Tyrone vs Donegal NFL

[ONeill]

I think Cormac McGinley has shown well on occasions but suffers badly at other times especially against boys like Devenney. In the McKenna final Devenney roasted him early on.

I think people have short memories regarding Penrose. This time last year he was an able deputy in picking up breaking ball in Dooher's absence and can do that type of job when required. He's worth a place on the panel.

Last night McGee had a nightmare and was responsible for many of the first half frees Donegal knocked over. Carlin was unlucky at times although some of his passes fell chronically short. Sean Cavanagh's presence was sorely missed when Tyrone needed someone to take the game by the scruff. We'd win nowt without him. O'Neill is taking time to get back to himself but as long as he does so eventually we'll bide the time. He needs support. Still not sure if McCullagh has high calibre football in him.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Phew, what an evening of mixed emotions! 

A big congrats to Greencastle, fantastic result, and great to see the cavalcades of green & white on the way back up on the road to Dublin today.  Met the team bus at about 2:30 just north of Monaghan town, so I'd say there's some craic now in them thar hills! 

Good result for the U21s, totally outclassed Donegal; promising.

As for the senior, it's all been said here, and forebodings before the game about certain suspicions were borne out. Some serious thinking ahead of MH.  Stevie O'Neill is still far off his best, but he's on the way back, and he'll get there in (some more) time, and it would help if the referee wasn't blind. Midfield struggled, and full-back was a problem again. Ger Cavlan was a welcome introduction but he would have been much more effective on the half-forward line, not in the corner.

Still, all is not lost; the hungrier team won on the night, and deservedly so, but with 14 wides against Donegal's 5 at least we made the opportunities for all the problems. We've hit the nadir, there's only one way to go now, and we have to pull it out for the remaining 3 games. Not easy, but possible.

Though he was not in any way the reason for the result, the referee was abominable. I've never yet seen him referee a game consistently -- extremely erratic, and consistently inconsistent: sometimes remembering about steps, then forgetting, yellow card for striking, hopping the ball when a player's lying on it (a foul), ignoring trips, etc.  When a referee has to hop the ball as many times as he did last night it's time to ask questions, and the GAA needs to get real about the inability of some referees to come up to the mark.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Whatever about the ref being poor maybe it would help if players actually knew what a tackle was - holding someone back and then roaring abuse when penalised!!! Elbowing someone in the back of the head only gets a yellow card!!!!.....The problem Tyrone have is that as individuals there defenders don't get isolated often and have to defend properly especially against physically strong forwards....when this happens they tend to foul rather than tackle correctly...

[Pangurban]

A full strength Tyrone team would have that Donegal team for breakfast, you have no worries lads.

[J70]

A full strength Tyrone team would have that Donegal team for breakfast, you have no worries lads.

You may be right Pangurban. I do remember you dismissing Donegal as inferior to Down in the run-up to the Championship last year though.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Elbowing someone in the back of the head only gets a yellow card!!!!.....

Yes, you're talking about Ricey here I think -- that's my point, he couldn't have had anything other than a yellow because the ref had already given a yellow (only) for a sneaky uppercut he took a few minutes previously, that the linesman was in full view of. The question has to be asked: what was the initial yellow card for? If it's a strike it's a straight red, no ifs or buts, if it wasn't what could it have been for then?  It was reflective of this particular referee's inability to interpret and apply the rules properly.

[loughshore lad]

when do tyrone expect brian mcguigan to be back playing for them?   we played ardboe yesterday and although mcguigan played the whole game he still seem to be limping abit.

Its hard to say when he will be back. Yesterday was has first full game and although he does still sometimes look as though he is limping at times its his ankle that is bothering him. After so much inactivity the joint has become inflammed due to suddenly being used again. In saying that he was still the most influential player on the pitch (as usual!)
Were you playing bridgegael? How many players were yous missing?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

when do tyrone expect brian mcguigan to be back playing for them?   we played ardboe yesterday and although mcguigan played the whole game he still seem to be limping abit.

Its hard to say when he will be back. Yesterday was has first full game and although he does still sometimes look as though he is limping at times its his ankle that is bothering him. After so much inactivity the joint has become inflammed due to suddenly being used again. In saying that he was still the most influential player on the pitch (as usual!)
Were you playing bridgegael? How many players were yous missing?

Thanks for the info, good to hear he's still pulling those strings. An inflamed joint is probably to be expected for a while, and that should subside we'd hope, as long as an (other) operation isn't called for.

