All Ireland Quarter Final Tir Eoghain V Dublin

[Maguire01]

An average Monaghan midfield won nearly every kickout against us in the ulster final. 

Only for the first 20 minutes.

[Aaron Boone]

Dublin v Cork Sun Aug 22nd.

Minors Tyrone v Mayo the curtain raiser.

[Mickeys beard]

An average Monaghan midfield won nearly every kickout against us in the ulster final. 

Only for the first 20 minutes.

Yeah, until we stopped kicking into the middle!

[DirtyDozen12]

I didnt like the tactic of the short kick out every time yesterday from Tyrone, yes you are guranteed 100% possession but it is a hell of a long way from your own 20m line into the main scoring zone.  With this tactic it means that primarily your defenders have a lot of work to do to get the ball out the field, a lot of running, a lot of support play, a lot of ball carrying and taking a lot of hits on the way meaning that when the time comes for the defenders to do their proper job ie, actaully defend and mark their man, they are that out on their feet and as a result they couldnt keep up with the Dublin forwards when the tyrone moves broke down.  Its takes an insane amount of fitness to keep this up for 70 minutes and especially with Tyrones reluctance to freshen things up on the line.  Hub was not good yesterday but felt sorry for him, how must he feel when its obvious there is no confidence in him to contest balls in midfield on our own kickouts?

I thought Tyrone where actually horrible enough to watch yesterday, wasnt their usual efficient performance, there was a real lack of intensity from the start.  Many times when they came running out from the back with the ball, there wasnt a player ahead of them to kick it to, the amount of times Tyrone players had to go backwards was outlandish, i remember Philly Jordan running down the wing, he had a look up and their was about one Tyrone player ahead of him and that was Mulligan, around 70 yards away!!  There was no shape in our half forward line yesterday but I think Brian McGuigan had a right game all the same.

What annoyed me about the tactics a bit yesterday was that we brought on SON and never looked like getting him into the game for some reason!!  Surely it should have been said at half time, we have SON in at FF, lets get the ball into him early, the man got about 3 touches in the whole time he was on!!!!  When you look at Dublin, you would imagine the tactic is get the ball into Ber-nard Brogan, for Down, its get the ball in Benny Coulter, for Kerry its get the ball into Gooch....well this is what Tyrone should have been trying to do!!  Seek out Oneil and let him cut loose!!!!!!

I dont know what Colly McCullugh has to do to get a game, he has been brilliant for Tyrone over the years and was probably the player of the senior club championship in tyrone last year!!  Would have liked to seen him on as i feel he can take other players into the game as hes a clever player, i actually thogh he was the man to bring SON into the game but i cant see him being back now as didnt he have to be persuaded to come out of retirement?

Also, are the likes of Mulgrew, Murphy and a few others just token squad players, no where near the team, just there to make up the numbers??  These guys have been around a few years like on the panel, why have they not made the breakthrough??

[ONeill]

The whole timing of the O'Neill substitution puzzled me. Tyrone were in the ascendancy at half time. Maybe Davy was injured but then surely the other Harte would've been an apt replacement. Easy in hindsight I know but thought it an odd move at the time. Maybe the about of wides in the first half worried Mickey.

[omagh_gael]

Congratulations to Dublin, was confident coming into this game and was surprised that so many parts of our game didn't function. Shooting was woeful at times with the last twenty mins in the 2nd half being the real killer. Sean Cav attempted to pull us from the fire but just couldn't get his cross hairs on the target. In hindsight he may have been better laying it off or working it
closer when it was obvious he didn't have his shooting boots on.

I think Harte should have tried a more direct approach for at least 10-15 mins to see if this could have brought SoN and Mugsy more into the game. Dublin were extremely strong in the tackle and I think this may have been afactor in why Colly McCullagh didn't get on as he has been dominated by more physical teams in the past.

Very disappointing day with Kerry being beat it looked like the fourth AI may be within reach. Plenty of time to have a re-think and get a few new lads on board to freshen things up for another tilt at the title next year.

Finally congrats to our minors and Down on their wins. Keep the ulster flag flying.

[Bud Wiser]

Absolutely delighted!!

I was feeling pretty negative in the first half. Got a good start to keep us in it, but even early on I thought Tyrone are too good for us.

