Cork v Donegal Semi Final

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAjQrnImT_k

Jimmys winning matches 

[screenexile]

Does anyone have an insight to the training Donegal have been doing as their level of fitness is seriously unreal?

Only heard bits and pieces but apparently they run from the top 21 to the bottom 21 and back. 2 groups so you get a rest while the other group run and you're expected to be in and around the 30 second mark for it.

It stands to reason as you can see Mark McHugh pick up the ball in his own 21 and charge up to the far one numerous times during a game, then he charges straight back to his own 21 again. Maybe not as much as 12 times a game but if he can do 12 in training he can easily do 8/9/10 in a match!

[Tubberman]

Does anyone have an insight to the training Donegal have been doing as their level of fitness is seriously unreal?

Only heard bits and pieces but apparently they run from the top 21 to the bottom 21 and back. 2 groups so you get a rest while the other group run and you're expected to be in and around the 30 second mark for it.

It stands to reason as you can see Mark McHugh pick up the ball in his own 21 and charge up to the far one numerous times during a game, then he charges straight back to his own 21 again. Maybe not as much as 12 times a game but if he can do 12 in training he can easily do 8/9/10 in a match!

And according to Pat Spillane, at least one of them was ordered to eat 8 meals a day to put on weight!

[Armamike]

Well done to Donegal.  You have a county team to be proud of.

This team now is the polar opposite of previous Donegal sides (i wouldn't call them teams) up until 2 years ago.  Hard to get the head around the transformation.  McGuiness and Gallagher etc deserve great credit, as do the players for buying in to the new regime.  It's probably the greatest turnaround with the same bunch of players since Heffernan took over the Dubs in the early 70s.

[thewobbler]

Does anyone have an insight to the training Donegal have been doing as their level of fitness is seriously unreal?

Only heard bits and pieces but apparently they run from the top 21 to the bottom 21 and back. 2 groups so you get a rest while the other group run and you're expected to be in and around the 30 second mark for it.

It stands to reason as you can see Mark McHugh pick up the ball in his own 21 and charge up to the far one numerous times during a game, then he charges straight back to his own 21 again. Maybe not as much as 12 times a game but if he can do 12 in training he can easily do 8/9/10 in a match!

I'd have thought that the 200m up and down was a pretty standard drill, even at club football.

There's undoubtedly a high level of fitness in Donegal football, but to me it's more how they use their fitness. It's hard to recall a lung bursting run from Lacey, McHugh or McGlynn where the end product isn't at least a shooting opportunity, and they don't swarm forward in big numbers. These two things are related too; the runs tend to be into open space rather than crowds of drifting players. So much common sense.

[Syferus]

With his mighty total of zero points? Sheehan was anonymous for large stretches and Lacey, a defender, was a more potent attacking threat than he was.

One of the least informed posts I've seen on here.
Sheehan scored 0-3 from, was unlucky with some narrow wides and hit a beautiful inch-perfect 50 yard pass to set up the goal.

Had a quick look at RTE's stay sheet and he wasn't listed in the scorers at all. Regardless it's ridiculous to say he skinned Lacey, particularly for most of the second half Sheehan was anonymous and that was the key period in the game.

[Orior]

Great result for Donegal and thoroughly deserved. Having beaten Kerry and Cork must make them favourites.

I always felt a bit sorry for Donegal during the recent Armagh/Tyrone domination of Ulster. It is their time to dominate now.

[deiseach]

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the following:

Donegal beat Kerry comfortably enough = quotes from here and elsewhere such as, bad day at the office for the Kingdom, they caught Kerry on the way down, Kerry were finished anyhow

Donegal beat Cork (the same Cork who beat the same Kerry earlier this year)  comfortably enough = quotes such as, Donegal favs now for AI, Donegal outstanding etc etc.

Its a typical Irish reaction similar in a way to the reaction we have to the economy.

The answer is somewhere inbetween - I wouldn't say that Donegal are the best thing since sliced bread. Credit where credit is due they were excellent yesterday. In saying that Cork were very poor. I counted 5 intercept passes that led to scores for Donegal (in fact Donegal missed 3 more sitters from intercepts).

