Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[tbrick18]

For me, I wasn't sorry to see Harte and Devlin gone. I just don't think it's excusable the level of performances we had this year and the only difference between the last few years and this year was management.
Was never really a good fit.

Lots of rumours about RG coming back for quite some time, which is only natural. We'll just have to wait and see, as rumours are often proven wrong.

O'Rourke has to be in the running if he's willing. If not, who else is out there? I think RG could well be back, and in footballing terms he's prob the right option.
The social media brigade will cause a racket so appointing him will need to be carefully considered against that.

Haven't heard anything about sponsors changing.

[Wildweasel74]

If Derry had played it tight, not fball suicide with the keeper in places he didn't need to be, we wouldn't been far away.Armagh are a structured team, we had that. There no need for a Keeper to go by the 45. None of the teams which won the All-Ireland in recent yrs do this shit. That, plus too small a panel, and a foreign fall out, made a mess of us this year.

[Wildweasel74]

RG might be bck as a trainer [on paper),with another man in the lead taking the heat?

[ONEDerry]

Any truth to the rumours Gallagher being back in with Errigal gone and LCC in as new sponsor?

Hard not thinking we could have been where Armagh are now

A disaster for Derry if that happens but looking likely. Never heard of LCC. Obviously a crowd that are not that worried about their reputation if that comes about. Yeah if you look Armagh we can only think what might have been. They have Sam up the road with no underage success for years. A win based on spreading the net wide and getting a big panel of lads bought in to the whole thing. A good few of them not playing senior football in Armagh. Its all about who is leading it and the man to do that for Derry isn't going to be RG.

I would say the rumour is nonsense but you've never heard of LCC?

Among other things, they own the GO stations and have annual turnover and profits in the multi-multi-millions.

Nope. As I'd say most would if asked about them.  Why a company like that would want to be involved in a County with the senior team with a man like that in charge is hard to understand if it comes about.

[screenexile]

If Derry had played it tight, not fball suicide with the keeper in places he didn't need to be, we wouldn't been far away.Armagh are a structured team, we had that. There no need for a Keeper to go by the 45. None of the teams which won the All-Ireland in recent yrs do this shit. That, plus too small a panel, and a foreign fall out, made a mess of us this year.

I think that's far too simplistic a view and Lynch is getting far too much blame. Our downfall was the full court press.

Rogers and Glass are 2 of the best footballing midfielders in Ireland but they aren't great in the air. Add that to Derry pushing basically everyone (including the keeper) up to the half way line and Donegal/Armagh were like kids in a sweet shop they just helped themselves.

You can't and shouldn't press every kickout and if you do you'd better have a plan for if you don't win the ball. We didn't!

[Derry Optimist]

I totally agree with screen exile re the reasons for Derry's poor performances this year. If you add in the fact that too many players also  were overused in the league with many substitutes mostly  under used we can see it was an over tired team without any proper back up that faced the championship opener against Donegal.

For the management team to play without a defence against Donegal was incredible  enough but to replicate the same  self implosion tactics against  Armagh and Galway was totally unforgiveable. By the way this small panel system and use of the same core players for every game also existed under the previous management as well. So the new management hopefully will have learned from these catastrophic errors  and make Derry potentially a great team>

[tbrick18]

If Derry had played it tight, not fball suicide with the keeper in places he didn't need to be, we wouldn't been far away.Armagh are a structured team, we had that. There no need for a Keeper to go by the 45. None of the teams which won the All-Ireland in recent yrs do this shit. That, plus too small a panel, and a foreign fall out, made a mess of us this year.

I think that's far too simplistic a view and Lynch is getting far too much blame. Our downfall was the full court press.

Rogers and Glass are 2 of the best footballing midfielders in Ireland but they aren't great in the air. Add that to Derry pushing basically everyone (including the keeper) up to the half way line and Donegal/Armagh were like kids in a sweet shop they just helped themselves.

You can't and shouldn't press every kickout and if you do you'd better have a plan for if you don't win the ball. We didn't!

Spot on - though I wouldn't go so far as saying Rogers and Glass aren't great in the air.

