All Ireland Championship 2025.

[JoG2]

Teams that throw away 8 point leads with 20 minutes left don't "deserve" anything. Nothing Galway got was a fluke. It was gifted to them on a plate through awful play. Derry got precisely what they deserved.

8 points ain't what it used to be. Relatively easy to claw it back nowadays.

Agreed, especially with the wind on your backs, and you factor in 2 goals coming from sideline balls called incorrectly.

[mouview]

If Derry got what they deserved Galway would be out. Now they have a game against a team that has qualified top of group. Fine margins.

What rubbish is this? In what way did Derry "deserve" the win there? McKinless was brutal.

Two very jammy goals for Galway, one of which should have been a sideline ball for Derry. We also played better than Galway bar a 15 min period

Galway's third goal was one of the actual few very good moves they put together and I'm pretty sure it was a Galway sideline ball - Derry player got an even later touch on it than the Galway player.

[joemamas]

J70, I feared once I saw Donegal getting a bit cranky and bringing a bit more heat that it would be the likely cue for our lads to fold. They just haven't the balls or the heart or any core of belief whatsoever, but to be fair it's been hollowed out of them over the years of toiling away and getting nowhere, the reasons for which are multilayered. However, no set of intercounty players worthy of the name, especially of a reasonable calibre and as experienced as Cavan's, should ever be on the end of two such almighty humblings as we've allowed Tyrone and Donegal to inflict. It's gone so bad now that this is allowed to happen and our county, that would once be in uproar over a display like that and talk about nothing else for weeks, will shrug collectively and move on. Hardly a murmur from the small support there today, fewer again the next day v Tyrone. I don't honestly think we can regard ourselves as a proper footballing county any more, so deep has the rot been allowed to take hold that it's met with fatalism and indifference. We need a revolution to sweep the boards clean and begin again but there doesn't even seem to be any acknowledgement this is a crisis.

You're at the Roscommon/Meath/Cork/Down level of producing county footballers though. All proud football counties with AI wins but haven't produced an all-round, top level squad for 15 years (except cork 2005-2010) and with the most respect I don't see it changing soon. Its always gonna be a struggle for these to compete against the institutional advantages of the top 6 teams in the country (Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Dublin, Tyrone, Donegal). These counties have now ensured a coach/player conveyor belt that looks like it might sustain them at the top indefinitely.

I'm not disparaging any of those counties mentioned above but how do we raise their level to become consistent competitors even for a short period a la Monaghan, Derry and Armagh? What's the solution? What disappoints me most about modern football is how strongly tiered it has become. Gone are the days Fermanagh, Wexford, Westmeath, Tipperary, Sligo, Longford and Wicklow could get a decent team together and mix it with the best of them for 3-4 years, lifting the spirits of whole counties. Now there's a top tier of 6, a middle tier of Derry, Monaghan, Roscommon, Cavan who cant touch the top tier and a 3rd tier who can't get anywhere near the 2nd tier. I actually blame the 4 tier league system. I'd love a return to the 2 division structure.

Hard to disagree, but they will still qualify V Mayo as it is out of their hands. Crazy but true.

[Manning18]

Teams that throw away 8 point leads with 20 minutes left don't "deserve" anything. Nothing Galway got was a fluke. It was gifted to them on a plate through awful play. Derry got precisely what they deserved.

8 points ain't what it used to be. Relatively easy to claw it back nowadays.

Agreed, especially with the wind on your backs, and you factor in 2 goals coming from sideline balls called incorrectly.

There's one debatable sideline ball. Still, in it's isolation, that's still only a sideline ball given the wrong direction, near midfield. It's up to Derry to defend from that point

What far far more contentious is McGuigans 3 points in the first half. One an absolute ridiculous free that went the wrong direction that McGuigan tapped over for 2pt with the big wind. The other, the trip on Maher that left McFaul with a tap over point. Two huge decisions that far outweigh a debatable sideline given on the opposing sides 65. That's before we even get into the Comer penalty debacle

[J70]

J70, I feared once I saw Donegal getting a bit cranky and bringing a bit more heat that it would be the likely cue for our lads to fold. They just haven't the balls or the heart or any core of belief whatsoever, but to be fair it's been hollowed out of them over the years of toiling away and getting nowhere, the reasons for which are multilayered. However, no set of intercounty players worthy of the name, especially of a reasonable calibre and as experienced as Cavan's, should ever be on the end of two such almighty humblings as we've allowed Tyrone and Donegal to inflict. It's gone so bad now that this is allowed to happen and our county, that would once be in uproar over a display like that and talk about nothing else for weeks, will shrug collectively and move on. Hardly a murmur from the small support there today, fewer again the next day v Tyrone. I don't honestly think we can regard ourselves as a proper footballing county any more, so deep has the rot been allowed to take hold that it's met with fatalism and indifference. We need a revolution to sweep the boards clean and begin again but there doesn't even seem to be any acknowledgement this is a crisis.

I sympathize. We were at a generational low just two years ago with the end of Bonner's reign and the appalling football it was producing, then the Paddy Carr fiasco, the Lacey/academy nonsense, the county board audit, and the caretaker campaign where Aidan O'Rourke and Paddy Bradley did their best with a depleted squad but couldn't avoid relegation or a limp exit at home to Tyrone. Not sure what your solution is, or even where we would be now had McGuinness not come back, but you have to get the right people in charge at all levels. Once the public sees a bit of progress and something building, they'll start coming out again.

