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Puts it into perspective now. A poor Down team should have beaten Tyrone in Omagh. Shows how good they are. Doesn't tell us how good Our Ma are though. Next round will tell.

Down could have beat Tyrone in Omagh, but they should have been hammered, as they were in the replay.

[there needs to be a root and branch look at what we are doing in Tyrone football]

And now for Tyrone. ... Our physical conditioning looked poor compared to the opposition.  We lost out all over the field in the battles. Perhaps it was the row at the start but we had many headless chickens in defence for most of the first half. Our midfield was shambolic not helped by many poor kick outs and the ball into the forward line was terrible. That was today and there needs to be a root and branch look at what we are doing in Tyrone football who is managing and coaching at all levels right down to the type of footballers we are putting through so called development squads. It needs to be on the level done post 96.
Finally if this is the final game for some of the greatest legends to manage or play for Tyrone then our appreciation  for their efforts is very important here.  They have been our greatest and what a ride we all had.
The era is over and Tyrone are most definitely another 5 or 6 years away from challenging again.  The players aren't there.

The old root and branch review comment, who is going to ask/call for that, and who is going to carry it out? Turkeys ain't gonna vote for Christmas.

What post 96 root and branch assessment was done? Mickey already had a good run at the minors by that stage without success and continued until 98, so he wasn't replaced for example.

Richie Donnelly wasn't making the UUJ team this year, they had a lot of big names, but he would want to be starting at that level if he to be the answer for Tyrone..

Mark McHugh wasn't making the UUJ Sigerson team the year he won the All-Ireland with Donegal. Ricey never played county minor or U21. The players are out there, its about finding them and developing them, and of course they must be ready and willing to give it everything. Mugsy said in his book he got the impression some players were only along for the ride. Suppose that's what you're up against too.

[Absolute mad-dog of the highest order]

which of the chosen 32 will get a game this week?

what is meant to be the limit on the number togged out?

it seems a bit mad to have more than an entire team togged out on the bench when you can only make what is it 5 subs?

sorry one last time, 32 lads togged out for a home qualifier v Louth!! Absolute mad-dog of the highest order.

Theres loads of things to get annoyed about, especially as a Tyrone fan, but togging out 32 players who have trained all year to give yourself as many options as possible is definitely not one of them.

Well when tyrone are getting fined every time for every player over 26 that is named it seems a bit pointless

Yes, but its not something i'd get too upset about.

At some point leading into a game I hope Mickey is thinking about what to do in scenario A, scenario B, etc. But I can't see how having 32 players togged out helps. At the end of the day someone in that team photo is 32nd pick, someone is 31st pick, someone is 30th pick, why have these lads involved if they aren't going to get on? I don't believe that they are all sat there with an equal chance of getting on, Mickey proved that in 08 by bringing Stevie O'Neill back for the All-Ireland Final.

While I'm on about Stevie, he was the only player who played that weekends club fixtures between the Monaghan & Lough game. Why could the likes of Peter Hughes or Dermy Carlin not got a game with their clubs as they aren't getting any with Tyrone currently despite togging out? Joe McMahon went from no football since last August/September to togging out v Down, to not playing for Omagh, then coming on v Louth without a game in 8 months. Meanwile players are wearing bras under their jerseys to monitor performance. I'm sorry but Darren McCurry doesn't need to wear a bra to kick points (if it makes him happy and he kicks more then I'm all for it!).

which of the chosen 32 will get a game this week?

what is meant to be the limit on the number togged out?

it seems a bit mad to have more than an entire team togged out on the bench when you can only make what is it 5 subs?

sorry one last time, 32 lads togged out for a home qualifier v Louth!! Absolute mad-dog of the highest order.

Conor Clarke the first casualty of crazy CCC decision, prob be one or two more who will miss Monaghan game, and in his case rest of year.
Terrible decision.

Very Arrogant attitude:
What about the other ordinary club player who got injured over the weekend - are you not concerned for them also or are u just a 'county' supporter. Injury is a risk every day no matter the standard of player...

lads play for county on saturday and club champioship the following weekend. whereas mickey has the county lads for two weeks uniterrupted in the lead up to any game. mickey has veto over all fixtures, good luck to him

BCB is probably right with it being linked with Lallana. I personally think it's a great signing and with the thought of him replacing Aspas and making a few bob into the bargain can't see how it can go wrong. 13 goals and 10 assists last season ain't to shabby.
I also seen somewhere else that if LFC get him before the World Cup and he performs heroics think of the money that will be made when Spurs buy him for 30 million in August.

He won't make the step up in quality and expectation. How many times in his career through the lower leagues and up to the premiership has he been second choice somewhere? Not very often i'd guess. If he's to play consistently he needs to play every week, at 32 he's a journeyman come good, Steve Bull style, it will be embarrassing to see him grace the world cup and champions league to be honest. Yes there will be lesser players on show but for the mighty Eng-er-land and the mighty reds he is the step down they don't need right now.

SON has shown before over the past few seasons that he is the most intelligent paser of the ball Tyrone have when played at number 11.  Why he hasn't played there more often is bemusing.  Did he not win the CHF All Star in 2001?

Its a fair old while since 2001 and he's had his fair share of injuries, putting him out round the middle into heavy contact zones and asking him to run around like a thoroughbred is sadly behind him, that said, a stint out there during a game might be an option. While he still has all the guile and class to make the impossible look routine I hope his role remains that of impact sub for the year similar to Brian McGuigan in 2008.

