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Very good saan. Clarke will never return to his best lads, unfortunately

That may be true... But I wouldn't write him of yet, you never know

The boy's on sky last night reckon Drogba is off at the end of the season. I reckon he'd be a great signing for Utd

IMO when fit he's the best striker in the premiership and has been for the last 3 or so years.

Why would Chelsea sell him to United?
Marseille will be his next destination I'd say.

He will go to madrid for 10-20 million.

Was going to go with Luke Donald but after he won that par 3 comp theres no point. Went for Tiger @ 12/1 and Adam Scott @ 70/1 EW  Looks promising.

And just incase anyone hasent had the opportunity to watch his return to the WWE this year check this out. (Listen to the roar of the crowd when he steps out)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8ejiG5-BtA

Another one of his great comeback speeches. The man talks that fast I would be surprised if there was a drop of saliva in his mouth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_6g0DFQh6Q&feature=fvsr

if  was taking 3 I'd go Woods each way, with punts on Bubba and Rose

One form the twitter crew (McIlroy, McDowell, Westwood and Poulter) will make a right run at it, question is which one? tempted to say McIlroy...

I would have to go with either GMAC or Westwood.

Sitting in Croke Park yesterday after Dublins 4th goal and their lead stretching to about 14 points I found myself zipping up my jacket to cover my Mayo jersey and holding my face in my hands in disbelief.

Embarrassed is far too strong a word but in a sea of blue supporters jeering Mayo wides and boisterously cheering their blue army I was going through a range of emotions.

I dont know how it looked on TV, but getting "moneys worth" or talking up the game in good footballing terms is not how I would call that first quarter. I have seen challenge matches played with more appetite than what Mayo were showing. The Mayo players out the field were going through the motions and letting Dublin walk through which was putting horrendous pressure on our own full back line.

In those first 20 minutes we were playing like it was an exhibition with some of the laziest marking, tackling and workrate coupled with some of the bad defending. We werent even tracking runs out the pitch which was crucifying us. I said earlier on in the week that a lot of big questions would be answered and I think we got a few of those big answers.

That fullback line was shambolic in the first half, and only for Dublin switched things and Keith Higgins followed his man and ended up playing fullback the nightmare could have been worse.

There is some simple things defenders should be able to do: Tackling, dispossessing, blocking, staying goal side, knowing where your man is, not playing yards off your man when you know where he is, and not playing miles in front of him, especially when there is a sweeper in front of you; is what makes an average defender. Sadly, even with a sweeper playing in front of Mayos fullback line, some of the defenders couldnt even manage those basics.

Other simplicities like catching the ball when you go up for it or even timing a long high hanging ball (usually a defenders dream) so it doesnt go over your head and leave a man through on goal is something that should be bread and butter.

Whats the point in playing miles in front of the forward your supposed to be marking if you are supposed to have a sweeper in front of you to mark that space?

Keith Higgins, dashed out and left his man when Gardiner should have been mopping up. Cunniffe made another crazy dash out and totally mistimed the ball to leave Dublin through on goal, and if Barett tried to break the ball from behind he wouldnt have gotten the wrong side of his man for that goal. Also, when a someone in possession is at full tilt running towards you with the ball, the last thing you do is run straight at him (like Gardiner did) as you will get side stepped too easily. Sometimes you defend on the back foot, run with the guy in possession, count the steps and get the hand in for the dispossession when they hop or solo.

Im not completely blaming the fullback line or Gardiner but there was definitely confidence issues in each other until Keith Higgins settled it down a bit. From then on, coupled with the fact that we woke up a bit out the pitch at least Cunniffe seemed a bit more confident and we quenched a few Dublin attacks with some tenacity from himself and Higgins. The pressure they were under came from out the pitch although Connelly scoring 3-03 is a little harder to excuse.

Before I move on I want to state again that the fullback line were not totally to blame. As well as workrate out the pitch, the handling errors out the pitch lead to the goals. At this level you can not get away with passes getting easily intercepted and turned over and Campbell has to get that right and make sure of the pass if he is going to hold on to his place. I dont know where his head was but it was out of character and I would be hoping the lessons are learned and he wont be as bad next time.

Elsewhere in defence only Richie Feeney stood up in that first half and puts the body in. Cafferkey hardly had a touch and was ghosting about the place. McManamon was breezing down the middle without a hand on him and at the very least Caff should have been helping the ball out of defence when Mayo had possession. Bizarrely Cathal Hallinan got far, far more touches in the 10 minutes he was on the pitch than Cafferkey got in the whole game. It didnt make any sense.

At midfield McGarrity at least was contesting kickouts and did Ok bar a few bad decisions when in possession. That wide he had, as well as Richie Feeneys summed up Mayos confidence in that first half but I dont have anything against them for having the courage to take on them shots.

