Messages

1. Dublin
2. Tyrone/Kerry
3. Mayo
4. Cork/Donegal/Roscommon

That's how it is.

At present Mayo and Donegal are better than Tyrone and have put it up better to Dublin. The Either way doesn't matter, but Dublin look 10pts better than any team this year.

Mayo, at present, got annihilated by Dublin.

When did Donegal put it up to Dublin?

Dublin are a million miles ahead of everyone. Fighting over the order of the next best teams is like bald men fighting over a comb.

As a bald Tyrone man, I'm highly offended...

How can you say that Tyrone never got close in the final? This is a team that regularly hammers teams by 10-20 points and there was 4 in it with 5 minutes to go with Tyrone launching balls into the danger area and missing the target.  This horse shit of Dublin winning pulling up is a fanciful notion that I'd say the Dublin players themselves would strongly agree with.  Tyrone are around 2nd-3rd in the Country on championship form. Some people struggle to swallow this fact. Mayo are gone-Donegal aren't there yet and Tyrone Kerry will battle it out over the next few years with the kick of a ball between them.

Dublin cruised through the 2nd half. When Tyrone scored the penalty after the red card Dublin upped the tempo of their game and outscored them for the rest if the game. After the pen Dublin moved Howard back and he caught the last high ball put in.
Donegal realised defensive tactics won't win the big games anymore. Mickey Harte and Tyrone need to evolve as well

This commentary about defensive tactics is outdated by at least a year.  There was more kick passing in to the forward line yesterday than any game that I've watched this year and very little lateral passing.  The defending was no different to anything that Dublin do when required.  Had Mayo defended en masse after half time against the Dubs for 15 minutes, they mightn't have got so badly tanked.

Regarding the final last year,  after the penalty there were five minutes left and yes Dublin stepped it up after some terrible Tyrone wides.  That's not a team winning with the brakes on.  Tyrone were in the game.

Tyrone are around 2nd-3rd in the Country on championship form. Some people struggle to swallow this fact.

It's nowhere near a fact, why are you doing this to yourself? The victory over Roscommon was their biggest result this season and they haven't beaten a big team in Croke Park in 10 years now.

How you can seriously not consider a team who has reached  several semi finals and a final in this past few years as one of the top teams in the country? What's the logic-because they haven't beaten a 'top team' (Kerry/Mayo top teams last year or only this year?) in a fictitious game!  The fact is that there was only a kick of a ball between Kerry and Tyrone and even many neutrals agree that Deegan rode us.  How we reacted to this was disappointing but that can be worked on.  Mayo (who were beaten by Roscommon)were bet out the gate in the other semi.  This clearly makes kerry/Tyrone 2nd, 3rd teams in the Country.  Why is this so hard to accept?

How can you say that Tyrone never got close in the final? This is a team that regularly hammers teams by 10-20 points and there was 4 in it with 5 minutes to go with Tyrone launching balls into the danger area and missing the target.  This horse shit of Dublin winning pulling up is a fanciful notion that I'd say the Dublin players themselves would strongly agree with.  Tyrone are around 2nd-3rd in the Country on championship form. Some people struggle to swallow this fact. Mayo are gone-Donegal aren't there yet and Tyrone Kerry will battle it out over the next few years with the kick of a ball between them.

If Deegan does act the ballix and we win, it will be good practise for the final.  I still maintain that niaivity cost us the final last year. When 5-6 points up Col Cav was remonstrating with the ref about a (Dublin trademark) 3rd man crossing type obstruction that prevented him from making a tackle in the lead up to a point.  I think the Dubs got another point when he was still out of position.  Shortly after, you had 3 of our lads disputing a Dublin mark when the Dubs were up the field scoring a goal.  This is the part of this team's psyche that will lose them the big games if it isn't addressed.  Need to stay focussed for every second no matter what the other team or the ref do.

Very true, we need to keep that imperturbable focus and discipline, regardless of what else is going on, with the ref and otherwise.

Feck it.  Sludden fell into the trap and then we imploded after the other free Kerry points. I suppose keeping the head is easier said than done when you are faced with the smiling assassin!

