Tír Eoghain vs Áth Cliath '08

[T Fearon]

I have to, but there's no denying the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this Tyorne team, crap against Down, brilliant against Dublin. If they win this year's All Ireland title I will acknowledge the achievement and accord full credit.

[whiskeysteve]

Don't be ridiculous. You didn't know where I was sitting

You were sitting with your fellow peasants

[T Fearon]

Peasants sit in the bottoam tier of the Hogan,Cusack Davin. Affluent fans sit in the Premium section, coporate guests with limited or no knowledge of the game are to be found in the Corporate Box section.

PS The last time I was up there Goat's Cheese on toasted Ciabata bread was served, not prawn by the way.

[Tankie]

I was on another board reading about the dublin game and I though this was quite funny what a poster put up:

Was in the Hill 16 after the game, down in the jacks I heard this..

Bloke 1: You hear Ronnie Drew died...
Bloke 2: After watching that shite, Im not surprised!

sums it up for me.....but atleast we can laugh about it ( the match that is, RIP Ronnie)

[Puckoon]

I couldnt believe the amount of people who were looking rid of Mickey Harte this past couple of months. People have to understand that you cant win the All Ireland every year and with injuies like Tyrone had in 06 and 07 an All Ireland was probably always going to be out of reach. Harte did a decent job to squeeze an Ulster out of the team last year in difficult circumstances.

We all know a few of these Anti - Mickey Harte types. They've been around since the whispers of him getting the job in the first place began to circulate. When he won in 03, a few of them changed their tunes, but after the highs of 05 and then the lows of 06, they found their voice again.

Like Paudi said in Kerry - many "supporters" are f**king animals, with a belief that they have a god given right to watch a winning team every day it goes out to play. Unfortunately this mindset gained a stronger hold when the county experienced some success. Some people genuinely believe that 2 AI championships is a poor return for this team, and that MH was at fault for failures in 06, and 07. The reality is that unless you are Kerry, it really is a tough thing to win the AI. Even the best team in the country needs a little rub of the green now and then. I believe that 2 AI championships is a poor return for this team - but through no fault of MHs - realistically what team could survive the trials and tribulations that have befallen these boys since early 04, with the passing of our captain and leader? What teams could lose players of the calibre of Peter the great, Ger Calvan, Stephen O'Neill and the freakish nature of Brian McGuigan. Not to mention innopportune injuries to players far from the periphery like Joe McMahon, Phillip Jordan and now Mulligan. These for me are the reasons that Tyrone stuttured understandably in 04, and to these supporters calling for MHs head, why they fell in the 06 and 07 seasons.


MH appears to have this team motivated for themselves and each other, and when that happens to players of the calibre in that Tyrone panel, it presents a monumental challenge to anyone who may stand in their way.

I sure hope this is the case.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

I think all this stuff about Tyrone fans trying to force Mickey out is overstated. If you look at the Derry - Tyrone thread from April which somebody brought up to the top of the board you will see O' Neill pointing out that despite plenty of Tyrone fans raising doubts over the state of the team only one person claimed the manager should step down.

Id also say its a bit unfair to say Tyrone fans are making too much of Saturday, after all we've had 3 very frustating years where injury after injury has decimated the best panel we've ever had. At the same time Id doubt many Tyrone fans will be getting carried away. We had a similar (maybe not quite as good) brilliant performance out of nothing against Donegal last summer then failed to reach the same heights later in the championship. Time will tell if Saturday was the last hurrah from a great team or can they maintain those levels until September. In the meantime I think we're well entitled to enjoy the fallout from Saturday...how often does your team beat the Dubs 3-14 to 1-8 in Croke Park??

[cadhlancian]

Hey lads – just thought I'd bung in my own tuppence worth.

Personally, it was the most disappointing day I've ever had in Croker – and believe you me, there's been a few over 25 years.

The manner of our defeat was the worst thing about it. I don't believe that we are that bad. But a few factors played against us.

The weather doesn't particularly suit our style of play. Alan going off was a big blow. And a lot of our bankers, guys who'll always put it in, no matter how bad things are going, didn't have it on the day. Tactically, we got it wrong on the line. And mentally, again, I'd say we didn't handle the occasion.

But the biggest factor was that we came up against a side that no matter what the tactical system employed, believed in themselves and their ability to execute. Some of the football played was absolutely scintillating – how many times did they work space with a couple of handpasses, followed by a cutting 20 yard foot pass leaving a Tyrone forward with acres in front of him on the half forward line. They were tight in defence, they were fluid in attack and I don't believe many teams could have lived with them.

Puke football is a phrase I have never used about Tyrone. I still rate their 2005 performances as the most complete of any team this decade. I think Dublin's performance still leaves a little bit of a question mark as to whether they are quite at that level yet. I hope that the next two games show that they are.

The Tyrone fans I sat near where passionate and vocal – and magnanimous to us as the game neared its end. I wished them well and that goes to the Tyrone posters on this board as well. But no one I was sitting near was baying for a red for Whelan, just as we weren't going mad for Cavanagh's head. This was a brutal day, poor conditions, with two big, hard men, taking it and dishing it out. That for me is the way football should be played.
Yellows for both seemed about right.

And if it is Ciaran's last game – well perhaps it is a compliment to him that so many outside the county dislike him – for me, he was a footballer who always gave it his all for his county, and gave us far more happy memories than disappointing ones. He's not the first Dublin footballer to end up without an all Ireland medal and won't be the last – but, if he leaves, he'll always be remembered.

Besides, as Ronnie Drew's death, the news of which swept around the stadium, shows it was only a football match that was won and lost and there are more important things in life.

Good luck to Tyrone for the rest of the championship.

Up the Dubs.

great post

[Davitt Man]

For a laugh

[cadhlancian]

Right Tony, we get it, you were in the premium section

[balladmaker]

Tyrone were simply awesome, although the Dubs didn't turn up.  However, on this form, Kerry v Tyrone will make for one hell of an All Ireland final (no disrespect intended to Wexford and Cork)

[T Fearon]

Depends on which Tyrone team turns up. The one that played Dublin on Saturday, or the one that couldn't beat Down after two games and extra time, that struggled profusely against Mayo and Westmeath etc.Unfortunately I feel Saturday was a flash in the pan, and Tyrone will not face a defence as incompetent or a team as disjointed from here on in.

[red hander]

I have to, but there's no denying the Jekyll and Hyde nature of this Tyorne team, crap against Down, brilliant against Dublin. If they win this year's All Ireland title I will acknowledge the achievement and accord full credit.

Cough... Splutter .... cough ... nurse.... NURSE!!!!!!

[HowdyDoody]

The most galling statistic for Dublin stretches back to 2001 and the inception of the quarter- finals. In that time they have never once beaten Kerry, Armagh or Tyrone when it mattered and, seven times out of eight, have fallen on the sword of one of those three.

Perhaps that says it all now.

Taken from Indo

[rrhf]

Well what can I say.  One of the great red hand days in Croke Park.  Credit to  Mickey who has brought a team within shooting distance again - his unswerthing conviction in players who were below par all year has been rewarded emphatically.  Credit also the best team performance I have seen since 2005.  I must also say well done to Davy Harte - a man who has had some poor performances this years but he rose to the challenge in Croke Park in style.  Its a case of improving and maintaining that performance.  I dont know if it would beat Kerry bbut it would certainloy challenge  the best.

[balladmaker]

I dont know if it would beat Kerry bbut it would certainloy challenge  the best.

If it doesn't beat them, it will come pretty damn close.