Mayo V Down- All Ireland Quarter Final

RadioGAAGAA · August 05, 2012, 02:47:20 PM

Quote from: bennydorano on August 04, 2012, 09:38:24 PM
This is Down's level, the AIF appearance was the blip in overall form,

That team has turned over about 10 players since.

Its not easy for any county to absorb such turnover - its even worse for one that is just barely at the level of an AIF.

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Fundamentally, its the same problem as always - there aren't enough good-big-fast defenders in the county. 2-09 is not a bad score for a forward line that had a dearth of supply!

You look at the '91 or '94 teams - you'd the likes of Conor Deegan ('91), Brian Burns ('94), Barry Breen, Paul Higgins, Paddy O'Rourke ('91), Michael Magill ('94) - all big strong men at 6' 2" or so and 14+ stone.

Unfortunately now, a lot of players are in around 6ft, and lighter. They don't have additional pace to make up for their compartive lack of height/strength. Additionally, the players just don't exist in the county at the moment - no point blaming the management.

Also, as others have pointed out - a few of the fellas are not natural defenders. We don't have a natural full back - a man willing to concede a point to stop a goal. A natural full back would have stopped Mayo's first goal by dropping off the man running away from goal (who may have took a pass to point) and intercepted Doherty's run... possibly intercepted with brute force and ignorance - taken the booking as opposed to the goal.

RadioGAAGAA · August 05, 2012, 02:48:29 PM

Quote from: charlieTully on August 05, 2012, 02:27:00 PM
what bigger picture? we have been hammered by donegal and mayo now. James was only made to look good because he was lucky enough to have Marty Clarke in the squad for a couple of years. its time for change.

Div 1 status.

It might be a time for change (which would probably be of more benefit to James McCartan than to Down) - but don't expect the change to take us any further forward.

Farrandeelin · August 05, 2012, 02:49:17 PM

Having watched the recording of the game, I must say there was next to no challenges (i.e. hard hits) in the game. Mayo did however dominate the play once they got the second goal and at halftime, I thought to myself that only a major f**k up would give the game to Down. Caff and Coulter had a tussle all day long. Mayo seemed to come out trumps in all the other areas. It's hard to know how Andy Moran's injury will affect things from here on in. He will undoubtedly be a massive loss, but I was pleased with Freeman when he was called upon. He did most of what was asked of him. He may struggle on a different fullback next day if he starts. I'm also pleased that Mayo showed no let up and kept at it despite conceding a late goal at the end. It reminded me of the Leitrim game in that sense.

Collins · August 05, 2012, 03:17:06 PM

Word is wee James wants out.

RadioGAAGAA · August 05, 2012, 03:22:27 PM

Quote from: Collins on August 05, 2012, 03:17:06 PM
Word is wee James wants out.

If I was him, so would I.

I think that is the level of the players - the only think wee James is gonna get from here is heartache.

alba2 · August 05, 2012, 06:57:36 PM

Even though i did not attend the game yesterday - i watched it very closely on the television and have listened to a lot of people in the last 24 hours about different aspects of the game. the most notable point coming out of every ones mouths is that its time for a change of management. Could someone please suggest to me who they feel would do as good a job as James has in the last 3 years? We got to 3 finals in his tenure - maintained our division one status for the last two seasons with a semi final appearance this season and lost quite a few players due to injury, retirements and emigration. The fatigue of the 6 day turnaround may have hampered the performance yesterday. The lads looked very flat especially when a turnover went against them - they couldnt get into defence quick enough.
So my questions are:
Who coulde replace James?
Are there any players out there who have not been given a shot at it that could make a difference?
Who will win the club c'ship now?

Onion Bag · August 05, 2012, 07:10:05 PM

I know I'm going to get a bit of stick for this but here goes, down are not at this level. They beat Fermanagh, just about got past Monaghan, hammered by donegal, beat tipp, the only reason they were in croker yesterday is because they got a favourable draw. Had they been at the other side of the ulster championship draw they wouldn't even have got to the final. Both Armagh and Tyrone are better than them.

Pangurban · August 05, 2012, 08:07:20 PM

As i have stated frequently, Down football is currently in a place. We are probably facing a raft of retirements. No sign of any suitable replacements on the Horizon. Very unlikely to retain Div.1 status next season. Where do we go from here. A long barren spell faces us, lets use it to go back to basics. Is James the Man too oversee this, probably not but we have no one better

DuffleKing · August 05, 2012, 08:16:30 PM

Down got the most favourable draw in history in 2010, capitalised on the wave of momentum and got a freaky amount of luck to get to an all Ireland final. Down being Down, they even could have wrung every drop of luck out of the thing and won the final. However, 2011 was their level - beat out the gate by cork. What did you really expect 12 months on from that beating minus Clarke, Mooney, Fitzpatrick, Rafferty, McCumiskey and Hughes? know your place...

Orchardman · August 05, 2012, 08:34:34 PM

Down are brutal, havn't beating armagh in a big game in 20 years.

SHEEDY · August 05, 2012, 08:38:09 PM

Quote from: Orchardman on August 05, 2012, 08:34:34 PM
Down are brutal, havn't beating armagh in a big game in 20 years.

good to see our bitter neighbours getting some joy at last this summer.

borderfox · August 05, 2012, 09:05:27 PM

Two annihilations now in the space of a fortnight. I have to admit I feel sorry for those Down supporters (some of my relatives included) who made the trips to Clones and Croker to witness these one sided hammerings. It underlines the gap between the top 4 or 5 and the rest, when Down and Kildare can reach AllIreland Q Finals and get absolutely pummelled.
Ulster football is at so low an ebb now that Donegal could easily do 5 or 6 Ulsters in a row. They are head and shoulders above everybody in Ulster and the best of luck to them.

From the Bunker · August 05, 2012, 09:27:38 PM

If Donegal can turn things around in 18-20 months, then there is a fair chance of up to four other Ulster teams to do the same in the same period! Keep the head.

grounded · August 05, 2012, 11:19:58 PM

Was Armagh playing this weekend or something?

Leo · August 06, 2012, 10:39:13 AM

Quote from: RadioGAAGAA on August 05, 2012, 03:22:27 PM
Quote from: Collins on August 05, 2012, 03:17:06 PM
Word is wee James wants out.

If I was him, so would I.

I think that is the level of the players - the only think wee James is gonna get from here is heartache.

I don't see nayone better than James out there but he should look at his backroom team and reconsider the loss of Brian McIver. Certainly O'Rourke has brought nothing to our defence except a trailer load of hay going through it time and again and the constant interfering by Jerome can only be annoying and unsettling to the players. And, yes, get some more big players in. It's not today or yesterday I said that Poland & Maginn cannot be accommodated in the same forward line.