Donegal v Cork. Croke Park 30/07/16

[Zulu]

Bluestack, I don't dislike all things Donegal, just your brand of football, don't take it personally, it's just a view on how a particular team plays a sport.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Aye you, who wrote off Ulster football -- where are your sneers and jeers now!?

[Zulu]

Certainly didn't write off Ulster football but I'm not sure today answered any doubts I have about the overall quality of the province. Donegal were meant to win this easily according to many here and they just got over the line.

[lenny]

Not sure off hand, Cork Tipp was good and Tipp Derry was good too. Monaghan and Donegal was pretty good as well. I just thought today's game was just a nothing event, trundling along with no intensity but some great scores as both teams were poor at defending despite everyone getting back.

I just hope football doesn't become a sport that you kick out to the full back line and then run the ball, unimpeded, to the oppositions 45 before probing for a scoring opportunity. If a good game is one determined simply by both teams getting a fair few scores at the end of that process rather than kicking lots of wides then the game is ruined.

God I hope the Dubs win it again.

It's actually really important for the sake of football that Dublin win this year.

[BluestackBoy]

Not sure off hand, Cork Tipp was good and Tipp Derry was good too. Monaghan and Donegal was pretty good as well. I just thought today's game was just a nothing event, trundling along with no intensity but some great scores as both teams were poor at defending despite everyone getting back.

I just hope football doesn't become a sport that you kick out to the full back line and then run the ball, unimpeded, to the oppositions 45 before probing for a scoring opportunity. If a good game is one determined simply by both teams getting a fair few scores at the end of that process rather than kicking lots of wides then the game is ruined.

God I hope the Dubs win it again.

It's actually really important for the sake of football that Dublin win this year.

Are you Roy Curtis in disguise?

[BluestackBoy]

Bluestack, I don't dislike all things Donegal, just your brand of football, don't take it personally, it's just a view on how a particular team plays a sport.

What is it exactly that only Donegal do that you dislike so much?

[Zulu]

I dislike any team playing an overly defensive brand of football. Can you seriously say the you enjoy having one of Ireland's best footballers, Michael Murphy, playing football as a hod carrier? Od lads turning their back on the play to just run back to predesignated positions or your whole team giving up the opposition kick out (not done all the time granted)?

I don't like it when any county plays overly defensively but you surely accept Donegal are the poster boys for it?

[J70]

Was very worried watching that first half today. Donegal just didn't look interested until the goal went in, and even after that the defending was loose and half-hearted at times. Upped the defensive intensity in the second half, and finally started to look a bit organized late on, holding Cork scoreless for almost 25 minutes. And they also took the shackles off a little after the Cork goal, finally starting to attack in numbers. That said, if McBrearty hadn't had the best game of his career, we might have struggled to come through it at all. Those who are downplaying his performance and claiming it was down to loose marking are full of shit. Most of those scores he worked for, made the space, and in at least two cases shot on the turn without even getting a look at the goal (that last score at the end was ridiculous!). Its not like he was getting the ball in acres of space and was allowed to pick his spot. I doubt the ball was in his hands for more than two seconds for any but one or two of the scores. To nail eleven out of twelves shots, most of them from distance, in any game is outstanding football.

Doubt the Dubs will be too worried. We still have big issues with the kickout in the absence of Neil Gallagher and no decent alternative coming through to replace him. Once Cork closed down the short ones in the second half, we struggled to win possession, instead relying on turning Cork over as their attack laboured. Cork killed us on the breaks for large stretches, which should not happen. And we don't have three weeks to drill a game plan into the boys, assuming Rory has even time to identify anything he could exploit like McGuinness did in 2014.

