Not much chat about this one. Televised it seems but I'd still expect a big crowd, as always is the case between us. The Saturday evening first round will be an interesting experience also.
Nothing much being said re players. Dessie Mone and Vinny Corey should hopefully be pushing for a start, as will Colin Walshe. This will offset the loss of D Hughes, if he is indeed a loss.. ;-)
If you want plenty of chat then go and read today's Irish News article on
'Bin bags, spuds, scores and success - the story of Monaghan great, Nudie Hughes'
http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/ (http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/)
I didn't know he was the 10th of 14 children.
There is some consolation with Darren Hughes' injury in that the damage done was at the lower end of the scale, nothing broken, not a full rupture and possibly just another 2 months out before testing the waters.
Is this game scheduled for BBC NI?
We are missing 7 starters from last year. Lads away travelling, couple retired and Jones and Ruairi Corrigan are both injured.
We had a disappointing league campaign. Should have stayed up but somehow let a woeful Derry team beat us.
We have shipped goals all year and have been very poor defensively.
When you look at the scoring threat that Monaghan have then it's not looking good for us.
Hopefully Pete has a rabbit in the hat because we certainly owe Monaghan one but Malachy will know the Fermanagh boys inside out and I am sure a weeks training in Portugal will have helped Monaghan no end.
Quote from: Main Street on May 15, 2017, 11:17:09 PM
If you want plenty of chat then go and read today's Irish News article on
'Bin bags, spuds, scores and success - the story of Monaghan great, Nudie Hughes'
http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/ (http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/)
I didn't know he was the 10th of 14 children.
There is some consolation with Darren Hughes' injury in that the damage done was at the lower end of the scale, nothing broken, not a full rupture and possibly just another 2 months out before testing the waters.
Is this game scheduled for BBC NI?
2 months would take us to the ulster final. If they get to that would they be hopeful he'd play ?
Quote from: straightred on May 16, 2017, 09:35:48 AM
Quote from: Main Street on May 15, 2017, 11:17:09 PM
If you want plenty of chat then go and read today's Irish News article on
'Bin bags, spuds, scores and success - the story of Monaghan great, Nudie Hughes'
http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/ (http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/)
I didn't know he was the 10th of 14 children.
There is some consolation with Darren Hughes' injury in that the damage done was at the lower end of the scale, nothing broken, not a full rupture and possibly just another 2 months out before testing the waters.
Is this game scheduled for BBC NI?
2 months would take us to the ulster final. If they get to that would they be hopeful he'd play ?
Would he be fit to play a tough competitive game in mid July? I would doubt it and there could be an element of rushing the rehab to be fit by then. The physio specialists can't predict how long his rehab will take, the 3 months in total from mid April was a rough guess, it's a delicate affair but the first month has gone well.
Monaghan to win a dour struggle by 4 points.
Mone & Corey should be there or thereabouts, which will give us some options.. Mid field is always a concern for us mind, and D Hughes driving runs are hard to match. Hopefully he'll not be missed though..
There is no doubt Hughes will be missed.
Hopefully we can still manage to win games while he's recovering his fitness.
The Belfast Telegraph have it that Doogan may miss out due to a knee injury (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/monaghan-dynamo-hughes-to-miss-big-fermanagh-showdown-35706062.html (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/monaghan-dynamo-hughes-to-miss-big-fermanagh-showdown-35706062.html)). I'd really like to see him get a decent run at the Ulster Championship as his exceptional work-rate is exactly what is needed for this time of year..
Malachy is saying that D Hughes "is doing a wee bit of rehab at the minute". That's still a long way to go yet.
This game will be televised live on SS3
In other news from the same BT article.
"Meanwhile, it has emerged that the ongoing stalemate at Stormont has left many Ulster Council coaches in limbo with possible job losses ahead. With a budget still not established, the funding for up to 30 coaching jobs paid out of the education pot could be cancelled."
Does that mean that the Ulster council are fully funding the salary of 30 coaches in 6 of the 9 counties in their jurisdiction and leaving the other 3 ulster counties out to hang and dry?
Fermanagh team named .
Treacy,
Jones, Cullen, C McManus,
Breen, McCluskey, Murphy,
Donnelly, Cullen,
Mulrone, Lyons, P McCusker,
Connor, Quigley & T Corrigan
The Bus is being parked
Monaghan named also
R Beggan.
F Kelly.
D Wylie .
R Wylie.
C Walsh.
