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Vale realistically an Intermeidate team to so shouldnt be getting snobby about it. It was no ordinary Donegal Junior team those fellas took

As I said I'm just hearing it second hand, but by all accounts training was very basic and repetitive, not a single thing done on set up or kick outs etc... as you say they done a very good job in donegal, but to step from a junior team (albeit a good one) to Derry Senior is a massive step. And while you say Vale are an intermediate side; they aren't, they are senior at the minute and why shouldn't they want to strive to remain there and demand the best from management?? Or should all teams just stay in their lane based on the past?

[Faughanvale in massive bother by all accounts, management gone and on the look out for someone new days before the season starts.]

I believe Balinderry will probably get relegated.  Glenullin give a good rattle. 

Agree about Glenullin, now they have the age profile of the team down to about 34 I think they be flying.

Faughanvale will be fine, good up coming team who play decent football.

I'd be looking at couple seasoned teams to feel the pressure in the league. Maybe Swatragh, Kilrea, Steelstown and Screen.
Can't comment on Limavady never seen them play but they had impressive results last year.
I'd be surprised if Glenullin around above the bottom 4.

Glenullin will be fine, finish top half i think. Ballinderry fine also, top of the bottom half. Faughanvale in massive bother by all accounts, management gone and on the look out for someone new days before the season starts. Hounds could cause a few shocks but will depend on the start they have, lose the first couple and could lose them all, they still my pick to go down.

What happended with the Faughanvale management?

Not 100% just getting second hand info. From what I hear new management only managed at junior level in Donegal and just not cut out for taking a senior team and players not having them at all.

I believe Balinderry will probably get relegated.  Glenullin give a good rattle. 

Agree about Glenullin, now they have the age profile of the team down to about 34 I think they be flying.

Faughanvale will be fine, good up coming team who play decent football.

I'd be looking at couple seasoned teams to feel the pressure in the league. Maybe Swatragh, Kilrea, Steelstown and Screen.
Can't comment on Limavady never seen them play but they had impressive results last year.
I'd be surprised if Glenullin around above the bottom 4.

Glenullin will be fine, finish top half i think. Ballinderry fine also, top of the bottom half. Faughanvale in massive bother by all accounts, management gone and on the look out for someone new days before the season starts. Hounds could cause a few shocks but will depend on the start they have, lose the first couple and could lose them all, they still my pick to go down.

I've weighed in on this before so I'll try not to than rant too long but my opinion is that yes there are a lot more players from south derry with inter county ability, but there is definitely a bias at underage to 'established' or big clubs. If you are a young chap from a small north Derry club vying for a place on a development panel against someone from a traditional big club the odds are against you due to the historical bias and the fact alot of the coaches are from these clubs. While the difference might be small at say 15 by the time these players get to senior level one has been involved in county set up and all the benefits that brings for a number of years and the other has only had club football and coaching, so athletically and ability wise the gap is now huge. It's no coincidence that steelstown are the only north Derry club with senior representatives and they have had Hugh McGrath involved at underage for a number of years championing their players cause.
And it's not just at young age groups, for example, I've been speaking to a few of the under 20 management in recent weeks and they are waxing lyrical about young Bryson from Faughanvale, apparently he is standing out with the 20s this year in training and challenge games and was decent last year too, yet doesn't seem to be ever mentioned in despatches on here despite numerous names from the panel being named as possibles for the the future, and doesn't seem to be getting looked at by management either. He didn't come through the development route and isn't from a big club so isn't earmarked for the future no matter what he does is my point.

In short players need opportunities and exposure at the younger age groups to develop, and while there is and always will be more players of that standard in south Derry due to the clubs and the schooling, we need to find a way to open up path ways to more players of the requisite ability from the north and city.

Derry winning Ulster club bck to bck at Intermediate, does that not show the original proposed realignment to a top 12/14 league/championship been correct.?

I wouldn't really agree. If all you want is to win things at ulster then yeah, it's doing its job. But if you want to grow and improve the game in Derry then it's having little effect. You basically have a mid table senior team playing intermediate championship. Doesn't actually reflect the strength of intermediate football in Derry. Since the realignment, all junior and intermediate champions in Derry have played their league football at a higher grade. Not sure how that's improving standards at these grades.

