Tyrone v Down - Sun 18th May, Omagh

[J OGorman]

Justin with a big shout to start this weekend. Been playing well in club games and upped his game at county training.

There will be one or two surprises in the team this weekend.

Justin the nick of time :-)

Tyrone by 7 :-(

Summers on us men, thank christ

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Conor Deegan, the cute hoor...

Conor Deegan downbeat about Down's Ulster championship hopes

Former All-Ireland winning player believes size of panel will hamper county's gameplan

Seán Moran

Down All-Ireland winner Conor Deegan believes his county is up against it in next weekend's opening Ulster championship match against Tyrone in Omagh. He sees his county's problems as being largely linked to resources and feels the team and manager James McCartan haven't done badly in the context of its limitations.

"To be honest I thought it was as much as Down would have done this year," he said in response to a question about the county's season to date, a comfortable finish in Division Two that fell short of promotion. "I think they've done quite well in many ways. James has them playing at the moment to their max so it is what I had expected this year.

"We don't have the numbers of players coming through – we can't afford injuries and we can't afford one or two players dropping off and things of that nature. It'll be difficult and you'd fancy Tyrone to beat them but with the forwards that we have, you never know; you always have a chance."

It's 20 years since McCartan and Deegan played pivotal roles in Down's most recent All-Ireland success, McCartan the goal scorer in the final win against Dublin and Deegan hugely effective having been switched from full back, where he won an All Star in 1991, to centrefield.

Down beat Tyrone in that year's Ulster final but the county – the province's most successful in modern times – hasn't added a provincial title in the meantime although in McCartan's first year as manager they reached the All-Ireland and ran Cork very close.

Player losses

That team fell prey to injury and emigration and a couple of up-and-coming players – most notably 2010 All Star Martin Clarke – ended up in Australia with AFL clubs. The Down tradition of accomplished forward play has had to give way to harsher realities. "If you look at last year," says Deegan, "James went ultra-defensive and started dropping bodies back. It should suit them. Down notoriously has liked to play an expansive style of football and I would suggest that that's dependent on your having the players available to do that.

"We're running off a very small panel and if one or two players aren't playing well or are injured they start to struggle. Being very blunt I can't see them winning Ulster this year.

"You always hope they'd produce a big performance on a good day and you'd hope the sun was out and it wasn't wet and give them half a chance because there's no doubt that Down produce good footballers . . . but I think defensively we're not as strong as we need to be to compete with the big boys. I think that's pretty evident."

Down have suffered from the premature break-up of their 2010 team and although the county can draw on two famous football academies in Newry, St Colman's and Abbey CBS – "but they would have developed half of Armagh as well," points out Deegan – and a decent minor tradition, under-age success comes only sporadically.

"It is every now and then and I think that's the problem," he says. "If we want to be realistic about it we have to start looking at the developmental side of things, what the big counties are doing. Obviously I live in Dublin so I know what Dublin are doing and they're just producing development squad after squad after squad.

'Numbers games'

"That's why they've won three of the last five 21s, why in recent years they're competing at minor level. That's the recipe but again that's a numbers game and being able to keep throwing numbers at it. Down's a small county from a playing point of view and it's very hard to keep pushing it."

Deegan has been involved in Dublin football since coming south and manages his own club Kilmacud Crokes. He is also an analyst for Newstalk radio. Whatever about his concerns for Down, he sees a bright future for their opponents next Sunday. "Tyrone are not going to be far away this year, certainly in Ulster. They've a fantastic manager who knows how to get the best out of them. I believe they've a team that will cause problems this year for somebody in the latter stages of the championship."

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/conor-deegan-downbeat-about-down-s-ulster-championship-hopes-1.1792565

[Fuzzman]

I see in the IN today Morgan says Tyrone will not be reverting to a sweeper system.
He also says he will be trying to focus on his own game from now on and not be playing to the crowd.
I'd so love to see Mickey shock us all and play Justy at MF.
Can't see it though
Maybe he'll heed the Derry wans sor and retire the two aul McMahons for glue

[TabClear]

I see in the IN today Morgan says Tyrone will not be reverting to a sweeper system.
He also says he will be trying to focus on his own game from now on and not be playing to the crowd.
I'd so love to see Mickey shock us all and play Justy at MF.
Can't see it though
Maybe he'll heed the Derry wans sorry and retire the two aul McMahons for glue

Would love to see both back fully fit. Always thought justy was the more naturally gifted of the two but Joe the more effective. What age is Joe now? 30?

