All Ireland contenders...

Started by EC Unique, March 25, 2012, 01:06:58 PM

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Orchardman



i know what you mean, but to my eyes, they are still tasty and we all know great teams who have been written off love proving the critics wrong. it will be over at some point, whether that is now i wouldn't be confident of, because most of them are in their prime, hovering just or even well below their 30s no? listening to gavin doing his impression of rocky (1) balboa (adrian! adrian!) at the weekend, it means a lot to them. he so looked and behaved like stallone, t'was class. kerry might just manange to blood a whole new crop of players and still keep winning it. and those that they have that are over 30, they're not doing that bad. look at sheehan. playing great stuff, lording it in midfield and slotting them over left right and centre. they'd annoy your head.
[/quote]

Sheehan is only 25, same as darren o' sullivan i think!

I agree with all this, even if kerry only beat tyrone by a point i would have had them as big contenders. What have kildare done for anyone to even consider them as ahead of kerry in the pecking order? I think kildare have the potential to maybe go all the way, but they havn't shown us much to convince us, maybe they will next month when it matters.

Kerry are class, all their midfielders and forwards bar galvin are under 30 still. Granted they have 4 defenders in the 32-34 age group, but i know if i was picking a team today i would probably have the 2 o'se boys and brosnan in it. Look at the shape brosnan was in the other day compared to conor gormley who is a year younger.

Still, donegal and mayo final is the one i want

Farrandeelin

Donegal would win that final pulling up. They hammered us in the league in Ballyshannon and we have a poor overall record against them. Also they're a good bloody side too!
Inaugural Football Championship Prediction Winner.

moysider

Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Syferus





Those poor lads. The indignities photographers inflict upon them.

cadence

Quote from: Orchardman on July 25, 2012, 11:35:34 PM


i know what you mean, but to my eyes, they are still tasty and we all know great teams who have been written off love proving the critics wrong. it will be over at some point, whether that is now i wouldn't be confident of, because most of them are in their prime, hovering just or even well below their 30s no? listening to gavin doing his impression of rocky (1) balboa (adrian! adrian!) at the weekend, it means a lot to them. he so looked and behaved like stallone, t'was class. kerry might just manange to blood a whole new crop of players and still keep winning it. and those that they have that are over 30, they're not doing that bad. look at sheehan. playing great stuff, lording it in midfield and slotting them over left right and centre. they'd annoy your head.

Sheehan is only 25, same as darren o' sullivan i think!

I agree with all this, even if kerry only beat tyrone by a point i would have had them as big contenders. What have kildare done for anyone to even consider them as ahead of kerry in the pecking order? I think kildare have the potential to maybe go all the way, but they havn't shown us much to convince us, maybe they will next month when it matters.

Kerry are class, all their midfielders and forwards bar galvin are under 30 still. Granted they have 4 defenders in the 32-34 age group, but i know if i was picking a team today i would probably have the 2 o'se boys and brosnan in it. Look at the shape brosnan was in the other day compared to conor gormley who is a year younger.

Still, donegal and mayo final is the one i want
[/quote]

thought sheehan was older than that.

kerry being over the hill is a myth, probably started by kerrymen.

heffo

Quote from: moysider on July 26, 2012, 01:16:58 AM
Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Donegal haven't beaten a top side in the championship yet though - the other three have.

Donegal look impressive enroute to beating a bunch of also-rans, lets see how they do against the top sides and then we'll judge them.

From the Bunker

Quote from: Farrandeelin on July 26, 2012, 12:19:08 AM
Donegal would win that final pulling up. They hammered us in the league in Ballyshannon and we have a poor overall record against them. Also they're a good bloody side too!

Jez, you are one depressing whore!  :P

IolarCoisCuain

Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
Quote from: moysider on July 26, 2012, 01:16:58 AM
Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Donegal haven't beaten a top side in the championship yet though - the other three have.

Donegal look impressive enroute to beating a bunch of also-rans, lets see how they do against the top sides and then we'll judge them.

By top sides, you mean Cork, Kerry and Dublin? Who are the top sides they've beaten? Cork beat Kerry, fair enough, but who are the top sides Kerry and Dublin have beaten? Can't be Tyrone, because Donegal beat them. Who's the top side Dublin beat? Meath? Do you think think Meath are better than Donegal? Donegal are as good as anyone, and better than most.

heffo

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on July 26, 2012, 01:52:00 PM
Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
Quote from: moysider on July 26, 2012, 01:16:58 AM
Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Donegal haven't beaten a top side in the championship yet though - the other three have.

Donegal look impressive enroute to beating a bunch of also-rans, lets see how they do against the top sides and then we'll judge them.

By top sides, you mean Cork, Kerry and Dublin? Who are the top sides they've beaten? Cork beat Kerry, fair enough, but who are the top sides Kerry and Dublin have beaten? Can't be Tyrone, because Donegal beat them. Who's the top side Dublin beat? Meath? Do you think think Meath are better than Donegal? Donegal are as good as anyone, and better than most.

All three of Cork, Kerry & Dublin have won the last three AI's therefore have proven they can beat top sides and have done so over the last number of years.

Donegal while looking impressive, have beaten no-one of consequence.

I will therefore hold off judgement until they do, and certainly wouldn't class a team with no AI's as 'good as anyone'.

Hashtag


IolarCoisCuain

Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 01:56:03 PM
Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on July 26, 2012, 01:52:00 PM
Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
Quote from: moysider on July 26, 2012, 01:16:58 AM
Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Donegal haven't beaten a top side in the championship yet though - the other three have.

