All Ireland Minor Championship 2015

[Rossfan]

Seen Roscommon minors in a challenge last week ,1st time I saw a minor team play with 14 backs at times, and that was with the wind ! . The main reason they led at halftime was that our free 5 backs did'nt know how to cope when they broke at speed . A great learning process for our lads but I can't see Meath employing the same tactics come end of June.

Who were we playing and how did it turn out?
We haven't a great crop this year so it seems we're on a keep the score down operation.
Won't make good watching..., but needs must.

[Syferus]

Seen Roscommon minors in a challenge last week ,1st time I saw a minor team play with 14 backs at times, and that was with the wind ! . The main reason they led at halftime was that our free 5 backs did'nt know how to cope when they broke at speed . A great learning process for our lads but I can't see Meath employing the same tactics come end of June.

Who were we playing and how did it turn out?
We haven't a great crop this year so it seems we're on a keep the score down operation.
Won't make good watching..., but needs must.

Playing on the counter with McKeon and Darcy switching in and out up front looks the best option. Last year's 'not-great crop' had Donegal reeling in Sligo. Always hope. It will be very interesting in Connacht this year.

[RealSpiritof98]

10 of the St.Pats McRory Cup winning team are in the minor squad. They've been hammering teams in challenge games too I hear including Dublin and Meath. I have a few quid on them for Ulster and as you say will be straight into an All Ireland quarter at least.

Tyrone beat Cavan well a few weeks ago though and Tyrone are now out already.

It wasn't a full strength Cavan team.

I doubt they were missing too many men.  My gripe is with the joke of a system that means that the Tyrone minor team (and other Ulster sides who don't reach the provincial final) are out of the All Ireland while teams in Leinster and Munster will get a few lives.

Why do you doubt it? Take a look at the Cavan team that started and the team that started against Monaghan.

Tyrone were an average and weren't going to do much damage.

Tyrone's problem isn't the system. The problem with Tyrone as you say is that they are a whole lot of average these days.

Cavan have a fine side this year and a few forwards which is what their senior team needs.

Lot of gloom and doom merchants about Cavan last week. You need about 10 underage teams in quick succession to have a tilt at an AI. 4 Ulster u21's was never going to be enough even to win an Ulster Senior title.

I wouldn't say that but you certainly need a few players who would be top 10 players in the country and ideally a forward or two who would make the 'Irish' team, if such a thing existed. All Ireland winners are usually decided by the team who has the better 5 rather than 15. Once you're a semi finalist type team your record in finals will come down to whether your best players are better than your opponents.

You'd be lucky to have 2 of the best players in the country on an AI Minor winning team in my view. It's usually 1.

At u21 level you could have none and win the AI.

Yes, but Donegal got Murphy out of one and McBrearty out of another. Dublin have Kilkenny out of one and Costello out of another or Brogan out of one and Connolly out of another. Tyrone had O'Neill out of one and Canavan out of another. Kerry have Gooch out of one and O'Donoghue out of another.

Limerick could match the Kerry team of Darragh, Galvin and the Gooch from 1-9 but hadn't the forwards to make it count. All Ireland winners are about the O'Neill's, McManus's, Murphy's, Cooper's, OSe's, Connolly's, Flynn's, Cluxton's etc. The exceptional players that make the difference. Mayo would have won an all Ireland in the last couple of years if they had two top class forwards. Dillion and Moran were good but not great, O'Connor maybe great but isn't yet. It isn't only about forwards but they really make a difference. You can win underage titles with good all-round teams with some very good players but that only transfers to senior if you've some really great players.

Some valid points but this line came cant support it.

Tyrone had O'Neill out of one and Canavan out of another.

to pick only O'Neill out of that batch of minor squads Tyrone had around the turn of the century omits many key players that also contributed to the senior AI success.

The character of the players and also their physical development from minor to senior contributes a great deal as to whether the success translates. Also Social life and personal life can throw up many road blocks (relationships/college) and the mentally strong tend to come through. More and more college graduate's seem to be the majority throughout county teams and the working class man that loved a pint are few and far between.

The county set up will no longer support the Colin Corkery's or Joe McNally's. The more committed you are to the cause the better chance you have at making it. Every county can name many super talented players happy to play club football. In a way the GAA county set up has evolved somewhat into a microcosm of  American Sports development.

[Zulu]

I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with as I only picked O'Neill for illustration. I did the same with the other pairings many of whom weren't the only great players on their minor teams. The point I'm making is underage success usually only translates to senior success if there are some 'best of their generation' type players coming through. To win a minor you have to have the best squad of 17-18 year olds, to win a senior you need some players who are amongst the best players across a 15 year timespan.

[StephenC]

Good win for Donegal against Armagh.

Armagh 0-07 Donegal 2-14

[Pub Bore]

Antrim 2-11 Fermanagh 2-9 today.  Antrim midfielder Cormac Murray (?) looks a hell of prospect.

[Throw ball]

Had the unfortunate pleasure of watching Donegal beat Armagh tonight. Armagh have some good players but the biggest compliment I can pay Donegal is that even when they introduced subs you couldn't see a difference. They play a very well organised system and are clinical up front.

