Donegal v Dublin AISF 31st Aug 2014

[screenexile]

Yesterday was a great day for Gaelic football. Donegal were superb. I seen Ryan McHugh during comórtas peile na Gaeltachta and he was unstoppable, he was the same yesterday. Hopefully lads will stop complaining about Donegals style of football now. You're allowed to defend in Gaelic football, it's not against the rules and Donegals defending was outstanding. Their counter attacks were great to watch aswell, the speed of them was something else. Kerry v Donegal should be a great final, one we can all enjoy with two teams there on merit and competing fairly.

As for Dubl$n, the embarrassment for them is huge. Millions upon millions upon millions of resources have gone into their team, aig on board this year, all the players with their free cars and fuel, time off work, every championship game at home, they even had their own personal ref with them and they got destroyed by little, oul Donegal.  Everything was laid out on a plate for them to win this All Ireland and they couldn't do it. It really is embarrassing but it's great for everyone that likes to see teams competing fairly win and the financial dopers lose.

No mention of the thousands being poured into the Donegal team? You do know they were at Johnstown for 5 days there a couple of weeks ago all expenses paid!!

Personally I have nothing against either team but Donegal have a few foreign sugar daddys who are forking over plenty of cash that other Counties wouldn't have access to!

[rrhf]

Harsh and uncalled for....
Dublin bought into the hype, it happens time and time again, but what group of footballers could be protected against it.  Their heads on billboards all over the capital.  Too much for amateur players to contend with.  But beyond that what was confirmed was that the Dubs have a soft underbelly and this was the first time we witnessed that in 4 years, it is there... just hadn't been tested. 
But despite that the Dub lads have attacked so well and scored some amazing totals this year and deserve enormous credit for trying it this way but many feel that its not the way Gaelic football is meant to be played... otherwise we would all be at it.  It needs defenders that are teak tough, midfielders that cover back and can win their own ball.  I expect a "What now for Dublin" thread to  highlight all this. 

[J OGorman]

Yesterday was a great day for Gaelic football. Donegal were superb. I seen Ryan McHugh during comórtas peile na Gaeltachta and he was unstoppable, he was the same yesterday. Hopefully lads will stop complaining about Donegals style of football now. You're allowed to defend in Gaelic football, it's not against the rules and Donegals defending was outstanding. Their counter attacks were great to watch aswell, the speed of them was something else. Kerry v Donegal should be a great final, one we can all enjoy with two teams there on merit and competing fairly.

As for Dubl$n, the embarrassment for them is huge. Millions upon millions upon millions of resources have gone into their team, aig on board this year, all the players with their free cars and fuel, time off work, every championship game at home, they even had their own personal ref with them and they got destroyed by little, oul Donegal.  Everything was laid out on a plate for them to win this All Ireland and they couldn't do it. It really is embarrassing but it's great for everyone that likes to see teams competing fairly win and the financial dopers lose.

surely even more money will be poured into Dublin now? Donegal have prob spent as much on their senior team as Dublin in recent years

anyways, was good for the game that Dublin were shown to be beatable. Not good for the Dubs fans right enough but they'll get over it. 2 absolutely absorbing games over the weekend.

[sheamy]

Massive game by Donegal yesterday. I felt the Dubs panicked a bit once Donegal got the first goal. They didn't recover from that and the result was never in doubt.

Let's not kid ourselves though. Both teams pump vast amounts of resources into the thing from different sources and the players from both counties very seldom play any games with their clubs. They're both very professional outfits.

The Dubs will be back. They deserve great credit and are a joy to watch for the neutral. Yesterday shows they can be beaten which is probably a good thing for the game.

Kerry might just pose Donegal more problems than a lot of people think although the men from the hills will start favorites.

[Canalman]

Firstly well done to Donegal.

From our viewpoint you deserve nothing if you squander to gilt edged goal chances like we did.

I am being harsh I  know but the Management will have to take a small amount of  flak for this game (non performing players must take the most ) just as they took praise from last year but I am  only being mildly critical .Thought Paul Mannion and Bastick should have made earlier entries but maybe they were injured or out of form at training.
Cian O'Sullivan imo should be in the backs full stop.

Heard that we won the Arrabawn (sic) tournament in the underage hurling at the weekend .

NFL, U 21 winners with the Ladies in the final . Not too bad a year imo.

Hopefully we can regroup and give the big  symbolic one in 2016 a right rattle.

Well done again to Donegal......... deserved winners.

