2008 - Your predictions

[Jinxy]

Provincial winners.

Mayo - Last years poor showing will have woken them up. No use in the qualifiers. Need to progress via the shortest route.
Armagh - New manager syndrome, also some good young players coming through. Nice mix of experience and enthusiasm.
Meath - Will have learned a lot from last year I think. Also a good crop of youngsters coming through. Need to unearth a midfielder though, or else move Moyles there from centre back.
Cork - Will be out for revenge against the animals. Well able for Kerry in Munster. The problems start when they have to get on a train......

However, I predict none of these 4 will go on to win the All-Ireland! Kerry and Dublin will be the teams to beat.

[ardmhachaabu]

Where do I start?

Well, I think it's foolish of anyone to write Armagh off at this stage, yes I am biased obviously enough but with Clarkie back to fitness and Francie Bellew back to fitness as well, I think Ulster will see Armagh beating the team from the other side of the Blackwater and taking the Anglo-Celt home with them.

Also, Dublin are overrated every year both by their own supporters and the Dublin-based media.  Each time they meet a decent team in the championship they fold like a house of cards, I predict the same thing will happen again this year too.

Some people have asked if the current Kerry team are in the same vein of the Kerry teams of the 70's and 80's.  I think not considering they only just managed to beat Monaghan this year...

[his holiness nb]

Where do I start?

Well, I think it's foolish of anyone to write Armagh off at this stage, yes I am biased obviously enough but with Clarkie back to fitness and Francie Bellew back to fitness as well, I think Ulster will see Armagh beating the team from the other side of the Blackwater and taking the Anglo-Celt home with them.

Also, Dublin are overrated every year both by their own supporters and the Dublin-based media.  Each time they meet a decent team in the championship they fold like a house of cards, I predict the same thing will happen again this year too.

OK, Armagh have been shite for a few years, and havent needed a decent team to make them fold (like a house of cards), yet it would be foolish to write them off.

Yet the Dublin fans cant be optomistic even thought we ran Kerry as close as anyone and are regarded by many as the best in the country bar Kerry.
I dont see anyone from Dublin saying we are better than Kerry or will definately win, yet we over hype them?

Also in your previous post on this very same thread you yourself put Dublin down as potential winners.

Bizarre 

[ardmhachaabu]

The only bizarre thing is that you believe the Dublin are regarded by many as the best in the county bar Kerry 

Armagh lost to Donegal and Derry by a point on each occasion and they were not a full strength team.

Yes, I put Dublin as potential winners of Leinster.  They won't go anywhere after that.

You mark my words.

[Tyrone Dreamer]

So they won one more championship game than Tyrone.  You don't get medals for that nor does it make you any more serious contenders for this years All Ireland.

They have got further than Tyrone for the last 3 years running, so yes, based on that they would be more serious contenders. That and the fact that its widely acknowledged that the Dubs are the second best team in the country, ie. better than Tyrone 
This based on the views of most pundits AND the poll on this very site 

Still though, 2003 and 2005 were great 

Think you'll find Dublin have got further than Tyrone the last 2 years running not 3! Id still take that 1 All Ireland in 3 years (or 2 this decade) than 3 leinster titles in a row.

I see a lot of people think Kerry will win the all ireland easily, I dont think thats going to happen. Teams have found it almost impossible to win 2 in a row this past while never mind 3. Not sure how Tyrone will go this year, need a bit of luck on the injury front and a good league run to get the confidence back. Dont think we'll be that far away.

[his holiness nb]

The only bizarre thing is that you believe the Dublin are regarded by many as the best in the county bar Kerry 

Bizarre that when people say they think Dublin are second best I dont presume they are telling lies??
They may well not win Sam, Kerry are better, I just think they have a good chance. Better than Armagh who are probably most peoples 3rd / 4th favourites for Ulster at this stage.

[ardmhachaabu]

Bizarre that when people say they think Dublin are second best I dont presume they are telling lies??

The only people saying that in the media are Dublin based papers and the like

They may well not win Sam, Kerry are better, I just think they have a good chance. Better than Armagh who are probably most peoples 3rd / 4th favourites for Ulster at this stage.

