Ulster Championship 2021

[sid waddell]

The minute they formed a top tier division 1 15 odd yrs ago, it's been an exclusive club. League system was better when it was 4 equal divisions with the top 2 of each going to quarter finals. It wouldn't do the lower strength teams any good but it would have improved the current strength of tier 2 teams

I was blue in the face making that point last winter

I didn't bother watching Down v Donegal today, what's the point

Offaly v Louth was fun on the radio but Offaly will be smashed next time out

Down has effectively ceased to exist as a football county, and they don't care one bit

If the GAA don't find a way to somewhat equalise competition, the organisation will slide into irrelevancy in Irish life

The GAA cannot thrive if it does not have a functioning and exciting top level competition

[Wildweasel74]

Why would tier 2 teams improve, simple the division 1 teams would not be playing each other all the time keeping them at a high level. And the tier 2 teams would start to bridge a smaller gap.

[Wildweasel74]

That's the way the old system worked. Top 2 each section played quarterfinals and it was a variety of teams which played qf. The current structure does nothing for Div 3/4 teams but as also managed to drag down Div 2 teams too. Kildare, Meath, Offaly, Down, Derry, Laois were better teams in the 90's. Even like like Louth, Leitrim wexford, were better then than now, so playing same level teams has just kept them at a lower level.

[Wildweasel74]

Outside of the Robin round format who's the last team to win a ulster championship game in Ballybofey?

[imtommygunn]

How many teams though even have full commitment from the best players in their county. Derry suffered for years. Even Dublin are missing mannion and mccaffrey now but they just have players to replace them. Most other counties don't. Look at down - their club scene is dominated by kilcoo yet very few players. The level of commitment now requires player buy in over minimum a couple of years.

Divisions the way they are definitely a factor but the way the game has gone with commitment levels not helping.

(Might surprisingly be Antrim wild weasel lol)

[Nanderson]

Outside of the Robin round format who's the last team to win a ulster championship game in Ballybofey?

Down 2010

[JoG2]

Based on this game Derry will have a real chance against Donegal who have given up a serious amount of chances against a poor Down side.

I wouldn't give Derry much chance to be honest to beat Donegal in Ballybofe

Donegal will be rightful favourites. However that score line today does not tell the full story of the match. Down created 4 good goal chances whilst both their finishing and shot selection at times left a lot to be desired. Donegal raised more questions than answers from a defensive viewpoint. Whether Derry have the quality to beat them Im not sure but I do expect it will be an awful lot more competitive than today and it looks like Murphy will be out for a few weeks.

He's still smarting from Derry beating Cavan

* Full disclosure, Derry had been training 8 days a week for months and months 

[Walter Cronc]

Itchy, did a Derry man wipe your eye in a previous lifetime!

[Milltown Row2]

I've seen some pundits complaining that the season is over for the likes of Clare, Sligo and Down. For what, to delay the inevitable and another potential mauling a few games on. The issue is having a properly tiered championship structure.

We have that. It's called the league

So tell me, I'm really intrigued, what changes from a team playing div 4 to playing a team div 1 in championship? And I'm curious to know how many div 4 teams have won an all Ireland

[Solo_run]

We have moved away from an amateur game as a lot of counties now have semi to full professional setups. What do you expect to the counties in the lower divisions who still treat football like an amateur game? They are going to drift further and further away from the top teams and then they will see it as a waste of money investing because they are never going to catch up so what is the point? That is only one part of the problem, you need to have players that are going to dedicate themselves to it and that means putting in the hours training, eating right and other things being put on hold.

Anyway back to todays game.

I have only watched Down twice this season and in their game against Westmeath they were very lucky to stay in division 2. I felt Westmeath were too interested in goals rather than point and if it had been a normal season Down would have certainly went down to D3. They had moments in todays game but they were very brief and came when the game was won by Donegal. I would find it very difficult to find any positive from a Down perspective, it has been an awful season and Down are not offering anything - tactically they are shocking!

Donegal were good but it was a victory they didn't have to work hard for. Derry may offer a stronger challenge but I think Donegal might choke the life out of them in the first half. If Donegal were to play Monaghan or Tyrone next I wouldn't have fancied them. 

[StephenC]

A win is a win I suppose but we learned very little from it. We're still very open at the back and are likely to leak a lot of goals. Michael's injury is massive worry - even if it's just a precaution today, he clearly has an underlying problem.

Hard luck to Down. An upgrade to your kick-out strategy and some help for O'Hagan and the game would have a been a lot closer.

[Itchy]

Based on this game Derry will have a real chance against Donegal who have given up a serious amount of chances against a poor Down side.

I wouldn't give Derry much chance to be honest to beat Donegal in Ballybofe

Donegal will be rightful favourites. However that score line today does not tell the full story of the match. Down created 4 good goal chances whilst both their finishing and shot selection at times left a lot to be desired. Donegal raised more questions than answers from a defensive viewpoint. Whether Derry have the quality to beat them Im not sure but I do expect it will be an awful lot more competitive than today and it looks like Murphy will be out for a few weeks.

He's still smarting from Derry beating Cavan

* Full disclosure, Derry had been training 8 days a week for months and months 

I've a lot of time for Derry GAA, no issue with them at all. The post above said Donegal are vulnerable but I think that's wrong, it's over hyping Derry. We will see when game comes around won't we.

[Orior]

Prediction:

Armagh 1-18 Antrim 3-11

[Solo_run]

Prediction:

Armagh 1-18 Antrim 3-11

I bloody hope not. I really want Antrim to give Armagh a tough game but I think there is going to be a huge gulf in class. I anticipate Antrim to set up with a blanket defence and Armagh will work the ball patiently and build up a small lead in the first 15-20 minutes. After this Antrim will go man to man and Armagh will outscore them.

[imtommygunn]

Armagh 2-15 Antrim 1-10...