Tír Eoghain vs Muineachán, Omagh, Saturday 4th March @19:00 (water permitting)

[Main Street]

Monaghan still beat Kerry without those 3 key players for the most part of the game.
But if a fresh Tyrone don't manage to beat an exhausted and injury ravaged  Monaghan, it's safe to say their season is pretty much over.
Tyrone players will find themselves having to hitch a ride to future games.

Thank God our season isn't over after tonight mainly thanks to the very biased Armagh ref who didn't understand how Monaghan play free positive attacking football.
At least they can follow Donegal for the year ahead.

The ref won't save your season
Derry will come before the fall.

That ref was a book worm of sorts, it has to be said.

[omagh_gael]

Good to get two more points on the board, however, the second half performance was very underwhelming.

Positives: our long range point taking was very impressive, especially in the first half half  and Sean's efforts in the second.

Our running game from deep was excellent in first half, lead extremely well by Tiernan McCann.

Although his luck was out today I was very happy to Mattie get a good run in at FF. I think come summer we'll see him and Sean alternating in there and at MF. At least Mickey is mixing it up this year in FF line.

Thought McCurry was much improved after the Roscommon game. Showed well and scored some nice points from open play.

Negatives: tippy tippy shite in second half. We saw Mayo do it last year against us and it would have cost them their SF place if our last few shots went over. Similarly, if Monaghan had got that goal early in wind half we cold have been under serious pressure.

Our goal scoring efficiency was brutal this evening. Need to sort this out and quickly.  We had too much time and options in some of those second half chances which lead to overthinking.

Hate to pick out individuals here but surely R O'Neill has to be close to losing his starting place? He missed another free thst HAS to go over at this level, made a total balls of a certain goal chance and made an unforgiveable error of playing a total pointless ball into FF line immediately before he was taken off. Surely we'll see Mark Bradley in the 15 Jersey against Cavan?

Anyway, on to next Sunday and if I was in Mickey's shoes I'd go for:

Morgan (rotation to continue)
Hampsey
McNamee
McCarron
McCann
Justy
Burns
Colm
McClure
Meyler
Sludden
Harte
McCurry
Mattie
Bradley

[Whishtup]

Strange match.  Tyrone looked well organised in the first half and should have had a goal at least on top of the points.  Took a long time to figure out how to play the two extra men in the second half.  I was thinking just keep playing it around the midfield half forward line without shooting to tire the Monaghan boys out and create certain scores-instead, they were snapping at half chances and trying tight-passes, alowing Monaghan to regain possession and break.  Once Tyrone started to pass it back and forwards around the middle (who gives a shit what it looks like)to draw the Monaghan boys out, they started to get more change.

It looks like we still rely heavily on Sean and that is worrying.  All the usual culprits missing and dropping the ball short in the second half-surely some other forward can put the ball over the bar when the game is in the mix?

Still, nice to get the win and move closer to securing Division 1 football for another year.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Good sums-up lads, but must do better, especially with numerical superiority.

Beware oh ye of Cavan!

[tyroneman]

As bad a second half as it was good in the first. Hard to equate the clinical, professional outfit that dominated Monaghan for 35 with the shambles that got outs ores by 13 men.

Players hadn't a clue what way to deploy 2 extra men and you could see them shouting over to the sideline in the second half for guidance. Totally lost the run of themselves looking for the killer goal and yet still could have had 5 .....penalty, crossbar, post and two over hit passes to man in square.

Thought Burns was excellent and mystified why he was taken off. Forwards were average at best. Thought Mattie would make hay at FF, but just an off night for him, McCurry slightly better than previous games but still far from being at the level or consistency needed and RoN must really be running out of chances..

Worrying that there were no leaders until Sean came on and took hold of things.

Any word on Sludden?

[omagh_gael]

Once Tyrone started to pass it back and forwards around the middle (who gives a shit what it looks like)to draw the Monaghan boys out, they started to get more change.

Have to disagree. We could have went on for another half an hour playing that shit and not got a score. If I remember correctly it took Sean to take charge and take on his man with trademark shimmy and fire over from 40 yards.  Another player would have popped a pass out to midfield and started from scratch.

[Whishtup]

[/quote]Have to disagree. We could have went on for another half an hour playing that shit and not got a score.  [/quote]

That's the point-that's what wins games as we wouldn't have surrendered possession.  There was a period of good possession before Sean started picking off points and in my opinion that bit of patience is something that Mayo and Dublin can turn on in a second.  A team with two spare men, 4-5 points up should not be giving 50/50 balls, snatching at half chances.  Also, if the players
aren't making the right decisions on the field as a group, there should be clear guidance from the bench-that's also a little worrying for the crunch matches if they happen later in the year.

[BennyHarp]

Have to disagree. We could have went on for another half an hour playing that shit and not got a score.  [/quote]

That's the point-that's what wins games as we wouldn't have surrendered possession.  There was a period of good possession before Sean started picking off points and in my opinion that bit of patience is something that Mayo and Dublin can turn on in a second.  A team with two spare men, 4-5 points up should not be giving 50/50 balls, snatching at half chances.  Also, if the players
aren't making the right decisions on the field as a group, there should be clear guidance from the bench-that's also a little worrying for the crunch matches if they happen later in the year.
[/quote]

Tyrone are at their best when they are attacking at pace with Donnelly, Meyler, McCann, Harte flying off the shoulder and breaking through the defensive line. We are at our absolute worse when we do what we did last night, crabbing backwards and forwards across the pitch with no penetration, enabling the opposition to get into their defensive positions. We did this against Mayo last year when we were chasing the game ffs. You won't break down a decent team with 15 men in that fashion and all we end up doing is hoping Cavannagh, Harte or Donnelly kicks a wonder point like last night and the Ulster final. We should be trying to impose our game and what we are good at on the opposition, Monaghan just could not live with us in the first half as we drove at them with pace, we let them dictate terms with 13 men in the second half and we looked awful.

