Donegal v Tyrone Ulster Championship

[Walter Cronc]

Again, Tyrone too blunt up front, not enough forwards who are either willing or have the speed to take on their man when they get the ball.  Our defence was very open, in comparison with Donegals, and this allowed McBrearty a one on one with Carlin for the second goal.  Why was there so much space?  There were quite a few times in the second half that Tyrones half of the pitch was wide open, surely its a given in this day and age that the half your defending needs to be severly populated by bodies in the way that Donegal had lined out.  Tyrone had shut down their half well last year against Donegal but ever since there have been games when it has been wide open, especially in the league this year.  People can say what they want, but it is time for a new manager with new ideas and a new direction.  Mickey has ran out of ideas and the way the team is organised and plays needs changed.  We have done nothing in 4 seasons, and most other managers would be on their bike if they had been over a team that has achieved so little in so many years. 

Do you rate Mc Brearty now??

[johnneycool]

Oh and on a side note the Donegal physio and doctor were appalling today. At one stage they were squaring up to Tyrone players when there was no Donegal player even injured on the field. Somebody should really have given the pair of them and Gallagher a good slap make them consider coming on the next time

Noticed that myself, looked bad from the goggle box.

Donegal look like a well drilled machine and like Kilkenny in the hurling have the foul/non foul down to a fine art, enough to impede and slow momentum but not enough for the referee to blow a free or dish out the cards.

Must be frustrating as hell to play against, but they've got some very fine footballers as well and that shouldn't be dismissed.

I can only see Dublin or an on song Cork (purely as they can match them in the physicality stakes) giving them a run for it this year.

[omagh_gael]

Young McAliskey is bound to be hurting today. Can't be good for your confidence to be hauled off so quickly and then seeing other men, who were playing poorly, stay on when also on yellows. He appeared to be well up for the game and swung over a beauty, the type of score that is needed to beat Donegal's defence i.e. Snap shot on the turn before the swarm descend.

As others have pointed out the defending for the goals was suicidal. Not a chance in hell would we have seen Donegal defenders two on two with acres of space around them. Cathal McCarron badly caught ball watching for first goal, however, our ill discipline resulted in Michael Murphy's free being brought forward to an area where he could put that ball in the danger area. Something we've been continully guilty of and punished for over the years.

I said it yesterday and can only repeat it again, fair play to McGuiness and Donegal. Jimmy wasn't messing when he said their only thoughts this year were the 26th of May and Tyrone. They'll take some stopping this year now that you can almost guarantee they be playing football in Croker in August. I would be very confident in doing the two in a row, however, if one or more of Murphy, McFadden or McBrearty get injured they will be severelyhandicapped.

For Tyrone I am hoping for a nice handy draw in the first round in Healy Park.  We need to lick our wounds and get that game out of our system. Would prefer to face an non Ulster team without any baggage. The team i'd like to see start would be:

Morgan
McCarron
Clarke
PJ
Justy
Joe
Gormley
S Cavanagh
A Cassidy
Matty Donnelly
Kyle Coney
Mark Donnelly
McAliskey
SoN
McCurry

We really need to start throwing the younger lads in there to sink our swim. If fit, R O'Neill would have a big shout for the no 15 jersey. Also think P Harte or Penrose haven't done enough to guarantee starting spots, they badly need to find their form to justify their automatic starting spots.  I was also disappointed that Mickey isn't giving guys like Lafferty a chance, just don't feel Paddy McNeice is doing enough to warrant the game time he is getting at present.

Anyway, it will be a long hard road for the rest of the summer. I just hope we can make it to Croke Park and test ourselves against the main players again. 

[orangeman]

Before some start calling for a replacement for Harte cast your minds back to the carnage that was Killarney last July and how Tyrone got wiped by Kerry and how a lot of fans said it was the end and that it would take years to regroup and be a force again.

Credit to Harte who regrouped within 6 months and ran Dublin to a point in the league final.

Ok he made mistakes yesterday, so did the players.

But if Harte were to leave his post, consider carefully who you would appoint to the post ?

Harte is coveted by every other county apart from a couple. So be careful.

[yellowcard]

Its hard to understand why Tyrone decided to wear a GPS system during yesterdays game. Apart from the cost which I think I read somewhere could be up to £1,000 each, (total=£1,000*20=£20,000 approx) surely the information can be best used after the match. So really the information would only be of any use in future games. It might have been better used in say the League semi final or final.

