83,000 + 700,000 can't be wrong

[samwin08]

We  knew  well in advance what to expect , yet 83,000 of us paid in to support our teams, 700,000 watched the Sunday game live , all enjoying a fascinating tactical contest. There are  10 or 15 unahppy pundits and sports reporters.
It seems to me the only people unhappy  with the Donegal Dublin match were those who got in free. In my opinion you never really appreciate anything you get for free. So lads give up your free press passes and start to enjoy the games.

[Mike Sheehy]

We  knew  well in advance what to expect , yet 83,000 of us paid in to support our teams, 700,000 watched the Sunday game live , all enjoying a fascinating tactical contest. There are  10 or 15 unahppy pundits and sports reporters.
It seems to me the only people unhappy  with the Donegal Dublin match were those who got in free. In my opinion you never really appreciate anything you get for free. So lads give up your free press passes and start to enjoy the games.

I'm sure youtube videos of car crashes and other disasters are quite popular as well.

And the next person that describes the match as "fascinating" should be shot.

[samwin08]

Thats a bit harsh, but you tube is free.. keep the head down now

[muppet]

We  knew  well in advance what to expect , yet 83,000 of us paid in to support our teams, 700,000 watched the Sunday game live , all enjoying a fascinating tactical contest. There are  10 or 15 unahppy pundits and sports reporters.
It seems to me the only people unhappy  with the Donegal Dublin match were those who got in free. In my opinion you never really appreciate anything you get for free. So lads give up your free press passes and start to enjoy the games.

I'll speak for myself. You can speak for the 783,000 people you think you speak for, but I'll take you as just one opinion.

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

[ck]

We  knew  well in advance what to expect , yet 83,000 of us paid in to support our teams, 700,000 watched the Sunday game live , all enjoying a fascinating tactical contest. There are  10 or 15 unahppy pundits and sports reporters.
It seems to me the only people unhappy  with the Donegal Dublin match were those who got in free. In my opinion you never really appreciate anything you get for free. So lads give up your free press passes and start to enjoy the games.

So based on your logic, the fact that loads of people tuned in to watch an All-Ireland semi final somehow means they all automatically are "enjoying a fascinating tactical contest". Go get a life you nutter.
I know Donegal people and whilst they don't complain with being in an All-Ireland semi final, they are far from impressed with the tripe they have to endure. Most of the country detest the Donegal cynicism and most will have been pleased seeing them loose yesterday.

My prediction is that Donegal will be a one season wonder. McGuinness is a one trick pony and the shock factor will not work next year.

[Jinxy]

My analogy about watching a dog try to figure out a hedgehog turned out to be pretty accurate in the end.

[Hound]

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent.

The tactics are also predicated on the assumption that the opposition are far superior footballers. I wonder do many in Donegal wonder what might have happened if they'd played a bit of ball. I wish the 92 team had been so unconfident in their own abilities

[lynchbhoy]

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

what I also find fascinating is that everyone is pointing the finger at Donegal being ultra defensive etc - but not spotting the black kettle resting beside them.
Dublin, kildare, Mayo, Kerry and a few more are guilty of the same tactic, but they just didnt take it as far as Donegal did.
This is truely an Irish phenomenon - "everyone is marching out of step except my paddy" !!

[heffo]

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

what I also find fascinating is that everyone is pointing the finger at Donegal being ultra defensive etc - but not spotting the black kettle resting beside them.
Dublin, kildare, Mayo, Kerry and a few more are guilty of the same tactic, but they just didnt take it as far as Donegal did.

Did the four teams you mention have 242 hand passes between them in their last game though LB? I doubt it.

All four of those teams also kick the ball when in posession.

Nor did we see any of those four team run through into their opponents 45  stop dead and then kick the ball back to their own half back line.

No comparison for me.

[Hardy]

My analogy about watching a dog try to figure out a hedgehog turned out to be pretty accurate in the end.