[realredhandfan]

Listen folks we have to find ourselves a couple of midfield options alongside Cavanagh and at least cover for the hub  He is and has been our midfield for the last 4 years, but even he took a year to settle into that level of foootball.  he was a different player in 2002 as in 2003, Mulgrew hopefully will be a better player this year than last year.  We are very critcal of the Treanors and Hughes of this world whilst we say little about the performances of the experienced Gormley; mc Ginley; Mc Gee  etc.  Mickey Harte had a rubbish night too, so lets lay off them all and give thema break.   To me the root problem is the tactics at the moment,  Defenders running into trouble all the time every man running with the ball until he gets a big hit,  Its like rugby league and it weras you down.. Midfield had 10 bodies in it as very big player in Tyrone brought their men in for the glory catch, the result a mess with wee Donegal men getting breaks.  Id be worried about the big wedding the night before the match this time, you know how our boys love a big night out.

[snappiered]

From chatting to a few people after the game Mc Gee wasnt able to start as he had a shoulder injury and i seen him puttin ice on it once he got subtituted. MH was wrong to start him. In saying that Roper didnt come into the game till Mc Gee was taken off, Glad to hear wee Brian is back playing for Ardboe. I know he came on for Tyrone last Saturday night in the game v the U-21s and he was in conseiderable pain after it. Kelvin Hughes has to go from the panel as well as Penrose. Not of them two are up to it. When our club play them in Division 1 this year we wont fear them. Treanor is another player struggling but he is better than the previous two.

[loughshore lad]

Unfortunately couldnt make Omagh as was at club games on Saturday evening so only going by what I saw on TV.  I know its relatively early in the season and Tyrone fans are a fickle bunch but for me there are some alarm bells ringing. As I have stated on this board before all this talk about the fantastic strength in depth Tyrone have needs taken with a pinch os salt. Some of the players on the panel are not up to standard required and MH is far too loyal to certain individuals such as Donnelly, McGee and Penrose who dont seem up to the standard required. He has given others like Kelvin Hughes, Treanor etc their chance and unfortunately hey have not really taken it with both hands. I definitely agree with O'Neill, in my mind our best team is the 2005 team plus Kevin Hughes, Ger Cavlin and Raymond Mulgrew.
On another note I would have concerns over the fitness and sharpness of the Tyrone team - they dont look as well prepared as Donegal for example. I really think Donegal will be hard to beat this summer, they have a talented squad with a number of big, physically strong, athletic men who can play ball and an excellent manager in Brian McIvor.
 

[Star Spangler]

I wouldn't be too worried at this stage.  The target for the league this year was to stay in the top flight and I think we might just manage that.  After that, it's a case of using any defeats as a means for highlighting weak areas.  That's what Mickey will use these for - no better man for making positive use out of a negative situation.  Donegal are flying at the minute but they're also drawing a lot of attention to themselves and that won't do them any favours come the business end of the year.  I'm not saying they won't still do well in the championship but it'll make it that bit more difficult.  The reverse is also true - maybe some teams might start to underestimate Tyrone.

If we manage to stay in Div 1 (Div 2 wouldn't be the end of the world either) we'll soon forget these setbacks.  Especially if they instigate some major changes as discussed already here like giving up the Penrose experiment.  I know it wouldn't be a popular opinion here but I also have my doubts about Cavlan btw.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Yeah folks, too early for panicking yet. After all, that's what the League's all about: discovering who's up to the mark, and who isn't.  Games like those against Cork and Donegal will actually do us a favour in that all chinks in the armour will be exposed, even at this relatively early stage.  There's ample time to address the weaknesses, and it still feels nowhere near as bad as it did in the last game against Kerry in 2005.

Something as close as possible to the team of '05, with a few of the U21s thrown in, (and I wouldn't dismiss Ger Cavlan just yet either), won't be far away.  Donegal are flying at the minute, but they'll need to watch that they don't peak too early, that performance on Saturday evening was from a team at the top of their game.

[realredhandfan]

It seems a few have it in for Hughes,  BTW this was his national league debut,  We had men on that field with 2 all Irelands who played as bad as him.. Ger Cavlan was the worst in the world after Cork, lads we need to be realistic hear, we are playing shite football and in a ruck but we will get out of it.  The team dosent look fit at teh moment too.  Lets not castigate, but encourage the new lads.  Bad bad form from a lot of lads on here. 

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

It seems a few have it in for Hughes,  BTW this was his national league debut,  We had men on that field with 2 all Irelands who played as bad as him.. Ger Cavlan was the worst in the world after Cork, lads we need to be realistic hear, we are playing shite football and in a ruck but we will get out of it.  The team dosent look fit at teh moment too.  Lets not castigate, but encourage the new lads.  Bad bad form from a lot of lads on here. 

Would agree RRHF that's it's not fair to single him out here, and even though he gifted Donegal their first goal and found the midfield heavy going, he was involved in our own goal, and it was his debut. So, he should be cut some slack and not judged on the basis of that performance alone. It was a big ask as a first game.