Fermanagh v Dublin AIQ/Final

[TheOptimist]

The Kildare performance was way worse than Fermanagh's. Absolutely. I'm not talking about the lap of honour. To be honest I didn't realise they had done that. I'm talking about the smiling and laughing among the players immediately after the game. Anyway, I've done this to death.

And by the way, I'm glad the Fermanagh fans applauded the players efforts on the pitch. It makes a refreshing change from the 'hang them from the highest tree' reactions that we see too often.

From a player's perspective, or a coaches, perspective I found the reaction odd and strange. That's all.

What was seen on Sunday was men enjoying playing football. That is what it is all about!

[Esmarelda]

The Kildare performance was way worse than Fermanagh's. Absolutely. I'm not talking about the lap of honour. To be honest I didn't realise they had done that. I'm talking about the smiling and laughing among the players immediately after the game. Anyway, I've done this to death.

And by the way, I'm glad the Fermanagh fans applauded the players efforts on the pitch. It makes a refreshing change from the 'hang them from the highest tree' reactions that we see too often.

From a player's perspective, or a coaches, perspective I found the reaction odd and strange. That's all.

Well you are called The Optimist.

AZ's point is that they seemed to enjoy losing at football.

What was seen on Sunday was men enjoying playing football. That is what it is all about!

[haranguerer]

Next year, expectations will be higher - it will take more to earn applause. Its all relative, and thats the same for every team in the land.

This. Although should Fermanagh folk express disappointment at (say) an Ulster final defeat to Donegal, ye'll get lectured for having ideas above your station.

Were we beaten by Donegal this year, or any Ulster team, there would have been disappointment. We're not worried or awed by Ulster teams, because we're used to playing them, and have beaten them in the past. Dublin were a different story - never played them before, and they're the best team in the land (although odds have lengthened slightly after Sunday). They also relish putting up big scores, and have battered teams who would be seen as significantly further progressed than Fermanagh. However, now that we've played them, we'll be a lot better for next time, and any defeat will be a disappointment. 

This is also the crux of why it would be madness to split the AI series. The gap would inevitably widen.

[AZOffaly]

The Kildare performance was way worse than Fermanagh's. Absolutely. I'm not talking about the lap of honour. To be honest I didn't realise they had done that. I'm talking about the smiling and laughing among the players immediately after the game. Anyway, I've done this to death.

And by the way, I'm glad the Fermanagh fans applauded the players efforts on the pitch. It makes a refreshing change from the 'hang them from the highest tree' reactions that we see too often.

From a player's perspective, or a coaches, perspective I found the reaction odd and strange. That's all.

Well you are called The Optimist.

AZ's point is that they seemed to enjoy losing at football.

What was seen on Sunday was men enjoying playing football. That is what it is all about!

Not quite. I'm sure they didn't enjoy losing as such. But they seemed happy to only lose by 8 points.

[Teo Lurley]

Jaysus you talk some awful shite. If that's the height of Laois intelligence it's no wonder you're as bad as you are

Money buys success, look at any sport in the world. Give any county in Ireland including Laois the amount of money the Dubs have and watch them fly up the ladder.
You just don't like these facts being pointed out because it means you have to face the reality that the Dubs are doping financially. It's hard to get satisfaction out of victories when you know it's been bought for you.

[deiseach]

For the multi tier guys, here is the opinion of the ex-Kerry manager about the Christy Ring Cup. I'd fear exactly the same happening in the football.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/the-christy-ring-final-is-played-in-front-of-noone-with-only-the-echo-of-your-own-voice-coming-back-at-you-31421404.html

Interesting read. My cousins come from one of clubs he mentions (Ardfert) and one of my cousins told me that hurling is the game that matters there. Which is something I find disconcerting, given Ardfert are the All-Ireland Intermediate football champions...

[deiseach]

Whatever became of Dont [sic] Matter anyway?

[Aristo 60]

Hard to see Cluxton getting another All Star after Sunday's performance. Discuss.

[laoislad]

Monaghan has a bigger population than Fermanagh,

They have double the "GAA minded" population of Fermanagh.
Fermanagh have to be quite pleased with their 2015 achievements overall, (yet have no shiny cup or cupeen to show for it all) and were enjoying a rare big Championship day out in Croker so good luck to them.
However will they ever ( or Leitrim, Longford or Carlow ) ever have a big day out with a chance of winning there?

You're a Roscommon man correct? You tell them !

Roscommon a County with 10 All Ireland Titles across the grades, one of very few (Galway/Meath/?? ) Counties to have beaten Kerry in All Ireland Finals in all four grades of football, reached 2 U21 Finals in this decade, Won a Club AI this decade, are now ( maybe briefly) a Div 1 team, Won a Minor AI in the last ten years, Have countless Provincial Titles ( 12 in the 21st Century).
Yeah sure how could we think we might do better than Fermanagh, Leitrim, Carlow or Longford. Mind you the latter aren't doing badly at underage in recent years either.