I can't see Stevie finishing games strong at the minute given his injuries, lack of game time (at any level, only returned for his club a month ago, played one or two games) and age, but what a sight for opposition defenders who have 60 mins in their legs to see a fresh SON coming on to wreck the joint!

Its bad enough that there is seeding in the Munster Senior Championship but to have a back door in Munster and Leinster Minor Championships but none in Connacht or Ulster is strange to say the least. I understand the competitions are run by the Connacht and Ulster Councils respectively and they could introduce a back-door element if they wish but for consistency re the All-Ireland Minor this should be balanced out as either back-door for none, or back-door for all.

Personally I would like to see the Minor competition run in the exact same way as the Senior therefore allowing the opportunity for counties in the back-door to face those from other provinces. At Minor County it would be great for lads to get a second day out before a big Senior game somewhere, even better in some cases if they are on before different counties than their own. The novelty factor and chance to see Senior stars of another county up close behind the scenes at a top venue would surely be a great memory win, lose or draw.

Could someone post the two teams that started?

[1) if in theory a goalkeeper is waiting to take a kick out and the full forward at the other end of the field is being pulled and hauled can the ref give a free in without the kick out ever being taken? 2)and secondly can a 45 be moved forward? just wondering.]

I watched the second half and the analysis on RTE last night. The foul on big Sean at the end was just unreal.
It clearly shows Sean trying to wriggle free of his man and another Down player at least 3 times with Coldrick about 10 yards away watching it all but doing nothing until he's finally dragged down. Brolly said it was definitely a foul but then goes on a rant about how it was a dive and how if you put a hand on him he flies through the air. In fairness to Toma's OShea he didn't look impressed by Brolly who keeps pointing at Lyster and across O'Se chest. Some might laugh it all of but but there us nobody standing up for Sean or Tyrone's side if the story as Mickey has everyone under pressure not to talk to RTE.
Now the president has spoken out against him (wrongly) in mist peoples eyes yet its still more bad press for us.
Whether we agree or not the National media has us labeled as divers, whingers about the rules and cynical as with last years tactics.
I won't be going today cos I've four young kids and my wife is going out tonight so I had my fun last weekend.
I won't get peace to watch the CL final either as it's bedtime from 7.30 til 9 in our house.
You can understand then that when my time is so precious that when I DO manage to get to a Tyrone game these days that it would be nice to see our best 15 players on the pitch rather than in the stand with a grumpy face.
I

was the referee right to award that free kick at the end. the sideline hadn't been taken therefore the ball was still out of play.

1) if in theory a goalkeeper is waiting to take a kick out and the full forward at the other end of the field is being pulled and hauled can the ref give a free in without the kick out ever being taken?
2)and secondly can a 45 be moved forward? just wondering.

Interesting, could someone also answer this one

3) before throw in referee spots the FB foul the FF on the 21, free in?

Brilliant! 9 year wait to beat Hull  City reserves after extra time 

its not even been 9 weeks since this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27007535

Well done arsenal. Happy for wenger. I admire his stubborn belief in his core principles. Congrats Dinny, O'Neill, muppet and the other long suffering arsenal fans on here.

+1

9 years is a long time and there have been some great teams and near misses in between.

Well done.

As an Arsenal supporter I can say I am embarrassed by how they won the cup today, and the last 9 years. I know some will say its all about  the result and all that, and I'm not an aesthete but Giroud and Sanogo are utter toilet and I resent the fact that they are professional footballers. I would've actually laughed my head off if Hull had scored that riduclous third goal today where Mertesaker took the tumlbe etc.

There is an article in the Irish Post about how Arsenal no longer have any Irish lads in their ranks, in Wengers time he has been too biased to French players and it disgusts me, the man is genius and stubborn pillock in equal measure.

Clubs like Athletico Madrid and Dortmund have gone from bankrupt to CL final in the last 9 years while Wenger can't see the economic sense of giving RVP the bumper contract he earned.

Fingers crossed someone has a word and they get their act together for next year as they have the basis of a Championship and CL winning team there.

Who decides whether a poppy or a Gaa jersey are political?

Common sense suggests that an emblem of an armed organisation is political while that of a sporting organisation is sporting. But some people oppose common sense.

Firstly, the poppy is not an emblem for the British Armed Forces. Secondly the GAA is not a political organisation. But unfortunately there are people who swear by the blood of their forefathers that the opposite is the case.

Thus an innocuous football jersey or a harmless little flower become inflammatory items to the common sensually challenged. So I am afraid I don't buy the common sense argument.

As ever, common sense isn't very common.

Load of tit for tat bullshit on the face of it, but in reality its more than that, lack of tolerance from the student body at QUB is shocking, i thought wans went to Uni to broaden their mind, embarrassing

Mark Lawrenson on BBC.

Liverpool can do no wrong at the moment. They keep blowing teams away in the first half-an-hour at home and, if they do that to Chelsea, I do not see the Blues coming back.
Because of that, I would be bullish about this fixture if I were in the Liverpool camp. I think they will beat Chelsea and I honestly believe they will win the title at Crystal Palace in their next game.

Whoops.

Alan Hanson said words to a similar effect yesterday on football focus too. Have Hanson, Lawrenson and Redknapp soundbites given Jose just enough ammo to build on going into the game today and in effect cost Liverpool the title?

The 3 of them will be feeling like prized lemons now anyway 

All thats left of their season now is to support Suarez in the World Cup