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Very early days but Down were miles behind Donegal 2nite, never got close to them... gonna be a long year ahead!   

Unless any of Blueisland,6thSam or indeed any others sit on county board we are all wasting out keyboard time on something that we have no control over. Potential Down team for Sat night,anyone?

I would imagine something like this;

Kane
Magee
C Mc Govern
D O hagan  (if fit?)
O Hanlon
Carr
Boyle
P Turley
Mc Kernan
Maginn
Poland
Mooney
O Hare
Madine
Mc Conville.

I'd personally like to see G Mc Govern, N Mc Parland, R Johnson involved. And Clarke obviously! Is Jerome J. out injured?

Jesus Christ I've heard it all now. Down's fall from grace wasn't down to these factors:

- Armagh getting a once in a century crop of players.
- Tyrone doing likewise, and building an infrastructure to stay on the pedestal.
- Donegal and Monaghan matching that infrastructure and techniques.
- An unwillingness by a succession of Down senior managers to employ the necessary tactics to beat any of the teams above.
- That between 2000 and 2009, not one single Down player put in an individually outstanding season worthy of being nominated for an All Star.
- The shocking way that the players and management surrendered meekly in the back door for the first 5-6 years of the format.
- The abysmal lack of county team playing facilities in the county.
- The appalling youth structures that have delivered precisely 0 Ulster minor titles in 17 years.

No, apparently it's all due to club matches being played on Friday nights and county players getting a reduction in their demands during championship time.

f**king madness.

You might as well trace our failings back to the PIRA ceasefire of 1995, or the rise of the ROI soccer team during the early nineties.

I hate the internet because it means bonkers foolish shit like this actually gets aired for everyone to see.


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Re the starred system, it was created to protect the clubs who contribute to county football.

Before it happened, the club season was a horrendous, disjointed, never-ending mess of cancellations, postponements and objections. The deaths of distant club men were routinely used to force a postponement during the county season.

The playoffs, particularly the relegation playoffs, are the most vital part of this arrangement. Ultimately, these are used to decide among peers, who is most fit to stay in a division, when all things are equal in terms of commitments.

Trust me, the last thing Down football needs is a team that is awash with County players, dropping down to division 2. It is utterly demoralising for a D2 team to face them, and from a player development perspective is a huge step backwards.

Similarly you don't want a team with one outstanding talent, dropping into D4, as nobody will be able to mark him.

But the most important thing is that due to the starred system, and ONLY because of it, the leagues "proper" haven't gone past October in 20 years, and our summers have been stuffed full of club games throughout. It's been an extraordinary positive for club footballers.

See if you think playing football on Friday nights and boys drinking the head of themselves all weekend hasn't effected the county team then your heads clearly away with it..  The standard of club football has dropped dramatically in Down, especially in the lower divisions!

Gordan does not have a better kickout than Kane.Mason had a poor game against Derry in this years under 21 championship
Who out of today's team will start against Donegal in the first league game?

Team v Donegal

Kane
O hagan
Gerard McGovern
Magee
McKernan
CONNAL McGovern
Boyle
Turley
McKay
Maginn
Poland
Johnstone
Clarke
O hare
Mooney

Have I missed anyone

Magee at corner back isn't a good choice, not bad on the front foot, but the best attribute of a CB. should be tackling, and his most definitely isnt! If he plays there, any team with a half decent free taker will punish Down big time!

Madine and Shay Mc Ardle also started for UUJ. Quite a few players from Down playing with the university this year, which is only a good thing!

That's the squad that's named in the Gaelic Life, that's all I know.

S Kane, A Carr, Conall Mc Govern, D O Hanlon, D Turley, Gareth Johnston, Joe Mc Dermot,  M Poland, Michael Hughes, R Boyle, R Mallon, Sean Dornan, Cathal Doyle, P Turley, Packie Downey, Joe Murphy, Connaire Harrison, Malachy Magee, D O Hare, Kieran Gordon, Arthur Mc Conville, Barry O Hagan...

