Donegal v Tyrone, Sunday Aug 5, Ballybofey

[trileacman]

FFS Tyronies... we've had whinging about the referee, Bonner, Ballybofey and now the Donegal supporters apparently being arseholes. The game is still four days away.

What are you going to be like if you lose?? God help us if McQuillan misses a free or blows for someone cleaning Ryan McHugh out of it!

It's nigh impossible to discuss Gaelic football on the board anymore without it descending into petty grievances. The Harte sky comment was made in jest, it didn't need to rise such a f**king reaction.

Do me a favour, I don't know this Donegal team that well, who'll mark Richie and Conor Mc aliskey on Sunday in your opinion? Will Murphy spend long periods in full forward or drift in and out as usual? Does anybody in Donegal rate Patton? I watched back a bit from Tyrone Donegal in the league. Jesus he was easy beat with a shot.

[Therealdonald]

FFS Tyronies... we've had whinging about the referee, Bonner, Ballybofey and now the Donegal supporters apparently being arseholes. The game is still four days away.

What are you going to be like if you lose?? God help us if McQuillan misses a free or blows for someone cleaning Ryan McHugh out of it!

It's nigh impossible to discuss Gaelic football on the board anymore without it descending into petty grievances. The Harte sky comment was made in jest, it didn't need to rise such a f**king reaction.

Do me a favour, I don't know this Donegal team that well, who'll mark Richie and Conor Mc aliskey on Sunday in your opinion? Will Murphy spend long periods in full forward or drift in and out as usual? Does anybody in Donegal rate Patton? I watched back a bit from Tyrone Donegal in the league. Jesus he was easy beat with a shot.

Murphy will flit in and out. I can tell you that. McGee will pick up Richie, Paddy McGrath on Skeet.

[J70]

FFS Tyronies... we've had whinging about the referee, Bonner, Ballybofey and now the Donegal supporters apparently being arseholes. The game is still four days away.

What are you going to be like if you lose?? God help us if McQuillan misses a free or blows for someone cleaning Ryan McHugh out of it!

It's nigh impossible to discuss Gaelic football on the board anymore without it descending into petty grievances. The Harte sky comment was made in jest, it didn't need to rise such a f**king reaction.

Do me a favour, I don't know this Donegal team that well, who'll mark Richie and Conor Mc aliskey on Sunday in your opinion? Will Murphy spend long periods in full forward or drift in and out as usual? Does anybody in Donegal rate Patton? I watched back a bit from Tyrone Donegal in the league. Jesus he was easy beat with a shot.

Murphy will flit in and out. I can tell you that. McGee will pick up Richie, Paddy McGrath on Skeet.

What he said...

Plus, on Patton, I'm not a Donegal resident these days, but I've read and heard only good things about Patton. As far as I can tell he is doing very well for first year at senior inter county level, has made a number of excellent saves, and his kick outs have been, overall, excellent, and a big upgrade on McGinley (kick outs were a massive problem for us the past two seasons). He struggled a bit against Dublin with their press, but I wouldn't hold that against him too much, and I doubt many at home would.

We are in bonus territory here, IMO, given the relative inexperience of the team, Patton included. A win on Sunday would far exceed any realistic expectations we had coming into the season, which is partly what puzzles me about those who have been dismissing Bonner as a manager on this thread.

[BennyHarp]

I thought I'd stumbled on a Division 4 football thread such is the activity of the Derry lads. Reading comments by posters from the smaller footballing counties on the Super 8s is almost as annoying as the likes of those smug Carlow club hurlers trying to tell us hurling is the best sport in the world.

[Redhand Santa]

Despite what a few others have said I think this has the potential to be a very good game. I'm sure scores will be hard to come by but you wouldn't want it any other way in such an important game. I think both teams have moved on a bit from ultra defensive stuff in recent years to a more balanced game. This will lead to much more contested kickout's. Both teams will drop back without the ball but they will also go forward in numbers. They've both scored heavily this year and with a decent day I'm optimistic it won't be too low scoring.

Hard to beat a knockout all Ireland quarter final in a provincial venue between two huge rivals, should be a fantastic atmosphere. Only downside is the way the tickets have been organised. Hopefully all the loyal supporters are taken care off.

