USFC Semi Final - Doire v Muineacháin

[Loup Bandit]

Screenexile, i agree very much with your team. Its just a shame as we know we may not get the "ideal" team line out this season. Lockhart would definintely be best equiped to mark Tommy Freeman. Kevin McGuckin might not be that far away but lack of game time could count against him and would be a risk throwin him in against an in form Monaghan forward line.
I would give Liam Hinphey the nod at no. 6 perhaps if lockhart were to move back.

Will be interesting to see who tracks D.Freeman, any thoughts?

[fer fox ache]

If Freeman plays in the half-forward line I think Cartin will be given the job

[lynchbhoy]

Screenexile, i agree very much with your team. Its just a shame as we know we may not get the "ideal" team line out this season. Lockhart would definintely be best equiped to mark Tommy Freeman. Kevin McGuckin might not be that far away but lack of game time could count against him and would be a risk throwin him in against an in form Monaghan forward line.
I would give Liam Hinphey the nod at no. 6 perhaps if lockhart were to move back.

Hinphey could do the CHB role but I still think Mark Lynch should be given it.
If he is left away from this position for much longer (eg after this season)
then I fear  he will go down the same route as Lockhart - who was a CHB and would have been the best man to anchor this position since Downey left - but for whatever reasons he was deployed elsewhere and has lost the knack of playing there - though he is doing a decent job right now, but is no longer the top notch chb he once was (and its not down to age).
Lynch is a chb, he can play in a lot of positions - like Lockhart, but we need to tie him down to CHB to get the best out of him.
If not then 3rd mf is his next best position - so he can win ball , set up scores, score and also power forward.

But as we are lacking in decent forwards I can understand why he is being played up there. It is to the detriment of future Derry teams though. I felt the same way about Lockhart approx 7 years ago.

[fer fox ache]

I'm a big fan of mark's but since he left minors anytime I've seen himplay at six he has struggled

[screenexile]

I would like to agree with you Lynchbhoy but I think that Mark has lost whatever it was he had during his minor days in the CHB role. In fairness he has played there a few times for Derry and hasn't impressed. He was pretty awful last year against Longford.

Along with this I think he is probably the most potent example in todays game of player burnout... County Minor footballer from Under 16... hurling and football for club from underage up to senior, hurling and football for county up to U21, Senior county football, College's hurling and footballl... Sigerson football.

What I saw on Sunday was a laboured performance from him where he looked to be struggling during the 2nd half, fitness wise. I don't know what the solution to this should be but I think that CHB against Monaghan isn't it.

[tbrick18]

Jarlath Burns said the other night on The Championship that there is a gulf in class between Derry and the likes of Monaghan/Down/Antrim.

Anyone else think this is the case?

I know on paper Derry should win this game, but I dont think there is any reason to think there is a major difference between the 2 teams apart from perhaps the physical nature of the Derry team.

[Black and white]

Ah Big Jarlath,  i dont agree with much he has to say about footbll, but i hear he is an awful nice man.  i dont think there is any gulf. i do think Derry is better, but not a whole lot

[marty88]

Jarlath Burns said the other night on The Championship that there is a gulf in class between Derry and the likes of Monaghan/Down/Antrim.

Anyone else think this is the case?

I know on paper Derry should win this game, but I dont think there is any reason to think there is a major difference between the 2 teams apart from perhaps the physical nature of the Derry team.

im glad one of the experts on tv knows what they are talking about. Derry will have 5-10 points to spare over monaghan, with or without Bradley.

[hoganstandman]

Bradley should be fit enough to make the difference.  Doire abu!

[thebandit]

FFS Jarlath was praising Damien Freeman flat out for all his good covering work as a half forward the last day - He was playing as a half back!!

I know he was at the game because I walked in beside him

[GrandMasterFlash]

Jarlath has tended not to favour us this year. I dunno why as he seems a civil lad. He didn't give us much hope again Down running up to the match.

Anyways, there's a lot of debate about who's gonna pick up Tom Freeman. SML is the best man marker in the country IMHO, remember Canavan a few years back... I would be 'as' worried about who's gonna pick up Ciaran Hanratty as he was flyin the last day. Down's Kevin McGuigan got a bit of a roastin by him in fairness, then he was taken off him and then put back on him!? 

Derry are definitely the more physical team but I would not say there's a 'gulf' between the two teams. Paddy Bradley scored 1.10 again us in 2003 but I honestly can't see that happening again. I'd be worried about Muldoon though as he has great ability to win ball no matter what way it's played into him which is tough for any defence!

[thebandit]

You'd expect Vinny on Muldoon and Dessie on Paddy Bradley

[DWAL]

Assuming that Kevin McG and Paddy are sidelined through injury here's miy side fpor the next day

Gillis

Francie twin, McCloy,

Cathal McKeever

Paul Cartin, Sean Marty, Joe Keenan

Diver, Doc, Conway

Gavin Donaghy, Gilligan, Gerard O'Kane

Lynch, Muldoon

Lack of pace at wing-forward was a real problem last time and I think Donaghy and O'Kane can remedy this. I reckon Barry McGolddrick would be best used a sub coming on at the dge of the square as he can take a high ball and score off either foot last the pace for the flanks.
Mickey McGoldrick got a bit of roasting and I thought Keeenan was unlucky to miss out last time anyway.

Are you serious!!! The Loup would beat that team, you nothing about football.

[Maximus Marillius]

DWAL would know a bad team when he see's one, he has to look at one week in..week out...month in ...month out...year in and year out

DWAL for once I am in complete agree,emt with you, that team is crap.

[tbrick18]

Any word on the PB injury? Will he be fit to start agains Monaghan?
What about Kevin McGuckain?