Parsons was not at the races at all and drifted about the pitch and actually off the ball he drifted away from play with no purpose. Im not sure if he actually wants to be there as he is showing no appetite and seems to be going through the motions. Unfortunately, a few good minutes in McHale park against Down in the second half this year is all that I have seen from Parsons in a long, long time. Himself and McGarrty are not a great partnership as he doenst work hard enough off the ball. I think Jason Gibbons could be a better option at this stage of the season. Kilcullen still seems a bit behind the pace but he too is looking more and more like a serious option around the middle. That block of a certain goal was vital and he put the body in a few times out the pitch which was nice to see.

Upfront Freeman and Doherty were simply sublime and Andy Moran also showed well. Im delighted we found two great corner forwards that are not afraid to take their men on and take a score. Dillon and Campbell also had a good second half and worked their socks off. Sadly Kilcoyne seems a shadow of the player he was since his injury and will struggle to make the team come summer with the form of the rest. He still has loads of time to get the pace and accuracy back though.

In my view we still have a lot of positives although from my ranting above you wouldnt think it.

Some will say that Dublin took the foot off the gas the gas a little, whereas I think that the comeback was more down to Mayos hard work up until the last 5 minutes where we tired. In the second half we looked like a different team and found some pride in ourselves and actually began to play a little. This all came as a result of that workrate that the players finally bought into after Mayos first goal.

I also think that the players themselves learned a lot from the game. You will get destroyed at this level if you dont work hard and when we did I dont think Dublin could handle it. The Mayo defenders, and especially the fullback line had to have learned a lot from the goals that we conceded. They may also have learned a bit more about what to do with a sweeper although that may not be as apparent from the game. We learned that leaving Freeman and Doherty inside can cause havoc to a defence. Andy Moran is playing great stuff and Dillon improved from the Armagh game and will hopefully be back at his best come the summer.

I still think we have a lot of questions to be answered, and even after Sunday I would be in favour of trying things again if it means we will get it right later in the season.

When you think if it, yesterday was actually a success as we found out things that could have been learned later in the season with a lot more at steak. And I think we learned more than Dublin did.

Things I would like to see in the next few games:
- Workrate from when the ball is thrown in
- Kevin McGloughlin (among others) tracking runs
- Better decision making and handling (especially from Campbell)
- Trying Keith Higgins (or Ger Cafferkey) at full back again
- Trying Aidan O Shea at Midfield or centre forward
- Trying Cathal Hallinan at centre back, corner back or full back again
- Jason Gibbons at midfield with McGarity/Kilcullen/Aidan O Shea
- Kilcullen getting a longer game
- Cillian O Connor being given a few minutes at corner forward
- Finding out more about James Burke and Ruaidhri O Connor at wing back


A lot done, and more to do but im hopeful we can get things right when the time comes.

Great post. 

Interesting to read the papers today and read the hollow words from so many managers who are on the way out. Guess who they are / answers here before 5 p.m.

POR Armagh.

Any word on team for tomorrow yet? See P Heaney says the cross boys won't be back until Galway team.

Team unchanged from Mayo game apparently.

If they are top of the league I would not care about the other competitions.

I would agree, we should be focusing more on the league rather than the F.A cup anyway and im sure Fergie is and regarding the Champions league, It is always brilliant to see your team go far but could united really beat the likes of Real or Barca with there current form this season?