This would be a very significant win for this current Tyrone team who have come up short in a lot of big games. I really hope we push on this Sunday and produce the kind of quality performance the team is capable off. If they play to their potential I'd be confident of getting the victory. It's going to take a huge performance with controlled aggression and calm heads to do it.

[trileacman]

To add an extra level of intrigue the GAA have announced that whichever county loses the match will be formally acknowledged by congress to have created the blanket defence and will henceforth be blamed every time there's a shit game.

[Fuzzman]

You're not the worst J70 but you always make me laugh when you always go for the cute hoorism approach.
Ye very rarely say you think they will win and again say you're in bonus territory. So let me ask you do you think ye will win and if so why? Where can you see the game being lost and won?

Re the other "whinging stuff" you mentioned then I know you don't get back for many games these days but my point was that Ballybofey has become quite fortress for ye since yer second coming with McGuinness.
I don't have you been to any of the Tyrone games there over the past 5 years or so but all Im saying is the atmosphere is toxic and there is a lot of animosity built up now between the teams.

"Look it"  , we know what other counties think of Tyrone and the media play on that to some extent but I hope RH Santa is correct that it will be a very controlled aggression on Sunday with Mickey already very conscious of the massive frees conceded we have this year of 26% as per today's Gaelic Life. Monaghan are top with 41% and Donegal 18th with 29%. Some would argue that's biased refs and some would say its the way we tackle or get so many men around the man on the ball.
Interestingly they also have a table on the best attacking teams with Dubs No 1 avg score 21.77 and Tyrone second on 19.43. Donegal are 4th on 18.85.

I think I have underestimated the importance of this match when it first came out, as in this is the first time a match between two neighbours of similar styles and levels will meet in a home venue in August for a place in the AI semifinal. That in itself is huge, when you think what the first round Ulster games are like.

As we know Tyrone hammered Donegal last year with both McBrearty and Murphy on but was that just a once off? Did they have a bad day at the office? Will that motivate them more for this Sunday as revenge this time means proving that they are indeed worthy of being called Ulster champions and that they were not just handed an easy Ulster, like we were last year.

I think Tyrone will take a lot of positives from the way they played v Dublin and will give them great confidence that they are not that far away from the top table. My biggest concern is that in previous years, we have had several chances to take crucial scores and we've missed them or not gotten a penalty etc.
We need to stop those happening so often. I would not be at all surprised to see Mickey throw Lee Brennan in from the start as it could cause a bit of panic and create more room for Richie.

A lot of people seem to be tipping Tyrone all week despite the home advantage and that will motivate Donegal even more. Personally I think its going to be one hell of a tight game with whoever getting the first goal then going on to win it as the other team will then have to chase the game and so leave more holes behind themselves.

[tonto1888]

Mattie Donnelly out?

[omagh_gael]

Mattie Donnelly out?

Source?

Edit: just seen this Brian McGuigan's Twitter. Strange to see him break the story (can't see it anywhere else). On the surface it appears to be a big loss but we've serious cover for him in that area. Kieran McGeary to fill his boots on Sunday?

[J70]

You're not the worst J70 but you always make me laugh when you always go for the cute hoorism approach.
Ye very rarely say you think they will win and again say you're in bonus territory. So let me ask you do you think ye will win and if so why? Where can you see the game being lost and won?

Re the other "whinging stuff" you mentioned then I know you don't get back for many games these days but my point was that Ballybofey has become quite fortress for ye since yer second coming with McGuinness.
I don't have you been to any of the Tyrone games there over the past 5 years or so but all Im saying is the atmosphere is toxic and there is a lot of animosity built up now between the teams.

"Look it"  , we know what other counties think of Tyrone and the media play on that to some extent but I hope RH Santa is correct that it will be a very controlled aggression on Sunday with Mickey already very conscious of the massive frees conceded we have this year of 26% as per today's Gaelic Life. Monaghan are top with 41% and Donegal 18th with 29%. Some would argue that's biased refs and some would say its the way we tackle or get so many men around the man on the ball.
Interestingly they also have a table on the best attacking teams with Dubs No 1 avg score 21.77 and Tyrone second on 19.43. Donegal are 4th on 18.85.

