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04 Aug 13
18:26
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Date Joined:
17 Dec 10
I know after that hammering against Mayo people will say 2012 was a fluke & they are the worst all ireland champions ever. The first I disagree with, the second arguably could be true.
When Donegal won last year they beat the trio of Kerry, Cork & Mayo not because they had a team overloaded with great footballers or that they were better technically that their opponents. It was simply down to good old grit, determination, belief, sacrifice & commitment.
What we seen in their last 3 performances to Monaghan, Laois & Mayo was akin to their defeat to my county (Armagh) in the 2010 round 1 qualifier. Why? because this Donegal team have the same skill level as about teams like Armagh, Meath & Galway.
What Jim McGuinness achieved with this team was incredible and will probably never be done again in any other county. The players give their full and total commitment to the cause of winning an all-ireland and they achieved it due to unbelievable fitness level plus the addition to 2 top class footballers in their ranks, Murphy & McHugh. But after reaching the pinnacle last season they were unable to have that same fire in their bellies which is totally understandable.
That is the difference between teams like Donegal and those of Kerry & Cork, who can compete and win all-irelands without going full tilt for 1 year. Kerry have so many talented players they dont need to be as fit as Donegal because their footballing skills will take them far into the series in the majority of years.
They will fall back into the pack in my opinion but I would like to remember this team as an example that if you really want something you can get it without having the necessary tools. It just when you get the title its unlikely you will keep it.
When Donegal won last year they beat the trio of Kerry, Cork & Mayo not because they had a team overloaded with great footballers or that they were better technically that their opponents. It was simply down to good old grit, determination, belief, sacrifice & commitment.
What we seen in their last 3 performances to Monaghan, Laois & Mayo was akin to their defeat to my county (Armagh) in the 2010 round 1 qualifier. Why? because this Donegal team have the same skill level as about teams like Armagh, Meath & Galway.
What Jim McGuinness achieved with this team was incredible and will probably never be done again in any other county. The players give their full and total commitment to the cause of winning an all-ireland and they achieved it due to unbelievable fitness level plus the addition to 2 top class footballers in their ranks, Murphy & McHugh. But after reaching the pinnacle last season they were unable to have that same fire in their bellies which is totally understandable.
That is the difference between teams like Donegal and those of Kerry & Cork, who can compete and win all-irelands without going full tilt for 1 year. Kerry have so many talented players they dont need to be as fit as Donegal because their footballing skills will take them far into the series in the majority of years.
They will fall back into the pack in my opinion but I would like to remember this team as an example that if you really want something you can get it without having the necessary tools. It just when you get the title its unlikely you will keep it.
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Its hard to defend an All Ireland.
Donegal won the All Ireland last year because they were the best team last year and thoroughly deserved it.
Donegal won the All Ireland last year because they were the best team last year and thoroughly deserved it.
They were the best 'team' yes, but far from the best set of individuals. About 12 of their starting 15 would hardly be coveted by the likes of Dublin, Kerry or Mayo
Donegal are like Halley's Comet, they come around every so often. They are a very average team who will be winning nothing for a long time. As for Jim McGuinness, he got lucky. Time for him to resign and bluff away over in Glasgow.
I would agree. The kind of fitness and hunger that Donegal showed last year has a short shelf life. It can not be replicated over a long period of time. Where the mind goes the body follows and once they won an all Ireland, maintaining that same level of hunger and fitness is near impossible. I don't think gaelic football ever seen the a better defensive display than Donegal produced last year.
I would say Donegal won last years all Ireland due to two things. A few very good forwards and not having that many natural footballers. The latter made it a lot easier for those players to buy into a system that was built of selfless play. Their players also had the right physique.
I don't agree that other teams could have achieved the same if they put their minds to trying to adopt the same system. Donegals fitness levels were incredible and it takes a certain type of player both in a physical sense and mental attitude to be able to play that system with everyone buying into the system and training to the same degree.
