Donegal v Tyrone Ulster Championship

[thewobbler]

Did anyone notice yesterday the new Donegal tactic of when a foul was given, how they would hold onto a player's leg or foot and not let go. It's very effective as it looks kinda harmless and not overly aggressive but it sure frustrates the hell out of the player just fouled and so like Joey did he tries to wriggle free and can't so he then reacts with a kick out or stamp on the fouling player.

Is it another one of Jimmy's clever ideas to turn the aggressor into the victim and hope to get the opponent a yellow or red card? I was shocked the Irish News stated that Joey should have got a straight red but no mention of his leg being held for ages.

I've been talking about this to a few people this morning as it drove me mad watching the game.

The only way to break down a mass defence is to move the ball quickly, and Donegal made sure there were no options for moving the ball quickly. Plain and simple, it is cheating. Plus it winds opponents up no end, so it's cheating AND it's aggravation.

I don't think there's a referee in the land who can watch all this happening around and off the ball, so I've a simple suggestion: empower the linesmen to call over the referee and recommend a yellow card. No faffing around, no enquiries, no checking if the man has been previously booked. Simply "no.7 green deliberately prevented his opponent from joining the play, I recommend a yellow card", and this blight will be gone in 2 games. If steps aren't taken, every team in Ireland will be at it in a month.

Ref my post on Kilkenny hurlers, enough to impede and curtail momentum, but not enough for the referee to blow for a free or dish out the cards.

It's so frustrating. But as i said I don't blame the referees so much. Donegal on Sunday made sure that it wasn't the free-taker who was impeded, but the players around him. The referee by nature is looking at the free-taker and the direction the free-taker is looking towards, in an attempt to ensure the attacking team has an advantage. Ironically.

[barelegs]

There was an interesting point made today by John Bannon in the Irish Examiner about the build up to the first Donegal goal.

The referee gave a free for a foul by Conor Clarke before the free for the foul on Mark McHugh had been taken. According to Bannon you can only award a free when the ball is in play. So as such the free against Clarke shouldn't have been awarded and the ball shouldn't have been moved forward.

[Fuzzman]

I wondered about that at the time but I know better to bring it up here after a defeat.
I wondered though did he just bring it forward (a lot) or did he award another free?

So is Bannon suggesting a re-match. I don't know would I want to go through all that again to be honest.

Here's why I think Donegal won't be beaten this year. Back in 2003 we had maybe 3 or 4 lads around one player.

[emmetryan]

Hi guys,

Tactical take on Donegal's win over Tyrone now up http://action81.com/blog/?p=7277

Emmet

[Jinxy]

I wondered about that at the time but I know better to bring it up here after a defeat.
I wondered though did he just bring it forward (a lot) or did he award another free?

So is Bannon suggesting a re-match. I don't know would I want to go through all that again to be honest.

Here's why I think Donegal won't be beaten this year. Back in 2003 we had maybe 3 or 4 lads around one player.

That's what happens when you run straight into 2/3 of them and stop.
Then the cavalry arrives.
The lesson here is don't run into them.

[seafoid]

I wondered about that at the time but I know better to bring it up here after a defeat.
I wondered though did he just bring it forward (a lot) or did he award another free?

So is Bannon suggesting a re-match. I don't know would I want to go through all that again to be honest.

Here's why I think Donegal won't be beaten this year. Back in 2003 we had maybe 3 or 4 lads around one player.

That's what happens when you run straight into 2/3 of them and stop.
Then the cavalry arrives.
The lesson here is don't run into them.

I think that is why it says Donegal creamery on the jerseys

[Kidder81]

So why are Donegal so much fitter and better conditioned than other teams? What are they doing hat other teams aren't ?

[theticklemister]

I wondered about that at the time but I know better to bring it up here after a defeat.
I wondered though did he just bring it forward (a lot) or did he award another free?

So is Bannon suggesting a re-match. I don't know would I want to go through all that again to be honest.

Here's why I think Donegal won't be beaten this year. Back in 2003 we had maybe 3 or 4 lads around one player.

[thewobbler]

So why are Donegal so much fitter and better conditioned than other teams? What are they doing hat other teams aren't ?

They aren't fitter. It's an optical illusion.

They do all their defending in their own half, and attack only in small numbers. Both methods conserve energy.

[rodney trotter]

Cam see this thread being dragged out like after Kerry hammered Tyrone last year. Well done Donegal.

[imtommygunn]

So why are Donegal so much fitter and better conditioned than other teams? What are they doing hat other teams aren't ?

They aren't fitter. It's an optical illusion.

They do all their defending in their own half, and attack only in small numbers. Both methods conserve energy.

They are fitter.

They have themselves very very well conditioned would be one reason. They will hit hard and hit regularly. The other teams not being as well conditioned means they wear down a lot quicker. The size of some of them has to be seen to be believed.

There are very few men would have been seen over the years covering the ground the likes of Lacey, McHugh, Thompson, McGlynn and those boys cover. They didn't cover that much ground before McGuinness's regime. Why not? Because they weren't as fit.

[INDIANA]

So why are Donegal so much fitter and better conditioned than other teams? What are they doing hat other teams aren't ?

They aren't fitter. It's an optical illusion.

They do all their defending in their own half, and attack only in small numbers. Both methods conserve energy.

They are fitter.

They have themselves very very well conditioned would be one reason. They will hit hard and hit regularly. The other teams not being as well conditioned means they wear down a lot quicker. The size of some of them has to be seen to be believed.

There are very few men would have been seen over the years covering the ground the likes of Lacey, McHugh, Thompson, McGlynn and those boys cover. They didn't cover that much ground before McGuinness's regime. Why not? Because they weren't as fit.

personally in dublin physical size wont be a problem against donegal

[Zulu]

Wouldn't agree Donegal are fitter than other top county teams. They all have lads looking after these things that know what they are doing so I'd be surprised if there was any real difference.

[BluestackBoy]

Wouldn't agree Donegal are fitter than other top county teams. They all have lads looking after these things that know what they are doing so I'd be surprised if there was any real difference.

Donegal aren't fitter as such but they are very clever in the way they defend which is done in relays by different players & they also go on all out attack in bursts of 10 or 15 minutes. Playing like this conserves energy & allows for a 70 minute performance

[imtommygunn]

So why are Donegal so much fitter and better conditioned than other teams? What are they doing hat other teams aren't ?

They aren't fitter. It's an optical illusion.

They do all their defending in their own half, and attack only in small numbers. Both methods conserve energy.

They are fitter.

They have themselves very very well conditioned would be one reason. They will hit hard and hit regularly. The other teams not being as well conditioned means they wear down a lot quicker. The size of some of them has to be seen to be believed.

There are very few men would have been seen over the years covering the ground the likes of Lacey, McHugh, Thompson, McGlynn and those boys cover. They didn't cover that much ground before McGuinness's regime. Why not? Because they weren't as fit.

personally in dublin physical size wont be a problem against donegal

If Dublin beat Donegal I don't think it will be by being more physical.

The correlation between Donegal and Dublin of late has been that they have had multiple guys who can rack up big scores. Dublin had Bernard and Alan Brogan in addition to Connolly (not all of the time but a good bit). Donegal have McFadden and Murphy and now McBrearty. The likes of your Kildares and Tyrones just don't have that many "free" scoring forwards.