Donegal v Tyrone Ulster Championship

[BluestackBoy]

Morgan's free kicks were even worse than we thought as this video shows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4r2YQabuAoo

[seafoid]

I do rate Mickey Harte as a manager but was just wondering what peoples views are on the following. Would any other manager still be in place after the results in the last five years?

I was thinking the same

[NAG1]

I disagree Nag. Especially in the second half which I watched again last night and often you'd see Tyrone having one on one with no sign of extra defenders, especially if they had been pushing forward and Donegal turned it over whereas often you'd say 2 Donegal men for every Tyrone man in the other final third of the pitch.

To me the main difference between the two teams is that Donegal's full forward line are able to fight and win their own ball under huge pressure whereas Tyrone were not. Therefore more often that not we didn't even try to kick in high ball but instead ran down the wings and shot from difficult positions.
All of Donegal's FF line are dangerous and can kick goals and points and are a constant threat. I actually thought Murphy was quiet by his usual standards but Jimmy has made his brother in law McFadden into a hugely under-rated forward. He's learned to keep his head no matter what and fight for every ball. Even in the 70's minute on Sunday he was still battling and pulling someone's leg after a foul.

It nearly always seems to be the 1st 15/20 mins of a match that Donegal put the foot on the gas and pull away from teams. Then they can spend the last 20/15 mins defending that lead.

That only occurred whenever SC moved to the edge of the square, the ball was kicked in long and probably caught the Donegal defence out for a couple of times as they were expecting to defend the running game. Essentially it didn't matter because McGee is so strong below the ball he dealt with most of comfortably enough.

[LeoMc]

I do rate Mickey Harte as a manager but was just wondering what peoples views are on the following. Would any other manager still be in place after the results in the last five years?

I was thinking the same

Possibly not, but we are not blessed with options to replace him.

[BluestackBoy]

I do rate Mickey Harte as a manager but was just wondering what peoples views are on the following. Would any other manager still be in place after the results in the last five years?

I was thinking the same

Possibly not, but we are not blessed with options to replace him.

I would have thought that Peter Canavan would be the natural choice

[orangeman]

I do rate Mickey Harte as a manager but was just wondering what peoples views are on the following. Would any other manager still be in place after the results in the last five years?

It's Mickey's job until he decides he doesn't want it anymore.

Simple as that.

[Fuzzman]

He has made mistakes like most managers do but until recently we've been in decline.
I think he's built a reasonable new squad now that could have won a league title had Stephen O'Neill be playing and I think we've still got a good chance to get to the quarters or even semis depending on who we meet. I can't see any new manager making any difference with the players we have.

Playing Donegal, in their own back yard, with a vociferous crowd behind them, with a lot of people questioning their hunger, with a highly motivated and intelligent manager behind them, with them defending all-Ireland champions and having already beaten us twice in the last two years, then it was always gonna be a big ask. They knew if they could match our hunger then they had all the other qualities in abundance and on top of that they now have another lightening fast forward who could punish any mistakes we made.
I expect Donegal to maybe relax a little now in matches and just do enough to get by up until August. Of course they could get caught but they know they can always just tighten the screw if needs be.
As Harte said after the match, they've actually improved a lot since last year and Jimmy's slightly arrogant statement last year that he feels they've still got a good percentage still to give. I really do believe nobody will touch them in Ulster for the next 2 or 3 years and they will certainly be a big challenge for Dublin, Cork & Kerry too.

[Walter Cronc]

To me the main difference between the two teams is that Donegal's full forward line are able to fight and win their own ball under huge pressure whereas Tyrone were not.

Thats was very evident during the match. What scares me is that I dont feel there is a place anymore for smaller skillful players like Ronan O'Neill & Darren McCurry.

Think this is very true. These type of players are getting pushed out of the game. Maybe room as a roving half forward but the full forward line nowadays is generally 6ft plus. Mc Brearty, Colm O'Neill, Goulding, Mc Fadden, Brogan are examples. Have to be very strong to win a ball under pressure from 2-3 defenders surrounding you!!

Could this be a reason Declan O'Sullivan now lines out in the FF line for Kerry. Him and Gooch have swapped roles as such. Bigger and stronger in terms of ball winning. Makes Hartes decision to remove Mc Aliskey seem even stranger!!

[parttimeexile]

I do rate Mickey Harte as a manager but was just wondering what peoples views are on the following. Would any other manager still be in place after the results in the last five years?

I was thinking the same

Possibly not, but we are not blessed with options to replace him.

Mickey may be doing as good as anyone could with this group of players. Hard to know but just think it has gone stale, this is no fault of the manager I just think players need a change sometimes. Very hard to keep it fresh year after year. What about any of the minor management teams that won All Irelands. Where have they gone?