Greatest county of all time™

[Hound]

Hard to see Cluxton getting another All Star after Sunday's performance. Discuss.

Well the mistake he made wasn't nearly as important as the mistake Durcan made in last year's AI final, and that didn't cost him his All Star.

But its from here on in that the keeper All Star will be decided, as will every other All Star. I don't see anyone outside of the top 6 teams picking one up.

[haranguerer]

I'd agree with this and what haranguerer said but the talk of the "good season" is all well and good having played well against Dublin. If they'd done a Kildare and lost heavily then I think the rest of the season would have been quickly forgotten.

But the expectation level is up in Fermanagh as are their hopes with talk of Ulster. The Dublin game should bring them on and I agree with Quigley in preferring a run like they've had rather than winning a B competition.

Thats it - if Dublin had battered them, we'd have all slipped away with our tails between our legs. Even if we'd lost by 8, but without that last ten min, things would have been quite subdued. You had to be there, we were looking at the scoreboard as they got another point or two, 20 min left, sh*t, point or two back, not so bad, 15 min left...10 min left, there was about 12 or 14 in it, you're hoping they can hang on to as small a margin as possible, then we get a crazy goal, theres only 8 minutes left, they aren;t going to be embarrassed at this stage, you're all laughing at the goal more than celebrating it, then quigley and the hill get involved - as I said, it was pantomime; then with a goal and another few points, everyone was just in great form as it was finishing, relief as much as anything (and thats not defeatist, thats just reality) - and that was reflected at the end, the culmination of a good season.

They didn't do a lap of honour, thats bo**ocks, they hung about before going in just. With the crowd reaction, how could the players not stay out for a while? This is a small county - they know everyone in the stands thats shouting down at them. How could they not be breaking into smiles looking up at their mates acting the eejit in general??

[Rossfan]

For the multi tier guys, here is the opinion of the ex-Kerry manager about the Christy Ring Cup. I'd fear exactly the same happening in the football.

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/the-christy-ring-final-is-played-in-front-of-noone-with-only-the-echo-of-your-own-voice-coming-back-at-you-31421404.html

Unlike the thousands who used to attend Kerry hurling games before the CR/NR/LM Cups came along?
Our hurlers were shocking happy with themselves winning the Nicky this year anyway.

[screenexile]

Last year Fermanagh got beat by Antrim and Laois and did well in the league. Had you offered them the run they had in the qualifiers at the start of the year they would have bitten your hand off.

All this talk about celebrating defeat. I don't think that's what it was. The match at the weekend was bonus territory and the fans were recognising the effort the players had put in all year and the fact that they had surpassed their aims for the season.

Not every team can win the championship. . . can  progress not be celebrated? Is every team who doesn't get their hands on Sam Maguire ultimately a failure?

What's the point if that's the case? Fermanagh had a good year and got to showcase their talents in front of 58 odd thousand in Croke Park. The total population of Fermanagh is 61,000 and half of that Protestant who wouldn't look at football.

They did well this year and I for the life of me can't understand why people are having a go!!

[Erne Man]

Jeez lads – an awful lot of guff being posted on here. Supporter reactions do not equal player reactions.
The Fermanagh players standing in front of me in the Hogan Stand were a sombre looking bunch, as you'd expect after a comprehensive 8pt defeat. To me they seemed embarrassed and awkward with what was happening around them, and Eoin Donnelly, who has been a fantastic captain this year, made a number of attempts to get the players towards the tunnel. There seemed to be a few light hearted comments between Dublin & Fermanagh players immediately after the game – I'd imagine Sean's goal being the main topic.
The supporters, myself included, got a bit over-excited, but that was driven by the last 15minutes – the Sean/Cluxton incident, the booing from the Hill & some good scores from Sean and Conall Jones towards the end of the match. Appreciation for a better season than any of us expected. Applauding the supporters in the circumstances was the right thing to do – and I think was more a consequence of the majority of Fermanagh supporters being in the Hogan Stand around the tunnel area. Perhaps if we had the budget for a PR company the players may have been instructed differently. There was no "lap of honour", as some seem to be suggesting.
Surprised at McGuinness comments on player/family interaction which probably happens at least a good hour after the game has ended. If family are slapping you on the back and telling you they are proud of what you achieved this year – how is a player supposed to react?

[AZOffaly]

With all due respect screen, you're putting words in my mouth. I never said they hadn't performed fairly well on the day, I also didn't say they hadn't had a good year, or that they had no right to be happy with their year. I never said every team has to win Sam or be a failure.

But normally, in my opinion, these sort of reflections tend to come in the days and weeks after you finish for the year. This reaction was immediately after losing by 8 points. I do not believe it was a reaction to the year they had. I believe it was happiness to not have been obliterated, and that's why I found it disconcerting.

As I said, I might be wrong, and I am not 'having a go'.