Muineacháin v Fear Manach

[timmyot501]

"If Freeman wants to bomb forward I would say let him"

From a Monaghan point of view I would hope he bombs forward too.  Recently we have been dropping too deep during games and play a spare man around the half back line (like most other teams).  So should Damien bomb forward we should be able to move the spare man over to pick up Damiens player.  Half of our problems towards the end of the league was letting the opposing half forward drop deep and our 3 or 4 half backs stay put.  Send Damien after them I say.
As we found out against cork it is hard to stop a team surging forward at speed so stopping them further up the field might be necessary

[Maguire01]

That's the attitude I like to see. Patronising, arrogant, probably over-confident, you've gave me hope.

You take hope for Fermanagh from the opinion of one anonymous poster on a message board? Really? I'd take more heed of the fact that there has been absolutely nothing coming from the Monaghan camp for the past few weeks.

One massive thing I haven't seen discussed is the referee, Derek Fahy from Longford, need a bit of a John Bannon about him.

Fahy referred our Westemeath game.  He doesn't imress me.  Failed to red card one, if not two, Westmeath players.  Trying to remember where else we've had him, because he tends to pop up a lot.
(BTW, a quick google search - Fahy was the ref that called off the Armagh/Dublin game in Cross - i.e. was he the same one that allegedly went to the wrong venue in the wrong town in the wrong county?)

[Maguire01]

Oh, and the weather looks good!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?id=1370

[Main Street]

Have to agree with that exiled.  Great to see such arrogance from the Monaghan men. Obviously by that reckoning its Monaghan game to lose.  And we thought that Tyrone people had notions about themselves.  At least they have won an All Ireland or two!!

Maybe I have missed some posts that were deleted or Fermanagh posters have a peculiar sense of mild sarcasm
or is this post actually serious?

[FermGael]

Maybe I have missed some posts that were deleted or Fermanagh posters have a peculiar sense of mild sarcasm
or is this post actually serious?

No we are serious. 
From reading throught the posts I feel that Fermanagh are being treaten with abit of complaceny by some Monaghan foke.
The sense is that somehow Fermanagh are beneath Monaghan in the pecking order because of Monaghan's success last year.  Fermanagh had a unbelievable 04 but a terrible 05 because the novelty factor had worn off and other teams had worked out Fermanagh's game plan.
If you analyse both teams over the last 5, maybe even 10 years you will see that Fermanagh have quite a record compared to Monaghan.In fact if we would have been in another provence we would have won a provencial title. 
As i say its just a feeling i have got from some of the posting here.  Nothing personal

[Uladh]

Finlay has broad shoulders to bear weight of expectation
Friday, May 23, 2008

By John Campbell

Monaghan's elegant midfield ace Paul Finlay has been producing some of the best form of his career in recent months.

Not only has the Ballybay man been forming a potent partnership with Eoin Lennon but his long-range scores helped to sustain his side over the course of the National League.

Now as Monaghan face into their Ulster Championship clash with Fermanagh, Finlay has again been handed a key role by manager Seamus McEnaney.

Not only will the tall, lithe Finlay be expected to garner first-phase possession but he will also be charged with assisting his attack.

"I'm just glad that we are going in against Fermanagh with a full-strength team. They have been doing very well of late and they will have home advantage," says Finlay.

Last year, his career looked to be under threat when a health defect surfaced. But not only did Finlay reach full fitness again, he also played a stirring part in bringing Monaghan into the All Ireland semi-finals.

"It was obviously a difficult time for me and my family but I was glad to get back into the swing of things again. The fact that we got to the All Ireland semi-final was a great boost but it has just served to make us even more hungry for what we would call real success," says Finlay.

His father, Ciaran 'Jap' Finlay, played with distinction for Monaghan in the past and Paul is keen to emulate his feats.

"He was part of a decent Monaghan side but I would like to think that we are capable of winning the Ulster title. To have made the headway we did last year without having silverware of any sort to show for it was disappointing. We're keen to remedy that and the Ulster title would do nicely," points out Finlay.

His fielding, distribution and finishing are such that he is seen as a big danger to Fermanagh's hopes of making it into the semi-final.

"We have got to get it together. This is a big game for us against a team who have won promotion and are on a high," he added.




So much for the notion that McQuaid is injured then....

[thebandit]

Where abouts is the field in Enniskillen?

[Maguire01]

From reading throught the posts I feel that Fermanagh are being treaten with abit of complaceny by some Monaghan foke.
The sense is that somehow Fermanagh are beneath Monaghan in the pecking order because of Monaghan's success last year.  Fermanagh had a unbelievable 04 but a terrible 05 because the novelty factor had worn off and other teams had worked out Fermanagh's game plan.
If you analyse both teams over the last 5, maybe even 10 years you will see that Fermanagh have quite a record compared to Monaghan.In fact if we would have been in another provence we would have won a provencial title. 
As i say its just a feeling i have got from some of the posting here.  Nothing personal

Analysing and comparing performance over the past 5-10 years is academic.  It's what is happening now that matters.  Last year is being used as the mesure because it is the most recent championship form to compare to.  Monaghan are also possibly 'favourites' for some due to the fact that they placed Division 2 football this year, and although it went pear-shaped at the end, the competition was generally of a higher standard than Division 3.

