All Ireland U21 football championship 2017

[criostlinn]

I simply don't like this style of football and I don't like how the sport is turning out because of it.

It pains me to see so many words written with such little thought put into them.

So if it was just Donegal playing this style of football that you're morally opposed to you wouldn't have a problem with it?

As you've admitted yourself it's clearly prevalent with all the top teams, so can you explain why it's only Donegal that are damaging the sport? It must absolutely break you heart to see your own county forced to resort to that "style" to stay competitive.

Instead of getting your knickers in a twist just read my posts properly before compiling your response. You might find the experience a little less "painful"

[greatpoint]

I simply don't like this style of football and I don't like how the sport is turning out because of it.

It pains me to see so many words written with such little thought put into them.

So if it was just Donegal playing this style of football that you're morally opposed to you wouldn't have a problem with it?

As you've admitted yourself it's clearly prevalent with all the top teams, so can you explain why it's only Donegal that are damaging the sport? It must absolutely break you heart to see your own county forced to resort to that "style" to stay competitive.

Instead of getting your knickers in a twist just read my posts properly before compiling your response. You might find the experience a little less "painful"

I read it. If I was to address all the inconsistencies I'd be here till the next time Mayo win the All-Ireland.

[criostlinn]

I simply don't like this style of football and I don't like how the sport is turning out because of it.

It pains me to see so many words written with such little thought put into them.

So if it was just Donegal playing this style of football that you're morally opposed to you wouldn't have a problem with it?

As you've admitted yourself it's clearly prevalent with all the top teams, so can you explain why it's only Donegal that are damaging the sport? It must absolutely break you heart to see your own county forced to resort to that "style" to stay competitive.

Instead of getting your knickers in a twist just read my posts properly before compiling your response. You might find the experience a little less "painful"

I read it. If I was to address all the inconsistencies I'd be here till the next time Mayo win the All-Ireland.

So instead you start addressing points I didn't even make.
Right so ted. Stuggling a bit ? Not to worry. You'll get the hang of it

[BluestackBoy]

I simply don't like this style of football and I don't like how the sport is turning out because of it.

It pains me to see so many words written with such little thought put into them.

So if it was just Donegal playing this style of football that you're morally opposed to you wouldn't have a problem with it?

As you've admitted yourself it's clearly prevalent with all the top teams, so can you explain why it's only Donegal that are damaging the sport? It must absolutely break you heart to see your own county forced to resort to that "style" to stay competitive.

Instead of getting your knickers in a twist just read my posts properly before compiling your response. You might find the experience a little less "painful"

I read it. If I was to address all the inconsistencies I'd be here till the next time Mayo win the All-Ireland.

So instead you start addressing points I didn't even make.
Right so ted. Stuggling a bit ? Not to worry. You'll get the hang of it

It's your use of the word "dung" to describe a style of play that you later refer to as "not my cup of tea" that marks your post out as silly.

If you had used the latter initially then there would have been no problem at all but using pejorative terms always leads to a negative reaction & that is what you got.

Being from Mayo you should be well aware of how this works. Your senior teams inability to get across the line in recent years has made them an object of ridicule with terms like "chokers" being used to describe all Mayo footballers.  Everyone knows this is unfair & I'm sure it must rankle, it would if it was me, so Mayo people like yourself should be careful with their careless, dismissive & yes ignorant comments.

Whatever about senior Donegal teams of the past this U21 team are most certainly not playing "dung" football, you might wish for more foot passing, fair enough, but that does not make it dung.

[mrdeeds]

Our club put up 2 18 the weekend in a league game. It was all quick handpassing of the shoulder and running good lines. Not a whole pile of kickpassing. But it was great to watch done at speed and precision.

[criostlinn]

I simply don't like this style of football and I don't like how the sport is turning out because of it.

It pains me to see so many words written with such little thought put into them.

So if it was just Donegal playing this style of football that you're morally opposed to you wouldn't have a problem with it?