I would say Donegal won last years all Ireland due to two things. A few very good forwards and not having that many natural footballers. The latter made it a lot easier for those players to buy into a system that was built of selfless play. Their players also had the right physique.
I don't agree that other teams could have achieved the same if they put their minds to trying to adopt the same system. Donegals fitness levels were incredible and it takes a certain type of player both in a physical sense and mental attitude to be able to play that system with everyone buying into the system and training to the same degree.
Donegal were good All Ireland winners and up to standard. The problem with basing your game on physicality and tactics is you need to be mentally razor sharp and hungry in order to implement the physical razor sharp fitness you have attained.
In this amateur game its nigh on impossible in this day and age of such professionalism. Kerry are the only team to have won back to back titles in the last 20 odd years and they would be seen as a skill based outfit imho
In this amateur game its nigh on impossible in this day and age of such professionalism. Kerry are the only team to have won back to back titles in the last 20 odd years and they would be seen as a skill based outfit imho
Donegal were a very average ( defensive oriented) team in 2010 and 2011 , playing football that would have put most neutrals to sleep . They surprised most of us in 2012 , playing excellent football and winning an All-Ireland comfortably , beating good teams on the way , no fluke .
Repeating the exercise was always going to be difficult , better teams have failed to do that in the past . Cant blame Jim McGuinness for taking the Scottish money , All-Ireland medals dont pay the bills , and they dont come guaranteed to be repeated .
Last year particularly Donegal proved to have 3 star forwards , and arguably 3 star backs . This year the count on star quality went to near zero , apart from a good match beating Tyrone , and thats the main reason they got hockeyed today . Nobody rose to the challenge from Mayo , long drive back to Killybegs for Donegal supporters unfortunately , but thats the way it goes sometimes . Lots of supporters heading north with defeats to ponder yesterday and today, only one to survive are the survivors , Tyrone .
Repeating the exercise was always going to be difficult , better teams have failed to do that in the past . Cant blame Jim McGuinness for taking the Scottish money , All-Ireland medals dont pay the bills , and they dont come guaranteed to be repeated .
Last year particularly Donegal proved to have 3 star forwards , and arguably 3 star backs . This year the count on star quality went to near zero , apart from a good match beating Tyrone , and thats the main reason they got hockeyed today . Nobody rose to the challenge from Mayo , long drive back to Killybegs for Donegal supporters unfortunately , but thats the way it goes sometimes . Lots of supporters heading north with defeats to ponder yesterday and today, only one to survive are the survivors , Tyrone .
only one to survive are the survivors , Tyrone . ya, as its ever been always a factor, there's a culture built there, a strange culture, always, contenders, even when they are at nothing.
The test was not this year but can they come back again next year and be competitive. Last years All Ireland took 2 years of continous training to win.
My own view is that they will never again be heard of (I have always said that and said yesterdays game was a great draw for Mayo) and that McGuinness is an Idiot and will be exposed as such in the next 18 months.
My own view is that they will never again be heard of (I have always said that and said yesterdays game was a great draw for Mayo) and that McGuinness is an Idiot and will be exposed as such in the next 18 months.
Got to be noted how lucky Donegal have being in 2011 and 2012 regarding injuries but this year that luck caught up with them. Karl Lacey has had a write off of a year and was never fit, Mark McHugh similar especially during the championship. Frank McGlynn, Neil Gallagher and Anthony Thompson are other players who because of injury been no where near 100% this year. Michael Murphy to me has been playing like a player running on fumes. I watched play in the Sigerson semi final earlier in the year and he looked totally lethargic similar to his championship displays. Like lustrumm said the text will be next year but will be hard get the hunger and intensity back that they need to be the force they were in 2012.
They were the worst All Ireland champions I have seen during my life time. Make all the excuses you want, their present panel will win nothing. They had their day in the sun.
