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[come in for a lot of serious attention without getting much out of it]

http://www.hoganstand.com/Monaghan/Article/Index/288586

"Over the last while you would have to say Damien Comer has come in for a lot of serious attention without getting much out of it. There's lot of hanging-on done before the ball comes in."

Hmmm.. he'd better get used to it right n quick.. 

Surely that is just in response to the money punters are placing on it.
Both teams will be going for the win, if it's level 2/3 minutes into injury time then I could see Monaghan maybe taking what they have rather than risking going out altogether but before that...I can't see it.

Hmm.. that sounds like a high-wire strategy to me.. Monaghan should play to the final whistle with the intention of winning. They should (hopefully) have learned from the Kerry game that trying to play keep-ball does not work if not executed correctly.. If you're going to play keep-ball in an attempt to draw the opposition up the field then you need to break for a score, rather than just trying to run down the clock.. Had that of been done the last day then we wouldn't be in this sticky situation..

I'm confident that they can win on their own merit however, rather than by some sort of hoodoo-whataboutery-if-then-else-magic..

Hard to know what to say.. other than thanks to the Tyrone lads for saving me from some finger and thumb exercise.

And as for Clones: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/trips-to-clones-can-be-brutal-but-i-cannot-wait-to-go-back-3gdxzlmcr

Monaghan with the experience, the momentum and home advantage, Kerry with youth fighting for survival. Who wins and how might it play out, discuss..

[the rational each ref used]

I suppose that's it, the rational each ref used.. The implementation of the rules is extremely subjective, in most sports. Some refs are less formal and are looser in their interpretation, which I don't mind at all. Consistency, as you say, is lacking. In saying all that however an intercom to team should be able to work it out within the first 10/15 mins and adapt accordingly.

A gritty performance by both teams. I thought Kildare were niaive and carried far too much ball into contact, which attributed to the physical nature of the game and the amount of turnovers. The Kildare lads were standing up too and are physically well able for it as far as I can seen. It therefore surprises me to hear the amount of criticism of Monaghan's tactics. Believe me, Monaghan are not the dirtiest of teams, and they're not nearly as physical as they used to be in the Banty era. Eoin Duffy's trip was silly and I'd say he realizes that this morning. I wish Kildare success and have enjoyed their 'uprising' this year but you need to learn that this is division 1 knockout football, complaining about teams being dirty each etc. will become onerous..

Monaghan were far more aggressive all over the pitch and were fairly filthy off the ball which they do well

Be careful, the Monaghan boys here don't take criticism of their brave boys well.

I think you'll find that most supporters will defend their counties, blindly or not. Now, as you were told before, go away and troll elsewhere: www.IQlessthaneight.com/forum springs to mind.

Sorry for the repetition lads, what channels are today's games on and are there any streams? I have Mobdro and a biteen of WiFi. GRMA.

Well done Banty and the boys. Good to bounce back after being pipped by Derry in the preliminary round. Winning can only be a good thing for them young fellas.

No team nominates a neutral venue for the Super 8s though.

OK, so who does nominate the neutral venue then, the CCCC?

Kieran "Jap"Finlay , R.I.P., father of Paul , recently retired Monaghan left footed supremo
Hugo Clerkin, father of recently retired Monaghan midfielder & GAA high command propagandist in chief Dick
Eugene Hughes , more widely known by his nom de guerre Nudie, no sons playing recently but did have a son nephew that played a bit of ball for Monaghan in the last 8-10 years but never hit the heights of his father uncle.

Nudie's nephew is Rory Woods, who played for Monaghan in the '00s, a bear of a man.. He'd similar style and build to Nudie.

To me, it seems that GAA congress base a significant number of decisions on a 'sure we'll wait and see how it goes' ethos: http://www.hoganstand.com/County/Monaghan/Article/Index/287475

Like Newbridge-gate, and having to play the Leinster Final in Munster (involving a team from Connacht), the decision to allow any county team to nominate the same venue as home and neutral, seems like a bizarre oversight to me. The cynic might say there's something else at play here, and there usually is, but the amount of 'oversights' suggest that there's a reasonable amount of ineptitude at play here, by paid professionals.. 

Any Laois men about? 

Monaghan definitely got the rub of the green thus far in the qualifiers but our eara have pricked up and our eyes have narrowed for this one.. It'll definitely not be as simple as the previous 2. I'd expect us to win, one major fu*kup in a season is enough for any man..

It might sound over-simplistic but I believe Rory will have studied the Kildare v Carlow game and will set up similarly, which is how Fermanagh play anyhow. This, to me, gives them a decent chance.