Dublin v Donegal 4pm throw-in

[Hound]

I thought Kerry were very impressive today. Their subs bench has improved considerably on last year in particular. Should be a very good final

Happy enough with the Dubs. McBrearty is some man for playing well against us, albeit didn't get enough ball to do real damage

I'd like to see Macauley in midfield for us alongside Fenton

Was there anything in the McFadden -Cooper incident at the end?

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

Not much in it, a little bit of a dirty arm across the face from McFadden. It did not seem like enough to concuss/hurt cooper so I'm not sure if he hurt himself hitting the ground.

[Jinxy]

Kerry looked unusually zippy for this time of year.
Darren O'Sullivan in particular was flying around the place.
They're the only team that have the tools to take on Dublin at their own game.
It's figuring out how to use those tools most effectively that's the problem.
Maybe they just need to go out and do their own thing at this stage.

[Syferus]

Kerry looked unusually zippy for this time of year.
Darren O'Sullivan in particular was flying around the place.
They're the only team that have the tools to take on Dublin at their own game.
It's figuring out how to use those tools most effectively that's the problem.
Maybe they just need to go out and do their own thing at this stage.

You think Marc O'Se and Aidan O'Mahony are the tools to shut down Brogan,  Connolly,  Kilkenny and Mannion, Jinxy?

Kerry do not have enough up front or at the back to go toe to toe with Dublin. Fitz is one of the most conservative managers in the game, mainly because he knows Kerry are frail at the back. They'll sit back and try to soak up pressure and hit them on the counter. It won't come close to working, either.

[ck]

Couldn't believe how out of shape some of the more experienced Donegal players looked, McFadden could have balanced a dinner plate on his belly. I really feel for people who follow Donegal to travel that distance to watch a half fit team.

All I can say is that this strategy of late preparation had better pay off or Gallagher is toast.

Too early to judge Rory yet. Championship is when it matters. All that can be said at this point is that he and the team have a lot to prove to even be considered leading contenders for Ulster.

Felt for McBrearty there today. He did quite well whenever ball came in, but there was just so little of it so late.

What would the word be on Gallagher in Donegal? He brought them to Portugal on a training camp a few weeks ago I believe yet they looked very unfit today

[The Aristocrat]

Usual clowns posting.

You are looking at the greatest football team to play the game, and that core of players minus Brogan, McCaffery and O Carroll, will be around for another few years.

Just sit back and enjoy the total football and the evolution of football and stop giving out.

[JoG2]

Just sit back and enjoy the total football and the evolution of Dublin football and stop giving out.

Superb team, but its a bit of a push to ask everyone to enjoy the domination of one incredibly wealthy team which doesn't look like abating ! Will it even be enjoyable for the Dubs down the line?

[Rossfan]

How can anyone "enjoy" looking at some other team batin the daylights out of everyone?
Back at the last time 2 Counties dominated attendances were very small at games other than Dublin v Kerry.
E.g 17,000 and 19,000 at AI SFs in 2002 and 2005.

[Jinxy]

Kerry looked unusually zippy for this time of year.
Darren O'Sullivan in particular was flying around the place.
They're the only team that have the tools to take on Dublin at their own game.
It's figuring out how to use those tools most effectively that's the problem.
Maybe they just need to go out and do their own thing at this stage.

You think Marc O'Se and Aidan O'Mahony are the tools to shut down Brogan,  Connolly,  Kilkenny and Mannion, Jinxy?

Kerry do not have enough up front or at the back to go toe to toe with Dublin. Fitz is one of the most conservative managers in the game, mainly because he knows Kerry are frail at the back. They'll sit back and try to soak up pressure and hit them on the counter. It won't come close to working, either.

They still have Geaney and James O'Donoghue to come back.
A FF line of those two and the Gooch is the stuff of nightmares.
Again though, it's up to Fitzmaurice to come up with a way of using his assets most effectively.
I'd keep Gooch as close to goal as possible and make sure he doesn't track back any further than the 45m line.
He hasn't the legs for it and it's a waste of his energy.
How they do that without exposing themselves to the likes of Philly & Co. going on a rampage is for Fitzmaurice to figure out.

