Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[screenexile]

On the Mayo game, for me it was a case study in belief and bravery. How did that come to pass from a team that no one rated as an all Ireland contenders a year ago.

Every player I heard interviewed talked about Andy Moran's enthusiasm and positivity and how he gave them belief. Do we really think, man for man, they are way ahead of our players? I actually don't. I think a fantastic coaching team got the very best out of a good, rather than great, group of players. They gave players chances based on performance not on reputation and age. That's No. 1 for me.

But secondly, their players repeatedly talked about the fantastic lift they get from their support.

How does that compare with our support? How many games over the past two seasons would our players say that, when things got tough, they got a lift from the crowd? I'd imagine hardly any

Belief doesn't just come from the management and the players themselves. The atmosphere around a team matters too.

Finally, on these "skycrapers" that we arent using that I have heard mentioned here a couple of time since our championship exit. Who are these giants that walk among us that I can't see?

Mayo dont have any skyscapers and beat the teams with the so called skyscapers, Meath, Louth,Cork and Kerry with 4 midfielders players. Didnt see Mayo catch many kickouts but they were so well organised and dying on the breaking ball

Flynn/Tuohy/Carney/Kobe/are all taller than our midfielders and O'Connor at wing half is the same height. They've plenty of big men!!

[Wildweasel74]

Flynn and Carney only 6ft 2 i think, Touhy near 6ft 5in. Going outta Mayo 2 yrs ago u thought Derry were starting to find bit of form. Direction of both team went the opposite direction since. Late appointnent of a manager late 2024 started a freefall

[HonDerry]

Agreed with the above. Flynn and Carney are 6ft 2in. I can't see any official height anywhere for Tuohy, but he is definitely not taller than Kobe, who is listed at 6ft 4in. Kobe isn't used for the Mayo kickouts so lets not include him.

Flynn, Tuohy and Carney are not midfield "skyscrapers" in my book.

Glass, Rodgers and Higgins are all around 6ft 2in or 6ft 3in, and a difference of an inch or two makes little difference for the kickouts. At that point, it is more about positioning, timing and reading the flight of the ball.

For me, "skyscrapers" start at 6ft 5in and upwards. eg. Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne 6ft 6', Jack Flynn 6ft 5' and Cian McBride 6ft 6',.

A three or four-inch height difference can definitely become an advantage for kickouts, provided the player is also athletic and able to jump.

Of course it is not only this that counts. As we have seen in recent analysis by Enda McGinley and McGeeney, kickouts require a joint effort between several players, screening, blocking, decoy runs ie. Piggery in the middle.

A few tall lads around the county have been mentioned previously. We will now get a chance to see their potential during the club championship.

[outsiderlookingin]

To many chiefs not enough Indians in that Derry panel, 4/5 men not team players,just out for number 1.. Derry are not a team they are individual's 

[CookieMonster]

To many chiefs not enough Indians in that Derry panel, 4/5 men not team players,just out for number 1.. Derry are not a team they are individual's

What 4 or 5 men would that be?

[bannside]

Aye go ahead boys and start slandering voluntary amateur players on your keyboards there...

[quit yo jibbajabba]

This is where it goes quiet 😄

[CookieMonster]

Aye go ahead boys and start slandering voluntary amateur players on your keyboards there...

Some boys like to drop their opinions in but never seem to back it up. Can't come on saying there's a group of boys out for number one, have the balls to say who.

[HonDerry]

Likes to throw hand grenades and then see if others will join in. Yet to master presenting an opinion with some evidence to back it up.

[CookieMonster]

Likes to throw hand grenades and then see if others will join in. Yet to master presenting an opinion with some evidence to back it up.

Would say he never kicked a ball in his life.

[shawshank]

To many chiefs not enough Indians in that Derry panel, 4/5 men not team players,just out for number 1.. Derry are not a team they are individual's

Don't agree with you at all, I'll tell you what it is. Its a case of not being united as they were previously, the trust and the massive desire they had is not at the same level under Gallagher. I could point to 5/6 reasons why this has happened, but when those two major qualities are reduced thats how it impacts. It takes time to rebuild confidence and trust, especially for players. In any relationship when there is damage, its takes time to rebuid Trust in themselves and as a group.

[tbrick18]

To many chiefs not enough Indians in that Derry panel, 4/5 men not team players,just out for number 1.. Derry are not a team they are individual's

Don't agree with you at all, I'll tell you what it is. Its a case of not being united as they were previously, the trust and the massive desire they had is not at the same level under Gallagher. I could point to 5/6 reasons why this has happened, but when those two major qualities are reduced thats how it impacts. It takes time to rebuild confidence and trust, especially for players. In any relationship when there is damage, its takes time to rebuid Trust in themselves and as a group.

I don't think it's trust and desire, I think it's belief. RG instilled belief in each and every player.
Andy Moran seems to have done that in Mayo. With belief comes desire.

I still think Meenagh can do that in Derry if he gets is backroom in order and we adjust our tactical approach.

[shawshank]

Belief only follows when you have genuine Trust in the players and management team around you. That relationship with each other creates the environment for trust and then belief grows to the point where the group are all deeply in it together.

[jb77]

Had a look back at the meath game there after all this talk, don't think we lack size but the positioning was poor at times, bit one dimensional, really struggled to press them too. Forbes, Higgins, Sargent, CD, Glass, Rogers, McEvoy is plenty of verticality. Murray managed to pull down a clean catch in between Jack Flynn and Menton so it's not all about the size of the dog in the fight.

Tried to stick too much ball on top of Higgins who played better than I remembered but was double marked on kickouts and legs fell away from him in 2nd half. You can get bigger men but they need to be able to play football and get up and down the pitch too. Meath looked a good bit fitter which is concerning, I'd give McEvoy that 7 Jersey for good is all I could say for definite.

[doh827]

Had a look back at the meath game there after all this talk, don't think we lack size but the positioning was poor at times, bit one dimensional, really struggled to press them too. Forbes, Higgins, Sargent, CD, Glass, Rogers, McEvoy is plenty of verticality. Murray managed to pull down a clean catch in between Jack Flynn and Menton so it's not all about the size of the dog in the fight.

Tried to stick too much ball on top of Higgins who played better than I remembered but was double marked on kickouts and legs fell away from him in 2nd half. You can get bigger men but they need to be able to play football and get up and down the pitch too. Meath looked a good bit fitter which is concerning, I'd give McEvoy that 7 Jersey for good is all I could say for definite.

To be fair to higgins he had a very stop/start season injuries wise