Down Club Hurling & Football

[The Marshes]

What surprises me is the shock and surprise at this result. My only surprise was the score wasn't worse. Folks, Down are not good enough at this level. We don't have enough exceptional players.

[Gabriel]

Depressing performance and result today, easily the worst of the McCartan era. Defence is in tatters and familiar failings exposed far too easily. Inexplicable that after two trouncings last year by Cork we still haven't learned any lessons: ball hoofed down the middle, small players (Garvey, McCartan etc) marking giants, reliance on Coulter (surrounded by three men when he landed with the ball) and no way of nullifying Kerrigan or O'Connor. A lot of that team frankly isn't good enough. Maginn, Rooney, Garvey, Rogers, B McArdle, Murtagh, McComiskey - all should be in consideration for starting places, don't know injury situation with a few but if Garvey and Rogers are fit, they should be starting.

[Leo]

Depressing performance and result today, easily the worst of the McCartan era. Defence is in tatters and familiar failings exposed far too easily. Inexplicable that after two trouncings last year by Cork we still haven't learned any lessons: ball hoofed down the middle, small players (Garvey, McCartan etc) marking giants, reliance on Coulter (surrounded by three men when he landed with the ball) and no way of nullifying Kerrigan or O'Connor. A lot of that team frankly isn't good enough. Maginn, Rooney, Garvey, Rogers, B McArdle, Murtagh, McComiskey - all should be in consideration for starting places, don't know injury situation with a few but if Garvey and Rogers are fit, they should be starting.

Wasn't at the game so my post is not so much on today's performance as on your analysis. You say the defence is in tatters yet there are only 3 defenders in the players you want included, one of whom (Garvey) played half the game today and the other two (Rooney & McArdle) whatever about their merits, have been injury prone for some time.
Again you question Garvey's physique but want him included.
You should know that Murtagh & McComiskey are currently unavailable, and Rodgers remains a huge doubt.
The one thing I will agree on is our inability to give proper scope to Coulter. McCartan himself and Linden were marked men  throughout the 90's but we had players who could find them and a system to give them space. We can't seem to find that today, either because of the mass defence systems we can't break down or our passing and vision simply isn't good enough. When I see how Monagahn could consistently put Finlay in scoring positions against a defensive outfit like Laois I do wonder....

Whatever way you shake it up that is 4 defeats to Cork in just over 2 years years, 3 of them tankings.
We were fortunate to beat Donegal (hardly any scores from our forwards) and in a year when a path to an Ulster title looks as possible as it could be we now look to have regressed.
Bad bad day.

[thewobbler]

Gabriel I really can't wait to see who you'd recommend as the 'giants' to replace our 'small players'.

The unwillingness of our half back line to protect our full back line was the reason why Cork emptied us last summer, and the reason why Cork emptied us in the 2nd half of the AI final.

I'm disappointed in this, as I'm sure is James, and I'd harbour a string guess it's why O Rourke was headhunted for coaching. If James can't sort the issue out by the end of this season then it is probably beat he lets someone else try. But trust me, there aren't many, if any, better defenders in our county than those playing this evening. Cork are a frightening prospect not because they're big, but because they're big and very, very mobile. Down jut don't have that sort of player lying around.

[NP 76]

Just home from Cork which in my view was one of the worst if not the worse i have ever seen . I would actually put it on a par with the Sligo game . For anyone to single Daniel Mc Cartan out for the blame was most defintely not at this game . Players and managment ALL have to hold their hands up here . The only player that offered any drive today was Conor Laverty  . I dont think any of the rest could honestly say they were near him . The defeat was very hard to take but for me to see Kevin Mc Kernan and Anton Mc Ardle coming on was totally on called for . 1 has been suspended and played no football for a number of months and the other hasnt even been training while other lads have been knocking their b**ls out at training and games . We have learnt absolutely nothing since the All Ireland defeat still bombing the ball down the middle and hoping for the best yet we leave Poland isolated on Canty for kickouts Choc left in the middle on his own with Pearse O neill . We needed big men today to catch a ball or get a hand to it and yet 2 of them werent there left in Newry . Dan Gordon 1 clean catch at mid field at least when he was FB we had a bit of presence in there . He may not of been the finished article but he was coming good . Danny Hughes getting himself killed by always carrying into the tackle . Silly passes to a man already crowded out resulting in Mark Poland near losing his front teeth school boy mistakes against a team that we should know inside out . Why do we all retreat back why not just pick up a man and follow him wherever he goes . We are playing a system that is not working and no one seems to know what they are doing . When we played Kildare in 2010 we defended from no 15 and stopped the opposition getting out of defence now we all retreat and invite them on to us . Is this aiden O Rourkes mark on this team . Am getting totally disillusioned by football in general from what i have seen this year it is nothing short of diobolical not only Down but it all. The only plus i got out of today was i had a mighty feed coming up the road . Rant over !!