As you've admitted yourself it's clearly prevalent with all the top teams, so can you explain why it's only Donegal that are damaging the sport? It must absolutely break you heart to see your own county forced to resort to that "style" to stay competitive.

Instead of getting your knickers in a twist just read my posts properly before compiling your response. You might find the experience a little less "painful"

I read it. If I was to address all the inconsistencies I'd be here till the next time Mayo win the All-Ireland.

So instead you start addressing points I didn't even make.
Right so ted. Stuggling a bit ? Not to worry. You'll get the hang of it

It's your use of the word "dung" to describe a style of play that you later refer to as "not my cup of tea" that marks your post out as silly.

If you had used the latter initially then there would have been no problem at all but using pejorative terms always leads to a negative reaction & that is what you got.

Being from Mayo you should be well aware of how this works. Your senior teams inability to get across the line in recent years has made them an object of ridicule with terms like "chokers" being used to describe all Mayo footballers.  Everyone knows this is unfair & I'm sure it must rankle, it would if it was me, so Mayo people like yourself should be careful with their careless, dismissive & yes ignorant comments.

Whatever about senior Donegal teams of the past this U21 team are most certainly not playing "dung" football, you might wish for more foot passing, fair enough, but that does not make it dung.

Jesus lads, ye are like the football team, so bloody defensive

I'll say it again. IN MY OPINION I think Donegal play a "dung" style of football. I could call it shite, boring, puke have your pick, but this is only my opinion. I've watched this U21 side and the way they play is no different to the senior team at the moment who IN MY OPINION play a "dung style of football. I don't like watching football been played so defensive and with so much hand passing and little kicking. IN MY OPINION Donegal are the worst offenders at this at the moment,  I feel as the years pass by and this style continues to morph we might as well drop the foot from the name and instead of heading to Australia for the compromise rules we might as well play in the Aviva against our D4 cousins

Great for you. You like watching GAA been played in this way and it has brought success to Donegal which no doubt increases your love for it but it doesn't mean we all have to like it.  I find it hilarious to see the boys from the hills getting so sensitive about the word dung like its the worst thing you've ever heard said about the style of football ye have been playing the last 6 years and continue to play at the moment at both senior and U21. Its fine defending your team and honour and make up bullshit at how great it is to see GAA been turned into a form of rugby but please spare use the false outrage over the term "dung"

But then again the logic across this board seems to be the same as social media in general. If I dont agree with you, get in a flap over something stupid and maybe mention the  amount of All Irelands your county has won or the length of time since they won one as this somehow decides how seriously your opinion can be taken.

[BluestackBoy]

Fair enough criost, people see what they want to see I suppose. One man's dung is another man's feather pillow ...or something.

[Duckquay]

If you have the players, it's fantastic to watch as mrdeeds alludes to above. Each to their own however it's amazing how much influence the media has on people's mindsets.

[criostlinn]

If you have the players, it's fantastic to watch as mrdeeds alludes to above. Each to their own however it's amazing how much influence the media has on people's mindsets.

Each to there own indeed but I'll have a snipe at the lad who doesn't agree with me. 
Yep. Its the meeja. They are the ones that are convincing us that we should prefer the kick to be kept in FOOTball
But as you said some people find FOOTball in its current guise fantastic. Maybe a change in the shape of the ball would convince me.
If Ireland gets the World Cup in 2023 we may as well just join the two codes.

[Zulu]

A fast hand passing movement the length of the field can be great to watch but if that's all a team ever does then it usually isn't entertaining as there's no variation. The problem with the massed defence is that it rules out kicking at all and now that teams have copped on to it, they don't ever kick and just hand pass laterally around it and that is awful to watch.

It was brilliant to watch Dublin and Kerry kick the ball in to their forward lines last Sunday even though some of it was easily turned over as it was adventurous and risky which is what makes football great. Last Sunday married the best of both the modern and past game and resulted in a brilliant spectacle. We need more teams to do that.