V Corey.
N Mcadam.
K Hughes.
K O'Connell.
G Doogan.
S Carey.
D Ward.
C McCarthy.
J McCarran.
C McManus.
I have never been as pessimistic or even lacking in enthusiasm about Fermanagh's opening Ulster Championship match. Don't get me wrong, I'll be there on Saturday evening and will get wrapped up in the atmosphere and positivity will probably grow from there but in the run-up to the game it is quite clear what the outcome will be. We have been hit by injurys, travelling and retirements and although this happens to most teams on a yearly basis it will always effect Counties like Fermanagh more than others. This, coupled with the dismal end to the league campaign has left the general feeling of dread amongst supporters and most are just hoping we don't get hammered. Monaghan are a seasoned team with sprinklings of real talent throughout the team plus they have a top class manager.
The line-up looks ultra defensive with an emphasis on a lot of pace on the counter attack. This could work well if McManus can be kept quiet and Monaghan become frustrated. Our main difficulty this year has been how easy we have been to play against and score goals against. If this has not been rectified since the end of the league then it could be a long hard evening for players and supporters alike.
Anyway, I will be head off to Clones on Saturday in the hope that we can provide another shock but most definitely not in expectance of this outcome.
Quote from: Emmett on May 19, 2017, 08:18:49 AM
I have never been as pessimistic or even lacking in enthusiasm about Fermanagh's opening Ulster Championship match. Don't get me wrong, I'll be there on Saturday evening and will get wrapped up in the atmosphere and positivity will probably grow from there but in the run-up to the game it is quite clear what the outcome will be. We have been hit by injurys, travelling and retirements and although this happens to most teams on a yearly basis it will always effect Counties like Fermanagh more than others. This, coupled with the dismal end to the league campaign has left the general feeling of dread amongst supporters and most are just hoping we don't get hammered. Monaghan are a seasoned team with sprinklings of real talent throughout the team plus they have a top class manager.
The line-up looks ultra defensive with an emphasis on a lot of pace on the counter attack. This could work well if McManus can be kept quiet and Monaghan become frustrated. Our main difficulty this year has been how easy we have been to play against and score goals against. If this has not been rectified since the end of the league then it could be a long hard evening for players and supporters alike.
Anyway, I will be head off to Clones on Saturday in the hope that we can provide another shock but most definitely not in expectance of this outcome.
Have you forgotten 2004 when we played Tyrone in the first round after we had lost most of the panel from the previous year?
Turned out all right that year as I recall.
I most definitely haven't forgotten about that. One of the best summers of my life. If the lads can rise to the challenge the way that team did then who knows what can happen. I'm just not hopeful.
Quote from: Main Street on May 15, 2017, 11:17:09 PM
If you want plenty of chat then go and read today's Irish News article on
'Bin bags, spuds, scores and success - the story of Monaghan great, Nudie Hughes'
http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/ (http://www.irishnews.com/sport/gaafootball/2017/05/15/news/bin-bags-spuds-scores-and-success---the-story-of-monaghan-great-nudie-hughes-1025772/)
I didn't know he was the 10th of 14 children.
There is some consolation with Darren Hughes' injury in that the damage done was at the lower end of the scale, nothing broken, not a full rupture and possibly just another 2 months out before testing the waters.
Is this game scheduled for BBC NI?
From the article :
"They're all great at running off the shoulder but you don't see one-on-ones as often now in Ulster because the ball goes back more times than it goes forward."
Jaysus
Quote from: AQMP on May 19, 2017, 12:29:54 PM
Quote from: FermGael on May 18, 2017, 11:04:27 PM
Fermanagh team named .
Treacy,
Jones, Cullen, C McManus,
Breen, McCluskey, Murphy,
Donnelly, Cullen,
Mulrone, Lyons, P McCusker,
Connor, Quigley & T Corrigan
The Bus is being parked
What age is Ryan McCluskey now??
36 I think . I believe he is the longest serving intercounty player left
Quote from: FermGael on May 19, 2017, 01:33:40 PM
Quote from: AQMP on May 19, 2017, 12:29:54 PM
Quote from: FermGael on May 18, 2017, 11:04:27 PM
Fermanagh team named .
Treacy,
Jones, Cullen, C McManus,
Breen, McCluskey, Murphy,
Donnelly, Cullen,
Mulrone, Lyons, P McCusker,
Connor, Quigley & T Corrigan
The Bus is being parked
What age is Ryan McCluskey now??
