Down Club Hurling & Football

[Smurfy123]

How do you see that we are a stronger team than last year?
Is the full back line better?No
Is the half back line any better?No
Midfield?No
Half forward line?No
Full forward line ?No
Some lads haven't hit the heights of last year
The record doesn't lie
Played 26
Won 4
Drew 1
Lost 21
The sooner people wake up and smell the coffee the better

[Mourne Red]

I just think they don’t like what he does along the line
Results don’t lie get him in
The current management team will still be there in 2019 mark my words

I’m not so sure. Paddy O’Rourke had the full backing of the executive in 2006 but it still wasn’t enough (which to this day is why I’ll tell anyone who listens, that the clubs are the county board, even if they don’t believe it).


Poacher and the county board is a personality clash. Nothing much more complicated than that. His heart-on-the-sleeve, say-whatever-the-f**k-comes-into-your head approach to football just doesn’t sit well with some of our more traditional county board stalwarts.

I think the county board should realise they are no angels themselves.. As someone who plays club football, players like a manager like poacher someone who’s willing to go in the trenches with you, I’ve coached underage and the new breed of players need man management, someone passionate about Gaelic football, it’s something poacher would bring, something I don’t think the current down management do? He’d create a siege mentality like him and Turlough have done in Carlow, players buy into that that.. Just look at soccer Mourinho in his prime, Guardiola etc

[Dubh driocht]

How do you see that we are a stronger team than last year?
Is the full back line better?No- Disagree- Flanagan has been excellent, Doherty good
Is the half back line any better?No - Disagree- McPartland , Mooney, O'Hanlon have all played well in parts
Midfield?No - Disagree- last year we had no consistency, Donnelly and McKernan probably best combination
Half forward line? No - agree- under-performing. Darren O'Hagan could add something.
Full forward line ? No- disagree- Harrison didn't play one league game last year and is our main threat. Morgan has brought added value.
Some lads haven't hit the heights of last year
The record doesn't lie - this is a record over three years- I have been consistent on my views of this management team
Played 26
Won 4
Drew 1
Lost 21
The sooner people wake up and smell the coffee the better See above. I think Poacher will stay with Carlow but I wouldn't rule him out.

[Smurfy123]

While respecting your opinion are you being serious?
McGovern O Hagen in the full back line or Doherty Flanagan?
Half backline?Can you tell me what McParland actually does at 6?O Hanlon has barely kicked a ball in the league?
Midfield?Donnelly has been terrible this season Turley much better
Agree with you on the full forward line though
What's your opinions will the current management still be in a job in 2019?

[downjim]

No harm to you lads but your making poacher out to be Jim Gavin/Harte and O'Dwyer all rolled into one here. He has not won any silverware with any club or county teams. Granted he has won a few D schools titles but he does improve average to below average teams and I think this is where we can capitalise his strengths.
Paddy O'Rourke and Mickey Linden have coached teams to win Down SFC but I can't think of anyone else.

[Dubh driocht]

While respecting your opinion are you being serious?
McGovern O Hagen in the full back line or Doherty Flanagan?
Half backline?Can you tell me what McParland actually does at 6?O Hanlon has barely kicked a ball in the league?
Midfield?Donnelly has been terrible this season Turley much better
Agree with you on the full forward line though
What's your opinions will the current management still be in a job in 2019?

McGovern and O'Hagan would be in my starting FB line but Flanagan and Doherty have done well so we have more options there.
O'Hanlon has played in the majority of league games so don't understand how you think he has barely kicked a ball? McPartland is a strong fit player who is in his first full league campaign so will develop at CHB.
Turley rarely lets us down but Donnelly has done ok.
I don't think the current managements will, or should, be in post in 2019; the best we can hope for is a respectable championship to let them leave with some dignity.