[omagh_gael]

Joe is 30.

[Fuzzman]

I don't like the look of the team Archer has picked in the Irish News

[Under Lights]

I don't like the look of the team Archer has picked in the Irish News

Name it.

I will have a stab at the team- not the time Under Lights would pick but the one I think MH will.

1. Morgan

2. Aidan McRory
3. Justin McMahon
4. Ryan McKenna

5. Ciaran McGinley
6. Matthew Donnelly
7. Peter Harte

8. Connor Clarke
9. Colm Cavanagh

10. Martin Penrose
11. Sean Cavanagh
12. Patrick McNeice

13. Darren McCurry
14. Niall McKenna
15. Kyle Coney

Personally I would have Ronan O'Neill, Conor McAliskey and Conor Gormley starting but I just have a hunch about someone like McKenna at full forward- alternatively he could revert Mattie back to FF and bring in Gormley but I just don't think he will start Gormely.

[J OGorman]

I don't like the look of the team Archer has picked in the Irish News

Name it.

I will have a stab at the team- not the time Under Lights would pick but the one I think MH will.

1. Morgan

2. Aidan McRory
3. Justin McMahon
4. Ryan McKenna

5. Ciaran McGinley
6. Matthew Donnelly
7. Peter Harte

8. Connor Clarke
9. Colm Cavanagh

10. Martin Penrose
11. Sean Cavanagh
12. Patrick McNeice

13. Darren McCurry
14. Niall McKenna
15. Kyle Coney

Personally I would have Ronan O'Neill, Conor McAliskey and Conor Gormley starting but I just have a hunch about someone like McKenna at full forward- alternatively he could revert Mattie back to FF and bring in Gormley but I just don't think he will start Gormely.

Mark Donnelly injured?

[Wee Roddy]

That team is rank

[Under Lights]

That team is rank

Just a hunch. A HUNCH.

As I said not the team I would pick. I would probably go for Morgan, Conzo, Justin, McRory, McGinley, Gormley, Harte, Colm, Sean, Mattie Donnelly, Ronan O'Neill, Penrose, McCurry, Coney, McAliskey.

[sensethetone]

i don't think there will be much change to the tyrone team from the teams that had been chosen towards the end of the league. The full back line is the worry if we have a fairly protective half back line that will gain posession it will make a big difference. The midfield will pick its self and who ever starts in the forwards can be replaced with a decent sub if that guy isn't up to much on the day.

[Knock Yer Mucker In]

I don't like the look of the team Archer has picked in the Irish News

Name it.

I will have a stab at the team- not the time Under Lights would pick but the one I think MH will.

1. Morgan

2. Aidan McRory
3. Justin McMahon
4. Ryan McKenna

5. Ciaran McGinley
6. Matthew Donnelly
7. Peter Harte

8. Connor Clarke
9. Colm Cavanagh

10. Martin Penrose
11. Sean Cavanagh
12. Patrick McNeice

13. Darren McCurry
14. Niall McKenna
15. Kyle Coney

Personally I would have Ronan O'Neill, Conor McAliskey and Conor Gormley starting but I just have a hunch about someone like McKenna at full forward- alternatively he could revert Mattie back to FF and bring in Gormley but I just don't think he will start Gormely.

Your doing to much talking to people close to the set up to be posting on here mate

[Under Lights]

I think last years championship highlighted Tyrone's need for  a ball winning full forward and allow others to feed off that. I like the way Donnelly worked in that role in the league but I also feel we need him out around the middle. That's why I have a feeling that he could go for someone like McKenna who has been doing this for Donaghmore- he kicked 1-6 last week against Killyclogher and seems in great shape- I would love to see Sean in at 14 with Ronan O'Neill at 11 but again I think MH would want Cavanagh out around the middle and to run at teams.
Corner backs are hard to pick. With Justin playing well for Omagh last few weeks I'm just hazarding he will be fit enough, still think he's the best we have- Joe missing is a big loss too. Our midfield options are actually limited if you don't just play the two cavanaghs in there. Suppose McKenna could be out around the middle to free up Sean. I would like to see Connor Clarke there but he hasn't really been used there in the league so bit of a punt for me there.

[bcarrier]

Down are 25/1 for the Ulster Championship.

That is all.

[Brick Tamlin]

So much chit chat about Tyrone and nathin about Down.
Probably the way Wee James would prefer it.