Cork v Donegal Semi Final

[Main Street]

Donegal's style of play now isn't much different to what Dublin used to win the All Ireland last year, other teams will have to try and copy it as it's the way GAA is going.

Quite a few differences between Donegal and Dublin. Unlike Dublin, Donegal can maintain a consistent shape and intensity throughout the whole 70 mins, but the 2nd half turbo charge. after taking the best that Cork could throw at them - on the chin, is a standout.
Great game to watch and as Hardy pointed out, delightfully free from the plague of cynicism.

[tbrick18]

I thought that was a brilliant game of football. Donegal deserved to win by a mile and I sincerely hope they go on to win the whole thing.
I'm not the biggest fan of ultra defensive football but Donegal have taken it to a level where they have a whole box of blankets in defence but they have tweeked it so that it doesnt distract from their attacking flair. I think their style now is near perfect in the modern game. They defend and attack in numbers, with pace and with no shortage of skill.
The level of organisation and fitness that McGunness has this team at enables them to play that way. For me they were fantastic to watch today and coming from a county with only one all-ireland too, I know how much it would mean to the to win it.

Karl Lacey is an unbelievably good footballer. MOTM for me.

Has to be said too though, the referee had a good game and definately played is part in the game being as free flowing as it was.

[Wildweasel74]

As good as donegal are now, they still would be beaten by 3 or 4 teams playing the standard style of Gaelic football, otherwise they play that road. they have about 5 exceptional footballers with the best defender in the county in the stands. The system covers the other players. Pick your best 15 in the country and Lacey and Murphy would probably be the only 2 on it.that said i hope they win the all ireland, Dublin going back to back while playing poorly all year would have half them saying they are great team which is not the case. They have 1 great footballer.

[cadence]

thanks for making my point. do carry on!

I'm confused now.

preparation and systems only get you so far. you need the footballing ability too. but you also need to work on both aspects, the one improves the other. with a smart strategy, you've good the framework to improve your players. players can't really blossom without the framework.

structure is all important. any art is a good example. work within a structure and it opens up the opportunity to be creative and effective at the same time. poetry, painting, music, they all use structure and sometimes the knowledge of the rules of what structure should look like to innovate new ways of being and sport is no different. structure actually fosters creativity, not stifle it.

Wouldn't disagree with any of that. If Donegal win the AI as I think they will now, it's without doubt the single biggest managerial achievement that I ever remember. I'm not saying Donegal don't have some very good players but I do think that they are far from being the most talented individuals in the country. I hope that's not seen as a criticism but it's just the way I see it.

you're not seeing how much our players have improved by playing within a framework and tweeking that framework gradually as they become more adept at what they do. take mark mchugh, he has had the talent ever since he broke into the team. but last year he used to run into traffic, get surrounded, and lose the ball. he doesn't do that at all now. he's smarter and his reading of the game has developed hugely. and that is a good example of how the framework helps players to develop their games and how this improved aspect of individual player's games can be implemented into your overall strategy. it is much too simplistic to view tactics and preparation as being separate from ability and creativity, and vice versa. the one feeds and nourishes the other.   

[ONeill]

Are some saying there was no cynicism? It was dripping from the game but Coldrick turned a blind eye to it.

From 'clumsy' tackling in non-scoring areas, to going down holding the face after supposed third man tackles to time-wasting late on - Coldrick ignored the whole show. I think it was well over a minute before the final Donegal free was hit from the time it was awarded. Coldrick still blew her up on time.

[Mike Sheehy]

Listen guys in the 70s a greatest ever Kerry golden years ever team mostly teachers and professionals scored 5 goals again a team who had 4 turf cutters 6 farmers, 1 balers assistant, and a bucket man whatever the hell that was.  In otherwise Kerry walked over some gobshites over the years.  Now the brainiest team wins, thats not a bad thing but there is still a few gobshites

Give us an example of one of these gobshite teams ?

Also, well done to Donegal but they are now overwhelming favourites to win the AI. Ulster teams always need the crutch of being underdog and they usually crumble under the pressure of raised expectation (e.g Armagh anytime after 02, Tyrone 04,06,09 and this years 10 point hammering, Down in 2010) so it will be interesting to see how they deal with this new situation.