[elk]

While respecting your opinion are you being serious?
McGovern O Hagen in the full back line or Doherty Flanagan?
Half backline?Can you tell me what McParland actually does at 6?O Hanlon has barely kicked a ball in the league?
Midfield?Donnelly has been terrible this season Turley much better
Agree with you on the full forward line though
What's your opinions will the current management still be in a job in 2019?

I agreed what does mc parland bring to the team at 6 or as captain. As for poacher he has won nothing at senior level, All he does is organise a group of ordinary players to defend at all costs god forbid if they try to entertain the crowd

[thewobbler]

While respecting your opinion are you being serious?
McGovern O Hagen in the full back line or Doherty Flanagan?
Half backline?Can you tell me what McParland actually does at 6?O Hanlon has barely kicked a ball in the league?
Midfield?Donnelly has been terrible this season Turley much better
Agree with you on the full forward line though
What's your opinions will the current management still be in a job in 2019?

I agreed what does mc parland bring to the team at 6 or as captain. As for poacher he has won nothing at senior level, All he does is organise a group of ordinary players to defend at all costs god forbid if they try to entertain the crowd

Did you get that soundbite from Brolly?

If making a group of "ordinary players" competitive at a higher level than expected is what he does, then surely he's perfect for Down. Or maybe we should go after Jim Gavin??

—-

DownJim, as you've highlighted, if we want a Down man to do the job, and we would also like a prerequisite of proof of winning things, then we are going to have a very, very short list of candidates.

Recognising that Poacher's coaching and enthusiasm might be able to improve the current Down team is not the same thing as comparing him to Gavin or Harte. Genuinely, if we are looking for Down man to take the job, him and wee James (if willing) are the only obvious contenders. So of course people are going to champion his cause.

He's a f**king bollocks by the way and the sooner we get rid of him from Ballyholland the better.

[Smurfy123]

O Hanlon has started 2 games
Played 5 minutes on Sunday?
What does McParland bring to the table?Why can't you answer that?
You believe Donnelly has played well?Against who?
We have gotten destroyed at midfield against
Louth
Cork
Clare
Meath
Cavan

Done ok against Roscommon as they had a midfielder sent off after 8 minutes.
You are talking absolute crap.
Wobbler talks a lot of sense

[downjim]

What's people's views on the leagues this year. Division one should be a tight affair with Saval and Rostrevor improving the standard. Burren had a good pre season winning our tournament but I will imagine they will experiment a lot during the season.
Kilcoo still the team, can anyone touch them??

[Mourne Red]

What's people's views on the leagues this year. Division one should be a tight affair with Saval and Rostrevor improving the standard. Burren had a good pre season winning our tournament but I will imagine they will experiment a lot during the season.
Kilcoo still the team, can anyone touch them??

Division 1 Winners - Burren
Division 2 Winners - Glenn
Division 3 Winners - Drumgath
Division 4 Winners - Teconnaught

Dont know relegation rules this year so cant comment on that

[downjim]

Burren
Longstone
Shamrocks
Tecconaught

[lfdown2]

Is there any change on this weekends fixtures?

A number of fixtures between tomorrow and Saturday - will these be going ahead alright?

[Ambrose]

O Hanlon has started 2 games
Played 5 minutes on Sunday?
What does McParland bring to the table?Why can't you answer that?
You believe Donnelly has played well?Against who?
We have gotten destroyed at midfield against
Louth
Cork
Clare
Meath
Cavan

Done ok against Roscommon as they had a midfielder sent off after 8 minutes.
You are talking absolute crap.
Wobbler talks a lot of sense

I've been to every game this year bar Roscommon and I think the Meath game was probably the first time that we had the better of things at midfield. Our problem is that our play was too one dimensional in Navan and Meath were easily able to nullify  any threat that we could have posed. No harm to anyone, but barring frees, Donal O'Hare offers nothing from open play at this level. He looked like he had been left on the field from the primary school game at half time  during the second half.
We have a terrible habit of repeating the same mistakes over and over again and not just on the playing field. While the man in the hat has a job for life nothing will change.

[Smurfy123]

Any team announced?