The lack of ruthlessness in the first half, I.e. lash in a few goals, cost us.  Think the team underestimated Kerry with one eye on the final.  Good luck Kerry-hope your forwards shine on the big day.  For Tyrone, keep funnelling through the u21's and we'll be up there every year, you can't ask for more than that under the current setup.

Why on earth would Tyrone underestimate Kerry or have one eye on the final?

What have Tyrone done to justify such an attitude, assuming complacency was a factor?

At half time Kerry looked Bate-losing it all over the field-possible reason to get distracted by thoughts of the final.
Eh, reach the final last year and come close to the Dubs near the end-beat and rattle them in the league?  Be ambitious?-is this allowed?

If Deegan does act the ballix and we win, it will be good practise for the final.  I still maintain that niaivity cost us the final last year. When 5-6 points up Col Cav was remonstrating with the ref about a (Dublin trademark) 3rd man crossing type obstruction that prevented him from making a tackle in the lead up to a point.  I think the Dubs got another point when he was still out of position.  Shortly after, you had 3 of our lads disputing a Dublin mark when the Dubs were up the field scoring a goal.  This is the part of this team's psyche that will lose them the big games if it isn't addressed.  Need to stay focussed for every second no matter what the other team or the ref do.

Very true, we need to keep that imperturbable focus and discipline, regardless of what else is going on, with the ref and otherwise.

Feck it.  Sludden fell into the trap and then we imploded after the other free Kerry points. I suppose keeping the head is easier said than done when you are faced with the smiling assassin!

The lack of ruthlessness in the first half, I.e. lash in a few goals, cost us.  Think the team underestimated Kerry with one eye on the final.  Good luck Kerry-hope your forwards shine on the big day.  For Tyrone, keep funnelling through the u21's and we'll be up there every year, you can't ask for more than that under the current setup. 

Great Chance? No your mistaken. Literally no chance, but it doesn't hurt to think positive

I thought in the build up to this game that tyrone would win comfortably enough. With dublin waiting in the final I've changed my mind. Dublin have hammered tyrone a number of times in the past few years and I honestly think quite a few of these tyrone players psychologically will be happy to lose this one by a point or 2 to avoid another final hammering.

That may be the mentality in Derry but there is not a hope in hell any Tyrone player wants to lose an all Ireland semi final.

Dublin have hammered Tyrone once in the last few years by the way. Last year's final was not a hammering.

Dublin destroyed Tyrone pulling up. Were you on the sauce watching it.

Yes... but that's not the point 
There was 4 in it with a few minutes left. After which Tyrone missed a few great chances.

We all know Dublin had the brakes on most of the second half. Good luck today.

Aye, that's the sort of thing you do in an all Ireland Final.  Dublin were rattled, worried, so much so that a fan beside me started to roar f**kin British ba$tards after Harte's penalty.

I wouldn't get carried away with today's game. Overall, Mayo  have been poor this year.  The excitement of a Mayo victory today was built on memories of games two-three years ago.  I got caught up in it myself.  They bate a Donegal team who also floundered at this stage last year.  The first half was all Mayo bluster, the result of winning one on one battles with ridiculous tenacity.  You can't keep this up for 70 minutes against this Dublin team.  On form, Mayo are the weakest of the last four. 

You know what you're going to get with Mayo but the winners of tomorrow's game will ask more questions. Tyrone have a youthful experience and Kerry have deadly forwards.

With four minutes to go last year there was 4 in it and Tyrone missed a rake of chances.  Tyrone have improved tactically this year.  If we get past Kerry, we have a great chance with the correct game management.

Real lack of class from Dubs at the end of this match.  Throwing ball away, stalling the play, play acting as though there is a point in it. Disappointing.

Can't wait to see Joe struggle to explain what's happening.

I'm sure 'Mayo are gone' is nailed up in the dressing room. 

Harsh on MDMA there. Did shag all really.

Would be surprised to see him 2nd half.

Hon Mayo!

You can't argue with all of the stats above, nor could you argue that the best team won.  However, when you are 5-6 points up against Dublin, you are in with a chance of winning.  At that stage of the game, the accuracy was good, the mindset was right.  The smallest of things can affect that mindset.  You need the self-belief that, even if a few decisions go against you, you are still going to win.  I believe Tyrone showed a maturity against Cork that I hope will carry them through and give them a real shot at bringing Sam back.