Tyrone v Kerry - All-Ireland SF 2021

[imtommygunn]

Parts of that I agree with tbh but for me Donegal Monaghan or Armagh would have been capable of putting together the performances Tyrone did against Kerry and Mayo. They just don't have the defense for it. I honestly think monaghan would have been beat out the gate by Kerry. Of course we will never know but if anyone bar Tyrone win ulster next year then I don't think there will be an Ulster team close to winning.

That said I'd never have expected Tyrone to win this year...

[Armagh18]

I agree with the last 2 posts. I think if any of the top teams in Ulster meet it's a tough one to call, Donegal and Monaghan both could and possibly should have beat Tyrone, however Donegal, Monaghan and Armagh wouldnt be capable of pulling off the performances Tyrone did against the bigger teams. (To be fair I didnt think Tyrone could have either, it really is a funny old game)

[Jayop]

I'm not so sure. A small bit of fortune in their most recent game and Donegal could have won it.
McGee off injured in the opening few minutes. McKernan could easily have seen black for it too.
Murphy hits the foot of the post with a penalty to put them 5 ahead. Different game if that goes in.
Minutes later he gets sent off rather foolishly. His first yellow was soft too.

While Tyrone then went on to be the better team on the day, they were certainly helped by coming out the right side of these 50:50 moments.
Tyrone went on to deservedly win the AI and must be given the credit for that but if these 2 teams meet again next year I wouldn't be running out to bet on it.

The penalty wasn't a penalty, so them being unfortunate missing it is more than outweighed by the fortune they got for getting the pen and the black card in the first place.
Murphy's first yellow was a yellow all day long, his black should have been a straight red. Again, nothing unlucky about that.


There was 50/50 moments, we were unlucky on some of them and fortunate on others but by no means were we lucky in anyway at all. By far the better team all game that day.

[Armagh18]

Parts of that I agree with tbh but for me Donegal Monaghan or Armagh would have been capable of putting together the performances Tyrone did against Kerry and Mayo. They just don't have the defense for it. I honestly think monaghan would have been beat out the gate by Kerry. Of course we will never know but if anyone bar Tyrone win ulster next year then I don't think there will be an Ulster team close to winning.

That said I'd never have expected Tyrone to win this year...

Bingo.

You've now fallen into the trap whereby teams who win are automatically amazing and those who don't are shite. Despite the fact that every game they play against each other shows they are nip and tuck.
There are really fine margins among a lot of these teams.

I' agree with the bolded but I definitely don't think that. Fine margins between Armagh and Monaghan, fine margins between Derry and Donegal, between Donegal and Tyrone, between Tyrone and Monaghan. Both semi finals went to extra time, only for Kerry making a balls of goal chance they'd have beat Tyrone, O'Connor doesn't keep that ball in and have it fall to McLoughlin Dublin would have beat Mayo etc, etc.

[imtommygunn]

Parts of that I agree with tbh but for me Donegal Monaghan or Armagh would have been capable of putting together the performances Tyrone did against Kerry and Mayo. They just don't have the defense for it. I honestly think monaghan would have been beat out the gate by Kerry. Of course we will never know but if anyone bar Tyrone win ulster next year then I don't think there will be an Ulster team close to winning.

That said I'd never have expected Tyrone to win this year...

Bingo.

You've now fallen into the trap whereby teams who win are automatically amazing and those who don't are shite. Despite the fact that every game they play against each other shows they are nip and tuck.
There are really fine margins among a lot of these teams.

I really don't think I have. I don't think there would be the belief in a Monaghan or Donegal to beat Kerry. Tyrone in croke park have always been a different beast to the rest of the ulster teams this century. (Armagh's years aside I guess but they held sway in that too).

I don't think Monaghan or Donegal are shite. Monaghan are a good team too reliant on McManus and Donegal are a good team too reliant on murphy. (Also Donegal in the grand scheme of things have under achieved this last number of years).

[Armagh18]

And a month ago you'd have laughed if someone told you that Tyrone would win the All Ireland. And you could have picked holes in them til the cows came home.

FWIW, I think Donegal are ahead of Monaghan. I'd have it something like this.

Dublin - Still the best

Tyrone, Kerry, Mayo and Donegal all capable of beating each other.

Monaghan, Galway, Armagh

Literally impossible to call I think. You say Dublin are clear but I think Tyrone would have destroyed them in the final the way they were playing, Kerry probably would have beat them too with the forwards they have. They'll need to get the finger out and get Mannion and McCaffrey back and get their big guns firing to stand a chance. Couple of retirements this year and they could slip rightly back into the pack. Don't think Donegal are clear of Monaghan either, Murphy will be another year older come next year.

[imtommygunn]

I admit I didn't think they had it in them but they proved me and everyone wrong.

Donegal are not at the level you think they are at IMO. If bonner was moved on I think they might be closer to what you think but not now. For the last few years when it has come down to it they have been a let down. I honestly thought Tyrone were better than them and Monaghan were the big threat there.