And the bookies knew that, they were 13/2 to win the all ireland before the mayo match.
Yes Irish , laid them at 6/1 on here not long before the start of their game on Sunday . Wondered who was backing them at that with the Dubs already through .
Some idiotic comments on here from idiots like The Gotchee. Mayo are about 15%-20% better than last year. They're built like galvanised sh1thouses, have great speed, physciacllity and purpose.
Donegal are operating at about 60% on last season and the injuries have killed a tiny squad. McGuinness didnt go from Messiah to fool in 10 months. Donegal look like a team that needs a proper rest and will come back strong
Rememeber they must go through the bearpit of Ulster every year(which is going to be even tougher next season with 6 of the top 12 teams in the county) whilst Kerry have trainning games against Waterford and the like.
Tyrone couldnt go back to back but still won 3 All Irelands. We're in a highly competitive era but if Jim can stay on another 3 seasons, one more All Ireland is in this team yet
Donegal are operating at about 60% on last season and the injuries have killed a tiny squad. McGuinness didnt go from Messiah to fool in 10 months. Donegal look like a team that needs a proper rest and will come back strong
Rememeber they must go through the bearpit of Ulster every year(which is going to be even tougher next season with 6 of the top 12 teams in the county) whilst Kerry have trainning games against Waterford and the like.
Tyrone couldnt go back to back but still won 3 All Irelands. We're in a highly competitive era but if Jim can stay on another 3 seasons, one more All Ireland is in this team yet
include me in the idiotic comments as well shaggy because I am stating categorically that Donegal will never again be heard of in termsw of All Irelands with this panel and coach.
Last year was a freak result
Last year was a freak result
Shaggykev,there isn't a team in the whole of Ulster worth a dollar,bearpit is right. Its competitive ,that's about it because every single team are worthless including Tyrone,and they will beat each other every second day. The rubbish cynical football that is played up North has been rendered out of date,and the big teams have no problem combatting them these days.
The idiotic comments you refer to,well some of them belong to yourself,gauging team's improvement and deterioration by percentages is some nonsense. How do you exactly calculate this?. As for Jim winning another All Ireland,highly unlikely I would have thought,although he has a good chance of winning the SPL for the next few years, now theres a team that have 40 training games a season,at least Kerry only have a couple.
The idiotic comments you refer to,well some of them belong to yourself,gauging team's improvement and deterioration by percentages is some nonsense. How do you exactly calculate this?. As for Jim winning another All Ireland,highly unlikely I would have thought,although he has a good chance of winning the SPL for the next few years, now theres a team that have 40 training games a season,at least Kerry only have a couple.
Isn't it funny how you can be a strong favourite for a second All Ireland right up to the quarter final stage and then after getting beaten.. you will never win one again... last year was a freak result.. McGuinness is a bluffer and so on.. Ain't it funny???
Donegal are a slight enigma . Basically this year has proved they cant chase a game , maybe it was always so . Martin McHugh alluded to something similar over the weekend . I know that when we played a very good Donegal team in 1991 ( they won the All-Ireland the following year for those without accurate memories ) in the Ulster Final , they were favourites at 4/6 , surprisingly to us . They disappeared that day in Clones , were rubbish , and we went into the game with 6 players carrying slight niggles . Manager refused my hand that day after the game , and it was genuinely proferred . Guess he wasn't in the best of moods , like his team .
Jimeen you're clearly another fisherman. Ulster teams found out? Yeah only 50% of the quarter finalists. Only the 6 Ulster champions since 2002 and 2 beaten finalists in that time with Down letting Cork off the rack in 2010.