Last year, his career looked to be under threat when a health defect surfaced. But not only did Finlay reach full fitness again, he also played a stirring part in bringing Monaghan into the All Ireland semi-finals.

Hard to beat the Belfast Telegraph for some quality GAA coverage!

[FermGael]

Where abouts is the field in Enniskillen?

Behind the hospital.  You cannot miss the new floodlights.
follow the signs for the hospital is the best advice.

[Main Street]

No we are serious. 
From reading throught the posts I feel that Fermanagh are being treaten with abit of complaceny by some Monaghan foke.

'Some complacency' is one description
I never would have got
the other descriptions "such arrogance", "Patronising", "arrogant",

from the post that was quoted
"Really hard game to call..
With all due respect to Fermanagh (who have had a brilliant league campaign and are a really good team), it all depends on which Monaghan team turns up, and how they have reacted to the disappointing end to the league."

[ExiledGael]

"With all due respect"
That phrase means complacency, sort of crap you hear people say when they go on to run down the opposition, underestimate them, and often overestimate themselves. Maybe we're clutching at straws but sure what the hell, that's the only hope we have on Sunday!!
Fully expect to see McQuaid starting, another excellent player, but James Sherry could give him his fill of it.
Don't know what to make of the media silences, at least Fermanagh held a press night a week ago. Doesn't seem to hold Kerry or anyone back. You have to assume Banty's afraid of the wrong things coming out or trying to build up a bit of a siege mentality or something, he'll either be a genius or a bollix come Monday's papers.
Going to be damn all between us I think, hope the home factor can get us through by a point or two. Certainly wouldn't bet on it though.

[Main Street]

ExiledGael, with all due respect, if you think Monaghan are going to under estimate Fermanagh and that is your only hope, (based on a bizzarre interpretation of one post) then things are pretty poor.
But I wouldn't let that lull me into some complacency

It's the game of the day on Sunday
For everybody elses sake I hope it's a game they can appreciate, for my own sake I only care that Monaghan win.

This game looks to be a similar test that Monaghan had last year against Down, I'm always anxious but believe we are good enough to win.

[BallyhaiseMan]

have ye Monaghan lads sorted out a freetaker who can take them from the ground? 45's etc

it was what you sorely missed last year

Finlay and Freeman are good from the hands,but anytime ive seen Finlay from the ground,hes not that accurate.

You would have beaten Kerry with a good placekicker  last year i have no doubt.

Concerning my well wishes to Fermanagh,

Come on lads would it be any fun if we started supporting each other? ye will be Armaghmen for the day in a few weeks aswell.

Monaghan 2-12 Fermanagh 0-13 goal each for Corey and Freeman im sad to predict.

[haranguerer]

Analysing and comparing performance over the past 5-10 years is academic.  It's what is happening now that matters.  Last year is being used as the mesure because it is the most recent championship form to compare to.

Thats a bizarre argument - dont use the last five, just use last yr?? Surely its a more accurate measuring stick if you use a longer period - you dont need to know stats to work that one out.

Anyway, all I care about is this yr now. With all due respect to monaghan, if their best team meets our best team, I expect a fermanagh win. I'd even go so far as to say it wouldnt be scraped - it certainly wouldnt be comfortable, but in the region of 3 pts or so. Have to say, I'm really looking forward to the game, cant rem hype like it for first round, and I think its down to the two sets of fans confidence in their own team, which is the way it should be. Usually one set of fans go more in hope than expectation, but this year I think both sets expect a win, which adds to the banter.

About the teams, I cant see freeman busting forward too often. Little is fly, and if freeman leaves him to support the attack and theres a hint of it breaking down, you can bet little will be completely free at the opposite side of the field receiving the ball. Frog hasnt been going well, but I think midfield will be ok for him, disrupting lennon. Think it will be three across the middle for monaghan, and if thats the case, then would expect clerkin to pick up womble, and would be very confident of either tommy mcelroy or damien kelly doing a good job on finlay, and giving him plenty to worry about defensively too. Both have great engines and are used to playing in the middle.

Roll on Sun!!

[Maguire01]

Analysing and comparing performance over the past 5-10 years is academic.  It's what is happening now that matters.  Last year is being used as the mesure because it is the most recent championship form to compare to.

Thats a bizarre argument - dont use the last five, just use last yr?? Surely its a more accurate measuring stick if you use a longer period - you dont need to know stats to work that one out.

No, because players/teams/managers change.  What happened 5 years ago may be of little relevance - it's history.  Last year is history too, as is the 2008 league, but that's more recent history at least.  If we judged Tyrone over the last 5 years, we'd say there likely to go all the way, but more recent form may suggest otherwise.  Fermanagh's great runs in 03/04 will have no bearing on tomorrow.  Monaghan's run last year will have little more, but by and large, it's the same players/team/management etc.