Donegal v Tyrone Sun 17 May

[Mikhailov]

Maybe being optimistic despite our league relagation.  Tyrone put it upto Cork, Kerry and Dublin in the League and hammered Mayo.  We have a competitive side and if we can get a result on Sunday we will push on and win Ulster.  I think the winners of Sunday will win Ulster.  The bookies have already written us off at 9/1 to win ulster.

I dont believe the team named by Micky last night will start.  I would love to see Cathal McShane threw in and I can see Joe McMahon starting in the side.

A bit of me is thinking the same.  Bar the Monaghan and Donegal games, Tyrone were pretty good in the league and very tight at the back in general.  In saying that, Harte hasn't changed and will fall into the same trap as he has before with Donegal.  Looking at that Tyrone team doesn't exactly fill you with confidence, 2 defenders named in the HF line and a small/light full forward line.  Mickey just doesn't seem to be able to bring the best out in our young talent, no coincidence that the stars of the 04/08/10 minor teams have never got going for the senior team.  We are just after winning an All Ireland u-21 title yet there isn't one of that team in this 15, says it all really.  I am looking forward to next year already and a fresh start for the county.  I am not a betting man but I would near put my house on Tyrone not scoring a goal this weekend, been the same for a few years now with it seemingly being that the players are under instruction to never try and beat their man but instead recycle, recycle and recycle.

Not many will score goals v Donegal in the championship so doesn't overly concern me if we don't. I'm not sure how you could describe either McAliskey or Cavanagh as small or light in the full forward line. In fairness McCurry is small though has bulked up.

In terms of the half forwards we have named 2 half backs but Peter Harte is named at half back and equally likely to be in the half forward line. I would like to have seen more u21s involved but given they were fully committed to it until 2 weeks ago not to suprised they're not on. Suspect more involvement as year goes on.

In regards to the above - I think we are lightweight also in FFL. Compare both of these players to other inside forward players and they are lightweight - Paul Geaney 6.0+, Brogan 6.0+, McFadden and McBrearty both 6.0+, Keiran Hughes 6.0+, Colm O Neill 6.0,

I like both McAliskey and McCurry and both of them should always start as they are good scorers but we don't play proper low bouncing ball into them to give them best chance to do damage. Yes, there is sometimes a blanket in front to make it difficult but we make it harder with our slow ponderous build up. Get the ball moving sharper and faster and our 'smaller' guys could do damage.

Hope we do it on Sunday - it would be a great result on back of U21's..

[Man Marker]

Neither Brogan or Mc Brearty are over six foot.
On a more serious issue, how has Harte not started Mc Shane, the guy is pure quality who can take men and score with a rolls Royce engine. If he isn't one of the best 15 players in tyrone I'm a monkeys uncle, same case as Lavery, fecked about all year until he got scondered being messed about. We won't win, because if you don't play your best players you have no mission.

[Fuzzman]

There's a lot of Tyrone positivity on here which is a nice change. I'm sure the Donegal ones are amazed.
When leaving my kids in to school this morning a Donegal lad I know cycled past me. I beeped and pointed to my Tyrone mirror jersey. He laughed and shouted back it won't be still there on Monday.
Just a matter of showing up is the general consensus.

[Redhand Santa]

Neither Brogan or Mc Brearty are over six foot.
On a more serious issue, how has Harte not started Mc Shane, the guy is pure quality who can take men and score with a rolls Royce engine. If he isn't one of the best 15 players in tyrone I'm a monkeys uncle, same case as Lavery, fecked about all year until he got scondered being messed about. We won't win, because if you don't play your best players you have no mission.

If I was picking the Tyrone team I'd have McShane in it. Given he was injured in the u21 final maybe this game has come to soon for him to start. Or maybe he is starting and there'll be a late change. Unless you have an insight into whats happening in the squad its hard to know.

What exactly do you mean Lavery was messed about all year? I assume this is PJ Lavery your talking about? As far as I'm aware he was on holidays for much of the McKenna cup and welcomed back afterwards (a lot of counties wouldn't have accepted that from a non established player). He made appearances in most games - obviously Harte saw him as a good impact sub. He did ok coming on. If I was picking the Tyrone team I wouldn't have started him either and I'm sure many others wouldn't have. He was definitely worth his place in the squad and was a good sub to bring on but often people build up players not involved as something they're not. In my opnion he certainly hadn't proven himself as a certain starter and wasn't prepared to stay and fight for his place which was his decision to make but not sure how the blame would lie with the management.

I see the game is now a sell out. Should be a decent atmosphere on Sunday. Really hope a lot of our players produce a big championship game. We need the likes of Harte, Donnelly, McNamme, McNabb and McCarron to really stand up and take the game on come Sunday. To often in recent years we haven't delivered in the big championship games, hopefully this is about to change come Sunday.

