It is Gallaghers 4th season, until now the progression year on year has been tangible
It gets much harder from here on though.
Successive promotions, then stalled last year in Division 2... until Derry pulled off a major coup winning the Anglo Celt.
Defending Ulster will be difficult. The element of suprise is gone. Teams will be prepared now for the Donegal '12 tactics.
Derry wont be allowed to play on the counter attack so easily, plus the manic intensity evident last year is difficult to sustain
In order to maintain the trajectory into next season i think Gallagher really needs to get promoted.
I cant see anything other than Dublin winning Div2. So playing for second spot
Kildare is the only team i feel that will put that under threat.
Derry should get promoted, they have a proven defence and midfield.
Their options in the forward line appear to be improving with Niall Toner, Lachlan Murray & Ben McCarron starting the year well.
1st Dublin, 2nd Derry
I think that's lazy enough analysis.
On the 3 players mentioned - Toner has done well in the McKenna cup, Murray has been a bit up and down but obviously has talent and McCarron has been poor in a Derry jersey to be honest.
I agree Derry have progressed year on year since Gallagher came in, but really the first two years are hard to gauge with Covid. Last year was the first normal season so I still think it's early in the development under Gallagher. Gallagher took over when we were at our lowest in 20 years so he really has moved things right direction.
The comparison between Donegal '12 and Derry is inevitable given Gallagher's involvement, but these are two different teams with different strengths and weaknesses.
Derry's tactics are the same as the majority of teams now. Tyrone play that way, Kerry to an extent, Galway did it last year. So you could compare everyone with Donegal '12 if comparing Derry to them.
Toner has looked really good the the McKenna cup and I think Murray has come on massively since last year. Ben McCarron is starting to get some time on the field but it looks a bit early for him. But we've played a new full back all the way through the McKenna cup and he's been strong. An entirely new midfield pairing too which has looked different. So Gallagher has been testing options around positioning and shape. Time will tell if that is for the better. We still have the Glen contingent to come back in, including two of the best footballers in the country in Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty.
It's early, but Derry seem to have strengthened the panel without making wholesale changes which can only be a good thing.
Dublin are the team to beat, but until we are a game or two in we won't really know how they or any of the teams are in relation to each other.
