USFC Round 1: Derry vs. Antrim

[The Real SlimShady]

MITM, I saw the article and I`m gobsmacked.

We all know the man in question, and I am not in a position to judge him. It looks bad though, and my first reaction is I hope to God he can get all this sorted out. Everyone is innocent until they are proved guilty, and we should all be very careful here.

Personally I like the guy, outside of football, and I hope he gets through this. Not a nice place to be, I wouldnt think.

[johnjoe]

NA, like yourself, Antrim thru and thru, for better or worse, and till I die.......

But with a genuine respect for Derry football, having been in and around it for a few years now. And Mark Lynch IS the business, trust me. So to is Justin Crozier, if that makes anyone feel better.

Will shout myself hoarse for the Saffrons, but when Antrim exit the c`ship, if Derry are still there, I`d go and give them a shout. Maybe it was because my early Croke Park memories are full of Mc Elhinney with the headband in the mid seventies, and all that, but Ive always had an interest in derry football,, esp being from a neighbouring parish.

Antrim WILL make it to the top, but I dont see it happening without Kelly, K Mc Gourty, Dougan, G O Boyle,Micko, Magill, and Convery, etc and this year there are to many rookies learning their trade. Antrim have a 3-5 year plan, and no one is more confident than me re our ability to do this, etc, but we will need all our best players available, fit, and hungry.

[Black and white]

JohnJoe what is the situation with sean kelly ( a fantastic footballer) and kevin Mc Gourty. I presume kelly is injured and kevin is in a huff he didnt get his way over something.

[saffronman]

Magill and Dougan are too fond of the social life and have not got the hunger so rule them out!

[the colonel]

kelly was been doing a pgce in england and is only getting finished now,

i would imagine he will need to stay there for 2 yrs after he qualifies as its something to do with teaching requirements in england as same has happened alot of my friends and mcgourty was concentrating on sigerson and slagged off gormleys initial panel so wasnt asked back

[johnjoe]

Wish Jody and the boys good luck on sunday, but I see it as the way jody has set out his stall, discipline, committment etc, then a few of the guys missing this year will get another crack next year, and they will know what is required if they want a jersey.

They were given out too freely in the past, and too many took liberties. Jody has brought an all or nothing culture, and while it may hurt in the short term, it will benefit Antrim greatly in the medium term.

No great expectation this year, but hopefully a few good performances will act as a catalyst for next year. Get the respect back in the jersey, and the hunger, and there should be better days ahead for the long suffering Saffronian.

[Black and white]

in my experience of kevin it wouldnt matter what jersey it was or who he was playing for, he has no respect for anyone or thing except himself.  which is  a pity he is a talented footballer and can be an ok person.

[screenmachine]

in my experience of kevin it wouldnt matter what jersey it was or who he was playing for, he has no respect for anyone or thing except himself.  which is  a pity he is a talented footballer and can be an ok person....

when he's sleeping!!!

[ExiledGael]

Derry: B Gillis, M McGoldrick, K McCloy (capt), G O'Kane, P Cartin, SM Lockhart, C McKeever, F Doherty, J Conway, B McGoldrick, C Gilligan, J Diver, R Wilkinson, E Muldoon, M Lynch

No Bradley, no great surprise

[Hungry Exile]

At a guess from memory...the subs
Don kelly, Danny Quinn, Eamon Burns, Steven Mulvenna(the only Antrim man to have an All ireland senior football medal) Richard Ferris, Dermot Mc Nicholl, Karl Diamond, Briam Mc Cormaick and possibly Dermot ONeill

Max,
Good stab - was Collie McGurk & Bateson on the bench / panel?

[Hungry Exile]

Tyrone have 5 players who are exceptional - Ricey, Gormley, Cavanagh, O'Neill and Mulligan. Then you have McGuigan who makes the difference and can control the game in the really tight situations.
Derry have two exceptional players in my opinion - Kevin McGuckin and Paddy Bradley ...

