AISF Aug 23rd Tyrone v Cork

[Zulu]

Lynch coming back there will be a big help to the FB line Indiana, as for the midfield, I can't understand why some people think Tyrone might struggle there because the Cork midfield is the worst left in the championship. I'll be shocked in Murphy isn't taken off after getting cleaned and O'Connor is a very average footballer. However Cork have players to come in for every line of the field so they aren't dependent on anyone having a great game to win. Cork are a fairly young team though and many of their players will have never experienced the intensity Tyrone bring, if they can handle that they have a great chance IMO.

[Hardy]

ok maybe cork didn't maul limerick( with their all men behind the ball tatic)

When it comes to men behind the ball, they ain't seen nothin' yet.

want cork in the final cork would enjoy giving kerry some pay back for the final in 07

Ahem ...

[marym]

Cork were missing Lynch, O Leary and Miskella  against Limerick. Miskella in one of the  most important players in this team.

[Fuzzman]

Silly question time.

If a player crouchs down on all fours behind a midfielder and the midfielder falls over him. Is that a foul?

[INDIANA]

Cork were missing Lynch, O Leary and Miskella  against Limerick. Miskella in one of the  most important players in this team.

Can miskella defend though? Thats yet to be answered. Sure he's great going forward but I've a theory about half backs who spend their entire time playing like auxilliary wing forwards.

[marym]

Well I think Declan O Sullivan knows all about Miskella as  a defender.

[rrhf]

Will the best "boys" in Cork be good enough?  Despite sickly media fawning over their performances this season, Tyrone really havent visited the intensity required since September 08, for  70.  This intensity and an unproven ability (yet) to play for 70 could be Tyrones downfall this year  
Lets  get one thing straight, v better forwards than kildares and Tyrone were probably gone at half time in the quarter final.  What stands out to all though is the 35th to the 45th minute - how good was that, sublime yes, sustainable - no? its no fecking good if ye cant sustain the bursts.  
I would expect Cork to be even better than Kildare - harder, more mobile and clever.  Mc Geeney hurt because he felt he had Tyrone and let it slip, this come from a man who wouldnt exaggerate that fact, because he has been well beaten, narrowly defeated, drawn and won against Tyrone - hes had the fully myriad of experiences against Tyrone - more than any other individual in Ireland.  
Now heres the issue -  Was that wily old dodger Counihan watching Kildare...... unlocking the door, and forgetting to take the loot.  What Conor Counihan learned about Tyrone and his ability to devise the proper series of tactics, could well be the difference come Sunday at 5 00. For too long Cork lacked tactics.  They played football without thought, like Galway, Donegal etc and lots more.  Tyrone say they want more titles - their greatness already assured, they play football with thought (c) yet Sunday might go to the hungrier team.  Fascinating battle.    






"Football with thought" (c2003) Tyrone GAA. 

[INDIANA]

Well I think Declan O Sullivan knows all about Miskella as  a defender.

True but when your midfield is being cleaned out like kerrys- half forwards spend most of the game defending anyway. I think Tyrone won't be as bad as kerry at midfield.

[Fuzzman]

From the Irish Indo

Since 1991, Mickey Harte has nurtured Tyrone sides from youth to senior and the production line just keeps rolling

SUCCESS leaves clues but you don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to discover the basis for Tyrone's production line of All-Ireland winners.

Patience, vision, determination, hard work and a long-term view which is at variance with the shifting sands of GAA county politics -- these are the elements on which the Tyrone football ethos is based.

They are not sexy, not 'fast-fix' methods to suit the microwave age, but enduring qualities that work over the long term.

And then there's the 'X factor', the longevity of the relationship between manager Mickey Harte and the majority of his team.

Of the players on duty for Tyrone in the recent All-Ireland quarter-final against Kildare, eight have travelled the road through heartbreak, success, further devastating loss, and ultimate glory alongside Harte since 1997.

