Monaghan v Tyrone - Sunday 15th June - St Tiernach's Park Clones

[Fuzzman]

Great post Granddadflash.
Firstly I'm glad I make you laugh as there seems to be a lot of tension on this thread already from ye Monaghan lads. I suppose yer not used to be defending champions and ye have a thorny path to regaining the title. Don't worry. The Donegal lads will talk ye through it.
Secondly, it Sounds like I touched a nerve there with the 'marking' comment. Are yis sensitive around that issue?
Sure with the new rules suiting Monaghan's clean open football yis will be grand. Chill. Sure we're wide open down the middle and our half back line are actually half forwards.
Harte has lost the run of himself and depends on Brollys tweets to tell him what changes to make at half time.
Cavanagh will be running scared of Big Dick and will be hoping to get pulled off at half time thanks to TSG.
Our best player is our keeper and so if ye can stop giving away soft frees within 70 metres ye'll be laughing.

I must tweet Sean now and explain how his antics last year has led to me not being allowed to comment any more on Marking. He will not be pleased as he has already been blamed for most things recently including Stevie Gerrard's dive v Chelsea.

Can you imagine if he dives now with Dick on top of him and getting him black carded. I dread to think of the headlines

[GrandMasterFlash]

Great post Granddadflash.
Firstly I'm glad I make you laugh as there seems to be a lot of tension on this thread already from ye Monaghan lads. I suppose yer not used to be defending champions and ye have a thorny path to regaining the title. Don't worry. The Donegal lads will talk ye through it.
Secondly, it Sounds like I touched a nerve there with the 'marking' comment. Are yis sensitive around that issue?
Sure with the new rules suiting Monaghan's clean open football yis will be grand. Chill. Sure we're wide open down the middle and our half back line are actually half forwards.
Harte has lost the run of himself and depends on Brollys tweets to tell him what changes to make at half time.
Cavanagh will be running scared of Big Dick and will be hoping to get pulled off at half time thanks to TSG.
Our best player is our keeper and so if ye can stop giving away soft frees within 70 metres ye'll be laughing.

I must tweet Sean now and explain how his antics last year has led to me not being allowed to comment any more on Marking. He will not be pleased as he has already been blamed for most things recently including Stevie Gerrard's dive v Chelsea.

Can you imagine if he dives now with Dick on top of him and getting him black carded. I dread to think of the headlines

It was intended to trigger you into a frenzy of keyboard manure, which clearly worked. Thanks for the retort Fuzz, you're lost at this craic, honestly. 

[LeoMc]

Fuzzman - 'I think he does deserve his place too and like you said has pace and can run all day.'

EC Unique - ' The lad is a pure athlete, not the best footballer about nor does he have great feet but will run all day.'

Is it a sad reflection of the game that this is the most important attribute deserving of a place on a county team? Remember when Gaelic Footballers used to be picked for their ability to play football.

(For the record, I'd have him in there too - needs work however - Horse Devlin coached him all the way through the replay - was guldering at him throughout!)

Ciaran's footballing ability is good enough to have him in the Tyrone squad. Ciaran's speed and engine is what makes the difference and gets him a starting place.

Like I said - I'd definitely have him in there as well - I just find it interesting that you both commented on his other attributes before his football skills. A sign of the times. I'd say he's a player who'll get better every season - noticed Horse coaching him a lot from the sideline in Newry and having a go at him for not tracking and picking up his man and for adopting poor covering positions. It wouldn't do his confidence any good to have a coach constantly at him during play but the coaching staff were obviously concerned enough to be on his case. Dermy Carlin had a word with him as well. If he can get tuned in mentally we'll see a more confident player. Hope we see the best of him in the next few weeks.

How long til we have the players miked up and controlled by a series of defensive / offensive positioning coaches!

[Fuzzman]

I find it worrying that we need a horse in there to be doing the job of some of our defenders
Have we no leaders any more to organise our defence.

Could we not get Dessie Mone to move across the border and we'd find him a good Tyrone lass.

I was up in Garvaghey over the weekend. Looks well alright though I expected one pitch to have a stand or some sort of raised seating.
When is the minor match refixed for now?

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Cocky Monaghan bastards.  Wee buns, wee fecking buns!

[omagh_gael]

Minor match rescheduled for the 21st June in Armagh.

[rrhf]

This time last year Monaghan  kicked Donegal around the field in Clones in the Ulster final in a cynical game largely ignored because of the novelty team winning.  Can they do it again?

[Main Street]

This time last year Monaghan  kicked Donegal around the field in Clones in the Ulster final in a cynical game largely ignored because of the novelty team winning.  Can they do it again?

Obviously we had seen how not to play Donegal 

Of course it's a tough task to out-cynic Tyrone, we would lose that type of game as Tyrone are the masters there.  Probably we will be putting all our eggs into our football ability, tactics and the like.

[ONeill]

Was '88 the last time Monaghan beat Tyrone in a game that mattered (even allowing for Cranney's refusal to award Tyrone a penalty late on)?

The Red Hand seems to wobble those boys.

[Main Street]

Of course it's in the bag for Tyrone, just a figment of their destiny to beat Monaghan in the USFC.
No worries expected  for Tyrone at all, but bring the empty vessels just in case.