I think the issue with Drumsurn is the issue with de coupling the leagues and championship. They played intermediate league this year and from what I hear the players had no desire for playing senior championship as they knew they would struggle. As a result they limped through the league with players not really taking it serious. So as a club I can see why they would want to guard against that happening again next year. They finished mid table last year in intermediate and lost a championship semi final, yet found themselves in senior championship, was never going to be fair on them. I'm sure if they won a championship or got promoted from the league they would have approached it differently as they would have felt like they deserved it and were ready to compete at that level.

Ben McCarron caused Vale some trouble today in another great game, had every one of their backs man marking him at some stage or another.

Castledawson look as good as gone, Ballinderry to possibly join them in Intermediate via a play off?

Took that game in myself as I was up in the town. Thought he was very dangerous but his play acting and diving would annoy you. Actually thought the longer haired fella (Sweeney is it) handled him ok in the second half. Vale leave a lot of space for the opposition, seems to be the way they like to play it, get a lot of reward from an attacking point of view but leaves defense exposed, don't think McCarron will get that space against many teams, but he def looks like he has improved. Very enjoyable game and both teams would be thinking they should have won.

I'd say Dawson are gone. Wouldn't be shocked if Ballinderry pull a few results from somewhere tho.

If we don't win a match this season are you saying no management change needed,if that happened to  other div one team they would be gone

Ok if thats the plan, who do you suggest Derry approach? Or who do you believe would be interested?

Allowing that it must be an improvement from what they already have.
Personally I believe Gilligan will leave Armagh at the end of this season having achieved all he can l, 1 option to be approached as a coach but not management.

The county board would be extremely negligent if they weren't reviewing the management situation and making plans. Hopefully we get a good end to the season, there would be no one happier than me but the realist in me thinks we won't win a game in the group. By reviewing I don't necessarily mean a change of manager but there has to be a serious review of what has been a very poor season and strategies put in place to ensure next season is more successful. If that review leads to a change of manager or a shake up of the back room team then so be it. As I say hopefully it won't be necessary but there should be forward planning already going on.

Can the county board review the county board?

If it's proper, the whole fiasco must be be reviewed.

How long do you go back, this year, 2 years? 

Would you be prepared to put your name forward to stand for the County Board?

I'd say you know the answer to your own question zapped.

Anyway the clubs review the County Board every year at convention and anyone can put their name forward if they think they can do a better job or maybe it's just easier to slate them on forums or social media. 

I don't think county board is the issue, the issue is the self appointed CEO, who created a job for himself (that he is not qualified for) when he was chair and now cannot be voted out by clubs as it is a funded post appointed by county board.

Are players on the development squad let away for club fball? Is u20 outside the starting 26 allowed play club fball, as i seen few lads playing the other nite.

I'm not 100% sure but I think it's being worked on a player by player basis, if the management feel a player could be doing with some game time they are releasing them but I don't think it's a sweeping agreement.

I am going over well trodden ground here and after seeing the list of lads not togged out in a previous post I'm raising it again. Why is are we insisting on struggling on with Mc Carron? Christ lads the lad is completely lost. I'm fully aware I'll be jumped on as making it an individual attack but it needs called out.
You can see other players on the pitch avoiding the clear pass to him in favour of someone else. Not sure what position he was today but spend a lot time around midfield and in second have was going for kickouts close to Derry 20 yard line when we were down to 14 men. Devlin got his first start and scored 0-3,Mc Gurk last week done rightly so new men are making an impact in spells.
Have sympathy for Mc Kinless I do think he looked nervous, defence has to be anticipating a ball coming off the post and they weren't on 3 separate occasions. We missed about 1-5 in first have and then sending off. Sure it was an up hill battle before we even arrived nevermind that.

