Messages

1

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Colleges

« on: April 09, 2018, 01:25:01 PM »

Will the intake at Lower and Upper sixth really change that much though?

Hard to tell really.

Of the 3 schools that amalgamated:

- 1 was all girl (so wouldn't factor into the MacRory team anyway)
- 1 (St Pauls) had no pupils at MacRory age - they all had to transfer after GCSE
- 1 was St Michaels, which would have had all the MacRory age pupils - including some transfers from St Pauls

So it wasn't like the St Ronans amalgamation suddenly meant that had a massive increase in MacRory age players to pick from.

Now with SR being all ability - you might well retain pupils who would have previously left St Pauls after GCSE and not gone to St Michaels, however you will also always have fellas who leave after GCSE anyway and mix in parents who want thier children to have a grammar education and will send them to Newry etc instead (which is already happening).

So, possibly a small increase in MacRory eligible players, but not as big as people might think.....

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GAA Discussion / Re: Tyrone v Monaghan, Sun 20th May, Healy Park

« on: April 04, 2018, 06:54:36 PM »

Might as well get this started.....the 2 favourites play each other in the QF....will Monaghan build on their league success or will Tyrone bring a much better game to this one....

Bar the odd outlier Tyrone have usually had Monaghan’s number in the championship this past 10-15 years. Any reason it will be different this time around?

Sickening arrogance.

Out of curiosity....how is that arrogant?

Monaghan have beaten Tyrone once in the Championship over the last 15 years and Tyrone have won the last 2 Ulster Titles....

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GAA Discussion / Tyrone v Monaghan, Sun 20th May, Healy Park

« on: April 04, 2018, 06:45:17 AM »

Might as well get this started.....the 2 favourites play each other in the QF....will Monaghan build on their league success or will Tyrone bring a much better game to this one....

Bar the odd outlier Tyrone have usually had Monaghan’s number in the championship this past 10-15 years. Any reason it will be different this time around?

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GAA Discussion / Re: 2018 NFL Division 1

« on: March 19, 2018, 12:21:11 AM »

Seems like Mattie Donnelly was allowed the freedom of the pitch today, class player like that needs more attention ffs. Parsons seemed to be his man but looked like he struggled (from the highlights)

Andy should get 12 weeks but will probably get off as the ref dealt with it. Cavanagh's black shouldn't have been anything. Boyle's first was probably a red. Tyrone player's red was a very dirty challenge

Probably a red? Seriously? Every bit as bad if not worse than the McNulty / Keegan one

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GAA Discussion / Re: 2018 NFL Division 1

« on: March 18, 2018, 11:43:55 PM »

Unbelievable that Boyle escaped a red card. If McNulty was sent off for the Keegan challenge then there was no justification for Boyle only getting a yellow.

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General discussion / Re: Movie reccomendations

« on: March 05, 2018, 03:43:42 PM »

Just finished watching LadyBird. There's an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back. Load of shite.

Looks shit. Tempted to watch the shape of water but could also be a waste of time.

Have to agree that LadyBird was awful. An hour and a half of meandering, unfunny dross. Typical Hollywood up it's own hole movie.

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General discussion / Re: Official Gooners Thread aka Déjà vu

« on: February 27, 2018, 10:58:17 AM »

It was interesting listening to ShoutSport this moring on the drive to work. Much was being made of Wengers myopia when it has come to buying DM players, especially after having had great results with Petit and Silva playing that role so well.

The usual suspects were defending Wenger saying the players just are not out there, but that's patently bullsh*t. Kante was the obvious miss, especially given he was another one Wenger 'supposedly' had been scouting, but there are plenty of options available and at a range of prices.

If he was prepared to spend £35mill on Xhaka, who doesn't seem to be actually good at any MF role, then he could easily have bought a top class DM instead.

Equally the £50+million spent on PEA could have been repurposed more effectively.

Hopefully the Dortmund magic will start to pay dividends in the trasnfer market,  but there is little point bringing in good players if they are not being coached or utilised effectively.

Wenger's time is up, someone with modern tactical nous and an ability to improve players is needed. Someone with a ruthless streak who won't keep giving 5/10 footballers chance after chance after chance.

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Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and Hurling

« on: February 18, 2018, 08:14:23 AM »

Harte definitely rattled by some pretty straightforward questioning.

All Sidebottom had to do when Harte was going on about these great point totals Tyrone were racking up before they met Dublin was ask....'fair enough Mickey, so when was the last time you beat Dublin, Mayo or Kerry in the Championship playing that style of football?' 'Do you really think serving up the same again will result in any different outcome against those three come semi final time?'

The only decent results we have had since 2008 in the championship have been v Donegal and v Monaghan. That's it.

Cork, Dublin, Armagh, Mayo and Kerry have all put us out since then, with only 2016 being anywY close. Even then we spent the last 15 min of a 1 point game playing defensive shite and not pushing up trying to get anything.

So I can't see how these tactics are doing anything for us when it comes to winning an all Ireland.

Now maybe it's because we just don't have the players and Harte is going this way to try and keep us somewhat competitive.  We definitely don't have a good enough forward unit, we have (bar Brennan) no reliable free taker and when we opened up v Kildare and last night our defence was found wanting. So if Harte is cutting cloth to suit that's ok, but no reason to take the head off Sidebottom for what were legitimate questions.