I have full respect for Mayo, Dublin and Kerry and they along with COrk Donegal and TYRONE are the top six sides in the country and everyone of them can beat each other on a given day. Donegal were not at the races on Sunday but we'll see what 2014 brings
PS Mayo & Kerry can now play as cyncial football as any team in Ulster but I doubt your're clever enough to be able to see that and just regurgatate the aul Ulster teams are rough nonsense
I have full respect for Mayo, Dublin and Kerry and they along with COrk Donegal and TYRONE are the top six sides in the country and everyone of them can beat each other on a given day. Donegal were not at the races on Sunday but we'll see what 2014 brings
PS Mayo & Kerry can now play as cyncial football as any team in Ulster but I doubt your're clever enough to be able to see that and just regurgatate the aul Ulster teams are rough nonsense
MiltonF, Donegal were not strong favourites to win the All Ireland this year,in fact they were 2/1 in places to beat Mayo,not to mind win the All Ireland after that.
Shaggykev,getting to the last 8 is no achievement for any good team,what good team didn't make the last 8,because there were 4 garbage teams made it,and one of them has made the last 4,and yes the 4 garbage teams were all from the North.
Shaggykev,getting to the last 8 is no achievement for any good team,what good team didn't make the last 8,because there were 4 garbage teams made it,and one of them has made the last 4,and yes the 4 garbage teams were all from the North.
donegal were favs at start of the year .the best 4 teams to my mind are in the semi finals..whos better than tyrone?cork i doubt it..kildare?no way.monaghan i think are the fifth best team out there but couldnt beat tyrone.teams play to win.if they break the rules the refs are supposed to penalise them.this north/south stuff is gone crazy.kerry/dublin/mayo are as cynical as tyrone.they have to be to give themselves a chance of winnin it.simple as that.im surprised to see jimeen calling them garbage teams.they get there because they win games.
Jimeen the fact you replied 9 minutes after I put that up shows to me you a fisherman who has nothing better to do than hang around here spouting nonsense
One can not win an argument against an idiot and you sir are an idiot if you genuinely belive that nonsense
Donegal were not at the races this year, plain to see but calling us and all Ulster teams garbage is utter bumpkin
Who do you support..by the name I'd suggest Dublin. well you should well know the good ass kickings you've taken from the northern teams which may show your bias. So too Kerry have taken beating by the norths best in Tyrone, Down, Armagh & Donegal as well as serious scares from monaghan and Antrim
We'll have another Ulster All Ireland champion in the next couple of years and whisper it quietly...It could be Cavan. Before that though of course Donegal will come back and win in 2014
One can not win an argument against an idiot and you sir are an idiot if you genuinely belive that nonsense
Donegal were not at the races this year, plain to see but calling us and all Ulster teams garbage is utter bumpkin
Who do you support..by the name I'd suggest Dublin. well you should well know the good ass kickings you've taken from the northern teams which may show your bias. So too Kerry have taken beating by the norths best in Tyrone, Down, Armagh & Donegal as well as serious scares from monaghan and Antrim
We'll have another Ulster All Ireland champion in the next couple of years and whisper it quietly...It could be Cavan. Before that though of course Donegal will come back and win in 2014
Shaggykev, i have no bias towards any team as i try to look at things objectively,maybe you should try the same before you start coming out with the nonsense that you have. I couldnt give two hoots who wins the All Ireland as long as it doesnt hinder me financially,the same as the premiership,or any other sporting event for that matter. For what its worth i quite like Arsenal but if they never won another match it wouldnt bother me,but as for the GAA,i couldnt care less who won,that is as long as i had no monetary involvement.
When you say whisper quietly about Cavan,id keep that very quiet if i were you,and you were the one saying i'm an idiot,and as for Donegal winning in 2014,its more likely to be 3014.
When you say whisper quietly about Cavan,id keep that very quiet if i were you,and you were the one saying i'm an idiot,and as for Donegal winning in 2014,its more likely to be 3014.
3014 you say jimeen? Won 2 of the last 3 Ulster finals and contested the other with an All Ireland in between and suddenly won't win again till 3014.....sighs!!!!
