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I'm not sure about you men but I haven't been as excited about an Ulster championship game in a long time as I am about Donegal v Derry.

Sun is shining a packed house in Celtic Park what more could you want

The Preliminary Quarter Final is a balls too, no jeopardy, all about extra games, as you say probably TV rights, get beat in the first round of your Provincial Championship lose 2 matches in group stage and you could still be in a Preliminary Quarter Final , what a load of crap.

Prelim QF was conceived as a result of meaningless games in the final round of the Super 8, its to try and incentivise that final round of group games where the top 2 is already confirmed and bottom 2 is not

Nothing screams its fucked quite like Kerry playing the second tier of Hurling (Joe McDonagh) but aren't allowed to play in the Munster Championship. Long story short, 57 varieties

Worked well last year in 3 groups none of these games were meaningless!!

Kerry    5–24 – 0–11    Louth

Dublin    3–23 – 0–8    Sligo

Derry    1–19 – 1–13    Clare

Them games you mention still weren't dead rubbers as score difference was massive due to Cork, Mayo and Kerry finishing on 4 points.

It turned out Kildare beat Roscommon so score difference didnt matter there but that was a shock result.

And if Clare beat Derry then Monaghan or Donegal could topped the other group.

There was also serious drama with John Heslin with a free to knock Tyrone out of the championship and a late rally from Armagh resigning Galway to the Prelim Quarter finals.

Was great entertainment that last week especially with all the games at the one time.

Cavan team named.

No Killian Clarke, McLoughlin or McVeety in starting 15.

Would love to see Cavan win this but unfortunately I think Tyrone will win this by 8-10 points. Cavan struggle to score from open play and will struggle to keep all the Tyrone fires out.

Ie. Canavan, McCurry, McShane if he back on form.

Yeah only the 3-4 scored from open play last day out. Quite the struggle

4 points from play is not a great return haha.

3 goals from play however is very good, but the worrying thing is its not a common theme for Cavan to score goals but hopefully that's changing.

How many goals did they score in the league altogether 3 or 4?

Garavn Jones scored more from play in the Fermanagh game v Cavan that any Cavan player scored from pay in all 7 gmaes combined.

So there's definitely an issue with scoring from play for Cavan. But its championship now and trends can go out the window.

Well it's 7 scores from play in a gale force wind conditions, so it's ok considering that. Some of those goals would be chances that some would take points from, so good we've goals in us anyway.

Wouldn't be too concerned with that Fermanagh League game. We were clearly holding our water for 2 weeks after. They were playing for their lives and we had nothing to play for that day

I agree on the goals very encouraging to see them go for the juggler instead of fisting over the bar. True on the Fermanagh game aswell but these are just observations I've made i'm not criticizing as it was a great performance the last day despite this; bit of a step up again this weekend but you don't know what your gonna get with Tyrone.

Cavan team named.

No Killian Clarke, McLoughlin or McVeety in starting 15.

Would love to see Cavan win this but unfortunately I think Tyrone will win this by 8-10 points. Cavan struggle to score from open play and will struggle to keep all the Tyrone fires out.

Ie. Canavan, McCurry, McShane if he back on form.

Yeah only the 3-4 scored from open play last day out. Quite the struggle

4 points from play is not a great return haha.

3 goals from play however is very good, but the worrying thing is its not a common theme for Cavan to score goals but hopefully that's changing.

How many goals did they score in the league altogether 3 or 4?

Garvan Jones scored more from play in the Fermanagh game v Cavan that any Cavan player scored from pay in all 7 games combined.

So there's definitely an issue with scoring from play for Cavan. But its championship now and trends can go out the window.

Cavan team named.

No Killian Clarke, McLoughlin or McVeety in starting 15.

Would love to see Cavan win this but unfortunately I think Tyrone will win this by 8-10 points. Cavan struggle to score from open play and will struggle to keep all the Tyrone fires out.

Ie. Canavan, McCurry, McShane if he back on form.

He completely revolutionised tactics in gaelic football and had the tactical wherewithal and strength of personality to set a team up ultra defensively by playing zonal at the back. He didn't care one bit what anybody thought of him and probably still doesn't as it brought him an AI title that they would not have won if playing conventionally. The criticism only bolstered him and created a siege mentality that he seems to need. It was complete outside the box thinking at the time and very gutsy but don't pretend that it didn't set gaelic football back as a spectacle and which has never really recovered since then.

