Messages

AZ I'm not sure how Ireland are clearly inferior to austria or wales. Because Martin chooses to lump it as first, second and final options, it might look that way. But in terms of player ability ((Bale excepted) it's nit the case.

Nobody expects automatic qualification from Ireland.

But I, along others, fail to see why Ireland players should be banned from exhibiting technique, composure and interchange play, when almost every nation outside of this and our neighbouring isle, expect these as the minimum attributes from their national representatives.

That over a dozen Irish men currently make millions from EPL football should be enough to suggest that MON should entrust them a little more.

Ireland play conservatively for a reason, Ireland aren't good enough or MON doesn't spend enough time with is players to be able to play good football one game and conservatively the next. He has to pick a style of football and stick with it.

If Ireland had played a better brand of football with that squad of players or tried changing form game to game they'd have finished 3rd or 4th.

This squad is a miles away in quality from the 2002 team.

What he said.

Given the talent at his disposal MON is completely right to play conservatively. Regardless of whether the team make it past the playoffs or not, Ireland are simply not good enough to play "attractive football". It's mind-boggling how someone would choose entertainment over competitiveness.

See, football is not as black and white as you make out.

Efficient, conservative football will never be as attractive as free flowing football. But not does it have to consist of continually booting the ball 90 yards.

Ireland don't have the players to compete against the best teams. But there wasn't even a remnant of a top class side in our group. If Serbia or Wales look technically superior it is only because they've been encouraged to play football. Your heads in the sand if you think otherwise.

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The biggest problem with MON's approach is that should we make Russia, it's likely that it'll be a repeat of Euro 2012. It's one thing, in my opinion, to be beaten by a better team. It's another to look completely incapacitated on an individual level  due to tactics.

Happiness is of course a choice.

But so is perspective.

Reaching a playoff isn't a cause for celebration in itself. Nor is beating a Wales team full of Championship players.

If we make Russia then the end will justify the means.

But if not, then I'd be questioning why we must sit through such inane shite as the past couple of years of qualifying. I've no expectations of Ireland ever winning a major trophy. But playing football along the ground surely isn't that big an ask.

It's international football ffs. If you want entertainment watch La Liga or Champions League. I'm sick to f**k of people complaining about how hard it is to watch. Don't watch it then! I mean  what else do you f**king expect?

Ireland beating Wales 1-0 away is cause for celebration. A team arguably better than us and we won in a tense, closely fought contest away from home. Full of championship players I hear you cry.. the Championship is better than the majority of leagues in Europe so give over

You're missing my point.

Or maybe I'm not making it clearly enough.


There's a time and a place for ultra negative football. Sometimes I even enjoy watching it unfold.

But the question I'd ponder surrounds whether the end justifies the means.

We've just watched two of the worst years of football quality delivered by any team, anywhere. If that style of football comes unstuck in the playoffs, then no I personally don't believe it's worth it. We might as well finish 4th giving it a go and giving players a chance to thrive, as not qualify booting it 80 yards every time.

The goal hasn't been achieved yet by MON. Until it has, let's not celebrate what is frankly revolting to watch.

Happiness is of course a choice.

But so is perspective.

Reaching a playoff isn't a cause for celebration in itself. Nor is beating a Wales team full of Championship players.

If we make Russia then the end will justify the means.

But if not, then I'd be questioning why we must sit through such inane shite as the past couple of years of qualifying. I've no expectations of Ireland ever winning a major trophy. But playing football along the ground surely isn't that big an ask.

MON gets way too much criticism, Ireland have over achieved to get to a play off and based on players Wales & Serbia are ahead so its a good achievement to get this far.

Wales with far more talent would love to be waking up this morning in Ireland's position.

Wales might have far more talent, but he was injured last night and is injured every other game. Apart from him they're all (on both sides) plodders or inconsistent.

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Something didn't sit right with me with Jon Walters video last night. "Right everyone, stand up against that wall and dance a little for instagram".

Qualifying for a playoff is not an achievement. Not an achievement. Not an achievement unless the playoff is won.

Wales have Ramsey & Allen who both have a lot more quality then anything we have. Then there's Davies who's at Spurs. Ireland don't have any player at one of the top 6 clubs.

Joe Allen plays for Stoke. To put that in context, Glen Whelan was a starter for Stoke for most of the past 5 seasons. Allen might be classier than Hendrick but he's hardly on a higher level.


Ben Davies is quietly evolving into a class act, but Seamus Coleman surely is a notch up again.

So that leaves Ramsay, and countering that is a championship heart of Hennessy, Chester, Gunter, Lawrence, Ledley,  Kanu.


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If a horsey man was handicapping it: with Bale, there's maybe a stone in it. Without Bale, it's an even race.

This was no giant killing feat lads.

Wales aren't worth a shit sans Bale .

On paper the current wales team is much stronger than Ireland.
A high percentage of their staring team are premier league regulars.
Something we cant say at the minute.

You should really check you facts before posting them.

