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It's a load of balls... where are these lads staying when they land up? That's right in Student houses! If someone came to stay in my place and caused wrecks with the police I'd soon be telling him to sling his hook.

At the end of the day yes it was a mixture of all 3 groups mentioned causing the damage along with an over reaction by the cops too but don't be giving the students an easy time of it as there's plenty of crap goes on during the week when the other 3 groups have nothing to do with it. As someone stated earlier, have CCTV erected and when there's an incident people can really see what's going on.

Police need to calm the fook down too as I remember my first Paddys in the Holylands there was no trouble all day yet there were 4 land rovers in  gear waiting outside Renshaws and Dukes. Sure when you have 1,000 odd drunken nationalists celebrating their Country's day and they're faced with that at 1.30 in the morning what are they gonna do but chuck stuff over at them. The next year there were no police present and there was no problem.

I think the fact the Holyland has deteriorated this last few years has culminated in what happened yesterday. I've been staying there an odd night this last few weeks and the next morning the place is like a bomb site and there are ones bringing sofas out to drink at 10 in the morning... I really do not see the point in it and it will only lead to anti socail behaviour later in the day!

Yeah it's not a Fergie Rafa situation, Kidney is far too shrewd/composed to buy into any of that nonsense and he'll know exactly how to use comments like that. Johnson would be the kind of boy to respond to this crap and lose the head but given Kidney's history at the mind games I wouldn't expect him to be caught out with this nonsense.

Monaghan play them in a few weeks so I guess we'll know more then!

Was quite surprised at the lack of a crowd at the game alright. Derry don't have good fans at the best of times so we were never going to have many at the game but I thought Dublin could have mustered up more than a few thousand. It was a great evening for a game and Panell Park is a great setting for it. The Dublin County board should have made more of it IMO.

That's fair enough Indiana and I do take your point that we are far from what you would call a 'Championship Team'.

The other thing is I would be of the opposite opinion of Cork in that I think they are massively over rated and the only reason they have managed to get far is because of the lack of any other competition in Munster and favourable draws this past few years. Last year they beat Kerry on an off day and only really beat Kildare then. The year before they beat Louth and a poor enough Meath team to get to an AIF. They may have some players coming through but I think they would struggle against an Armagh/Dublin/Mayo team if they had to play them this year. Maybe in a few years time when the last batch of U21s have matured they might threaten to win the big one but I'm not so sure at the minute.

Indiana we would beat Cork comfortably and will give Galway a right game next week. For me the rankings at the minute would be Tyrone, Kerry, Galway, Monaghan, Derry.

Anyway I was impressed by the application of our lads last night. Muldoon in MF was great, McGuigan didn't play the workhorse WHF and stayed on the 45 as an orthodox HF and did well. Our defence was very solid all round with Barry again impressing at CHB and Sean Leo at WHB very good also. Skinner just had one of those games where everything he kicked went over and I was impressed with his general workrate as well hopefully he can keep this form up.

I have to take back my comments of last week about Lynn and Mullan, they stepped up last night and I was wrong to say they couldn't cut it at this level as they put in huge effort and both played well. I don't think both will be there come championship but if they keep playing as they did yesterday it will be hard to drop them.

Dublin were awful last night and even lynchbhoy said they had 5 of their starting 6 forwards from last year on at a time and they still couldn't muster a decent challenge at all. Again it was noticeable in the players they brought on that they were big men and worked hard in the gym but as usual this is useless unless you have the skills to play football as well. A mystery really why Dublin can't find these players as I'm sure they exist but the current crop just don't seem up to it.

Anyway relegation is not a worry anymore and hopefully we are starting to get the look of a championship team about us. A few lads still to come in and competition for places all over the park is the way a team should be and Derry definitely have that now, as well as strength in depth. Things are looking up although best not to get too carried away. Monaghan in the first round of the Championship will answer any questions over the team.

Interesting side - obviously still toying around to find the right combination.

Glad to see Barry McGuigan get his chance - would prefer it was in the half back line though.  In saying that, he is one lad who can operate in a number of positions.  Would like to see Patsy Bradley back in midfield as well. 

At some point we are going to have to get the half back line in order - i'm not a fan of any of the current incumbents.

Whatever happened to Seamus Bradley? He has been left off the last two panels.
Would also like to see Ryan Dillon given a shot.

