Down Club Hurling & Football

[Johnnysboys]

Despite a lack of kickout strategy and no tackling etc - basics were lacking.. plus my club man was absolutely cleaned out of it but yet remained on the pitch.. I don't understand that thinking. A few others got roasted today too.. are the current players on the panel the best we have in the county??? And please don't start about players from Kilcoo who don't want to play...

[Mourne Rover]

Today was very disappointing but not particularly surprising. We have struggled to deal with kick outs under successive managers and we are not producing midfielders who have either the size or the technique needed in the modern game. It would be wrong to completely blame Burns, who frequently had little to aim at, but the leading keepers are capable of organising their teammates and putting the ball into areas where we have a decent chance of retaining possession. Our related statistics from Castlebar could only be embarrassing, and we are heading back to D3 if there are not addressed. While Mayo are realistically a level or two above us, and Meath next week will be a better test of where we really stand, the indications are not good. Donegal's display tonight was also pretty ominous for the USC.

[Smurfy123]

First switch should be the goalkeeper
No where near good enough
Far to slow getting his kickouts away

O Kane Kilcoo keeper
McGarry CPN
Savage BFORD
Loughran BALLYHOLLAND
SMYTH Mayobridge

[manwithnoplan]

[quote author=manwithnoplan link=topic=25.msg2051096#msg2051096 date=1621096135]
Beat by a team that played an All Ireland final six months ago, a very good side, on their own patch. Not sure what some people were expecting, but plenty of knee jerk reactions to be found after the first competitive game of the season.

manwithnoplan welcome on board Paddy 
[/quote]

What were your realistic expectations for today? Reading many of your posts, you either don't see Down football realistically, or you are just very negative. It's been 27 years since Down won Ulster, many managers have failed. Do you not think that the problem maybe doesn't lie with the current senior management? Like club football, there are varying levels to each team. Currently Down are not near the top half. As others mentioned, the physicality isn't there. This is vital in football now. Can't just go out and grow some 6ft 3 lads who can play football.

[Smurfy123]

Burns 4 Kickouts aimed long to the sideline
Paddy 5 tough days at the office. Destroyed
McGovern 6 looks a good bit of the pace
Collins 6 wasteful with the ball
Laverty 4 no impact on the game. What does he do?
Flynn. 5 no impact. A midfielder
McKernan. 4 sweeper. Was never in that position. Time is up
Poland 4 no impact. Not on the ball
McEvoy 5 quiet debut will improve
Guiness 4 fitness but adds nothing to the attack
Mooney 5 his quietest game for a long time
J guiness 4 poor. Doesn't tackle
O Hagan 5 misses a lot. One of better players
Quinn 5 poor ball goin in but lost all 50/50 battles
Dougherty 4 off early and could have been anyone
Kerr 5 direct and will start next week

[Johnnysboys]

First switch should be the goalkeeper
No where near good enough
Far to slow getting his kickouts away

O Kane Kilcoo keeper
McGarry CPN
Savage BFORD
Loughran BALLYHOLLAND
SMYTH Mayobridge

Kane isn't even the best keeper in kilcoo ffs... how could he play county level..
please tell me you are joking about McGarry??? Big games in county championship he disappears let alone playing at intercounty level..
Danny Savage has been tried by every manager from wee James to Tally in year 1.. NOT intercounty level... he must be 32 ish as well..
Loughran - dead ball specialist no doubt and suits the way harps play with 1 up and 14 back - he has pace to get the ball.. but I'd say Guinness x2, BO'H, CQ, CD, Poland are all better footballers tbh
Smyth - this has to be a piss take?? This lad scored a few dead balls in the championship last year and is now hailed our next hero. At 6'2 he can't win his own ball in midfield, doesn't compete well in crowded areas and doesn't tackle.. is it because he is over 6 foot we now feel we have a baller???

I despair at some of the suggestions on here...

[Nanderson]

First switch should be the goalkeeper
No where near good enough
Far to slow getting his kickouts away

O Kane Kilcoo keeper
McGarry CPN
Savage BFORD
Loughran BALLYHOLLAND
SMYTH Mayobridge

Kane isn't even the best keeper in kilcoo ffs... how could he play county level..
please tell me you are joking about McGarry??? Big games in county championship he disappears let alone playing at intercounty level..
Danny Savage has been tried by every manager from wee James to Tally in year 1.. NOT intercounty level... he must be 32 ish as well..
Loughran - dead ball specialist no doubt and suits the way harps play with 1 up and 14 back - he has pace to get the ball.. but I'd say Guinness x2, BO'H, CQ, CD, Poland are all better footballers tbh
Smyth - this has to be a piss take?? This lad scored a few dead balls in the championship last year and is now hailed our next hero. At 6'2 he can't win his own ball in midfield, doesn't compete well in crowded areas and doesn't tackle.. is it because he is over 6 foot we now feel we have a baller???

