Donegal v Down 2018

[yellowcard]

Please take steve poacher back all is forgiven what a dose this lad is

Marty Clarke recently put Steve Poacher forward as the next Down manager. Would he be a realistic candidate, seems like a bit of a loose cannon. Think Donegal will win this narrowly.

[Smurfy123]

Lads what's the predictions?
Hard enough game to call
Down Captain N McParland wanting to prove the doubters wrong again he says. Well considering how many games Down have won in 3 years and 2 relagations surely the supporters can have a bit of doubt? Not a great interview to give pre match

[haranguerer]

On the whole though, Donegal are very much unproven and we don't really know where we are at. IMO, an Ulster final and, hopefully, Super 8 spot would still represent an excellent first season for Bonner, although that depends on us avoiding the likes of Mayo and Tyrone whenever we eventually hit the qualifiers.

Being very downbeat there J70; I'm sure you'll be disappointed if you don't beat both Down and Fermanagh with relative ease, thus gaining entry straight into the Super 8's 

[J70]

On the whole though, Donegal are very much unproven and we don't really know where we are at. IMO, an Ulster final and, hopefully, Super 8 spot would still represent an excellent first season for Bonner, although that depends on us avoiding the likes of Mayo and Tyrone whenever we eventually hit the qualifiers.

Being very downbeat there J70; I'm sure you'll be disappointed if you don't beat both Down and Fermanagh with relative ease, thus gaining entry straight into the Super 8's 

I've honestly no idea what to expect from Down, while Donegal have failed to beat every semi-decent team we've come up against in the past year or so.

The bit you've bolded was written when Monaghan were the presumptive final opponents, but I don't know how anyone could think Fermanagh will be easily beaten either if they watched that game on Sunday.

Donegal are in transition and unproven as a team, including under Bonner, with a lot of defensive concerns ( especially with Neil McGee possibly out). Anyone who thinks this Ulster championship is a cakewalk for them hasn't been paying attention.

[Dubh driocht]

Henry Ford said if you believe you can, or if you believe you can't, you're right.
Donegal are hot favourites but Down must believe they can win and I believe they do.
Last year we believed we could beat Armagh and Monaghan but didn't believe we could beat Tyrone and we were well beaten.
Mind you I watched Galway stuff Donegal in the qualifiers last year and when their heads went down, they went down.
This year neither team have done a lot- Donegal very unlucky to drop out of Division 1 and while Down were better in the league, they were still relegated to Division 3.
Donegal conceded 16 points to Derry; if Down hit 16 points on Sunday they can win- if they believe they can.

[Feckmylife]

Lads what's the predictions?
Hard enough game to call
Down Captain N McParland wanting to prove the doubters wrong again he says. Well considering how many games Down have won in 3 years and 2 relagations surely the supporters can have a bit of doubt? Not a great interview to give pre match

What do you want him to say? Everyone is saying they are better than us and they'll probably prove that on Sunday by giving us a good beating?

[Aristo 60]

Henry Ford said if you believe you can, or if you believe you can't, you're right.
Donegal are hot favourites but Down must believe they can win and I believe they do.
Last year we believed we could beat Armagh and Monaghan but didn't believe we could beat Tyrone and we were well beaten.
Mind you I watched Galway stuff Donegal in the qualifiers last year and when their heads went down, they went down.
This year neither team have done a lot- Donegal very unlucky to drop out of Division 1 and while Down were better in the league, they were still relegated to Division 3.
Donegal conceded 16 points to Derry; if Down hit 16 points on Sunday they can win- if they believe they can.

Henry also said 'any color so long as it's (red and) black'

I believe.

Yeeeoooow!

[StephenC]

Donegal 1-08 Down 0-00

Donegal down to 14 after Neil McGee got a straight red.
Down have a man black-carded.

[Ambrose]

Sean og warming up on the sideline before halftime. Donegal won't know what hit them in the second half. He's been going well in training.

[snoopdog]

Down are an absolute shambles. Hard to know how good Donegal are. Down a disgrace.

[Captain Obvious]

Dreadful by Down hard to see them picking things up for the qualifiers either. Watching the game on BBC  I have lost count to how many Donegal scores came directly from Downs own kick outs.

[J70]

Down are an absolute shambles. Hard to know how good Donegal are. Down a disgrace.

Indeed. Don't think I can recall an easier passage to an Ulster final. Losing Neil McGee after ten minutes (how f**king stupid was he right after being booked??) and you'd swear it was Down who were missing a man (or two). On top of that I don't think I've ever seen a team get so badly hammered on the kickout, although Down had nothing in midfield, so when the short one was closed off, they had nothing to aim for.

Tested or not, it was great to see Ryan McHugh back to his best, despite the usual pounding he takes, while Murphy was majestic. Patton did well in goals again too, with a great save with his feet towards the end, decent kickouts, and a saved point.

[inthrough]

Donegal are not the finished article yet but there is the core of a really good Donegal team here.

They still need to tighten up a bit at the back & won't find it so easy against top sides but they are a really enjoyable team to watch going forward & 6 -60 in three games is not to be sniffed at.

[Rudi]

Donegal 4 games to win Ulster and doing so without getting out of second gear.