[nrico2006]

Young McAliskey is bound to be hurting today. Can't be good for your confidence to be hauled off so quickly and then seeing other men, who were playing poorly, stay on when also on yellows. He appeared to be well up for the game and swung over a beauty, the type of score that is needed to beat Donegal's defence i.e. Snap shot on the turn before the swarm descend.

As others have pointed out the defending for the goals was suicidal. Not a chance in hell would we have seen Donegal defenders two on two with acres of space around them. Cathal McCarron badly caught ball watching for first goal, however, our ill discipline resulted in Michael Murphy's free being brought forward to an area where he could put that ball in the danger area. Something we've been continully guilty of and punished for over the years.

I said it yesterday and can only repeat it again, fair play to McGuiness and Donegal. Jimmy wasn't messing when he said their only thoughts this year were the 26th of May and Tyrone. They'll take some stopping this year now that you can almost guarantee they be playing football in Croker in August. I would be very confident in doing the two in a row, however, if one or more of Murphy, McFadden or McBrearty get injured they will be severelyhandicapped.

For Tyrone I am hoping for a nice handy draw in the first round in Healy Park.  We need to lick our wounds and get that game out of our system. Would prefer to face an non Ulster team without any baggage. The team i'd like to see start would be:

Morgan
McCarron
Clarke
PJ
Justy
Joe
Gormley
S Cavanagh
A Cassidy
Matty Donnelly
Kyle Coney
Mark Donnelly
McAliskey
SoN
McCurry

We really need to start throwing the younger lads in there to sink our swim. If fit, R O'Neill would have a big shout for the no 15 jersey. Also think P Harte or Penrose haven't done enough to guarantee starting spots, they badly need to find their form to justify their automatic starting spots.  I was also disappointed that Mickey isn't giving guys like Lafferty a chance, just don't feel Paddy McNeice is doing enough to warrant the game time he is getting at present.

Anyway, it will be a long hard road for the rest of the summer. I just hope we can make it to Croke Park and test ourselves against the main players again.

You've hit the nail on the head with some of your points.  I am a big fan of Peter Harte but he has not been on form for a while now.  Penrose doesn't offer enough of an attacking threat for a corner forward, which is crazy considering the speed he has in his legs.  Paddy McNeice isn't the type of player that is going to do a lot of damage, I would have preferred Lafferty, Coney or McCurry to come on.  As you mentioned, I would start giving the like of Ronan O'Neill and Coney starting spots to see how they fare, its the only way they are ever going to progress.  Some players don't get a chance, others seem to get lots of starts without doing much.  Athleticism is required at the back, why were McBride or McNamee not on the field.  McBride in particular is a strong atheltic player who would add a bit of grit to the back line. 

As for the management, in analysing a managers position it shouldn't come down to who will replace him.  A change in direction is needed, the game Tyrone play under Harte isn't going to win titles any time soon.  If JMG was in charge of the Tyrone team things would be different.

[screenexile]

Its hard to understand why Tyrone decided to wear a GPS system during yesterdays game. Apart from the cost which I think I read somewhere could be up to £1,000 each, (total=£1,000*20=£20,000 approx) surely the information can be best used after the match. So really the information would only be of any use in future games. It might have been better used in say the League semi final or final.

Thought that myself but I imagine they will be used on an ongoing basis during training and league games as well so they didn't actually shell out £20,000 for the match yesterday. Also I don't think they would be £1,000 a pop either.

If you look at the ireland Rugby jerseys below they all have a pouch for a GPS tracker. I think this will become more common but I think Tyrone made a mistake wearing them yesterday.

[Nally Stand]

Tyrone have used them in every game they have played this year so far. Not just yesterday.

[yellowcard]

Tyrone have used them in every game they have played this year so far. Not just yesterday.

That clears that up then. The cost must be to buy them then and not based on a 'per match' basis then.

[GrandMasterFlash]

Its hard to understand why Tyrone decided to wear a GPS system during yesterdays game. Apart from the cost which I think I read somewhere could be up to £1,000 each, (total=£1,000*20=£20,000 approx) surely the information can be best used after the match. So really the information would only be of any use in future games. It might have been better used in say the League semi final or final.

Thought that myself but I imagine they will be used on an ongoing basis during training and league games as well so they didn't actually shell out £20,000 for the match yesterday. Also I don't think they would be £1,000 a pop either.

If you look at the ireland Rugby jerseys below they all have a pouch for a GPS tracker. I think this will become more common but I think Tyrone made a mistake wearing them yesterday.

