Tír Eoghain v An Mhí (AI Quarter Final '07)

[wesaysanchez]

eh?

[The Claw]

COME ON THE ROYAL!!!!!Il chat about this tomorrow when im sober, all i'll say for now is that Fayser is a legend.

[clarshack]

shocking performance with no guts or determination. the heads were down from the 1st minute and it wasnt a good sign seeing several tyrone players with their hands on their hips so early in the 1st half. you could tell from the players body language that they didnt want to know. all this talk of revenge did not do the team any favours as focus was lost from the main objective. also harte was also too slow in making changes (how cavlan got staying on for as long as he did is beyond me) and this proved costly!

[ONeill]

Not a big three indeed but overall standards are definitely not as high as they were in recent years. This Tyrone team are a few notches below the sides of 2003-5 but could have reached the AIF. There is no side playing at their natural peak yet. Armagh's was 2002/3. Tyrone's was 05. Kerry 06. Meath may get there though I'd seriously doubt it. Cork don't excite. Derry are a good side, no more. Monaghan are over-achieving. Sligo's peak was a provincial.

[Jinxy]

All this can be summed up by the following statement.
"Football was much better when my county was winning All-Irelands."

[ONeill]

When you're winning All-Irelands, you can compare standards as you've watched your team at close hand from McKenna games to late September. Tyrone at the QF stage in 03 and 05 were playing gears above today's side. Yet, we could quite easily have been in the SF. I think our more cultured Meath men on this board can remember their All-Ireland teams of the 80s and 90s and compare them to this one. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think they are comparable, yet.

[darbyo]

The two corner forwards are very good and Moyles adds a good bit to the team . Geraghty also, despite being a tr**p, is a top quality player. Fay still has it and the rest of the players are "steely" but there is no real brilliance aside from what I mentioned.

That's 5 out of 14 outfield players, i.e more than 1/3 of the team, yet you say they "there is no real brilliance" in the team. As for those of you writing off Cork.....ye mustin watch much football outside of yer own teams. Yes, Cork have been less than impressive in their last two games but Louth are a good up and coming team, while Silgo played a very defensive brand of football today and that can be tough to break down. Meath like I've already said have plenty of top drawer players and that old Meath will to win, they'll not fold in the face of anyone. Whan your beaten it's not always down to your own failings, there are good teams left in this championship, of that you can be sure.  

[Jinxy]

When you're winning All-Irelands, you can compare standards as you've watched your team at close hand from McKenna games to late September. Tyrone at the QF stage in 03 and 05 were playing gears above today's side. Yet, we could quite easily have been in the SF. I think our more cultured Meath men on this board can remember their All-Ireland teams of the 80s and 90s and compare them to this one. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think they are comparable, yet.

Do you think those Meath teams just magically appeared out of thin air? Boylan built those teams by being competitive, working hard, having a bit of class up front, defending tight and playing the game with the right attitude. This team could well grow into consistent All-Ireland competitors for the next 3/4 years. They are developing quite well so far would you not agree? By the way, I was standing in the canal end watching Meath win All-Irelands when you were sitting at home putting bandages on your G.I. Joes so less of the "I think our more cultured Meath men......." codology.

[Dont Matter]

Codology is a good word.

[ONeill]

Not used enough.

Didn't even know he was from Meath.

[Jinxy]

Don't mind me. I'm in bad humour that I wasn't allowed out to play tonight.

[David McKeown]

Would have to agree with O Neill and TYP today in relation to Harte.  Mulligan did not score a single free today yet he still took and missed (either wide or dropped short) two in the last 15 or so minutes.  Added to this he kicked I think 7 wides, usually when a player does that at any level hes off.  Also the decision to start Dooher to me seemed very similar to the 2003 AI final with canavan only this time it didn't work.  As a result of this and not getting the tactics right from the start, I would put a lot of blame for this defeat on the man who prior to this game I would have said was the best manager in the country at the minute.

On another note I thought Tyrone's inability to cope with high ball cost them dearly in the first half, Meath seemed to win a lot of the high ball that didnt go in on McMahon and scored a lot from it.

[ONeill]

On another note I thought Tyrone's inability to cope with high ball cost them dearly in the first half, Meath seemed to win a lot of the high ball that didnt go in on McMahon and scored a lot from it.

Surprised that Tyrone were not prepared for this. It was widely predicted.

[darbyo]

I think the cult of the manager in football has gone a bit too far especially with the Ulster boys. 9 times out of 10 the better panel of players win the game. I was talking to a friend last week about the football championship and he reckoned that Tyrone had a great chance of winning it but I felt that if Tyrone could afford to lose McGuigan, O'Neill, Dooher and still win the AI then that said little about the rest of the country. Tyrone's loss today had little to do with MH and more to do with Meath's quailty and Tyrone's injuries, ye'll be back next year if ye can get yer best 15 on the field.

[David McKeown]

I disagree Darbyo, tactics and the manager can make a huge difference in games