McKenna Cup 2024

[tiempo]

Donegal would have been aware of this from the outset. It's not a whole difference to the other 3 semi finalists who will be down a host of panelists. They should be able to field a team.

Who would play?

They're down 13 to the Sigerson and a few more out injured. U-20s are playing Roscommon.

The request to postpone till Tuesday was turned down (talk about an insane schedule). Down apparently also requested such a postponement.

Its a mickey mouse competition. Not much option left.

And Donegal should have been aware of that. I'm sure there are other lads in the county not currently involved with the seniors, colleges or u20s who would not have minded a chance to impress.

Tyrone, Down and Monaghan are all in similar situations. I don't have the exact numbers but I'd imagine Tyrone will also have 10+ involved in Sigerson action.

I've no issue with requesting a postponement but Down haven't pulled out as a result of not getting their own way. There is no reason why a county with Donegal's pick shouldn't be able to field a team.

You're suggesting they just try to draft in a bunch of club players for a one-off game at the weekend with a couple days notice??

What's the point? What's to be gained from that? It sounds like the shit we'd have been at ourselves in basement level junior soccer back in the day when you'd be scrambling to try to find lads to play as ringers.

If other teams are in the same boat, they should withdraw also. It's time for the GAA to start addressing the crazy demands on these young lads.

He should use the resources at his disposal. Instead he's decided to down tools.

[MayoBuck]

Whatever about the other Ulster sides, the Donegal situation isn't comparable to Mayo and Galway who haven't played a game this year. Donegal just played mid week and probably don't want to flog those players again and risk injury.

This weekend is potentially the only competitive game for Mayo and Galway before the league so almost all non Sigerson players will want to be involved.

[bannside]

So managers next year should assemble a squad for the Mc Kenna Cup first couple of games and then when they qualify for the semi finals gather up a lot of B grade players who normally wouldnr be near the set up to make up for the ones who wont be available because of fixture balls ups.

Do you really not see how ridiculous this is?  You want to devalue the competition even further?? That's what's totally embarrassing here if you ask me!

J70 I'm with you on this.

[bannside]

Tell Murphy to work away with Letterkenny if that's where his preferences lie. Money talks.

[tiempo]

So managers next year should assemble a squad for the Mc Kenna Cup first couple of games and then when they qualify for the semi finals gather up a lot of B grade players who normally wouldnr be near the set up to make up for the ones who wont be available because of fixture balls ups.

Do you really not see how ridiculous this is?  You want to devalue the competition even further?? That's what's totally embarrassing here if you ask me!

J70 I'm with you on this.

He should use the resources at his disposal which is an entire county of fit and able men.

The same manager played the U21s in the competition 2 years ago, plenty of those lads would be 23 now, not on Sigerson teams, not on U20 duty, there are lads in the county who would love the chance to pull on the jersey even if only once.

[J70]

Other players WERE getting an opportunity.

Here is the Donegal line-up from the Derry game the other night:

Michael Lynch; Caolan Ward (1-1), Brendan McCole, Conor Morrison; Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Conor O'Donnell, Paul Brennan; Caolan McGonagle, Michael Langan (0-3, 1 '45'); Eoin McHugh, Ethan O'Donnell (0-1), Daire Ó Baoill (0-1); Peadar Mogan (0-2, 1f), Michael Carroll, Eoghan McGettigan. Subs: Ciaran Thompson for Carroll (46 mins), Daniel Clarke for McGettigan (48 mins) Andrew McClean (0-1) for E.O'Donnell (53 mins), Ciaran Diver (0-1) for E.McHugh (58 mins), Aaron Deeney for Ward (60 mins).

Likely first choice players for the summer in that team are Langan, Thompson and maybe O'Baoill. If Carroll is truly back, he might be pushing. McCole might be there if Neil McGee is in decline, but its less than a year since Mickey Newman took him to the cleaners in Croke Park. The rest are either cover (Brennan, McConagle, Ward, McHugh) or just breaking into the senior picture.

[Angelo]

Other players WERE getting an opportunity.

Here is the Donegal line-up from the Derry game the other night:

Michael Lynch; Caolan Ward (1-1), Brendan McCole, Conor Morrison; Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Conor O'Donnell, Paul Brennan; Caolan McGonagle, Michael Langan (0-3, 1 '45'); Eoin McHugh, Ethan O'Donnell (0-1), Daire Ó Baoill (0-1); Peadar Mogan (0-2, 1f), Michael Carroll, Eoghan McGettigan. Subs: Ciaran Thompson for Carroll (46 mins), Daniel Clarke for McGettigan (48 mins) Andrew McClean (0-1) for E.O'Donnell (53 mins), Ciaran Diver (0-1) for E.McHugh (58 mins), Aaron Deeney for Ward (60 mins).

