Messages

Heard Chris Collins has the loup job

                                            Postie
                 McKaigue             Rodgers          McNeil

                                Tad                  Heron

                  Keenan               McKaigue        McFaul

                              E Bradley         McAtamney

                              Sammy           Lynn

                              McGuigan       Bell

I would imagine we will set up something like this for the weekend. Obviously a huge gulf in class so its important we flood the scoring area as much as possible. Tad and heron have serious work rate so be useful for them to flood back and fill the space infront of full back line. Critical though that we break from defence fast on turnovers so thats where i think Tad will be most effective coming out of defence using his pace and strong running ability. That leaves us with four up front. Lynn usually causes tyrone a bit of bother so lets hope for some more at the weekend. Sammy on the 45 to provide a bit of creativity. Mcguigan and Bell providing the major scoring threats. Personally, i would like to have Emmett Bradley on the 45 but i dont see another option for midfield other than him and Tad. and i think we need tads legs for defence. Can see Keenan picking up Sludden and Chrissy picking up Mattie Donnelly and Rodgers on McShane.  Coney or Doherty might be involved in the first 15 as they have the ability to cover ground rapidly.

Another crazy week of results in all 3 Divisions. Have to admit im enjoying this new structure. Some big scores in all 3 divisions. A few hammerings getting handed out but at the same time other established teams are not living up to some expectations. The results are interesting viewing every sunday evening!

that's correct. I am talking about the clubs contributing those players at the same time, not in isolation. Thought that was obvious.

Don't quite get you're logic.

We need the best players from the top teams to have a good county team Eg Slaughtneil Coleraine Lavey Glen Magherafelt etc. At the minute we have a right few from these clubs bar Coleraine.

Why do we need players from Glenullin? Nothing against Glenullin but if naming them then why not name the likes of Greenlough/Newbridge and other div 1B clubs.

Need players from Dungiven.  Good Derry teams always had 2 or 3 starters from there in the past.  Dont honestly know what has happened them in the past 10 or so years.  They have good young players starting to come through now to their seniors.  Maybe things will change.

what a load of shite this is! why should it matter how many dungiven men are on the panel because of years gone by. Derry need their best players available whether its 10 players from slaughtneil or 3 players from ardmore. if we are picking players from dungiven  or any other club because of years gone by we may just live in the 90s and re watch games on VCR.

Surely the county board have to step in somewhere in the Ogra situation? Im unsure in the current situation but they would have at least 8-10 players still registered to the club in their 20s to early 30s. Does these players go a full year without football then to play 1 and if lucky 2 games of championship football? I know in underage players can transfer to another club if their own club cant provide football for them at a certain age group. However, i dont know if this is possible in Senior football. Sad situation for Ogra as they have worked hard as a club to survive until now with extremely well kept facilities and being able to get a team gathered until this season with such a small catchment area. I just hope that the players are able to get playing league football in some way.

The new leagues have not even started and there are people complaining already about them! Give them a bloody chance! Derrys league has been a nothing tournament for the past decade with only Magherafelt believing it was an achievement to win it! Finally this year we had a bit of excitement in the league, all be it towards the relegation zone! For too long teams have yoyo'd from senior to intermediate! As well as that teams unwilling to get promoted and on the other hand teams scrapping survival in division 1. This new restruction of leagues in my opinion is promoting exciting competitive games which the neutral will be willing to watch! The teams that were relegated this year under the restructuring did not do enough this year to maintain their league status! As for the Junior teams that are struggling to field. Take a look at their championship squads for this season. Sean Dolans who failed to field a number of league games suddenly have about 30 men? Says it all really

No offence to you but you are talking a pile of manure, you sound to me like somebody who doesn't attend many league matches if you think it has been a nothing tournament for 10 years.

The new structures will only make a lot of these things a lot worse than they were previously in terms of yoyoing as you put it. You obviously believe a 12 team senior league won't be as competitive as the 16 team was and nobody will be relegated in future. Pure balderdash.

No i believe that the teams that got relegated this year in both senior and intermediate were not good enough for the leagues they were in! Kilrea for example who got relegated with the most points have struggled the past 2/3 seasons. I think the new revamped 1b will be better for them. Same for the other teams in senior and intermediate. I think the leagues promote championship like fixtures every week! Therefore improving the standard of wanting to win the league!

