Meath vs Donegal - 3rd time lucky??

[thejuice]

It's hard to send a team out not fully geared towards winning but if I were Andy I'd be targeting Mayo in Croker and Kerry at home. How bad would it be to rest lads against Donegal, let them run up a score if so happens then go hammer and tongs for the last two games and who knows. We'd give Donegal the top spot and put Mayo and Kerry more under pressure for their games against us.

I'd be completely barefaced about it and have loads of starters on the bench at the weekend. But I'm not the manager and that won't happen

[imtommygunn]

Donegal are to me a bit untested - they are the least experienced team outside meaty here. Meath have a chance here though depends how good Donegal actually are. You really put it up to them both league matches. What is to say not again? I don't think Meath will win but honestly think this game is the best chance.

[thejuice]

Donegal weren't at full strength or fitness in the league. They've upped the intensity for the championship and are well rested since the Ulster final. It's hard to say how much we've improved if at all since then given the calibre of opposition we've faced so far. We'll be no pushovers by any means and I think we'll get a result somewhere in the last 8 group stage but can't say exactly when.

[thejuice]

Bit of a trip down memory lane

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1VagDms4tuE

One of my earliest memories of going to Croker! We were trying to recreate Flynn's two goals in the back garden for a few weeks after.

August 19, 1990
Semi-final
Meath   3-9 - 1-7   Donegal

Meath scorers:
B. Flynn (2-2),
B. Stafford (1-2),
P. J. Gillic (0-4),
D. Beggy (0-1).      

Donegal scorers:
M. Boyle (1-2),
D. Bonner (0-3),
T. Boyle (0-1),
M. McHugh (0-1

[inthrough]

The fact that Donegal are at home, are well rested & are in a hugely positive frame of mind leaves me seeing them win by 6 - 10 points.

The biggest worry from a Donegal perspective is their tendency to take the foot off the gas in the second half of games. I f they do that in the Super 8's then scoring difference could get them.

[Jayop]

I don't often shout for Meath but I'll be hopping around of you can turn this lot over. Just hope someone warns the Meath lads not to touch a Donegal man anywhere over their belly button or they'll be rolling around like Neymar clutching their face looking for cards.


Donegal, generally sound support. Despise this team and manager more than anything Jim McGuinness ever put out.

[J70]

I don't often shout for Meath but I'll be hopping around of you can turn this lot over. Just hope someone warns the Meath lads not to touch a Donegal man anywhere over their belly button or they'll be rolling around like Neymar clutching their face looking for cards.


Donegal, generally sound support. Despise this team and manager more than anything Jim McGuinness ever put out.

You must be in a serious moral quandary with your own county if you despise diving.

You're a Tyrone lad, right?

And we get the usual Tyrone bullshit about Bonner. Time to move on lads. I'm sure Bonner has, four years later, whatever about Micheal Carroll.

[thejuice]

We don't seem to get much neutral support which is interesting.

The typical analysis I'm hearing from pundits seems to be "ah Meath will win nothing" as opposed to "haven't they done well and who knows what might happen on the day, things might work out for them" which I'd expect Clare would have gotten had they got through. I suppose it comes from being seen as a successful county despite our most recent major success is now 2 decades ago. There seems to be a level of expectation around us both within and outside the county that if we're not winning titles we're dismissed. Just an observation though I know some aspects of our performances have been praised.

[greatpoint]

I don't often shout for Meath but I'll be hopping around of you can turn this lot over. Just hope someone warns the Meath lads not to touch a Donegal man anywhere over their belly button or they'll be rolling around like Neymar clutching their face looking for cards.


Donegal, generally sound support. Despise this team and manager more than anything Jim McGuinness ever put out.

I suppose as long as there are no fingers being stuck into orifices or players being spat on Donegal will be happy enough.

[Hound]

yea the week turnaround might be abit too much for our lads but there is no pressure on us whatsoever and thats why we could cause an upset or two. I think Donegal is the hardest opposition of the 3 but weve ran them close the last 2 meetings (esp the league up in Ballybofey, we let that go ourselves in the end). Mayo Im not sure of though we always seem to put up a huge game against them and Kerry at home could be a real shoot out battle..... just never know whats going to happen......

meats possible progression I woud rackn depends hugely on the fitness of Mickey newman , a class act

He's a long way to go before being a 'class act'. He was in hiding for most of the game v Dublin. So while I wouldn't question his talent, I would question his attitude.
Conlon, on the other hand,  has a great attitude and looks like he could turn into top footballer.

Meath have a very good defence (I think the corner backs have really come on and Keoghan is up there with any of the best wing backs in the country) and when Conlon, Newman, O'Sullivan and McMahon all click on the same day, they'd be a match for most. But the latter 3 seem all a bit windy.

[kerryforsam19]

yea the week turnaround might be abit too much for our lads but there is no pressure on us whatsoever and thats why we could cause an upset or two. I think Donegal is the hardest opposition of the 3 but weve ran them close the last 2 meetings (esp the league up in Ballybofey, we let that go ourselves in the end). Mayo Im not sure of though we always seem to put up a huge game against them and Kerry at home could be a real shoot out battle..... just never know whats going to happen......

meats possible progression I woud rackn depends hugely on the fitness of Mickey newman , a class act

He's a long way to go before being a 'class act'. He was in hiding for most of the game v Dublin. So while I wouldn't question his talent, I would question his attitude.
Conlon, on the other hand,  has a great attitude and looks like he could turn into top footballer.

Meath have a very good defence (I think the corner backs have really come on and Keoghan is up there with any of the best wing backs in the country) and when Conlon, Newman, O'Sullivan and McMahon all click on the same day, they'd be a match for most. But the latter 3 seem all a bit windy.

If Cillian Sullivan chased his man in same way he does referees he be a all star 😉

[Jayop]

I don't often shout for Meath but I'll be hopping around of you can turn this lot over. Just hope someone warns the Meath lads not to touch a Donegal man anywhere over their belly button or they'll be rolling around like Neymar clutching their face looking for cards.


Donegal, generally sound support. Despise this team and manager more than anything Jim McGuinness ever put out.

You must be in a serious moral quandary with your own county if you despise diving.

You're a Tyrone lad, right?

And we get the usual Tyrone bullshit about Bonner. Time to move on lads. I'm sure Bonner has, four years later, whatever about Micheal Carroll.

Nah I hate diving and I hate it when it's done by Tyrone more than anything.

I don't think Donegal actually dive per-say, it's more than every time they are touched they roll around holding their face regardless of where they were touched. I don't like Bonner, maybe it's because of that, but I think it's more because how your team play now.

I've zero sour grapes with Donegal people, my Da is Donegal and half my family are. Soundest people around. I just dislike this team.

[Jayop]

I don't often shout for Meath but I'll be hopping around of you can turn this lot over. Just hope someone warns the Meath lads not to touch a Donegal man anywhere over their belly button or they'll be rolling around like Neymar clutching their face looking for cards.


Donegal, generally sound support. Despise this team and manager more than anything Jim McGuinness ever put out.

I suppose as long as there are no fingers being stuck into orifices or players being spat on Donegal will be happy enough.

Both filthy acts to be condemned.

[ardtole]

Donegals Paddy Campbell, was the first player I ever heard of sticking his fingers, where they were not wanted. I think Ends Muldoon was his victim from memory.

[Wildweasel74]

Nahh. he grabbed his balls and enda thumped him. Must have be some conversation piece between them up at Owenbeg.