Down Club Hurling & Football

[Dayman]

We were always gonna get caught by someone who really wanted it. Shouldn't have happened after being 12 points up though.

Management has its issues (not pushing up on kickouts at the start of the second half being a big one) but we had the chances to win that - 3 or 4 missed chances at the end? Not sure that can be blamed on them.

The most concerning thing is Murdock's form, he loses the ball so often and just seems to play in his shell. I thought he'd be our talisman for the next 10 years ala Benny but he's not hitting that at all. Aside from that, Burns is by far our most important player and if it wasn't for him we'd not even be close to where we are now.

Even if we'd won today, staying in Division 2 next year is the litmus test for this management team.

[LosDodgers]

Probably the most disappointing game in my life time as a down fan.

First half we were excellent. Could have been 20 up at HT.

Second half was genuinely embarrassing.

Lav is the right man for the job, but we really really need to have a look at ourselves

[Ed Hardy]

Absolutely brutal 2nd half yesterday, so flat and zero leadership out on the pitch. Could see the game slipping away and nobody had the ability under pressure to take the simple score. Subs didnt work out either.

Im not sure if changing the manager is the correct thing to do, (as I think a Down man should be the manager of Down, and there isnt many stand out candidates) but maybe time to change the backroom team and shake things up that way. However the style of play needs sorted, the new rules means the endless running and carrying is gone. Ball needs kicked in, and scorers need left inside. Ryan Magill was left inside for periods yesterday and the same against Fermanagh thats not his game at all. Also cant get away with playing just one Mf (Murdock) most teams playing with 3/4 bigger  men across the middle we are going with 1!

 

[snoopdog]

To lose to a Div 4 team after controlling the 1st half is unforgiveable. Doen have played 8 times in last few years at Croke park and have struggled in all but 1 of those games against Laois in 23 SF. Cant explain why? Is it pitch size?  But they were leaderless yesterday when it mattered, they sleep walked through the Tailteann and got caught yesterday and in Tullamore. Got lucky against a poor Fermanagh side. I wasnt suprised they ballsed that up yesterday. Laverty praised his backroom team and coaches in lead uo to the game but Meenagh was a big loss and he wasnt replaced with same calibre.
There is something not right is it mental prep? Is there a physchologist in the set uo? There should be.
There can bw no excuse for that 2nd half.
But fair play to Wicklow it meant the world to them yesterday. Down wouldve trudged around the pitch with the cup with a big forlorn head on them. This we deserve to be in Sam head on them. You dont deserve to be in Sam and you proved yesterday why you dont. Your not good enough. 1 game doesnt mean you should be playing sam maguire football. Donegal proved they werent all that losing to Cork and Dublin.
How do you be so prepared for 1 game in the year and not the rest.
Also as i said before the underage set up needs sorted before we do anything. Is there anyone in the U20s this year that would be an addition?

[5times5times]

Added pressure on Div2 next year, that top  5 get into Sam, unless we get to a Ulster final.

Dublin Monaghan Tyrone Derry Louth 

[LosDodgers]

Added pressure on Div2 next year, that top  5 get into Sam, unless we get to a Ulster final.

Dublin Monaghan Tyrone Derry Louth 

That's not how it works.

Wicklow essentially take the runners up in D3 place next year (same as Kildare did this year) so winners of D3 will be in Tailteann as long as someone below them (or relegated D2 team) don't get to provincial final.

If two lower ranked teams get to provincial final, then 6th in D2 will go to Tailteann Cup.

[grounded]

How many times in the second half did you see Down players losing possession cheaply and refusing to chase back at full pace, actually watching the Wicklow players steaming forward.
    I'm sure its something we all seen or coached at underage level and shouted at the player to try and discourage it. It's just a bad attitude and surely something the management have seen all throughout this year and previous years.
   
   
   
   
   

[snoopdog]

How many times in the second half did you see Down players losing possession cheaply and refusing to chase back at full pace, actually watching the Wicklow players steaming forward.
    I'm sure its something we all seen or coached at underage level and shouted at the player to try and discourage it. It's just a bad attitude and surely something the management have seen all throughout this year and previous years.
   