[Canalman]

Was very worried watching that first half today. Donegal just didn't look interested until the goal went in, and even after that the defending was loose and half-hearted at times. Upped the defensive intensity in the second half, and finally started to look a bit organized late on, holding Cork scoreless for almost 25 minutes. And they also took the shackles off a little after the Cork goal, finally starting to attack in numbers. That said, if McBrearty hadn't had the best game of his career, we might have struggled to come through it at all. Those who are downplaying his performance and claiming it was down to loose marking are full of shit. Most of those scores he worked for, made the space, and in at least two cases shot on the turn without even getting a look at the goal (that last score at the end was ridiculous!). Its not like he was getting the ball in acres of space and was allowed to pick his spot. I doubt the ball was in his hands for more than two seconds for any but one or two of the scores. To nail eleven out of twelves shots, most of them from distance, in any game is outstanding football.

Doubt the Dubs will be too worried. We still have big issues with the kickout in the absence of Neil Gallagher and no decent alternative coming through to replace him. Once Cork closed down the short ones in the second half, we struggled to win possession, instead relying on turning Cork over as their attack laboured. Cork killed us on the breaks for large stretches, which should not happen. And we don't have three weeks to drill a game plan into the boys, assuming Rory has even time to identify anything he could exploit like McGuinness did in 2014.

Dublin worried alright. After getting our behinds handed to us in 2014 I would doubt there is an ounce of overconfidence in the camp. Imo, Donegal much of a samenesss since then and Dublin this year down 3 Allstars from last year with another 3 misfiring or coming back from injury. Fenton a huge addition though

Dublin's full backline well targetted by the Donegal media guys as a weakness and they may well be right.

Missing open goals like in 2014 will, once again if it happens, be our ruination.

[BluestackBoy]

I dislike any team playing an overly defensive brand of football. Can you seriously say the you enjoy having one of Ireland's best footballers, Michael Murphy, playing football as a hod carrier? Od lads turning their back on the play to just run back to predesignated positions or your whole team giving up the opposition kick out (not done all the time granted)?

I don't like it when any county plays overly defensively but you surely accept Donegal are the poster boys for it?

Donegal only play defensive football when they don't have the ball, just the same as every other team.

What Donegal have done is identify a way that works well for them, the fact that other teams have copied their system just proves that it is a good system. If people are not happy with it then the answer is to change the rules.

For my own part I hate the practise of goalkeepers coming out to hit 50's and long frees. In my opinion it is a sad state of affairs if a county team can't find an outfield player to hit a free not to mention the time that is wasted. However I don't blame the Dublin, Tyrone or Monaghan for doing it. It works for them & is within the rules. In my opinion the blame lies with the authorities for not changing the rules & outlawing it.

As for Michael Murphy being a hod carrier, that is just nonsense. Just because a man has 14 on his back doesn't mean he is a full forward. Putting him in full forward where he would be double or treble marked would be a complete waste. As things stand, with Neil Gallagher missing, he is needed in the middle of the field where he orchestrates things. In the interests of accuracy he does also spend time in at full forward in every game. 

[redzone]

Neil Gallagher is about 34, so there is a doubt about how long he has left. Gallagher should be bringing thru more youth. Lacey looked like the legs are gone, same with eomon McGee, and kavanagh and Thompson.mcgylnn is no spring chicken either

[Whitnail]

We play more attacking football now than uder jim. Jim wouldn't have tolerted our defensive displays for the last two years at all. We also tried alot harder to play attacking football against tyrone than they did against us ....Jim wouldn't have allowed that either

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

We play more attacking football now than uder jim. Jim wouldn't have tolerted our defensive displays for the last two years at all. We also tried alot harder to play attacking football against tyrone than they did against us ....Jim wouldn't have allowed that either

Aye, that's why your handpass count was so much greater than ours. Dream on. 

[omagh_gael]

We play more attacking football now than uder jim. Jim wouldn't have tolerted our defensive displays for the last two years at all. We also tried alot harder to play attacking football against tyrone than they did against us ....Jim wouldn't have allowed that either

You forget your medicine today?

[BennyHarp]

Am I right in saying that this game is the only fixture in the whole championship where two division 1 teams played each other so far? That can't be right!