Likely first choice players for the summer in that team are Langan, Thompson and maybe O'Baoill. If Carroll is truly back, he might be pushing. McCole might be there if Neil McGee is in decline, but its less than a year since Mickey Newman took him to the cleaners in Croke Park. The rest are either cover (Brennan, McConagle, Ward, McHugh) or just breaking into the senior picture.

So why can't they field a team?

[Angelo]

So managers next year should assemble a squad for the Mc Kenna Cup first couple of games and then when they qualify for the semi finals gather up a lot of B grade players who normally wouldnr be near the set up to make up for the ones who wont be available because of fixture balls ups.

Do you really not see how ridiculous this is?  You want to devalue the competition even further?? That's what's totally embarrassing here if you ask me!

J70 I'm with you on this.

This is nothing new with the McKenna Cup. University sides have always drained players away from the county teams, UUJ have consitently had a starting XV of Ulster county players in the McKenna Cup. Teams use the McKenna Cup to try new players out, they will be blended in with experienced or established players with that. Why did Bonner not assemble a squad that could fulfill the competition?

Declan Bonner would have known of the players involved in Sigerson Cup action, he would have known of the chances of players being unavailable for the semi final. He should have planned for that as there are plenty of good footballers in Donegal who would have loved the opportunity to play for the county but did not get that chance.

Instead he has gone and thrown his toys out of the pram. It's embarrassing.

[J70]

Other players WERE getting an opportunity.

Here is the Donegal line-up from the Derry game the other night:

Michael Lynch; Caolan Ward (1-1), Brendan McCole, Conor Morrison; Jeaic Mac Ceallbhuí, Conor O'Donnell, Paul Brennan; Caolan McGonagle, Michael Langan (0-3, 1 '45'); Eoin McHugh, Ethan O'Donnell (0-1), Daire Ó Baoill (0-1); Peadar Mogan (0-2, 1f), Michael Carroll, Eoghan McGettigan. Subs: Ciaran Thompson for Carroll (46 mins), Daniel Clarke for McGettigan (48 mins) Andrew McClean (0-1) for E.O'Donnell (53 mins), Ciaran Diver (0-1) for E.McHugh (58 mins), Aaron Deeney for Ward (60 mins).

Likely first choice players for the summer in that team are Langan, Thompson and maybe O'Baoill. If Carroll is truly back, he might be pushing. McCole might be there if Neil McGee is in decline, but its less than a year since Mickey Newman took him to the cleaners in Croke Park. The rest are either cover (Brennan, McConagle, Ward, McHugh) or just breaking into the senior picture.

So why can't they field a team?

Presumably the rest of the squad isn't back, fit and ready yet to go yet, same as every other year in the McKenna Cup.

[GetOverTheBar]

So managers next year should assemble a squad for the Mc Kenna Cup first couple of games and then when they qualify for the semi finals gather up a lot of B grade players who normally wouldnr be near the set up to make up for the ones who wont be available because of fixture balls ups.

Do you really not see how ridiculous this is?  You want to devalue the competition even further?? That's what's totally embarrassing here if you ask me!

J70 I'm with you on this.

This is nothing new with the McKenna Cup. University sides have always drained players away from the county teams, UUJ have consitently had a starting XV of Ulster county players in the McKenna Cup. Teams use the McKenna Cup to try new players out, they will be blended in with experienced or established players with that. Why did Bonner not assemble a squad that could fulfill the competition?

Declan Bonner would have known of the players involved in Sigerson Cup action, he would have known of the chances of players being unavailable for the semi final. He should have planned for that as there are plenty of good footballers in Donegal who would have loved the opportunity to play for the county but did not get that chance.

Instead he has gone and thrown his toys out of the pram. It's embarrassing.

Not particularly, 2 points v Mayo in 2 weeks time there'll never be a word of this again.

[tiempo]

Plenty of lads in Donegal would relish a game for the county this weekend. But Declan Bonner doesn't. Sin é.

[SambaSaffron]

Tell Murphy to work away with Letterkenny if that's where his preferences lie. Money talks.

What do you have against Murphy? He doesn't appear to be doing anything wrong here.

[greatpoint]

Tyrone supporters understandably upset that their most important competition isn't being shown the respect it deserves.

[rodney trotter]

It was ironic before the Mckenna Cup started, Mickey Harte was lamenting the loss of the college teams this year, as it wasn't an extra game for Tyrone. When they were playing in it he lamented that did first choice. The college teams were usually hammered, so a training in house game was as much beneficial.

[bannside]

Thats right getoverthebar. And if he loses by a point because of all this unwelcome disruption?? Or his skeleton squad gets a trimming. That would be good for morale too, wouldnt it?

Bottom line is Murphy getting extremely well compensated for his involvement with Letterkenny. That's the root of this problem....he has insisted that the Donegal board request the game put back largely to accommodate him. If Murphy wasnt in this situation there wouldnt be a word about it, but as I say  money talks and that's why his allegiance this weekend is to his paymasters. That's the problem I have with it SambaSaffron.