MON gets way too much criticism, Ireland have over achieved to get to a play off and based on players Wales & Serbia are ahead so its a good achievement to get this far.

Wales with far more talent would love to be waking up this morning in Ireland's position.

Wales might have far more talent, but he was injured last night and is injured every other game. Apart from him they're all (on both sides) plodders or inconsistent.

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Something didn't sit right with me with Jon Walters video last night. "Right everyone, stand up against that wall and dance a little for instagram".

Qualifying for a playoff is not an achievement. Not an achievement. Not an achievement unless the playoff is won.

Does every county have a different rule on what constitutes an intermediate team? Or is there some central guidance?

There's probably junior teams in Dublin could compete in senior in some counties!

Just like a premier division team from Ireland isn't going to cut it in the English Premier League.

I would imagine in most counties is the X number of best teams player senior, next X teams intermediate and so on.

The standard will be influenced by playing population, underage development etc.

Not sure what central guidance there could be, beyond suggesting a common format for splitting the teams into the categories.

You can't really have some objective standard of what constitutes a team fit to play senior or intermediate level beyond the ranking system within the county itself.

I'm sure there are teams in the Armagh senior championship that would struggle elsewhere, despite the national dominance of Crossmaglen.

It just seems so arbitrary; some counties can dominate the intermediate club championship by having smaller numbers in their senior championship. Accept it's difficult to moderate though

The last 10 years of the IFC has thrown up winners from Down, Tyrone, Cavan, Derry, Fermanagh and Monaghan.


Arbitrary or not, that's a wonderfully even spread and would suggest that most counties are entering teams at the same level.

What is the best route to go to and from Wembley to Gatwick airport?

Overground train to London Bridge then its a straight run on underground to Wembley Park (Jubilee Line). You could also get Gatwick Express into Victoria and tube it from there but they'll charge you over twice the price for that pleasure...

There's another south west train that runs to Victoria with just a couple of stops and it's half the price.

So there's a big t shape. Do you know what though, it's just a roof that covers 10 changing rooms, gyms, theatres, offices and kitchens I.e. where the real money was spent.

Would you really prefer that Tyrone has spent 6m and left it looking like a cowshed?

It's the biggest investment every made in GAA in the county; if needed to make a statement.


GAA people, once again, proving that when it comes to belittling and begrudgery, are the clearest of champions.

Owen if we're getting into missing the point, then did you not just miss it too?

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1. Development centres are not spectator grounds.

2. The vast, vast majority of funding and sponsorship raised for Garvaghey was for the development of Tyrone County Teams. It's trite and ungracious to suggest that it should have been siphoned off for another purpose, even if seems like a related purpose.

3. The development of Garvaghey is one of the major reasons why the club and county games continue (just about) to sit by side. Without it, there would be a demand on Tyrone clubs to share their facilities with county u13-adult for 10 months a year.

4. Which is why Down fork out a large 5 figure sum every year hiring council and school facilities for our county teams, and why Armagh's minor management tear their hair out every year when no club will host their Ulster League fixtures

5. I know that in theory Tyrone GAA could have purchased land closer to sea level and then spent the necessary adding drainage to make it year round playable. But the reality is that there would have been a trade off involved; either a less central location, a smaller plot, or a bigger cost. Which of those would you have been happy with?

garvaghy may be  built along a main road but it is 700ft above sea level on a mountain. serious windy place. bit of a vanity project with no stands to even accomodate a decent crowd for a game. county board still owe 1.2 million stg for the loan on it. any wonder they cant spend money on county teams or others grounds. club scene is in rude health in tyrone and we regularly have more people attending club championship games than county home league games. without the club scene they would have nothing.

I honestly don't see how it can be described as a vanity project. Every county in Ireland either has a centre of excellence, or is desperately wanting for one.

I'm going to take a guess that the potential for a spectator stand was discussed at length during its planning, but the vast cost of the project meant priorities had to be put in place, and I'd also guess that the mission statement for the project was vested in developing players, not providing a venue for club matches.... hence the stand being relegated.

By the way I'm not trumpeting the County Board for the sake of it. But holding Garvaghey up as a failure because it's not doing something it was never meant to do, is all wrong.

Tyrone county board might deserve abuse for many things (though not too many if you look at how successful they are at youth levels, and how competitive their club championships are) but surely to God, building a superb training facility beside a main road in the heart of the county, is not one of them.

Not sure why Kilcoo are so upset at someone highlighting that their goals are a tad loftier than winning the same cup 200 times in a row. If they weren't loftier, that's when every other club would have to wonder what the feck they're at in the Down SFC.


6th Sam, oddly enough I'd have predicted things differently for rural / urban splits if the move to u17 happens. I'd have considered it a major advantage for smaller rural clubs to bring talented juveniles exclusively into senior football for a full year before they hit university, as it gives the club a chance to ingrains them in senior football. Whereas for larger clubs, it poses a problem in that they won't have an immediate need to bring through anyone but the most talented of 17 year olds, so there's a big chance of them spending that crucial "final year at home" in footballing limbo.