Messages

Somehow you've managed to combine graciousness in losing, realism, whishfull thinking, blinkered vision topped off by the nonsense about Dublin cynism & fouling. Interesting post!

whatever about the rest- that's down to your own perspective.
however a lot of Dublin play today was somewhat cynical (Derry guilty of some too but way less than the dubs)

holding for brief moments in the tackle (and off the ball) , checking runs and some wrestling with Derry players off the ball - Lynch, Lynn and McFaul were on the receiving end in the first half from McCarthy, cooper and deveraux

I don't always watch the lay where the ball is- so I saw it.

it didn't and wouldn't have made a difference to the result imo - but a different ref would (an should) have black carded these incidents (for both teams).

so I am not making excuses for Derry.  I certainly thought Dublin was way way ahead and deserved a 30+ point win.
Only G OKane and at times F Doherty and C OBoyle acquitted themselves today.

my post, as with anything is subjective , but are my observations from todays game. like it or lump it.


As for OCarroll, a great full back, didn't have a great season last year, but was the best in the country the prev season.
was given a torrid 20 mins v cork until they fell asunder. looks like ocarroll on the way back to his best.

Opinions or whatever you need to read up on the rules re black cards. You very obviously don't know what is / isn't a black card.

Anyway best of luck in Ulster championship. Hope you put an end to JMCG once and for all.

im outraged !
That game should have been played at a neutral venue - despite the players wanting to play in croker!
I mean, there was no way Dublin would have won or been as good and been faster to every ball and quicker all round if the game was in breffni, clones or navan !!
also the Dubs getting loads more money has obv affected the minds of the Derry players!
Not sure how I could argue this as it didn't hold true for kerry in the football and Kilkenny in the hurling and their domination for years - but we will have to think of a reason and factor it in somehow!

Dublin magnificent today.
Faster and first to every ball. Derry's young team froze! its what I feared. Players like Enda Lynn and Mark Lynch have been majestic in the entire league and no GAA player or sports player will play that well game after game all season in such a dynamic sport.
Derry will have learned a lot. OK I think Dublin have peaked a bit and got a few breaks today, but even without them they were way above Derry's level.
This will hopefully help bring this new team on.

Derry will now see that in defence they need to be tighter and not afford so much room and give too much respect to opposing forwards. Ways to stop maurading players running from deep must be practices. Drills on hand passing for any pass under 20-25 yards instead of kick passing needs to be done and hit home.
FF line needs to have more dynamic runs looking for the ball. shooting needs practice as there were 5 or six goal chances missed today - though Dublin were not flattered in the scoreline.
Defenders need to be out in front not letting opponents win the ball, then try to disposess them!
and a lot more.
A good lesson to be learned fro today and will stand us in good stead for Donegal game. they are in much the same boat as us and id be quite confident going into this game.
much prefer to have sean leo back as he was badly missed as expected.
Derry can learn a lot from how Dublin played today and if we do, id be very happy.
the venue or money made no difference in todays result. Again playing in a big pressure game, a final against the all Ireland champions was a good test and while we failed, there is a lot to be learned from this exp.
Congrats Dublin. Great side. Still a bit cynical on the tackling and imo fouling, but todays ref was lenient enough to both sides. Other refs might feck Dublin up more than opponents!

Somehow you've managed to combine graciousness in losing, realism, whishfull thinking, blinkered vision topped off by the nonsense about Dublin cynism & fouling. Interesting post!

ROC, Connolly, Flynn and Brogan didn't play league game. Fairly critical players for Dublin

Still missing; Brennan, McCaffrey, Bastick, Mannion, Costello, Rock and obviously Kilkenny who won't be back this year. There's another 2/3 u21s who'll be close to getting a run - Lowndes, Carthy & o'Conaghaile if fit.

Despite that Dublin a lot stronger than league game v Derry. Expecting tough & close game on Sun.

An embarrassment of riches!
You can only play with xv !
We could debate all day on who you would drop!
I'd only really see McCaffrey as improving the team. Brennan I like but devereaux IMO should get a place somewhere!
IMO Kilkenny is not up to intercounty top level games yet. Also if he doesn't learn to speed up his play he never will. The Ciaran McDonald style looks great but the game has progressed into a faster dynamic!
Also I'm not do sure Alan Brogan is good enough to start anymore. Derry and corks loose marking made him look good. Better man to bring on when there's more space as teams tire.
I know my opinions are in the minority here!