36 I think . I believe he is the longest serving intercounty player left
Thought that was Breheny?
Quote from: FermGael on May 19, 2017, 01:33:40 PM
Quote from: AQMP on May 19, 2017, 12:29:54 PM
Quote from: FermGael on May 18, 2017, 11:04:27 PM
Fermanagh team named .
Treacy,
Jones, Cullen, C McManus,
Breen, McCluskey, Murphy,
Donnelly, Cullen,
Mulrone, Lyons, P McCusker,
Connor, Quigley & T Corrigan
The Bus is being parked
What age is Ryan McCluskey now??
36 I think . I believe he is the longest serving intercounty player left
Nah Mark Breheny is, started in 2000.
According to the Irish Mirror McCluskey is the longest serving intercounty player who has played championship.
Himself and Breheny both made their debuts against each other in the league in 2000.
Breheny started while McCluskey came off the bench.
Here's the link to the article
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.irishmirror.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/hurling-news/meet-gaas-longest-serving-inter-10440583.amp (https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.irishmirror.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/hurling-news/meet-gaas-longest-serving-inter-10440583.amp)
It's not so long ago that the shoe was on the other foot and Monaghan were the team at a low ebb looking to make some upset in the first round of the Ulster championship. Regardless, anything other than a good win for Monaghan would be a seismic shock.
Good to see Colin Walsh and Vinny Corey lining up.
I'd be very happy with that team named. Of course we can probably count on one or two changes before throw in, but I hope that full forward line of McCarthy, McCarron and McManus stays intact. Alot of scoring potential in that line and although I'd say McCarthy would play a little deeper than the other two, he is well capable of putting up scores himself so I'd be interested to see how all 3 play together.
Some good options off the bench too, it's good to see Dessie return after his injury. Michael Bannigan is another lad I'd be interested in seeing should he come on at some point. Vinny continues to be a key man in defence even as the years go on. All things going well, he should break 50 championship appearances this season.
The black card was brought in to prevent or punish cynical fouling. How then was KH blacked carded for reacting to being pulled when neither himself or were on the ball, and Monaghan were the team in possession? As usual it's always the man who reacts gets punished
Well is everyone enjoying the game?
Quote from: JoG2 on May 20, 2017, 07:16:43 PM
The black card was brought in to prevent or punish cynical fouling. How then was KH blacked carded for reacting to being pulled when neither himself or were on the ball, and Monaghan were the team in possession? As usual it's always the man who reacts gets punished
Fermanagh player was pulled down when he tried to get up
Great goal
Where was the blanket?
Ah that's a beaut of a goal now in fairness.
Quote from: JoG2 on May 20, 2017, 07:16:43 PM
The black card was brought in to prevent or punish cynical fouling. How then was KH blacked carded for reacting to being pulled when neither himself or were on the ball, and Monaghan were the team in possession? As usual it's always the man who reacts gets punished
I think the fact that his reaction was so blatant (and fairly close to the lineman) was what did for him.
The Monaghan full back has been pushing everyone, even after the ball has gone
Any chance the ref might book him?
Quote from: Beffs on May 20, 2017, 07:23:17 PM
Ah that's a beaut of a goal now in fairness.
Lovely inching away from the defender by Lyons, putting the back in 2 minds, to make space for himself.
Ara here ref....
Yellow card?
Quote from: twohands!!! on May 20, 2017, 07:23:38 PM
Quote from: JoG2 on May 20, 2017, 07:16:43 PM
The black card was brought in to prevent or punish cynical fouling. How then was KH blacked carded for reacting to being pulled when neither himself or were on the ball, and Monaghan were the team in possession? As usual it's always the man who reacts gets punished
I think the fact that his reaction was so blatant (and fairly close to the lineman) was what did for him.
He tripped the Fermanagh player with his hand. Stonewall black card, very stupid from Hughes.
Thon scoring zone is hard to penetrate.
Quote from: Itchy on May 20, 2017, 07:29:45 PM
Quote from: twohands!!! on May 20, 2017, 07:23:38 PM
Quote from: JoG2 on May 20, 2017, 07:16:43 PM
The black card was brought in to prevent or punish cynical fouling. How then was KH blacked carded for reacting to being pulled when neither himself or were on the ball, and Monaghan were the team in possession? As usual it's always the man who reacts gets punished
I think the fact that his reaction was so blatant (and fairly close to the lineman) was what did for him.