[BluestackBoy]

A fast hand passing movement the length of the field can be great to watch but if that's all a team ever does then it usually isn't entertaining as there's no variation. The problem with the massed defence is that it rules out kicking at all and now that teams have copped on to it, they don't ever kick and just hand pass laterally around it and that is awful to watch.

It was brilliant to watch Dublin and Kerry kick the ball in to their forward lines last Sunday even though some of it was easily turned over as it was adventurous and risky which is what makes football great. Last Sunday married the best of both the modern and past game and resulted in a brilliant spectacle. We need more teams to do that.

It's all a question of degree surely. To say that about any team that they never kick & just endlessly handpass laterally is simply factually not true & certainly isn't true of this Donegal U21 team.

As to the notion that a massed defence means no kicking, I don't know where you got that idea as the present Dublin team employ a massed defence to match anyone & Kerry, by your own admission kicked the ball into their forward line on many occasions last Sunday. The trick is that it has to be done at speed & that I believe is where many of the top counties, Donegal included are heading now.

Donegal showed Dublin that you need a proper defence in 2014 & Dublin have shown everyone else since how to marry mass defence & great attack together.

The game is evolving all the time & the notion of gong back to man to man defending is dead in the water. Nobody from U14 up does it anymore. I agree that last Sunday's game was great & I expect that that is the way the top teams will all try to play from here on in.

[Zulu]

Sorry BluestackBoy, I haven't seen much of Donegal's U21 team so nothing I say refers specifically to them. Of course all teams kick sometimes and of course massed defences doesn't mean it's never kicked but I think you know that I meant massed defences mean a kicking it into the forwards is much less common or successful.

However, I don't agree that Dublin employ the massed defence. I think supporters of teams who employ an extreme version of the massed defence want to claim everyone else does it when it's not true. Yes, the day of the 6 v 6 is over but that was never true anyway as midfielders and the odd half forward were often in defence since the 1970's anyway, just not in the organised way they are now. All teams certainly get more players back but Dublin played four up for a lot of the league final and Kerry played plenty up too. There was lots of one on one contests and the game was all the better for it.

I hate seeing teams dropping back into their own half, short kickouts and interminable handpassing. We saw some great high fielding, scores, defending and physicality last weekend and hopefully more teams will start trusting their defenders more. It's nonsense to say isolating defenders means you will concede huge scores. The game is the best in the world when played right.

[ck]

I simply don't like this style of football and I don't like how the sport is turning out because of it.

It pains me to see so many words written with such little thought put into them.

So if it was just Donegal playing this style of football that you're morally opposed to you wouldn't have a problem with it?

As you've admitted yourself it's clearly prevalent with all the top teams, so can you explain why it's only Donegal that are damaging the sport? It must absolutely break you heart to see your own county forced to resort to that "style" to stay competitive.

Instead of getting your knickers in a twist just read my posts properly before compiling your response. You might find the experience a little less "painful"

I read it. If I was to address all the inconsistencies I'd be here till the next time Mayo win the All-Ireland.

So instead you start addressing points I didn't even make.
Right so ted. Stuggling a bit ? Not to worry. You'll get the hang of it

It's your use of the word "dung" to describe a style of play that you later refer to as "not my cup of tea" that marks your post out as silly.

If you had used the latter initially then there would have been no problem at all but using pejorative terms always leads to a negative reaction & that is what you got.

Being from Mayo you should be well aware of how this works. Your senior teams inability to get across the line in recent years has made them an object of ridicule with terms like "chokers" being used to describe all Mayo footballers.  Everyone knows this is unfair & I'm sure it must rankle, it would if it was me, so Mayo people like yourself should be careful with their careless, dismissive & yes ignorant comments.

Whatever about senior Donegal teams of the past this U21 team are most certainly not playing "dung" football, you might wish for more foot passing, fair enough, but that does not make it dung.

