Messages

Imo it is all down to management, and not player ability.
Especially when it is something like a kick out strategy.
One story that stuck with me - my uncle won a McRory cup under Gerry Browne's management in the fifties. He told me that Browne had a tactic that for every sideline ball that the Abbey won in the opponents half, that the end result was a player in position to take a scoreable point. And 99% of the time they scored.
If there is a manager getting paid to manage a team, surely a kick out strategy isn't too much to ask.

Down managers have been overseeing poor kickout strategies since mccartan couldn't see what was happening in the 2010 all Ireland final. With the mark is there really no good tall men in the 4 divisions of  club football who can catch a high ball. Sickening year after year with Down. Soul destroying to see the same mistakes and lack of plannimg year on year and nothing ever done to improve it
Div 3 could be our.level for a few years. Armagh have nothing to worry about.

Nail on head

A lot of very well informed posts here, expressing exactly what I am thinking atm. Can't disagree on any made about today. Problem is, if we can see it, why can't management?

A few areas that were awful were the kickouts and when has any gaelic defender ever been told to mark a man starting behind him?
Also, on one Louth attack which ended in a score, I counted 18 passes and not a tackle or shoulder put in.
This is basic stuff that I shout at u16s for not doing.
Another very valid point made was home form.
A very depressing afternoon.

Zebo should still be on the panel. I why was the exception make for sexton but no one else

I agree with you, but it wouldn't matter a shite. He wouldn't get the ball. Look how hard it is for our backs, 11-14, to get on the ball. It's shocking that players of the calibre of Ringrose, Earls and Stockdale have to feed off scraps, and only really see the ball when there's no other option. I would say Zebo is happy out.

Ireland have a record breaking try scorer in Stockdale. How much quality ball did he get in the whole 6N?
Kearney had the opportunity to pass him the ball on numerous occasions and predictably cut inside and got tackled.
Another thing I can't understand is why did Schmidt announce he was leaving when he did?
Why does this happen continually in all sports? Why did he not just say we will wait until the end of 2019 to see what will happen. If Ireland do well in the world Cup it won't matter, but they haven't looked the same team as last year.
I hope, as some have suggested, that they are holding back.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/feb/26/terrified-warm-weather-global-warming-london

This. The hottest February on recording, in Ireland, was in 1891. Did they start worrying like the cod who wrote this piece? Did they fook.
They all went up to monto

[Does anyone else get the feeling that Phelan and McKenna have an awful lot to do with this run?]

Does anyone else get the feeling that Phelan and McKenna have an awful lot to do with this run? Phelan may just be the Brian Kidd of this era at Utd. And McKenna poached from Spurs, he was considered to be that good.
Another interesting point made on the radio is the job that OGS' main threat has done at Spurs since Utd beat them. 4 straight PL wins and stuffing the runaway leaders of the Bundesliga, without Kane and Ali. Time will tell I suppose.

McKenna was there under Mourinho. He deserves credit for that run too presumably 

Regardless of the way the Mourinho era finished, if a coach of his stature replaces Rui Faria with McKenna, McKenna must be doing something right.

Sold a good few retractable awnings too, if I recall

And he was reportedly called into so many football clubs back in the day, investigating their shoot to miss policy.

Another mega winner in Ireland tonight.

€175m big ones..

South Co. Dublin apparently.

So the lottery winners can be split into North and South Dublin. Maybe the GAA can do the same.

Does anyone else get the feeling that Phelan and McKenna have an awful lot to do with this run? Phelan may just be the Brian Kidd of this era at Utd. And McKenna poached from Spurs, he was considered to be that good.
Another interesting point made on the radio is the job that OGS' main threat has done at Spurs since Utd beat them. 4 straight PL wins and stuffing the runaway leaders of the Bundesliga, without Kane and Ali. Time will tell I suppose.

Family members or a couple have a heavy argument with really low digs, and somehow it makes their relationship stronger.

Big Fellaini would have been some sub to throw on there to nick a goal at the end...

[kick out strategy seemed to be hoof a 50/50 ball to the same area]

It was a disappointing night as we were in such a strong position at half time and the defeat means we may have to win all of our remaining six matches if we are to get promoted. The Laois manager made some crucial tactical and personnel switches during the break, and they were physically stronger than us in some key areas.

However, the game probably turned on a ludicrous decision when Francis was plainly pulled down in front of the main stand, the referee allowed play to continue and the goal gave Laois a huge lift.

Our defence struggled in the second half, particularly after Donnelly was injured, and, apart from O'Hare, our substitutions did not really work. The new faces only made a limited impact and we can expect a fair number of changes for what will be a must win trip to Sligo next week.

what was the craic with the mark JJ took in the second half? ref blew him up for overcarrying even though he had caught the ball clean and was standing still. they went up the field and scored from the resulting free kick. it would have put us 3 up but changed it to a 1 point game. We were poor though, kick out strategy seemed to be hoof a 50/50 ball to the same area each time and pray to win a breaking ball. Donal Ohare was the only man who looked like a proper county man when he eventually came on. A lot of players missing for various reasons but it should have been pencilled in as a must win game if promotion was a realistic target.

This has been an issue for at least ten years with Down. It was eventually their undoing in the 2010 AIF.

Off the top of my head:
Bonner (Celtic)
Hughton/Morris (Spurs/Celtic)
O'Leary/McGrath (Arsenal/Man United)
McCarthy/Moran (Celtic/Man United)
Staunton (Liverpool)
Houghton (Liverpool)
Townsend (Chelsea/Villa)
Whelan/Sheedy (Liverpool/Everton)
Quinn/Cascarino (Arsenal/Villa)
Aldridge (Liverpool)

There is some drop off in Irish representation in the top teams in Britain, even with Celtic.
Charlton had it good.

[we are not going anywhere.]

Utm my arse, best club player since 98 is not Laverty but in the top five. We are back and we are not going anywhere. It's coming home

Is that your prediction for your Ulster club championship run?