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That's possibly 5 good signings I would think if Arsenal can pull this off!!

[but nothing changes the fact that Donegals effort was a complete assault on the spirit of the game and the sooner we reject Meath('87-91), Tyrone (2003-2008), Donegal (2011) the better the game will be.]

Hardy's position is clear. Meath 87-91 and Meath 95-99 were perceived as negative teams so one can understand their sensitivity on this subject....... deja vue and all  ...but nothing changes the fact that Donegals effort was a complete assault on the spirit of the game and the sooner we reject Meath('87-91), Tyrone (2003-2008), Donegal (2011)  the better the game will be.

Can we also include Kerry 2004 - Present on that list as it includes Galvin's assault on the spirit of the game and sometimes Referee's and other players??!!!!

Anyone catch Boy in the Striped Pyjamas last night? Excellent film!

In fairness I have to say that technically Donegal players were immense. Their handling/ skill levels were faultless and McGuinness will have to be credited for that.

As for their tactics , not for me to comment either way as I am not from Donegal. Presume it will be "tweaked" next season.

242 handpasses. With 6 months and a group of monkeys I could train them to do that. Genius technically alright.

Sure that's what Gilroy and McGuinness have done

Anybody have Paddy Heaney's article from today?? Good job it doesn't circulate in Dublin or Indiana might have a coronary!!

The jist of it being "Why is everyone slagging off Donegal when Dublin played the exact same game only they have a couple of better footballers which meant they won the game. For what possible reason did they triple markColm McFadden?" and a few other chestnuts . . . Good stuff!!

Jesus . . . I find myself actually agreeing with the Man Ures on this one. What a complete farce of an article.

Andy Carroll got ROASTED by Vermaelen both on the ground and in the air and Vermaelen is a good 3 inches smaller than him!!

I won't even get started on Carragher and Lucas. Liverpool have improved but they won't be on the same level as Man Ure or City this season!

My head hurts  Good article though and it has convinced me to take a gander ar the NCAA so thanks AZ.

I'm looking forward to your article in a few months time on 'March Madness'

It is clear to see Connolly struck . . . the degree of force is debatable and Boyle's dive was scandallous but Connolly deserved to go just for being stupid enough to raise his hands.



As for the holier than thou attitude of the Dubs and how they play beautifully and don't goad players or dive or do anything untoward all I have to say is . . .  PAUL CASEY!!

Whatever about all those things being wrong and the fact they shouldn't happen every successful team has at least one player who is masterful in the dark arts and the Dubs are no different!!

Jesus there's some shite being talked on here today. . . On the game itself it was dire!! Donegal had ample opportunity to put Dublin away and didn't do it. My own personal opinion is that it all fell apart when Karl Lacey went off. The team looked tired after that point and the heart seemed to have gone out of them. He is pure class and the heartbeat of the team I would say.

Dublin were brutal at times and confirmed my opinion that they have too many average players on the team. Lads like Barry Cahill, Cullen, MD McAuley, Fennell, McConnell, Bastick, O'Gara wouldn't get on the panel in Kerry or Cork but the greatness of the Brogans means that having these fellas around to do donkey work makies them competitive. Without BB Dublin wouldn't get out of Leinster.

Boyle needs to take a long hard look at himself as does Connolly. He didn't deserve to go at all but if he kept his hands down he stays on the pitch and gets to play in an All Ireland final, brainless stuff really and as I suspected he couldn't handle it being put up to him today and got frustrated. He won't get to mark Justin McMahon every time he goes out on the field!

As for 'the state of our game' I have never been worried and nor should anyone else be about the state of our game. Had Donegal won today Kerry would have wiped the floor with them much like they will with Dublin and teams around the country will realise that creating better footballers is the way to win things rather than a team of athletes conditioned to be in a certain place at a certain time.

By and large Gaelic football is a fair game and the team with the best players will generally win. Kerry are the prime example of this. Kerry have more better footballers than probably Dublin and Donegal put together and the way they play the game is how it should be played. When they win the All Ireland hopefully all will return to normal and hopefully teams like Donegal and Dublin will try and get some more footballers in their teams rather than fella's who can hit hard and run for a long time.

Up your jaxe Damo. Your chimps couldnt beat donegal and ours could. You've been wrong every time very time about this dublin team and you only have to be wrong once more for me to consign you to the scrap heap on this website. Looking forward to it. You;re about as astute as Arsene Wenger's defensive coach.

Take your 2 brothers out of the Dublin team and see if you would have beaten them today. In fairness Deegan did a fairly good job of winning it for you anyway!

