Derry Club Football & Hurling original

[OakLeaf]

Just boils my piss that ones think we've a divine right to beating the likes of these  teams, at the minute Armagh and Donegal the main contenders and we've just been beat by one

We definitely don't have a devine right to be beating anybody, but jesus we should be a lot better than we've shown this past couple of games. Were not at Armagh or Donegals level this year but this squad is capable to giving either of those two a decent game. The reality is that game this evening could easily have been a 10 to 15 point defeat. Were definitely more capable than that.

[JoG2]

Derry barely blooded any new players during the league, 5-15mins here and there. Young Sargent comes on the nite but what that say to other lads training all yr and barely tried. Didnt see the goal to i got home but theres no way that should found the net. Derry stood of Armagh in the tackle and on the couple good breaks they got, they hadnt the speed to complete a score. They miles off what they were 3/4yrs ago.

The same young Sargent who has battled back from an ACL and has trained with the panel for months, waiting for the extended sign off to play with a lesser chance of a repeat injury? Has put in probably more hours than anyone else rehabbing to get ready to get mins for our senior County team?

A disappointing night, time catches up with us all and it seems to have cast its shadow on a few of our regular big hitters who have put in serious work over the past 7/8 years, through some serious lows and highs.
Not sure how the rest of this season will play out tbh, but a plum home tie starting a few younger men, introducing a few older heads, with a win would lift the mood 🥳

[JoG2]

Just boils my piss that ones think we've a divine right to beating the likes of these  teams, at the minute Armagh and Donegal the main contenders and we've just been beat by one

We definitely don't have a devine right to be beating anybody, but jesus we should be a lot better than we've shown this past couple of games. Were not at Armagh or Donegals level this year but this squad is capable to giving either of those two a decent game. The reality is that game this evening could easily have been a 10 to 15 point defeat. Were definitely more capable than that.

In another reality, we could have went in level, against the wind if we'd taken our chances. Wind in the 2nd half was, maybe like our play at times, all over the show. Confidence, even with players who have had success is a fickle thing, and in front of a very partisan crowd , amplified.

[Topmarks]

We don't have a define right to beat anyone at this point. But I would hope after 4 weeks we could put together a performance to really challenge for a win. We are no minnows with most of that team with Ulster and Div 1 medals, but we look a team that has maybe peaked and are now going in the other direction. Did we really fire a shot at Armagh tonight, were they ever really rattled and think the win was in doubt? I don't think so.

To be fair to Meenagh it is natural that in his first year back he would look to the boys that had success with him previously, but in the cold light of day a fair few of them are not playing at the same level. Here's hoping for a home draw and a big game or two before the season is over because I think that's the best we can hope for this year.

[Wildweasel74]

You have to expect Derry to show championship intensity they dont, theres no excuse for that. Thats why Monaghan made up a 11pt difference. Monaghan showed plenty of intensity in the Ulster final against Armagh, what we bring the nite? In the first 2 mins McGuigan through on goal with a player ahead in a even better position. He kicked it high and wide from less than 20m out.

[Interstellar]

Squad development has suffered due to the turnover of managers over the last 3 years. Every new man in was looking for quick success and not willing to take a risk bringing younger players in. Whoever the manager is they'll need time to rebuild this team as the current version is past its sell buy date and so are the tactics.

Regarding being a top team I would say the talent is there. Ask anyone outside the county and they would say Derry are the perennial underachievers.

[Wildweasel74]

Did anybody watch the minors last nite? Derry U20 v Tyrone, all the Derry teams are playing the same way. Then go watch Kerry, Galway, Armagh, Donegal and even Roscommon. None of these teams play like this. All use quick counter acts. And actually kick the ball. Donegal play a simlar handpassing game but are fast on the counterattack and got alot of power around midfield too.

