The System

[Syferus]

This Wikipedia article deserves its own thread:

"The System"[1] is the term commonly used to describe the style of play pioneered in Gaelic football by the Donegal senior football team during the 2010s. It is regarded as having caused a revolution in the sport, with establishment counties unable to comprehend it or work out how to deal with it.[2] The System has been used to great effect during the managerial reign of Jim McGuinness, with Donegal smothering traditionally stronger counties to win two Ulster Senior Football Championships and one All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in the space of two years.
Donegal's winning of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is considered "one of the great GAA managerial coups" in history.[2] Prior to this Donegal had had little success in the Championship since 1992. Now they are the "FC Barcelona of Gaelic football"—with Mark McHugh cast as the Lionel Messi of the team.[3][4] Further comparisons have been made between McGuinness and Oakland Athletics baseball selector Billy Beane's "Moneyball" tactics, both of which turned traditional also-rans into regular winners by exploiting little-noticed advantages in their respective sports.[citation needed] Admirers of "The System" from other sports include Europe's 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and the soccer manager Neil Lennon.[5]
Malachy Clerkin, writing in The Irish Times on 27 December 2012, described Donegal as "the alpha, the omega and everything in between [...] just a sheer joy to watch".
Donegal didn't just dominate football in winning this year's All-Ireland. They reimagined it. They took a game that had been listing for a few years and made it a thrilling experience. In so doing, they interrupted the decision-making cycle of every team they met. Each game Donegal suited up for this summer was played on their terms, not the opposition's. When you consider the opposition – Cavan, Derry, Tyrone, Down, Kerry, Cork and Mayo – you can't but marvel at the achievement.[6]


Format

An early incarnation of "The System" saw Donegal overpower Kildare in the 2011 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship in Jim McGuinness's first season in charge.
The format of "The System" has provoked much debate among Gaelic football analysts. Former Derry footballer and RTÉ analyst Joe Brolly, after watching Donegal overpower his county's team in the 2012 Ulster Senior Football Championship, wrote a column prophesying an All-Ireland win for Donegal due to the team being, he concluded, "virtually unbeatable". He was proven correct when Donegal retained the Ulster Senior Football Championship they had won the previous year before going on to win the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time in twenty years. Brolly proposed at the time that Donegal were capable of swallowing entire teams into a vacuum. Keith Duggan—writing in The Irish Times after the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final—contested this notion, instead proposing that teams encountering Donegal had fallen apart due to their own weaknesses and that Donegal had merely exploited this. However, Duggan acknowledged that Donegal had "expanded the possibilities" of Gaelic football.[2]
Under "The System", players whose careers were thought to be behind them have been revived. Players such as Ryan Bradley and Anthony Thompson have emerged as if from nowhere. The top teams in Gaelic football—Tyrone, Kerry and Cork, who had dominated the sport over the previous decade—have been made to appear merely ordinary, and have been swatted aside with relative ease.
Traditional Gaelic football formations are rendered redundant under The System. A corner-back such as Frank McGlynn—who had never scored a point in his Championship career before scoring 1-4 in 2012—has been turned into ruthless attacking players, while corner-forwards—the traditional scorers—contribute to the team's overall defensive efforts.[7]


Notable successes

The System has been used successfully by Donegal to win the 2011 Ulster Senior Football Championship, the 2012 Ulster Senior Football Championship and the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Donegal's comprehensive defeat of Kerry in their 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship quarter-final meeting was described by the national media as "the most seismic result in [Kerry] since the 1987 Munster final replay defeat to Cork".[8]
Ahead of the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship semi-final against Cork, nobody outside the county gave Donegal a chance, and Cork went into the game as heavy favourites to win the title itself—even though this was only the semi-final. Donegal deployed The System to devour the heavily-fancied Cork team and progressed to their first title decider since 1992.[9] Tyrone's three-time All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte, attempting to analyse the game for the BBC, expressed his shock: "To be honest, I could not see that coming. Donegal annihilated Cork, there is no other word for it."[10]
Donegal then unleashed The System on Mayo in the 2012 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, rendering them motionless with two early goals and keeping them scoreless for the first sixteen minutes of the match. The first goal occurred in the third minute of the game when Donegal captain Michael Murphy lashed the ball into the net, having collected a high ball delivered by Karl Lacey. Championship Matters named it "Goal of the Championship".[11] In the eleventh minute Patrick McBrearty's attempt at scoring a point came crashing off the Mayo post. Mayo's Kevin Keane fumbled, dropping the ball into the path of Colm McFadden who promptly slotted it into the back of the net for a second Donegal goal.[12] McFadden, who scored a total of 1–03 for Donegal in the first half alone, was soon through on goal again only for Mayo goalkeeper David Clarke to block the strike.[13][14]