He tripped the Fermanagh player with his hand. Stonewall black card, very stupid from Hughes.
Oh yeah it was a stonewall black card all day long.
A few yellow cards needed in this game
Mccloskey should have got black for that
Fermanagh are putting up a good show
Quote from: Itchy on May 20, 2017, 07:36:44 PM
Mccloskey should have got black for that
Yup - linesman bottled it.
f**k lads it's hard to watch
Just when you thought Martin Carney could not get any worse, he now has introduced chuckling into his commentary.
As my kids say to me "your not funny"
Quote from: joemamas on May 20, 2017, 07:45:17 PM
Just when you thought Martin Carney could not get any worse, he now has introduced chuckling into his commentary.
As my kids say to me "your not funny"
I'm only listening because I'm waiting for Darragh Maloney to hit him a belt to get him to shut up.
I'm struggling along with Sidebottom on bbc2.
Fermanagh have one of the best Midfielders in Ireland in Eoin Donnelly, hit the ball out to him ffs keeper.
When isn't it raining in Ulster?
Quigley a passenger so far.
Looks more and more like Monaghan aren't capable of winning games by large margins.
Fermanagh haven't quite perfected their short kick-out routine.
Fermanagh keeper should have been black carded. Monaghan very flat.
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on May 20, 2017, 07:26:51 PM
The Monaghan full back has been pushing everyone, even after the ball has gone
Any chance the ref might book him?
Go on big Sean!
Drew would melt your head
"Wind blowing in a diagonal sense" according to Martin Carney
Who won the minor game?
Carney excellent weather man
That little bit of jizz that Fermanagh had is gone.
Duffy is a baller. Real super sub. Game done now
No jizz left in Fermanagh.
Martin Carney is jizzing a lot
Quote from: Syferus on May 20, 2017, 08:10:20 PM
That little bit of jizz that Fermanagh is gone.
I thought Arlene might sort out the forwards with some renewable afterburners at half time
He nearly said Mayo a minute ago!
Quigley will leave panel
Quote from: seafoid on May 20, 2017, 08:15:12 PM
Quote from: Syferus on May 20, 2017, 08:10:20 PM
That little bit of jizz that Fermanagh is gone.
I thought Arlene might sort out the forwards with some renewable afterburners at half time
Arlene's Jizz-Up.
It could catch on
Quote from: Gold on May 20, 2017, 08:15:51 PM
Quigley will leave panel
He might be jizzed alright.
Quote from: Syferus on May 20, 2017, 08:17:49 PM
Quote from: Gold on May 20, 2017, 08:15:51 PM
Quigley will leave panel
He might be jizzed alright.
It's all funny laughing about eating pizzas before match but the lad is fat and slow and Fermanagh played with 14 men for most of the game
From Monaghan 1-9 Fermanagh 1-8 after 43 mins to Monaghan 1-16 Fermanagh 1-8 after 56 mins. The differences in fitness and panel strength in depth between the two is clear to see.
They like their wee Petes in Fermanagh
Quote from: AQMP on May 20, 2017, 08:20:38 PM
Fermanagh quite poor. Wee Pete may have done as much as he can.
A few kicking drills would help them improve
They must be allowed take 8 steps in Ulster
Who was the co commentator on BBC? Whoever it was could have spoken a bit more clearly.
Quote from: clarshack on May 20, 2017, 08:37:46 PM
Who was the co commentator on BBC? Whoever it was could have spoken a bit more clearly.
E.T.
Quote from: clarshack on May 20, 2017, 08:37:46 PM
Who was the co commentator on BBC? Whoever it was could have spoken a bit more clearly.
Paddy Bradley
Quote from: Schkite on May 19, 2017, 02:01:28 PM
Quote from: FermGael on May 19, 2017, 01:33:40 PM
Quote from: AQMP on May 19, 2017, 12:29:54 PM
Quote from: FermGael on May 18, 2017, 11:04:27 PM
Fermanagh team named .
Treacy,
Jones, Cullen, C McManus,
Breen, McCluskey, Murphy,
Donnelly, Cullen,
Mulrone, Lyons, P McCusker,
Connor, Quigley & T Corrigan
The Bus is being parked
What age is Ryan McCluskey now??
36 I think . I believe he is the longest serving intercounty player left
Thought that was Breheny?
McCluskey is longest serving Championship along with Cluxton who made debut in 2001. Breheny made championship debut in 2002
Pete McGrath still coaching like it's 1991.