[Topmarks]

Did anybody watch the minors last nite? Derry U20 v Tyrone, all the Derry teams are playing the same way. Then go watch Kerry, Galway, Armagh, Donegal and even Roscommon. None of these teams play like this. All use quick counter acts. And actually kick the ball. Donegal play a simlar handpassing game but are fast on the counterattack and got alot of power around midfield too.

I agree and it's a brutal watch. The new rules reward attacking teams and we haven't adapted at all.

We did play like this when we won our Ulsters but with a few caveats, we were full throttle, pace on every line, had an edge to our game, less miles on the clock and played with a belief and confidence that we were a top team.

I read we had a 30% success rate in the first half from our shots on goal. So with all of our slow sideways hand passing we still created chances and a fair few of them were handy enough. The best tactic is still putting scores on the board and if we don't have boys to do that we won't go much further.

[screenexile]

This team and management are going nowhere or maybe even going backwards. Tactically inept,  totally outplayed, cleaned out at midfield (although supposedly had the best midfield in the country), no squad depth, no-one who can kick a long range free or 2 pointer and some players that look like they need time away from the game (I won't name them). There is no progression or development here just the same old issues. Back to the bad old days when you just want the season to end soon.

We weren't cleaned out at midfield we won 16 to their 12 and probably did better than any other MF against them.

I'm just a bit annoyed about the lack of something a bit different in our play. Armagh had us at arms length and we didn't really seem to go for it. I thought our leaders weren't great at driving forward with purpose as they have done in the past.

Glass, Rogers and McKinless were ok but didn't drive at them. Shane, Loughlin and Ethan weren't ok. Ethan missed that shot in the first half and just fell out of the game then which was disapponting.

We're still in it though and I think the footballs there. At the minute it's probably a mixture of the players still lacking in confidence along with a management team not fully adapted to the changes and a lack of depth used the past few years. I'm not giving up just yet a favourable draw could be just the thing we need. 🤞🏻

[Topmarks]

Is it fair to question how we are coaching how to attack and it feels like this has been the case for a long time.

Everything needs to be so precise with boys weaving in and out, and back door cuts etc. It has and prob will create us a few goal chances per game but there is no variety to what we do. It seems to me that its pretty much all on Ethan to make the half break and deliver these precise passes to mainly Murray to go at the black spot.

I don't think it's possible to change in the next couple of weeks but it's something we need to really look at because the slow possession based attack is not working or hurting the better teams.

On another note our shooting has been woeful for most of the year. I don't know how many wides and shorts we have hit in the 3 championship matches played but we most be one of the most inefficient teams in Ireland. Plenty to mull over and no easy fixes. I'm also not sure what the policy is when selecting our underage teams but looking at the 20s and minors, we seem to prioritise playing a team of half backs, we either don't have natural forwards or don't want to pick them because they are not hitting whatever metric they look for.

[marty34]

Is it fair to question how we are coaching how to attack and it feels like this has been the case for a long time.

Everything needs to be so precise with boys weaving in and out, and back door cuts etc. It has and prob will create us a few goal chances per game but there is no variety to what we do. It seems to me that its pretty much all on Ethan to make the half break and deliver these precise passes to mainly Murray to go at the black spot.

I don't think it's possible to change in the next couple of weeks but it's something we need to really look at because the slow possession based attack is not working or hurting the better teams.

On another note our shooting has been woeful for most of the year. I don't know how many wides and shorts we have hit in the 3 championship matches played but we most be one of the most inefficient teams in Ireland. Plenty to mull over and no easy fixes. I'm also not sure what the policy is when selecting our underage teams but looking at the 20s and minors, we seem to prioritise playing a team of half backs, we either don't have natural forwards or don't want to pick them because they are not hitting whatever metric they look for.

It wouldn't be far away from 50 wides, would it? If you take dropoed shots into consideration also. Somebody probably has the correct stat.

But the wides sucks the life of a team. Especially the big high and wild ones that don't even stay within the width of the ball catcher. 

[jb77]

Is it fair to question how we are coaching how to attack and it feels like this has been the case for a long time.

