USFC Final - Donegal v Monaghan - Sunday 20th July - St. Tiernachs Park Clones

[SouthDublinBro]

Who have Monaghan even beaten recently to be considered a good side? Just an off-colour Donegal in Ulster last year? I honestly can't see why anyone should fear them in the backdoor. Certainly hoping they scrape past Kildare for a Dublin bye into the semis.

[Main Street]

Disappointing result yesterday, but it was on the cards from early on. Few, if any, Monaghan players got the better of their men. For all O'Rourke's tactical class, I can't understand why they persisted for so long with the high ball into the forward line, where one forward had 3-4 defenders on him, or why substitutions were not made at least 15 minutes earlier.

You do have to wonder what difference Lennon could have made in midfield, but that's just the way it goes.

Anyway, well done to Donegal, I think a 3 point defeat flattered us a bit. All is not lost, with 2 weeks to regroup, we're well fit to take Kildare if we play our best. A QF with Dublin could salvage something for 2014.

On that point, O'Rourke mentioned something in a post match interview, he more or less said that this was a failing on the pitch, players making poor choices, it wasn't a tactical plan to persist with hoofing it to an isolated forward  somewhere inside a swarm of defenders.

[babarino]

Who have Monaghan even beaten recently to be considered a good side? Just an off-colour Donegal in Ulster last year? I honestly can't see why anyone should fear them in the backdoor. Certainly hoping they scrape past Kildare for a Dublin bye into the semis.

And Dublin supporters would ask, why does everyone outside the capital, want to see us beaten?

Seriously, do you think Kildare will present more of a problem than Monaghan?

[saffron sam2]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

[Syferus]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

I'd hardly call lobbing suicide balls into your lone forward well prepared.

[saffron sam2]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

I'd hardly call lobbing suicide balls into your lone forward well prepared.

Sorry, I meant physical preparation.

And you've caused me to waste tomorrow's post.

[Syferus]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

I'd hardly call lobbing suicide balls into your lone forward well prepared.

Sorry, I meant physical preparation.

And you've caused me to waste tomorrow's post.

Fair enough then, both teams were well conditioned and defensively Monaghan did little wrong.

Do you have a bandwidth limit of 20kb a day?

[J70]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

Not worried at all on that front. The team was written off after last summer and had questions marks over them after this year's league final. They had a point to prove. Beating Monaghan probably added to it too.

[Main Street]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

Not worried at all on that front. The team was written off after last summer and had questions marks over them after this year's league final. They had a point to prove. Beating Monaghan probably added to it too.

You are aware J70 that Donegal have been favourites for this year's USC all along, even after the Div 2 final defeat and most every pundit plumped for them to win?
The miracle of Donegal this year is they have managed a complete denial, stuck plugs in ears and have convinced yourselves that you were written off,  the ultimate contrived paranoid state.

[Wildweasel74]

No harm to you lads thats was brutal stuff yesterday

[straightred]

Judging from what i was hearing last night the Monaghan fans are certain the ref was the only reason Donegal won. Am i  missing something? I thought Monaghan were lucky not to get a few reds 

Wouldn't go that far but the ref was v poor. Missed a straight forward penalty decision (although yet again we have to question why the umpire couldn't help him out). The incident on the hill side touchline was completely down to the ref. Mone nearly had his head taken off but got no free. 5 minutes before he shipped another heavy tackle at the same spot and got nothing. This is the kind of stuff that drives players mad and i think it was Monaghan 11 who decided to take retribution. Having said that the Donegal fellow done a Robben on it - a yellow was right - never a red. D Hughes was pulled, dragged, pushed and shoved all day before eventually very late on the ref gave a yellow for it.

None of these changed the result. You can't let Donegal get ahead as they'll just park all the buses. Yesterday they always seemed to be 3 points up and abe to play their horrible system. i wouldn't be talking about the dubs yet though. Dublin will beat Kildare/Monaghan but will Donegal beat armagh ( no offence meath). Won't be a cakewalk for them

[J70]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

Not worried at all on that front. The team was written off after last summer and had questions marks over them after this year's league final. They had a point to prove. Beating Monaghan probably added to it too.

