Donegal V Tyrone Ulster Final 17th July

[longballin]

Baffles me as well why Tyrone are such overwhelming favourites. Apparently league form but don't think any Div 2 team would live with Donegal either. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Donegal are done and Tyrone are brilliant... 

Most people seem to be picking Tyrone but only by the odd point too which I suppose is important. It's not like anyone is saying Tyrone are going to batter Donegal. Someone picking a winner by 1 or 2 points is really saying it could go either way.

I think a lot of people are thinking Tyrone are favourites because we looked very strong v Cavan the 2nd day out.
We have been putting up big scores all year I suppose and so people see us as having a much stronger attack than in previous years.
The problem in previous years though we have struggled against teams like Donegal who really clamp us down and so I think that's why Donegal will revert back to what they do best and that is restrict us in a war of attrition.
They know we have a lot of pace so I can't see them leaving big gaps even when they push forward to attack.

In the league....

Fermanagh restricted us to 1-9
Armagh restricted us to 0-13
Galway restricted us to 1-11
Cavan restricted us to 0-10

None of those scores will be enough to beat Donegal on Sunday imo and they'll have a meaner defense than any of those 4 sides.

Over the last few games in the Championship Donegal have scored...
2015 - 1-13
2013 - 2-10
2012 - 0-12
2011 - 2-6


Wastefulness cost us in pretty much all of those games. The last two being in Ballybofey put us at a big disadvantage to being in Clones is a help.


We've put up decent scores in a few games like Derry and Cavan replay but we've been held in other games too. OK two of those games were after the league final position was wrapped up already so they wouldn't have been giving everything like they could have done. Donegal will have a plan for our running game and I really hope we have a plan B and don't resort to taking pot shots from all over the field. I'd expect us to have at least 6/7 score-able free's from distance and it'll be whether we can finally get someone to put 5/6 of those over the bar will determine the winner. No way does Murphy have such a bad game from dead balls again for Donegal so us scoring ours is an absolute must. Personally I'd have Morgan take everything (not in Ballybofey so the grass will hopefully be cut) outside of 30 yards. Let him take a handy one or two as well to get the confidence up because he seems such a streaky kicker. Let Sean take everything inside that.

Bookies Donegal 15/8  like wtf!!!

[Esmarelda]

I'm from Donegal stock and don't like Tyrone, so would be fairly neutral 

imo, this will be a very cagey, defensive affair with sweepers a plenty with no opposition players pushed up on them.  There is so much to gain by winning on Sunday

It'll come down to who is most economical in front of goal. To this end, the most important man on Sunday will be the ref and how he calls the tackle. You often hear the shout from the stand of "don't foul! don't foul!", when in reality the shout should be "dont blow! dont blow!". A lot of refs believe that 4/5/6 grown men can all tackle the ball at the same time, and that's their prerogative as they have the whistle.
To that end, it'll (unfortunately) be decided on how fussy Coldrick is. If he's very fussy, Donegal will win as they have the better free takers, and if he isn't I can see Tyrone nick it, if their younger breed handle the occasion ok.



Either way, I'm looking forward to it and would have been heading only for underage training

Theoretically they can and are allowed do so. Most of the time they just surround the player forcing him to over-carry.

[Esmarelda]

Baffles me as well why Tyrone are such overwhelming favourites. Apparently league form but don't think any Div 2 team would live with Donegal either. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Donegal are done and Tyrone are brilliant... 

Most people seem to be picking Tyrone but only by the odd point too which I suppose is important. It's not like anyone is saying Tyrone are going to batter Donegal. Someone picking a winner by 1 or 2 points is really saying it could go either way.

I think a lot of people are thinking Tyrone are favourites because we looked very strong v Cavan the 2nd day out.
We have been putting up big scores all year I suppose and so people see us as having a much stronger attack than in previous years.
The problem in previous years though we have struggled against teams like Donegal who really clamp us down and so I think that's why Donegal will revert back to what they do best and that is restrict us in a war of attrition.
They know we have a lot of pace so I can't see them leaving big gaps even when they push forward to attack.

In the league....

Fermanagh restricted us to 1-9
Armagh restricted us to 0-13
Galway restricted us to 1-11
Cavan restricted us to 0-10

None of those scores will be enough to beat Donegal on Sunday imo and they'll have a meaner defense than any of those 4 sides.

Over the last few games in the Championship Donegal have scored...
2015 - 1-13
2013 - 2-10
2012 - 0-12
2011 - 2-6


Wastefulness cost us in pretty much all of those games. The last two being in Ballybofey put us at a big disadvantage to being in Clones is a help.


We've put up decent scores in a few games like Derry and Cavan replay but we've been held in other games too. OK two of those games were after the league final position was wrapped up already so they wouldn't have been giving everything like they could have done. Donegal will have a plan for our running game and I really hope we have a plan B and don't resort to taking pot shots from all over the field. I'd expect us to have at least 6/7 score-able free's from distance and it'll be whether we can finally get someone to put 5/6 of those over the bar will determine the winner. No way does Murphy have such a bad game from dead balls again for Donegal so us scoring ours is an absolute must. Personally I'd have Morgan take everything (not in Ballybofey so the grass will hopefully be cut) outside of 30 yards. Let him take a handy one or two as well to get the confidence up because he seems such a streaky kicker. Let Sean take everything inside that.

Bookies Donegal 15/8  like wtf!!!

Just gone in to 7/4. Missed out.

[J70]

Would be good to hear the thoughts of some of the Donegal posters and neutrals on how they think the game will go.
J70 tends to be cautious and plays down your chances but where do you think ye can win this game and what is your concerns?