But we kept with them in the 2nd half, and with Tyrone hitting plenty of wides, there was just the inkling of a chance we might nick it. When Al Brogan was taken off I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach! Unbelievable. Must admit that I cursed O'Gara out of it at times     but the boy got the big score.

It all worked out in the end. Fantastic win for us. I have no idea how good the Rossies are. Cork are the best team left, the other 4 are much of a muchness, so everyone has a chance.

First off, a great win for the Dubs and I had Kildare along with them in the double. 

I think Brogan was nearly taken off for a second time for the same reason as he was taken off the first time.

[north down]

First of all congratulations to the Dubs on their victory - the best team won on the day and there can be no arguments about that. Dublin were quite simply more hungry. As for Tyrone, well this was another bad day at the office but I don't think we should be too pessimistic - yes there are a few players who will probably hang up the boots but as others had said before the match, the bench is strong and this might give some of the newcomers a chance to shine next year.

Well done also to the Tyrone Minors and the Down senior team. Two magniifcent performances - hopefully both will be able to go all the way and do Ulster proud.

[45 metres]

Dublin had a little bit of luck near the end but they deserved to get something out of the game as they were a bit better over all compared to Tyrone. Gilroy had his homework done.

Mickey Harte was shown up not for the first time as having no clear plan B when plan A is not working. When things go well they go very well but when they don't next to nothing is done. It was the case in Laois in 2006, Against Cork in Croke Park last year and against Dublin yesterday. Tyrone might have been in the game for all except the last few minutes but they never looked like putting Dublin away.

How Tyrone go from here goes further than just Harte and the senior team right now. The county has badly performed in U21 in the last few years and the effects are starting to show. Cork, Dublin and Down have done well at this level in the last few years and the results for them are starting to come through. The All Ireland winning teams of Tyrone came from a strong U21 team a decade ago. Right now Tyrone are not bringing their minor players through to senior via the U21s with too much relied on or loyalty shown to players reaching the sunset of their county careers.

Use the NFL next year to blood young players fully and use the likes of Cavanagh, Carlin, Hughes to mentor them. Do not take the Ulster championship seriously next year, it is now no advantage to any team wanting to win the All Ireland. If Tyrone win it, good. If not, start being serious from the first time they enter the qualifier. Harte has one year left on his current term, he should help bring through the next generation next year in the league and championship and play down expectations in Tyrone.

[barelegs]

How Tyrone go from here goes further than just Harte and the senior team right now. The county has badly performed in U21 in the last few years and the effects are starting to show. Cork, Dublin and Down have done well at this level in the last few years and the results for them are starting to come through. The All Ireland winning teams of Tyrone came from a strong U21 team a decade ago. Right now Tyrone are not bringing their minor players through to senior via the U21s with too much relied on or loyalty shown to players reaching the sunset of their county careers.

Use the NFL next year to blood young players fully and use the likes of Cavanagh, Carlin, Hughes to mentor them. Do not take the Ulster championship seriously next year, it is now no advantage to any team wanting to win the All Ireland. If Tyrone win it, good. If not, start being serious from the first time they enter the qualifier. Harte has one year left on his current term, he should help bring through the next generation next year in the league and championship and play down expectations in Tyrone.

I agree with alot of that, especially with the failure of the under 21s over the last few years to make a serious impact on the championship. The 08 minor team will all be available for the under 21 championship next year, if they are as good as we all hope they are then they should be challenging for an ulster title at least. College football in the autumn will give a lot of them a decent quality of football.

I would disagree with the Harte having one year left on his current term as such. I think he's got as long in charge of the Tyrone team as he chooses.

[To whom it may concern]

A NUMBER OF POINTS:

1. This is the first year Tyrone have played with a specific sweeper. Previous years there was the flooding of the defence but also then the flooding of the attack.

2. The Cork game from last year clearly resonates with Harte. Exemplified by his instructions that McConnell doesn't kick out the ball to midfield. Dooher, McGuigan, Jordan etc obviously havent the legs of yester year, hence he doesn't want them expending energy scrapping for ball off their own kick outs. Dublin clearly were prepared for this and were happy to let the McMahons collect the kickout as they posed no threat to the Dubs on their own 21 metre line.