Though shalt not kick the football up the field
Total damp squib.I bet Kerry are so glad they don't have to plough through the Ulster minefield.
On a positive note I was on Boylesports 7/2 on Conor Mc Manus or Jack Mc Carron to score the first goal and Monaghan to win by between 4 and 9 points at 7/4
Manfromdelmonte any balls that were kicked in Monaghan hoovered them up and went on the counter attack...
Why would pete McGrath want his team to kick the ball in and it maybe 8 v 3/4 to Monaghan
Silly silly comment
Dumbass
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on May 20, 2017, 08:55:06 PM
Pete McGrath still coaching like it's 1991.
Though shalt not kick the football up the field
It's incredible how quick some are to kick someone when they're down. McGrath's done an excellent job with Fermanagh.
Pete has performed well with his limited resources.
Quote from: manfromdelmonte on May 20, 2017, 08:55:06 PM
Pete McGrath still coaching like it's 1991.
Though shalt not kick the football up the field
No natural forwards. Like Kildare
Monaghan only had to show a bit of class in the 2nd half to sprint ahead in the game. This performance augurs well for the next game where you'd expect the intensity levels to be a good deal higher. Strange to be without both Hughes.
Good performance by Monaghan. Good spread of scorers. McCarron and McCarthy look hell bent on burying the only McManus up front narrative this year!!
Quote from: T Fearon on May 20, 2017, 09:06:10 PM
Total damp squib.I bet Kerry are so glad they don't have to plough through the Ulster minefield.
On a positive note I was on Boylesports 7/2 on Conor Mc Manus or Jack Mc Carron to score the first goal and Monaghan to win by between 4 and 9 points at 7/4
It's Fermanagh in the preliminary. Hardly representative of the Ulster Championship.
Fermanagh played well in the first half.
The goal was a killer. We should have been well in front at half time.
Second half Monaghan played very well.
They have an excellent bench and once we got 5 or 6 behind the heads dropped.
When you think that Fermanagh are missing 20 players from the panel that togged out against Dublin in the
All Ireland quarter final 2 years ago it wasn't a bad effort.
No county can afford that turnover of players inside 2 years, never mind one with the limited resources we have.
Quote from: FermGael on May 20, 2017, 11:24:01 PM
Fermanagh played well in the first half.
The goal was a killer. We should have been well in front at half time.
Second half Monaghan played very well.
They have an excellent bench and once we got 5 or 6 behind the heads dropped.
When you think that Fermanagh are missing 20 players from the panel that togged out against Dublin in the
All Ireland quarter final 2 years ago it wasn't a bad effort.
No county can afford that turnover of players inside 2 years, never mind one with the limited resources we have.
Hold that thought for a few months and we'll get back to you, FG.
We played well in the second half and kicked enough good scores in the first to be in a good position. Hughes was a bit silly really but i thought mcanespie played so well that we managed to cope. Himself and doogan cover some turf.
This felt like a league match or a first round qualifier,in front of a smallish crowd,not the famed Ulster Championship.No doubt today in Ballybofey a similar one sided borefest will be on offer.
Fermanagh's wait for a maiden Ulster championship will extend at least one more year.
Quote from: Smurfy123 on May 20, 2017, 09:25:24 PM
Manfromdelmonte any balls that were kicked in Monaghan hoovered them up and went on the counter attack...
Why would pete McGrath want his team to kick the ball in and it maybe 8 v 3/4 to Monaghan
Silly silly comment
Dumbass
How did Fermanagh do in the second half with their lateral movement tactics?
Quote from: Crete Boom on May 20, 2017, 10:06:34 PM
Good performance by Monaghan. Good spread of scorers. McCarron and McCarthy look hell bent on burying the only McManus up front narrative this year!!
I thought Monaghan were very poor for maybe 50/60% of that game. When they got going though Fermanagh had no answer. Unfortunately I cant see Cavan beating them. We have as good players as them every except the FF line but that is the most important line. I also expect Monaghan will be well up for Cavan and wont go in half asleep like they did yesterday.
I admire Fermanagh for getting what they do out of their players, they could do ok in the back door still but it will be by turning each game into a war of attrition and trying to sneak it by a point or two.
If a team has a blanket like Monaghan you have to win the ball in play and then get the ball up the field quicker to likes of Sean Quigley using kick passing
Well the way Fermanagh won it back was to get men behind the ball maybe 12 at a time
So win the ball back and kick it up to who?