I don't think they will win another All Ireland for a long time. Teams have kopped on to the way they play. They are a fairly dour and basic team who rely on strength fitness and athleticism. They are not capable of beating a decent football team. Shittiest team ever to win an All Ireland.
They raised the bar for all teams in terms of strength, fitness and athleticism as pointed out, all of which important attributes for any team sport. They may not win another All Ireland for a while but to say shittiest team to win an All Ireland is pure nonsense, they not even the worst winner of the last 5 years.
Jimeen is a langer from Cork who seems to have a problem with a lot of things.
Highly offended by Celtic for some reason,also think I saw him ranting about Kilkenny and now Donegal ,although he has no
particular interest. Could well be an odds on backer who has been let down a few times.
Very strange fish indeed.
Highly offended by Celtic for some reason,also think I saw him ranting about Kilkenny and now Donegal ,although he has no
particular interest. Could well be an odds on backer who has been let down a few times.
Very strange fish indeed.
Donegal were by far the best team in 2012, for a team that was suppose to be so dour they still racked up some big scores, probably their least impressive performance was the final itself where nerves and hype seem to play a part in a below par performance their good start helped them keep Mayo at arms length.
Donegal 1-16 Cavan 1-10
Donegal 2-13 Derry 0-9
Donegal 0-12 Tyrone 0-10
Donegal 2-18 Down 0-13
Donegal 1-12 Kerry 1-10
Donegal 0-16 Cork 1-11
Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-13
The above results suggests Donegal were much more than just defence, it was always going to be hard for the team to reproduce the same level of performance after the huge hype surrounding their All Ireland win, but to be honest I could never envisage them performing as poor as they did this year looked there for the taking all year, some high profile injuries didn't help and McGuinness been side tracked with Celtic maybe he was not fully focused on the job in hand?.
Will they be back next year?, hard to know McGuinness needs to take a long hard look at where it all unraveled this year and maybe have a look at where his own priorities lie.
Donegal 1-16 Cavan 1-10
Donegal 2-13 Derry 0-9
Donegal 0-12 Tyrone 0-10
Donegal 2-18 Down 0-13
Donegal 1-12 Kerry 1-10
Donegal 0-16 Cork 1-11
Donegal 2-11 Mayo 0-13
The above results suggests Donegal were much more than just defence, it was always going to be hard for the team to reproduce the same level of performance after the huge hype surrounding their All Ireland win, but to be honest I could never envisage them performing as poor as they did this year looked there for the taking all year, some high profile injuries didn't help and McGuinness been side tracked with Celtic maybe he was not fully focused on the job in hand?.
Will they be back next year?, hard to know McGuinness needs to take a long hard look at where it all unraveled this year and maybe have a look at where his own priorities lie.
The vibes coming out of Donegal were not great before a ball was kicked in this years championship . So the performance in beating Tyrine was a slight surprise . They did not play as well again this summer .
Imjuries and below par performances from some of the 2012 stars ( and they were very good in 2012) attributed to lack lustre performances from Tyrone onwards , despite reaching the Ulster Final .
The backroom stories ( someone will write a book wont they , it has become "traditional" in Donegal has it not ? ) will maybe tell the shole story . Up to then we will all be wondering , and the critics will continue to have a field day . Tough on those who have given their 100% again this year ( not all I suspect ) .
Imjuries and below par performances from some of the 2012 stars ( and they were very good in 2012) attributed to lack lustre performances from Tyrone onwards , despite reaching the Ulster Final .
The backroom stories ( someone will write a book wont they , it has become "traditional" in Donegal has it not ? ) will maybe tell the shole story . Up to then we will all be wondering , and the critics will continue to have a field day . Tough on those who have given their 100% again this year ( not all I suspect ) .
Mr Phantom,provincial finals no longer carry the esteem that you think,and you can embellish any statistic that you like. You say they have won 2 out of the last 3 ulster finals,with an all Ireland in between,id say that they have been in 2 all Ireland finals in about 130 years.