3. Joe McMahon's direct deployment as the sweeper with instructions to sit in the full back line obviously illustrates Harte's acceptance that the full back line is now seriously weak. I've said before that we now have no-one who can mark a top forward. Conor is no longer able to do that job which he did when we won our All Irelands. In previous years when we did play a sweeper, it was ricey who had licence to drive forward. It was no coincidence that when ricey took over as sweeper after mccarron's substitution, we had our best spell, as he turned over ball and drove forward. Joe has been deployed as a sweeper to protect the full back line, simple.

4. Joe, when moved to a specific marking role after mccarron was subbed, should have been put on o'gara or else played as an orthodox 5 or 6. I worried when i saw him on bernard brogan. I thought conor could have done a botch job on him as an alternative.

5. There is clearly an issue with Sean Cavanagh. His form is patchy. I don't think he has been done any favours by Harte as he does not have a settled position. At the moment, i would play him as an orthodox 9 or else at 12. He is not a natural full forward and is definitely not a playmaker at 11. The best years of his football career are been ruined by moving him around. A few years ago, he was the logical successor as skipper. Would he be now? I think he has shown a suspect temperment, i worry about his focus and drive. Would he change anything in hindsight following 2008? He is appearing far too often in media and papers with GPA etc. I wonder too does Harte feel it is a bit too delicate to voice these concerns to him?

6. Dooher. Cork 2009 and Dublin 2010 have shown that he is struggling on the big stage at Croke Park when the intensity is lifted. I agree with others who say his legs were gone yesterday. He offered nothing. I think too that even if he does stay another year, he should be replaced as skipper. that would soften the psychological boost opposition would get if u had to sub him. That may have stopped Harte taking him off yesterday. The Hill would have been in full voice.

[ardmhachaabu]

To whom it may concern,

I agree with you regarding Dooher and Cavanagh.  Cavanagh is clearly not the wonder man some Tyronies make him out to be.  Dooher's legs are gone, the Hill would have loved to have seen him off.

Most of the decisions on the Tyrone line were mystifying for me as a mere mortal watching Mickey the master.   

[Puckoon]

I know O'Gara got the goal - but I thought he was atrocious aside from it. He couldnt hit a gable wall with anything else all day other than the goal chance. Infact, I should rephrase that - he probably hit a gable wall with everything else all day other than the goal chance.

[Hound]

I know O'Gara got the goal - but I thought he was atrocious aside from it. He couldnt hit a gable wall with anything else all day other than the goal chance. Infact, I should rephrase that - he probably hit a gable wall with everything else all day other than the goal chance.

Agree. But he shows for the ball well, and it always sticks, and he took his goal brilliantly. His two attempts at points in the next few minutes (after the goal) clearly illustrated his limitations though.

[45 metres]

How Tyrone go from here goes further than just Harte and the senior team right now. The county has badly performed in U21 in the last few years and the effects are starting to show. Cork, Dublin and Down have done well at this level in the last few years and the results for them are starting to come through. The All Ireland winning teams of Tyrone came from a strong U21 team a decade ago. Right now Tyrone are not bringing their minor players through to senior via the U21s with too much relied on or loyalty shown to players reaching the sunset of their county careers.

Use the NFL next year to blood young players fully and use the likes of Cavanagh, Carlin, Hughes to mentor them. Do not take the Ulster championship seriously next year, it is now no advantage to any team wanting to win the All Ireland. If Tyrone win it, good. If not, start being serious from the first time they enter the qualifier. Harte has one year left on his current term, he should help bring through the next generation next year in the league and championship and play down expectations in Tyrone.

I agree with alot of that, especially with the failure of the under 21s over the last few years to make a serious impact on the championship. The 08 minor team will all be available for the under 21 championship next year, if they are as good as we all hope they are then they should be challenging for an ulster title at least. College football in the autumn will give a lot of them a decent quality of football.

I would disagree with the Harte having one year left on his current term as such. I think he's got as long in charge of the Tyrone team as he chooses.

Donnelly and Coyle being in charge of the U21 team has been very poor especially with what they did at minor level. The eye has been too easily taken off them because of senior and minor success but at county level U21 football is becoming an important bridge for bringing players into senior. University football is also good, but it does not have the sense of continuity you have at county level.

As for Harte, he has one year left on his current term. It would take a brave man to say no to Harte if he wanted to continue, but I would hope his ego would not get the better of him for the sake of Tyrone football. He might become a Sean Boylan who had a second lease of life as a manager or he could end up a Pete Mc Grath who didn't know when to stop until Down were humiliated.