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Interesting stuff Lone Shark. That must have taken you a few minutes.
It's too late now to study it all but I'll be back. Tyrone at 3/1 to knock Kerry out catches the eye!

The Championship is closing in and with question marks over Mugsy, Brian, Cavanagh, O'Neill and maybe others we're not really sure where we stand.
If everybody's fit for the serious stages of the Championship we'll be there challenging. It's better having injuries now so I'm hopeful that we'll be ok in the Summer with players getting fitter and better as the thing goes on, a bit like 05.
I'd never underestimate Fermanagh who could be dangerous but we should be able to get by in that one and then we'd have 3 or 4 weeks for players to come on another bit for the Ulster semi.
If we can put out a forward line of 10. Dooher 11. McGuigan 12. Mulgrew 13. Mulligan 14. O'Neill 15. McGinley before the end of Summer I'll be over the moon. If that six hits form together and Hub comes good beside Sean we could/should be very hard to stop. But will we have them all together?
At the back we have more options than before with Carlin, McMahon Jnr and McCaul putting pressure on the older heads.

Neil Lennon has been an outstanding servant to Celtic for 7 years and a way better player than he was ever given credit for. He has slowed down all right in the last couple of years but before that he was as effective as nearly any defensive midfielder around.
When he was at unfashionable Leicester he was their backbone and led them to three League Cup Finals, winning two. Chelsea were trying to sign him when he chose Celtic and since then he has had to put up with more abuse than any other footballer will ever receive.
The time is right for him to leave Celtic on a high. Thanks Neil for your efforts.

Here's an article on Lennon which appeared on one of the Celtic websites earlier this year summing up what he's had to go through as a Celtic player:
http://www.etims.net/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1772&Itemid=29

Here's another piece written on him today:
http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/football/display.var.1355586.0.0.php

I've a lot of time for Stephen Kenny but wanting him to beat Celtic in the Cup Final would be pushing it too far for me!
It would be great to see him keep Dunfermline up though, something that looked impossible not so long ago.
His Cup results have been amazing with a team struggling every week in the League.

I thought Hub showed some signs on Sunday that he can do something in this Championship. He's still needed to partner Sean and I'm hopeful that he'll be up for the job.
Overall I was contented enough leaving Healy Park, albeit after hearing Kerry had beaten the Dubs and we were staying in Div 1. There was an improvement from previous games and we looked as if we were going to win until Mugsy self destructed. As it turned out the result in Omagh didn't matter much.
From past experience I prefer not to be going into the Championship with high expectations among the supporters. There's a good 6 weeks now for MH to get us ready and I'm happy with the way things are.

I'm all misty-eyed at this affection for my native county. It's easy knowing we've won f**k all of late 

Hurling: Waterford
Football: Mayo

You and me both, brother, you and me both.

Hurling: Dublin
Football: Donegal

Tell us this, deiseach, can Waterford still win this thing or has this team missed the boat? Surely there's only so long a team can keep knocking on the door without it opening.
Since so many neutrals would like to see you do well, what's the feeling within Waterford as regards expectation and optimism for 07?

Most people seem to be like myself - Waterford or Galway for the hurling, Donegal or Mayo for the football!
It must be great for posters from these counties to realise how popular they are. Just like us Tyrone people feel all the time

Evrybody wants Brian back so much but a full recovery to his injury is far more important and if that means he doesn't make it back this year then so be it. As above I'd rather see him take his time if it meant he'd be completely recovered.
We'll have to plan without him now and if he's back before the summer's over that's a fantastic bonus.
Is anybody heading to the big night for him at the end of April?

My ideal team would probably be:

Packie
Ricey, McMahon, Carlin
Davy, Gormley, Jordan
Hub, Cavanagh
Dooher, McGuigan, Mulgrew
Mugsy, O'Neill, McGinley

I'd have no problem though with McGee, McMahon Jnr, Mellon (not in the corner though), or Cavanagh Jnr playing instead of somebody above. Penrose or McCullagh should make useful subs as well and McCaul is another option in the FB line.