They are Ciaran Gourley, Brian McGuigan, Pascal McConnell, Kevin Hughes, Stephen O'Neill, Owen Mulligan, Enda McGinley, and Michael McGee.

A further four -- Joe McMahon, Conor Gormley, Philip Jordan and Davy Harte-- signed on in time to claim their place in the county annals during Harte's time as the Tyrone U-21 manager.

And that does not take into account the late, great Cormac McAnallen and Paul McGirr who were taken from their families and team-mates at a cruelly early age.

It's still remarkable for any county to have 12 players of a squad of 30 on duty three weeks ago that have forged their careers in tandem with the humble man from Ballygawley who is the top football coach in Ireland right now.

testament

That alone is a great testament to the Tyrone football culture as personified by Mickey Harte and the team he has built and readjusted since claiming the Red Hands' first All-Ireland senior title in 2003.

Consider, too, that Harte has been at the coalface as a manager for Tyrone since 1991 when he started out with the county minor team, and you appreciate the depth of the foundations laid in the home of the All-Ireland champions.

Counties such as Dublin and Mayo, who expect far more of their senior teams than they have delivered for many years, would do well to ponder the template set out by Harte and Tyrone.

The Northern side have looked the most structured and cohesive team in the country and have dealt capably with every challenge posed by the opposition to date this summer.

Kerry have limped along before hitting the heights against a dismal Dublin side which in turn had promised far more than it was able to deliver when it came to the crunch.

Mayo also flattered to deceive; Cork are looking solid but will soon get a comprehensive NCT of their roadworthiness when they play Tyrone; and Meath are the shock team of the championship.

Football and sport don't always follow the form book, but none of these counties can match Tyrone in having the core of their squad bonded by passion and loyalty to the manager who nurtured them from their teens.

It's a fascinating relationship and Harte took time out from the build-up to the Cork game to reflect on the journey so far.

If there was one key factor, one turning point, Harte identifies it as the opportunity he had to stay working with the boys of '97 and '98 beyond their minor years.

"Well I suppose there's no guarantee that any particular template will work but I suppose the more significant thing was that I got to work with the 97/98 minors for three years at U-21 level.

"That was significant. I was able to continuously work with them.

"After '98, I had them in the U-21s from 1999 through to 2002 and those sides which won All-Irelands in 1998 with the minors, and 2000 and 2001 with the U-21s, came through to win the senior All-Ireland in 2003.

"Whatever about the statistics in relation to the Kildare game, the big statistic for me was that 13 of the 2003 All-Ireland winning panel came through from the '97/98 panels.

"Statistics show that, even if you have a successful minor team, 10 years later only two will be regulars in a county senior team.

"In other words, if you have a squad of 18-year-olds, when they're 28, you will, on average, have only two players in your senior side.

"So that was an amazing number of players to come through the ranks," he said.

The question then had to be posed: Was it down to you, the individual leader, or the inherent talent of the players which brought them through from underage football to the pinnacle of their achievements to date?

"I think it's a bit of everything. I think the most important thing from my perspective is that I would look back at the patience of the county board," said Harte.

"They had the vision to see what they were getting and to let it develop. What they were getting was players who were applying the best practice in learning and preparation and it took time.

"The teams were not necessarily bringing home cups and trophies but were doing things well. They evolved into a group of players who were applying the best practice and eventually the trophies came as well.

"To reach that stage required proper structures and (having) a system in place, creating the kind of player who will sustain the teams for the longer term. And then, they are a special group of players. Apart from football they had to cope with the hand of life they were dealt at a young age.

"Paul McGirr's death; Cormac. Kevin Hughes had a brother and sister killed; others in the group lost relatives.

"John Devine's father died just before the All-Ireland (final) last year, so there was a lot to deal with but these boys came through it all," he said.

Eighteen years as a team manager, almost seven of them in charge of the Tyrone senior side, and Harte retains his own enthusiasm at a high level.

He believes players should continue developing, and he highlights Brian Dooher as a great example.

