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Is saying this is a f**king joke classed as abuse of a official, I may be in trouble given about about my company office practices sometimes.

Some officials decide to take it personally, those who have actually played the game at a high level know not to. In the last few years I have noticed an arrogance with many officials - "mightier than thou" approach. Dangerous mindset. Just ask the clergy!!

To answer Restorepride's  query as to whom I would have on frees the answer is simple.Niall Loughlin would be my choice as he is an excellent free taker from all ranges.

Emmett Bradley and Benny Heron are also capable short range free takers and presumably Ben McCarron and Shane Heavron, who are also accurate place kickers,  will both be on the bench.McCarron might even start. So Derrry are NOT short of good place kickers for Sunday's encounter!

And have a bit of time to put in extra practice!! Matthew Downey another possible option.

Unfortunately, all Derry players and management are, in the first instance, being punished because an incompetent referee wrongly booked Shane McGuigan, not only once but twice, against Roscommon last Sunday. Secondly that same referee did not protect Shane and other Derry forwards by awarding more frees to them as they were being fouled constantly off the ball.When Emmett Bradley was taking the last free kick he was impeded by a Roscommon defender and the ball should have been moved forward as per rule.

On the other side of the coin the referee failed to give the advantage to a Roscommon forward as he bore down on goal with only Odhran Lynch to beat. If Roscommon had scored a goal then it would have been a huge psychological advantage to them. So we should not over dwell on such what ifs! Of course sending a man off clearly in the wrong does NOT fall into that category.

However,giving abuse allegedly to an official is a separate suspending offence and the rights and wrongs of the actual sending off can NOT be used as a mitigating factor.So it is important that management constantly remind all players and themselves about the negative consequences of breaking any rules.No team wants to find themselves a man down or indeed a manager put to the stands for an unnecessary disciplinary transgression.

Derry have very good players and a very good manager. As the team improves and develops their discipline will continue to be tested more by unscrupulous tactics from opposing teams and opposing managers.As we move forward  there should be no soft frees conceded or no voices raised in a negative fashion.Keep eternally focused on the team's overall plan should be the repeated mantra.

If Derry and Rory adhere to this type of strategy, as they have done up to now, Derry can and will beat  Galway, even without the hugely talented Shane McGuigan. To improve Derry's scoring ratio and attacking potential for the Galway game I would play Ciaran McFaul at centre half forward and Niall Loughlin at full forward with Paul Cassidy moving up on a more regular basis to the traditional left corner forward role.

This match presents Niall the ideal opportunity to show his real leadership qualities as a constant and accurate, dangerous scoring forward.Thus my front six for the Galway game would read as follows: Ethan Doherty(this is where he is best ie running at defences), Ciaran McFaul,Oisin McWilliams,Benny Heron,Niall Loughlin and Paul Cassidy. Niall Toner,as always, and Ben McCarron
can be used as impact subs in the second half. After all  we should not concentrate on the circumstances re Shane McGuigan's unavailability but rather on the mere fact that we will not have him.(He could have been unavailable because he was injured or ill).His absence can be  used positively by both management and fellow players to up their own game.
Doire Abú

Who would you have on the frees?

poor yous

Great post. What county are you from (if you understand the concept)?

Mcguigan definitely out.

Thanks. Up to others to step up now and that's why you have a panel, I suppose. Might Ben McCarron start? He can hit frees well (on a good day!) and might also get space to play a bit against Galway?

Officials rightly deserve respect but they also have to respect the frustration of those footballers who want to play football and are prevented by foul play. Shane was having one of his best games this year for Derry and trying to get forward to put us into Division 1. Terrible outcome for someone trying to play football.

Unfortunately the justice of his red card is irrelevant and not a defence for verbal abuse of the officials however justified that may have been. I would be very surprised to see a successful appeal.

Are you aware of this "verbal abuse"?

Not at all. Has he been given the suspension for some other reason? I'm making that assumption as he's not being suspended for 2 yellows. Both his yellow cards were unjustified and terrible decisions and everyone can see that. My point is that won't be all that useful as a defence if he's verbally abused officials.

Has he been suspended?

Officials rightly deserve respect but they also have to respect the frustration of those footballers who want to play football and are prevented by foul play. Shane was having one of his best games this year for Derry and trying to get forward to put us into Division 1. Terrible outcome for someone trying to play football.

Unfortunately the justice of his red card is irrelevant and not a defence for verbal abuse of the officials however justified that may have been. I would be very surprised to see a successful appeal.

Are you aware of this "verbal abuse"?

Officials rightly deserve respect but they also have to respect the frustration of those footballers who want to play football and are prevented by foul play. Shane was having one of his best games this year for Derry and trying to get forward to put us into Division 1. Terrible outcome for someone trying to play football.

We make too much of been in Div 4, maybe need look at how Derry went from Div 1finals 09/10, then bouncing down, cause if I remember the manager line at the time, it's all about championship, (part of the problem.)Bounced up awhile for 2015/16, then fell through the floor. I be of the opinion that the players were within the county, maybe not necessarily playing that we shouldn't been no farther than Div 2. Too many good players jettisoned before their sell by date to put down a marker of their management and that didn't do Derry any favours. And am solely putting that down to Derry stance of always picking in house and not a manager outside the county. They never made a impact elsewhere and I think the majority were selected due to county board money constraints. I suppose we not all like Clare who can have £400k lying in the shop club account. Eamon McGee said a County like Derry should always be plying their trade on Division 1or near it, and was at a lose as to why this wasn't so.

You are entitled to your assessment but Div 4 was real. The players were not there and it took hard bloody work to get back up again and lift morale. We have no right to be in any division unless we earn it. "A county like Derry?" means nothing. If we start deluding ourselves that we were better than we were or that we are better than we are, that is unfounded arrogance for me and a potential pathway back to Div 4.

Sort worrying we basically down to 1 scoring forward. Hard to believe we had a forward line one time of Lynch 2 Bradley, Muldoon, def need 2 scoring forwards to emerge in Derry in the nxt few yrs.

But hardly a surprise - we have been lacking for a long time. Good reality check today though still on an upward curve. They deserve great support v Gaillimh now.

Still unbeaten ... just heard McGuigan was pinned to the ground for the last 10mins ...

If true that Shane was sent off, anybody know if it was on 2 yellows or straight red?

2 yellows

Thanks. Will need him v Gaillimh!

Still unbeaten ... just heard McGuigan was pinned to the ground for the last 10mins ...

If true that Shane was sent off, anybody know if it was on 2 yellows or straight red?

A good test of Doire's progress tomorrow v Ros Comáin who have won 2 Connacht titles in last 5 years.  Players will rise to the occasion and be very competitive but the toughest challenge in Div 2 so far.  Using Down as any sort of a benchmark at present is relatively useless. Offaly beat them today. A great opportunity to regain Div 1 status all the same. We certainly have a chance. Doire abú!

will Moran go in and help Machy o'rourke at Maghera?

Machy? Who that? Machy-ra? Not even a GAA club name.  Back to barracks for ewe.

Was at the game yesterday. Calm, assured performance. Was sitting behind the Galway manager. He left half way thru the second half :-) All the players arrived in their own cars. Did the team bus break down ? :-)

No, that is the way they travelled down.