Tyrone County Football and Hurling

[Fuzzman]

Are many of ye worried about losing this one lads?
It's hard to know where we're at as we seem to be coasting all year and Donegal showed us up how poor we can be.
The question is can we turn it on when we need to and is this the game that could be where we get caught out.
I am usually optimistic but I was worried going into the Donegal game and I'm the same for this one.
Too many of our usual big game players are not performing. Mattie and Sludden have been quiet all year.
Midfield was totally cleaned out against Donegal and whilst I want young Kennedy to do well, he just seems too young or inexperienced and not using his height and strength like you would hope he would.

McShane is the only one showing week in week out of a player on top  of his game and Cassidy has done quite well this year.
Coney has done nothing really though not getting much game time and Petey looks good in fits and starts but can't afford another black or red card.
I am certainly worried about this game this Sat and it would be a sad way to go out so early with many having their focus further down the season rather than on the ball.

[Redhand Santa]

I think if the attitude is right we should have enough to win this game. In 2018 we started the league very slowly and finished it well, the same come the championship. In 2019 we started the league very poorly and finished it excellently. We've then had a poor start to the championship. I don't know if it's the training that is causing the slow start to competitions or if it's down to mental sharpness.  A lot of the players have been involved for a number of seasons and perhaps they need the pressure of relegation or knockout football to deliver their best form. It is possibly a combination of both.

Last year we struggled through the first 3 rounds of the qualifiers. At this stage last year we were unconvincing in defeating Cavan in Enniskillen. It took until round 4 before the team laid down a bit of a marker. Going to Kildare is a tougher assignment that facing Cavan of last year so the team will have to be on their game to come out of this one. Injuries are a bit of a problem as well as the loss of Bradley and Brennan last year.

I do think we'll see some improvement this week. The team have shown when there backs are to the wall that they can dig out performances. Monaghan in the league was a perfect example after a terrible start to it. Kildare is another good championship venue to visit and hopefully we'll be back in the draw Monday morning.

[Angelo]

Are many of ye worried about losing this one lads?
It's hard to know where we're at as we seem to be coasting all year and Donegal showed us up how poor we can be.
The question is can we turn it on when we need to and is this the game that could be where we get caught out.
I am usually optimistic but I was worried going into the Donegal game and I'm the same for this one.
Too many of our usual big game players are not performing. Mattie and Sludden have been quiet all year.
Midfield was totally cleaned out against Donegal and whilst I want young Kennedy to do well, he just seems too young or inexperienced and not using his height and strength like you would hope he would.

McShane is the only one showing week in week out of a player on top  of his game and Cassidy has done quite well this year.
Coney has done nothing really though not getting much game time and Petey looks good in fits and starts but can't afford another black or red card.
I am certainly worried about this game this Sat and it would be a sad way to go out so early with many having their focus further down the season rather than on the ball.

I'm worried. We looks to be deplorable on kickouts and don't seem to have any strategy in place either in our own ones are pressurising the opposition. This has to be a management failure as Morgan is a very accurate with his kickouts so if players are showing and getting in the right places he will hit them. I think the kickouts and how we fare from them will decide the game on Saturday.

[Fuzzman]

Do we ever try those very long kickouts over the midfield so when teams push up on us to stop us taking a short ones, can Morgan kick them out to our wing half forwards and so put the other team under pressure.
Patton and Beggan seem to be very good at it.

[bigtogs]

Just about to head south staying in the Capital tonight,will be some evening for a few pints.......not confident about the game mind you....no word a the team???We go in a hope that a Donegal last summer type of performance will spring board the team into a bit of sharpness and confidence....

[trailer]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

[Angelo]

Job comfortably done.

Tactics and attitude were right but Kildare were very poor. Our big players were very good - Harte, Cavanagh, Donnelly, McShane all had great games. Great to see McCurry in good form too.

Hope the injury to Cassidy isn't too bad, looked to be his ankle that was caught on the follow through.

Would hope to avoid Galway and Meath in the next round, that would put us in a group with Kerry and Donegal.

[square_ball]

I think I'd prefer Cavan or Cork in the draw. Better chance in my opinion of reaching a semi final  against either Kerry/ Donegal? Roscommon weakest of the provincial winners and get a free hit against the dubs.

[Redhand Santa]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

Go away from home for a really tricky tie, play great football winning by 10 and scoring 2-22. The fact this was your only comment on the game sums up the mentality of many on this thread.

Number of excellent performances as mentioned by others. I think you can usually tell quickly if Morgan is on form for frees and there's no way he should have got hitting 3. But there was a lot more to the performance than that.

[tyrone08]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

Go away from home for a really tricky tie, play great football winning by 10 and scoring 2-22. The fact this was your only comment on the game sums up the mentality of many on this thread.

Number of excellent performances as mentioned by others. I think you can usually tell quickly if Morgan is on form for frees and there's no way he should have got hitting 3. But there was a lot more to the performance than that.

