Donegal v Kerry - 2025 All-Ireland Football Final

[Main Street]

Kerry imperious - Donegal muck.

Donegal manager a spoofer.

Thats how the debate flies after this AI final and the level of opinions about the losing team who are Ulster champions and the 2nd best performing team this year.

[JPO]

Its no shame in losing a final. Its the way Donegal play. For neutrals it is muck. No one wants to watch that   

[Truthsayer]

As Mickey Harte said: "When you win you've done everything right, when you lose you've done everything wrong".
McGuinness came back in and took Donegal to two Ulster titles and an All Ireland final. Today wasn't a good day. But if he's a useless manager what does it say for all the others?

[JPO]

It says the others are really awful. Ive said this on here before

[Wildweasel74]

Clifford had put that goal away would been 13pts in it, bit of annihilation. McGuinness like Harte is very headstrong, when something 90% of people sees needs addressed, it's nearly as if, it's i wouldn't override my methods to change it, and it happen for us.

[J70]

Kerry imperious - Donegal muck.

Donegal manager a spoofer.

Thats how the debate flies after this AI final and the level of opinions about the losing team who are Ulster champions and the 2nd best performing team this year.

Yep, McGuinness a spoofer and Donegal an eyesore.

This place is going the way of the rest of the online world.

[EoinW]

Jim the genius with his zonal defensive system and masterful tactics ruined football many years ago and spawned the era of new modern coaches who are making vast amounts of money off every club in Ireland. Today was a good day for football fans all over Ireland   

McGuinness didn't ruin the game.  He managed within the rules that existed and inspired others to follow his initiative.  The GAA had to practically throw out the rule book this year to counter McGuinness' defensive system.

As masterful as Kerry was, and will be in the seasons to come, I'll forever wonder how they would have done facing Armagh, Tyrone & Donegal had the Ulster counties been playing the defensive system they'd built over the years.  Instead the FRC basically abolished defensive football for 2025.  We'll never find out how great Kerry could have been.

[Wildweasel74]

The old rules covered team limitations when up against a superior team that couldn't man mark 1 on 1. Still think 3 up a silly rule, 2 enough.Armagh and Galway employed double sweepers last year and that game although tight, was a horror show.

[David McKeown]

The old rules covered team limitations when up against a superior team that couldn't man mark 1 on 1. Still think 3 up a silly rule, 2 enough.Armagh and Galway employed double sweepers last year and that game although tight, was a horror show.

I'd take a tight pulsating encounter over the procession that occurred yesterday any day. Two pointers killed yesterday as a contest.

Of the 11 knock out games in the All Ireland series only 3 were decided by a single score.

Last year it was 8 out of 11.

I understand the new rules are here to stay and I think things will improve but I don't think it's improved the game or the entertainment yet.

[Armagh18]

The old rules covered team limitations when up against a superior team that couldn't man mark 1 on 1. Still think 3 up a silly rule, 2 enough.Armagh and Galway employed double sweepers last year and that game although tight, was a horror show.

I'd take a tight pulsating encounter over the procession that occurred yesterday any day. Two pointers killed yesterday as a contest.

Of the 11 knock out games in the All Ireland series only 3 were decided by a single score.

Last year it was 8 out of 11.

I understand the new rules are here to stay and I think things will improve but I don't think it's improved the game or the entertainment yet.

100% I'd rather watch a contest as a procession, but Kerry have set the standards now and it's up to Jim, Malachy, Geezer etc to come up with a plan to counteract them.

[imtommygunn]

One thing about Kerry too. They seemed to have significantly more pace than Donegal - even in areas you wouldn't have expected them to.

On McGuinness. McGuinness is no doubt a great coach but he definitely could have done better yesterday. I thought Clifford was right - O'Connor probably doesn't get the credit he deserves. He put in a masterclass tactically.

[ck]

A masterclass by Kerry made easier by Jimmy getting a lot wrong on the line. Who in their right mind leaves Paudie Clifford unmarked. Their match ups on Kerry were off too. Joe O'Conner dominated the kickouts and Donegal finally put Langan on him late in the game but the damage was done. As for Donegals defence, it was a shambles, split open at will. They took away Pattons kickouts and made him look ordinary. Well done Kerry, a very impressive performance.

[Milltown Row2]

I only watched the first half, duty called ffs, but listened on the radio on the way to a game, I can't recall much physicality in the game, it was also clear that Donegal were happy enough to allow Kerry the ball, P Clifford had unlimited time on the ball which enabled him to set up plays and O'Connor lorded it on the kick outs that went long..

You wouldn't have said Donegal were a soft team but on the first half performance they didn't lay a glove on them

[DaleCooper]

The old rules covered team limitations when up against a superior team that couldn't man mark 1 on 1. Still think 3 up a silly rule, 2 enough.Armagh and Galway employed double sweepers last year and that game although tight, was a horror show.

I'd take a tight pulsating encounter over the procession that occurred yesterday any day. Two pointers killed yesterday as a contest.

Of the 11 knock out games in the All Ireland series only 3 were decided by a single score.

Last year it was 8 out of 11.

I understand the new rules are here to stay and I think things will improve but I don't think it's improved the game or the entertainment yet.

Agree. There was little in it for the neutral other than nice scores.

Never felt like a contest.

Are there other ways of encouraging distance kicking than "two goals for three kicks" situation.

Like an accrual system that is used at end of game,  bonus point to team that scores most outside the arc.

[DaleCooper]

Its no shame in losing a final. Its the way Donegal play. For neutrals it is muck. No one wants to watch that   

Nonsense. It was an embarrassing spectacle made worse by obvious errors a child could fix.