I despair at some of the suggestions on here...

He is 28ish

[Johnnysboys]

With the way the game is moving particularly at intercounty level - can you realistically start out your career at 28/29?? I understand savage and mcgarry being very good club players and not intercounty standard - that has happened loads in the past and I'm sure will again in the future.. intercounty is seriously pacy and conditioned players who are usually early to mid 20s when establishing themselves.. Are there any potential u20 players who could feature this year???

[Dubh driocht]

Tally will stick with the players he trusts so the current panel will have to step up. Nobody will know more than themselves and they could win the next two games if the kick out strategy is addressed immediately and players believe in themselves.  One practical suggestion; Burns always seems to be in a rush, presumably under orders, he should compose himself more and get it right.
On a separate note, great win for the hurlers. Down were 5 to 1 according to the Irish News so that result from Ballycran is a big one

[6th sam]

Tally will stick with the players he trusts so the current panel will have to step up. Nobody will know more than themselves and they could win the next two games if the kick out strategy is addressed immediately and players believe in themselves.  One practical suggestion; Burns always seems to be in a rush, presumably under orders, he should compose himself more and get it right.
On a separate note, great win for the hurlers. Down were 5 to 1 according to the Irish News so that result from Ballycran is a big one

Massive result for the hurlers. Carlow had been threatening to break into top 10 in recent years , and are surrounded by Hurling counties compared to Down's isolation, massive credit to all involved

[johnnycool]

Tally will stick with the players he trusts so the current panel will have to step up. Nobody will know more than themselves and they could win the next two games if the kick out strategy is addressed immediately and players believe in themselves.  One practical suggestion; Burns always seems to be in a rush, presumably under orders, he should compose himself more and get it right.
On a separate note, great win for the hurlers. Down were 5 to 1 according to the Irish News so that result from Ballycran is a big one

Massive result for the hurlers. Carlow had been threatening to break into top 10 in recent years , and are surrounded by Hurling counties compared to Down's isolation, massive credit to all involved

TBH I didn't see that one coming and thought like everyone else thought there would be 10+ points between the teams.

Soundings from some of our lads on the panel were that the previous week they'd just run out of puff after driving all the way to Kerry in the morning and then to play a game of hurling is unrealistic after 6 odd hours on a bus.

Wicklow next, a game they'd be expecting to win so hopefully they can kick on and get another few points on the board before facing Offaly and Meath.

[grounded]

Tally will stick with the players he trusts so the current panel will have to step up. Nobody will know more than themselves and they could win the next two games if the kick out strategy is addressed immediately and players believe in themselves.  One practical suggestion; Burns always seems to be in a rush, presumably under orders, he should compose himself more and get it right.
On a separate note, great win for the hurlers. Down were 5 to 1 according to the Irish News so that result from Ballycran is a big one

Massive result for the hurlers. Carlow had been threatening to break into top 10 in recent years , and are surrounded by Hurling counties compared to Down's isolation, massive credit to all involved

Brilliant result from the hurlers. As others have said totally unexpected. Roll on Wicklow.
      As for the footballers, is anybody seriously  surprised by the result? Apart from Dublin who are in different stratosphere, Mayo along with Kerry are probably the best of the rest.
      Its also the first game of the league in a most disjointed year, preparation wise.
       I wouldn't be too disheartened. We definitely have potential to improve.

[Johnnysboys]

Footballers home to Meath this weekend - now a must win game to keep divisional status.

Who should start??

[Sheedy]

Footballers home to Meath this weekend - now a must win game to keep divisional status.

Who should start??

a home match but in the athletic grounds 🙄 this week's match will give us a better idea of where we stand

[Smurfy123]

Must win match for Down in Armagh on Sunday
Not to often Armagh do Down any favours but the allowed Down to train on it

Down team for Sunday

My pick

O hare
Fegan
McEvoy
McGovern
Annett
O Hagan
D guiness
J Flynn
C Mooney
Poland
Devlin
McConville
Quinn
O Hagan
McArdle Sweeper