It looked like two hedgehogs for an hour. Then one hedgehog suddenly remembered he was a dog. But only when the other hedgehog was too tired to stay rolled up.

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

what I also find fascinating is that everyone is pointing the finger at Donegal being ultra defensive etc - but not spotting the black kettle resting beside them.
Dublin, kildare, Mayo, Kerry and a few more are guilty of the same tactic, but they just didnt take it as far as Donegal did.
This is truely an Irish phenomenon - "everyone is marching out of step except my paddy" !!

Exactly. It also illustrates another prevalent Irish attitude - you're allowed to defend, but don't do it too well or you're showing off.

[the Deel Rover]

any photo's of the 2 Hedgehogs

[lynchbhoy]

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

what I also find fascinating is that everyone is pointing the finger at Donegal being ultra defensive etc - but not spotting the black kettle resting beside them.
Dublin, kildare, Mayo, Kerry and a few more are guilty of the same tactic, but they just didnt take it as far as Donegal did.

Did the four teams you mention have 242 hand passes between them in their last game though LB? I doubt it.

All four of those teams also kick the ball when in posession.

Nor did we see any of those four team run through into their opponents 45  stop dead and then kick the ball back to their own half back line.

No comparison for me.

I did say that Donegal brought it to a different level, but dont tell me that these teams are not 'defensive'.
I just wish Derry were.
Its hypocricy and knee jerk whinging about Donegals defensive system - maybe because they were the first to take it to an 'art form' !!

[lynchbhoy]

I recall Donegal barely kicked the ball in 1992 either , but there wasnt as much moaning done about it then !

[Jinxy]

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

what I also find fascinating is that everyone is pointing the finger at Donegal being ultra defensive etc - but not spotting the black kettle resting beside them.
Dublin, kildare, Mayo, Kerry and a few more are guilty of the same tactic, but they just didnt take it as far as Donegal did.
This is truely an Irish phenomenon - "everyone is marching out of step except my paddy" !!

They also happen to be the highest scoring teams in the championship.
Big, big difference between them and Donegal.

[brokencrossbar1]

My analogy about watching a dog try to figure out a hedgehog turned out to be pretty accurate in the end.

It looked like two hedgehogs for an hour. Then one hedgehog suddenly remembered he was a dog. But only when the other hedgehog was too tired to stay rolled up.

Donegal's tactics are entirely predicated on the assumption that the opposition have an ounce of intent. I am already hoping they meet a similar minded team who retreat into their own half, in the first round of Ulster next year. We will have the first ever 5 game series which will also be the first ever no score 5 games series.

No doubt some will find it fascinating.

what I also find fascinating is that everyone is pointing the finger at Donegal being ultra defensive etc - but not spotting the black kettle resting beside them.
Dublin, kildare, Mayo, Kerry and a few more are guilty of the same tactic, but they just didnt take it as far as Donegal did.
This is truely an Irish phenomenon - "everyone is marching out of step except my paddy" !!

Exactly. It also illustrates another prevalent Irish attitude - you're allowed to defend, but don't do it too well or you're showing off.

But the question has to be asked, do you need 13 outfield players in your half to be good at defending?  Having played on a highly efficient defensive team we employed the general approach that you work hard in your own personal battle but we worked harder than anyone else.  We always tried to have at least 4 forwards in the opposition half at all times with the only allowance being made for big men in the middle.  The tactic of dropping back from the kickout was suicide because I reckon if they had pressed on when they were ahead by 3-4 points then they would have won but they were so ingrained in the team mentality that they refused to win the game, they simply did not want to lose it.  I thought it was a terrible shame to see a FF of the quality of Michael Murphy being asked to sacrifice his game to be a water carrier.  He is one of those mecurial talents who should be played where he is most effective, within shooting distance of the opposition goals, not out around MF where he is no danger. 

I enjouy seeing a team showing defensive qualities but it is very easy to do so when the whole premiss of the strategy is to base it on pure outweighing the opposition through numbers of bodies.  A fit junior B team could do that just as easily.