Down Club Hurling & Football

[thewobbler]

Pangur, with all due respect, you're living in 1965 or so.

Any recent demolition jobs on Down were the result of our full back line getting torn a new one, because they weren't able to cover the ground. It really is as simple as that.

[NP 76]

Wobbler our full back line got pulled apart on Sunday with 14 men in their own half . Not much room to cover with that amount of bodies behind the ball

[Pangurban]

Thats irrational Wobbler, as NP76 has pointed out we had so many bodies behind the Ball, hindering rather than helping, and were repeatedly turned over trying to play the ball out of defence, as there were no Mf or Forward option to kick it to. We invited them on to us and they came taking full advantage

[PAULD123]

I think that the problem is in the way in which systems are altered. It seems that teams feel they should either attack or defend as a policy. The talk of sweepers and things like that. Donegal did well last year with a highly defensive system but showed a total lack of flexibility when they needed to score.

It is no good saying that we sacrifice forwards to play as defenders or indeed sacrifice defence to boost our forward play. The system has to be a flexible one depending on where the ball is at any time. That was Tyrone's strength. They defended in numbers AND attacked in numbers.

Currently Down have many deep lying forwards to try to nullify the oncoming attack. When we turn the ball over we have a load of lads strung across the pitch looking for a lateral pass and the ball generally doesn't move too far. The defence part of that is okay but the failure to convert to an attacking formation is the problem and results in "a big punt up to Benny". The missing link is of course Marty who knew how to move from defence to attack directly. The short passes are sideways because that's where the free men are. You don't have boys breaking forward for short forward passes, looking to exploit the space left due to the defensive passage of play. Instead they stand deep because they will get easy possession because the opposition are flooding back to to fill those spaces and we are letting them.

In summary I feel the problem is the speed at which the half forwards adjust from a defensive to an attacking mindset. Dublin achieved this best last year and they accordingly won the All-Ireland (and not with the most talented 15 players in the country)

[NP 76]

See on the front page of the Gaelic life Aidan O Rourke clearing up the matter about Ambrose not traveling to Cork . Am i wrong in thinking it really should be James clarifying this and not the coach . Why would you go to the Carrickdale with your gear to travel to Cork if you recieved a TEXT on Friday to say you werent part of their plans . Why could these lads not be told face to face on Thursday night after training instead of an impersonal text message . I think their is a lack of disicipline and leadership from the top down . Another point from Sunday was players not travelling home on the team bus after the game . Should they all not travel together as a team unit this would not happy in the likes of Tyrone .

[here comes 6]

See on the front page of the Gaelic life Aidan O Rourke clearing up the matter about Ambrose not traveling to Cork . Am i wrong in thinking it really should be James clarifying this and not the coach . Why would you go to the Carrickdale with your gear to travel to Cork if you recieved a TEXT on Friday to say you werent part of their plans . Why could these lads not be told face to face on Thursday night after training instead of an impersonal text message . I think their is a lack of disicipline and leadership from the top down . Another point from Sunday was players not travelling home on the team bus after the game . Should they all not travel together as a team unit this would not happy in the likes of Tyrone .

NP76 Your totally 100% correct. O'Rourkes job is on the training field and nothing else. + its clear that some of the things that are going on at the top is a joke and we are only hearing small whimpers of it even though we are the ones that are funding it.  THings need to be made clear now and stop the Bulls**t

[Brick Tamlin]

and what exactly would you suggest?
Ye really have it in for AOR dont ye?

Its funny when yer winning and things are going well there are no problems, but once the tough times come its back to finger pointing and the blame game.

and couldnt give a flying f**k who manages or is involved in runnin the teams or what decisions they make.
il still support and follow the team and my county.

il trust the judgement of the men who are entrusted to run the county team be it manager, coach or selector (whether i like them or not)over that of internet keyboard warriors spouting shite!

[John o connor]

Paul d 123 that hits nail on the head 100% , could not agree more

[whitegoodman]

Dont hold back there Brick

[alba2]

The way i see it is we have a couple of major problems at present.  We have had our heads blown up with the performances of 2010 - but lets not forget we won nothing that year.  We competed in two national finals and won f*** all. We have since had a group of players who are overrated and over hyped beyond all recognition.  the players themselves are hard to listen to at this stage.  When we had Marty we were decent because as you seid earlier - he knew how to turn defence in to attack real quick.  Benny thrived on his service and we got the best out of poland, rooney, garvey.  But lets be honest - we are not good like.  We have an over reliance on ambrose, danny Hughes (who is being hampered with injuries at present), Liam Doyle who has been a revelation this year and Laverty.  Yes we have injuries to major players - but what county in ireland doesnt?? We need to snap out of our bubble and the players especially need to do the same.  Its a bad state of affairs when players are telling the managament i dont want to play there - if im put there i wont come back - who the f*** do they think they are..... As for that crap about the "Down way" that was inspired by sean og in a secretaries report a number of years ago.  He needs to f***in snap out of it and realise the way the game is played today and this notion of 15 v 15 in their proper positions is a thing of the past. 
James is the man for the job - i have no doubt about that - but there are a few positions he needs to take a look at on his panel.  Some players are simply not up to scratch - and there are better ones out there in the county.  It is a high pressure job i have no doubt about that - but decisions need to be correct.

[southdown]

Forget about the team problems for a second and take a look at this hideous new GREEN  DOWN JERSEY!!!!!!!!!


http://www.oneills.com/list.aspx?currentPage=5&Group=10&orderBy=&str_Search=&idCategory=16&expandable=&locID=1&str_SearchType=1

[5 Sams]

Forget about the team problems for a second and take a look at this hideous new GREEN  DOWN JERSEY!!!!!!!!!


http://www.oneills.com/list.aspx?currentPage=5&Group=10&orderBy=&str_Search=&idCategory=16&expandable=&locID=1&str_SearchType=1

Don't panic Southdown. It a promotional thing by O'Neils for Patricks day...every county has one...apart from Kerry I think...

[Mourne Rover]

Conor Gough was listed as among those attending the official Aussie rules trial in Dublin earlier this week. According to the Irish Times, he is a member of the Armagh senior squad. He may not be ready for championship football this year, and it would be wrong to deny him the opportunity to get a professional contract. However, with five members of our squad from last summer already Down Under for various reasons, we cannot really afford to lose many more players if we hope to make any progess this year.

[Crossman]

I see dan is lined out at midfield for ulster. Hopefully he can put in a good performance and stay there for down. McVeigh Hughes Poland and Coulter also to start

I see Matt Fitz says in The Down Recorder that Dan 'excelled'  at midfield for Down against Cork-must have been at a different match from me!!!

[NP 76]

Dont know what game he was at