Derry will be better when Sean Leo returns but our squad does not contain too many game changers on the bench like dublins !

Think McGolderick is big loss for Derry. Not that familiar with Derry but he was v impressive v Dublin in league game and probably Derrys best player v Mayo. A lot riding on Lynch and McGuckian for tomorrow. If Dublin can contain Lynch think it'll be v difficult for Derry to compete.  Very talented footballer. Amazing that Bradley's not brought back in!!

Agree with you in part re Kilkenny. Always seems to slow game down when at 11. But he will score 3/4 points every game and is great passer of the ball. Don't agree at all re Alan Brogan. For me and most Dublin supporters a fit Alan Brogan is close to our most important player. He has been excellent throughout the league.  He will almost certainly play at 11 in championship and if fit think will make us better than last year.

Brennan is still best CHB we have although short on pace. Being missing for so long will make it hard to get back in. Costello is super prospect and will play. Rock will also feature once he's back fully fit.  Not sure re Mannion as he's been poor for u21s. Not sure what's happened with him.

ROC, Connolly, Flynn and Brogan didn't play league game. Fairly critical players for Dublin

Still missing; Brennan, McCaffrey, Bastick, Mannion, Costello, Rock and obviously Kilkenny who won't be back this year. There's another 2/3 u21s who'll be close to getting a run - Lowndes, Carthy & o'Conaghaile if fit.

Despite that Dublin a lot stronger than league game v Derry. Expecting tough & close game on Sun.

How many championship games did johnny Doyle play in Croker?

I have a better question for ya! How many times in knock out competition (League and Championship) has say Bernard Brogan played outside Croke ParK?

Don't get this whole Croke Park obsession lads. It's where all top players want to play. The current Cork, Kerry, Mayo, Kildare, Tyrone and Donegal panels know the stadium well by this stage. If anything it brings out the best in players.

Brian Mc Iver was thrilled the semi finals were at HQ and is delighted to take Derry back this weekend!

You are right you don't get it! I have no problem with the Dubs playing in Croker when it is a final (in the League) or a Leinster final or an AI semi or Final. It's great to play in Croker when you have earned the right. Problem is Dublin never have to earn the right anymore.

Earn the right! Are you serious? What a load of self serving nonsense. Personally I couldn't give a toss where we play. We are fortunate to have a team at the minute who will beat any team in leinster where ever the game is played.

In fact most Dublin supporters would be more than happy to play outside Dublin. We did it for many years and in all that time rarely lost a game So if that's what you're hoping for you'll be waiting

Our fellow counties in leinster might in fact tire of this quickly as they find not only will they still lose to Dublin but their share of ticket monies will also go down significantly. Turkey's voting for Christmas and all that.

When Eugene McGees Football Review Comedy were looking for suggestions on how we can improve Gaelic football, I sent him a 5 page page detailed letter. It took me ages to write, I went through the major problem we had, how it was effecting ordinary grassroots members, the unfairness of it, the utter disgust I had with the entire situation.
For some reason I haven't heard anything about it since, why haven't you tackled it Eugene? Keep the Lilies out of O'Moore Park. It's a disgrace that we get landed with that lot every Summer.

Why don't you join reservoir dubs, the lads over there will give you a proper debate on all things Dublin GAA

We will alright. And then we'll find out who he is, where he lives and which primary school he's going to. And then indeed the fun will start.........!

Dublin u21s are not with the seniors and won't be. Farrell has them exclusively till final.

Eugene backs Cavan complaints.

The former chairman of the Football Review Committee (FRC) Eugene McGee, who helped introduce both the black card and the advantage rule, has expressed his opinion the Dublin player should indeed have been black carded, as "deliberate this foul most certainly was", while the advantage rule was also misapplied.
"As with all new rules it is not just players or mentors who have to get accustomed to them, but the referees also," said McGee.

Well it shows he doesn't know what he's talking about as was clearly shown Cavan player pulled McHugh down on to the ground. Anyone that denies has either not looked at the incident or is being deliberately dishonest.

The hill is blue - more like the hill is full of pissed scumbags. Ye have some neck criticizing Cavan fans and management. The last time I was at a Dub game in Croke park they were throwing bottles towards the pitch from the wonderous hill.

With that comment your credibility to argue anything is zero.