I don't think it was his aim to be ultra defensive because of some form of idealism, it was just that did whatever he thought was required to give them the best possible chance at winning. 

Managers do whatever they have to do to win.

Look at Ancelotti last night; they sat back in the lowest of low blocks played on the break and looked to frustrate City and took their chances on a penalty shootout.

Should we Chastise Ancellotti in the same fashion?

Any of you see Declan Bogues iinterview on OTB?

McGuinness still holds a grudge with him and wouldn't speak to journalists at the Ulster launch unless he left.

12 years ago and still holding a grudge he doesnt sway from his principles McGuinness.

That's ridiculous. All he did was interview a guy and write a book. McGuinness would want to wise up, its bad enough he will be remembered as the guy who destroyed football for a decade but does he want to be remembered as a bitter dick too?

No sure you can blame him for ruining football despite what the media would make out.

That Donegal side played some great football they shouldn't be defined by that Dublin game.

Its the copycat coaches who have no innovation that have 'ruined the game'.

I agree though it is a bit ridiculous from McGuinness; I think his issues are that he believes there were inaccuracies in the book. But hasnt specified what they were as far as I know.

Any of you see Declan Bogues iinterview on OTB?

McGuinness still holds a grudge with him and wouldn't speak to journalists at the Ulster launch unless he left.

12 years ago and still holding a grudge he doesnt sway from his principles McGuinness.

He wrote an article the week before the league final saying it would be a success if Derry get within 6 points of this amazing Dublin team. Since then he's made a few comments that it's only the league. Then on his podcast last week he said he'll support those Derry lads no matter what as they are giving everything for the jersey, it's just Mickey Harte he doesn't like, but a few months ago he was saying no Derry player is good enough to start the Dublin team. The quality just isn't there and processed football can only get you so far.

From a football point of view he wants nothing more than Dublin to hammer everyone and he can then somehow link it to Pat Gilroy.

As a Dungiven man I find it very hard to listen to him these days. He is a walking contradiction. He's not stupid and I suppose he is staying relevant as we are talking about him so he's probably achieving what he set out to do.

I struggle to listen to Brolly anymore too. Used to enjoy him but he comes across now as slightly unhinged. Uses his platforms to target those who he hates incl Derry players and strikes me as a man who is content when Derry lose, he's not a real supporter. It's pretty clear to me of those who he targets have all one thing in common, he's highly jealous of them. He only ever has one objective and that is to make everything about him!!

That last podcast annoyed my head and I usually like the podcasts. I'm 100% a GAA man 1st and foremost but the constant it's nothing unless the GAA do it is bollox. My lads go to the local soccer club and they're very much a community club and do a lot for the people in the area and are absolutely delighted that they had a load of lads and girls from the surrounding GAA clubs playing with them.
He hadn't even the humility to check the history of the people he mentioned in it. "Do you think Gary Neville and David Beckham give a shit about Man Utd after they left them?" No wonder people from other sports don't like the GAA

Yeah its cringeworthy stuff from Brolly.

Why cant we say how great one sport is without having to run down another.

Unless its rugby just to wind them up haha.

Does Rodgers get the credit he deserves?

He's been immense for Derry the past 3 years.

He has outperformed Glass (and Glass has been good) without getting the same credit always pops up with big scores too.

Glass has probably been better than him this year so far though. Rodgers was quiet enough until the league final but again had  a massive game when it mattered.

What does KPI stand for? 😂

Strikes me as a business term.

Any reason for Armagh playing in black jerseys?

Any excuse to show that masterpiece off.

Beautiful jersey.

Is it actually true the Derry lads wouldn't let Brolly into the dressing room as after Ulster win in 2022?

Brollys podcast is decent but he cuts across Fanning far too much and doesn't let him speak dunno how Fanning doesn't lose the plot with him.

Wouldn't be a fan of the remarks Brolly made about Harte or Conor Glass on the podcast either.

Some comments a bit disrespecting towards Atalanta here.

This is a side which have hit close to 100 goals in Serie A just a couple of seasons ago. Something unheard of in the league. Hit over 90 another season.

Not going as well as they were but Gasperini is a top class coach.

Meath need a Malachy O'Rourke type figure to come in and straighten them out.