NFL Round 1: Monaghan v Tyrone

[BennyHarp]

I'm going to try and salvage a few positives. Firstly we played quite well in the first 20 mins, we were getting the ball in relatively quickly,  it was sticking and we were converting chances. If this is our new style (which you would assume it needs to be if playing Sean full forward) then we have the players up front to execute it and it may take time to re-condition those further out the pitch to move the ball quicker. Also, playing against the elements last night made a longer ball option more difficult in the second half. As Rodman said, we've been playing the same way for 5 / 6 years and when things started to go against us last night we reverted to type, shuffling the ball left and right with no incision. Secondly, losing Matty Donnelly was big. Although Monaghan were getting on top at that stage, we completely lost our shape afterwards. Finally Monaghan are a decent team and are way ahead of us in terms of team development and are hard to beat at the best of times. They look comfortable in their style of play and can execute their gameplan effectively. We don't have a devine right to beat these counties like we seemed to have for a period during the mid 2000s.

My biggest concern after last night was that we seemed to get bullied off the ball very easily and equally worrying was the poor decision making in possession. These are things that are very difficult to turn around quickly. This could be a long, hard league campaign.

[tyroneman]

The most worrying things about last night were:

1. Lack of leaders
2. Lack of fight
3. Lack of tactical awareness
4. Lack of discipline
5. Lack of options from bench
6. Lack of strength
7. Lack of purpose

[Main Street]

"Colm was justifiably frustrated with The Paudie Hughes Monaghan love in but should know better than to yap at a ref that always seems to love making the game all about him."http://209.200.237.116/~gaabo3/board/Themes/default/images/bbc/unformat.gif

Aye right 'Tyroneman". Just admit it, Monaghan were the better team....

Absolutely. I made it clear in my post he wasn't the reason we lost.

Fair enough Tyroneman. And it's something we've learned through bitter experience. Yappin' at the ref isn't a good tactic.

Afaics from the setanta coverage, the ref had a good game and both of Cavanagh's yellow cards  were nailed on, no doubt his frustration on the night got the better of him,  though he might have to get used to games like that, I suppose
You'd wonder if all the desertions from the Tyrone squad have eaten away a decent size chunk of their morale.
The Monaghan old guard of Finlay, Mone and Clerkin, players who won't back down, still have valuable roles to play, Finlay's point from the sideline was majestic.

Some good newspaper headlines
"Monaghan light up Healy Park ...".
"Monaghan stage comeback to plunge Tyrone into darkness"

[tyroneman]

"Colm was justifiably frustrated with The Paudie Hughes Monaghan love in but should know better than to yap at a ref that always seems to love making the game all about him."http://209.200.237.116/~gaabo3/board/Themes/default/images/bbc/unformat.gif

Aye right 'Tyroneman". Just admit it, Monaghan were the better team....

Absolutely. I made it clear in my post he wasn't the reason we lost.

Fair enough Tyroneman. And it's something we've learned through bitter experience. Yappin' at the ref isn't a good tactic.

Afaics from the setanta coverage, the ref had a good game and both of Cavanagh's yellow cards  were nailed on, no doubt his frustration on the night got the better of him,  though he might have to get used to games like that, I suppose
You'd wonder if all the desertions from the Tyrone squad have eaten away a decent size chunk of their morale.
The Monaghan old guard of Finlay, Mone and Clerkin, players who won't back down, still have valuable roles to play, Finlay's point from the sideline was majestic.

Some good newspaper headlines
"Monaghan light up Healy Park ...".
"Monaghan stage comeback to plunge Tyrone into darkness"

Would like to have seen the Monaghan keepers slide tackle on TV. From where I sat that's dangerous play.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Out-fought, out-scrapped, out-thought, out-determined, out-muscled, out-driven, out-disciplined, out-led, out-strategised, out-played and, ultimately, simply out-done.

And those were the positives!

Well done Monaghan, you held it together at 7 points to 2 down,when it just might have been put out of reach for you. Will say nothing about the increasingly  curiouser and curiouser performance from the man in the middle, save to say that he was nowhere near influential on the final result.

Looking forward to a scenic visit to Maigh Eo next weekend, for that's all we can look forward to, alas.

[Main Street]

"Colm was justifiably frustrated with The Paudie Hughes Monaghan love in but should know better than to yap at a ref that always seems to love making the game all about him."http://209.200.237.116/~gaabo3/board/Themes/default/images/bbc/unformat.gif

Aye right 'Tyroneman". Just admit it, Monaghan were the better team....

Absolutely. I made it clear in my post he wasn't the reason we lost.

Fair enough Tyroneman. And it's something we've learned through bitter experience. Yappin' at the ref isn't a good tactic.