They are reporting that it's unlikely that Laverty will be back playing for Down.

See the Gaelic Life have the Down squad. named in it! Good few players missing due to university commitments... anybody know much about Conor Doyle, Sean Dornan Michael Hughes? No sign of Darryl or Aaron Brannigan which is disappointing, good to see Ryan Mallon back involved tho. Is Ciaran Mc Cartan playing for Queens?

Only few days left until start of the season for Down, albeit the Mc Kenna, with little or no buzz about the year ahead. Still no word on Mc Kenna Cup panel or even training panel, to atleast give fans something to get to interested about, and with Div 1 and defending Ulster champions to face later on in year... very flat indeed!

Still no word on the Down squad yet? See Antrim and Donegal both named there Mc Kenna Cup squads yesterday. Anyone know many of the new  players called in??

Remember him playing CHF for Down minor team few years back, looked a good talent then!

All very quiet on the County front, no word of Down naming the training panel, the way Derry have?

Just reading preview of the Loughinisland game 2mar, do neither of the O' Reilly's play for them anymore?

I think the issues are more than just midfield.

We aren't too bad for keepers, Kane, Harrison Cunningham should suffice here depending on who is in the best form and can adhere to tactics.

We could do with a couple of corner backs and a commanding fullback.  Two or three of the Brannigan brothers would be worth a try for the corner back spots and Gerard McGovern is worth a shot a full back although I would slightly worry about pace with him.

I'd love to see Darren O Hagan and Ryan Johnston played as athletic, adventurous wing backs who at the same time would still have the pace to defend properly.  With our difficulties in defence we could do with a Cian O Sullivan type sweeper, Conor Garvey has the potential to play such role or maybe Peter Turley.

Midfield as said is a world of trouble and even in his 30s Dan Gordon is in a league of his own in Down and the new manager should again try to accommodate him in whatever way is required to get him back.  I'd play McKernan beside him for a few reasons. a) he has played his best football for Down there b) he isn't disciplined enough to play in defence and c) as shown twice against Kilcoo this year he is too easily marked in the forward line.

If Marty comes back then a lot patience will need to be shown to him but hopefully come championship time he could be back to his brilliant best.  I'd love two athletic, tall wing forwards who could get up and  down the field and also be kickout options.  Ryan Mallon is a possibility here but I'm struggling for another one.  Possibly Ryan Johnston with Ciaran McCartan or Garvey at wing back.

IMO Jerome is the most dangerous and potent forward in the county at min and is a must in the FF line ahead of O Hare and Laverty.  I'd give Shay McArdle a go beside him or even Arthur is worth a look from the start for a few games.  Laverty or O hare depending on who fills the role better would then be in the other corner drifting out to play as a second playmaker beside Marty.

Some of yas would probably rip that team to shreds but it's all about opinions.

I don't have much knowledge of div 2 or 3 admittedly and if there are players there worth a look then great.  However without trying to sound condescending (which I probably will anyway), scoring 2-4 in a junior final isn't going to excite me greatly. Ok lets see if he has improved from his previous stint with the county but I won't be holding my breath.

As for the first division the majority of the players that should be there are there give or take a few with the Brannigans etc.  Joe Murphy might be worth a look but he is too small for midfield at county level and not sure he has the defensive or self discipline to play wing half back.  Still prob worth a look though.

Finally I like the appointment of James as minor manager but would hope he has a selector who is either in the schools system or experience at watching minor football for the last few years.

I'd love to see O Hagan playing at WHB. but then come the Monaghan game he's the best option to pick up Conor Mc Manus.

Gordon/Kane
O'Hagan
Garvey
D Brannigan
R Mallon
N Mc Parland
Aaron Brannigan
D Gordan
K Mc Kernan
R Johnston
M Clarke
C Mooney
J Johnson
S Mc Ardle
C Mc Cartan (playing as sweeper)

Hard to leave Laverty and O Hare out, but options off the bench...
ridicule away! 

Great job umpire!