[J70]

There's a lot of Tyrone positivity on here which is a nice change. I'm sure the Donegal ones are amazed.
When leaving my kids in to school this morning a Donegal lad I know cycled past me. I beeped and pointed to my Tyrone mirror jersey. He laughed and shouted back it won't be still there on Monday.
Just a matter of showing up is the general consensus.

General consensus of who?

[J70]

Donegal team:

Durcan
McGrath
McGee
McGee
McHugh
Lacey
McGlynn
Gallagher
McElhinney
O'Reilly
MacNiallais
Toye
McBrearty
Murphy
H. McFadden

[omagh_gael]

No matter what way I look at it I can't see us winning. It will be interesting to see if there is a different approach taken this year. Will we try two big men up front for a while and get fast high ball into them? Sean and McShane with McCurry/Bradley around them for scraps or will we see the same laboured running game that Donegal will eat up and spit out?

Very hard to get goals against Donegal and if we're to have a chance we'll either need to hit them hard early and draw them out or hold on tight and nick a goal near the end. Still think they'll hold us at arms length and pull away to win by 3/4.

Anyway, best of luck to the lads and hoping they prove my negativity wrong!

[JoG2]

Donegal team:

Durcan
McGrath
McGee
McGee
McHugh
Lacey
McGlynn
Gallagher
McElhinney
O'Reilly
MacNiallais
Toye
McBrearty
Murphy
H. McFadden

Oreilly, the Kilcar man? Big game for him. Is it Mark McHugh in the back unit?

Question for the Tyrone men. When the golden generation  won the u21s at the start of the 00s, how many had senior championship football under their belts ?

[StephenC]

Donegal team:

Durcan
McGrath
McGee
McGee
McHugh
Lacey
McGlynn
Gallagher
McElhinney
O'Reilly
MacNiallais
Toye
McBrearty
Murphy
H. McFadden

Oreilly, the Kilcar man? Big game for him. Is it Mark McHugh in the back unit?

Question for the Tyrone men. When the golden generation  won the u21s at the start of the 00s, how many had senior championship football under their belts ?

O'Reilly plays for MacCumhaills of Ballybofey.
McHugh in the HB line is Ryan, not Mark. Mark is on the bench.
And while I'm at it, the corner forward is young McFadden of Killybegs, rather than Colm Anthony.

[twohands!!!]

Michael Boyle
Eamonn Doherty
Anthony Thompson
Colm McFadden
Mark McHugh
David Walsh
Daniel McLaughlin
Ciaran McGinley
Gary McFadden
Eoin McHugh
Stephen Griffen

You look at that subs bench and it's very hard not to see Donegal having issues down the line.

McFadden is a long way off his 2012 form, Thompson is working in another country and McHugh hasn't really regained the form he had before he took his break.

They will have to be extremely fortunate with injuries to be in the mix in September.

[J70]

Donegal team:

Durcan
McGrath
McGee
McGee
McHugh
Lacey
McGlynn
Gallagher
McElhinney
O'Reilly
MacNiallais
Toye
McBrearty
Murphy
H. McFadden

Oreilly, the Kilcar man? Big game for him. Is it Mark McHugh in the back unit?

Question for the Tyrone men. When the golden generation  won the u21s at the start of the 00s, how many had senior championship football under their belts ?

O'Reilly is from Sean MacCumhaills.

Mark McHugh sub, Ryan starting.

[JoG2]

It was mcginley I was thinking of, my mistake. brought in by gallagher from his time managing Kilcar. Seemed to find playing senior rough going when I've seen him.

2 hands...that Donegal bench is much stronger than when they won the AI imo

[J70]

Michael Boyle
Eamonn Doherty
Anthony Thompson
Colm McFadden
Mark McHugh
David Walsh
Daniel McLaughlin
Ciaran McGinley
Gary McFadden
Eoin McHugh
Stephen Griffen

You look at that subs bench and it's very hard not to see Donegal having issues down the line.

McFadden is a long way off his 2012 form, Thompson is working in another country and McHugh hasn't really regained the form he had before he took his break.

They will have to be extremely fortunate with injuries to be in the mix in September.

Made it last year when McFadden was awful and McHugh absent. Of course,  we have lost Kavanagh and McLoone since then. The likes of Hugh McFadden, O'Reilly and Eamon Doherty will have to make the step up for us after decent leagues, but most other counties are in the same boat when it comes to injuries. We've never pretended to have Dublin/Kerry depth. And sure I thought they were all just mindless drones in Jimmy ' s football destroying machine anyway! :p

[Redhand Santa]

Decent looking Donegal team - pretty strong all over the pitch. Tyrone need to keep Murphy and McBrearty under control and take our chances including frees which we haven't done in previous meetings.

What is the capacity on Sunday? I assume Donegal will heavily outnumber Tyrone - maybe around 3 to 1. Hadn't heard any talk of the split in tickets. Some went on general sale late (have now sold out) which I assume were sent back by Tyrone.

[ONeill]

Donegal over the hill.

Nice wet day.