I think both teams will be worried if either team get too far ahead as they are good at closing up shop and not letting the other team back into it. Tyrone showed v Cavan the last day that if you push forward and leave big holes that they have the players now to create and score goals. You somehow can't see any Tyrone player running 50 yards this Sunday to score an easy goal.

Both teams so far have shown much more of an attacking attitude but I think that could be curbed a lot on Sunday with so much at stake.

Sorry to disappoint, but I'm going to be cautious as hell here again, partly because I still have some doubts about Donegal in midfield/kickouts and how we are going to handle Tyrone's fast breaks. We have not been quite as tight as we were under McGuinness, and are in fact giving up a couple of goal chances in each game. Sure Tyrone yourselves were the first to show this up last year when McCurry fired home in acres of space. We also seemed to tire a bit towards the end of the Monaghan games, getting penned back a little in both games defending the lead, albeit both times being down to 14 men (in fact we've finished all three games with 14 men - is that a record?!). And then there is the worry that, if we don't get a goal or two, that we find it difficult to push past 11 or 12 points, last day being an exception. And the final worry is that the likes of Lacey and Kavanagh and Eamon McGee going up against these speedy young Tyrone lads, either being bypassed or giving away scorable frees.

On the plus side, we improved in midfield/kickouts, dramatically, in the second Monaghan game, while these angled runs everyone is going on about appear to be allowing us to create a few chances and get in on goal now and again. We have plenty of speed and ball carrying ability to break through lines, with the McHughs, O'Reilly, McBrearty etc. We have plenty of players who can knock over points and (usually) reliable free takers.

Overall, I've no idea how this will go. Its 50/50. Doesn't mean that a mistake or two won't tilt it one or another into a six or seven point win, but as Tyrone are, for now, still a rather unknown quantity in terms of their actual quality against Division 1 level teams, I don't see how one can call it either way. And everyone, even if they are leaning Tyrone in the predictions, seems to be acknowledging this, going for them by a couple of points.

Hopefully, whichever way it goes, we're talking about some good scores or pieces of skill winning it, and not someone diving or feigning injury or giving verbal abuse or grabbing someone's nuts or throwing sly dig or the referee making a massive, game-deciding/changing f**k-up!

Some hope, probably!

[omaghjoe]

Yawn J70 tell us what you really think, no harm but what is the point being coy and analytical about it? Are you a supporter or an analyst?

[J70]

I really think I've no idea how it will go.

Sorry I've nothing more enlightening to contribute!

But I will love if we beat you though... Love it!

[macdanger2]

Donegal to win after a replay. Hoping for a good game and a decent ref

[Champion The Wonder Horse]

Looking forward to this, a real championship game in the making with plenty of skulduggery in the offing.

Tyrone will win though, they beat Monaghan handy last year, with a lesser team.  Donegal struggled over two matches against a Monaghan team that has regressed. It could be tight if Tyrone don't get an early lead on Donegal, or Tyrone could win by as much as they did against Derry and Cavan. Combined.

I'm looking forward to the inevitable badness. Ref will have his hands full; I'd love to be reffing it.

[redzone]

Sold out. Should be a cracker

[From the Bunker]

Tyrone getting built up my the (Kerry) media this year. Yet to prove they are where they are supposed to be. How much weight can be put on a Division Two title and beating Derry and Cavan in the Championship so far? Not so long ago the (Kerry) media were building Mayo up. That has been shelved for the moment and Tyrone are their new project to build up for the fall.

On results, form and experience I expect Donegal to win. They are no Gom-daws. And they have blooded a few young warriors to go with their more senior lads.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Tyrone getting built up my the (Kerry) media this year. Yet to prove they are where they are supposed to be. How much weight can be put on a Division Two title and beating Derry and Cavan in the Championship so far? Not so long ago the (Kerry) media were building Mayo up. That has been shelved for the moment and Tyrone are their new project to build up for the fall.

On results, form and experience I expect Donegal to win. They are no Gom-daws. And they have blooded a few young warriors to go with their more senior lads.

Tyrone are far better at handling expectation though.

[Il Bomber Destro]

What's the weather like?

I think the wetter and more miserable it is, the more it suits Donegal, they have a more physical side in and wet and soft conditions ultimately suit the bigger, stronger, less mobile players than the lighter, quicker ones. Referees tend to let things go a bit more on account of the conditions and contact suits the bigger players.

I find it daft when pundits like Colm O'Rourke always suggest that wet conditions suit the smaller, nippier players.

[From the Bunker]

Tyrone getting built up my the (Kerry) media this year. Yet to prove they are where they are supposed to be. How much weight can be put on a Division Two title and beating Derry and Cavan in the Championship so far? Not so long ago the (Kerry) media were building Mayo up. That has been shelved for the moment and Tyrone are their new project to build up for the fall.

On results, form and experience I expect Donegal to win. They are no Gom-daws. And they have blooded a few young warriors to go with their more senior lads.

Tyrone are far better at handling expectation though.

From where do you ascertain this? Based on?

[skeog]

no rain sunday good for the small nippy players

[Il Bomber Destro]

Tyrone getting built up my the (Kerry) media this year. Yet to prove they are where they are supposed to be. How much weight can be put on a Division Two title and beating Derry and Cavan in the Championship so far? Not so long ago the (Kerry) media were building Mayo up. That has been shelved for the moment and Tyrone are their new project to build up for the fall.

On results, form and experience I expect Donegal to win. They are no Gom-daws. And they have blooded a few young warriors to go with their more senior lads.

Tyrone are far better at handling expectation though.

From where do you ascertain this? Based on?

3 from 3 in our last three All Ireland Finals.