You are aware J70 that Donegal have been favourites for this year's USC all along, even after the Div 2 final defeat and most every pundit plumped for them to win?
The miracle of Donegal this year is they have managed a complete denial, stuck plugs in ears and have convinced yourselves that you were written off,  the ultimate contrived paranoid state.

We were favourites for this year's USC? Really?

If so, it must have purely been on account of our being on the "easier" side of the draw. Because I recall our stock being pretty low after Monaghan's barrage of long range shooting showing the way to beat our defensive tactics (again!).

Even on the GAA Board's (non-scientific) poll, we were fifth favourites to win it out. Of course 25% of the votes were cast for Tyrone,  with their large number of ever-optimistic (arrogant?) supporters here!

As for national glory, I don't know what our odds were, but you can't seriously claim there weren't serious question marks over us after last summer?

[Main Street]

Surprisingly for an avowed purist like myself and despite the obvious and undoubted skulduggery from both sides, I thoroughly enjoyed the game. Two well prepared teams with two intelligent managers, it was intriguing, if not of the highest quality. I felt Donegal won because they got more from their main men and many of their lesser lights stepped up to the plate also.

What would worry me, if I were from Donegal, was how wildly and openly the win was celebrated by the players and management. Two years ago the Ulster title was a mere stepping stone to the All-Ireland (and was seen as such by Donegal); this year it seems to be the main target. Or maybe it is just a reaction to recent defeats to Monaghan.

Not worried at all on that front. The team was written off after last summer and had questions marks over them after this year's league final. They had a point to prove. Beating Monaghan probably added to it too.

You are aware J70 that Donegal have been favourites for this year's USC all along, even after the Div 2 final defeat and most every pundit plumped for them to win?
The miracle of Donegal this year is they have managed a complete denial, stuck plugs in ears and have convinced yourselves that you were written off,  the ultimate contrived paranoid state.

We were favourites for this year's USC? Really?

If so, it must have purely been on account of our being on the "easier" side of the draw. Because I recall our stock being pretty low after Monaghan's barrage of long range shooting showing the way to beat our defensive tactics (again!).

Even on the GAA Board's (non-scientific) poll, we were fifth favourites to win it out. Of course 25% of the votes were cast for Tyrone,  with their large number of ever-optimistic (arrogant?) supporters here!

As for national glory, I don't know what our odds were, but you can't seriously claim there weren't serious question marks over us after last summer?

Donegal were favourites with the bookies all along for Ulster and every pundit I heard went for Donegal to win the final.
 
Of course there were question marks over Donegal at they way they ended their last season, a self inflicted inquisition. If a favourite team goes belly up,  what do you expect? let's ignore it, it's just an occasional Donegal thing?
But as soon as the 2014 season began, Donegal were installed as favourites to win Ulster.

[J70]

I honestly do not recall us being rated favourites, but I will just have to take your word for it as I can't find any betting odds online. Just does not seem logical to me that we would be after last year, the league final, and Derry, yourselves and Tyrone being rated up wards after decent league campaigns. And throw in Mark McHugh and the uncertainty over the effects of the dismissal of Rory Gallagher and the backroom team. To say that the past year was tumultuous, looking in from the outside at least, for this squad would be an understatement.

[macdanger2]

Apparently Hughes will start anyway but that's only pub talk(mind you it was correct about Mc Manus v Tyrone). I was over at the Armagh v Monaghan replay and afterwards told anyone that'd listen to get on Donegal to beat them,the defence was  leaky and Armagh could easily have had 3 goals and i'd rate the Donegal forwards a lot more dangerous.

Then fecking Armagh have gone and beat both Tyrone and Roscommon and i didn't fancy them to beat either so kind of boosts Monaghans form. It means i'll be having a smaller punt on Donegal but i will definitely still be backing,6/5 today as opposed to 1/8 this time last year  They have to be backed.

If BB is to believed (and he tends to know his stuff about betting), Donegal were slight outsiders for the final