As ever a balanced view from the media and elsewhere will never be given (apart from probably Martin McHugh on the SG last night).

I see no contradiction between questioning whether Donegal were the real deal after the Kerry game and thinking they might well be after the Cork game. Kerry had been beaten by Cork, so it was reasonable to say that Cork would present a sterner challenge than Kerry. Yet Donegal took them pretty handily and have little to fear from Dublin, who don't look any better than the team that an inferior Donegal ran very close last year, and Mayo who are, well, Mayo

[Dubh driocht]

Syferus, Your logic doesn't stand up - you've been caught out so stop digging. If you watched the game you would have seen Sheehan's performance - which was excellent- and you would have been entitled to say ( as you did) that he was anonymous, even though you missed his three points, one of which was the score of the game, where Mickey Harte on BBC picked up that he had chased a lost cause for the team, kept the ball in play, started the move and fired over a fantastic point to finish it. You would have been entitled to your opinion, even though you'd probably be the only person in Ireland with that opinion.
Now if you were depending on the RTE stay sheet- which you quote in your defence - you would not have been entitled to your opinion on Sheehan's performance because you were depending on a statistical summary rather than your analysis. Cake and eat it etc.
Lacey is a hell of a player but his attacking tendencies will obviously make him vulnerable in defending. Probably was the best defender on show yesterday but Ciaran Sheehan is one hell of a footballer- the best in Cork IMO.

Cork are a talented group of athletes, some good footballers with a good manager.
Donegal are a talented group of footballers, all good athletes with an excellent manager and assistant manager.They also have belief and hunger- a rare combination- and will be hard to beat.

[DuffleKing]

With his mighty total of zero points? Sheehan was anonymous for large stretches and Lacey, a defender, was a more potent attacking threat than he was.

One of the least informed posts I've seen on here.
Sheehan scored 0-3 from, was unlucky with some narrow wides and hit a beautiful inch-perfect 50 yard pass to set up the goal.

Had a quick look at RTE's stay sheet and he wasn't listed in the scorers at all. Regardless it's ridiculous to say he skinned Lacey, particularly for most of the second half Sheehan was anonymous and that was the key period in the game.

Wow. You didn't see the game, did you?

[Rossfan]

Syferus, Your logic doesn't stand up -

Syferus and logic in the one sentence 
Now there's an oxymoron if there ever was one 
That lad is a standing joke among Ros circles due to some of the stuff he comes out with.
Some show by Donegal yesterday but Cork's old limitations of ponderous sideways passing came back to haunt them.
Also wasn't Counihan's finest hour - 2 big midfielders in the forwards but no one getting enough ball to kick it into them.
Donegal will give the Final a hell of a crack  ... but they've only won a Semi final yet
Keeping the players safe from the hype over the next month in that isolated County could be McGuinness's biggest task now

[highorlow]

Keeping the players safe from the hype over the next month in that isolated County could be McGuinness's biggest task now

I think tickets for the final should only be allowed to those who paid the household charge.

[Denn Forever]

Keeping the players safe from the hype over the next month in that isolated County could be McGuinness's biggest task now

I think tickets for the final should only be allowed to those who paid the household charge.

You're not Jimmy Dennihan are you?

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

I see no contradiction between questioning whether Donegal were the real deal after the Kerry game and thinking they might well be after the Cork game. Kerry had been beaten by Cork, so it was reasonable to say that Cork would present a sterner challenge than Kerry. Yet Donegal took them pretty handily and have little to fear from Dublin, who don't look any better than the team that an inferior Donegal ran very close last year, and Mayo who are, well, Mayo

Indeed just the attitude Mayo or Dublin need to take them in the final

Dublin and Mayo wont be so naive as to try and bring the game to Donegal................lets see what happens when the shoe is on the other foot

[deiseach]

Indeed just the attitude Mayo or Dublin need to take them in the final

Meh. If Dublin or Mayo need any extra motivation to win the All-Ireland, they shouldn't be playing