Donegal look impressive enroute to beating a bunch of also-rans, lets see how they do against the top sides and then we'll judge them.

By top sides, you mean Cork, Kerry and Dublin? Who are the top sides they've beaten? Cork beat Kerry, fair enough, but who are the top sides Kerry and Dublin have beaten? Can't be Tyrone, because Donegal beat them. Who's the top side Dublin beat? Meath? Do you think think Meath are better than Donegal? Donegal are as good as anyone, and better than most.

All three of Cork, Kerry & Dublin have won the last three AI's therefore have proven they can beat top sides and have done so over the last number of years.

Donegal while looking impressive, have beaten no-one of consequence.

I will therefore hold off judgement until they do, and certainly wouldn't class a team with no AI's as 'good as anyone'.

By that logic, you didn't rate Cork in 2010 or Dublin in 2011. Your methodology doesn't allow for first-time winners, even though first-time winners have happened in the past two years, and could happen this year too. It's up to yourself, but it seems very limiting to me.

J70

I kind of agree with Heffo. I think we've a very good shot, based on what's happened so far this year, but the big tests are still to come.  I'd still have Cork and Dublin as the teams to beat. If we get can through a tough quarter final against the likes of Kerry or Kildare, then I think hyping us as leading contenders would be justified.

Farrandeelin

Quote from: J70 on July 26, 2012, 10:00:16 PM
I kind of agree with Heffo. I think we've a very good shot, based on what's happened so far this year, but the big tests are still to come.  I'd still have Cork and Dublin as the teams to beat. If we get can through a tough quarter final against the likes of Kerry or Kildare, then I think hyping us as leading contenders would be justified.

You will be justified contenders. Always had a doft spot for Donegal folk, apart from McHugh!!
Inaugural Football Championship Prediction Winner.

heffo

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on July 26, 2012, 06:40:51 PM
Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 01:56:03 PM
Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on July 26, 2012, 01:52:00 PM
Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
Quote from: moysider on July 26, 2012, 01:16:58 AM
Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Donegal haven't beaten a top side in the championship yet though - the other three have.

Donegal look impressive enroute to beating a bunch of also-rans, lets see how they do against the top sides and then we'll judge them.

By top sides, you mean Cork, Kerry and Dublin? Who are the top sides they've beaten? Cork beat Kerry, fair enough, but who are the top sides Kerry and Dublin have beaten? Can't be Tyrone, because Donegal beat them. Who's the top side Dublin beat? Meath? Do you think think Meath are better than Donegal? Donegal are as good as anyone, and better than most.

All three of Cork, Kerry & Dublin have won the last three AI's therefore have proven they can beat top sides and have done so over the last number of years.

Donegal while looking impressive, have beaten no-one of consequence.

I will therefore hold off judgement until they do, and certainly wouldn't class a team with no AI's as 'good as anyone'.

By that logic, you didn't rate Cork in 2010 or Dublin in 2011. Your methodology doesn't allow for first-time winners, even though first-time winners have happened in the past two years, and could happen this year too. It's up to yourself, but it seems very limiting to me.

I think you're picking me up wrong.

It's not that I don't rate Donegal or didn't rate any first time winner, but until a team shows they can beat a top team then looking unbeatable beating cannon fodder is meaningless imo

cadence

Quote from: heffo on July 27, 2012, 08:29:01 AM
Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on July 26, 2012, 06:40:51 PM
Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 01:56:03 PM
Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on July 26, 2012, 01:52:00 PM
Quote from: heffo on July 26, 2012, 08:22:00 AM
Quote from: moysider on July 26, 2012, 01:16:58 AM
Donegal the most impressive team about. Very close to winning it last year imo. A bit of good fortune in the semi probably would have got them there. They have the best team and spread around the team enough of the best individuals as well. And they re more disciplined as well, compared to the other contenders - Dublin, Cork and Kerry. But also crucially they wont be bullied by those 3 either - like say Mayo was in league final - and that is going to be very important.

Donegal haven't beaten a top side in the championship yet though - the other three have.

Donegal look impressive enroute to beating a bunch of also-rans, lets see how they do against the top sides and then we'll judge them.

By top sides, you mean Cork, Kerry and Dublin? Who are the top sides they've beaten? Cork beat Kerry, fair enough, but who are the top sides Kerry and Dublin have beaten? Can't be Tyrone, because Donegal beat them. Who's the top side Dublin beat? Meath? Do you think think Meath are better than Donegal? Donegal are as good as anyone, and better than most.

All three of Cork, Kerry & Dublin have won the last three AI's therefore have proven they can beat top sides and have done so over the last number of years.

Donegal while looking impressive, have beaten no-one of consequence.

I will therefore hold off judgement until they do, and certainly wouldn't class a team with no AI's as 'good as anyone'.

By that logic, you didn't rate Cork in 2010 or Dublin in 2011. Your methodology doesn't allow for first-time winners, even though first-time winners have happened in the past two years, and could happen this year too. It's up to yourself, but it seems very limiting to me.

I think you're picking me up wrong.

It's not that I don't rate Donegal or didn't rate any first time winner, but until a team shows they can beat a top team then looking unbeatable beating cannon fodder is meaningless imo

the way i see it, dublin still are the team to beat. they're the team i think mcguinness aspires for us to be as good as. awesome tactices, pace and power all round the park, and no little skill either.

but, having said that, you beat us by two points last year, and i'd love for us to get another crack at you this year to see if there's still two points in it. lot of football to be played if that's to happen though.