Down Club Hurling & Football

[Square Ball]

The term root and branch has been used a few times on here about the current state of football in Down, so what would you do?

[thewobbler]

Good post 6th Sam.

Everybody wants someone to blame, whilst if truth be told most of the current malaise is owed to a deficit of top quality players being produced by clubs (and to some extent, schools and development squads).

While Gallagher will deservedly take plaudits for his work at Derry, the reality is that success is much more likely to be achieved because a group of genuinely top drawer players leads the way in terms of application, attitude and standards, rather than because a top drawer manager wants these things to happen. Basically, top players can get a tune out of those - usually the more inconsistent ones - from the next rung down. See Martin Clarke and Benny Coulter together in 2010 as a prime example.

And in the likes of McKaigue, Rogers, McGuigan and Glass, Derry have those top drawer players.

We don't have anyone at that level currently. There's nobody from the top drawer, and hasn't been since Darren's legs started to go 2 years ago. In fairness, Murdock and Magill were very promising on Saturday, and maybe that's where we should start.

[Phoenix rising]

The top drawer players are there - they just won't play for Down, out of curiosity has this subject ever been brought up at County Board Meetings as to why they refuse to play?

[Smurfy123]

Phoenix who are these top drawer players that won't play

[nrico2006]

Phoenix who are these top drawer players that won't play

Was wondering that myself?

[Phoenix rising]

Well let's start with the Kilcoo players - reigning All Ireland Champions and double Ulster winners.....I would say 4 should be there that aren't for some reason....

[SHEEDY]

Well let's start with the Kilcoo players - reigning All Ireland Champions and double Ulster winners.....I would say 4 should be there that aren't for some reason....

agreed, only 2 kilcoo players on the squad for different reasons, Liam Kerr and Finn McElroy gone as well. Nobody can tell me that we haven't got the players to be competitive at the very least against the middle ranking teams in Ulster, we're not even doing that at the minute. There's a strong possibility we could go through a calendar year without winning a match 😕

[Johnnysboys]

Well let's start with the Kilcoo players - reigning All Ireland Champions and double Ulster winners.....I would say 4 should be there that aren't for some reason....

4,6,8 - I even read a quote yesterday that Kilcoo could have beaten Down on Saturday.. such complete and utter tripe.. if they don't want to play - MOVE ON. Another poster hit the nail on the head - Murdock and magill playing rightly - let's focus on the likes of them - Ruairi O'Hare, Gilmore etc - lads who want to represent the county and give their all when they are there. Forget about those who don't want to be there - let's focus on those who do.

[Smurfy123]

What kilcoo players would make Down better on Saturday?
A brilliant club team but individual players don't stand out
It showed yesterday and in league games before McEvoy looks very ordinary in a county team
County football is another 2/3 levels above club

[thewobbler]

Since the 2010 group began to drop off, I can't think of a Down player who has been consistently top drawer apart from Darren O'Hagan. The Johnstons, McKernan, Donal O'Hare, Mooney, Harrison, Barry O'Hagan have all produced high quality moments and occasional big matches. But nothing consistent.

The like of Kerr, McElroy and 4-5 Kilcoo men would clearly improve Down. But I don't think there's a manager around who could draw the lot of them in. That, I reckon, will take a superstar or two to appear on the horizon.

[thewobbler]

FWIW I'd be fairly sure that Kilcoo would take out the most recent Down team.

Whilst there's obviously lads on the Kilcoo team who aren't count standard, there's also 5-6 players who started for Down last week, who would struggle to make the Kilcoo team.

[Smurfy123]

Also that Kilcoo team would have beaten Down Saturday
The way the play as a team they would have had to much for Down
It's as bad a performance as I have ever seen from a Down team

[SHEEDY]

Well let's start with the Kilcoo players - reigning All Ireland Champions and double Ulster winners.....I would say 4 should be there that aren't for some reason....

4,6,8 - I even read a quote yesterday that Kilcoo could have beaten Down on Saturday.. such complete and utter tripe.. if they don't want to play - MOVE ON. Another poster hit the nail on the head - Murdock and magill playing rightly - let's focus on the likes of them - Ruairi O'Hare, Gilmore etc - lads who want to represent the county and give their all when they are there. Forget about those who don't want to be there - let's focus on those who do.

maybe ask them why they don't want to play?  Is it for the same reasons that the support has also deserted the team. The county as a whole has never felt so disconnected from the senior team.

[Phoenix rising]

Also that Kilcoo team would have beaten Down Saturday
The way the play as a team they would have had to much for Down
It's as bad a performance as I have ever seen from a Down team

What kilcoo players would make Down better on Saturday?
A brilliant club team but individual players don't stand out
It showed yesterday and in league games before McEvoy looks very ordinary in a county team
County football is another 2/3 levels above club

🤡🤡🤡

[shagger]

Why is it always Kilcoo's players fault?

There were plenty of other very good players from clubs around the county ie Burren, Mayobridge Clonduff, Carryduff etc all asked to play for Down and said NO. There were players who left the squad this year  from other clubs outside kilcoo to go to America and never get the blame.

It cannot always be Kilcoo's fault!!!