Views of opponents

Cork's Donncha O'Connor said of Donegal, "Every fella knows what the next fella's going to do. It's probably a bit dangerous if you're concentrating on what Donegal do, but it's just that they have a system. Whether they're up or down, they stick to it."[15]


Criticisms

Pat Spillane famously branded Donegal's style of play "Shi'ite football".[16] He also criticised Jim McGuinness during the early development of The System—"There are people who go to the Hague for war crimes – I tell you this, some of the coaches nowadays should be up for crimes against Gaelic football".[9] Less than a year before McGuinness led his team to All-Ireland success, Vincent Hogan branded him "a leader of sheep" in a famous newspaper article.[17][18]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_System_(Gaelic_football)

Best thing on Wikipedia. Have at it, lads

[muppet]

Whackopedia.

[seafoid]

Now they are the "FC Barcelona of Gaelic football"

So hammered in the semi final, ab ea? .

[yellowcard]

Considering Donegal weren't even among the top 10 counties in the country when McGuinness took over, it begs the question how many current squads could he win an All Ireland with. He has changed the way Gaelic Football is played, its no longer man on man football, it's all about the system and tactical discipline and everyone having a clearly defined role. Everything is so well planned and each player plays to Jimmys gameplan with such conviction.

It definitely looks like they could be stronger this year. McBrearty looks like he is blossoming into a great player and there is no doubt that whether you like their tactics or not, they are a fascinating machine to watch. I've yet to see a Donegal match live to appreciate the way the unit functions but I'm hoping to change that soon.

[muppet]

Now they are the "FC Barcelona of Gaelic football"

So hammered in the semi final, ab ea? .

Hopefully to Bayern Mayo!

[ranch]

Their system is great to watch in my opinion. 

Would love to be a fly on the wall during one of their team meetings on tactics.

[seafoid]

Kilkenny hurlers have a system.
And a pedigree.

Donegal don't. Not yet.
Maybe they never will.

Beating Kerry last year was like some 18 year old outglamming Jordan. Big deal.

[ck]

Considering Donegal weren't even among the top 10 counties in the country when McGuinness took over, it begs the question how many current squads could he win an All Ireland with. He has changed the way Gaelic Football is played, its no longer man on man football, it's all about the system and tactical discipline and everyone having a clearly defined role. Everything is so well planned and each player plays to Jimmys gameplan with such conviction.

It definitely looks like they could be stronger this year. McBrearty looks like he is blossoming into a great player and there is no doubt that whether you like their tactics or not, they are a fascinating machine to watch. I've yet to see a Donegal match live to appreciate the way the unit functions but I'm hoping to change that soon.

Very few. Why? They don't have Michael Murphy. When people overestimate Jimmy McGuinness they automatically underestimate Michael Murphy. Without Murphy McGuinness would not have won Ulster titles in my opinion.

[Syferus]

Considering Donegal weren't even among the top 10 counties in the country when McGuinness took over, it begs the question how many current squads could he win an All Ireland with. He has changed the way Gaelic Football is played, its no longer man on man football, it's all about the system and tactical discipline and everyone having a clearly defined role. Everything is so well planned and each player plays to Jimmys gameplan with such conviction.

It definitely looks like they could be stronger this year. McBrearty looks like he is blossoming into a great player and there is no doubt that whether you like their tactics or not, they are a fascinating machine to watch. I've yet to see a Donegal match live to appreciate the way the unit functions but I'm hoping to change that soon.

Very few. Why? They don't have Michael Murphy. When people overestimate Jimmy McGuinness they automatically underestimate Michael Murphy. Without Murphy McGuinness would not have won Ulster titles in my opinion.

McFadden is more important but both are needed for Jimmy to play 'The System'.

