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Any confirmation of dates/venues for semis?

armagh v maghera in athletic grounds this sunday
not a great neutral venue that. whats wrong with healy park ?

Strange Armagh getting effectively a home game, maybe somewhere in mid ulster would have been more appropriate.

As someone from Kildare I often heard from pundits that we have good players. We shouldn't be in Div 3, BUT good players can string two decent performances together.

Man United think they have good players, but they only play if things fall nicely. Was only reading bits on the game and the Guardian pointing that Yoro was skinned v Southampton out in the wider areas and fully exposed, and then it happened again against Brighton.

They also are talking about needing specialist wing backs for Amorim, BUT he doesn't have them now, so he needs to adjust a bit surely. The Newcastle game was also fully on him too with the lack of a midfield.
He is threading a fine line here, and needs to belt up and do his own job better too.

Against Newcastle other than playing himself, with the midfield that was available that game, who would he have played?

Mainoo came on, Collyer would have given more legs also. 

I'm not sure if he was fit enough at the time, otherwise he'd have started as he has played most games and the jury is still out on the likes Yoro and Collyer for me.

What I do know is the manager is best placed to know his squad and lack of it, over us on the gaaboard

Utd haven't the fitness levels or in some cases the application to be considered decent as a team, some great individual players but others are stealing a living

Mainoo came on the 33rd minute, so could argue that could have played him for an hour and then changed it up if he wasn't 100%  fit.  Bruno, Tonali and Joelinton are a quality energetic midfield and would have came as no surprise that they ran over the top of United particularly in the first half with a midfield 2 of Eriksen and Casemiro. 

Would agree Collyer only a young lad with little experience, but you would have expected him to at least bring an energy to the team rather than play two lads who can't get about the pitch. 

As someone from Kildare I often heard from pundits that we have good players. We shouldn't be in Div 3, BUT good players can string two decent performances together.

Man United think they have good players, but they only play if things fall nicely. Was only reading bits on the game and the Guardian pointing that Yoro was skinned v Southampton out in the wider areas and fully exposed, and then it happened again against Brighton.

They also are talking about needing specialist wing backs for Amorim, BUT he doesn't have them now, so he needs to adjust a bit surely. The Newcastle game was also fully on him too with the lack of a midfield.
He is threading a fine line here, and needs to belt up and do his own job better too.

Against Newcastle other than playing himself, with the midfield that was available that game, who would he have played?

Mainoo came on, Collyer would have given more legs also. 

Any confirmation of dates/venues for semis?

[In my humble opinion Errigal lacked a bit of "physical presence ".]

Cuala blew them away in the first half - given how far ahead they were at half time they were never going to continue at that level in the 2nd half.
EC pulled back as Cuala dropped off a bit, and Peter Harte played like a man possessed.
But Cuala always had that extra gear when it go too close - the result was never in doubt after about 20 mins in the first half.
EC couldnt get out of their own half.

Cuala were Faster, bigger, stronger and better.

Cannot believe I'm agreeing with tbrick18 on anything, but his last line is absolutely key.

Look at the absolute club kingpins from Ulster as regards the Club Championship (The Rangers).
Yes they had brilliant footballers, don't think I need to name them, but they ( when they were successful) also had plenty of old dogs ( no offence Brokencrossbar) for the hard road.
They could football you off the pitch but they had mem who loved the physical side too.
Any successful team (especially at Club level) needs that.
Yes Oisin  McConville/ Aaron Kernan etc were Rolls Royces of footballers but never underestimate the contributions of the Donal Murtaghs/ John Donaldsons etc.

In my humble opinion Errigal  lacked a bit  of "physical presence ".

Know/ do business with a few from Ballygawley and they'll be gutted today.

I thought the same that EC were very unlike a Tyrone team, didn't have that in your face mentality that alot of the successful tyrone county sides had. 

Utd cannot score.. they have zero threat up front.. if they cannot score their premier status will remain under threat

Amount of times today and in last game they got into decent attacking positions on the wing.. look up and nothing in the box .. have to turn back and play ball back to midfield/defence

It's shocking

They are as bad at the back 32 goals conceded in 22 games, 2 clean sheets in last 15 against Leicester and Everton at home. They actually looked really dangerous against Liverpool and have scored in last three league games as well as away to arsenal in the cup.

Manchester is still red.4-2 win in the derby in the WSL.

Credit to EC for making a fist of it in the second half but a horrible first half display left too much to do.Harte really carried the fight to Cuala in second half.Few bad decisions/misses when they had momentum, McGinley kicked a terrible ball away, r canavan dropped one badly short and could have shipped the ball to a runner on another occasion and one of the subs kicked a garryowen on his left foot.Well done Cuala very athletic and cut EC to pieces in first half.

This performance from EC is up there with the worst from a team in club final.

Playing Partay at full back isn't an issue. They were comfortable there.