Everything needs to be so precise with boys weaving in and out, and back door cuts etc. It has and prob will create us a few goal chances per game but there is no variety to what we do. It seems to me that its pretty much all on Ethan to make the half break and deliver these precise passes to mainly Murray to go at the black spot.

I don't think it's possible to change in the next couple of weeks but it's something we need to really look at because the slow possession based attack is not working or hurting the better teams.

On another note our shooting has been woeful for most of the year. I don't know how many wides and shorts we have hit in the 3 championship matches played but we most be one of the most inefficient teams in Ireland. Plenty to mull over and no easy fixes. I'm also not sure what the policy is when selecting our underage teams but looking at the 20s and minors, we seem to prioritise playing a team of half backs, we either don't have natural forwards or don't want to pick them because they are not hitting whatever metric they look for.

Over 50 misses across the 3 games, that's our biggest issue tbh. Derry won the majority of its own kickouts and the majority of Armaghs, that's a good a platform. 14 turnovers and 17 or so misses quickly destroys all hope.

Would like Meath or Louth in the next round to see if they can right a wrong, if they can't then so be it

[93-DY-SAM]

We have no intensity to our play with or without the ball. These lads have been through the wringer over the last few years and you'd think that was motivation for them but it just doesn't seem to be the case.

Compare how Armagh turned things around when everything seamed to be going against them. It made them mentally stronger. We don't seem to have that. Most probably due to all the managerial chaos of the last few years. Was hoping Ciaran would in-still that bit of steel again. I wouldn't be writing him off yet by any stretch but we need to see some kind of an improvement physically and mentally in the next game - We'll prob draw Kerry.

[Stickittotheman]

After sleeping on it last night maybe it was unfair for us to have expected Meenagh to just automatically have propelled the team back to their former selves. We have had a shocking record these past couple of years since the League final. Confidence needs built back slowly and there are going to be bumps along the way.

We were flat yesterday which can happen, sometimes that's just the way it goes. I do think though we need to make some adjustments. With Higgins back we can move Glass back to his more natural 8 position. Rogers needs to be let play a lot more freely. He is doing man marking jobs that are leaving us without his class going forward. McEvoy should move back to 3 or 6 and McKinless or Forbes used off the bench as impact subs. McKinless could be a great man to bring on in the last 30 mins.

The keeper position is a problem still although McGuckin has filled in admirably. Yesterday it didn't click in attack and some look short of confidence. But with Cassidy who can hit 2 pointers, Loughlin who is good for a goal, McGuigan who surely can't play as badly again and Murray who is a real talent, Wouldn't be writing us off.

All that said we probably draw Kerry in Killarney next.

[NotedObserver]

After sleeping on it last night maybe it was unfair for us to have expected Meenagh to just automatically have propelled the team back to their former selves. We have had a shocking record these past couple of years since the League final. Confidence needs built back slowly and there are going to be bumps along the way.

We were flat yesterday which can happen, sometimes that's just the way it goes. I do think though we need to make some adjustments. With Higgins back we can move Glass back to his more natural 8 position. Rogers needs to be let play a lot more freely. He is doing man marking jobs that are leaving us without his class going forward. McEvoy should move back to 3 or 6 and McKinless or Forbes used off the bench as impact subs. McKinless could be a great man to bring on in the last 30 mins.

The keeper position is a problem still although McGuckin has filled in admirably. Yesterday it didn't click in attack and some look short of confidence. But with Cassidy who can hit 2 pointers, Loughlin who is good for a goal, McGuigan who surely can't play as badly again and Murray who is a real talent, Wouldn't be writing us off.

All that said we probably draw Kerry in Killarney next.

McKinless off the bench now all fit would be one of their best impacts. Murray would be some player to come on against tired legs but not many teams have the luxury that Armagh have of leaving Oisin Oneill on bench. Derry need the easiest of draws to help get the show on the road