[rrhf]

tyrone were robbed in 88.  kicked around the field in patsy kerlins last game for the county. When Cranny made the big call, and denied Noel Mc Ginn, we really should have appealed that result.  Still...a good win in the minors...

[GrandMasterFlash]

This time last year Monaghan kicked Donegal around the field

tyrone were robbed in 88.  kicked around the field

What's with all the kicking around the field rrhf? Could you please explain how you think Tryone won All Irelands in '03, '05 & '08? Tyrone are one of the most physical teams of the last 15 years (and in a good way I might add as most of them had the skill to go with it). Please also explain the difference between 'kicking around the field' and rugby tackling an inside forward to the ground, what's the difference and which is favourable in your opinion?

It's a lazy analysis and a misunderstanding to think that Monaghan are all about brawn/dirt/physicality, whatever you want to call it. On average, our team is probably one of the smaller teams in terms of player size. Yes they play hard and on the edge but Monaghan have a much wider skill set now than they've had for a long time, if ever (no disrespect to the teams that went before..)

Tyrone know how to mix it in the physicality stakes, probably a lot better than Monaghan to be honest, so, as I said on this thread before, it's a little bit rich for Tyrone men to be criticising Monaghan for 'kicking teams around the field'.

[ONeill]

Cmon now. Monaghan are dirty. Be proud of your dirt. Yiz have been dirty for as long as I can remember. It's what makes Monaghan Monaghan.

[GrandMasterFlash]

Cmon now. Monaghan are dirty. Be proud of your dirt. Yiz have been dirty for as long as I can remember. It's what makes Monaghan Monaghan.

Watch this space.. 

[Fuzzman]

What's with all the kicking around the field rrhf? Could you please explain how you think Tryone won All Irelands in '03, '05 & '08? Tyrone are one of the most physical teams of the last 15 years (and in a good way I might add as most of them had the skill to go with it).
Please also explain the difference between 'kicking around the field' and rugby tackling an inside forward to the ground, what's the difference and which is favourable in your opinion?

I'll let rrhf explain how Monaghan for the last 20 years if not more kick teams around the field but do you really need us to explain the difference between doing that and how Sean Cav rugby tackled a man to save a certain goal. Can you really not see the difference?
Most people would say the Tyrone team in the 2000s worked very hard at tackling back and the odd time they bent/broke the rules like Ricey and Gormley but there would be very few UNBIASED NEUTRALS would say Tyrone were a dirty team back then. As you admit yourself we had too many quality talented players all over the pitch to need to be dirty or over physical. I think most people would have said Armagh and Monaghan are the two most physical teams in Ulster over the last 20 years.
You then admit that yourself by your line
Yes they play hard and on the edge but Monaghan have a much wider skill set now than they've had for a long time, if ever (no disrespect to the teams that went before..)

It's a lazy analysis and a misunderstanding to think that Monaghan are all about brawn/dirt/physicality, whatever you want to call it. On average, our team is probably one of the smaller teams in terms of player size. Yes they play hard and on the edge but Monaghan have a much wider skill set now than they've had for a long time, if ever (no disrespect to the teams that went before..)

Tyrone know how to mix it in the physicality stakes, probably a lot better than Monaghan to be honest, so, as I said on this thread before, it's a little bit rich for Tyrone men to be criticising Monaghan for 'kicking teams around the field'.

So you say Monaghan play hard and on the edge to defend your team but then say
Tyrone know how to mix it in the physicality stakes, probably a lot better than Monaghan. Is this a compliment to Tyrone or are you saying it's a bad thing?

You seem to be contradicting yourself a lot in that post GMF but to me the gist of what your saying is that this new Monaghan team are much smaller and more skillful than the teams that went before them who used to depend on kicking the sh*te out of teams in the hope of winning.


Would you say that most times Tyrone play Monaghan that it is Monaghan's interest to cut out the dirt and play open football? Do you think they now have the players to do that or will we see more of what we saw last year in Croker. It would be interesting to see.
This Tyrone team is very different to what ye played last summer.

Do you think we'll see Sean Cavanagh and probably Colm targeted again for some special "Dick" treatment. Will there be an element of revenge about this game for some of the players and fans after how we cheated you out of winning SAM last year?

Taking off my smart arse hat I think ye actually are a better team under your new manager and if I'm being totally honest I think ye could actually beat us or at least give us a hell of a game this time. However I think it could down to your discipline or lack of that could lose ye the game. If Morgan can stay on the field he will punish any fouls within 50-60 yards and he will frustrate the hell out of your fans and then players with his slow lazy kicking style. in Omagh the Down fans were on his back right from the start.

The other factor of course is has Mickey got our defence finally sorted. Will he stop playing players who are too attack minded and don't seem to follow their man when they pass and go?
I think having Justy in at FB will be a huge help and bringing on Conor in the 2nd half always tightens things up. Hopefully your'e not out of sight by then.

Will yis be wearing Blue this time or try to sneak the white jersey stunt again.
Will Tommy Freeman be back itching to get on and waving to the crowd Brolly style. It will be interesting to see what Joe has to say about this match. I loved the way Michael Lyster challenges him now every time when talking about Sean Cavanagh. Love it Mick