[redandblackareback]

13 points!!! Must be a long time since a Down team was beat by 13 points??? The next game is absolutely critical, a big defeat at home to Kerry could be crushing and after their result today, the banker against Laois doesnt look so much a cert anymore!! Disappointed with the style of football we have adopted but that was to be expected bringing O Rourke on board. Agree with NP, bringing on Mc Kernan and Mc Ardle today was wrong, should not have happened!

[Pangurban]

When you compare our performance today with that of Armagh last week, there is one striking difference, Strategy. The Armagh team is not significantly bigger than ours, nor do they have better players, they just know what they are supposed to be doing, and where they are supposed to be doing it. Down today had no Heart, no Brain, and no direction. Last week Armagh defended brilliantly, today they attacked brilliantly and kept Kerry on the back foot, but we are incapable of doing either at the moment. We dont yet even know what our best team is, as experimentation has replaced judgement. Nothing we have seen to date this season, gives any indication that management know how to fix our problems, or that they can even define our problem. A short season beckons. An attacking team will win this years AI, playing football in the opposition half off the field, not their own, we would be well to watch and learn, we will certainly have nothing better to do

[The Marshes]

Forget about all these fancy tactics, positional changes, Down players are unable to do the basics- kicking, catching, scoring. when we get the basics sorted we will be Ok.

Some members on this board have posted in excess of 1500 posts but you all come up with the same rubbish. Unless you are able to provide solutions to the problems you should all keep quiet

[southdown]

The Marshes, tell us all now how we should go about staying up in the league and having a decent run in the summer?

[snoopdog]

Forget about all these fancy tactics, positional changes, Down players are unable to do the basics- kicking, catching, scoring. when we get the basics sorted we will be Ok.

Some members on this board have posted in excess of 1500 posts but you all come up with the same rubbish. Unless you are able to provide solutions to the problems you should all keep quiet

Maybe give Wee James a call and deliver your fountain of Knowledge.

[whitegoodman]

Lol I actually find the marshes "matter of fact" points very humerous.

On another point I can understand and agree with the frustration of seeing McKernan coming on yesterday having not trained with the team since christmas but if McArdle has been training and performing well in training whilst suspended and the management thought he could have an influence on the game then why not bring him on??

[PAULD123]

Lol I actually find the marshes "matter of fact" points very humerous.

On another point I can understand and agree with the frustration of seeing McKernan coming on yesterday having not trained with the team since christmas but if McArdle has been training and performing well in training whilst suspended and the management thought he could have an influence on the game then why not bring him on??

Regarding Anton, I always thought that when you were suspended under the old system (i.e. a number of weeks) that you weren't allowed to set foot on a Gaelic pitch. I thought you weren't even allowed to train or play practice matches. Is that not true?

On other matters, I still think that the team selected by WhiteGM was a better one than started the game.

[SHEEDY]

why was ambrose not included in the squad? heard he didnt even travel. cant understand how anton mcardle and kevin mc kernan can get brought back in so quick.

[whitegoodman]

Anyone hear that a few boys got off the bus in Newry before it left for Cork???

That didnt look pretty on TG4.

[extra time]

Got the commentary from Cork on <www.c103.ie>. We had a great start, scoring the first three points, but Cork have just hit an amazing 2-4 without reply. It sounds as though our defence is struggling badly, and the last goal was supposed to be a dreadful error by Brendan McVeigh.

supposed to be but wasent. be careful what you post