Irish_Celtic,as the name suggests you are a Celtic supporter,and you seem a bit miffed as to why an Irish person doesn't share your affection for Glasgow Celtic. Well I don't like them and that's my prerogative,and I consider the level they play at not to be real sport. Its bad enough that the standard is shhite but its not even competitive or exciting.
Irish_Celtic,as the name suggests you are a Celtic supporter,and you seem a bit miffed as to why an Irish person doesn't share your affection for Glasgow Celtic. Well I don't like them and that's my prerogative,and I consider the level they play at not to be real sport. Its bad enough that the standard is shhite but its not even competitive or exciting.
Glasgow Celtic hold affection for a lot of Irish , south and north , for a variety of reasons , mainly historical , but also a lot to do with peoples innate desire to support someone capable of winning things . I can understand the northern support completely , I have been around long enough to remember Jimmy Jones etc incident and Befast Celtics pullout . No one left to support , Cliftonville were an amateur club in my day , recent cleaving to it by nationalists does not inspire any thoughts of support here , or soccer in general in this part of the world . Poxy product , struggling financially , sooner they rationalise and become essentially amateur the better .
At one stage about 10 years ago I preferred to watch Rangers than Celtic , nothing to do with anything other than the way they played football . But Rangers got their just desserts for behaviour over the years , supporters included , even Graeme Souness struggled with the board / supporters in his time there . Scottish football suffers big time now with its proximity to England . If the Scottish clubs were playing in Ireland they would be in a better place probably , populations not dissimilar . But they are not , and the supporters who traipse across weekly on ferries etc make me scratch my head .
At one stage about 10 years ago I preferred to watch Rangers than Celtic , nothing to do with anything other than the way they played football . But Rangers got their just desserts for behaviour over the years , supporters included , even Graeme Souness struggled with the board / supporters in his time there . Scottish football suffers big time now with its proximity to England . If the Scottish clubs were playing in Ireland they would be in a better place probably , populations not dissimilar . But they are not , and the supporters who traipse across weekly on ferries etc make me scratch my head .
Sure what can they do. They are victims of geogrpahy and proximity to the English Mercennary League. Yes the SPL has turned from a two horse race to a one horse race but they've put all their eggs into Europe and not treat the domestic league like its the Munster football championship. So far so good, they have a decent squad and if they can replicate what they did last season in Europe most Celtic fans would be happy. THeres absolutely nothing wrong with Irish people supporting them. Better to support a club with Irish links than a club like Chelsea which seems to have loads of fans now rather than one odd ball like when I was a kid.
Jimeen is from Cork...That explains plenty
Jimeen is from Cork...That explains plenty
There ya go now Jimeen, Celtic B team just beat Liverpool in front of a full Aviva.
Better to support a club with Irish links than a club like Chelsea which seems to have loads of fans now rather than one odd ball like when I was a kid.
Not many Irish support Chelsea due to their close links with Rangers & Linfield, plus the pro-loyalism with sections of their fans.
@Jimeen, still grinding your teeth over Donegal beating all your best teams last year? and Kerry struggle against Ulster team, Tyrone have put the fear factor into them. Even Cavan had them shaking in their boots last week.
Not many Irish support Chelsea due to their close links with Rangers & Linfield, plus the pro-loyalism with sections of their fans.
@Jimeen, still grinding your teeth over Donegal beating all your best teams last year? and Kerry struggle against Ulster team, Tyrone have put the fear factor into them. Even Cavan had them shaking in their boots last week.
Than I think jimeen? There are flaws in the provincial system no doubt especially now when Dublin and Mayo are so far ahead of the rest in their respective provinces. Munster was always a bit of a sham but Ulster still holds its prestige for how tough it is to actually win one never mind 2 in a row. Donegal may not win till 3014 you said, nonsense I say and tend to agree with earlier post that you must have got burnt on them somewhere this year.
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