NFL Division 1 2024

[Rossfan]

Going by number if Clubs we are the real minnows in Div 1.

[Hound]

Is that the big title that nobody cares about anymore.Back 10/15yrs ago, it might meant something, but with the Championship now on top of the league, it's importance is greatly diminished. I rather beat Fermanagh in Ulster than beat, Dublin in a Div 2 final.

Division 1 league is a national title and well worth winning, and something any player (and fan) should be proud of.

Division 2 league title is a completely different story and pretty meaningless. From a Dublin perspective it will be treated as good preparation for the championship and the players that are picked will be going full tilt for the win.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

[Applesisapples]

Attitude in the widest possible sense, league should have been targeted as very very winnable.

I don't think it wasn't that we didn't target it, we just fell short due to negative unsuitable tactics, an inability to close games out and injuries to some key players. Donaghy even said as much after the Galway match when he said that they'd hoped to be in a position travelling to Omagh knowing that a win there would guarantee them a League final. The Galway result ended that aspiration though. The margins were very fine but it was a missed opportunity nonetheless. I don't think Armagh will win an All Ireland but could have won a League title.

Unfortunately Armagh are some way short of being serious contenders at the moment. Last years run has maybe given us false hope. There are different opinions on the reasons for this. There is probably enough talent, not withstanding the age of forker, soupy and some others. perhaps a different voice is needed?

Serious contenders for Sam? Yes, probably. I would say that Kerry are out in front and after that only Galway, Dublin and possibly Mayo (though the jury is still out on them) can win it. A bit behind that you have Tyrone, Derry, ourselves and Roscommon all of whom could reach a semi final depending on the draw. However we can realistically still hope to win an Ulster title. It depends on how we recover mentally from the blow of relegation, how many injuries we get cleared up and whether management can get us back playing to a similar tactical gameplan to last summer. Management can control the mental recovery and tactical adjustments required but after that we could do with the return of a few players from injury. Morgan, Oisin O'Neill, Crealey and Murnin being the most important of those as we still have a huge deficiency in midfield. I don't know if any or all of these will be fit for an Ulster campaign but there are big question marks over Morgan and O'Neill at least.   

I believe Morgan played in the league last Friday against Killeavy.

[naka]

Morgan and crealey should be fit for the Antrim game
Not sure about Conor o Neill
And no updates on other o neills nor murnin but tbf it's over a week away

[Armagh18]

Morgan and crealey should be fit for the Antrim game
Not sure about Conor o Neill
And no updates on other o neills nor murnin but tbf it's over a week away

Rian likely ok but may not be risked. Murnin likely out for Antrim.

[Captain Obvious]

Lots of talk about Monaghan and rightly so about how well they do in comparison to their small population, would be interesting to see a table of male adult playing numbers in every county (suspect one doesn't exist).

I'm sure there must be at table ranking counties by the amount of football clubs they have?

They went a bit mad with the amount of clubs to have in Cork.

[Eire90]

national league a better title than connaght or munster where you can win only two games  from the start and be champions

[Eire90]

if they ever get rid of league finals their should be a rule that there will be a playoff if top teams have same points i dont like deciding titles on point/goal differences.

[tyrone08]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

Probably a good job he doesn't speak that often as this is a bit unbelievable. Facts are they lost 5 games majority of which weren't narrow losses, they them got rid of their manager and the next day out instead of proving themselves they got hammered by Roscommon.


Circling the wagon is grand but at some point they have to look at themselves and hold themselves accountable.

All that rant has done is place a higher expectation of their shoulders that they are going to come out and win the next game.

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

Probably a good job he doesn't speak that often as this is a bit unbelievable. Facts are they lost 5 games majority of which weren't narrow losses, they them got rid of their manager and the next day out instead of proving themselves they got hammered by Roscommon.


Circling the wagon is grand but at some point they have to look at themselves and hold themselves accountable.

All that rant has done is place a higher expectation of their shoulders that they are going to come out and win the next game.

Against Down. Plus they were missing several players during the League.

[naka]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

Probably a good job he doesn't speak that often as this is a bit unbelievable. Facts are they lost 5 games majority of which weren't narrow losses, they them got rid of their manager and the next day out instead of proving themselves they got hammered by Roscommon.


Circling the wagon is grand but at some point they have to look at themselves and hold themselves accountable.

All that rant has done is place a higher expectation of their shoulders that they are going to come out and win the next game.

Tbf I read it as in us agsinst the rest
The championship game against Down is winnable and if they do then they have Armagh or Cavan neither of which would strike fear into them.

[tyrone08]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

Probably a good job he doesn't speak that often as this is a bit unbelievable. Facts are they lost 5 games majority of which weren't narrow losses, they them got rid of their manager and the next day out instead of proving themselves they got hammered by Roscommon.


Circling the wagon is grand but at some point they have to look at themselves and hold themselves accountable.

All that rant has done is place a higher expectation of their shoulders that they are going to come out and win the next game.

Tbf I read it as in us agsinst the rest
The championship game against Down is winnable and if they do then they have Armagh or Cavan neither of which would strike fear into them.

would it not have been best coming in under the radar after a string of poor performance instead of making excuses like narrow defeats. Now after getting rid of their manager and if the injuries clear up and down beat them it's all on the players

[seafoid]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

Probably a good job he doesn't speak that often as this is a bit unbelievable. Facts are they lost 5 games majority of which weren't narrow losses, they them got rid of their manager and the next day out instead of proving themselves they got hammered by Roscommon.


Circling the wagon is grand but at some point they have to look at themselves and hold themselves accountable.

All that rant has done is place a higher expectation of their shoulders that they are going to come out and win the next game.

Tbf I read it as in us agsinst the rest
The championship game against Down is winnable and if they do then they have Armagh or Cavan neither of which would strike fear into them.

would it not have been best coming in under the radar after a string of poor performance instead of making excuses like narrow defeats. Now after getting rid of their manager and if the injuries clear up and down beat them it's all on the players

It sounded like a message to the fans. If McBrearty and the others had been fit would they have been relegated ?
Even being relegated isn't much of a deal these days. The championship is where it's at.

[Blowitupref]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/2023/03/28/mcbrearty-insists-donegal-will-be-a-different-proposition-in-the-ulster-sfc/

McBrearty suggests the squad will be circling the wagons now and adopting that trusty 'us against the world' approach ahead of their Ulster quarter-final against Down on April 23rd.

"We have to, because as a panel of players we have been through the mill of it this year between injuries and narrow losses and we are going to have to create a siege mentality because there's a lot of people inside the county that don't want to see us do well.

"Listen, there are a lot of arrows in the back there, coming from a lot of places. We're sticking together, media, supporters, they don't know what goes on in the dressingroom and they never really will either.

"They can speculate all they want but those lads, the 35 lads in there, will stick together; we don't really care what anyone else says, to be honest with you."

Probably a good job he doesn't speak that often as this is a bit unbelievable. Facts are they lost 5 games majority of which weren't narrow losses, they them got rid of their manager and the next day out instead of proving themselves they got hammered by Roscommon.


Circling the wagon is grand but at some point they have to look at themselves and hold themselves accountable.

All that rant has done is place a higher expectation of their shoulders that they are going to come out and win the next game.

Mayo, Roscommon matches was almost a carbon copy. Both matches Donegal was competitive for 15 minutes only to find themselves 5 points behind at half time and lost by 11,12 points.


Fine that McBrearty calling for a siege mentality now but they'll need to find scorers (more than just him returning) to make any impact in the championship. Just 11 points per game average in the league and only one goal which was a penalty.