[J70]

J70, I feared once I saw Donegal getting a bit cranky and bringing a bit more heat that it would be the likely cue for our lads to fold. They just haven't the balls or the heart or any core of belief whatsoever, but to be fair it's been hollowed out of them over the years of toiling away and getting nowhere, the reasons for which are multilayered. However, no set of intercounty players worthy of the name, especially of a reasonable calibre and as experienced as Cavan's, should ever be on the end of two such almighty humblings as we've allowed Tyrone and Donegal to inflict. It's gone so bad now that this is allowed to happen and our county, that would once be in uproar over a display like that and talk about nothing else for weeks, will shrug collectively and move on. Hardly a murmur from the small support there today, fewer again the next day v Tyrone. I don't honestly think we can regard ourselves as a proper footballing county any more, so deep has the rot been allowed to take hold that it's met with fatalism and indifference. We need a revolution to sweep the boards clean and begin again but there doesn't even seem to be any acknowledgement this is a crisis.

You're at the Roscommon/Meath/Cork/Down level of producing county footballers though. All proud football counties with AI wins but haven't produced an all-round, top level squad for 15 years (except cork 2005-2010) and with the most respect I don't see it changing soon. Its always gonna be a struggle for these to compete against the institutional advantages of the top 6 teams in the country (Kerry, Galway, Mayo, Dublin, Tyrone, Donegal). These counties have now ensured a coach/player conveyor belt that looks like it might sustain them at the top indefinitely.

I'm not disparaging any of those counties mentioned above but how do we raise their level to become consistent competitors even for a short period a la Monaghan, Derry and Armagh? What's the solution? What disappoints me most about modern football is how strongly tiered it has become. Gone are the days Fermanagh, Wexford, Westmeath, Tipperary, Sligo, Longford and Wicklow could get a decent team together and mix it with the best of them for 3-4 years, lifting the spirits of whole counties. Now there's a top tier of 6, a middle tier of Derry, Monaghan, Roscommon, Cavan who cant touch the top tier and a 3rd tier who can't get anywhere near the 2nd tier. I actually blame the 4 tier league system. I'd love a return to the 2 division structure.

Hard to disagree, but they will still qualify V Mayo as it is out of their hands. Crazy but true.

I don't know joemamas. Your lads were seriously impressive yesterday, especially after Tyrone had clawed things back with 15 left. It's a 50-50 match between yourselves and ourselves, while Cavan have a horrific record against Tyrone, including their Ulster game last month.

[oakleaflad]

If Derry got what they deserved Galway would be out. Now they have a game against a team that has qualified top of group. Fine margins.

What rubbish is this? In what way did Derry "deserve" the win there? McKinless was brutal.

Two very jammy goals for Galway, one of which should have been a sideline ball for Derry. We also played better than Galway bar a 15 min period

Galway's third goal was one of the actual few very good moves they put together and I'm pretty sure it was a Galway sideline ball - Derry player got an even later touch on it than the Galway player.

That sideline looked to be taken well down the line from where the ball went out of play. It was well worked though from a Galway perspective. Well weighted pass initially to set it up.

[Norm-Peterson]

I heard a Derry fan shout to the referee. "There are 32 counties in Ireland not 26" implying that he was favouring the southern team. He must not have realised the referee was from Fermanagh.

[Rossfan]

When you've a bag of spuds on yer shoulder..   
An exciting last round to come which could see a "big" team or 2 eliminated ?
Tyrone, Mayowestros, Galway, Dublin in the firing line.
Only Armagh sure of anything (Qtr Final) as far as I can see.
Hopefully venues abd times announced tomorrow to enable people make travel plans, teams to book accomodation and have a but of build up.,
Hoping for Portlaoise for our game.

[gallsman]

Should play a prediction game. Here's my effort:

Kerry-Meath in Portlaoise
Roscommon-Cork in Limerick

Donegal-Mayo in Sligo
Tyrone-Cavan in Enniskillen

Down-Monaghan in Armagh
Louth-Clare in Portlaoise

Armagh-Galway in Cavan/Roscommon
Dublin-Derry in Clones

[SouthOfThe Bann]

Kerry-Meath in Portlaoise
Roscommon-Cork in Ennis

Donegal-Mayo in Carrick
Tyrone-Cavan in Enniskillen

Down-Monaghan in Armagh
Louth-Clare in Mullingar

Armagh-Galway in Cavan
Dublin-Derry in Newry





[/quote]

[gallsman]

Ennis probably a better shout for Ros-Cork  alright. Gaelic Grounds will be way too big for it.

[oakleafgael]

Should play a prediction game. Here's my effort:

Kerry-Meath in Portlaoise
Roscommon-Cork in Limerick

Donegal-Mayo in Sligo
Tyrone-Cavan in Enniskillen

Down-Monaghan in Armagh
Louth-Clare in Portlaoise

Armagh-Galway in Cavan/Roscommon
Dublin-Derry in Clones

I think Markievicz Park is closed for a new surface. Armagh v Galway was in Carrick the last time but probably needs a bigger venue.

[Armagh18]

Should play a prediction game. Here's my effort:

Kerry-Meath in Portlaoise
Roscommon-Cork in Limerick

Donegal-Mayo in Sligo
Tyrone-Cavan in Enniskillen

Down-Monaghan in Armagh
Louth-Clare in Portlaoise

Armagh-Galway in Cavan/Roscommon
Dublin-Derry in Clones

I think Markievicz Park is closed for a new surface. Armagh v Galway was in Carrick the last time but probably needs a bigger venue.

Mightnt be that awfully many Armagh ones at it given its dead rubber for us

[gallsman]

Surely they have to cater to all the die hard Armagh season ticket holders, no?!

Missed that about Sligo, although possibly ringing a very faint bell. In that case I'll say if Armagh-Galway is in Breffni or the Hyde, the Donegal-Mayo game will end up in the other one.