And if they had not had them men back Monaghan would have beaten them by 20 points
Don't use lazy words like that if you haven't a way to back it up
Dumbass
I know it was a Fermanagh team that had a huge turnover of players and that Monaghan were home again but I have to say I'm quite worried about Monaghan this year.
They seemed to kicked on again from last year and are no longer just dependent on McManus and the two Hughes brothers. They've got pace and hard workers all over the team and they showed in the league that they can compete with Kerry and Dublin. It's a long time since Tyrone went down to Kerry and got a win.
Yes it's tough for a team to come through Ulster via the preliminary round and I think it's only been done once by Donegal a few years back. Cavan in Breffni won't be easy of course but I think they will overcome that battle as Cavan found div 1 football a step too far this year.
Should both come through their quarterfinals then it will be one hell of a battle with Tyrone in the semifinal. I presume that will be in Clones again. If Monaghan get through that game they will probably have another tough battle with Donegal in the final. Should they finally win their first quarterfinal in Croker in August they will probably have the Dubs waiting for them.
I think I'll be happy enough if we go through the back door this year. Haha.
Winning Ulster is nice as it's so tough but it's been a bit of a poison chalice in that it's tough to get past the quarterfinal then over the last number of years.
In the last 10 years the Ulster winners lost 6 of their quarterfinals. 7 if you include 2006.
2016 Tyrone lost to Mayo
2015 Monaghan lost to Tyrone
2014 Donegal beat Armagh by a point
2013 Monaghan lost to Tyrone
2012 Donegal beat Kerry by 2 points and went on to win the AI
2011 Donegal beat Kildare aet and lost to Dubs in semi
2010 Tyrone lost to Dublin
2009 Tyrone beat Kildare and lost to Cork in semi
2008 Armagh lost to Wexford
2007 Tyrone lost to Meath
2006 Armagh lost to Kerry
Tyrone aren't on the same side of the draw as Monaghan. Tyrone/Derry play Donegal in the semi final.
Quote from: Fuzzman on May 23, 2017, 12:16:35 PM
I know it was a Fermanagh team that had a huge turnover of players and that Monaghan were home again but I have to say I'm quite worried about Monaghan this year.
They seemed to kicked on again from last year and are no longer just dependent on McManus and the two Hughes brothers. They've got pace and hard workers all over the team and they showed in the league that they can compete with Kerry and Dublin. It's a long time since Tyrone went down to Kerry and got a win.
Yes it's tough for a team to come through Ulster via the preliminary round and I think it's only been done once by Donegal a few years back. Cavan in Breffni won't be easy of course but I think they will overcome that battle as Cavan found div 1 football a step too far this year.
Should both come through their quarterfinals then it will be one hell of a battle with Tyrone in the semifinal. I presume that will be in Clones again. If Monaghan get through that game they will probably have another tough battle with Donegal in the final. Should they finally win their first quarterfinal in Croker in August they will probably have the Dubs waiting for them.
I think I'll be happy enough if we go through the back door this year. Haha.
Winning Ulster is nice as it's so tough but it's been a bit of a poison chalice in that it's tough to get past the quarterfinal then over the last number of years.
In the last 10 years the Ulster winners lost 6 of their quarterfinals. 7 if you include 2006.
2016 Tyrone lost to Mayo
2015 Monaghan lost to Tyrone
2014 Donegal beat Armagh by a point
2013 Monaghan lost to Tyrone
2012 Donegal beat Kerry by 2 points and went on to win the AI
2011 Donegal beat Kildare aet and lost to Dubs in semi
2010 Tyrone lost to Dublin
2009 Tyrone beat Kildare and lost to Cork in semi
2008 Armagh lost to Wexford
2007 Tyrone lost to Meath
2006 Armagh lost to Kerry
Got your draws wrong there lad.
You're stuck with us in the semi if you beat Derry.
Presumably Monaghan in the final.
Oh yeah sorry, of course
Was focusing too much on Monaghan haha.
Ah sure Monaghan will walk Ulster this year then. :o
Do you Donegal boys see much change in your style of play?
Fuzzman stop pretending that you know anything about football as you clearly don't. Your only embarrassing yourself and your county. Stick to the Tyrone county forum, plenty of other idiots there who haven't a clue either.
Quote from: Fuzzman on May 23, 2017, 03:17:36 PM
Oh yeah sorry, of course
Was focusing too much on Monaghan haha.
