Messages

Cassidy brands TV pundits 'hypocrites'
27 May 2009


Derry manager Damian Cassidy has accused RTE's Sunday Game panel of hypocrisy as the fallout continues from last Sunday's controversial Ulster SFC clash in Celtic Park.

TV pundits Joe Brolly, Colm O'Rourke and Pat Spillane were scathing in their criticism of the rough house tactics employed by both Derry and Monaghan, but Cassidy has turned on them by claiming they were no angels themselves during their own playing days.

"I can't help but feel there is a rampant level of hypocrisy about this," he said.

"You are talking about pundits who when they played could have been cited very handily themselves.

"Now they are sitting on television with halos over their heads."

Cassidy was especially riled by Spillane's comments that he felt sorry for spectators who paid to watch the game.

"I haven't spoken to a Derry supporter yet who was disappointed with what they saw," he remarked.

"There are people with their own agendas here. Being controversial is one way of maintaining your profile."

I'm glad Cassidy has come out and said this, but it will make no difference to these clowns as they pontificate as if their word is the last on all issues. These so-called analysts are talking about the football being poor - well I reckon the quality of punditry is poor. And they're the ones getting paid!

They comment on whether or not it was a poor game of football - to me that is irrelevant; most of us want to know how and why a game was won or lost.

It's probably a topic for another thread, but The Sunday Game guys, along with Burns and McHugh also are getting tiresome. I enjoyed more Setanta's coverage during the league.

He may be a negative hoor but Eugene McGee at least tells it how it is, and as regards Ulster football especially, Peter Canavan usually calls it spot on.

It's much fresher than the lazy nonsense spouted by McHugh and Spillane.

Not long until Sunday now folks, and the game we've all been waiting for. Forget Tyrone or Dublin in the league, or Kerry in the league final - this is the big one.
Well one of the big ones anyway (hopefully).

We're hampered with injuries alright, but it's still a solid looking Derry team.
Kielt in the forwards was the one big decision that had to be made imo. McGuigan could have been named here, with Mullan at wing-forward, but Kielt has got the nod. Seamy Bradley and Brown were other options, but they would have been too much of a risk.

I see some on here were thinking that Kielt may have been named at wing-forward, but if you rewind back to the Tyrone game in Omagh, this particular experiment didn't work at all. McGuigan will play the link role effectively as he can play in either half-back or half-forward line.

It all points to Kielt playing inside along with Paddy Bradley. Whether this means Derry will play a more direct game at times remains to be seen. Skinner* will more than likely provide attacking impetus on the '40. Running through the middle is one way of putting a blanket defence on the back foot (Down did it on sunday in the first half to reasonable effect, before abandoning this tactic for some reason). Hopefully skinner* can do the business. He has been absolutely superb so far this year.

As for the defence, who will pick up who - it will depend on what side Monaghan name I suppose. G O'kane could be tasked with marking Freeman, but he's not really a natural man-marker. It might be better if he follows the likes of Woods out the pitch.

Good to see Damian Cassidy getitng the team named early in the week - shows confidence. This nonsense of naming fake teams, and supposedly keeping the opposition guessing helps no-one. Again, look at Down last weekend.

Really looking forward to the game. We need a totally different approach from the last couple of years. We need to be cuter, and literally get into Monaghan's faces. They'll be entering Celtic Park with something of a siege mentality; we need to kick it out of them!!


*Eoin Bradley

A depleted Derry defence against a very, very strong looking Kerry forward line.

We will have our work cut out to contain them. I'm not confident, but it'll be interesting to see how we cope.

You can read a preview of the game on my blog: http://oakleafers.blogspot.com/2009/04/final-is-just-beginning.html

[score 1st, lead at HT and win]

As KingLarsson would tell you we havent been scoring many goals, but still 5/1 sounds good value.

