Tyrone v Donegal - Healy Park - Sat 19th Feb

[loughshore lad]

The reluctance of Tyrone to integrate younger players does at this early stage in the season seem to be becoming more acutely felt.  The failings of 2009 and 2010 do not seem to be have been addressed as players who could maybe bring a freshness and different take on things have not as yet been tried.  If they are not tried how will anyone know they are up to the job.

I heard Adrian McGuckian on the radio afterwards saying that the young talent need to put themselves forward. It was as if he was intimating that he knows they aren't. He claims that the two who have (Harte and McKenna) were found out tonight. I thought McKenna did alright until he was inexplicably moved to FF.

Big Adrian has been round a lot of corners in his time and would have the ear well to the ground given his role with UUJ etc so maybe he would have some knowledge as to how much some of these younger players are applying themselves and pushing themselves into contention.  Its a double edged sword I suppose yes these players need to get a chance but they need to show they are in contention first and then take their chance when it gets presented.  Some of the positional changes in games can leave you scratching your head at times, the Tyrone team is subjected to a number of positional changes in every game with the rotation of players between mf and ff common.

[ck]

I ahve to admit I was one of teh many who totally wrote Donegal off this week. I was at their Sligo match and wasnt impressed. It doesnt say much for Tyrone I suppose.

[ross4life]

I ahve to admit I was one of teh many who totally wrote Donegal off this week. I was at their Sligo match and wasnt impressed. It doesnt say much for Tyrone I suppose.

I bet you were one of the many that wrote Roscommon off after you beat us by 7pts in the league 

As i said already Donegal had a poor performance v Sligo & had a point to prove tonight.

[Orangemac]

Listened to the 1st half of this game on Q101. Tyrone seemed to start well and then just collapse. Even when they had a lot of possession early on there didn't seem to be a lot of movement up front.

Paddy Hunter was wondering what the problem was as there were 4 AI winners in the forward line. He didn't seem to think that was the problem.

The 2 minor teams of the last three years are bound to have players worth a chance (is Coney injured?). It doesn't look good having to throw Mulligan ( who was Tyrone's best forward last year) on when he is just back from holidays in Australia.

The problem with generals who have won battles over the years is sticking with soldiers who have never let them down. There comes a stage when loyalty becomes a liability rather than a quality.

Tyrone have been wrote off before and proved their doubters wrong but it is hard to see this team doing anything without an injection of new blood before the summer.

[omagh_gael]

A very disappointing game there tonight. I really hope it's the lack of intensive training that contributed to that performance. After a bright start we completely died on our arses. There was absolutely no direct ball going into the FF line, we continuously tried to run through a packed Donegal HB line who seemed to have at least two extra men on the field such was the difference in work rate between the two teams.

B McGuigan hardly touched leather all evening so had no chance to orchestrate the attacks and the game completely by passed SoN, who was ineffectual when he did gain possession. Ricey put in a good shift but appeared to be lucky to get away with a yellow from where I was.

Although it's early to be worrying I would still prefer to see a fresher team starting or at least coming on to show what they have to offer. My fear is that as we are already in the relegation quagmire will Mickey lean towards usingthe old hands to pull of out of this hole. I hope not.   

[bennydorano]

Tyrone will always be competitive without just bein good enough. I've always maintained that Gormley was central to their success, he's past it, was last year & is unlikely to improve.

[clarshack]

Tyrone were mince tonite. Worst league performance since early 90's perhaps? Relegation to Div3 is a real possibility at this stage. the way things are going I would actually fear a hiding from sligo next week tbh.

[Rocky Mc Guigan]

Div 3 a stark reality now-current team won't beat Sligo, Meath or Kildare- Laois away not easy either- only hope of 2 points against Antrim and even that not a given- last night Tyrone were an absolute shambles against a decidedly avearge Donegal

[NaomhBridAbú]

Difficult to comment seriously as I didn't see the game but initial reaction would be not to worry. When you consider the absence of the two mcmahons p Jordan, and the stage of training the boys are at, it hardly represents a crisis...disappointing yes, but no crisis.

[orangeman]

Jesus lads - settle down please.


Talk of relgation is way over the top.