We will see at the business end of the season.  I think I will bookmark this thread just to say 'I told you so!'

[his holiness nb]

Think you'll find Dublin have got further than Tyrone the last 2 years running not 3! Id still take that 1 All Ireland in 3 years (or 2 this decade) than 3 leinster titles in a row.

I meant overall since 2005, sorry if that wasnt clear, I presumed it was.

Id still take that 1 All Ireland in 3 years (or 2 this decade) than 3 leinster titles in a row.

Of course you would, so would I. Thats irrelevant when looking at who is most likely to win in 2008!

I could say I'd take Dublins 22 titles over Tyrones 2 but that would be equally irrelevant.

Ok if it makes ye happy, Tyrone are better that Dublin, but sure maybe with a wee bit of luck we might just get a bit further, should the ref be biased towards us and the opposition have repeated off days.
Or should Tyrone and Dublin clash maybe Tyrone will wave their two medals in front of the Dubs and we will all forget the past few years and lie down so order is restored.
Or maybe, and just maybe, not  

[his holiness nb]

"The only people saying that in the media are Dublin based papers and the like"

Yep it was all Dubs, all GAA pundits on TV and in the papers are Dubs, as were the guys on here who voted, as were the guys on the setanta review of the year with the country accents 

"I think I will bookmark this thread just to say 'I told you so!'"

Told me what? I am not saying Dublin will do any better, I am saying its my opinion that they have a better chance, ffs we could lose to Louth in the first game for all I know.

Given that we havent won in 12 years you really wont look that clever if you drag this wonderful prediction up during the summer to prove how wise and all knowing you are 

[Tyrone Dreamer]

Still dont think it makes sense what you said - the Dubs have got further in the last 2 championships not 3. Tyrone still managed to win ulster last year despite a long injury list and while introducing some exciting new players to the 1st 15. If the injury list can be kept down and with the young boys now with a bit more experience behind them there's no reason to believe they havent got as good a chance as the bottlers that are Dublin. The boys who were struggling with injury last year have 2 all ireland medals to their name and with that kind of pedigree you'd have to say the potential is still there to win another one. Dublin have had close to a fully fit team this last 2 years and still didnt get close to winning one and cant see whats going to change that this year.

[Farrandeelin]

Crikey we are very skinny odds at 14's

Noticed that myself Deel Rover. I can't really see us being THAT high up in the bookies list for a team who were utterly disappointing last year.

[his holiness nb]

Still dont think it makes sense what you said - the Dubs have got further in the last 2 championships not 3.

It was referring specifically to the period since you won the AI. No need to make a big deal out of it 


there's no reason to believe they havent got as good a chance as the bottlers that are Dublin.
[/quote]
Of course theres not, but I personally, along with others believe they dont, I and those others may well be wrong, but you can at least accept my opinion and the opinions of others.

Dublin have had close to a fully fit team this last 2 years and still didnt get close to winning one and cant see whats going to change that this year.

Well they where within a kick of a ball from the last two finals so I wouldnt say they are a million miles away.

But by all means continue to write them off. Should we somehow managed to fluke an AI it will make it all the sweeter.

[The Real Laoislad]

"The only people saying that in the media are Dublin based papers and the like"

Yep it was all Dubs, all GAA pundits on TV and in the papers are Dubs, as were the guys on here who voted, as were the guys on the setanta review of the year with the country accents 

"I think I will bookmark this thread just to say 'I told you so!'"

Told me what? I am not saying Dublin will do any better, I am saying its my opinion that they have a better chance, ffs we could lose to Louth in the first game for all I know.
Given that we havent won in 12 years you really wont look that clever if you drag this wonderful prediction up during the summer to prove how wise and all knowing you are 

What an awful tragedy it would be if that happenend 

[Frank Casey]

Provincial champions - do they really matter to the teams that are serious about sam - I think not.

Special K double treble with Kerry and Kilkenny. 

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Well I suppose there is a far greater chance of losing to Louth than losing to Laois 

Frank - Well at least Dublin/Kerry are both adamant that the provincial championships matter....I would hate tp think that Dublin would ever get to be so arrogant that they thought that winning the provincial championship wasn't important...