The issue is at the other end. Saka was involved in a high percentage of goals. Odegaard is badly off form in recent weeks. Martinelli, Trossard and Jesus are bitty. Havertz is Havertz.

Liverpool have far more consistently good and dangerous attackers.

Arteta has sorted a defence that was a running joke years ago. At the other end, he hasn't got it quite right to compete at the very top level, as the best.

Partay at full back clearly an issue no pressure at all on digne for the cross and badly caught out positionally for Watkins goal.

I'm thinking Jarlath isn't doing himself any favours.

He was on a hiding to nothing on that question as he has been inconsistent and his answers weren't great. Hayes was treated differently no matter how he dresses it up

He said Hayes incident was before he was president but so was what RG was alleged to have done.

So in short, the refs being in consistent and not applying the rules isn't helping them.

So in short, the refs being in consistent and not applying the rules isn't helping them.

The referee is not a robot. There has been and always will be variations in how particular referee deals with the game. Surely you have watched enough football to understand this?

You have never been in a changing room where a manager/selector/team mate has said ref x "doesn't like holding inside" or ref y "is very strict with the number of steps you take"?

[What happens when one ref (MR2) decides it's ok to speak to players and another doesn't? You could be giving away 4 or 6 points every other game.]

This is getting silly, I responded to your post which you deleted after you questioned my performance, that's when I said your head is lit, uou took the 'hump' first you were the one that asked about had anyone watched the games.

You didn't like the response threw out that the ref wasn't competent and was unfair on me to be asked, I'll say no the next time. You are going to send me the video, classy. Then go on about Gough did a game and he was brilliant, was there linesmen and umpires at these other games?

As I said I'll look forward to the feed back from the board/supporters on how the 'professional' refs do this year when they are all mic'd up with 8 officials on board.

Be interesting the games at Corrigan this year

That's some spin on it 😂😂😂

I said Gough had more exposure and experience at it. I'd said it was obvious your first time. I ensured the post was respectful but deleted them after because I didn't want for you to be offended or for anyone else to come in and read it for sound bites to be taken.


Again, those are all opinions and perspectives which have been misinterpreted....... But the one thing remains MR2

Let's keep this really simple. You thought it was ok to apply judgment when players (not nominated) speak to you.

You failed to advance the free 50m because you didn't know this rule and thought it was open to judgement.......

You didn't apply the rules of the game. True or false?

Come back to me on that single point once you fact check it! I'll share the link if it helps

to be fair MR2 on another thread said hed no issue with chatting to players and it was discussed that it was fine as long as it wasnt abusive. that is 100% the best way to referee and as long as players dont over step the mark its fine. again theres a difference between abuse and genuinely asking a question.

I dont think there is anyone in the country will have a problem with referees using this logic.

I don't think anyone would disagree with that on a personal level but the rules state no player other than the captain or nominated player should speak to the ref.

When you apply common sense you've different people applying different rules.

What happens when one ref (MR2) decides it's ok to speak to players and another doesn't?
You could be giving away 4 or 6 points every other game. 

The rules, if we agree or not, are there to be applied across the board and remove those judgement calls in order to have a more balanced game.

Most of the complaints around refs come from either people not understanding the rules or refs making a judgment call which sometimes they get wrong!

Why have the issue? If a player speaks 50m, if he doesn't hand the ball back 50m

Again they might not be the best rules but it's what's past and unless refs all get on the same page it'll be them that suffer the (wrongful) abuse

ask the referee before the game? players know what referees they can talk to and those that cant, same way some refs are harder on certain rules etc, youll see some refs blow every small jersey tug others let a bit more go. You adapt to the ref

You don't adapt to the ref! You play the game by the rules

You're opening yourself up there!

What if a ref doesn't like a particular player or club? Jesus man come on here!

 

Referee's will always have particular things they are strict on e.g. Gough is a stickler for holding inside.  Some refs let the game go and plenty of physical contact others are more whistle happy.  There are different styles of how to ref the game that was the case before the rule changes and will no doubt be the case going into this season. 

To be promoted

Kildare 5/4
Clare 5/1
Fermanagh 5/1
Sligo 13/2
Laois 8/1
Offaly 11/1
Antrim 12/1
Leitrim 40/1

So we have a lot of people to prove wrong here 

Not an overly strong Divison Three on paper alot of teams will fancy the top 2, but at the same time could be involved in a scrap to stay up.

To be promoted

Kildare 5/4
Clare 5/1
Fermanagh 5/1
Sligo 13/2
Laois 8/1
Offaly 11/1
Antrim 12/1
Leitrim 40/1

Opening round fixtures

Saturday 25th

Leitrim v Laois - 2:30pm
Kildare v Fermanagh - 5pm

Sunday 26th

Antrim v Clare - 1pm
Offaly v Sligo - 2pm

Kildare generally flatter to deceive 5/4 looks short to me.  Sligo moving the right way may be the value here.