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I know I will come a cropper with this type of prediction one day but I cannot see how Fermanagh cope with Murphy, Mc Brearty Snr or Ryan McHugh. If they do there is still McNiallas McGlynn and Eoin McHugh to be stopped. Nothing but a home win but it may be a tricky win if we are half cooked with one eye on the semi.

[no big game experience]

It may sound cliché but if both teams play to their true potential then there'll not be much in it. Expect it to be a tactical battle on the sideline as much as across the white line. As I said previously, Monaghan definitely have a greater strength in depth this time around (and 14 of our 15 regulars fit and ready...) The addition of McCloone and Walsh will certainly help Donegal but both have no big game experience this year, for which there is no substitute.

Who's gonna blink first? 

I assume you mean this year. Unlike everyone on the Monaghan team who have been truly tested so far?

For overall squad depth Leo and Declan are massive additions. Regarding the Ulster Final both teams will be up a notch from previous outings but I will be bullish and say Donegal to win with an awesome display of brains and braun. Murphy to do damage inside this time and Mark McHugh to play a 2012 style starring role as sweeper starving McManus of ball. Who's the ref anyone?

Would love to be going to this game myself but can't unfortunately with the day that's in it.  I think Tyrone could win it. I expect a very different Tyrone performance from last week much more like what they intend to serve up in May. I expect ourselves to get a hiding in Castlebar but have done enough to stay up barring a freakish set of results.

Tyrone v Kerry is live on TG4. Coverage starts at 2:30. Delayed coverage of Mayo v Donegal.

Yeah. Little emphasis on the methods Kerry employed to win. But at the end of the day they won it.
Re the thread. Jimmy won 13 Ulster Championship games and lost 1.
He won
3 of 4 Quarter Finals
2 of 3 Semi Finals
1 of 2 All Ireland Finals.

In anyones books that is massive.
Respect to Jim and all who helped him.
Donegal football is in rude health right now.
Ulster should be the immediate goal of his successor.
See no major reason why this team won't continue to challenge at the top table throughout the career of Michael Murphy and perhaps even beyond.

Lump on the Donegal double. 100 on pays 330 back. Don't say I didn't tell you. Easy money.

If Antrim truly go out to attack they will be eaten alive. I think Baker is trying to use his well renowned mouth to draw our boys out.
Fish in a barrell methinks.

I wouldn't be one for hanging on the word of Brolly, Spillane or O' Rourke but he at least recognises there's more to Gaelic football these days than hoof it long and hope for the best as the other two would have you believe.
Re Cavanagh, I second the opinion that Sean flaps around like a salmon going upstream in the scoring zone with great frequency. He's infuriating to watch. It's cheating. Simples.

Sean is cheating to compensate for the fact that he's surrounded by mediocrity.
It's still not enough though, such is the infestation of same.
It's good to see his antics out of the Ulster championship and lets hope this media tart is epelled from the all ireland series just as quickly.
Cheating is cheating afer all.

I think the black card came from good intentions but is going to be the talking point of the summer rather than the wonderful football it was introduced to encourage.
One high profile black card in Championship football will spark fury. The reason for this is inconsistency. You can highlight a number of incidents which to the letter of the law are black card offenses in every game of football, live or televised. At present from the 7 league games I've witnessed we've had inconsistency from the same ref across the same game, never-mind how frustrating it will get when you see inconsistencies between different games with different refs. I'm not saying I'd like to see more black cards per se, rather that I'd expect uniforming and consistency of approach across the games.
The rule states the offenses as follows
1. Deliberately pull down an opponent.
2. Deliberately trip an opponent with the hand(s), arm, leg or foot.
3. Deliberately body collide with an opponent after he has played the ball away or for the purpose of taking him out of a movement of play.
4. Threaten or to use abusive or provocative language or gestures to an opponent or a teammate.
5. Remonstrate in an aggressive manner with a Match Official.

From what I've seen 4 and 5 have not been implemented.
1, 2 and 3 have been horrendously inconsistently implemented, 3 in particular which has infuriated me over the past few months as it stops the running game which I enjoy.

