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Lads, there's video evidence. It's there for all to see. Dublin player sticks his thumb into the eye of the Donegal player. Disgusting eye gouging.

I think it's very unfair to criticise Donegal. They're an amateur team playing against professionals, what way are they supposed to play the game? They had to try to keep it tight. It worked in 2014 to the extreme embarrassment of everyone in Dublin. The eye gouging by the Dublin player is disgusting. Not the first time one of their players has done this. They are also in the habit of biting opposition players.

__________Pts__SD____Fixtures
Fermanagh    4      -2         Galway (away) Tyrone (home)
Meath            3      -12       Derry (away) Laois (away)
Laois             3      -20        Cavan (away) Meath (home)
Armagh         3       -22       Tyrone (away) Derry (home)

There's a number of different scenarios. If Fermanagh lose both their games we only have to win one. If us, Meath and Armagh win one each it'll go down to score difference. If only 2 of those 3 win one game it will go down to head to head. Whatever way you look at it, I think it'll come down to beating Meath on the last day. A win in Cavan would be a big boost though.

The crowds have come back in their thousands since McNulty left! The stand was crowded against Derry.
If people prefer to get beaten by Antrim and Tipperary then fair enough but I prefererred watching us get to an All Ireland quarter final and putting it up to the bigger teams in late July.
Anyway, as has been said, we have to move on. We have our most talented squad in a good few years. Let's hope Lillis can learn and tighten things up. If Fermanagh and Derry are walking through us then what will Dublin do? Cavan are a team on the up. A real good challenge to see if we're trying to get things right.

There's no guarantee that McNulty would have had the same level of committment. Alot of lads were fed up of his tactics the same as the supporters.

We are where we are so there isn't much point lamenting about McNulty. I for one am not sorry to see his style of play gone. Is he even managing now?

Personally I would rather have the unpredictable Laois we have now than go back to the McNulty days.

It wasn't always perfect under McNulty but people have short memories. It wasn't always ultra defensive and we had some great victories. We got promoted to division 1 in 2011, scoring 6-98 and getting notable wins against Meath, Derry (away by 14 points) and Donegal. In 2012 we got relegated from division one but we competed well, could anyone see that happening now? In 2013 we beat Armagh scoring 20 points, Galway by 8, we finished on 9 points.
In the championship we had great wins such as against Monaghan by 2 goals, beating Meath in Tullamore, Wexford away and giving Dublin and Donegal really good games. We were also banging in massive scores against lesser opposition. Before and after McNulty we got knocked out by Tipperary! Last year it was Antrim. We actually got to a quarter final under McNulty, when will that happen again?

McNulty would have made hay with this squad. We have nearly everyone available, young players coming through that are adding a lot, competition for places, problem is we have an amateur set up. We could be wasting our best opportunity in years.

Tyrone are promoted and I think it'll be a last day showdown between Cavan and Galway to see who joins them. Cavan at home so they are favorites to go up in my book.
As has been said above, the relegation battle is between 4 teams. Derry should be fine I think. Here's the remaining fixtures for all the candidates, their points and score difference.

__________Pts__SD____Fixtures
Fermanagh    4      -2         Galway (away) Tyrone (home)
Meath            3      -12       Derry (away) Laois (away)
Laois             3      -20        Cavan (away) Meath (home)
Armagh         3       -22       Tyrone (away) Derry (home)

It's very hard to call. I think Fermanagh, Laois and Armagh will lose their next round, Meath have a chance in Derry. Fermanagh will hope Tyrone are trying out players in the last round, the winnrs of Laois and Meath will probably stay up and Armagh have to hope Fermanagh lose both games as they lost to both Laois and Meath so would be relegated on head to head record.

Laois missed 5 excellent goal chances, Derry scored all of theirs. Derry could have knicked it in the end though. Lynch missed an easy chance.

This oul defensive Ulster/ Midlands type of football is ruining the game
Were there any defenders playing at all?

It looked at times that both teams were down to 12 players there was so much space. Laois were 3 to 4 points up a couple of times, Derry never led, why towards the end no Laois player dragged down a Derry player going towards goal is a mystery. No masters of the dark arts anyway!

Laois missed 5 excellent goal chances, Derry scored all of theirs. Derry could have knicked it in the end though. Lynch missed an easy chance.

We're too slow! Most teams run from deep with huge pace these days. Our half forward, midfield and half back line can't keep up with them. When you have this deficiency you have to organise a defensive unit, it's the only option. I have my doubts that the manager we have has the ability to implement the system needed but I'm hope he can prove me wrong. He hasn't learned anything yet anyway but I suppose he has an excuse cause we haven't played any football yet, it's mid-March!!!!!

Reading this thread I think the question is would Dublin have won 3 out of the last 5 if they didn't get Irish Sports Council money and money from elsewhere? Would they have won any? Looking at it objectively I think it's fair to say that they would not have. They hadn't won any since 1995 and then suddenly they win 3 out 5. A coincidence? Doesn't seem likely.
So if they already have the best team in the country because of money paid to them, then surely they will only continue and improve on this? Seems a bit unfair. Surely they'll win at least 7 out of 10, how can they be stopped?

The above logic is completely flawed. The increased funding
started  10 or 11 years ago. Most of the key men on the Dublin team were already adult footballers at that stage so would not have benefitted from extra games development money. Cluxton. The brogans, Connolly, Flynn, macauley, brennan, bastick etc were all in their late teens or early twenties. GPOs coming into their clubs would have zero influence on their development.

Indeed the Dublin football development squad system was extremely mediocre until 3 or 4 years ago. . This team will break up in the next few years and the golden era will end and while Dublin have been decent underage in recent years they have hardly dominated nationally. I reckon that all the players mentioned above will be retired within 2 or 3 years and Dublin will be back in the pack.

Finally I'm watching Dublin footballers since the 70s. Until recently Kildare, Meath, laois and Offaly would have had top teams winning or at least competing for major honours. Maybe instead of asking the question, how come Dublin are so good? These counties should ask the question how come.we are so bad?

So how come those players you listed weren't winning 3 out of 5 before the 2011? If I remember correctly they were getting many the beating against Kerry, Tyrone etc. Did the players that benefitted from the extra money push them from being an average team to what they are now?

How can they go back into the pack when according to people here they're getting over 2 million to develop players? It would seem impossible.

I wonder does your average Dublin fan know about the money? Maybe they know about it but ignore it or try to push it to the side because it tarnishes their acheivements?

I'd tell you to bring your brolly to this but I wouldn't like to see you go home with a broken one.

Reading this thread I think the question is would Dublin have won 3 out of the last 5 if they didn't get Irish Sports Council money and money from elsewhere? Would they have won any? Looking at it objectively I think it's fair to say that they would not have. They hadn't won any since 1995 and then suddenly they win 3 out 5. A coincidence? Doesn't seem likely.
So if they already have the best team in the country because of money paid to them, then surely they will only continue and improve on this? Seems a bit unfair. Surely they'll win at least 7 out of 10, how can they be stopped?

Who'd be easier to understand, a Longford farmer or Jamie Carragher?