Where now for Tyrone?

[APM]

Yesterday, I felt that they showed Dublin too much respect.  There were various times where Dublin scored points with next to no space and a hungrier / tougher team would have been in there making blocks. I think Mayo would have made those blocks and punished Dublin for the wasted opportunities in the second half.  If Tyrone had played like psychos, as Enda McGinley had suggested, then it would have been a very different game and we would know more about where Tyrone are actually at. But they didn't, so it is still hard to know just how good these players are and whether they have the bottle to go and beat a team like Dublin.

No doubting that these Tyrone players are very good and their main strength is discipline in executing a game plan and not fouling.   However, I think the system of play might make the players look better than what they are as it allows them to pummel weaker opposition. Playing similar tactics as the opposition, I don't think they would have beaten Donegal, Armagh or Down by the same margins.  They still would have won, but it would have been much tighter.

So this system makes them look great against weaker teams but they are found out in a tight game or once they go behind.  Mentally, phsyically, skillswise, were they fit for the challenge of conceding a goal after 5 minutes yesterday? Only a few of them were while many went missing. 

Will this be a turning point for this Tyrone team.  Will they develop a plan B to go with their perfectly executed Plan A. Will they keep doing what they are doing and hope for improvements and tweaks to the game plan.  Will they get rid of Mickey and go backwards. Will they lose anyone else apart from Sean Cavanagh? 

All interesting questions, but as an Armagh man, I won't lose much sleep over them!!

[seafoid]

Imagine. Another manager of any other county who hadnt reached an AI Final after 3 or 4 years of him in charge and then they ship a humiliating defeat in an AI Semi Final...he'd be out the door. Tyrone havent reached an AI Final since 2008 and still Mickey hangs on...wtf

La gente en Tyrone està muy loca

https://youtu.be/X_jtf78fLq4

[omagh_gael]

Think you're right APM. However, the goal came at the absolute worst time for us. The body language and commitment to the intensity required just wasn't there for the rest of the game. Btw, that's not to say we'd have beaten them if we didn't concede the goal but it would have kept us on their tails.

[BennyHarp]

Imagine. Another manager of any other county who hadnt reached an AI Final after 3 or 4 years of him in charge and then they ship a humiliating defeat in an AI Semi Final...he'd be out the door. Tyrone havent reached an AI Final since 2008 and still Mickey hangs on...wtf

Which county which regularly changes manager would be the model by which you think Tyrone should follow then? Armagh? Down? Derry? Meath maybe? Galway? What about Cork? Kildare?

[Ethan Tremblay]

Watched the game yesterday and was surprised that Tyrone lay down so easily, they showed very little appetite and intensity. 

A few points on there q/f and s/f.   

Against Armagh, Armagh allowed Tyrone to play their counter attacking game and they proved they can be lethal when allowed, hence the score.  Naivety  on Armagh's part. 

With Dublin they used the same tactics and Dublin were more than ready for it.  Precision passing through the defence, patient build up drawing them out of the pockets they cover, shooting from distance, taking on the man at the right opportunities and intensity in tracking and tackling back showed how to counteract this approach. 

Just as Armagh had no plan B for Tyrone, Tyrone had no plan B for Dublin. 

All over the pitch Dublin were a class above and Mayo will be doing well to get near them.  Special mention goes to O' Callaghan.  I counted 3 times he tracked his man, waiting for him to take his steps and disposed.  His decision making is top class. 

I think if Harte is to quit it should be on his own terms.  I imagine the whole thing would go tits up if he goes though!

[RedHand88]

As a fan of pure football, I'm delighted Tyrone were beaten.

Mickey Harte sure delivered on his statement that he's not interested in entertaining the fans.

Time for him and his puke football to go.. 

Tyrone are too good and talented to be made play like robots with no plan B..

  It has become very unenjoyable to watch Tyrone recently and yesterday was no different.  Time for a change in my opinion.

Do people still use the term "puke football" seriously? It's been years since Spillane retracted that statement and apologised.
Tyrone racked up huge scores all year until yesterday (average 23.75 points/game), they just came up against a team which mirrored their "puke football" and did so to far better effect.
Tyrone in attack have been a joy to watch this year and if no doubt will give it another crack in 2018.

[Syferus]

It's football in general that's pukey, Tyrone obviously contributed to that decline more than most but almost every team employs sweepers and dual sweepers and forwards that track their men back into their own half of the field.

Dublin execute well but anyone who was in awe of them recycling and recycling ball and back pedalling needs to cop on and realise that even the best team, perhaps of all time, isn't exactly putting on much of a show.

Besides maybe reducing the number of players to 13 I don't know what else would allow for a more open and exciting brand of football to develop at the top level. And that's before you even touch the 800lb gorilla that is the monetary imbalance in senior IC.

[Walter Cronc]

Harte to go and a system utilising the talents of McCurry & Brennan!!

[RedHand88]

It's football in general that's pukey, Tyrone obviously contributed to that decline more than most but almost every team employs sweepers and dual sweepers and forwards that track their men back into their own half of the field.

Dublin execute well but anyone who was in awe of them recycling and recycling ball and back pedalling needs to cop on and realise that even the best team, perhaps of all time, isn't exactly putting on much of a show.

Besides maybe reducing the number of players to 13 I don't know what else would allow for a more open and exciting brand of football to develop at the top level. And that's before you even touch the 800lb gorilla that is the monetary imbalance in senior IC.