Was great to win the division after all is said and done and head back to the top table for next year.
Those teams who played defensive systems gave us most bother i.e. Down and Meath and to a lesser extent Armagh (hard to tell what system Grimley was employing), while those who played football were soundly beaten i.e. Louth, Monaghan, Laois and Galway. Championship football will be more like the former than the latter so it's hard to gauge our form but the objective has been achieved overall with one defeat in what was, on paper, our most difficult fixture of the 7. The final will be a good challenge prior to Championship with our neighbours having had excellent preparation through Div 1, so another test at the end of the month is welcome. I don't expect much different from Monaghan compared to Letterkenny. D Hughes and Gallogly will offer more physicalitywhile Mone, Corey and Clerkin are more likely to start than attempt a salvage job but we'll probably have Patrick, Neil Gallagher and Eamon McGee available to start which are 3 of our best on current form in their respective lines.  I'd be fairly confident of another win in Croke Park.

It's in O' Donnell Park, Letterkenny GMF.
I think Donegal will win this clash. Home advantage and a winter of discontent will be in our favour.
That being said I believe the performance to be more important than the result as is true of any game in February/March.
I think this game will be a good barometer for where our summer will end. A win on Sunday and I think we'll give Ulster a really good crack. Defeat and I think we'll struggle to overcome Derry.

Antrim could defo get to an Ulster final, no real big hitters on our side of the draw, that might bring in a good manager now with a host of players making their way back

Spot on MR2.  First up it's Fermanagh, well they're shite too.  After that Donegal/Derry.  I'd prefer Donegal as we've a win agin them in recent memory (in Bealach Feidh too!) whereas I can only remember a draw agin Derry in 2000.  So the form book says we've a better chance against the Tir Chonaill men.  Then it's the final against whoever comes out of the weak side of the draw.  Hopefully Cavan can fulfil their potential as we've a daycent record against them recently.  I'd go for Antrim v Cavan (the traditional Ulster Final).  We really should be seeded.

You Antrim boys are some craic. Seems you missed the fact that McGuinnesses Donegal simply don't compare to that of John Joe Doherty when we couldn't buy a win home or away. The Antrim loss in Ballybofey was pretty much the low point of the past 30 odd years of Donegal football. What made it worse than losing to Ulsters minnows was the man that was in charge of ye. Even accepting the fact that we kicked 19 wides that day and went on to reach a Quarter final, it's still an unforgiveable blot on JJ Dohertys copybook. Couldn't see a repeat if you paid me to. Whoever wins Donegal v Derry appears in the Ulster final as underdogs to a team who deserves to win it given what they've been through on the other side of the draw.

[he got subbed after tunneling into 3 Cavan players]

Freeman isn't fully fit yet. For now, best to keep him reserve. McGuiness has a great goal scoring record - the team have too often not picked up his great movement earlier in the year (they were looking for McManus inside), but are adjusting to him. O'Connell for all his pace, lacks the footballing brain for this level. He too often loses his man when turned and relies on his pace to try save his skin and is a lazy tackler prone to fouling.

I  honestly feel Doogan makes a better half back than a half forward - he has huge workrate and commitment but offers zero in a scoring sense. Dick's form has been hit and miss all year - he's definetly not getting through the amount of work he used to. Neil McAdam has had a good year overall , but the Cavan game was one of his poorest - his decision making was poor and wasn't releasing possession quick enough (he got subbed after tunneling into 3 Cavan players). I'd still start him against Donegal.

I would like to see Dermot Malone back in the team. He's over his knee injury he picked up in the league final. The big question is whether Eoin Duffy will be fit - he's been having his best year in the Monaghan jersey yet and a huge scoring contribution from half forward. He was definetly a loss against Cavan. Have a feeling Mone will mark McFadden , Walshe on McBrearty and Wylie on Murphy. Corey while having the physicality lacks that burst of speed over 5 yards to match any of those 3 (witness what Conor Laverty did last year to Corey).

No doubt about it, Donegal are the ultimate test for any side. Monaghan have found it tough to play against two sides whose whole mentality was very defensive. Even Tyrone found Roscommon a tough nut to crack - it's a bloody hard system to get through. Donegal bring that to the next level while offering a huge attacking threat.

If you boys are for subbing every man that tunnels into 3 players you'll need a raft of rule changes before te 21st. :-)