Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[OakLeaf]

We'll know more after the league but there's every reason to be optimistic. We have a lot of quality players and a good manager.

[Ryan O]

Antrim will be well up for it and last season I would have be not quite as optimistic, but with Mark Doran in charge of Antrim you fully expect them to take at least 3 steps back

[ck]

Antrim will be well up for it and last season I would have be not quite as optimistic, but with Mark Doran in charge of Antrim you fully expect them to take at least 3 steps back

His record at county level is 2 relegations with Clare and Wicklow. Not very inspiring. 3 years at Slaughtneil, they ran Glen close but never kicked on. He has hauled a few Antrim lads out of retirement I believe, could work or maybe just desperation. Time will tell.
Derry won't lose any sleep. 

[Stickittotheman]

Two years ago Derry was seen as the team that could push on and become number one. Kerry weren't as good as they used to be. Dublin were fading. We had won two Ulster's and been very unlucky in the 2023 semi final against Kerry. We have lost the past two years. Kerry have kicked on under the new rules. Donegal have McGuinness back and we saw the difference he can make. Armagh have been all Ireland champions. Galway twice finalists in the past few years.

However we have a chance of going far, if we keep key players fit and we get the buy in and unity under Meenagh that we expect. Clucky, Glass, Rogers, McFaul and McGuigan can be as good as anyone in the country(bar that fella from Kerry- what's his name again). Conor Doherty, Ethan Doherty, Eoin McEvoy all top class operators. Then we have the likes of McGrogan and McKinless, where if they can regain the form and fitness of old are formidable opponents. Goalkeeper is  an issue and we need to see that sorted very  quickly. Let's hope Scullion is back on the panel.

[Ryan O]

Two years ago Derry was seen as the team that could push on and become number one. Kerry weren't as good as they used to be. Dublin were fading. We had won two Ulster's and been very unlucky in the 2023 semi final against Kerry. We have lost the past two years. Kerry have kicked on under the new rules. Donegal have McGuinness back and we saw the difference he can make. Armagh have been all Ireland champions. Galway twice finalists in the past few years.

However we have a chance of going far, if we keep key players fit and we get the buy in and unity under Meenagh that we expect. Clucky, Glass, Rogers, McFaul and McGuigan can be as good as anyone in the country(bar that fella from Kerry- what's his name again). Conor Doherty, Ethan Doherty, Eoin McEvoy all top class operators. Then we have the likes of McGrogan and McKinless, where if they can regain the form and fitness of old are formidable opponents. Goalkeeper is  an issue and we need to see that sorted very  quickly. Let's hope Scullion is back on the panel.

Unless Donegal find some new talent I really don't see them improving on last year. Mc Guinness ultra commitment plan can only last for 3 years then players are injured/exhausted.
Murphy and Mc Hugh won't get fitter or more influential at this stage of their careers. Thompson got injured and it gets harder to keep coming back, Mc Brearty was a passenger captain and Gallen hasn't become the forward we thought he would.

Apart from Roarty,Moore and Mc Cole where are the leaders coming from.
Down have improved under Laverty and thats some incentive for their first game in Ulster, no expectations nothing to lose.
Tyrone and Monaghan would be my two to be wary of in Ulster, Armagh with new coaching set up and plenty miles on clock are hard to gauge.

[marty34]

Yeah, it should be an interesting Ulster championship. More entertaining than the other 3.

However, the thing is now progression further in the All Ireland series/TC. Teams, when knocked out will be looking at that.

All good to hae an Ulster title but teams will be looking at the bigger picture later in the year.