Afaics from the setanta coverage, the ref had a good game and both of Cavanagh's yellow cards  were nailed on, no doubt his frustration on the night got the better of him,  though he might have to get used to games like that, I suppose
You'd wonder if all the desertions from the Tyrone squad have eaten away a decent size chunk of their morale.
The Monaghan old guard of Finlay, Mone and Clerkin, players who won't back down, still have valuable roles to play, Finlay's point from the sideline was majestic.

Some good newspaper headlines
"Monaghan light up Healy Park ...".
"Monaghan stage comeback to plunge Tyrone into darkness"

Would like to have seen the Monaghan keepers slide tackle on TV. From where I sat that's dangerous play.

A sliding tackle well executed isn't dangerous and whatever tackle was made, it was done cleanly, if it was a sliding tackle and the ref managed to witness it, then it possibly would be worthy of a yellow card.
Ask yourself, does the world really need yet another Tyronie  whining about a ref when they lose a game and adding  more lines to their ever expanding book of grudges?

[nrico2006]

Before the pro-Harte gang start getting over defensive, there have been calls for a while now for a change in management and the annual January optimism doesn't take long to be destroyed.  People can say about the players but the fact is Harte seems to struggle to get the team playing with a bit of passion and he only seems to have the one game plan which has been been found out time and time again since 2009.  A real change in direction is required, that needs to happen at the top.  When you look at the pretty immediate impact good managers have had on teams over the past 3 or 4 years, be it from a change of style to a change in results and performances, you would wonder how Harte has lasted this long as there has been no obvious change in anything over the past 5 years and results have not got any better either.

[To whom it may concern]

There has been a gradual decline since 2010 really if we are honest. We are now at the stage where we are back in the pack in Ulster never mind worrying whether we can survive in Division One. Donegal and Monaghan have both went beyond us in the last 4 years, Armagh outgunned us last July and we struggled to deal with an average Down side last year.

You have to seriously look at Harte now at this stage and his role since 2010 onwards. There has only been stagnation since then. Some outstanding prospects haven't been nurtured into senior players or indeed, been allowed to develop and been handled correctly. The players clearly aren't responding to him. Even loom at the way he has handled the "retirement" of several players over the past few seasons. The silence with Stephen O'Neill retired was intriguing. The overall squad now looks threadbare and an aging Sean Cavanagh looks your only All Star type player.

In terms of Saturday, the problems evident for the past 18 months were again exposed. No evident man marker in defence and no real half forward line. That line is now perhaps the most important line on the pitch and Mayo's half back line perhaps the best in the game. Having Peter Hughes on Dessie Mone was a complete mis-match from Harte's perspective. It was striking on the highlights the impact Mone had and the physical deficit between the two.

For Mayo, he will have to set the team up to deal with Mayo's key men;

Morgan

McCrory
Justin McMahon
McCarron

Tierney
McNabb
McNamee

Colm Cavanagh
Sean Cavanagh

Harte
McGuigan
Mattie Donnelly

McCurry
McKenna
McAliskey

Sean Cavanagh will have to go back to midfield to add a presence. That was clearly lack on Sat. Mattie and Harte would be positioned to attempt to curtail Lee Keegan and Colm Boyle/Higgins. McGuigan was livelier that RO'N. McCurry will drift out alongside him there. McKenna and McAliskey are our best options of winning ball inside at the moment.

[sensethetone]

Sean Cavanagh came out of full forward on Saturday night and Tyrone did not seem to benifit. I couldn't believe the tackle Mattie done to get the black card, he's bound to have known what would happen from making that type of tackle.
Best players taking the ball out of defence had to be Cathal McCarron and Morgan.

[NaomhBridAbú]

That was as poor a game as I have seen in quote some time - certainly the second half...held scoreless for 35 minutes at home?
Colm Cavanagh playing sweeper.
Ronan O'Neill wasn't great and Niall McKenna was yet again sacrificed as a result of exceptionally poor service....no fluency at all...hand passing sideways, is neither effective nor is it easy on the eye...
Niall Morgan was turned over 3 times taking the ball on the solo run
I have never seen Mickey Harte with such a lack of composure on the line - i wonder if Setanta picked up on the mouthful he gave Barry Cassidy..(least i think it was him...)
The team did not look like a team. Again.
Was Justin McMahon injured?
If we play like that against Mayo, Dublin, Kerry or Donegal, I think its fair to say that we'll be in Div 2 next year and looking forward to another short summer.
I heard that some of the 5 last week found out their fate via text? what the f**k is that about?
It is impossible to manage a team if you are unable to communicate with the individuals within the team - football or business...and whether these urban myths have any substance or not, there is an obvious lack of cohesion within the management set up...On the highlights package last night on RTE, the only county mot represented by their manager was Tyrone - The county doesn't have a fight with RTE, nor do the players..
Its getting to the point where it isn't good enough on a number of levels...