"Brian Dooher is the epitome of a player improving as he gets older, but it's also up to me to keep improving myself.

"I have to change and I have to be open to change and be continuously thinking of doing things in a different way.

"As long as I do that, the players will realise that it's incumbent on them to develop as well," he said.

Harte admires the qualities of his players and his teams, but he doesn't do sentiment when it comes to the highest good of the cause.

Players don't get brownie points for longevity, and if they're out of form or the tactical situation requires it, out they go.

'The team always comes first' is Harte's Law, as he has proved at various stages, most notably by leaving stalwarts such as Brian McGuigan, Owen Mulligan and Stephen O'Neill out of his starting line-up for the All-Ireland final against Kerry last year.

So how does the relationship work, particularly with the long-serving players?

"It's an ongoing process -- they have grown up while I've grown old.

"We have a good relationship. We can have the banter but there's good respect on both sides and everyone knows when the banter has to stop and it's time to do the work," said Harte.

Ah, yes, the work. Physical fitness, agility and strength conditioning are honed to the highest level possible, utilising team sessions and private work the players are required to do on their own, but Harte doesn't believe in slog for the sake of it.

"It has always been our philosophy starting with the minors, that the ball was king.

"Our sessions will be 90pc ball-work. Occasionally we'll work without it, but rarely, because it's much easier and useful to do everything we can do with the ball," he said.

Tyrone's senior squad chases a successful defence of their All-Ireland title but within the county the schools system, the coaching and development panels are all being tuned to bring through the future generations of Tyrone footballers.

A fabulous and comprehensive centre of excellence, to cost around €8m, is to open in Garvaghy by 2014, but the flame of hero-worship is burning brightly within Tyrone.

"There's already a lot of coaching going on in schools and clubs and it gives an opportunity for coaches to learn ways of doing things well, and to bring on the next generation.

"Young fellas are taking the cues from their own heroes in their clubs, and the present team is building a legacy for new players to come.

cracked

"But you can never take this for granted and say this is the whole deal, that we have it cracked.

"All you can do is say we have been in good places in the last number of years and if we want to stay there, we need new players, new ideas, and new attitudes," said Harte.

Talk of development and future plans pales into insignificance as the All-Ireland semi-final clash with Cork looms on the horizon, which is the next big challenge for Harte and his men.

"To be ready for the next day we know we have to work hard.

"The stark reality facing ourselves and Cork is that one team will be playing in September on the greatest day of the football year, and the other's season will be finished.

"You are always just one game way from being knocked off the pedestal, and we don't want that to happen against Cork," he said.

- liam kelly

[Aaron Boone]

Cork-Limerick is the key game for Tony Donnelly, Mickey Harte & us to analyse.

[marym]

Cork were missing half the defence that day so no point looking at that game.

[north down]

Really looking forward to this one but wouldn't read too much into who played well or badly against previous opposition - each game is a new and different challenge. Both teams are building up a head of steam and the outcome imo is really in the balance. The outcome may well come down to who can cope with the mental pressure on the day and this being the case my money is on Tyrone - they have proven that when the chips are down and they have taken a setback they can regain their focus and go onto win - a trait of true champions. Cork on the other hand are an unproven force (at least until final whistle on Sunday!).

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

From the Hoganstand.com:

First Cork-Tyrone clash for 36 years
17 August 2009

Rather surprisingly, Cork and Tyrone meet for only the second time in the GAA All- Ireland football championship when they clash in next Sunday's semi-final in Croke Park (3.30).

They previously met in 1973 when Cork won the All-Ireland semi-final by 5-10 to 2-4 en route to winning the All-Ireland title. Cork have played five games to reach the semi-final while Tyrone have played four. Cork last reached the final two years ago while Tyrone are the reigning All-Ireland champions and are attempting to reach the final for the fourth time this decade.