The new leagues have not even started and there are people complaining already about them! Give them a bloody chance! Derrys league has been a nothing tournament for the past decade with only Magherafelt believing it was an achievement to win it! Finally this year we had a bit of excitement in the league, all be it towards the relegation zone! For too long teams have yoyo'd from senior to intermediate! As well as that teams unwilling to get promoted and on the other hand teams scrapping survival in division 1. This new restruction of leagues in my opinion is promoting exciting competitive games which the neutral will be willing to watch! The teams that were relegated this year under the restructuring did not do enough this year to maintain their league status! As for the Junior teams that are struggling to field. Take a look at their championship squads for this season. Sean Dolans who failed to field a number of league games suddenly have about 30 men? Says it all really

Conor Nevin and Gavin O'Neill?? Are yous mad? we have one of the best man markers in the country in Garth McKinless and no one is mentioning him? Derry didn't put a hand on Donegal at the weekend and Mcbreaty got the run of the field. Im not one who supports McKinless Dirty Tactics but it is needed to a certain degree.

IMO I think the 8 week block could be used in a more beneficial way. A League cup will not be taken seriously and there is no real benefit of it other than players getting uncompetitive game time. I would like the 8 week block to used to try something radical. Something different to incorporate the whole county. I would like to see a championship played like the one used in Kerry with district teams. Forget divisions and give our intermediate and Junior players a chance to play against the Senior sides minus their county men. I think players from all divisions would get behind it. For example,Trasna,Ardmore,Doire Colmcille, dolans etc players joining or Lissan, Desertmartin, Ogra and Moneymore players joining to compete against these Senior sides. It not only makes this 8 week block meaningful but also develops players and gives a chance for our second and third division players to impress the county selectors.

St Oliver Plunkett's GAC, Greenlough V Ballinderry  BALLINDERRY
John Mitchel's GAC, Claudy  V Bellaghy  CLAUDY
The Loup  V Glenullin  THE LOUP
Kilrea  V Lavey  LAVEY
Slaughtneil  V Coleraine  COLERAINE
Swatragh  V O'Donovan Rossa GAC  ROSSA
Dungiven V Sean O'Leary GAC Newbridge   NEWBRIDGE
Ballinascreen  V Glen   GLEN

Surely common sense should prevail. major issues need to answered by both players and county board. Derry have used 98 players in last 10 years. with the majority still playing and under 31. Where have these players gone? A fair few of these players have walked away from the county, being impatient and not waiting for their chance to arrive. A lot of players go up to the county expecting immediate game time. this surely cannot be the case. players surely have to earn their stripes.

IMO there is not a chance that management past and present are looking into division 2 and 3. Without doubt there are players in these leagues at the level of at least being panellists. These fellas need the opportunity to train alongside the best in the county to further their development. Players often don't get looked at in Derry if they didn't attend st pats or if they haven't been on a development squad from underage. Selectors needs to get of their backsides and actually attend all levels of club games around the county.

Firstly it is fair for everyone to be concerned about the massive break in the middle of the summer to facilitate the county players. a real kick in the teeth for the ordinary club player. This will especially affect division 2 and 3 where there are a small representation of players in the county panel. The restructuring of the leagues however provides a real exciting league campaign for the incoming season. In my opinion the league has become stale in the past number of seasons.  For this incoming season every game is do or die. As for the leagues starting in 2019.. Division one and two will be hugely competitive.

Having just seen the McKenna Cup draw, does anyone know  if Damian McErlain and most of the other County managers are carrying on the proud and fair  tradition of previous  managers releasing their college-based players to play for the colleges,especially in the group stages of the competition?

No doubt Mickey Harte will continue with his unfair and not so proud tradition!

Yes this is true that this is a tradition in the McKenna Cup. But can Damien really let all his college players play for their universities. From all reports I have heard Damien is carrying a 26 man panel and that's including the Slaughtneil contingent. With his squad being extremely young by all reports, surely he wouldn't even have 15 men to field!!

Well yes in normal circumstances the coach will be implementing the managers style of play. In this case however I don't think they were singing of the same hymn sheet.  Whether they did or they didn't agree and coach the same style of football , they failed at winning an Ulster title and county needed to go in a new direction!

Both Fergal and Enda are Derry legends, so full respect to both, but as Enda being a 1st class coach, totally without foundation yet (has the personality for it), surely if he was coach to the u21s last season he is as culpable as the manager??

I wouldn't say that.. the manager is the one that implements the playing style and the one who makes the decisions on the starting 15. From what I seen of the under 21s they often didn't know what style of football they were trying to play. I think that fergal was out done by opposition tactics. As for big enda.. by no means is he the finished article as a manager/coach.. and he will learn a lot from his time at banager but as a player he was a master at the basic skills to the highest degree and in his coaching he brings those basics to the forefront