Derry V Donegal Ulster final 2022

[imtommygunn]

Derry always has had footballing talent. There just hasn't been the county setup to match. Look at their clubs and the success they have. I don't think you have that many other counties like that. They're a while crowd for infighting is half their problem 

[marty34]

I think we are seeing Derry at their absolute best to be honest, I don't think there are any more levels to their game.  They are structured well but seem to lack any real top class individuals.

Shane McGuigan walks on to any team in Ireland.

McGuigan/Rogers/McKaigue/Doherty/McKinless get on any team in Ireland.

Glass not far off either!

Six of the best fifteen footballers in Ireland are in Derry?

Really?

I know, some daftees
Mc Kindless and Mc Guigan, thats it currently. Best of Glass yet to come to. More to surface in the next two seasons, particularly Ethan Doherty. with alot of good footballers developing to put us in a great position over the next five years.

Ethan Doherty was Derry's best player on Sunday I think.

Direct, pacy and never gave the ball away.

Set up goal and stole a brilliant ball inside Derry's own square.

Very under-rated player in comparsion to Glass.

[JoeSoap]

Derry always has had footballing talent. There just hasn't been the county setup to match. Look at their clubs and the success they have. I don't think you have that many other counties like that. They're a while crowd for infighting is half their problem 

Haha, well you're right there that they have great football tradition in Derry over the years and some of the best footballers to have ever played the game. I suppose my comment is probably aimed at other counties with similar or even better pedigree to Derry - Down, Meath, Cork. Cavan as well although I think with Mickey Graham they have a brilliant coach and are on the up in my view. Down and Meath in particular, it's shocking the state they're both in.

Donegal wouldn't have had wile success over the years but always good level of talent in the county. The last 10 years have been as successful as the previous 130 though which I think goes to show if you get the right people involved you can challenge at inter county level.

[imtommygunn]

Even in Donegal the club scene is strong. The appetite for the county scene has waned in a lot of counties these days. i think Down and Meath are just going through lean spells. Meath won u17 last year so maybe will surge a bit but I think Dublin's dominance has probably crippled them too. It's hard to know what's going on in Down but all is not well.

[JoeSoap]

aye true but I suppose that's what I mean in terms of the right people, whether it's a manager who suddenly gets all these talented lads pulling in one direction (McGuinness in Donegal, Rory Gallagher in Derry now) or it's getting those underage structures in place and ensuring a good cohort of those young lads stick together through the grades - seems to be coming to fruition now in Kildare and hopefully that Offaly underage success will translate in a few years, and those Meath minors will hopefully come through but a lot can happen between 17 and your mid twenties when you'd expect those lads to be really hitting their peak.

Down would be my 2nd county as my mother is from there and I just shake my head at it all really. In terms of inter-county, there's an argument that they are 8th in Ulster now. As you say about Derry, it's the infighting and silly politics holding them back. Unfortunately it looks terrible in the underage setups as well that the belief has just drained out of the county completely and they're all happier competing at their clubs. I suppose there's no shame in that I just personally always think inter-county is the cream of the crop in our games.

[imtommygunn]

Their underage has got strong again though so you'd expect that to improve things.

In Donegal your success creates more success. I guess you have the likes of McEniff to thank for it. McGuinness too. It's a real badge of honour to wear your county colours and it isn't like that in every county!!

[Wildweasel74]

The man didn't say best 15 in Ireland, 4 of them could get on most teams on Ireland, not the top pick of 15 fballers in Ireland. Just unfortunately it's not forwards McGuigan aside.

[Milltown Row2]

Derry always has had footballing talent. There just hasn't been the county setup to match. Look at their clubs and the success they have. I don't think you have that many other counties like that. They're a while crowd for infighting is half their problem 

The Tyrone ones would have something to say about that one 

[Mario]

The man didn't say best 15 in Ireland, 4 of them could get on most teams on Ireland, not the top pick of 15 fballers in Ireland. Just unfortunately it's not forwards McGuigan aside.

I'd have added McFaul to that list too before he left the panel. He must be kicking himself now.

[Walter Cronc]

Derry always has had footballing talent. There just hasn't been the county setup to match. Look at their clubs and the success they have. I don't think you have that many other counties like that. They're a while crowd for infighting is half their problem 

We didn't always have the talent though. Yes a few great individuals but its a 15 man game. We're aiming for our 6th minor final in 8 years. The 10 years at minor before that was pretty awful. That tells the real story to me.

[imtommygunn]

Did Maghera not have a lean spell too? Always thought it was tied to that. Now you've convent and Maghera both competing.

[screenexile]

I think we are seeing Derry at their absolute best to be honest, I don't think there are any more levels to their game.  They are structured well but seem to lack any real top class individuals.

Shane McGuigan walks on to any team in Ireland.

McGuigan/Rogers/McKaigue/Doherty/McKinless get on any team in Ireland.

Glass not far off either!

Six of the best fifteen footballers in Ireland are in Derry?

Really?

Not what I said.

Are they the best in their position in Ireland? Maybe not but I still think if they're training with a Kerry/Dublin/Tyrone that they would make the team.

[J70]

Derry always has had footballing talent. There just hasn't been the county setup to match. Look at their clubs and the success they have. I don't think you have that many other counties like that. They're a while crowd for infighting is half their problem 

Haha, well you're right there that they have great football tradition in Derry over the years and some of the best footballers to have ever played the game. I suppose my comment is probably aimed at other counties with similar or even better pedigree to Derry - Down, Meath, Cork. Cavan as well although I think with Mickey Graham they have a brilliant coach and are on the up in my view. Down and Meath in particular, it's shocking the state they're both in.

Donegal wouldn't have had wile success over the years but always good level of talent in the county. The last 10 years have been as successful as the previous 130 though which I think goes to show if you get the right people involved you can challenge at inter county level.

It's interesting to wonder what would have happened had McGuinness not come along.

Would the ability and drive of Michael Murphy have been completely squandered with maybe one or two Ulster final appearances and possibly a title?

We had other all time Donegal greats like Lacey, Cassidy, Neil McGee etc. for five years before McGuinness. We didn't win an Ulster Championship game in '08, '09 or '10. Throw in extremely talented lads like Brendan Devenney, Christy Toye and Adrian Sweeney when those lads were starting out, and we really should have done better all through that decade. Granted, we came up against Armagh and Tyrone, but if the leadership and dedication had been there, we could have been challenging those counties much more seriously than the occasional one-off victory.

If McGuinness hadn't been there and we hadn't won Ulsters and that AI, would the underage success under Bonner which has fed much of the current senior team have happened?

[Walter Cronc]

Did Maghera not have a lean spell too? Always thought it was tied to that. Now you've convent and Maghera both competing.

Don't bet me started on the coaching (or lack of) at Maghera. Convent appear to have their house in better order.

Its true though, Maghera had a lean spell - so did Lavey/Bellaghy/Dungiven at underage. Big feeders to schools & county teams. All on the rise now.

[oakleaflad]

Did Maghera not have a lean spell too? Always thought it was tied to that. Now you've convent and Maghera both competing.

Far too much emphasis on schools on this board. The club coaching in a number of teams in Derry is top class and of much more importance for me.