[nrico2006]

Nobody thought that Donegal had anyone decent waiting in the wings and look how JMG has turned out.  The statement that the job is his for as long as he wants is exactly what is wrong, it should be based on results.  As mentioned before, if JMG was in charge of Tyrone they would be doing a lot better.

[Nally Stand]

I don't buy into this "gone stale" argument at all. A huge chunk of the Tyrone panel have only been managed by Harte for a fairly short time. (McAliskey, Coney, R O'Neill, two Donnellys, McNiece, Clarke, Morgan, Coney, Lafferty, Kane, McCurry, Gallagher, Warnock, etc etc.) Added to that that Horse has been involved this year, it's a non-starter of an argument. Joe Brolly last week related the story of meeting Mugsy on the street in Belfast shortly after he played an in-house game at Garvaghey, with the hope of being invited back to the panel. He said he was keeping himself in good condition and felt he was fit enough to come back, but that when he played in the in house game, he was "totally blown away" by the "unbelievable pace and power" of the players. An interesting remark from a man who spent so many years under Harte. After the beating by Kerry, most Tyrone fans were claiming it would be a few years before we would be back playing at a competitive level. Nine months later we were in the League Final losing out by a point to everyone's All-Ireland favourites, and we were suddenly being tipped by many of these same fans as being among the select few potential All-Ireland winners. And who would replace Harte? Only suggestion on the thread yet is Canavan. A man who has yet to really prove himself in management at club or county level. The job is Harte's. And Nrico, plenty of people knew of Jim McGuinness's ability and his credentials for the job (both on the field and academically). The county board just weren't interested in him. Easy saying Tyrone should have a Jim McGuinness just "waiting in the wings", but not so easy to say who that is.

[orangeman]

Nobody thought that Donegal had anyone decent waiting in the wings and look how JMG has turned out.  The statement that the job is his for as long as he wants is exactly what is wrong, it should be based on results.  As mentioned before, if JMG was in charge of Tyrone they would be doing a lot better.

But Tyrone ARE doing well that's the problem.


Yes they got beat on Sunday. But Morgan's free kicking was off - our defending for the 2 goals was abysmal, Tyrone shot 13 wides to their 3.

Donegal are not some wee team in division 2 that are half decent - Donegal are all Ireland champions and favourites to win the AI again this year.

They're a juggernaut.

Tyrone are rebuilding - got to the NFL final - got beaten by a point by co favourites for the AI Dublin.


I can't work out where a lot of people are coming from.

How many were thinking of changing manager after the magnificent national league run ?.

As usual we're over react when teams win and over react the toher way when teams lose.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Careful what you wish for Tyronies, just ask the Eastmeathers how they've fared since jettisoning their multiple AI winning manager.

Blown away by Donegal & McGuinness again on Sunday. Some feat to comfortably win in the end with Lacey and McHugh not starting, so much for no strength in depth. The fact he can put ordinary enough players into a team/system and deliver a performance and more importantly a result every time is unprecedented.

[theticklemister]

Ye Tyronies are hard to figure out I tell ye. If ye were drawn against other team in Ulster ye would win,the fact that ye got drawn against the best team in Ireland DOES make a difference. Someone had to get beat and it was ye, so just knuckle down and i'm sure you will get a decent run.

1 defeat doesn't make ye a bad team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's wile funny but watching ye all squirm after one defeat against the champions.

[parttimeexile]

Nobody thought that Donegal had anyone decent waiting in the wings and look how JMG has turned out.  The statement that the job is his for as long as he wants is exactly what is wrong, it should be based on results.  As mentioned before, if JMG was in charge of Tyrone they would be doing a lot better.

But Tyrone ARE doing well that's the problem.


Yes they got beat on Sunday. But Morgan's free kicking was off - our defending for the 2 goals was abysmal, Tyrone shot 13 wides to their 3.

Donegal are not some wee team in division 2 that are half decent - Donegal are all Ireland champions and favourites to win the AI again this year.

They're a juggernaut.

Tyrone are rebuilding - got to the NFL final - got beaten by a point by co favourites for the AI Dublin.


I can't work out where a lot of people are coming from.

How many were thinking of changing manager after the magnificent national league run ?.

As usual we're over react when teams win and over react the toher way when teams lose.

I know that the squad of players is not as strong as the 03/05/08 teams but I think they could be organized in a way that would increase there chance of winning.
To say that it cannot go stale when you change players is wrong. If the management dont evolve then they are left behind, no matter what players you bring in. If they are not organised/trained to there max potential then you will not win.
Also to say there is no other choices for managers out there is not really valid. Plenty doubted Mickey when he came in and look how that turned out! There are plenty of managers who could have not won the Ireland for five years!