Down Club Hurling & Football

SamFever · January 30, 2016, 07:48:25 PM

Not looking good for the 2nd half.

Highlander3 · January 30, 2016, 07:48:49 PM

Ref is doing us no favours but Donegal do look better in the first half, we have to up the pace after the break

SHEEDY · January 30, 2016, 09:13:24 PM

that was simply embarassing. men against boys.

Ed Hardy · January 30, 2016, 09:45:32 PM

Very early days but Down were miles behind Donegal 2nite, never got close to them... gonna be a long year ahead!

urbangael · January 30, 2016, 09:53:27 PM

Not fit or even close to being fit! Some down players were gasping for breath with only 10 mins gone. Physically weak, Donegal bossed every sector and it was like men against boys. No real structure or suitable game plan really looked like a gather up just out to give it a go. No togetherness which is most worrying there was a bit of a melee in the second half when a down player was under pressure 5 Donegal players ran to help their teammates while the down lads stood back and watched. I know it's early days but I'm not exaggerating when I say down look about 2 leagues above where they should really be playing. I'd be surprised if they win a league game this season.

Mourne Rover · January 30, 2016, 10:10:35 PM

There's really not much to be said about tonight other than that Donegal are a serious side and at this stage we plainly are not. On this performance, not a single Down player would make the Donegal bench. You could only feel sorry for Burns as a new manager having so little raw material at his disposal. He will need to strengthen his squad from somewhere, but his options are limited and it is clearly going to be a very tough league for us. The big advantage in our unlikely promotion last season was that we can only get relegated back to D2, as opposed to D3, which looks to be our level at the moment. Last year, we probably peaked too soon. That is hardly going to be our problem in 2016.

Line Ball · January 30, 2016, 10:14:18 PM

After tonight's performance, I reckon by the end of this year we will be in the bottom 6 teams in Ireland.

whitegoodman · January 30, 2016, 10:32:45 PM

A number of weeks ago a few of us said we could see Down going the whole year without a win and we were laughed at.................

Probably the worst Down team since the end of Petes era. Not nice to say but some them lads tonight wouldnt get on a decent club team.

Aaron Boone · January 30, 2016, 10:52:53 PM

I bet Down will survive this season. Believe. Games that shouldn't be won will be won.

wobbller · January 30, 2016, 11:13:41 PM

Quote from: Aaron Boone on January 30, 2016, 10:52:53 PM
I bet Down will survive this season. Believe. Games that shouldn't be won will be won.

Aaron you must be under the influence of something or other.

Aaron Boone · January 30, 2016, 11:15:24 PM

Quote from: wobbller on January 30, 2016, 11:13:41 PM
Quote from: Aaron Boone on January 30, 2016, 10:52:53 PM
I bet Down will survive this season. Believe. Games that shouldn't be won will be won.
Aaron you must be under the influence of something or other.

We will talk at Easter.

No1 · January 30, 2016, 11:39:24 PM

I am a glass half full man at all times but tonight was awful. No game plan, fitness severely lacking, baffling substitutions and a complete lack of fight. It's really difficult to see a positive future for this team. At least we have great talent coming through our fantastic underage structures.............

If Mourne Rover has nothing constructive to say then we really are up to our necks in the shite.

The strength of the Donegal bench tonight shows just how far away we are.

wobbller · January 31, 2016, 12:43:40 AM

Quote from: Aaron Boone on January 30, 2016, 11:15:24 PM
Quote from: wobbller on January 30, 2016, 11:13:41 PM
Quote from: Aaron Boone on January 30, 2016, 10:52:53 PM
I bet Down will survive this season. Believe. Games that shouldn't be won will be won.
Aaron you must be under the influence of something or other.
We will talk at Easter.

Are we meeting up somewhere then?

thewobbler · January 31, 2016, 01:00:02 AM

Truly I'm saddened to say it, but deep down we all knew it was coming, and we all know this is not the worst of what's coming.

TheClutch · January 31, 2016, 01:21:56 AM

Division 1 was always going to be a baptism of fire for new management and evidently from what was on show tonight a lot of new players.

Being brutally honest I was looking at a few of our players tonight and I had to have a second or third look at the programme to get the name of them, I hadn't seen them before and they did not look like county standard. A lot of our household names are not present at the moment through various reasons but IMHO if we are to give a decent account of ourselves in Division 1 and not go down without a fight these players need re-introduced.

I have absolutely no doubt that the new players in the team are giving 100% at training and doing their best but it might just be the case that they are not good enough, especially at for Division 1. Having said that Donegal seemed a step ahead of Down and much fitter and sharper. This definitely should not be the case when playing the opening game of the league, on your home turf and trying to impress a new manager and cement a starting berth on team.

As mentioned before Donegal's bench was extremely strong and they had Down well beat before introducing some of their more regular players. On the other hand Down's substitutions were very poor tonight, which again would point to getting some of the more established players from previous seasons back in the Down jersey.