Don't think there will be more than 2 points in this either way.

Looks to me like McGuigan will be playing the workhorse HF role up and down the pitch and I think he is one man who can play this properly. Full of running, a good passer of the ball and able to set up play well I'm expecting a good game from him. He's also not inclined to take too much out of the ball which should help.

Also agree on the Seamus Bradley situation I would have thought he deserved more of a chance than Brown after his McKenna cup performances but hopefully he will get some game time in the coming weeks.

Can't agree on Patsy playing MF for us. I would always be of the mind that you need a defensive and attacking midfielder and Patsy and Doc are too similar for my liking which is why I'd prefer to see Muldoon there. Put him in MF and get him on the ball is just what we need to get everything clicking right I think. I expect us to win this by2 points!

Screenexile, you will be sadly disappointed if you are lookin for space in Parnell Park. A terribly tight pitch imo, which has led to many average Dublin players being caught out later on in the championship in the wide expanses of CP.

our boys will be used to a tight pitch,isnt that right lads

Didn't seem that used to it on Sunday past... seeing as they scored 1-18 last time they were on a decent sized pitch I'm sure they'll appreciate something a little bigger !!! 

Is it Kitty Kiernans?? I think that's where my pre match scoops will be anyway... probably watch the Rugby there too LB if you're about?!

Looking forward to this one and think I'm going to head back to the big schmoke to make a day of it. Should be a good days craic with the Egg chasing on beforehand.

Have seen a few Dublin games on TV and if we make the necessary changes from last week I see no reason why we can't win this game. We played awful last week and still only lost by 2 points which is a main by product of our defensive system. If we can get a handle on Brogan I wouldn't be too worried of any of the other Dublin forwards. I fancy it to be a better game than that against Kerry last week which was ruined by the tight pitch but there should be a bit more room in Parnell Park to play around with so I'm going for an away win by 2 points.

Pretty good group for us if we don't f**K up again!

Very surprised to see Kidney go with these changes but on previous experience he's a shrewd operator and imo he's keeping a few lads on their toes ahead of the last 2 games as in "If I don't think you're playing at your best I'll bring someone else in" which will have O'Leary, Flannery, Best and Heaslip champing at the bit if/when they do come on to impress for the last game against Wales.

I'm quite Happy he changed things up a bit as there is no way you can win a Slam with the same 15 players starting every game, it's just too much to ask. Obviously he's keen on keeping competition in the squad and if lads feel that they are all being given a chance then it can only improve things. Looking forward to this on eon Saturday!

I totally agree with you DFS1 (Wow don't think that has happened before). There shouldn't be allowed to be uproar with rules that are already agreed upon. Bottom line is if you pull someone's jersey 3 times in a game you deserve to be off and can have no complaint about it. What annoys me is this propaganda machine that is infiltrating newspapers and journalists up and down the country proclaiming these new rules are a huge success. Bollocks!

They have watered down our game something shocking where a lad is afraid to put in a good shoulder tackle for fear it is mistimed and he will get the line. The rules task force were in Derry last week informing all our club managers that these new rules will be introduced in 2010 for all games and that their ratification at a special congress is only a formality... I think it is a disgrace and I will be lobbying my Club and our CB not to vote for them!!!

Wasn't at it and saw the replays... wasn't dangerous it would have been a mistimed slide tackle in Soccer which warrants a yellow card so how could it be a straight red in a gaelic match? It wasn't malicious but under the new rules it was a completely deserving yellow card so I will not argue with that. Just that it's stupid his game had to end because of it!

What's Diver supposed to do in this instance he's going full pelt and a man of at LEAST 17 stone and 3 feet wide is standing in front of him. Of course he's going to jump. Quirke should have gotten out of the way regardless of what size he is. Regardless of this he is a victim of the new rules and I for one don't think anyone should be sent to the line for a clumsy tackle like that.

As for Bradley? It was a mistimed foot in, yellow card all day long every day of the week and again it's not a sending off offence. Do 2 of either of those tackles under normal regulations and yes you should be given the line for 2 bookings but I think both lads were unfortunate.

God help our games if these new rules do come in they are a joke and will change everything for the worst. I have said it all along when you can send players straight off for making an honest attempt at playing the ball you will begin to lose players altogether. If the original rules were just applied properly everything would be fine!