This is the point I've been making. You are never going to unearth anyone new or progress if you keep going back to players who've already shown they aren't good enough. This was highlighted by myself and others on here before a ball was kicked about some of the 'new' players who had been added to the panel for a the season. Tohill and McCarron seem to be the main two who have lasted and now they have added McKinless. This management team seems to have very little foresight, innovation or ideas both in terms of panel building or systems and tactics tbh.

[Surely Derry have a good kicker of a ball who is competent at the other aspects of goalkeeping. Or maybe not, maybe this is all we have.]

Derry have a multitude of issues at the moment, injuries being chief among them. But in reality the management havnt done themselves any favour with some of their decisions. The goalkeeper position has been a shambles since day one. When they thought we needed an outfield keeper they plucked a player from complete obscurity who'd never done goals before and seemed intent on sticking with him. Then when the rules changed and Lynch got injured they have plucked another keeper from the county wilderness whose already proven he isn't good enough at this level, no doubt due to his club mates influence on the management team. Surely Derry have a good kicker of a ball who is competent at the other aspects of goalkeeping. Or maybe not, maybe this is all we have. But for me, the biggest issue is how wide open we are in defence. Even with the injuries, Tally is supposed to be a very good defensive coach but all year as soon as any team inject a bit of pace into their attack we are wide open, it's galling. A very short summer ahead I would imagine.

so who would you have had in goals today?

I don't know, I've asked the question (in bold above) and said maybe this is the best we have. But surely we have better than a lad who has been up before and not been good enough and who was being targeted as one of Ballinderry's few weak links by intermediate teams in last years championship. That's just my opinion, and as I said, maybe we don't have any better.

Derry have a multitude of issues at the moment, injuries being chief among them. But in reality the management havnt done themselves any favour with some of their decisions. The goalkeeper position has been a shambles since day one. When they thought we needed an outfield keeper they plucked a player from complete obscurity who'd never done goals before and seemed intent on sticking with him. Then when the rules changed and Lynch got injured they have plucked another keeper from the county wilderness whose already proven he isn't good enough at this level, no doubt due to his club mates influence on the management team. Surely Derry have a good kicker of a ball who is competent at the other aspects of goalkeeping. Or maybe not, maybe this is all we have. But for me, the biggest issue is how wide open we are in defence. Even with the injuries, Tally is supposed to be a very good defensive coach but all year as soon as any team inject a bit of pace into their attack we are wide open, it's galling. A very short summer ahead I would imagine.

It is called a 'solo and go'. The rule states ' a player who is fouled can solo (Toe-Tap) immediately, within 4m of where the foul occurred, and continue to attack. If they solo & go they cannot be challenged for 4m. A solo & go is not permitted inside the opponent's 20m line'. In a Q and A it clarifies 'It must be a 'toe-tap' i.e. the ball must be released from the hand(s) to the foot and kicked back into the hand(s)'.
So you can't bounce or just run.

Good to hear there has been a Senior development squad set up, there can be no more moaning from clubs (geographical areas) about players not getting opportunities. All getting good exposure around Owenbeg and insight to what it takes to be Inter County player.

Who all is on this development squad?

I'm not sure it's a full on development squad? Open to correction.

Heard there are 3 lads from Faughanvale down training with the county anyway. Don't think they're the required standard but good luck to them and I'd happily be proven wrong.

There's about 14 on it, clubs were asked to send who they believed was capable I've no doubt there would be slightly clouded judgement on that but if they were there at least they know.

I don't think clubs were asked to send anyone, players were contacted directly by members of the management/CB as far as I heard. 

[Don't think they're the required standard]

Good to hear there has been a Senior development squad set up, there can be no more moaning from clubs (geographical areas) about players not getting opportunities. All getting good exposure around Owenbeg and insight to what it takes to be Inter County player.

Who all is on this development squad?

I'm not sure it's a full on development squad? Open to correction.

Heard there are 3 lads from Faughanvale down training with the county anyway. Don't think they're the required standard but good luck to them and I'd happily be proven wrong.

I'd generally agree with you on that, but from what I heard one of them played in a challenge game against Tyrone at the weekend and was one of the best players on the pitch, has now been called up to full county training.