Tyrone County Football and Hurling

[WT4E]

I would hope Harte or Horse or someone would come out in the media and ask for protection for Peter Harte from the officials on the run up to this. Dublin have to be called for their cynicism - Harte takes alot of abuse from the Dubs usually as they target him as a key player. That night in Omagh when Dublin where starting to panic a little I kept an eye on Harte for the last 5. The amount of times his run was forced to a stop and he was physically wrestled to the ground off the ball was serious.... but then again Dublin don't do that do they???

[BennyHarp]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-tyrone-must-challenge-dublin-s-extremist-game-plan-1.3602290

what Jim thinks we need to do....

Did we not try to do that last year? The Uber defensive tactic is all based on the assumption that Dublin never try to break the line. Dublin are masters at playing it around and if their players aren't finding space they will take the ball into contact and generate a free, bouyed on by a huge roar from the Hill and usually a willing ref. Rock invariably scores. They will keep the scoreboard ticking over, granted at a slower pace but most crucially at a much faster pace than we will be able to. This is all ok if we want to put in a respectable performance scoreboard wise and not facing a game over scenario with half the game to play. But last year proved that it just takes a few slip ups in this style and we are 5 behind and with that tactic it's game over. I hope we attack them further up the pitch, hound Kilkenny, Fenton and McCaffery everywhere they go. Get in the faces of Rock, Mannion and Scully. Make Dublin fight for EVERY ball all over the pitch and just test whether they really are up for a battle. Remember, they haven't had one in nearly a year. We've had battles in Omagh, Navan, Ballybofey and Croke Park already this year. We also need to make the ref make decisions on their 'close attention' to Sludden, Donnelly and Harte. If that means moving them into full forward in front of the umpires, starting a row so both get booked or whatever but we have to stop them pulling and dragging all day long.

[RedHand88]

I would hope Harte or Horse or someone would come out in the media and ask for protection for Peter Harte from the officials on the run up to this. Dublin have to be called for their cynicism - Harte takes alot of abuse from the Dubs usually as they target him as a key player. That night in Omagh when Dublin where starting to panic a little I kept an eye on Harte for the last 5. The amount of times his run was forced to a stop and he was physically wrestled to the ground off the ball was serious.... but then again Dublin don't do that do they???

Ditto with Sludden. They were both targeted that night, weren't allowed to make the usual but busting runs they usually do.

[Thebigdog]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-tyrone-must-challenge-dublin-s-extremist-game-plan-1.3602290

what Jim thinks we need to do....

Jim turning football into a science project again. I don't understand why Tyrone can't go man to man with Dublin just like Mayo. We have the athletes to compete. Would Ciaran Kilkenny enjoy having Conor Meyler for company all day? You could easily get the match ups right. What Tyrone can do and should have been doing years ago is getting Colm Cavanagh into full forward and getting stuck into that dodgy defence. This would certainly put pressure on cluxton and his kickouts. Let's keep it simple Jim and give us something to be proud of in Tyrone again.

[BennyHarp]

We also need guys to step up and go beyond what they've ever done before. E.g. the snarling Joe McMahon completely psyching out Tommy Walsh or Ryan Mellon kicking two points in 6 mins before Kerry realised that they'd need to mark him and he was a threat. Conor Gormley flinging himself into block a ball that announced him as one of the best defenders of his era. These things break the heart of the opposition and if we can get Cathal McShane kicking two points and getting in the face of Brian Fenton all afternoon or McKernan cleaning out Rock or Ritchie Donnelly tormenting the Dublin full back line and kicking 1-2 before Lee Brennan does a Mugsy then we are in business.

[RedHand88]

I'm beginning to believe.

[RedHand88]

Alot of complaining done about the banquet tickets being £100. I thought that wasn't bad compared to other galas.

[smort]

I'm beginning to believe.

It's the hope that kills you!

[GetOverTheBar]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-tyrone-must-challenge-dublin-s-extremist-game-plan-1.3602290

what Jim thinks we need to do....

His point on Kilkenny is vital, the one team / player that's ever got in his face? Mayo and Lee Keegan - the only team to give them a serious game since Donegal.

Hampsey seems to be the go to marker now - I must admit it has the makings of a good battle but I don't believe Harte will go ahead with that matchup.

