Martin Mc Hugh next Donegal manager?

[J70]

I do not understand why anyone with a reputation like Mc Hugh's would touch this generation of Donegal players with a barge pole...no guts, heart in this current generation. He may wait for a few years

Donegal had plenty of hammerings and false dawns in McHugh's day as well. The 1991 Ulster final comes to mind especially as a day when the players couldn't live up to expectations.

By 91 they had least won an Ulster c'ship showing they had the balls for championship football.....this curent group has consistently proved they have not the balls for c'ship football.

But there wasn't two top-class teams in their way in Ulster at that time as there has been over the past five or six years. Teams came and went very quickly - Donegal were arguably the best team in Ulster over three or four years at that time, but they didn't win as many titles as they should have. And who knows, had certain players, most notoriously McHugh himself, performed at all against Meath in the 1990 semi, we might have got to an All Ireland two years earlier.

[Maximus Marillius]

J70 agreed on the the 1990 point...Mc Hugh was taken off by Mc Eniff in that semi final if I am not mistaken. Also they had the abiltity to win more titles....but you have to agree they had the balls and this outfit do not.

[J70]

J70 agreed on the the 1990 point...Mc Hugh was taken off by Mc Eniff in that semi final if I am not mistaken. Also they had the abiltity to win more titles....but you have to agree they had the balls and this outfit do not.

Of course, but I was just pointing out that spectacular collapses have always been part of Donegal county football, those boys included. Whether there is anyone willing to take the bull by the horns like McHugh and the likes did in '92 and force McEniff and Anthony Harkin to drive them through the wall to make a serious challenge is another matter.

[screenexile]

Yeah and his record for talking complete shite is even better.

Would youse Draperstown men every give it a rest? On and on and on. I know what your problem is. Youse live too close to Tyrone, and thats why you continually harp on about something that happened times ago.

I wouldnt know as I'm not from Draperstown Green baby boy.  Now run along there before your mammy sees you were playing with here computer.

Always gets them

Technically he isn't a Dtown man... but I think Moneyneena men are nearly worse than us townies anyway.

As for the relative merits of McHugh his achievement with Cavan wasn't that great given it was probably the worst contested Ulster Championship in years in 1997 and they only managed to beat Derry by a point that never was. That same Derry team won Ulster the year after and got whipped by a classy Galway outfit the year after so we were no great shakes then either!

As for his Sligo IT achievement well that is impressive but in Colleges/Schools football you can find that sometimes you just get a talented group of individuals coming from nowhere all at once that can achieve great things a lá St. Louis Kilkeel in Down in the MacRory.

Anyway let him take Donegal as he has been living off the Cavan thing for years now and I can be certain the managerial domain has changed a lot since then. Maybe he will be good who knows, personally I think he should give it a rattle and stop churning out all these excuses he has been for the last 11 years for not taking teams. Any good manager should always aim to take their home county and I would respect him more if he took the Donegal job and did badly at it than not take it at all. At least it would show he has the courage to do it.

[Uladh]

I don't believe he'll take the job. he's sitting pretty in his role at the minute and will only dip his toe in the water when he feels he is guaranteed silverware.
listening to him lately he is out of touch with the intercounty game as it is now and will be badly exposed when he grows a set of balls and actually manages someone.

[orangeman]

I don't believe he'll take the job. he's sitting pretty in his role at the minute and will only dip his toe in the water when he feels he is guaranteed silverware.
listening to him lately he is out of touch with the intercounty game as it is now and will be badly exposed when he grows a set of balls and actually manages someone.

I think you're right there - there's no threat to him as long as he stays in the studio.

[Whacker]

The Andy Gray of the BBC

He'll go nowhere, sitting on a nice wee goldmine..

Siannnnn Cavanagh

[armawman]

Martin McHugh knows gaelic football inside out. He is a superb tactition, very passionate about the game and knows the strengths and weaknesses of individual players. His record as a manager and player speaks for itself.