That's okay Fuzzman, better to be talked about than not.
But in regards to your erroneous lengthy post,
as Tommy Cooper once quipped on stage after a magic trick of his spectacularly flopped, "it took me 10 years to learn that trick ........10 years wasted".
I see Jim agrees with me that Monaghan have moved on a bit from previous years.
Jim McGuinness: Why the battle for Ulster is fascinating
It may not have been the most exhilarating weekend in Ulster senior football championship history but you can be sure the games were sharply observed by all interested parties. The final scorelines in both games don't lie: the contests went along expected lines and if anything, the results highlighted the similarities between Donegal and Monaghan.
Along with Tyrone, they are the frontrunners to win the Ulster title in July and I imagine all three counties share the ambition of featuring in at least the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
So while the Monaghan v Fermanagh and Donegal v Antrim games were heavily one-sided in the end, they contained revelations about the strengths and vulnerabilities of both the winning teams.
If you look at both squads, they have a core group of experienced players and a younger group who have been successfully integrated. They both have had a really good winter. You can see that they have it in the legs. And I would suggest that Tyrone are in the same place.
It looks to me as if all three counties have put in a big winter of hard honest training. What we saw in Monaghan's second-half display is they employ a huge number of support runners. Their hand passing was slick and they were sharp in the tackle. They commit players forward when they break and they had attacking players looking to get ahead of the ball all the time.
Conor McCarthy and Jack McCarron are exciting to watch while Conor McManus remains one of the marquee forwards in the game.
It's funny how the game has changed in that regard. In the 1990s and early 2000s the most scrutinised forward was the centre forward – the Greg Blaney-Larry Tompkins-Martin McHugh-Trevor Giles-Pádraic Joyce type player. These were the guys you wanted to get the ball to as often as possible. They were the decision makers and playmakers.
Monaghan have an edge in that regard and also have this blend of youth and experience and clearly have the hunger. I liked that Malachy O'Rourke gave his squad an ultimatum over the winter and let them know he was happy to walk away. So that gave the players a simple choice: this is the level that we need to be at. Are we ready to commit to that?
You need that edge and focus within to compete and I think he made them sit up and take notice and make a decision. Even in their interviews after the game, you could see the players were genuinely not happy with their first half showing and there was a sense of a team on a mission and completely absorbed in where they are trying to go. That's encouraging for them.
What struck me about McManus on Saturday evening was his unselfishness. If the space was there he looked to shoot but apart from that he moved the ball on really quickly. Michael Murphy has been doing that for years and marquee forwards have that quality.
Monaghan have an edge in that regard and also have this blend of youth and experience and clearly have the hunger. I liked that Malachy O'Rourke gave his squad an ultimatum over the winter and let them know he was happy to walk away. So that gave the players a simple choice: this is the level that we need to be at. Are we ready to commit to that?
You need that edge and focus within to compete and I think he made them sit up and take notice and make a decision. Even in their interviews after the game, you could see the players were genuinely not happy with their first half showing and there was a sense of a team on a mission and completely absorbed in where they are trying to go. That's encouraging for them.
What struck me about McManus on Saturday evening was his unselfishness. If the space was there he looked to shoot but apart from that he moved the ball on really quickly. Michael Murphy has been doing that for years and marquee forwards have that quality.
You look at Monaghan's bench too: Dessie Mone and Owen Duffy and Dermot Malone coming in to score five points and both of the Hugheses to return later in the championship. They have depth. It made me wonder did they look to start with a team that would generate intensity and then finish with experience.
Also, they looked really well coached against an established defence. This is a trend in the game best exemplified by Dublin last year; that willingness to be patient and recycle the ball until the spaces open up. Teams that aren't well coached give the ball away under pressure. Monaghan don't do that.
Neither do Donegal. That's just one of the similarities. The counties are on a similar kind of path. They have won and lost provincial championships and have a lot of old heads knocking about and they have this infusion of pace and youth again. And both systems require that.
Monaghan had 13 different scorers over the weekend. They have options. For me, however, there is a potential weakness in Monaghan's defensive system.
When making the transition to defence, they look to pick up certain players but also fall into zonal positions around the D. We have seen that with Dublin a lot. But Monaghan are dropping two or three players into that area for more protection. The potential weakness with this tactic is that it leaves one versus-one opportunities inside.
Drew Wylie is one of the best full backs in the country but I feel his strength is his physicality and he may be susceptible to a dink diagonal ball played into his opponent with support runners off it.