To "complement" our lack of tactical awareness, we had the perfect storm of injuries (Lynch in the League, McEvoy, McGrogan, Conor doherty, Nial O'Loughlin) and suspension (McKinless) which really left us on a hiding to nothing.
The only real positives to come out of the year was the emergence of Baker and Gilmore, Scullion in goals, glimpses of brilliance from Murray and the introduction of Murphy.
Lynch getting way too much blame, he's being picked and playing the way he was instructed. For me, where needs to improve is the speed of his kickouts. Outside of that, I wouldn't swap him. Probably one of the best shot stoppers in the game, his kickouts are strong and his distribution from play is good. He was the scapegoat for the lack of tactics out the fied.

If we can get all our players fit - the panel is actually reasonably strong compared to previous years. If we can further introduce 2/3 u20s we are again improving the depth. But the single biggest improvement required is tactically.

[JoG2]

If Derry had played it tight, not fball suicide with the keeper in places he didn't need to be, we wouldn't been far away.Armagh are a structured team, we had that. There no need for a Keeper to go by the 45. None of the teams which won the All-Ireland in recent yrs do this shit. That, plus too small a panel, and a foreign fall out, made a mess of us this year.

I think that's far too simplistic a view and Lynch is getting far too much blame. Our downfall was the full court press.

Rogers and Glass are 2 of the best footballing midfielders in Ireland but they aren't great in the air. Add that to Derry pushing basically everyone (including the keeper) up to the half way line and Donegal/Armagh were like kids in a sweet shop they just helped themselves.

You can't and shouldn't press every kickout and if you do you'd better have a plan for if you don't win the ball. We didn't!

We didn't do that for any entire game, it was mixed up, the closest was Donegal in the 1st round of the championship. We just didn't seem to have the togetherness / collective drive from April on.

[JoG2]

I totally agree with screen exile re the reasons for Derry's poor performances this year. If you add in the fact that too many players also  were overused in the league with many substitutes mostly  under used we can see it was an over tired team without any proper back up that faced the championship opener against Donegal.

For the management team to play without a defence against Donegal was incredible  enough but to replicate the same  self implosion tactics against  Armagh and Galway was totally unforgiveable. By the way this small panel system and use of the same core players for every game also existed under the previous management as well. So the new management hopefully will have learned from these catastrophic errors  and make Derry potentially a great team>

Donegal and Armagh went for it in Div 2, played a final and played 2 extra games in Ulster, yet were able to keep the foot pressed hard beyond our exit point in the championship. We rested key players during the league

[Derry Optimist]

To further supplement more valid points by another Ballinascreen poster, tbrick, I would like to add what all top County teams have now ie  an extra tall midfielder about 6 feet 4 inches in height . This is no criticism of Brendan Rogers or Conor Glass, both of whom are excellent fielders. Galway have Paul Conroy, Armagh have Ben Crealey, Kerry have Joe O'Connor, Mayo have Ruane, Dublin have Lahiff and  Donegal have Jason McGee and Michael Langan all of whom are exceptionally tall.Both Conroy and Crealey had very effective seasons.

This extra tall player may not necessarily be a brilliant all round player but if he has speed and some brains he can be central to having a Plan  B if Plan A goes awry. Derry did not even attempt a plan B during any championship  game. It was a full press or nothing with the predictable terrible consequences.
Have we any tall fielders in the County who can be brought in to complement the excellent work of Rogers and Glass?Unfortunately Jude McAtamney and Callum Brown are out of the country and therefore out of the reckoning.

[JoG2]

To further supplement more valid points by another Ballinascreen poster, tbrick, I would like to add what all top County teams have now ie  an extra tall midfielder about 6 feet 4 inches in height . This is no criticism of Brendan Rogers or Conor Glass, both of whom are excellent fielders. Galway have Paul Conroy, Armagh have Ben Crealey, Kerry have Joe O'Connor, Mayo have Ruane, Dublin have Lahiff and  Donegal have Jason McGee and Michael Langan all of whom are exceptionally tall.Both Conroy and Crealey had very effective seasons.

This extra tall player may not necessarily be a brilliant all round player but if he has speed and some brains he can be central to having a Plan  B if Plan A goes awry. Derry did not even attempt a plan B during any championship  game. It was a full press or nothing with the predictable terrible consequences.
Have we any tall fielders in the County who can be brought in to complement the excellent work of Rogers and Glass?Unfortunately Jude McAtamney and Callum Brown are out of the country and therefore out of the reckoning.