In tight games those 3 potential pints are vital. This is one of the key differences between tyrone and the top teams, we have no reliable free taker. Morgan has proved the past 4 years he is not a reliable free taker. Not sure why Mickey keeps sending him up as it's not really fair on him.

[Mikhailov]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

Go away from home for a really tricky tie, play great football winning by 10 and scoring 2-22. The fact this was your only comment on the game sums up the mentality of many on this thread.

Number of excellent performances as mentioned by others. I think you can usually tell quickly if Morgan is on form for frees and there's no way he should have got hitting 3. But there was a lot more to the performance than that.

In tight games those 3 potential pints are vital. This is one of the key differences between tyrone and the top teams, we have no reliable free taker. Morgan has proved the past 4 years he is not a reliable free taker. Not sure why Mickey keeps sending him up as it's not really fair on him.

The lack of a recognised free taker on both sides has been a major downfall and will continue to be so. In the modern game, every free kick inside the 45 should be a score - at the minute we have no idea who is going to be taking the free never mind if he will score it. A shame considering the great free takers we have had historically from both left and right side. We should really stick with P Harte and McShane for this season anyway as there doesn't appear to be any better options.

[Combsy]

Good result from Tyrone. Plenty of good performances especially McShane and Harte. Matty Donnelly showed well too. Very good management also. Well done Mickey and team.

[Angelo]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

Go away from home for a really tricky tie, play great football winning by 10 and scoring 2-22. The fact this was your only comment on the game sums up the mentality of many on this thread.

Number of excellent performances as mentioned by others. I think you can usually tell quickly if Morgan is on form for frees and there's no way he should have got hitting 3. But there was a lot more to the performance than that.

In tight games those 3 potential pints are vital. This is one of the key differences between tyrone and the top teams, we have no reliable free taker. Morgan has proved the past 4 years he is not a reliable free taker. Not sure why Mickey keeps sending him up as it's not really fair on him.

Morgan may not be a reliable free taker but he's not a bad long distance free taker, he's the best we have in the squad now.

[trailer]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

Go away from home for a really tricky tie, play great football winning by 10 and scoring 2-22. The fact this was your only comment on the game sums up the mentality of many on this thread.

Number of excellent performances as mentioned by others. I think you can usually tell quickly if Morgan is on form for frees and there's no way he should have got hitting 3. But there was a lot more to the performance than that.

In tight games those 3 potential pints are vital. This is one of the key differences between tyrone and the top teams, we have no reliable free taker. Morgan has proved the past 4 years he is not a reliable free taker. Not sure why Mickey keeps sending him up as it's not really fair on him.

Morgan may not be a reliable free taker but he's not a bad long distance free taker, he's the best we have in the squad now.

I had made some additional comments on the thread on the main board.
Niall Morgan has about a 10 -20% hit rate with these free kicks at the very best. If there is no one able to take them, then take them short and try and work a better opportunity.
You'd think that Morgan himself would have the gumption to know not to go up and take them. The man's not wise.

Cassidy is a great player. Can't for the life of me understand why Harte dropped for the Donegal game.

[Angelo]

Niall Morgan has naked photos of Mickey Harte.

Go away from home for a really tricky tie, play great football winning by 10 and scoring 2-22. The fact this was your only comment on the game sums up the mentality of many on this thread.

Number of excellent performances as mentioned by others. I think you can usually tell quickly if Morgan is on form for frees and there's no way he should have got hitting 3. But there was a lot more to the performance than that.

In tight games those 3 potential pints are vital. This is one of the key differences between tyrone and the top teams, we have no reliable free taker. Morgan has proved the past 4 years he is not a reliable free taker. Not sure why Mickey keeps sending him up as it's not really fair on him.

Morgan may not be a reliable free taker but he's not a bad long distance free taker, he's the best we have in the squad now.

I had made some additional comments on the thread on the main board.
Niall Morgan has about a 10 -20% hit rate with these free kicks at the very best. If there is no one able to take them, then take them short and try and work a better opportunity.
You'd think that Morgan himself would have the gumption to know not to go up and take them. The man's not wise.

Cassidy is a great player. Can't for the life of me understand why Harte dropped for the Donegal game.

Pretty sure Morgan's hit rate is much higher across the league and Championship this year, I'd say it's probably 50% anyway and very few players are above 60% from that range. Even Michael Murphy who is one of the best around, missed a couple of mid to long range ones against us in the semi final. Morgan in contrast hit 2/2 from his long range frees against Donegal.

What skews Morgan's stats is he only hits the ones around the 40 yard and further range. Cillian O'Connor only has a ratio of around 30% from this range, all the top free takers will struggle from here. Beggan missed 3 or 4 against Cavan in the Ulster Championship this year.

As unreliable as Morgan may be, there are probably only a handful more who have better success rate from that range.