That aside I wouldn't disagree though I am not sold on Galway yet. Should be a lot better than they are. Armagh would really need to shore up the middle of that defense too but will hopefully do that next year.

Dublin will be back. I am unsure Farrell will cut it tbh but they will still be a threat.

[thewobbler]

If Donegal got to an AI final against anyone, i'd expect them to make a serious game of it. They've got enough talent, size, athleticism in all areas of the field to ensure it.

I couldn't say that for Monaghan, and definitely not for Armagh.

I know which of those 3 Tyrone will want to avoid in next year's Ulster.

——

Dublin will be the gold standard for the next 5 years. But with a transition now inevitable, they're going to be beatable, and football should prosper as a result. There will be 7-8 counties next year with the belief of winning Sam - including Cork and Galway, neither of whom would quake at the thought of Tyrone, but would have folded before throw in against the recent Dubs. If we can get a couple in Leinster with that attitude it could be a golden period for football.

Hurling on the other hand, well it looks likely to suffer under a dominant cloud for the next 3-5 years.

——

Perfect sporting performance  is only entertaining for a couple of years at most. After that happens, we really need competition.

The single most enjoyable thing about this year's championship was that football wasn't a game of perfect. Players were entrusted to take personal responsibility and play what they saw in front of them. Tyrone, as it turns out, were better at it.

[Gold]

Tyrone were not by far the better team all game. 14 man Donegal were still in the game late on. They were the better team alright but they were helped by a bit of luck along the way. Losing Murphy and McGee is certainly a blow. Had Donegal got the luck that day (Murphy and McGee stay on and they score an undeserved penalty), they may have gone on to be the better team and win the game.

Ye see, people jump to extremes after games regardless of how the game went.
You can guarantee that if Kerry had have scored the goal they fluffed in the semi final, won it by 3 points and then won the All Ireland, we'd be talking about them being great and Tyrone having umpteen flaws.
Indeed, when Donegal beat Tyrone in Ulster last year in the tightest of games, this board had plenty of people commenting that Donegal are a good bit ahead of Tyrone.
The same when Kerry beat Tyrone in 2019.

Quite simply, it's ballix.

Absolutely correct

[Captain Obvious]

If Donegal got to an AI final against anyone, i'd expect them to make a serious game of it. They've got enough talent, size, athleticism in all areas of the field to ensure it.

I couldn't say that for Monaghan, and definitely not for Armagh.

I know which of those 3 Tyrone will want to avoid in next year's Ulster.

——

Dublin will be the gold standard for the next 5 years. But with a transition now inevitable, they're going to be beatable, and football should prosper as a result. There will be 7-8 counties next year with the belief of winning Sam - including Cork and Galway, neither of whom would quake at the thought of Tyrone, but would have folded before throw in against the recent Dubs. If we can get a couple in Leinster with that attitude it could be a golden period for football.

Hurling on the other hand, well it looks likely to suffer under a dominant cloud for the next 3-5 years.

——

Perfect sporting performance  is only entertaining for a couple of years at most. After that happens, we really need competition.

The single most enjoyable thing about this year's championship was that football wasn't a game of perfect. Players were entrusted to take personal responsibility and play what they saw in front of them. Tyrone, as it turns out, were better at it.

Where would that Cork belief be coming from, is Jim Gavin taking over?

[Rossfan]

It will be a pleasant but big surprise if anyone outside Tyrone, Mayowestros,  Dublin or Kerry gets anywhere near Sam next year.

[trueblue1234]

It will be a pleasant but big surprise if anyone outside Tyrone, Mayowestros,  Dublin or Kerry gets anywhere near Sam next year.

I agree, but if you had asked a lot of posters here would Tyrone win the AI this year you would have recieved an overwhelming negative response. It shows how quickly thinks can change especially if you don't have anyone as far out in front as the Dubs have been over the last number of years.

[thewobbler]

I don't think it'll happen next year. And if Dublin come back blazing it'll put out wee fires everywhere.

But in recent years, all too many counties have (understandably) approached the championship with a deep lying fear that progress will only lead to an inevitable pounding to death by the Dubs. I don't blame them either - Dublin were (maybe still are) a machine apart. If they drop back in performance level to say Donegal levels (potent but not perfect), then it will surely light a few fires.

[Maroon Manc]

Don't get why Donegal keep getting lauded, they'd plenty of talent but outside of the province they've beaten nobody of note. No semi final since 2014 and lost so many big games they've gone in as favourites under Bonner. I'm so surprised he's been kept on, no doubting there a very talented bunch.

As for Galway, I thought Joyce was given a 2 year term but nothing mentioned since Galways' exit so perhaps it was a 3 year term. So many players made themselves unavailable last year, interesting to see if that it happens again this year. Galway just a huge disappointment, should be doing better.

[imtommygunn]

Yep that would be my view too.