[redhandofgod]

Ronan O'Neill must have serious dirt on Micky Harte, its worse he is getting yet he still starts. Absolutely awful, shouldn't be near the panel near mind first 15.

[Whishtup]

Have to disagree. We could have went on for another half an hour playing that shit and not got a score. 

That's the point-that's what wins games as we wouldn't have surrendered possession.  There was a period of good possession before Sean started picking off points and in my opinion that bit of patience is something that Mayo and Dublin can turn on in a second.  A team with two spare men, 4-5 points up should not be giving 50/50 balls, snatching at half chances.  Also, if the players
aren't making the right decisions on the field as a group, there should be clear guidance from the bench-that's also a little worrying for the crunch matches if they happen later in the year.
[/quote]

Tyrone are at their best when they are attacking at pace with Donnelly, Meyler, McCann, Harte flying off the shoulder and breaking through the defensive line. We are at our absolute worse when we do what we did last night, crabbing backwards and forwards across the pitch with no penetration, enabling the opposition to get into their defensive positions. We did this against Mayo last year when we were chasing the game ffs. You won't break down a decent team with 15 men in that fashion and all we end up doing is hoping Cavannagh, Harte or Donnelly kicks a wonder point like last night and the Ulster final. We should be trying to impose our game and what we are good at on the opposition, Monaghan just could not live with us in the first half as we drove at them with pace, we let them dictate terms with 13 men in the second half and we looked awful.
[/quote]

Last night, when we were 2 men up and 4-5 points up, we didn't retain the ball by not being patient for five 10 minutes.  Only when we started to retain the ball around the midfield and calm the game down, did the spaces open up.  Did this coincide with Sean coming on? Maybe but with such a lead, it it not time to go gung-ho attacking and leaving the midfield and defence open to counter-attack when you are playing a quality side.  At times there were 3-4 lads up around the monaghan goals, caught out of position only for the ball to fall short or 50/50 pass to be misplaced/ball dropping short.  The extra 2 men should have taken the 50/50 passes out of the game by supporting the midfield/half forwards.  They will learn a lot from this.

[Fuzzman]

I hope they learn a lot from that game but I fear they have just become far to rigid to the system.
There is no doubt the system has them defending very very well and make it very difficult for teams to break them down.
However, too many of them don't know what to do when they have the chance to push forward. It's as if they are excellent breaking at pace from defence after a turn over but other than that they struggle to attack off the cuff.
Did you see RoN running forward at one stage under no pressure and he kicked a long ball into nobody in the FF line over the end line.
Also his shot for a goal was embarrassing.
He used to be so accurate with his shooting and passing but he seems to be losing that now as well.

It would have been nice to put up a big score last night at home to a side who first half were really struggling and then were two men down. It could come down to score difference at the end and we could regret missing all those goal chances.

Thought Burns and McGeary did well but can't see them starting before Brennan.
Hope Sludden isn't going to be out for too long.

[Main Street]

Embarrassing for that hapless plodding Tyrone team playing at home to have to drag big Sean out of a well deserved rest from the travails of inter county football, in order to save the game for them.
Monaghan kept coming back in that second half with the resilience of Rasputin. Big Sean's crucial points and presence kept Tyrone's head above water with just enough comfort at the end.




   

[omagh_gael]

As mentioned already, I hope to see Mattie and Sean alternate between FF and MF. Mattie was frustrated last night but if McCurry's pass was 6 inches lower and Mattie's shot off the post was 3 inches to the right he could easily have had a sensational night.

[trueblue1234]

Embarrassing for that hapless plodding Tyrone team playing at home to have to drag big Sean out of a well deserved rest from the travails of inter county football, in order to save the game for them.
Monaghan kept coming back in that second half with the resilience of Rasputin. Big Sean's crucial points and presence kept Tyrone's head above water with just enough comfort at the end.

Perfect time to give Sean a run out. Game never in doubt and opportunity for him to stretch his legs without any concerns. Monaghan lacked the football ability to do any proper damage.

[straightred]

Embarrassing for that hapless plodding Tyrone team playing at home to have to drag big Sean out of a well deserved rest from the travails of inter county football, in order to save the game for them.
Monaghan kept coming back in that second half with the resilience of Rasputin. Big Sean's crucial points and presence kept Tyrone's head above water with just enough comfort at the end.

Perfect time to give Sean a run out. Game never in doubt and opportunity for him to stretch his legs without any concerns. Monaghan lacked the football ability to do any proper damage.

Haven't seen the game so cant really comment much. The won the 2nd half with 2 men down so i suppose they can take some heart from that. What were the sendings off for ?

I was hoping they could make a run at the final but that look like a stretch now. one more win will mean safety and they'll be happy enough with that i'd say given that they have the premilinary round in ulster this year.