Division 2 17/4/2011
Round 1
Keady v Clann Eireann
Armagh Harps v Wolfe Tones
Tullysaran v Killeavey
Madden v Tir na nÓg
Silverbridge v Mullach Bán
St Michaels v Shane O'Neills
Division 2 20/4/2011
Round 2
Killeavey v Armagh Harps
Clann Eireann v Madden
Wolfe Tones v Keady
Mullach Bán v Tullysaran
Shane O'Neills v Silverbridge
Tir na nÓg v St Michaels
Division 2 27/4/2011
Round 3
Armagh Harps v Mullach Bán
Madden v Keady
Tullysaran v Shane O'Neills
Killeavey v Wolfe Tones
St Michaels v Clann Eireann
Silverbridge v Tir na nÓg
Division 2 1/5/2011
Round 4
Shane O'Neills v Armagh Harps
Wolfe Tones v Madden
Tir na nÓg v Tullysaran
Mullach Bán v Killeavey
Clann Eireann v Silverbridge
Keady v St Michaels
Division 2 8/5/2011
Round 5
Silverbridge v Keady
St Michaels v Madden
Tullysaran v Clann Eireann
Killeavey v Shane O'Neills
Mullach Bán v Wolfe Tones
Armagh Harps v Tir na nÓg
Division 2 15/5/2011
Round 6
Tir na nÓg v Killeavey
Shane O'Neills v Mullach Bán
Madden v Silverbridge
Keady v Tullysaran
Wolfe Tones v St Michaels
Clann Eireann v Armagh Harps
Division 2 22/5/2011
Round 7
Armagh Harps v Keady
Killeavey v Clann Eireann
Tullysaran v Madden
Silverbridge v St Michaels
Mullach Bán v Tir na nÓg
Shane O'Neills v Wolfe Tones
Division 2 29/5/2011
Round 8
Tir na nÓg v Shane O'Neills
Wolfe Tones v Silverbridge
Keady v Killeavey
Madden v Armagh Harps
St Michaels v Tullysaran
Clann Eireann v Mullach Bán
Division 2 1/6/2011
Round 9
Shane O'Neills v Clann Eireann
Armagh Harps v St Michaels
Tir na nÓg v Wolfe Tones
Tullysaran v Silverbridge
Killeavey v Madden
Mullach Bán v Keady
Division 2 5/6/2011
Round 10
St Michaels v Killeavey
Clann Eireann v Tir na nÓg
Keady v Shane O'Neills
Silverbridge v Armagh Harps
Madden v Mullach Bán
Tullysaran v Wolfe Tones
Division 2 12/6/2011
Round 11
Shane O'Neills v Madden
Tir na nÓg v Keady
Wolfe Tones v Clann Eireann
Mullach Bán v St Michaels
Armagh Harps v Tullysaran
Killeavey v Silverbridge
Division 2 22/6/2011
Round 12
Wolfe Tones v Armagh Harps
Killeavey v Tullysaran
Tir na nÓg v Madden
Clann Eireann v Keady
Mullach Bán v Silverbridge
Shane O'Neills v St Michaels
Division 2 26/6/2011
Round 13
Madden v Clann Eireann
Keady v Wolfe Tones
Silverbridge v Shane O'Neills
Armagh Harps v Killeavey
St Michaels v Tir na nÓg
Tullysaran v Mullach Bán
Division 2 3/7/2011
Round 14
Clann Eireann v St Michaels
Tir na nÓg v Silverbridge
Shane O'Neills v Tullysaran
Wolfe Tones v Killeavey
Mullach Bán v Armagh Harps
Keady v Madden
Division 2 6/7/2011
Round 15
Madden v Wolfe Tones
Armagh Harps v Shane O'Neills
St Michaels v Keady
Tullysaran v Tir na nÓg
Silverbridge v Clann Eireann
Killeavey v Mullach Bán
Division 2 24/7/2011
Round 16
Wolfe Tones v Mullach Bán
Tir na nÓg v Armagh Harps
Clann Eireann v Tullysaran
Keady v Silverbridge
Shane O'Neills v Killeavey
Madden v St Michaels
Division 2 27/7/2011
Round 17
Armagh Harps v Clann Eireann
Mullach Bán v Shane O'Neills
St Michaels v Wolfe Tones
Tullysaran v Keady
Silverbridge v Madden
Killeavey v Tir na nÓg
Division 2 31/7/2011
Round 18
Madden v Tullysaran
Keady v Armagh Harps
St Michaels v Silverbridge
Tir na nÓg v Mullach Bán
Wolfe Tones v Shane O'Neills
Clann Eireann v Killeavey
Division 2 7/8/2011
Round 19
Mullach Bán v Clann Eireann
Tullysaran v St Michaels
Shane O'Neills v Tir na nÓg
Armagh Harps v Madden
Killeavey v Keady
Silverbridge v Wolfe Tones
Division 2 21/8/2011
Round 20
St Michaels v Armagh Harps
Wolfe Tones v Tir na nÓg
Madden v Killeavey
Silverbridge v Tullysaran
Clann Eireann v Shane O'Neills
Keady v Mullach Bán
Division 2 28/8/2011
Round 21
Wolfe Tones v Tullysaran
Shane O'Neills v Keady
Killeavey v St Michaels
Tir na nÓg v Clann Eireann
Mullach Bán v Madden
Armagh Harps v Silverbridge
Division 2 11/9/2011
Round 22
Madden v Shane O'Neills
Silverbridge v Killeavey
St Michaels v Mullach Bán
Clann Eireann v Wolfe Tones
Keady v Tir na nÓg
Tullysaran v Armagh Harps

what division are the Harps in?

Division 2.

Was listening to the Radio last night and Graham Poll, referee's are encouraged by FIFA not to go back on any decisions they have made. If they have dealt with it in any way at the time they are told not to go back over it.

Not defending it in anyway but thats just the way it is.

There clearly just told this to not attract big media attention I would say. Even though they attract alot of attention when referre's don't make the right decisions if they came back and over-turn it there could be World War 3, meida style

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDOKCf0igbw

In a weekend where every team i support and play with got pasted, this cheered me up, worthy of a thread of its own, ive always liked this man, legend imo.

just ask the ref who had to resign and had death threats due to your 'legends' lies

??

Think people are being a bit harsh on Rooney - sure it was in self defence! It really stinks if Rooney tries to use that line of argument.

http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/02/28/2372202/manchester-uniteds-wayne-rooney-to-plead-self-defence-if-the

Self-defence? The lad was just jogging in front of Rooney to block his run like most footballers with a brian would do.

From a fellow United fan I was shocked at Rooneys elbow, couldn't understand why he even did it was thinking that the lad sayed something to Rooney when they were shaking hands. Either way Rooney has been terrible this season. United should of got raid of him when he wanted to go, he's just a waste of space in the forward line for United these days.