PS. Damo?? wtf are you on about? A bad winner is worse than a bad loser Indie!!

Jesus there's some shite being talked on here today. . . On the game itself it was dire!! Donegal had ample opportunity to put Dublin away and didn't do it. My own personal opinion is that it all fell apart when Karl Lacey went off. The team looked tired after that point and the heart seemed to have gone out of them. He is pure class and the heartbeat of the team I would say.

Dublin were brutal at times and confirmed my opinion that they have too many average players on the team. Lads like Barry Cahill, Cullen, MD McAuley, Fennell, McConnell, Bastick, O'Gara wouldn't get on the panel in Kerry or Cork but the greatness of the Brogans means that having these fellas around to do donkey work makies them competitive. Without BB Dublin wouldn't get out of Leinster.

Boyle needs to take a long hard look at himself as does Connolly. He didn't deserve to go at all but if he kept his hands down he stays on the pitch and gets to play in an All Ireland final, brainless stuff really and as I suspected he couldn't handle it being put up to him today and got frustrated. He won't get to mark Justin McMahon every time he goes out on the field!

As for 'the state of our game' I have never been worried and nor should anyone else be about the state of our game. Had Donegal won today Kerry would have wiped the floor with them much like they will with Dublin and teams around the country will realise that creating better footballers is the way to win things rather than a team of athletes conditioned to be in a certain place at a certain time.

By and large Gaelic football is a fair game and the team with the best players will generally win. Kerry are the prime example of this. Kerry have more better footballers than probably Dublin and Donegal put together and the way they play the game is how it should be played. When they win the All Ireland hopefully all will return to normal and hopefully teams like Donegal and Dublin will try and get some more footballers in their teams rather than fella's who can hit hard and run for a long time.

Ah now Dinny you should be able to take it on the chin!

Kerry will completely wipe the floor with the gym monkeys!!

[despite the fact our 21's coped comfortably with the exact same system last year in Brefni Park.]

Yep indeed Heffo. Donegal are very sure of themselves. Me Eniff declaring we wont be able to cope with the blanket defence despite the fact our 21's coped comfortably with the exact same system last year in Brefni Park.

Can Donegal cope with the hype within their own county? Time will tell.

We'll try and turn up and give them a game anyway.

If we can.

Don't know about comfortably, if it wasn't for Murphy missing a penalty Donegal would have won.

The same could be said about Charlie Redmond's missed penalty seven minutes into the 1992 final. Dublin were rampant at the time and Donegal were hanging on by their finger nails. If Charlie had put the ball in the net, Donegal might still be waiting for their first AI senior football title.

Or if McHugh's shot in the first half had found the net instead of the crossbar. If you are going to consider the "if"s in a game, consider them all.

I didn't start the "ifs".


The Dubs stick with the same team for Sunday.

http://www.hill16.ie/index.php?/home/comments/no-changes-for-semi-final/

It's got nothing to do with the missed penalty or any ifs or buts... Indiana said that Dublin U21s were "comfortably" dealing with Donegal's blanket defence last year. That was not the case. Certainly nobody is saying Donegal were comfortable when they won the AIF in 1992.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOfNq6JY_BE&feature=player_embedded

[Me Eniff declaring we wont be able to cope with the blanket defence despite the fact our 21's coped comfortably with the exact same system last year in Brefni Park.]

Yep indeed Heffo. Donegal are very sure of themselves. Me Eniff declaring we wont be able to cope with the blanket defence despite the fact our 21's coped comfortably with the exact same system last year in Brefni Park.

Can Donegal cope with the hype within their own county? Time will tell.

We'll try and turn up and give them a game anyway.

If we can.

Did Murphy not miss a last minute penalty that would have won the game for Donegal? Now I didn't see the game but 1-10 to 1-8 hardly sounds comfortable. Sounds to me like a war of attrition that could have gone either way.

These are 2 different teams though so who knows what will happen. I'm not a huge fan of either the Dubs or Donegal and it will hardly be a classic I should imagine although I do think it wil be intersting to see how it pans out. If Dublin play the way they did against Tyrone they will win but I can't see Connolly doing that again, strikes me as the sort of boy that when it's put up to him and he has someone in his face he will go missing. Donegal on the other hand don't have a lot of scoring power bar Murphy but if McFadden finds his form they could possibly sneak it.

I'm going to go for a draw and Pat Spillane to get the Wigan Warriors over to play the winners of the replay as Kerry shouldn't lower themselves to playing against gym monkeys given their far superior footballing ability!!