulster final and did a brilliant job of it. People are talking about Finbarr this year being given a man-marking role in those potential big games but I still think Ryan has the intelligence and ability to do it, and the discipline and willingness to do it. Finbarr looks a generational player but he is still young and inexperienced, I would be worried that a clever player like Paudie could pull him about and dictate the game to him - plus I think Finbarr provides more driving runs and gets on the scoreboard more than Ryan does.

I'm probably rambling but I really don't think you can reduce Ryan's role to something like what we expect of Murphy now. He is one of the smartest players we have and physically he is absolutely still up for it, you don't put that on the bench."

Replying To Commodore:  "I agree that he is one of our most intelligent players and still has something to offer, but the colds facts are that Ryan McHugh hasn't been beating his opposite number anytime we play a Kerry, Galway, Dublin or Mayo in the last 10 years, those team usually have enough quality all over to properly tag him and negate his influence, as he lacks pace to burn such players.

Ryan looks great against lesser teams, especially if they give him space, because he is so intelligent and can make things happen. However against the very top sides he can be taken out of it when he starts the match, like he isn't making big impacts on All Ireland finals against Kerry or Semi finals against Galway. Bringing him off the bench is a different story, but he hasn't been winning those 1:1 battles, not for a really long time.

And yes, about 5 or 6 years ago where I started to notice this, probably earlier after the 2019 Super 8 games, particularly in Castlebar after losing to Mayo where Diarmuid O'Connor negated him. I attributed it to maybe him being too light, getting out-muscled too much, like 2021 Derry game in Ballybofey, Gareth McKinless left him for dead, left him on his ass several times too, He should be used in less predictable ways, where he can still produce the goods."

Replying To themaddog:  "An utterly bizarre take. CCF has made a number of valid points which you have chosen to ignore. The next time you see Donegal play take ten minutes to focus solely on the play of Ryan McHugh. He is part of the glue that holds this Donegal team together. He is a key element to the defensive formation, plugging gaps and covering across the line. In attack he an essential link in our transition play and is capable of carving defences open with one pass. His work rate is off the charts and he is a clear leader on the field.
As for your direct opponent argument, it appears to have escaped your notice that this is not how we set up under Jim. There are normally two direct man markers with everyone else slotting into the defensive system, although this year there are times when we are going with a clear high press. Ryan is one of the players, mainly alongside Hughie, who makes these on field calls."

Replying To themaddog:  "An utterly bizarre take. CCF has made a number of valid points which you have chosen to ignore. The next time you see Donegal play take ten minutes to focus solely on the play of Ryan McHugh. He is part of the glue that holds this Donegal team together. He is a key element to the defensive formation, plugging gaps and covering across the line. In attack he an essential link in our transition play and is capable of carving defences open with one pass. His work rate is off the charts and he is a clear leader on the field.
As for your direct opponent argument, it appears to have escaped your notice that this is not how we set up under Jim. There are normally two direct man markers with everyone else slotting into the defensive system, although this year there are times when we are going with a clear high press. Ryan is one of the players, mainly alongside Hughie, who makes these on field calls."

Replying To eddieSize5Balls:  "The recent bias obsession with Hugh is hilarious. People act as if he's Neil Gallagher or if he's a young pup. Been around for 10 years. Plays well in this system. That's it."

Replying To themaddog:  "An utterly bizarre take. CCF has made a number of valid points which you have chosen to ignore. The next time you see Donegal play take ten minutes to focus solely on the play of Ryan McHugh. He is part of the glue that holds this Donegal team together. He is a key element to the defensive formation, plugging gaps and covering across the line. In attack he an essential link in our transition play and is capable of carving defences open with one pass. His work rate is off the charts and he is a clear leader on the field.
As for your direct opponent argument, it appears to have escaped your notice that this is not how we set up under Jim. There are normally two direct man markers with everyone else slotting into the defensive system, although this year there are times when we are going with a clear high press. Ryan is one of the players, mainly alongside Hughie, who makes these on field calls."

Replying To gunman:  "Too light in 2019,Too slow now and only performs against lesser teams.Was he to blame for our defeat in Castlebar.Strange opinions which would make you wonder.Talking of size and strength,after we equalised on Sunday we had possession in their half and a chance to win the game but Michael Langan was dispossessed ,the ball went to ground and he was outmuscled for the ball on the ground by a smaller man and Galway ended up with a chance to win it.What was that down to."