That aside, Monaghan played well, and there was a class looking yoke sat to the left of me...

[charlie linkbox]

From a Monaghan perspective one of the most pleasing things at the moment is the depth and quality of the squad that is being developed. None of the following started on Saturday and all are viable options for the championship;

Conor McManus
Colin Walshe
Paul Finlay
Eoin Lennon
Vinny Corey
Christopher McGuinness
Gavin Doogan
Jack McCarron
Eoin Duffy
Padraig Donaghy
Karl O'Connell
Paudie McKenna

[Sleater]

From a Monaghan perspective one of the most pleasing things at the moment is the depth and quality of the squad that is being developed. None of the following started on Saturday and all are viable options for the championship;

Conor McManus
Colin Walshe
Paul Finlay
Eoin Lennon
Vinny Corey
Christopher McGuinness
Gavin Doogan
Jack McCarron
Eoin Duffy
Padraig Donaghy
Karl O'Connell
Paudie McKenna

At least 8 of the aforementioned would have viable claims for starting positions come the championship. It was very heartening to see Monaghan perform like this without so many regulars. Daniel McKenna has been a mercurial talent over the past few years but lacking the substance to do it day in day out. He finally looks to be maturing into the player he's shown glimpses of being. McAnespie is a major talent most Monaghan supporters have been eagerly anticipating making the jump to seniors. He matches workrate & attitude to natural attacking flair. He's a series upgrade on Pauric Donaghy. Cork will be a serious test and I remember the last time Monaghan played them in Blayney. It was shitty, cold day where it pissed rain the whole duration and there was no stand at the time either. Monaghan were limp and folded easily to Cork that day. Hopefully the present Monaghan team can show they are made of stronger stuff.

[babarino]

Cork will be a serious test and I remember the last time Monaghan played them in Blayney. It was shitty, cold day where it pissed rain the whole duration and there was no stand at the time either. Monaghan were limp and folded easily to Cork that day. Hopefully the present Monaghan team can show they are made of stronger stuff.

As you say, it's fantastic to be assembling a really strong squad. McKenna and McAnespie look like seriously good additions. It's a far cry from not so long ago when you dreaded an injury because there weren't replacements that were up to it. Good to see us vary the tactics as well.

Indeed we will know a lot more after we play Cork. That day in 'blayney was awful. We were bossed physically. I've never witnessed us beat them. Last time in Scotstown we leaked 3 soft goals, still were close at the end, but their size and power has caused us problems. Clerkin and Darren Hughes had stormers on that occasion.

Respect is due to the Tyrone lads' response to this defeat. It's not easy, as we well know, to be badly beaten at home (don't mention that Ulster Final) and you've taken it like sportsmen.

[The Bearded One]

Hugely disappointing from a Tyrone perspective, mainly because we seemed to just roll over as soon as Monaghan upped their game. The lack of leaders within the Tyrone team has been highlighted and is a real worry. The 2 players I would have been looking towards in terms of leadership (outside of Sean Cavanagh) both ended the game watching from the bench which is simply not good enough. Both Colm Cavanagh and Mattie Donnelly are fantastic players and have shown real consistency this past 12 months or so, what lets them down is a lack of discipline. Both are too easy to wind up, you can be sure they will react if provoked and this is not what we need.

Fair play to Monghan, they made a few tactical changes and run out comfortable and deserved winners. Malachy has developed a strong squad there, young McAnespie was terrific on Saturday night. It's just a pity he plays his football on the wrong side of the Moy Bridge

[NaomhBridAbú]

Hugely disappointing from a Tyrone perspective, mainly because we seemed to just roll over as soon as Monaghan upped their game. The lack of leaders within the Tyrone team has been highlighted and is a real worry. The 2 players I would have been looking towards in terms of leadership (outside of Sean Cavanagh) both ended the game watching from the bench which is simply not good enough. Both Colm Cavanagh and Mattie Donnelly are fantastic players and have shown real consistency this past 12 months or so, what lets them down is a lack of discipline. Both are too easy to wind up, you can be sure they will react if provoked and this is not what we need.

Fair play to Monghan, they made a few tactical changes and run out comfortable and deserved winners. Malachy has developed a strong squad there, young McAnespie was terrific on Saturday night. It's just a pity he plays his football on the wrong side of the Moy Bridge

Don't think there were ANY leaders on the field...easy to say from the stand but no tyrone player stood out at all