I will probably get slated for this but I should also add that the referee gave as an inept a performance I have seen in the first half tonight. I have been watching matches in the Athletic Grounds for nearly 40 years and this was the first time I remember a referee getting booed off at half time. The score then was 8 - 3 to Donegal. From an Armagh point of view was that while the frustration of the players was obvious the manager went to have discussions with the referee instead of sorting the team and they looked incredibly disorganised in the second half.

The referee looked young and hopefully will learn from the experience.

This should not take from Donegal. If they continue to play like they did tonight it will take a hell of a team to beat them.

[Armamike]

Had the unfortunate pleasure of watching Donegal beat Armagh tonight. Armagh have some good players but the biggest compliment I can pay Donegal is that even when they introduced subs you couldn't see a difference. They play a very well organised system and are clinical up front.

I will probably get slated for this but I should also add that the referee gave as an inept a performance I have seen in the first half tonight. I have been watching matches in the Athletic Grounds for nearly 40 years and this was the first time I remember a referee getting booed off at half time. The score then was 8 - 3 to Donegal. From an Armagh point of view was that while the frustration of the players was obvious the manager went to have discussions with the referee instead of sorting the team and they looked incredibly disorganised in the second half.

The referee looked young and hopefully will learn from the experience.

This should not take from Donegal. If they continue to play like they did tonight it will take a hell of a team to beat them.

Can't remember as bad a reception for a referee either.  After the third or fourth blatently bad call against Armagh in that half I was starting to wonder what was going on with him. Donegal much too strong, fast and well organised.  They took our defenders on and beat them, whereas we had too many who took the safe option - a sideways or backwards handpass.  Disappointing that, as with the seniors, our kickouts aren't good enough. Straight down the middle all night, with the ball being inevitably fielded cleanly by one of Donegal's towering midfielders. It was terribly predictable and depressing to watch. Varied or short kickouts obviously haven't been coached or instructed, which seems an odd approach to things.  Donegal should be thereabouts this year again. Their no 24 is a great little player.

[DermyTDredi]

as an impartial at the game, i would have to say that the ref was very one-sided.
Armagh looked bereft of ideas in the second half, and donegal looked awesome...had 2 men left to bring on with 5 minutes to of and the team hadnt really broken sweat.

Jarlath og burns is a lethal midfielder but has some learning of the game to do...aidan o'rourke was sent of by the ref?

[Throw ball]

as an impartial at the game, i would have to say that the ref was very one-sided.
Armagh looked bereft of ideas in the second half, and donegal looked awesome...had 2 men left to bring on with 5 minutes to of and the team hadnt really broken sweat.

Jarlath og burns is a lethal midfielder but has some learning of the game to do...aidan o'rourke was sent of by the ref?

Think Burns was one of the few Armagh players who did themselves justice. A poor outing from players right through to management. The frustration with the referee for me was summed up when after another odd decision about 6 Armagh players reacted in unison like a young BGT contestant at the end of her act!

If O'Rourke did not get sent off he should have. No matter what he feels about the referee he cannot run across the pitch and shout something at him.

[Itchy]

Kerry are favourites followed by Dublin, Donegal and then Cavan.

[ck]

as an impartial at the game, i would have to say that the ref was very one-sided.
Armagh looked bereft of ideas in the second half, and donegal looked awesome...had 2 men left to bring on with 5 minutes to of and the team hadnt really broken sweat.

Jarlath og burns is a lethal midfielder but has some learning of the game to do...aidan o'rourke was sent of by the ref?

Think Burns was one of the few Armagh players who did themselves justice. A poor outing from players right through to management. The frustration with the referee for me was summed up when after another odd decision about 6 Armagh players reacted in unison like a young BGT contestant at the end of her act!

If O'Rourke did not get sent off he should have. No matter what he feels about the referee he cannot run across the pitch and shout something at him.

Is this the same aidan o'Rourke who managed Louth seniors? What an example to young minor players.

[Throw ball]

as an impartial at the game, i would have to say that the ref was very one-sided.
Armagh looked bereft of ideas in the second half, and donegal looked awesome...had 2 men left to bring on with 5 minutes to of and the team hadnt really broken sweat.

Jarlath og burns is a lethal midfielder but has some learning of the game to do...aidan o'rourke was sent of by the ref?

Think Burns was one of the few Armagh players who did themselves justice. A poor outing from players right through to management. The frustration with the referee for me was summed up when after another odd decision about 6 Armagh players reacted in unison like a young BGT contestant at the end of her act!

If O'Rourke did not get sent off he should have. No matter what he feels about the referee he cannot run across the pitch and shout something at him.

Is this the same aidan o'Rourke who managed Louth seniors? What an example to young minor players.

Yes

[Captain Obvious]

Kerry are favourites followed by Dublin, Donegal and then Cavan.

I think Donegal will go one better than last year by winning the All Ireland.

[tippabu]

Stephen quirke stretchered off last night in the minor hurling, going to be a massive loss to our footballers if the injury is as bad as feared