   
   
   
   
[/qu
Down players didnt want it enough. They let down all the loyal supporters who have followed them all year. From the high of Letterkenny we never thought the next few months wouldve brought such lows. Despite Laveetys claims that the players had bought into the TC, anyone going to the TC games could see they clearly hadnt.
Maybe its the best thing for them. Lets see how good they are next year, its on the players now. Are they good enough to compete with the Dublins, Tyrones,Louth, Monaghan, Derry.? And thats only div 2.

[PAULD123]

Here is the pattern of almost every Down game this year. Start well, build up a big lead. From minutes 35 to 55 Odrahn Murdoch goes missing, we give up possession constantly, the opposition score enough to close that gap. Odrhan comes back into the game in the last ten minutes. We start winning midfield ball. We create the chances to rescue the game. BUT... instead of slipping over points from simple positions,  we insist on over playing,  trying to get a goal instead of the day point.  We drag the tension out until finally accepting the need to score a point and win in the final seconds.

Yesterday they didn't do the last bit. Even though all they needed was a point to level the game, they simply refused. They kept trying to get The shot on goal When we actually needed a point. The calm head never took the easy sensible option.

[snoopdog]

Any progress Down have made under Laveety. And they have improved. But saturday wrote it all off.
To lose any final to Wicklow is as bad as it gets. No disrespect to Wicklow but Down lost it because the Down players didnt want to know in the 2nd half.  They were out fought by a Div 4 team.
As low a day in Downs history that i can remember and there have been many.
We are now looked upon as one of those counties that used to be good. Likea Cavan or Offaly.
We think we are better than we are and the rest of the country are laughing at us.
I never thought id see the day that i was embarrassed to wear a Down jersey but sat was that day. Ironically things can still get worse. If Down get relegated from Div 2 next year and are back in the TC again, the current crop of players are at fault. Their lack of balls will have put Down in that position.
Does anyone believe they can turn it around next year?
Any good club player in the county not yet on the panel should be upping their game for club championship because there is more than a few positions up for improvement.
 

[Dayman]

Here is the pattern of almost every Down game this year. Start well, build up a big lead. From minutes 35 to 55 Odrahn Murdoch goes missing, we give up possession constantly, the opposition score enough to close that gap. Odrhan comes back into the game in the last ten minutes. We start winning midfield ball. We create the chances to rescue the game. BUT... instead of slipping over points from simple positions,  we insist on over playing,  trying to get a goal instead of the day point.  We drag the tension out until finally accepting the need to score a point and win in the final seconds.

Yesterday they didn't do the last bit. Even though all they needed was a point to level the game, they simply refused. They kept trying to get The shot on goal When we actually needed a point. The calm head never took the easy sensible option.

They just seem so weak mentally, especially when it comes to the big games that they would be expected to win. Thinking Tailteann Cup final v Laois in 2024 (almost threw it away), Division 3 final v Wexford this year (having beaten them handy earlier in the year) and now this last weekend throwing away a 13 point lead - as soon as Wicklow got a run on us I felt we were done. Honestly after seeing their celebrations I don't begrudge them it at all. That's not even talking about the absolute stuffing they got from Armagh, for me nothing was worse than that and I think that did some real damage mentally.

Even if we did win on Saturday, staying up in Division 2 next year is the most important thing by far. Hopefully Kerr and Danny Magill being back will add a bit more firepower.

Last year Westmeath got relegated to Div 3 with 1 point, and got knocked out of the Tailteann Cup in the quarter final. This year they're Leinster champions. These things can turn around, but whatever mental block is there needs to get sorted quickly.

[Blue By Nature]

Any more word on #TesticleOperation after the Loughinisland game?               

[downtothecore]

Well done to Green and Red of Mayo. Fantastic scenes.  Would be Great to see the Red and Black of Down hit such heights...33 years next year and counting

[ardtole]

The last time Wicklow beat us in the championship we got to the All Ireland final the following year.

Maybe history will repeat itself, and maybe go one step further.