Dublin v Donegal 4pm throw-in

[Syferus]

Dublin playing man-to-man and beating Donegal everywhere. Dublin way better than anyone else. Kerry could be in for a worse flaking than we got.

[From the Bunker]

Dublin playing man-to-man and beating Donegal everywhere. Dublin way better than anyone else. Kerry could be in for a worse flaking than we got.

Dublin are unbeatable at home! Can't see them being troubled in Croker this year!

[An Watcher]

Two very soft frees for the dubs in that first half which were converted for points

[J70]

Dublin's score taking ability will see them through this with seven or eight points to spare, at least, but the bigger worry for me is our utter lack of competitiveness on kick-outs. Without Neil Gallagher and Paul Durcan we are going to be crucified by most teams. Maybe they should pull Murphy out to the middle for all of the second half, because they're not sending anything in near him or McBrearty anyway. And even when we get the ball into the danger area, we're missing some ridiculously easy chances.

[twohands!!!]

The way this is going Donegal's loss to Dublin might be a lot more damaging than Roscommon's loss to Kerry.

[twohands!!!]

Dublin just wandering up the length of the pitch without a Donegal player getting remotely near them on multiple occasions now.

[From the Bunker]

The way this is going Donegal's loss to Dublin might be a lot more damaging than Roscommon's loss to Kerry.

Ah nah, Donegal's season is all about getting ready for Ulster. To get up to speed for todays game would be suicide for an Ulster Championship.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Premature maybe but I think Donegal are done as a serious force in Croke Park. Too many big players for them past their best whose legs have gone.

[From the Bunker]

Premature maybe but I think Donegal are done as a serious force in Croke Park. Too many big players for them past their best whose legs have gone.

You are probably right. There is no team is Ireland that can be up to speed to beat a full Dublin team in April playing at home! You have to say it's great for the GAA. They get a bigger crowd in Croker and more money.

[twohands!!!]

The way this is going Donegal's loss to Dublin might be a lot more damaging than Roscommon's loss to Kerry.

Ah nah, Donegal's season is all about getting ready for Ulster. To get up to speed for todays game would be suicide for an Ulster Championship.

I don't know - I think that Donegal look seriously disjointed - their game in Ulster versus Fermanagh or Antrim is the 12th of June which is completely different to last year when they had a game against Tyrone on the 17th of May - their performance to day had me looking at the odds for Tyrone and Monaghan to win Ulster - it was the kind of performance that saps morale from a side.

[From the Bunker]

The way this is going Donegal's loss to Dublin might be a lot more damaging than Roscommon's loss to Kerry.

Ah nah, Donegal's season is all about getting ready for Ulster. To get up to speed for todays game would be suicide for an Ulster Championship.

I don't know - I think that Donegal look seriously disjointed - their game in Ulster versus Fermanagh or Antrim is the 12th of June which is completely different to last year when they had a game against Tyrone on the 17th of May - their performance to day had me looking at the odds for Tyrone and Monaghan to win Ulster - it was the kind of performance that saps morale from a side.

Donegal lost to Cork last year in the corresponding fixture. There will be no tears in the dressing room after this defeat today.

[ashman]

Dublin are on an altogether different level to all other teams in terms of physical fitness.

Everyone other team are well behind . 

[Zulu]

Completely different. As twohands!!! says, they had one eye on Tyrone last year, this time the just look out of their depth. Besides, this isn't a Donegal performance that's out of recent character, they have struggled to compete with the best for a while now. They might win Ulster but they won't win an All Ireland in the foreseeable future IMO.

Not a great day for football, two poor games and you suspect that bar two or three teams it will be a summer of 14 lads behind the ball hoping to nick a win.

[J70]

Completely different. As twohands!!! says, they had one eye on Tyrone last year, this time the just look out of their depth. Besides, this isn't a Donegal performance that's out of recent character, they have struggled to compete with the best for a while now. They might win Ulster but they won't win an All Ireland in the foreseeable future IMO.

Not a great day for football, two poor games and you suspect that bar two or three teams it will be a summer of 14 lads behind the ball hoping to nick a win.

You're absolutely right. We are not winning an AI any time soon. And I don't see us winning Ulster this year either. Tyrone are much further into their transition than we are and with the motivation of the past five years could give us a bit of a trimming if we somehow make it past Monaghan to an Ulster final (assuming, obviously, we make it through to play Monaghan).

I would much prefer to see Gallagher put four or five of those young lads in than bringing back the likes of McFadden or Toye. (Why bring on Toye and not someone like Mark McHugh?)

And I'd be amazed to see us in an AI quarter final this year.

[INDIANA]

It's Kerry, Dublin and perhaps Tyrone and maybe Mayo this year. There is nobody else.

If Mayo found two inside forwards then they would be most likely to challenge Kerry and Dublin. But they have to find them.

And I'm not convinced on tyrone's credentials either. I'd have Mayo ahead of them

That was abject from Donegal.

Roscommon are finding that there are two levels in Div 1. And they aren't in the top  one yet. Absolute stage fright there today. From a group of young players well used to playing in big games they'd fall apart if 80,000 were there. Will probably come over time but i'd have expected them to cope with a half empty Croke Park better then that