And Monaghan leave that arc of space for teams to play with. So if teams can get runners through that blanket looking to get the return pass on the inside ball, there is the potential for goals.
Cavan will be a tough assignment for Monaghan. Historically, this is a ferocious derby. But you would expect them to come through and then they are a step away from the final. So it is a graduated task for them.
For Donegal, the task is different. You look at the first 30 minutes of their game and they led Antrim by a point in what was a laborious opening half hour. I liked how Antrim moved the ball and played the diagonal ball into their full forward line; they caused a few problems.
Then came Jamie Brennan's really excellent goal and Donegal went on to absolutely boss the match in the second half. Now they face Tyrone. It is a big and sudden jump. Donegal, whatever way you look at it, need to beat Tyrone and probably Monaghan to win Ulster. It's no easy path.
But Donegal have the potential to do it. They had five players cutting their teeth in championship football. At times they looked very confident and relaxed. And at times too they looked very inexperienced, which you would expect.
Michael Murphy, Ryan McHugh and Frank McGlynn remain hugely important to the squad. For me, it is critical that Patrick McBrearty joins that group this summer. Michael Murphy didn't play a single minute in the forward line on Sunday. That's a key difference between Donegal and Monaghan.
The three Monaghan guys are predatory front-line forwards. Donegal need Patrick firing on all cylinders if Michael is in the middle. And if teams go out and assign a player to do a dog of a job on Michael, then who will should shoot the lights out? Patrick McBrearty is the obvious candidate.
The challenge for Patrick at the age of 23 is to try and move from being one of Donegal's most dangerous players to one of its leaders.
Last year I was critical of Donegal after the Ulster final because I felt all the support was coming from behind the ball which meant we reached a tipping point around the 45 when the opposition defence was set up. And we were unable to penetrate consequently.
Expansive brand
The difference this year is that Donegal are also getting ahead of the ball. In the 2011 championship we scored 10.5 points on average. But in 2012 we scored 17 points on average. And for me, getting ahead of the ball was the key to that.
I believe Donegal will be a different animal this year because they are attacking differently. Maybe over the last couple of seasons Rory wanted to cut the cord on what had gone before and put his fingerprint on the team and I get that.
But Donegal teams have always been good with the ball in hand and it is critical to our game. If you have two of three guys running ahead of the ball, they have to be dealt with. So that alone creates space. Whereas with the other system, critically, all the danger is in front of the defence and it makes their task easier.
Now, Donegal are playing a really terrific expansive brand of football. Ciaran Thompson brought his national league form into the championship and Jamie Brennan had a big day.
The new approach will make Donegal much harder to beat. But I would argue that they can't predicate their game on that entirely. Like Monaghan, Donegal are vulnerable if teams set up defensively because what they don't have any more are the battering rams of old – Leo McLoone and Ryan Bradley and Anthony Thompson and Rory Kavanagh – who could just punch a hole in packed defences.
I am not convinced the McHughs or Marty Reilly can punch holes through power. If they get space, they will knife through opposition defences with their speed. But if that space isn't there, then you need to be able to kick as well. So I would hold that card up the sleeve of rotating Michael into full forward occasionally as an option. If Donegal can work that also, they are really well placed to have a good summer.
So these few weeks are about Malachy O'Rourke, Rory Gallagher and Mickey Harte and how they perceive the games. Monaghan will give you opportunities to score goals. Donegal showed they can get the bodies back and frustrate teams. Ironically, if that exact system is inflicted on Donegal, they could struggle. There will be opportunities against that defensive system to exploit space on the inside line but players must have the capacity to play with their heads up and find the pass in behind the pressure.
I am not forgetting the other teams in Ulster here. For all that has been said, when Tyrone were winning All-Irelands, Derry could put it up to them. Armagh have a tradition and so have Down and Cavan. This is not a fore gone conclusion but if it runs to the anticipated script and these games happen, then it will make for good viewing.
Donegal have more going forward than either Tyrone or Monaghan. Those two teams possibly hold an advantage in kick-outs. But it is all fine lines. There is not a lot between the teams and they all have the capacity to win it. All three leave chinks of light for others to work on.
The fascinating question is which team is going to win and why? Is there another dynamic there that we are not seeing? That's why I took a lot from both games at the weekend. Because you are looking for small, obscure opportunities that other teams may give you. They are always there, sometimes hidden in plain sight. The big question now is who can best exploit these opportunities.