Up until the Div 1 final, our midfield was lauded as the best in the country by many

[tbrick18]

To further supplement more valid points by another Ballinascreen poster, tbrick, I would like to add what all top County teams have now ie  an extra tall midfielder about 6 feet 4 inches in height . This is no criticism of Brendan Rogers or Conor Glass, both of whom are excellent fielders. Galway have Paul Conroy, Armagh have Ben Crealey, Kerry have Joe O'Connor, Mayo have Ruane, Dublin have Lahiff and  Donegal have Jason McGee and Michael Langan all of whom are exceptionally tall.Both Conroy and Crealey had very effective seasons.

This extra tall player may not necessarily be a brilliant all round player but if he has speed and some brains he can be central to having a Plan  B if Plan A goes awry. Derry did not even attempt a plan B during any championship  game. It was a full press or nothing with the predictable terrible consequences.
Have we any tall fielders in the County who can be brought in to complement the excellent work of Rogers and Glass?Unfortunately Jude McAtamney and Callum Brown are out of the country and therefore out of the reckoning.

I kind of get your point, we could do with a bit of height in that middle third to give us another option, but all those players you mention are strong players first.
I wouldn't put someone in only because of height, they need to be fit to play with the intensity needed in the modern game.

Glass and Rogers can field as well as most and better than a lot.

[onefineday]

I totally agree with screen exile re the reasons for Derry's poor performances this year. If you add in the fact that too many players also  were overused in the league with many substitutes mostly  under used we can see it was an over tired team without any proper back up that faced the championship opener against Donegal.

For the management team to play without a defence against Donegal was incredible  enough but to replicate the same  self implosion tactics against  Armagh and Galway was totally unforgiveable. By the way this small panel system and use of the same core players for every game also existed under the previous management as well. So the new management hopefully will have learned from these catastrophic errors  and make Derry potentially a great team>

Donegal and Armagh went for it in Div 2, played a final and played 2 extra games in Ulster, yet were able to keep the foot pressed hard beyond our exit point in the championship. We rested key players during the league

A large core of the current Derry squad has been on the go more or less full tilt from late 2021. From Gallagher took over and with club runs in football and hurling, there's been no respite. A break should do them the world of good.

There's also a fair difference in intensity between div 2 and div 1, so they're not overly comparable, especially with the new management out to make an impression.

And being honest, the year wasn't a total write off, we definitely unearthed some new talent, saw the potential in Murray and that league final was some game, whatever anyone says about championship and all that, it was a superb game of football that had everything and was a terrific advert for how our game can be played.

Roll on 2025 with MOR onboard, another couple of lads added to the panel and we also know that there's definitely nobody to fear out there.

[Doire23]

Donncha Gilmore has the potential to be a MF asset in my mind. He marked Brendan Rogers out of their club championship meeting last year. A lot of potential for growth in that role. However with Padraig McGrogan to likely miss at least part of next season and if Chrissy McKaigue decided to hang it up, I'd imagine Gilmore will continue in the role he did this year.

[93-DY-SAM]

Donncha Gilmore has the potential to be a MF asset in my mind. He marked Brendan Rogers out of their club championship meeting last year. A lot of potential for growth in that role. However with Padraig McGrogan to likely miss at least part of next season and if Chrissy McKaigue decided to hang it up, I'd imagine Gilmore will continue in the role he did this year.

Chrissy doesn't owe Derry anything but like any great player time has caught up with him. No one has found the secret to avoid mother time yet. We need to be planning for the next few years ahead and unfortunately, that probably means Chrissy taking more of a back seat. I doubt he'll be on for that though but I feel that's where we are in terms of Chrissy. We need to be bringing in some of the younger lads from last few years minors and U-20's during the McKenna Cup and stages of the league. Securing Div 1 status is all that matters for the league next year and developing a more depth in the squad. We don't need a 42 panel like Armagh but we need a wee bit more depth than we currently have. If young Lachlan Murray can improve on his form again from this year, McGuigan can hit his form and consistency of 2023 plus we turn up another regular scoring forward we'll be heading in the right direction. And yes we need McGrogan back to full fitness before the start of the Championship.