[Thisonegoesto11]

Harsh and uncalled for....
Dublin bought into the hype, it happens time and time again, but what group of footballers could be protected against it.  Their heads on billboards all over the capital.  Too much for amateur players to contend with.  But beyond that what was confirmed was that the Dubs have a soft underbelly and this was the first time we witnessed that in 4 years, it is there... just hadn't been tested. 
But despite that the Dub lads have attacked so well and scored some amazing totals this year and deserve enormous credit for trying it this way but many feel that its not the way Gaelic football is meant to be played... otherwise we would all be at it.  It needs defenders that are teak tough, midfielders that cover back and can win their own ball.  I expect a "What now for Dublin" thread to  highlight all this.

A lot of us signed up to the idea that Dublin, like anyone else, could lose a one off knock on any given day. It happened.

Like Donegal losing 2013, defeat does not mean a huge overhaul. Ye learn and ye try come back. Hard to understand how we've a soft underbelly when we've bagged 2 x AIs. What does that make everyone else?

[easytiger95]

A lot of guff talked about us crumbling under pressure - wasn't the case in 2011 when we came back from four points down against Kerry, in 2012 when we nearly recovered a 10 point deficit against Mayo, in 2013 when we went toe to toe against Kerry and then closed it out against Mayo with only 13 fit men on the pitch. Character is one thing this Dublin side is not short of.

Is it not enough to say that Donegal played a truly brilliant game today and we were beaten by a better team? I've never warmed to McGuinness but his comments to Keith Duggan below have only heightened my respect for him, and should be required reading for all those bleating about Dublin domination for the majority of the summer.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-brought-potential-to-glorious-reality-1.1913712

[Sidney]

An awesome performance by Donegal and the greatest coaching performance in the history of the game from McGuinness. Dublin can have no complaints whatsoever. They fell hook, line and sinker for Donegal's trap. Once they lost their composure there was only going to be one winner.

[INDIANA]

A lot of guff talked about us crumbling under pressure - wasn't the case in 2011 when we came back from four points down against Kerry, in 2012 when we nearly recovered a 10 point deficit against Mayo, in 2013 when we went toe to toe against Kerry and then closed it out against Mayo with only 13 fit men on the pitch. Character is one thing this Dublin side is not short of.

Is it not enough to say that Donegal played a truly brilliant game today and we were beaten by a better team? I've never warmed to McGuinness but his comments to Keith Duggan below have only heightened my respect for him, and should be required reading for all those bleating about Dublin domination for the majority of the summer.

http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-brought-potential-to-glorious-reality-1.1913712

I'm having a ball today taking the piss out of people who have been moaning about out future domination. Every cloud.

[AZOffaly]

In fairness lads, one game doesn't determine anything either way. It's hard to say that this defeat shows the Dublin project isn't well on schedule. It's just a bump on the road.

[seafoid]

An awesome performance by Donegal and the greatest coaching performance in the history of the game from McGuinness. Dublin can have no complaints whatsoever. They fell hook, line and sinker for Donegal's trap. Once they lost their composure there was only going to be one winner.

It was good alright Sidney but the best ever? What were the other contenders ?

[easytiger95]

My own da was going on to me about Eugene McGee in 82 - he was saying you could have got Offaly at 10/1 for that game - i was only an ankle biter at the time so don't really remember it live, but from everything I've read about it McGee put in severe tactical thinking for that - he was conciously encouraging the team to only peak for the final, he made huge switches such as Richie Connor to centre forward etc. Certainly up there with McGuinness.

Heffernan v Kerry in 76 was probably another one - an entirely retooled half back line, Hanahoe roaming to leave space etc.

Sean Boylan in 96 - incredible about turn from the year before, very young side.


John O'Mahoney with Galway 98 - using traditional, foot passing, high fielding tactics to beat a hand passing, possession based kildare side.

Mickey Harte v Kerry in 2003 - very controversial but an extremely effective tactical plan.

I wouldn't actually rate Micko as a great tactican - i think his strength was to keep incredibley talented players motivated and working collectively.

[Mac2]

If anything yesterday proves that it's savage hard to put back to back titles together

[INDIANA]

In fairness lads, one game doesn't determine anything either way. It's hard to say that this defeat shows the Dublin project isn't well on schedule. It's just a bump on the road.

It proves domination is impossible in the modern game. Some very silly journalists out there today.

[AZOffaly]

Define domination? Do you take it as winning every game, every year? If so, then yes, that is impossible because on a one off day, anything can happen.

But can you be consistently the best, most competitive team around, while shipping the occasional defeat? Yes you can. And that's what I mean by dominating. Man United dominated English soccer for 20 years, but they didn't win everything.