You got beaten yesterday in a game you could have won but didn't have the balls to go and try and win. Your manager, your mentors and your supporters disgraced yourselves after the match with 'sc**bag' behaviour. Now take your beating and back off to the backwaters with you!

Dubs got two softish/ lucky goals on Sunday which had a big bearing on the game. Cork nowhere as bad as they looked in 2nd half.

Many here know what it is like to have one of those days on the pitch when nothing goes right and the harder you try the more it goes wrong.

Very same was done to  us by Cork in the league final 3 years ago.

Very same wasn't done. We were 8 points up with a lot of fringe players playing against full strength Cork team. Cork reeled us in with some great football. However while they were doing this we were still creating & missing chances.  Even at the end we missed two sitters to actually put the game beyond Cork - one by Mossy and the other by Deam Kelly.

Gilroy used game to test a number of players a number of which weren't seen again that year. Very different last Sun with Cork more or less at full strength The nature of capitulation will be biggest issue for Cork if we meet again.

Not so sure I agree with you about the team we fielded that day. Maybe missing a few but definitely was the backbone of the team later in the summer.
Missing chances/ not getting chances all the same to me tbh. Was disgusted by the result at the time. Following on from 2010 semi final collapse it was hard to take.

Was disgusted also. Only person not disgusted was Gilroy which kinda told a story in itself. Think he definitely used game to decide if fringe players up to the mark.  We would have won the game if Mossy or Kelly had taken one of those chances at the end.

Never suggested Cork, whatever the 15 picked, would beat Dublin or even get closer later on in the championship when Dublin are at full strength. I simply pointed out that it is incorrect to suggest Cork were close to full strength last Sunday, they weren't. I do think Cork will give Dublin a better game should they meet in championship but man for man, Dublin are the best team in Ireland and if they keep focused I don't think anyone will beat them. On their day, Dublin could annihilate any other team in Ireland.

Fair enough. Actually think the nature of defeat on Sun will make it more difficult for Cork if they play Dublin in Summer.  Will certainly give Dublin a tough game all the same.

Well you've just named two, John O'Rourke will also probably start and Ruairi Deane if he makes progress from his injury is also a potential starter, that's four straight off. I don't know who is giving you information but some of those U21's will certainly be looked at by the senior management. With Kelly, Cahalane, Walsh and O'Neill all to fully recover from injuries there is a lot of improving in that Cork side.   

I don't know why you mentioned who has to come back for Dublin as that's entirely irrelevant to the point I made, i.e Cork aren't as close to full strength on Sunday as some were making out.

Mentioned Dublin players missing as response to your inference that Cork to be a fair deal stronger and that gap to Dublin mightn't be as significant as Sunday showed.

I think a full strength Dublin is a long way ahead of a full strength Cork. Think also there are 2/3 other teams who are stronger in midfield and defensively than Cork which is where things really fell apart on Sunday. No team can lose the players Cork have lost and immediately step up a couple of levels. Kerry & Tyrone finding this reality also.

I've noticed a few people claim Cork were near full strength but that isn't the case. You could certainly see 4 or more changes from the starting 15 on Sunday. In addition, a few more are coming back from longterm injuries so you'd expect they'll improve as the year goes on.

Best of luck naming them. Word from Cork is that only starting player missing was Cadogan That and Walsh starting rather than coming on would be only changes of note. Anyone else including their u21s not going to make any great difference.

Number of players still to come back for Dublin - COS, Brennan, Jack, Mannion, Costello, Rock & Bastick.

Dubs got two softish/ lucky goals on Sunday which had a big bearing on the game. Cork nowhere as bad as they looked in 2nd half.

Many here know what it is like to have one of those days on the pitch when nothing goes right and the harder you try the more it goes wrong.

Very same was done to  us by Cork in the league final 3 years ago.

Very same wasn't done. We were 8 points up with a lot of fringe players playing against full strength Cork team. Cork reeled us in with some great football. However while they were doing this we were still creating & missing chances.  Even at the end we missed two sitters to actually put the game beyond Cork - one by Mossy and the other by Deam Kelly.

Gilroy used game to test a number of players a number of which weren't seen again that year. Very different last Sun with Cork more or less at full strength The nature of capitulation will be biggest issue for Cork if we meet again.

If you're shouting you're losing. You screaming fact doesn't make it a fact, in fact the only fact that we can factually verify, is that you are obsessed with Dublin and quite disturbing with it. fact. Enjoy the golf troll.

Will you cop yourself on and ignore that gobsh*te!