If he was managing a good set of players in any county, success would be virtually guaranteed. He has a very common sense approach and great enthusiasm for the game. But most of all he knows how to successfully plan tactics for individual games and to make astute switches at the right times. He would be a success as a manager wherever he goes as long as the players had sufficient talent.

[Uladh]

Martin McHugh knows gaelic football inside out. He is a superb tactition, very passionate about the game and knows the strengths and weaknesses of individual players. His record as a manager and player speaks for itself.

If he was managing a good set of players in any county, success would be virtually guaranteed. He has a very common sense approach and great enthusiasm for the game. But most of all he knows how to successfully plan tactics for individual games and to make astute switches at the right times. He would be a success as a manager wherever he goes as long as the players had sufficient talent.

How do you know?

For a start, he seems to have little understanding of modern concepts of attacking and no understanding of how modern defensive systems operate.

[armawman]

In reply to Uladh's reply to my post: Uladh said: "How do you know? For a start, he seems to have little understanding of modern concepts of attacking and no understanding of how modern defensive systems operate".

I know because I listen to him on TV and have also read what he writes. His TV comments and newspaper articles show that he has a very clear understanding of the tactics in gaelic football. He is very astute in his assessment of games.

To say that "he seems to have little understanding of modern concepts of attacking and no understanding of how modern defensive systems operate", is not true at all. In fact the exact opposite is true. I can't see how you could conclude this from listening to him on TV or reading what he writes.

For example, when speaking about Armagh on Sunday, he made the very simple and correct observation that its in their best interests to give Clarke and McDonnell as easy a ball as possible. This is pure common sense. Steven McDonnell scored four points from play on Sunday - three of them were when he got an easy ball played to him. On two occasions in the first half, Ronan Clarke got a ball where he was cornered by two or more players. In both cases, Ronan's shots were blocked. The passes he got were good passes, but he was still in a position where he had no space and it was very difficult to score. McHugh, talking about one of these situations that Clarke found himself in, observed that it was difficult for Clarke to score in this situation.

When Tyrone won their All - Irelands they created loads of space for their finisher, who may have been Canavan or O'Neill. Regularly Tyrone fisted over simple points. Kerry create space and simple chances for Cooper to finish. When Armagh do this, McDonnell, Clarke and McConville also finish off the move with ease. For example Martin O'Rourke soloed through twice on Sunday and fisted a pass to McDonnell who scored easily on both occasions.

Martin McHugh is not saying that Armagh shouldn't play the long diagonal ball. He's saying they should take the right option ie., sometimes long diagonal ball is the right option, but sometimes the running game is the right option. His advice is simple, straightforward and common sense.

[Yes I Would]

Well then surely his services should be better employed in his native county!! A man of such knowledge and insight is wasted sitting in a BBC studio!!

[J70]

Is McIver quitting again or something?

I can't see McHugh taking it anytime soon because of his BBC work and his paper column. He has also said in the last few years that he couldn't commit the time with his children at the ages they were.

Mr Mulgrew should be high in the running next time out, and Jim McGuinness is apparently making a name for himself with his club.

[magpie seanie]

Noreen has been County secretary since about 1990

I thought ye had a new county secretary in recent times? She resigned there recently?

[Minder]

Lads it is all well and good to say he hasnt the "balls", if he has young children you would have to give him his dues for putting his family first especially with the time the job takes up nowadays, also the criticism and scrutiny managers incur nowadays from the press, tv and certain websites  He has a nice sideline with the BBC and newspaper and as we know inter county managers do not get paid so he would be taking a hit financially...............

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Noreen has been County secretary since about 1990

I thought ye had a new county secretary in recent times? She resigned there recently?

Date : 17/06/2008 13:34 
NotesC.L.G Dhun na nGall extends their best wishes to Crona Regan who is retiring this week from the position of County Secretary. The County Board would like to acknowledge her service in recent years. Crona has worked tirelessly for the Association and the Board is sorry to see her leave her position as secretary. We wish her well in her future endeavours and we extend our sincere gratitude to her.  The Board wishes to congratulate Charlie O'Donnell on his appointment as the new full-time County Secretary.


When did Brian McIver hand in his resignation?