Ulster Senior football championship 2024

[screenexile]

Bookies only giving this one a 3pt handicap so they're wary of McGuinness and whatever shenanigans he comes up with.

I would love for us to beat Donegal this weekend but this is their AIF and do we really have the hunger to go after another Ulster title given the hardship it will entail? I don't doubt the team will be telling themselves they want to win every game but how realistic is that nowadays?

If we win that's great, but if we got beat without any big injuries I wouldn't be that disappointed.

[Armagh18]

This site is making the over projection of a Derry v Armagh final. I rather literally take it one game at a time, this Saturday could see us out on our ass very handy,

100%
I've been saying all along, Donegal could knock us out in the first round.
I'd love to see us win another Ulster - but if we get beaten on Saturday it wouldn't be a huge shock.
Donegal were in the final 2 years ago and we just beat them.

I think if it wasnt Harte in charge I'd be having Donegal as slight favourites given their need for a provincial is maybe greater than Derrys, but Harte is notorious for wanting to win everything so there'll be no peaking for the All Ireland.

[J70]

Bookies only giving this one a 3pt handicap so they're wary of McGuinness and whatever shenanigans he comes up with.

I would love for us to beat Donegal this weekend but this is their AIF and do we really have the hunger to go after another Ulster title given the hardship it will entail? I don't doubt the team will be telling themselves they want to win every game but how realistic is that nowadays?

If we win that's great, but if we got beat without any big injuries I wouldn't be that disappointed.

I understand the caution of you Derry lads and the bookies also, but to this point, this new Donegal team  are completely untested.

Leaving aside the injuries/fitness of a few of our key players (I haven't seen any update on McBrearty, McHugh, Ban or McCole), we're relying on a lot of lads who are either new to this high level of football or who haven't exactly passed the test with flying colours in the past. The likes of Langan and Thompson can swing point after point over the bar from the 45, but they can also be squeezed out of games completely. We didn't respond to the high pressure too well in games like Mayo 2019, Cavan 2020 or Derry/Armagh 2022 (I'll leave out Tyrone 2021 due to the Murphy penalty miss and red card!).

I think we'll give a good account of ourselves for 55-60 minutes, but Derry just look stronger, more experienced and battle-hardened across all the lines and will win by six or seven points in the end.

Time for healing ahead of the group stages for us.

[yellowcard]

Bookies only giving this one a 3pt handicap so they're wary of McGuinness and whatever shenanigans he comes up with.

I would love for us to beat Donegal this weekend but this is their AIF and do we really have the hunger to go after another Ulster title given the hardship it will entail? I don't doubt the team will be telling themselves they want to win every game but how realistic is that nowadays?

If we win that's great, but if we got beat without any big injuries I wouldn't be that disappointed.

This media led obsession with Jimmy McGuinness is getting tiresome. He can't play the match despite claims of him pulling rabbits out of hats, having tricks up his sleeve and coming up with something new (shenanigans). Gaelic football is different today than it was 12 years ago and opposition teams are being analysed to death so there will be no new major innovative breakthrough.

No doubt if Donegal manage to win (which I don't think they will) it will be put down to the genius of Jimmy. More likely it will just be your run of the mill arm wrestle though as he knows that he probably needs to reduce the game to a defensive slugfest in order to stand a chance. Pragmatism and a reversion to what he know best will take over as I didn't see anything majorly innovative during the League campaign, just a team that were better prepared than the previous season.