How in God's name would it have effected the outcome? 

[Count 10]

Some fantastic scores yesterday. Donegal the better team...end of story. Sean Cavanagh and S O'Neill well marked so credit to the McGees. I feel Donegal will get better and will be very hard to beat....don't think the Dubs can match them.

[screenexile]

Its hard to understand why Tyrone decided to wear a GPS system during yesterdays game. Apart from the cost which I think I read somewhere could be up to £1,000 each, (total=£1,000*20=£20,000 approx) surely the information can be best used after the match. So really the information would only be of any use in future games. It might have been better used in say the League semi final or final.

Thought that myself but I imagine they will be used on an ongoing basis during training and league games as well so they didn't actually shell out £20,000 for the match yesterday. Also I don't think they would be £1,000 a pop either.

If you look at the ireland Rugby jerseys below they all have a pouch for a GPS tracker. I think this will become more common but I think Tyrone made a mistake wearing them yesterday.

How in God's name would it have effected the outcome? 

You don't think there were all kinds of jibes flying about yesterday concerning sports bra's etc. It probably didn't but it was very obvious and it doesn't do them any favours.

[Applesisapples]

Disappointing result but the better team won. KL made some difference. I was shocked by the sheer lack of any class in victory from a large section of Donegal supporters at the end though. As Tyrone fans began leaving early there were scores of donegal fans, including grown men, in the stand waving car keys, singing "chiompioneees", hurling fairly scummy abuse at them and giving them the fingers. Absolutely trampish behaviour.

Hilarious! Glass houses and throwing stones comes to mind!

I would take you back to Tyrones behaviour in 2004 when playing Derry in the first round of the Championship. Pot, Kettle, Black!

Well I was doing no such thing in 2004, nor was every Donegal fan today, so I'm not in any glass house. I am merely commenting on the trampish behaviour from a fairly large section of the Donegal support in the stand at the end. Your gripe about behaviour of Tyrone fans nine years ago has absolutely no relevance to my point whatsoever. When people with children at their sides are walking past Donegal fans waving car keys, shouting abuse and giving them the fingers, then I stand by my original post. The behaviour of those particular fans today showed a real lack of class.

There isn't a county in Ireland that doesn't have tramps like these at championship games. You'll not see them at a McKenna Cup group game though!

[tc_manchester]

We'll be knocked out later on this year and it will probably be to another trouncing. If we get another hammering at the end of the year then Mickey will have to go. The main problem is down to our style of play which worked well 10 years ago when you were not playing against massed defenses. We are far too slow to get the ball into the full forward line. I counted I think 3 occasions in the first half when we played it long and I think that it was even fewer in the second half. The way we're playing you could have Peter Canavan, Frank McGuigan and Iggy Jones in the full forward line and our half backs would probably score more than them. What I really liked last year about Donegal was that they were not afraid to let it in long especially when they got to Croke Park. The stats show that Donegal have the best completion rate and it's no wonder because they're getting the ball into the area were it's easiest to score from. The way to set up against Donegal is to have a 3 man full forward line (2 target men and a speedster) and tell them not to move more than 30m from goal. You have the rest of the team defend from the 50m back and tell them as soon as they get the ball to halfway then belt it in. Don't even think of hitting it towards the wings - just straight towards the square. You might only win 25% of the ball coming in but you should get a score from it.

[brokencrossbar1]

The GPS system is a bit of a red herring.  The reality is across the board Donegal were more focused on what they had to do and always looked likely to get the crucial goals and in nullifying the 2 'leaders'of O'Neill and Cavanagh they took the 'heart' out of Tyrone.  I know that McBrearty got MoM but i thought the 2 Magee's were exceptional. 

The 2 goals were the difference obviously. The indiscipline that caused the first free to be brought forward was very poor.  I know Brolly waxed lyrical about McBrearty's touch down for the goal but the corner back was caught out badly positionally wise.  He should have been attacking the ball from the inside going out and that would have stopped McBreaty getting his  hand to the ball. For the second goal I think it was McNiece who made the run out to Lacey that was highlighted by the lads after the game but if you watch Gormley he was more at fault.  He was supposed to be marking Wherity but he was ball watching in no mans land and lost the track of Wherity. If he had followed his man then there wouldhave been no second goal.  He looked banjaxed by that stage though as he had put in a very hard shift and I don't think Tyrone had any subs left.