Deliberately Going the Back Door Route

[Uladh]

It's been suggested that Mickey Harte, Dooher et al decided to go the back door route this year.
For the life of me i can't understand why they bothered digging so deep to take down to extra time if they did.

[under the bar]

There's 2 types of hay.  This suggestion seems to be the type that's already gone thru the horse.

[AZOffaly]

I don't believe anyone intentionally sets out to lose. However, if you asked 'Are there managers who are not too bothered if they lose in the provincial championship?', the answer would be quite a few.

Despite the protestations, I don't think Kerry were too bothered come Monday morning that they'd lost the munster final. I don't think Tyrone were gutted when Down knocked them out of Ulster.

[his holiness nb]

Definately not. To suggest they deliberately lost is a poor excuse and an insult to the opposition.

Not being too bothered about being beaten is very different from trying to get beaten.

[ziggysego]

I'd be in agreement here with AZ. No manager sets out to lost a Provincial match. By that, you're saying they come easy, so it's not bothered working for. That's bull.

However an Ulster win for Fermanagh or Armagh, means a lot to them than say Tyrone.

I seen the Tyrone players after the defeat in Newry... they honestly looked gutted, so it still does mean a lot to them.

[Uladh]

You were doing so well til this point...

However an Ulster win for Fermanagh or Armagh, means a lot to them than say Tyrone.

You even contrdicted yourself with

I seen the Tyrone players after the defeat in Newry... they honestly looked gutted, so it still does mean a lot to them.

[ziggysego]

You were doing so well til this point...

However an Ulster win for Fermanagh or Armagh, means a lot to them than say Tyrone.

You even contrdicted yourself with

I seen the Tyrone players after the defeat in Newry... they honestly looked gutted, so it still does mean a lot to them.

No, don't see the contradiction.

Tyrone were gutted, but not as much as Fermanagh were and Armagh would have been.

[Rav67]

No-one goes out to lose in the Championship but I think Kerry and Tyrone probably prepared to start hitting their peak physical shape around late July/early August

[reddgnhand]

No-one goes out to lose in the Championship but I think Kerry and Tyrone probably prepared to start hitting their peak physical shape around late July/early August

Would have to agree. Against Down I thought that Tyrone didnt look fit at all. Compare this to the fitness levels shown against Dublin. It was like day and night.   

[boro]

Sure didn't Wexford throw the Leinster final

[Bogball XV]

I don't believe anyone intentionally sets out to lose. However, if you asked 'Are there managers who are not too bothered if they lose in the provincial championship?', the answer would be quite a few.

Despite the protestations, I don't think Kerry were too bothered come Monday morning that they'd lost the munster final. I don't think Tyrone were gutted when Down knocked them out of Ulster.

I'd disagree, whilst Kerry may not have been too botered when they lost to Cork they already knew that they would be one match from a quarter final at worst, for Tyrone it was a wholly different prospect, 3 games that could turn out to be pretty tough before they'd be in a quarter, that's a different scenario. 

[Dubh driocht]

Tyrone are not Kerry.
Uladh, suggested by who ?Peter Makem based his letter on a completely false premise i.e.Kerry's recent wins
Total Bollox to undermine Down's victory over 180 minutes of tough championship football

[The Voice Of Reason]

To suggest Tyrone weren't bothered by losing to Down isn't right. Tyrone burst a gut to beat Down over 2 hard championship matches. They just weren't clicking at that stage of the season.

The only team of late that you could argue were bothered about a provincial match was the Waterford hurlers against Clare this year.

However as with others here, the likes of Kerry/Tyrone/etc. were mentally aiming for the All-Ireland at the start of the year, so they're more likely to quickly regroup after a provincial defeat as their ultimate goal was always an All-Ireland. Funnily enough the one team who you'd expect to collapse in the qualfiers this year were Wexford, as they put everything into getting that elusive Leinster championship.

[RMDrive]

I think that the easiest way to an AI is "through the front door". The fewer matches the better. I reckon the statistics would show that. Of course it brings extra problems with long breaks but I still think that the fewer games you play then the better chance you have of progressing.

[Armamike]

No-one goes out to lose in the Championship but I think Kerry and Tyrone probably prepared to start hitting their peak physical shape around late July/early August

Would have to agree. Against Down I thought that Tyrone didnt look fit at all. Compare this to the fitness levels shown against Dublin. It was like day and night.   

Haven't we been told for the past 5 years that Mickey Harte wants to win every game and every competition that Tyrone take part in. The McKenna cup was a big thing for Tyrone for a few years there, so i'd doubt he'd sniff at an Ulster.

Tyrone had a lot of injury problems at that time. A fully fit Tyrone would have been a different proposition.  Nothing really to do with 'peaking' at the right time imo.