I think I have underestimated the importance of this match when it first came out, as in this is the first time a match between two neighbours of similar styles and levels will meet in a home venue in August for a place in the AI semifinal. That in itself is huge, when you think what the first round Ulster games are like.

As we know Tyrone hammered Donegal last year with both McBrearty and Murphy on but was that just a once off? Did they have a bad day at the office? Will that motivate them more for this Sunday as revenge this time means proving that they are indeed worthy of being called Ulster champions and that they were not just handed an easy Ulster, like we were last year.

I think Tyrone will take a lot of positives from the way they played v Dublin and will give them great confidence that they are not that far away from the top table. My biggest concern is that in previous years, we have had several chances to take crucial scores and we've missed them or not gotten a penalty etc.
We need to stop those happening so often. I would not be at all surprised to see Mickey throw Lee Brennan in from the start as it could cause a bit of panic and create more room for Richie.

A lot of people seem to be tipping Tyrone all week despite the home advantage and that will motivate Donegal even more. Personally I think its going to be one hell of a tight game with whoever getting the first goal then going on to win it as the other team will then have to chase the game and so leave more holes behind themselves.

Its not cute-hoorism at all though Fuzzman. If I thought we were favoured to win, I would say so. I did before the Ulster final this year, for example, albeit I didn't forsee it being as handy as it turned out to be. You lads hammered the shit out of us last year. We couldn't cope when you upped the pressure and pinned us back in that second quarter. On top of that, we, with a lot of inexperienced players and a new manager and system of play, have only a subdued Dublin (who fairly comfortably kept us at arm's length) to measure ourselves against in terms of top teams this year. I absolutely think we will give you a tough game (although I thought the same last year!), but I think Tyrone's waves of powerful runners will cause us enormous problems (we've been carved open plenty of times this season) and will ultimately see you run out winners with a few points to spare. As plenty have said, Murphy will likely be bottled up, and I think we will find scores much tougher to come by that your men. I think the kick outs will be vital, and the main hope for us winning would be to force Morgan to go long by pushing up and hopefully winning enough of the midfield battle to keep you on the back foot. But even if we do that, youse will likely have numbers back looking to strip the ball and break. Which is where McBrearty's absence could hurt us as he is well able to win early, competitive ball. So no poor-mouthing here at all. I just think your team is further along the road than we are and realistically are probably just a wee bit too good for us.

[Fuzzman]

Fair dinkum J70 and good summary there.

I'm fair scunnered that I can't be there as its only down the road from where I come from but I've never saw Tyrone win there so maybe it's good I cant make it. I'll be watching it in O'Neills in Oxford with my kids. I must pack their Tyrone shirts and not their Dubs wans.

I see the weather is to be hot but with showers on Sunday. It would be a pity of the rain made it into a lottery game. High balls into the FF line could cause havoc.

[Fuzzman]

Norf, don't be worrying about what people think of Cathal.
I noticed it last year too that loads of fans are just wanting him to fail so they can say they're first impression on him was right

He has 12 point this year all from play and has improved hugely on last year. He was unlucky with that ball through to him as he had to slow down for it to come into his hands and Mannion did very well to make such a clean tackle.

Cathal seems to believe in himself which is the main thing and I don't think its by chance he's started every game this year.

[skeog]

Cathal is a great lad on and off the pitch.

[Therealdonald]

Cathal is a great lad on and off the pitch.

What's that got to do with anything?? If off the pitch came into it then there's 1 defender would never have played for Tyrone after 2009 or 2010. Clubmen take criticism of their own far too personally. It's just an opinion, don't think he's up to it and he's another case of Mickey trying to turn a player into something he's not. Cathal reminds me very much of Colly Cavanagh for his first 6 years with the county.

[ONeill]

A month ago I'd have fancied Donegal, in their own backyard, by 3-5 points.

Now I'm not so sure. When Tyrone build up a head of steam in the back door they are usually hard to overturn....mostly by the All-Ireland champs-to-be (apart from Mayo).