[shawshank]

Would Mc Guinness have won an all Ireland with Tyrone or Kildare, no he wouldn't, emphasising What an asset Murphy and Mc Fadden are, big men who can win their own ball and have football brains. Tyrone don,t have big ball winners inside, kildare have a ball winner, but he has no football brain. For example how much would Walsh improve Kerry if her returned from Aussie rules, therefore giving Kerry two powerful footballers who could win their own ball and have the brains to use it effectively. It means you can let the ball in early and it will stick. And with the system Donegal play, it means they dictate the type of game it will be I.e. stuck the opposition up the pitch to allow for counter attack.

Wht puzzles me the most Tyrone gave Donegal their toughest game playing the Donegal system last yer in the ulster semi, they should have stuck to it. there is a lesson in there.

[yellowcard]

Considering Donegal weren't even among the top 10 counties in the country when McGuinness took over, it begs the question how many current squads could he win an All Ireland with. He has changed the way Gaelic Football is played, its no longer man on man football, it's all about the system and tactical discipline and everyone having a clearly defined role. Everything is so well planned and each player plays to Jimmys gameplan with such conviction.

It definitely looks like they could be stronger this year. McBrearty looks like he is blossoming into a great player and there is no doubt that whether you like their tactics or not, they are a fascinating machine to watch. I've yet to see a Donegal match live to appreciate the way the unit functions but I'm hoping to change that soon.

Very few. Why? They don't have Michael Murphy. When people overestimate Jimmy McGuinness they automatically underestimate Michael Murphy. Without Murphy McGuinness would not have won Ulster titles in my opinion.

Don't agree, Murphy looks a poorer player in the system that McGuinness deploys than he actually is. Up until last years AI final Murphy was by no means brilliant, playing much too far from goal. McGuinness much more important to Donegal than Murphy imo. If McGuinness walked away from Donegal in the morning I would give them no chance of retaining the title, with him they are the team to beat imo

[yellowcard]

Would Mc Guinness have won an all Ireland with Tyrone or Kildare, no he wouldn't, emphasising What an asset Murphy and Mc Fadden are, big men who can win their own ball and have football brains. Tyrone don,t have big ball winners inside, kildare have a ball winner, but he has no football brain. For example how much would Walsh improve Kerry if her returned from Aussie rules, therefore giving Kerry two powerful footballers who could win their own ball and have the brains to use it effectively. It means you can let the ball in early and it will stick. And with the system Donegal play, it means they dictate the type of game it will be I.e. stuck the opposition up the pitch to allow for counter attack.

Wht puzzles me the most Tyrone gave Donegal their toughest game playing the Donegal system last yer in the ulster semi, they should have stuck to it. there is a lesson in there.

I believe he could win an AI with either Tyrone or Kildare but of course it's all speculation. People forget where they were before he took over. Murphy and McFadden and the majority of other key players were already there and they suffered some humiliating defeats. I think they were ranked 19th when he took them over.

[imtommygunn]

You need scoring forwards and Kildare don't have them.

I think a lot of people underestimate quite a few of these Donegal boys.

Murphy and Lacey are absolutely top class. Mark McHugh played the HF role last year as well as anyone has in the modern era. McGlynn was always very very good and Anthony Thompson underrated. Rory Kavanagh has huge talent and just needed a kick up the arse.

The only team of the last number of years to not win with "a system" was Cork. Kerry had one and Dublin had one too.

[Syferus]

I think it's all shiiiiiii'ite anyways.

[kilkenny footballer]

Would Mc Guinness have won an all Ireland with Tyrone or Kildare, no he wouldn't, emphasising What an asset Murphy and Mc Fadden are, big men who can win their own ball and have football brains. Tyrone don,t have big ball winners inside, kildare have a ball winner, but he has no football brain. For example how much would Walsh improve Kerry if her returned from Aussie rules, therefore giving Kerry two powerful footballers who could win their own ball and have the brains to use it effectively. It means you can let the ball in early and it will stick. And with the system Donegal play, it means they dictate the type of game it will be I.e. stuck the opposition up the pitch to allow for counter attack.

Wht puzzles me the most Tyrone gave Donegal their toughest game playing the Donegal system last yer in the ulster semi, they should have stuck to it. there is a lesson in there.

he would aye! tyrone have o neill who is big and kildare have o connor!mc faddens not a `big man!`