Messages

I think Ronan O'Neill could have a big say in the Championship if he is given the chance. Looked very sharp when he came on at CF. We've essentially been operating without a play-maker, besides when SON is out there. Interested to see if Mickey will take a chance on him.

All this will spur on Tyrone me thinks. Monaghan in general were more cynical than Tyrone in this match especially Dessie Mone. I had thought they had turned over a new leaf etc., but they seemed to revert to the Monaghan tactics of recent years, exemplified by the decision to bring Dick on, who immediately came on and just stood in front of Cavanagh, not looking about the ball.

FFS too, Cavanagh gets dragged to the ground more than any other player in the country...

I take exception to whoever said that Tyrone 03-08 were overachievers. They were certainly one of the best sides of all time.  There were certainly 2 to 3 average players that supplemented all the other great players. If you look at say the best 15 from that period...

1. McConnell
2. McMenamin
3. McAnallen
4. Gormley
5. Harte
6. McMahon
7. Jordan.
8. McGinley
9. Cavanagh
10. Dooher
11. McGuigan
12. Cavlan
13. O'Neill
14. Canavan
15. Mulligan

Every single one of those players would get on any team in any era. Then you have left out Justin McMahon, Devlin, McCullagh, Penrose, Devine, Lawn, Mellon, Hughes, Holmes etc.. Granted we always lacked the person to lep and catch the ball at midfield.. but there is no contesting the quality of that team. Spillane's bitterness in '03 masked just how well they played that year, especially in the first half against Kerry.

As regards this year, nothing is won in May. Donegal have won only the one All-Ireland in recent years. They certainly are a formidable team. They may get ahead of themselves and buy into the hype. Brolly seems to like to mythologise a team every now and then. He did it with Tyrone (2003-09), which maybe was justified, but in '08 he did call Donaghy unmarkable aswell... I hope Donegal do believe the hype. Tyrone have got a lot of attention of late, which is good and bad. The pressure will be off, but they have a point to prove, like Tyrone in 2008 where they were 33/1 at one stage! This is a different Tyrone team and how good they are certainly remains to be seen. Now they have a point to prove, as they left this match very much behind them.

Disappointed with today.

Don't think Kerry are as good as they looked nor Tyrone as bad. I think Tyrone thought that Kerry were feeling the pressure coming into the game and thought they could outfox Kerry. The approach and tactics from Tyrone were totally wrong. They played pretty lethargic and no-one was making any good runs forward. Tyrone didn't show the necessary intensity needed and Kerry took hold of the match.


For once unlike the teams of the past there does not seem to be a cohesive unit, it was like a jigsaw that didn't fit. Tactics haven't worked the last few years against the better teams who keep all the men back in their half. It failed in 2009 and last year I'd be reluctant to say it did in 2010 as we did everything but win. Something new needs to be tried. I think trying big Seán at 6 perhaps could be something to try. We definitely are still missing a big presence around the middle of the field as per usual and worryingly someone to pick up the scraps. We do have decent forwards in Coney, R. O'Neill and McCurry but we need a team.

Things need to shook up and perhaps new voices such as Monroe and Canavan should be brought into the backroom team, though not sure if Canavan would settle for second fiddle.

Don't think either side covered themselves in glory and more players should have seen shown the line, Coldrick seemed to respond to the crowd alot. I'm not sure how far Kerry will go, but I'm not convinced that they'll win sam, maybe a semi...

[Gooch can't choke again]

FoSB - any chance of Brolly's article? I'll buy you a shandy.

Too kind sir! 