Loughshore lad,
You've got caught in a time trap & it's time to waken up and smell the coffee! ...

Tyrone paid Brian McGuigan to come back from Oz, & they will need him plus O'Neill, plus Mulgrew firing on all cylinders by August, but with Donegal next & the restructured back door system the balance of players may not be good enough to last to then!!

You have not read any of my posts too well. Where did I say Tyrone would win anything this season? I merely said that they had 5 exceptional players who would all need to be playing at the peak of their powers in order for them to have a chance of winning anything this season. Out side of these 5 Tyrone struggle just like the vast majority of other counties. Brian McGuigan will not be playing any football this season and he will simply be too much of a miss for Tyrone to overcome.
You are talking about Tyrone having a suspect full back I think you will find I actually highlighted this a few pages back. I happen to know Brian McIver and have no doubts he will be targeting the dodgy Tyrone full back - just like he did when Donegal beat Derry in the ulster championship semi final last season 

Loughshore,
You have valid points there, and I must confess I haven't read all of your comments as I only get a chance to glance through the pages.  My point was you were unfair to exaggerate the cream of Tyrone and dismiss the dross of Derry.

A set of simple comparisons, if you were to ask my preferences:-

Ricey v Lockhart; no comparison Lockhart every time - now the "class stakes" are 5/3 in favour of Tyrone

Mulligan v Muldoon; again Muldoon wins hands down - he has been used as the Derry utility player for years to sort out problem areas - now the score is 4/4

What I will agree with Derry's best players don't come close to the calibre of Cavanagh & McGuigan.  Both players destroy teams consistently by getting the ball into the danger area.   Also Tyrone had a certain Peter C when they last won the AI.

As for McIver I have watched him when he was over your near neighbours & he appears to have the ability to read a game well and make timely switches - a valuable commodity.  Is it true Big Adrian is part of his backroom team?

[Hungry Exile]

Is it true Big Adrian is part of his backroom team?

Yes, the curly haired one is with 'whatdoyoucallit' in the Donegal setup. He seems to like being part of the backroom staff anywhere. He was Mickey Moron's right hand man with UUJ this year. He calls more of the shots than he gets credit for.

I must admit I laughed at the Sigerson final this year as two Ballinderry men were both "driving from the back seat" McGuckin with UUJ at one side of the TV platform & Dessie Ryan standing just behind the QUB squad at the other side of the platform giving"Jamsie the odd bit of advice."  I wonder did they share a car down the road as Adrian would have been goin past Dessie's house!!

[saffron sam2]

Antrim WILL make it to the top, but I dont see it happening without Kelly, K Mc Gourty, Dougan, G O Boyle,Micko, Magill, and Convery, etc and this year there are to many rookies learning their trade. Antrim have a 3-5 year plan, and no one is more confident than me re our ability to do this, etc, but we will need all our best players available, fit, and hungry.

Therein lies why we will not overly trouble a poor Derry side on Sunday.  Add Andrew McLean to that list and you have over half a team sitting out for various reasons. Some of the reasons given are extremely weak and you have to question if there is the will to make Antrim force again.  McLean is certainly not the only inter-coutny footballer doing finals this summer - is he the only one to opt out?

We are short at least three of our best defenders (Convery, Kelly, McLean - even possibly Niall Ward).  The forward line is weak with at least 2/3 of the full forward line already booked onto a Boston bound plane on Tuesday.

Unless and until we get players who fully realise the commitment and sacrifice necessary to be competitive in Senior inter-county football, we will wallow in the depths of Division 4 and the Tommy Murphy Cup.

L'Derry by at least 5.

[The Real SlimShady]

Bradley trained last night with the Derry squad in Castledawson, his first since the suspension!!

also, Big Mal of Bellaghy is coaching the goalkeepers 

[Maximus Marillius]

Slim why are you so surprised about Mal coaching the keepers. He is now one fo the top keeper coaches about. In that there is no doubt.

Big Adrian...what a legend