Should McGuigan make it back it would be a huge, huge boost. What are the chances, does anybody really know or is it too early to tell?

Have to agree what you say about Laois Closetotheharte we are capable of beating anyone but our problem in the last few years is putting a string of good matches together
Came close last year by beating Tyrone,Offaly and Meath and then fecked it up when we had Mayo beaten only to throw it away
Hoping this year will be different 

I actually had a sneaky feeling for Laois after they'd beaten Tyrone last year because I was impressed by their all round effort in that game but I felt let down by them when they threw it away against Mayo. If they'd been able to apply themselves in every game like they did against Tyrone they'd have been very hard to beat.

I'd love to see Waterford do it in the Hurling. If they can't, Galway.

I think most people in Ireland would have sympathy for Mayo because of what's happened to them in previous Finals so I think they would be popular winners with everybody.
But if Tyrone can't do it I'd be happy to see Donegal do it. I'd also have great admiration for Armagh if they were able to come back and win it again!

Anybody but Kerry, not because I hate them but because they've won enough!

I think everybody would agree that if Tyrone were to have everybody back fit for the Summer (especially McGuigan) then they would deserve to be 2nd favourites behind Kerry and would have a fair good chance of going all the way. The uncertainty about injuries is the problem at the minute - but the bookies are taking no chances and have them in 2nd place on their list because they are a proven side. I'm quietly confident that this break (I think its 7 weeks) will refresh the team and we'll see a strong Tyrone again come the Summer and I expect them to be in the running. Anybody who thinks they won't have the hunger or motivation is underestimating MH.
No need to justify Kerry's position at the top of the list. It's their right to be there!
Dublin probably deserve to be 3rd favourites but can they take that next big step? Nobody seems to know.
Outside the top 3, the value bets for me are Donegal, Mayo, Armagh and Derry. All four are good enough to beat anybody on their day.
I still wouldn't write off Armagh; Donegal are well capable under McIvor if they can stay focussed; Mayo are going to be mentally stronger under JOM and Derry are overpriced by the bookies.
Cork haven't enough quality up front to go all the way and Laois and Galway could beat anybody but might struggle to put a string of wins together.
It's looking like an interesting Championship.

No disrespect to the big 2 I would love to see an East Tyrone team win it again once anyway.  whether that was Coalisland, Moy, Ardboe and obviously Donaghmore to bring a little O Neill cup excitement to our wee corner of Tyrone.   

If Round 1 of the League is any sort of a guide then the East Tyrone teams could be ready to step up this year - in ALL divisions. Great away wins for Galbally, Coalisland, Donaghmore, Ardboe in 1A and Clonoe, Moy, Derrylaughan, Edendork, Kildress (home) in 1B. Moortown beat the 'All Ireland Champs' away in Div 2, Eglish won at Urney and Derrytresk, Rock and Brackaville (draw) all got good results in Div 3. Is the balance of power heading East?

I wasn't necessarily brining up the Rooney subject to have a go at him, I was just stunned when I realised last night how bad is scoring record is in CL and International games! Hadn't realised he had gone three seasons without putting the ball in the net even once in a CL game. (Even Kenny Miller, arguably the worst goal scorer in Celtic history, managed 3 goals in the CL this season!)
Rooney was a great talent when he first appeared but the usual English hype painted him as a world beater long before he was entitled to that label. Since then he seems to have gone backwards - and it only dawned on me last night just how much!
Yes, time is on his side - but you'd have to wonder if he will ever become that world beater that England and Man U fans were hoping him to be?
Is every Utd fan as optimistic about him as they were a few years ago?

Is it true that Rooney's goal was his first CL goal since 2004? And as someone said here earlier, that last goal was on his debut!
How bad is Rooney's scoring record in CL and Internationals? Has anybody got the stats on his International goals / appearances?