Gooch can't choke again

The problem with this Kerry team is that they have always failed when it has really been put up to them.
Pat Spillane is very keen to point out that in the numbers game, they have more All-Irelands than Tyrone. But this disguises the reality that deep down in their bones, Kerry folk have always had doubts about this group.
They are, of course, fine foot- ballers and will retire with trophy cabinets sagging under the weight of gold. But at the very highest level, against serious opposition, they have always wilted.
The first hint that they were not on a par with the Golden Years crop came in 2003 when they collapsed entirely in the face of Tyrone's furi- ous indignation. "Sweet mother of Mikey Sheehy" they wailed in the Kingdom. "They're tackling Darragh O'Se!"
As the game wore on and it be- came plain that this particular Ty- rone team was not going to succumb to stage fright in the face of the green and gold jerseys, it was the Kerry men who gave up. It was a surrender that would have been un- thinkable for O'Dwyer's crew. For the record, Kerry scored a miserable six points and lost by seven.
In 2004, the Team of the Decade beat up a Conor Mortimer-inspired Mayo in the final, spraying cham- pagne midway through the first half after Colm Cooper scored a delight- ful goal having soloed through un- touched by human hand. Funny thing, I haven't seen Colm scoring a delightful goal against Tyrone in Croke Park, or any sort of goal.
Which brings me to another sub- ject that I have been reflecting upon anxiously over the last six months: Is Colm as great as I once- thought he was? The skills are of course peerless. He is magnificent when the Kingdom are beating up on Mayo or the old Cork team. But I am begin- ning to have my doubts.
I watched him closely in this year's club semi-final against Cross- maglen. Crokes went seven points up. He had not contributed. Then, Crossmaglen - against all the odds - began their comeback. Now, I thought to myself, now Cooper will ead them home. I waited, and wait- ed, and waited. In the face of Cross- maglen's furious indignation, the golden boy disappeared.
James Morgan, an aggressive, tight marking and hugely competi- tive corner back with no county ex- perience and aged just 21, utterly dominated him.
An American tourist would never have believed it if you'd told him The Gooch was one of the greats. If howver you'd told him he was a choker, he would have agreed, since that is what Colm did against Cross. As their key man floundered, so did his team mates.
When you think about it, there is a pattern.
When Tyrone put it up to him in 2005 and 2008 he failed. When Dublin put it up to him in last year's final, he failed, leaving it to Donaghy to lead the attack. Think on the other hand of how many times Mikey Sheehy, Bomber Liston or my good friend Pat turned games on their head. No quitters on that team.
In 2003, Tyrone put it up to them and Kerry wilted.
The next year, the Green and Gold were back to beat up Mayo in a one sided cakewalk. Let's be fair about it, they could have thrown their jerseys onto the field and Mayo would have surrendered.
In 2005, Tyrone put it up to them again and again the Kingdom quit after a great start saw them surge clear. It is typical of bullies that when a strong start doesn't deter the opponent, they begin to doubt themselves.
In 2006, hip hip hooray, it was Mayo again. Oh how they laughed in the Kingdom when the news came through on the wireless. Come the day of the final, John Morrison'sprediction that Mayo would be Brazil against Kerry's England prompted a new entry in Private Eye's 'Coleman Balls'. The game was over after fifteen minutes, which is just the way Kerry like it. Star and Gooch ran riot and Pat put another notch in his bed post. A 13 point margin.
In 2007 it was Cork. Again, game over after ten minutes and a cushty 10-point win.
In 2008, Tyrone again. Kerry huffed and puffed for a good while that day. like the Big Bad Wolf they threatened to blow down the Tyrone house.
But like the Big Bad Wolf, they chickened out at the finale. With four minutes to go it was a draw. In the RTE soft seats though, we knew what was coming.
I nudged Patrick with my elbow and said "Hard luck." "F*** off" he said. Tyrone duly reeled off five unanswered points.
In 2009, hip hip hooray, it was Cork again and another one sided canter. By God, the Kerry men were throwing their weight about that day. "Fair play to you Tadgh." they roared in the Kingdom. Why didn't they do that the previous year?
In 2010, Kerry were fazed by the fact that Down were totally unfazed. It was the referee's fault don't you know.
Last year, they were fazed by the fact that Gilroy had discarded the startled earwigs and replaced them with an army of worker ants. Dublin stuck with them for sixty minutes. Again, the bullies yielded.
On Saturday, everything is stacked in the Kingdom's favour. Home venue, everyone fully fit, their destroyer in chief Sean Cavanagh in- jured and a Tyrone team not at the level of its predecessors. Yet Tyrone don't give a damn about their green and gold.
If Kerry can finally stand up and by that I mean all of them, not just Tomas and Marc O'Se, then this could be the path to another All-Ire- land. But far more importantly, it will be the path to self respect.
Something Tyrone have never had to worry about...

He is somewhat right, but is just winding people up.

Cooper though played well in 2005 and 2008 from what I can remember, the likes of Bryan Sheehan certainly though choked spectacularily against Tyrone.

Brolly has given Kerry all the motivation they need if they didn't already have it. Allmost everything is in Kerry's favour from the venue to the refferee... I still can't call it... 

Anyone know where it can be seen online? Apparently TG4 don't have the rights...

Hopefully we can keep this up and go unbeaten for 2012!

He says frank bruno's is from this country, so that reveals...

It's gonna be tasty anyways...

Or what about a possible Rté GAA oror Rté Sport... dedicated channel...

Tyrone are pretty safe... as are mayo...

Does anyone think that if this hadn't been on setanta would this have been noticed?