Paths to the semi-final
Cork
Cork 2-18 Waterford 1-7 (Munster quarter-final)
Cork 1-10 Kerry 0-13 (Munster semi-final)
Cork 1-17 Kerry 0-12 Kerry (Replay)
Cork 2-6 Limerick 0-11 (Munster final)
Cork 1-27 Donegal 2-10 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Average For: 1-17; Average Against: 1-10

Cork scorers
D O'Connor..........3-18 (0-12 frees, 2-0 pens)
D Goulding............1-15 (0-2 frees)
P Kerrigan............2-7
J Miskella..............0-9
P O'Neill..............1-4
C O'Neill...............0-6 (0-1 '45')
J Masters.............0-4
P Kelly..................0-3
F Goold................0-3
P Kissane.............0-2
P O'Flynn............0-2
G Canty...............0-2
F Lynch...............0-1
N O'Leary...........0-1
M Shields.............0-1

Tyrone
Tyrone 2-10 Armagh 1-10 (Ulster quarter-final)
Tyrone 0-15 Derry 0-7 (Ulster semi-final)
Tyrone 1-18 Antrim 0-15 (Ulster final)
Tyrone 0-16 Kildare 1-11 (All-Ireland quarter-final)
Average For: 1-14; Average Against: 1-10

Tyrone scorers
Stephen O'Neill..........1-11 (0-4 frees)
S Cavanagh................1-7
T McGuigan...............0-10 (0-7 frees)
O Mulligan..................0-7
M Penrose..................0-4 (0-1 free)
K Hughes...................0-4
B Dooher....................0-4
D Harte.......................0-3
Joe McMahon...........0-3 (0-1 '45)
C Gormley................1-0
B McGuigan...............0-2
Justin McMahon.......0-1
Sean O'Neill..............0-1
P Jordan....................0-1
R McMenamin..........0-1

All-Ireland Semi-finals in this decade Cork will be playing in their seventh All-Ireland semi-final this decade but have a poor record, having won just once when they beat Meath in 2007. They also drew one but lost four, all to Kerry. Tyrone have a 100 per cent semi-final record this decade having beaten Kerry, Armagh and Wexford. On each occasion they went on to win the All- Ireland final.

[Aaron Boone]

Cork's All-Ireland winning team from 1973 which had bate Tyrone by 15pts in the semi.
In the final Cork 3-17 bate Galway 2-13 for their first Sam since 1945.

1 B. Morgan (C) | 2 F. Cogan | 3 H. Kelleher | 4 B. Murphy | 5 K.J. O'Sullivan | 6 J. Coleman | 7 C. Hartnett | 8 D. Long | 9 D. Coughlan | 10 N. Kirby | 11 D. Barron | 12 D. McCarthy | 13 J. Barry-Murphy | 14 R. Cummins | 15 J. Barrett |
Subs used: D. Hunt for D. McCarthy | M. Scannell for D. Kelleher | S. Coughlan for J. Coleman |
Subs not used: N. Murphy | R. Wilmot | T. O'Brien |
Coach: D. O'Donovan

[loughshore lad]

All-Ireland Semi-finals in this decade Cork will be playing in their seventh All-Ireland semi-final this decade but have a poor record, having won just once when they beat Meath in 2007. They also drew one but lost four, all to Kerry. Tyrone have a 100 per cent semi-final record this decade having beaten Kerry, Armagh and Wexford. On each occasion they went on to win the All- Ireland final.

Very interesting stat above.  Its hard to say if this Cork team is any better than what has went before.  Until they beat one of the top teams in a knock out game in Croker the jury is out on them in my opinion.  Wouldnt be convinced by their defence.  As good as Lynch is will he be fit and more importantly match sharp, the other 2 corner backs are there to be exploited in my opinion.  Miskella had a field day against Donegal when Rory Kavanagh gave him very little to think about from either an offensive or defensive perspective sunday could be a different. As ever the Tyrone selection and line out will be intriguing.  Noises I am hearing from the camp is that the team will be unchanged.