Messages

No major shocks on Armagh team, same team v Down bar Campbell in for Hall.

Duffy Campbell Grugan
Murnin O'Neill Turbitt

Has to be one of the best forward lines in the country?

Strength on bench too with Morgan & McCambridge, 2 animals.

In fairness those are 6 top quality forwards.

Now that there has been a statement from Gallagher to a newspaper I assume the wider media will now pick this up?

It's very difficult to see a pathway that allows him to take to the sideline on Sunday.

It would be impossible for the County Board to allow him to do without having obtained from him a categoric and convincing statement that he has never hit his former partner. We do know that his voluntary statement didn't include that clarity.

The big question is if this was in the world of work, could an employer sack or suspend him? I don't think they could if the allegations have all been extensively investigated and no charges brought. If that is the case then I think we all have to move on.

Is that statement anywhere official and not WhatsApp?

It's a fairly strong statement if real, and the police and courts have been involved a long time already it seems according to that.

Most people were saying yesterday that he would have to stand down pending an investigation. If it's true that all of these allegations have already been extensively investigated by the appropriate authorities then I think we all just have to accept that and move on.

Well now, a Damascene Conversion  or an admission that there is more than one way to skin a cat.

https://www.balls.ie/gaa/pat-spillane-derry-brand-gaa-553144

Well done to Pat and the secret is he's actually watching Derry play instead of having preset opinions and coming out with clichés like the obnoxious sean cavanagh on the Sunday game.

Really looking forward to this game as it's a clash of styles between Derry's all out attcking and Armagh's much more defensive system this year. Derry have been running up some huge scores with players in every position likely to score. What I would worry about though is when we've come up against ultra defensive teams like Galway last year we haven't been able to break them down. Armagh's need to win this game is also probably a bit stronger as Mcgeeney has been there a while with no reward. Derry have left themselves wide open defensively at times as the team has evolved into the much more attacking style and Armagh are likely to exploit this with the class forwards that they have.

Really looking forward to this game as it's a clash of styles between Derry's all out attcking and Armagh's much more defensive system this year. Derry have been running up some huge scores with players in every position likely to score. What I would worry about though is when we've come up against ultra defensive teams like Galway last year we haven't been able to break them down. Armagh's need to win this game is also probably a bit stronger as Mcgeeney has been there a while with no reward. Derry have left themselves wide open defensively at times as the team has evolved into the much more attacking style and Armagh are likely to exploit this with the class forwards that they have.

There you go no advantage to losing the Ulster Final full steam ahead for Clones next week!

The winners group seems a bit easier. It's also going to be important to win the group as you get a weeks rest and then home advantage for the quarter final. Hard enough to even qualify from a group with Galway and tyrone.

[Allen missing potato]

Turning point was Allen missing potato go 7-3 in front.  Selby even needed a snooker but clawed it back.  Won 3 on the bounce after that

An Irishman missing a potato, unbelievable.

Monaghan got on top since Hughes went off.

Mcnamee was totally glory hunting there. Simple goal if he'd hand passed across to Kilpatrick.

Paul Flynn is  a hard listen . I nearly drifted off  to sleep when  he was on  last night

He's the best by far at the moment on the evening show. Cavanagh is just pathetic, as was tubridy last week. Keegan and Canavan are good at the live games.

Poor today but still managed to beat them, really missed Hatate and great to be the beneficiary of an Honest mistake by the officials!!

Not a great display but still great to get the win against our youngest rivals.

Stafford v Tompkins in the late 80s were serious exponents. Eamon Mc enamey from memory was a fine kicker. Gormley had a lovely high curl in and over style. Corkers was class as well.

its not about scoring great frees other wise one of the goalies would win. probably beggan though Robbie hennelly hs scored some amazing Kicks from out near the middle of the field .
Consistency is what its about and thats why Cillian wins as teh stats show.
though maybe bounus points should be awarded for importance ,3 i can thingk of are MC enamey to win the league  and Cluxton and Rock to secure  The AIF
i

The thread is about dead ball kicking ie the ball is stationary. That rules out cillian as he takes most of his frees from the hands. Beggan is far and away the best at the moment. Bryan Sheehan of Kerry has a good claim to being the best ever because he was so consistent over short kicks, long kicks and even kicks from huge distances.

When properly analysing yesterday's game against Dublin  all Derry supporters and indeed management team need to go no further than replay Peter Canavan's excellent and accurate summary of the game itself on the  League Sunday programme last night and Cathair O'Kane's equally pertinent observations in today's Irish News.

  For the successful implementation of any team system one has to depend on the performance and availability of certain key players. Derry's seven  key players, in my opinion, are Chrissy McKaigue, Conor McCluskey, Padraig McGrogan,Conor Glass, Brendan Rogers, Ethan Doherty and Shane McGuigan.The most important of these seven is Conor Glass  because he links, covers back nd co-ordinates all defensive and offensive movements.

Yesterday Chrissy was absent, Conor Glass was gone for most of the second half and was actually injured when the first goal,  which was actually a square ball, was scored. In addition because of the enforced absence of Eoin McEvoy, Derry had to withdraw Ethan Doherty from the forward line to the half back line. This meant that a vital cog in Derry's attacking movement was missing. Thus two of the seven  key players were absent for the whole of the second half and a third had to play a different role.

So it was no wonder that Derry were not able to play their normal well structured game. Of course Derry would be  a much better team if we had two more skilful inside pacy  forwards who could break tackles and score at will off either foot! But most counties do not possess these endangered species of players and to the best of my knowledge Derry have no one yet in the county of that ilk. Instead of going for low percentage goal shots yesterday as we did on four occasions and similarly attempts for points from poor positions, might I suggest that Paul Cassidy who admittedly can play anywhere be given a more forward attacking role off the left hand side and that Niall Loughlin who can score from distance be switched out to a more traditional half forward role. He puts in tremendous defensive shifts so I think that if he was brought out the field on a more permanent basis it would give him the opportunity to score from further out and boost his confidence.

Finally it is good to have Ciaran McFaul back and his inclusion into the squad should be a huge plus.If I were Rory Gallager I would be knocking on the door of a few other Glen players, especially Emmett Bradley who did such trojan work last year. Hopefully Conor Glass recovers fully and quickly and that Rory Gallagher has a full hand and more to pick from for the Fermanagh championship game next Saturday week. Doire Abú.

Whatever happens for the rest of the year the biggest target of getting promoted has been achieved and with a game to spare. Anything else will probably be a bonus but it would be great to reach an AI quarter final at least. Everyone knows we have a small panel and now with injuries kicking in we may struggle in the Ulster championship. I think we'll have to field an inexperienced team against fermanagh with a view to having main players like glass and mckaigue ready for the group stages of the AI. That isn't to take Fermanagh lightly but the games come thick and fast later on and an injury then could see someone missing 3 or 4 games in a few weeks.

Beggan and niall morgan probably the 2 best at the moment with beggan out in front by a distance. He just makes it look so effortless even long distance ones.

Nothing stopping you presenting fact-based, thought-through, views Gmac, if you have them...

He's got plenty of alternative facts.