Jesus lads, ye are like the football team, so bloody defensive

I'll say it again. IN MY OPINION I think Donegal play a "dung" style of football. I could call it shite, boring, puke have your pick, but this is only my opinion. I've watched this U21 side and the way they play is no different to the senior team at the moment who IN MY OPINION play a "dung style of football. I don't like watching football been played so defensive and with so much hand passing and little kicking. IN MY OPINION Donegal are the worst offenders at this at the moment,  I feel as the years pass by and this style continues to morph we might as well drop the foot from the name and instead of heading to Australia for the compromise rules we might as well play in the Aviva against our D4 cousins

Great for you. You like watching GAA been played in this way and it has brought success to Donegal which no doubt increases your love for it but it doesn't mean we all have to like it.  I find it hilarious to see the boys from the hills getting so sensitive about the word dung like its the worst thing you've ever heard said about the style of football ye have been playing the last 6 years and continue to play at the moment at both senior and U21. Its fine defending your team and honour and make up bullshit at how great it is to see GAA been turned into a form of rugby but please spare use the false outrage over the term "dung"

But then again the logic across this board seems to be the same as social media in general. If I dont agree with you, get in a flap over something stupid and maybe mention the  amount of All Irelands your county has won or the length of time since they won one as this somehow decides how seriously your opinion can be taken.

Youre embarressing yourself again. You say their u21s and seniors play the same style. I would disagree with this as i have seen both sides play and they contrast greatly. I saw u21s twice against my own county and saw their ability to change tactics midgame.
When have you seen them play exactly? Im genuinely interested to see how youve formed your opinion.

[BluestackBoy]

Sorry BluestackBoy, I haven't seen much of Donegal's U21 team so nothing I say refers specifically to them. Of course all teams kick sometimes and of course massed defences doesn't mean it's never kicked but I think you know that I meant massed defences mean a kicking it into the forwards is much less common or successful.

However, I don't agree that Dublin employ the massed defence. I think supporters of teams who employ an extreme version of the massed defence want to claim everyone else does it when it's not true. Yes, the day of the 6 v 6 is over but that was never true anyway as midfielders and the odd half forward were often in defence since the 1970's anyway, just not in the organised way they are now. All teams certainly get more players back but Dublin played four up for a lot of the league final and Kerry played plenty up too. There was lots of one on one contests and the game was all the better for it.

I hate seeing teams dropping back into their own half, short kickouts and interminable handpassing. We saw some great high fielding, scores, defending and physicality last weekend and hopefully more teams will start trusting their defenders more. It's nonsense to say isolating defenders means you will concede huge scores. The game is the best in the world when played right.

As I said Zulu, it is all a question of degree. I personally witnessed Dublin with a massed defence in Ballybofey & saw it again on t.v. against Monaghan. One of the things I give Jim Gavin credit for is that he learns from his mistakes & the semi final in 2014 where Dublin were torn apart was a huge learning experience  & they have been a far more formidable unit since. Neither might I add has there been any more guff from them about "playing the game as it should be played".
I agree that Donegal were at the extreme end of the defensive philosophy under JMcG, to the detriment of their attack, but Rory Gallagher has changed things quite a bit this year & they are a more balanced team now.
They will never be a big foot passing team, that is not how football is played in Donegal, but in all the other attributes of Gaelic football they will lay second to no one.
Here's looking forward to a great game on Sat & a big summer of good football.

[Throw ball]

It may not be entirely relevant but during Geezers first 2 years managing Armagh for the most part played a very defensive system. To quote another poster it was ' dung' to watch. The team and management got the message that it wasn't very popular with supporters. They were also not very good at it! For the most part this year they have played a more offensive game with more kicking. Again it hasn't brought success so far but it has been entertaining. Funnily even though they failed to gain promotion criticism has been more limited.
I can honestly say that as a neutral I did not enjoy the way Donegal played on Monday. They are efficient at what they do and I will be supporting them on Saturday but it is not the type of Gaelic football I enjoy.

Well at least I didn't see any diving!