Dún na nGall v Cill Dara

[Dinny Breen]

Is Jim McWhingess a youngest child, he's certainly doing his best to suck the romance out of Donegal.

Cry me a River Jim

or just

Don't Speak ya Whinger

But Carew should have kept his mouth shut.

I concur.

[Donnellys Hollow]

What did Carew say about Donegal?

I was away on Thursday and Friday so I didn't get to read any of the papers. I know there was an article doing the rounds earlier on in the week highlighting the off the ball treatment that Johnny received in the Derry match. Surely it wasn't that article that McGuinness was referring to?

[J70]

He was 'suggesting' that the ref just might want to keep a close eye out for cynical, systematic fouling by the Donegal team.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Does anyone have a link to the offending article though? I'd like to read what was said.

[J70]

Does anyone have a link to the offending article though? I'd like to read what was said.

Think the Independent carried it on Friday or Saturday. Check their site.

(Sorry, can't post link... limitations of phone access!)

[Donnellys Hollow]

Thanks. Just read it there and in fairness it does read badly and it doesn't reflect well on Niall Carew. It was also a bit hypocritical of McGuinness to have a go back last night on the television. I thought McGeeney handled it quite well when quizzed about it.

Kildare were cynical in extra time yesterday - no doubt about it. However, I think it was a sign of a team that were simply completely knackered physically after playing four weeks on the trot. I don't agree that it was the case that they pulled back and tried to defend their lead. Donegal were that little bit fresher and it told in the final few minutes.

The truth is that every team nowadays is cynical and most of the successful teams of the past were as well. There is no need for bitching and crying about it in the media. The whole thing seems to be taken way too seriously by everyone concerned these days. A lot of managers should follow Mick O'Dwyer's example. In his ten years in charge of Kildare I struggle to remember a single occasion where he complained about an official or an opposing team. I remember one match in 2000 when Offaly made a late comeback to draw with Kildare. They were awarded a very controversial late free to win the match which their keeper Pádraig Kelly kicked narrowly wide. Micko was interviewed straight after the final whistle thinking that the free had gone over the bar and he had nothing but praise for Offaly when it would have been very easy for him to cut loose on the referee. I don't know why but it is always something that I have remembered.

On a similar note, reading this thread it is clear that some people seem to be under the illusion that Kildare have done nothing but whinge about decisions that have gone against us in the past twelve months. I thought the Kildare camp were typically gracious after another crushingly disappointing defeat as they were after the Down match last year. I would like someone to point out to me where anyone from Kildare has blamed the officials rather than admitting their own failings. The below interview with Johnny Doyle I think epitomises how magnanimous Kildare were in defeat:   

http://www.kfmradio.com/kfm-podcasting/sport-podcasts/gaa-johnny-doyle-all-ireland-sfc-quarter-final-v-donegal-30-7-11.html

[J70]

Can't say I heard any whinging from Kildare. McGeeney had a slight moan, but it was very restrained. Ronan Sweeney apparently tweeted about the square ball issue in terms of something needing to be done, but that is fair comment and being said left and right.

[Hardy]

Cynical me arse. If I'd had Kildare backed (I hadn't, I backed Donegal at 24 for the AI before the match) and they hadn't made those fouls in the last five minute, I'D have been pretty cynical about it!

[Rossfan]

Kildare's "cynical " fouls were open and plain to see in the closing stages.
Donegal's on the other hand........ Doyle crocked after 20 seconds .........

[donegal lad]

Kildare's "cynical " fouls were open and plain to see in the closing stages.
Donegal's on the other hand........ Doyle crocked after 20 seconds .........

The incident with john doyle was purely accidental sure hegarty wasn't right after it as well

[J70]

Kildare's "cynical " fouls were open and plain to see in the closing stages.
Donegal's on the other hand........ Doyle crocked after 20 seconds .........

The incident with john doyle was purely accidental sure hegarty wasn't right after it as well

Don't waste your breath. They like the narrative.

[turk]

A lot of managers should follow Mick O'Dwyer's example. In his ten years in charge of Kildare I struggle to remember a single occasion where he complained about an official or an opposing team. I remember one match in 2000 when Offaly made a late comeback to draw with Kildare. They were awarded a very controversial late free to win the match which their keeper Pádraig Kelly kicked narrowly wide. Micko was interviewed straight after the final whistle thinking that the free had gone over the bar and he had nothing but praise for Offaly when it would have been very easy for him to cut loose on the referee. I don't know why but it is always something that I have remembered.

That's right, I remember Micko interviewed and saying "replay, was it a draw" with a big cute head on him, but at the time (and I posted here or on whatever board we were on at the time) that Micko knew well it was a draw! Good crack all the same. Kildare destroyed us in the replay.

[nrico2006]

I have never been McGeeneys biggest fan (especially since that bollox of a picture of him with the Anglo-Celt the ref gave Armagh in 2005 when he had the thumb stuck out) but if anyone is whinging and whinging here it is McGuiness.  The papers yesterday were full of his moaning, couldn't believe it.  Not often I have heard a winning manager moan and moan about this, that and the other.  He even had time to moan that he hurt his snout after ramming it into some boyoos camera.

[AZOffaly]

Kildare's "cynical " fouls were open and plain to see in the closing stages.
Donegal's on the other hand........ Doyle crocked after 20 seconds .........

The incident with john doyle was purely accidental sure hegarty wasn't right after it as well

Don't waste your breath. They like the narrative.

I saw that incident clearly from my seat, because I was looking at Hegarty coming in for the break. Obviously accidental I'd have thought. An unlucky dead leg for Doyle, and I think it affected his first two frees as well.

[PAULD123]

How has everyone become so obsessed with isolated referee decisions made against Kildare? This is bad for the sport when a bandwagon can form and one manager is seen to yap after every defeat implying that his team were robbed by a ref.

It is a game of 70 minutes and plenty of decisions are made. McGeeney didn't complain that Kildare should have beaten when they got a bad decision given in their favour against Meath. He didn't complain when Callaghan was allowed to take eleven steps to score a goal against Down, or that the referee allowed them to play six and a half minutes extra time when three had been allocated. He didn't complain about all the fouls they got away with on Bernard Brogan. He didn't complain about any bad decision given in Kildare's favour against Donegal. And as the manager of the team, fair enough why should he not want every advantage to go the way of his team?

But neutrals and most importantly media, really need to look at themselves and stop trying to pick isolated incidents out of context as excuses for defeats. That could be done in virtually every game if you so wished. The media are highly responsible for building a ridiculous "Poor Kildare" myth. It is wrong and it is dangerous. If it can be shown on balance that Kildare get an enormous ratio of bad decisions given against them over 70 minutes then that is fair enough but to highlight one decision without considering all the advantageous ones in a game is just narrow minded and self-serving.

It is dangerous because it effectively puts pressure on referees to call big calls in Kildare's favour because they know it will be highlighted. Effectively the situation is being generated where Kildare will have a better than favour advantage in marginal decisions.