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Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and Hurling

« on: February 16, 2018, 08:01:04 AM »

"Sean Cavanagh had no bother kicking these scores for the Moy in the last few weeks, why did he not step up, as captain in the past few years?"


He did.....

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GAA Discussion / Re: Gaillimh v Maigh Eo, Staid na Gaoithe, 1400, 10-Fea-2018

« on: February 11, 2018, 08:04:00 PM »

Pulling jerseys or impeding a run is not included as a black card offence.

'Impeding a run' can fall under the deliberately body checking one.....

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GAA Discussion / Re: 2018 NFL Division 1

« on: February 11, 2018, 03:47:11 PM »

Kildare off to a good start by the sound of it.

Thankfully it's how you finish that matters.....

12

Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and Hurling

« on: February 04, 2018, 02:51:24 AM »

Harte and the 2003-8 teams are inextricably linked and we should be extremely thankful that we experienced a glorious period of county football.

That being said it's getting more and more difficult to support his current tactics.. I can absolutely appreciate great defence but this is clearly not enough on its own against the big boys and we say something needs to change, every year. However it doesn't.

Tonight was just depressing. Dublin had 2 or 3 more gears available, with some serious heavy hitters not even playing.  I'm sure they would have loved Tyrone to have left tonight believing the gap was closing and if we keep doing what we've been doing we'll not be far away. Then come August they roll us over without breaking sweat. Again.

Unfortunately not even a 14 man Dublin could convince Harte to cut loose. All we got was the same old, same old. Forwards playing in the full back line, 14 men in their own half, key payers posted missing once again (our captain being the most obvious) and others just not good enough at this level.

Brennan was good in the first half, didn't really feature in the second bar some handy scores when Dublin had put the handbrake on. Can he be the consistent forward we need? Maybe. Will he even get the chance? Probably not.

The 2003-8 teams had clutch players. When a score was needed they stepped up. Who would you rely on in the current forward unit if the game was on the line........exactly. None of them have stepped up right across a full season. They might have one or two decent games, but against the big 3...,,,no.

McShane wore 14 and played in midfield most of the game. McAliskey started bright but was again found wanting in front of  goal, just like in the Mayo semi final. Harte flitted in and out. Wasn't an influence. Yes, he's a marked man. Every county has them. If you are that good, you can still affect proceedings.

Being undone by route 1 was very poor. Taking shots in the second half from stupid positions was also poor.

Really not sure where we go from here. A small part of me still hopes Harte has a master plan that we just haven't seen yet. Hindsight tells me he doesn't.

13

Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and Hurling

« on: January 31, 2018, 03:00:46 PM »

If you are coached to effectively play a zonal marking system and defend in groups of 2-3 then it wil be natural that defenders will lose the edge that being 1-on-1 with their direct opponent will give them.

It doesn't make them bad players or mean that they won't ever be able to go man to man but they need good coaching and an opportunity over a number of games to rediscover that ability.

Defending in packs also means you tend to lose personal accountability.

Talent wise this bunch of players could very well be good enough to compete v Dub/Kerr/May we just won't know until they are given more individual responsibility.

Will we win Ulster playing the same style as last year?

Maybe, although probably not if Donegal actually evolve a more attacking game (they have just as good, if not a better panel of players and certianly more marquee players)

Will we beat Dublin in Aug/Sep? No.

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Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and Hurling

« on: January 30, 2018, 01:07:43 PM »

Swings and roundabouts folks. We were flying in the early stages of the league last year and the fell apart..I'd be happy enough if we stayed in Div 1, ending up with a settled 15 and a bit more adventure in our play.

It's a long year, no need to panic yet.

I think its gonna be a very long year indeed so when do you start panicking then TM?
Do you not think we've been at this level now for too long?
I get it that we don't have the players we used to but is the a bigger reason for that?
Is this style of football not not embedded in the Tyrone club scene and youth teams and so we are no longer putting emphasis on attacking play and expressing yourself like players like Canavan, S.ONeill, McGuigans etc.
We are encouraging players to focus more on running and playing the percentages.
Phrases like transition, recycling, possession are now held in higher regards than flair, individualism and skill.

Kerry are still producing players like Clifford, O'Donoghue and Geaney as are the Dubs and we continue playing half backs and half forwards all together as if its the same position and we're told there are no positions any more.

It's plain and simple for me and those who can open their own eyes and not be easily influenced by others that winning ugly is not all its cracked up to be and whilst Tyrone are well capable of winning 3 Ulsters in a row this year, there is just something missing. My kids U11 games should NOT be FAR more entertaining that an intercounty game where the guys are almost professional at this stage.

I get where you are coming from alright, what was I trying to say (maybe poorly) is that I'm hopeful the addition of SoN combined with the clear fact that last years set up wansn't good enough for the top table, represents an intention to playing more attacking football.

I also think it's far too early to tell if that is the case yet as any transition from the old ultra defensive set up will take a few months work on and it will probably be the UC before we see the end product.

If we are still being served up the same diet as before come May/June then yes - absolutely - time to worry.

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Tyrone / Re: Tyrone County Football and Hurling

« on: January 29, 2018, 10:58:38 PM »

Swings and roundabouts folks. We were flying in the early stages of the league last year and the fell apart..I'd be happy enough if we stayed in Div 1, ending up with a settled 15 and a bit more adventure in our play.

It's a long year, no need to panic yet.