IF you fancy Derry to win then going for that 9/1 for us to score 1st, lead at HT and win sounds ok on the basis that we have been making quick starts this year (as against Kerry the last day)

Thats a mugs bet IMO, totally up in the air who could get the first point and could leave your bet dicked after ten seconds!!

but their basis is that derry have scored first in all 7 of their league games to date, thus the odds are incorrect (going on the basis that this is a trend) and value can be had!!

I didn't know that, an impresive stat. Though the reason the odds are so high is because Kerry rightly go in as favourites... I wouldn't take the bet anyway... But knock yourself out!

Not sure about that first score stat. Did Donegal not score the first point in Derry's previous game - after about 30 secs?

Don't know about the other games.

It's been a whole 50 years since Derry first met Kerry in a League Final.
Kerry lead 2-1 overall in NFL Final head-to-heads; hopefully Derry can tie it up on Sunday!

http://oakleafers.blogspot.com/2009/04/fifty-years-in-making.html

Bit of a preview on tomorrow night's game:
http://oakleafers.blogspot.com/2009/03/derry-can-claim-derby-victory.html

No surprise, I've went for a Derry victory 

Is Tommy Walsh not playing due to u21's?

Tommy Walsh and David Moran will both miss the Derry game due to the U-21 Championship. Kerry play Cork U-21s the following week.

From today's Irish News:
----

Anger over Derry-Kerry venue switch (Paddy Heaney)

THE Derry County Board's decision to switch the NFL game against Kerry to Bellaghy has been heavily criticised by the chairman of St Colm's, Ballinascreen.
Lawrence Cleary's club was expected to host the glamour tie against the Kingdom on Sunday, March 8, but the Derry board has gained clearance from Croke Park to stage the tie in Bellaghy.
Derry chairman Seamus McCloy told The Irish News that the board was simply acting on the behest of team manager Damian Cassidy.
"He [Cassidy] felt that the surface in Ballinascreen was too heavy, and if there was rain, then it would cut up even worse," said McCloy.
"It was the manager's request. The county board passed the decision to move the game to Bellaghy and it was approved by Croke Park last night."
But this explanation has provoked an angry response from Cleary. After his club hosted the game in which Derry annihilated Westmeath, Cleary felt that there was no justification in moving venues.
"We are really disappointed. I can't understand how they can make a decision on a pitch 18 days before the match.
"At the end of the day, Derry beat Westmeath by 14 points and they scored 1-18. I can't see what the problem is.
"We spent a lot money in our preparations for these matches. We put in new fencing and built new dugouts. We are really annoyed about this."
Cleary said his anger was compounded because Bellaghy is not an official county ground. Celtic Park is listed as the main venue in Derry while Ballinascreen and Glen are the two secondary venues.
Both Celtic Park and Glen are unavailable for the game against Kerry due to redevelopment work. Celtic Park will not be completed until the end of the League, while Glen have resurfaced their pitch, although the club is scheduled to stage the home games against Galway and Donegal.
The unavailability of Celtic Park and Glen meant the Derry County Board had to gain approval fromCroke Park before switching the game to Bellaghy. Cleary said he was not convinced that Pairc de Brun is big enough for a bumper attendance.
"I thought these matches had to be played at county grounds. We are a county ground and Bellaghy is not a county ground," he added.
"If there is a big crowd at that game I just can't see how Bellaghy would cope. They don't have the facilities, and they don't have the stewards to steward a match the same way that we did against Westmeath."
Seamus McCloy readily acknowledged that the Ballinascreen club did a fine job against Westmeath, but he didn't think his home club would have any problem housing the crowd.
"We didn't want to take it away from Ballinascreen because it is a great club with great facilities," he added.
"They hosted the game against Westmeath tremendously well. But the pitch isn't good enough.
"And I can't see the crowd being a problem. Kerry will bring nobody. If it was Derry and Tyrone, you would expect a really big crowd. I think we can expect between three and five thousand."
Cleary also hit out at the county board for complying with Damian Cassidy's request to move the game away from Ballinascreen.
"The Derry management team shouldn't be able to dictate to the county board where the matches should be played.
That is not their job."