[rrhf]

What a great game it is when played in the right spirit. No difficulty refereeing that and I don't remember one cheat, dive or injury-feigning in the whole game.

Did colm o rourke accuse Donegal of play acting at half time in relation to the late arrival for the second half.  Even the begrudging counties can't agree on what's going on here. 

[ONeill]

72:08 the free was awarded.
73:10 the free was hit.
Ref blew her up 73:23

That's accepted cynicism.

[Mike Sheehy]

Still waiting on examples of those gobshite teams rrhf.....I cant remember who we beat by 5 goals that had turf cutters on the team!...were you referring to Monaghan ?? I think that was in 1979 if I recall correctly ?

[cadence]

Are some saying there was no cynicism? It was dripping from the game but Coldrick turned a blind eye to it.

From 'clumsy' tackling in non-scoring areas, to going down holding the face after supposed third man tackles to time-wasting late on - Coldrick ignored the whole show. I think it was well over a minute before the final Donegal free was hit from the time it was awarded. Coldrick still blew her up on time.

agree with you i def thought it wasn't free from cynicism. but there was also not a ridiculous level of liberty-taking going on. made for a great game.

[drici]

[J70]

Just amazed at that game today. I honestly thought if we were to win, we'd scrape through after having been put to the pin of our collar by Cork. Did not forsee us basically doing to them what we did to Derry and Down and even Kerry with that second half explosion. That we won by two points was a travesty - we were easily worth a seven or eight point win and hopefully that goal at the end was a serious lesson learned. We missed a succession of easy chances as well in the second half, chances that went over the bar against Down and Derry, otherwise the scoreline might have reflected our dominance. If we'd taken three or four of those easy points and avoided the stupid goal at the end, I think that that second half would rival the 92 final performance as possibly the best performance from any Donegal team ever. Just a joy to watch! Hard to pick a standout performer given there were so many (Gallagher, Kavanagh especially), but with his couple of points and overall excellence I'd have to give it to Lacey. Going to be a fun month!! 

[DuffleKing]

I thought that was a brilliant game of football. Donegal deserved to win by a mile and I sincerely hope they go on to win the whole thing.
I'm not the biggest fan of ultra defensive football but Donegal have taken it to a level where they have a whole box of blankets in defence but they have tweeked it so that it doesnt distract from their attacking flair. I think their style now is near perfect in the modern game. They defend and attack in numbers, with pace and with no shortage of skill.
The level of organisation and fitness that McGunness has this team at enables them to play that way. For me they were fantastic to watch today and coming from a county with only one all-ireland too, I know how much it would mean to the to win it.

Karl Lacey is an unbelievably good footballer. MOTM for me.

Has to be said too though, the referee had a good game and definately played is part in the game being as free flowing as it was.

Whilst I agree that Karl Lacey is a fine footballer, Ciaran Sheehan gave him a roasting yesterday

[Syferus]

I thought that was a brilliant game of football. Donegal deserved to win by a mile and I sincerely hope they go on to win the whole thing.
I'm not the biggest fan of ultra defensive football but Donegal have taken it to a level where they have a whole box of blankets in defence but they have tweeked it so that it doesnt distract from their attacking flair. I think their style now is near perfect in the modern game. They defend and attack in numbers, with pace and with no shortage of skill.
The level of organisation and fitness that McGunness has this team at enables them to play that way. For me they were fantastic to watch today and coming from a county with only one all-ireland too, I know how much it would mean to the to win it.

Karl Lacey is an unbelievably good footballer. MOTM for me.

Has to be said too though, the referee had a good game and definately played is part in the game being as free flowing as it was.

Whilst I agree that Karl Lacey is a fine footballer, Ciaran Sheehan gave him a roasting yesterday

With his mighty total of zero points? Sheehan was anonymous for large stretches and Lacey, a defender, was a more potent attacking threat than he was.

[drici]

and avoided the stupid goal at the end

Only happens occasionally in a life time - almost regrettable but will never ever happen again. The scaifte agus an fhoireann together are not a mix for winning. An fhoireann do the damage and celebrating with the scaifte afterwards would have eased all anxiety but it was good craic until the cúl and made it more Donegal-ish to win on a tight margin anyway.