Last week promotion to division one was being talked about - defeat to Donegal doesn't spell relegation jut as a win wouldn't have spelt promotion.

Let the dust settle.

[omagh_gael]

Not that it effected the result but Pat Fox was sh*te last night.

[PAULD123]

Tyrone are not going to get relegated that's just crazy talk. But their problem is that two defeats make it unlikely that they will make promotion now as they basically have to win every other game. Kildare are going hell for leather for promotion this year after consolidating last year. so considering Meath away and Kildare to play I don't see Tyrone getting a victory in every game and therefore will be consigned to Division 2 for a second year. Hanging around lower divisions is not healthy for championship prospects. Players need to be playing at the highest level if they are to be challenging at the highest level

[Donnellys Hollow]

Kildare are going hell for leather for promotion this year after consolidating last year

No, they're not.

Some serious overreaction going on here. It's the middle of February ffs!

[tyroneman]

While not a crisis per se we have a number of problems that have been brewing since 2008. I'm not worried about promotion but I am worried about the continued success of the team and itls ability to be where it matters in Sept - not June, July or August.

Our backs and MF generally sort themselves out. Last night we had plenty possession, against Derry we had plenty possession, against Dublin last year we had plenty - we simply failed to do anything with it. There is only so long however that backs and MF can win ball and have it come straight back at them before they tire (and/or become frustrated).

Time after time we carry ball into the tackle and get turned over (usually with Cav throwing his arms to the sky WWF style). Other teams mix it up and fire the odd quick ball into forwards who are isolated on their men. Our FF line don't move.

Basically we have not unearthed a reliable 4+points Marquee forward since SON and this shows. Galway, Dublin, Armagh, Cork, Kerry, Kildare, Derry, Donegal all have one (in some cases 2) - we don't.

If we look at the current set up:

SON - hasn't played any consistant  football for 2 years. OK he has carried some horrendous injuries and needs time but at some point we need to say we need scores on the board now - not in 3 months time. He's like a Ferrari - a multitude of conditions need to be right and he will look the best forward in the game. Heavy pitch, early knock in confidence, misses a score or two, niggling injury - he's no use to man nor beast.

Penrose - a worker, a harrier, a link man but not a clinical finisher. Never a FF.

Mugsy - the eternal support man. Can look a champion when Ptg / Cav / SON are playing well beside him. When he is asked to be the main man he has  been found lacking

Enda - not a scorer, 3rd MF

Harte - a HB / HF link man who MH seems to be moulding as the new Dooher.

McGuigan - was best CHF in the game. Now still in top 5.

Cav - not a HF in a million years. Have never seen him play a decent game there. Not once.

So we have several 'link' men and no-one really to get the ball into.

Brolly called it well in the lead up to the Wexford game a few years back when he talked about Tyrone's skill in opening up the middle channel to pop over simple good% scores from 30 yards. Forwards pulled defenders out of this channel leaving it easy for HF / HB to come in a put the ball over. (Cork cottoned on but that's a different story). Now we get the head down run at defenders and get turned over.

All this rotation is not wokring either. Cass in MF, then FF then bench. Cav in HF, then MF, then FF, then MF. McKenna on bench, then MF, then FF (and how out of place did he look there), then bench.

New players need time to bed in with the team, even when playing their natural position. If they make mistakes so be it. Chopping and changing every 20min does no-one any good.

If you want a player to try a different position - again you need to give them time.

The minors now need to step up (and be given a chance) and players like Cav given the odd bit of bench time to wake him up - is he sacred or something, undroppable? On last nights performance he should have been off after the first half.

Hopefully Coney, Matt D, Ronan O'Neill, Grugan, McCullagh etc will hopefully all come good at some point but they need serious game time. Not McKenna cup time. A team with 5-6 of the 2008 / 9 / 10 minor sides would not have done as badly last night.

As I say  - not a crisis but worrying all the same

[ross4life]

Hanging around lower divisions is not healthy for championship prospects. Players need to be playing at the highest level if they are to be challenging at the highest level

Down where playing divsion 3 football in 2009 didn't seem to do them any harm? i'll be surprised if Tyrone are relegated