The fitness levels are probably at a stage now where 13 v 13 is what's needed to get a decent game.

[JimStynes]

Watching the game at Croke Park yesterday it made it even more obvious that Tyrone have nothing up front. They went on the break and they had one man standing in the ff line being marked by 2 men and no one else within 50 yards. Tyrone's run up the field from defence might work against mediocre teams but not against quality opposition like Dublin. Dublin's tackling was excellent, I lost count of the amount of times that they ran up and got a hand in to get the ball away from a Tyrone man on the break. Tyrone won't win anything when they don't have anything up front. In the good Tyrone teams from the 00s, you had Mugsy, O'Neill, Brian McGuigan and Peter the great off the top of my head.

I was very disappointed with Tyrone but that Dublin team were absolutely amazing yesterday. Composure, long range scores, tackling, fitness, speed etc! They have it all. They really do look like a professional team! Their bench alone is ridiculous. It will need an off day and an amazing performance from Mayo to beat them. They will probably go down as the greatest team in history.

[Zulu]

A change of approach may happen but what will it inevitably achieve?

I don't think it will have us much closer to winning an All Ireland than today. Tyrone were physically and athletically dominated by Dublin yesterday.

Are there really any players outside the current squad that will make that much of an impact. I'm sure there will be calls for the likes of Coney and McNulty to be used as a target man type forward but both are badly lacking in the mobility needed for the game today. Have we really any better man markers than what played today in the county? Possibly young McKernan will get a call up today but realistically he's about 3 or 4 years of gym work off being able to man mark one of the Dublin lads yesterday.

It took yesterday to dawn on me how far ahead Dublin are of everyone else. Mayo have been the only side who look like they can match them physically and athletically in the past few years.

That's the bottom line - there are very few other players in the county that are capable of coming into that squad (not just man markers) and as you say it takes a few years to get up to intercounty level unless you are exceptional like O'Callaghan for the Dubs. A lot of our players were shown up yesterday as being decent county players but way short of that elite level. I think a change in approach would get us to the same stage as this year as standards are poor elsewhere but we are absolutely miles off the Dubs. That 2nd choice forward line they showed on the Sunday game last night was frightening.

It would give you a chance. What's the point in playing horrible, losing football? You've got good footballers, M Donnelly, Harte and McCann are players any team would want and you've got some very good, albeit small, forwards. Let them play football and see where it gets you.

Look at Kerry, they got spooked by the roasting their full back line got in the drawn game against Mayo and dropped one of the best forwards in Ireland. Instead of playing a sweeper they should have backed their forwards to score more than Mayo's. Had they done so who knows what would have happened. Good football teams like Tyrone need to show confidence in themselves and try to outscore their opponents. It may not win them an All Ireland but at least they'd go out on their shields and their fans can enjoy watching the journey.

[seafoid]

Watching the game at Croke Park yesterday it made it even more obvious that Tyrone have nothing up front. They went on the break and they had one man standing in the ff line being marked by 2 men and no one else within 50 yards. Tyrone's run up the field from defence might work against mediocre teams but not against quality opposition like Dublin. Dublin's tackling was excellent, I lost count of the amount of times that they ran up and got a hand in to get the ball away from a Tyrone man on the break. Tyrone won't win anything when they don't have anything up front. In the good Tyrone teams from the 00s, you had Mugsy, O'Neill, Brian McGuigan and Peter the great off the top of my head.

I was very disappointed with Tyrone but that Dublin team were absolutely amazing yesterday. Composure, long range scores, tackling, fitness, speed etc! They have it all. They really do look like a professional team! Their bench alone is ridiculous. It will need an off day and an amazing performance from Mayo to beat them. They will probably go down as the greatest team in history.

Wexford won 4 in a row
If the Dubs win this year they will be just 2 off the kerry 80's team 

[southtyronegael]

Imagine. Another manager of any other county who hadnt reached an AI Final after 3 or 4 years of him in charge and then they ship a humiliating defeat in an AI Semi Final...he'd be out the door. Tyrone havent reached an AI Final since 2008 and still Mickey hangs on...wtf

Which county which regularly changes manager would be the model by which you think Tyrone should follow then? Armagh? Down? Derry? Meath maybe? Galway? What about Cork? Kildare?

Dublin, mayo and Kerry have all changed their managers regularly and it hasn't done them much harm.

[Zulu]

Tyrone might be looking at a decade or longer of mediocrity. The thing about being hammered at the business end is that it is often career ending. System meltdown is not good.

Mediocrity?  Winning provincial titles and making the last four?

Tyrone players and supporters might expect (demand?) more, that's their prerogative but it will take a fair regression to lead them to mediocrity.

/Jim.

Tyrone are a fabulous side, they just ran into one of if not the best teams ever to play the game of gaelic football, 5 in a row is absolutely a possibility now, Dublin are young, hungry and managed brilliantly, I fear for Mayo in the AIF because to me they are nowhere near Tyrone and look what happened to them.

Tyron will be back, they have some fantastic players coming through but Dublin are going to dominate our game for a decade or more, they are that good.

Mayo would beat Tyrone 9 times out of 10.

[Hectic]

Tyrone yesterday looked a fair way off yet. They have been improving over the last couple of years but yesterday looked to be on a damage limitation exercise.

The game was as pedestrian as you will ever see in an AI semi with Dublin barely breaking sweat. A complete lack of intensity from Tyrone while Dublin did not even require that.