[Rossfan]

Syfín spent the Spring and Summer of 2014 telling everyone Kerry were crap and wouldn't win Sam for years

[Syferus]

Syfín spent the Spring and Summer of 2014 telling everyone Kerry were crap and wouldn't win Sam for years

You seem to forget I was entirely right about Kerry. And if Kerry met Dublin in 2014 the result was going to be the exact same as last year. People are trying to pump Kerry up as part of a big two. They aren't. It's Dublin and then the rest of us. And it's been that way for nearly five years now.

[AZOffaly]

It's more like Dublin, then Kerry, Mayo and maybe Tyrone, then a couple like Donegal, Monaghan etc. Then the rest of 'us'. It's not a 2 tier system, it's about a 5 tier system.

[westbound]

Syfín spent the Spring and Summer of 2014 telling everyone Kerry were crap and wouldn't win Sam for years

You seem to forget I was entirely right about Kerry. And if Kerry met Dublin in 2014 the result was going to be the exact same as last year. People are trying to pump Kerry up as part of a big two. They aren't. It's Dublin and then the rest of us. And it's been that way for nearly five years now.

Syferus, sometimes you don't do yourself any favours!

It's ok to admit you are wrong every now and again!

I know you don't think much of this kerry team (and didn't in 2014). You are perfectly entitled to your opinion.
BUT, you spent most of 2014 saying they wouldn't win the all ireland, and now you are saying you were ENTIRELY right?

As I said, it's ok to admit you got it wrong, no-one will think any less of you!

[Rossfan]

Syfín is some craic alright

[Syferus]

Syfín spent the Spring and Summer of 2014 telling everyone Kerry were crap and wouldn't win Sam for years

You seem to forget I was entirely right about Kerry. And if Kerry met Dublin in 2014 the result was going to be the exact same as last year. People are trying to pump Kerry up as part of a big two. They aren't. It's Dublin and then the rest of us. And it's been that way for nearly five years now.

Syferus, sometimes you don't do yourself any favours!

It's ok to admit you are wrong every now and again!

I know you don't think much of this kerry team (and didn't in 2014). You are perfectly entitled to your opinion.
BUT, you spent most of 2014 saying they wouldn't win the all ireland, and now you are saying you were ENTIRELY right?

As I said, it's ok to admit you got it wrong, no-one will think any less of you!

I wasn't wrong, the point was Kerry were poor by AI standards and it was unlikely they'd win the AI as a result. Indeed it took four improbable results for to happen - Donegal taking the best team out, them scraping a lucky draw five down in the AISF, jobbing Mayo in Limerick and then getting kicked a free goal by Donegal.

Mayo had them beaten twice. The replay especially it took AOS and COC running head first into each other and Cormac Reilly for Kerry to squeak a win after extra time down in the comfy confines of Limerick. Donegal but for a ludicrous kick out had them beaten too. Kerry winning in 2014 is akin to Cork beating Down in 2010, an AI against a run of play (with a final probably not even featuring the two best teams on the year) that has very little meaning in terms of subsequent years. Some people want to look at scorelines but the performance and manner of a team is far more telling for where a county is at. If Kerry had been impressive in 2014 I'd be the first to say they were, but I was at the replay and AIF that year and the lingering image was of a limited team that won one of the worst AI finals in memory.

Kerry look frail at the back and with too many aged legs or injury doubts all over the field. JOD is a great addition to any team but it's clear is body his as close to being frigged as it gets at this stage. He's going towards Michael Meehan territory. Any team with a brain is going to be extra rough with him in the tackle when he gets back and it's probably only a matter of time before he's sidelined again.

Mayo are more likely give a game to Dublin than Kerry so the Kerry hype is a bit mystifying. And I say Mayo might but they don't have the craft up front to get over the line either, but at least they have a combination of players who have shown they can compete with Dublin whereas the last time this Kerry team beat Dublin the championship was four encounters and many years ago.