[Therealdonald]

Any chance of a bit of football chat on here ahead of the game. I'd posted this on the other thread:

It's great after a 10 year wait to have Tyrone part of the build up to an All Ireland final. No one might be giving us a chance but I'm sure we'll go down and give it a good go. We have a pretty good record in All Ireland finals across the grades since we made the u21 breakthrough in 1990. I think we've played in something like 19 finals since then (u17, minor, u21 and senior) and won 15 and drew one. Many of the current team have started on underage winning teams. So I don't think Tyrone will over awed by the sense of occasion.

We are playing one of the greatest teams ever to play the game so of course nothing is going to be easy and the players will have to play to their maximum ability and get a bit of luck to have a chance. We seen last year and in other games that putting 15 men behind the ball no longer works against the Dubs, they are too good at working scores. We are going to have to go man for man quite a bit with maybe only Colm Cavanagh playing as an out and out sweeper. From free kicks and occasions where we find a lot of players up the pitch we are going to have to push very hard on their kick out and see can Cluxton be broken. However, there will be times when it is best to concede it.

So what team would everyone start for the final and who would you match up? I'm going with the following:

Morgan
R Brennan (v Rock)
McNamee (v O'Callaghan)
McGeary (v Mannion)
McCann (v Howard)
Donnelly (v Kilkenny)
McKernan (v Scully)
Cavanagh (sweeper similar to O'Suillivan on Dublin team)
Hampsey (v Fenton)
Burns (v McCarthy)
Sludden (v Murchan)
Meyler (v McCaffrey)
Harte (v Small) - play him inside quite a bit
Bradley (v Cooper)
McAliskey (v McMahon)

I'd leave McAliskey and Harte up the pitch quite a bit. Small fouls Harte all day long so let him do it in front of goal where it will be noticed and scoreable frees awarded. Let Bradley drift in and out. That leaves us with Brennan, Loughran, R Donnelly, McShane, C McCann, HP McGeary to come during the second half. At that stage as it opens up maybe push Harte further out the pitch. If we are to have a chance our half back line and midfield needs to have a huge game defensively and still help drive the team forward.

On paper the Dubs definitely have a stronger team. But there is quite a few tussles there that we are capable of breaking even or shading on the day.

It's a big ask for Meyler to come in and follow Kilkenny after being out for the guts of 6 weeks. Can't see Burns making it. I reckon Hampsey will pick up O'Callaghan, with Donnelly and Fenton going at it in the middle of the field. Funny thats the only match-up where I see that we have an advantage. The rest we are probably second fiddle and will need a mammoth effort to get over the line.

[tyrone08]

Alot of complaining done about the banquet tickets being £100. I thought that wasn't bad compared to other galas.

What is the banquet like? Thinking of going but would like to hear from anyone that has been to all Ireland banquet. Is there much craic or are you stuck in an awful set far away from the team?

[RedHand88]

Alot of complaining done about the banquet tickets being £100. I thought that wasn't bad compared to other galas.

What is the banquet like? Thinking of going but would like to hear from anyone that has been to all Ireland banquet. Is there much craic or are you stuck in an awful set far away from the team?

Tempted myself. The City West website says the function room holds a whopping 800 people. You could end up sitting half a mile from the team.

[Scoring Zone]

ffs lads we are in an AI final, just f**king enjoy the next few weeks, the hype, the buzz the overall good feeling of being at the biggest show piece ye can be in football Ireland. The team has beat all in front of them (bar 2 top3 teams - one of which is one of the all time great teams) out of the 8 or 9 decent teams we've played - this has been a great year with massive score lines and it could be seismic if they get it right in 2 weeks and I am convincing myself that they can do it. I'm not buying into the Dublin are cruising - there was a few of their big guns completely out on their feet and worried at the end of the super 8 game and I think that if Tyrone take the lessons and have the game of their lives and Dublin are off abit then there is going to be some party.

On Harte, I don't agree with a lot of his way of doing things but his record is untouchable in Ulster in the last 20 years and only 1 or 2 managers can come near him in that time, so some of the stuff said on here is laughable - lighten up, get behind the team and management enjoy the ride for the next few weeks

[Goals_Will_Come]

Tyrones biggest problem with winning against Dublin will be to get Sludden and Harte into the game as much as possible. Murchan and Small had them out of the game in Healy and small has had particular success in snuffing harte out. Obvious thing would be to try and push them further forward but whatever Harte does he needs to ensure these two are in the game and not the periphery for Tyrone to have a chance.

[square_ball]

ffs lads we are in an AI final, just f**king enjoy the next few weeks, the hype, the buzz the overall good feeling of being at the biggest show piece ye can be in football Ireland.

Absolutely! These are great times. Our 6th ever All Ireland final just bloody enjoy it.