The poor standard of Ulster football

[Arthur]

Dublin came extremely close to Kerry last year, and this year I feel they are ready to take that extra step.

Dublin's campaign will end on 16th August.

[johnpower]

The standard appears low across all provines but we have at least 7 games left which may change the outlook . Ulster is of course the most competitive but still has 2 teams standing both of whom know how to win Sam .

[saffron sam2]

As regular readers will know, I shed no tears at the demise of Monaghan and Fermanagh. Fermanagh, a team that grinds and chokes teams into submission and hopes to gain enough points at the other end to sneak a win; a team that doesn't have the ability, confidence or tactical nous to win a game on its own merits. Monaghan, a team that has taken the dark arts to new levels and that strangles  and out muscles teams but when they come up with a team prepared to fight fire with fire they don't have it.

No, I slept easier last night, knowing neither side would again sully the hallowed sod this year.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

The standard appears low across all provines but we have at least 7 games left which may change the outlook . Ulster is of course the most competitive but still has 2 teams standing both of whom know how to win Sam .

Ulster most competitive because all teams are a poor standard...
Kildare beaten by Wicklow then beat Cavan, Limerick and Fermanagh (the team who beat Derry, Monaghan and outplayed Armagh for 1.5 games)
Wexford annhialated by Dublin then beat Down the team who beat Tyrone

No semi-finalists in the last 2 years either

[Rufus T Firefly]

The standard appears low across all provines but we have at least 7 games left which may change the outlook . Ulster is of course the most competitive but still has 2 teams standing both of whom know how to win Sam .

Ulster most competitive because all teams are a poor standard...
Kildare beaten by Wicklow then beat Cavan, Limerick and Fermanagh (the team who beat Derry, Monaghan and outplayed Armagh for 1.5 games)
Wexford annhialated by Dublin then beat Down the team who beat Tyrone

No semi-finalists in the last 2 years either

Glad to see at least you're consistent. Doesn't matter though on what site you post it, the form lines you draw are still a nonsense.

Yes, Ulster may only have two teams in the last 8 - not great. But another Ulster team (Monaghan), were drawn against 2 relatively strong Ulster teams in the qualifiers. Had the draw been different, there may have been more Ulster teams left today. At the same time, the other three provinces are all relying on one or two big teams. I don't see the AI heading north this year (although i think Armagh are ebst placed to have a stab at it), but i wouldn't be unduly worried.

Nail on the head. If we could alocate each team a mark out of ten, based on their ability, in my opinion the average would be highest in Ulster. Simple as that. The two top teams though are Dublin and Kerry and they would have the highest individual scores. But to average it out over a province, there is no doubt in my mind that Ulster is still comfortably top.

Ask yourselves this - pick the fourth, fifth, sixth best teams in Ulster and ask yourself how they would do against their direct opponents from other provincial Championships. The Ulster teams would slap all round them.

[BallyhaiseMan]

I would not confuse a hard fought championship with quality though. Teams like Fermanagh and Down who performed well in Ulster have shocking weaknesses, Monaghan and Tyrone failed to perform at all in Ulster, Derry are reliant on two forwards and half a midfield,Donegal haven't got the bottle, Cavan and Antrim are jokes. It was arguably Armagh's easiest Ulster Championship of their recent seven, the complacent collapse against Fermanagh in the first match notwithstanding.

Cavan and Antrim are jokes? what would you know anything about them FFS,i doubt they gave Free Tickets away for The Cavan Antrim game,you're another one of these Johnny Come lately 2002 brigade.
Away back to one of your soccer threads you mouthpiece.

[Farrandeelin]

At least it's not as poor as Connacht at the moment. We're in big trouble West of the Shannon.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

The standard appears low across all provines but we have at least 7 games left which may change the outlook . Ulster is of course the most competitive but still has 2 teams standing both of whom know how to win Sam .

Ulster most competitive because all teams are a poor standard...
Kildare beaten by Wicklow then beat Cavan, Limerick and Fermanagh (the team who beat Derry, Monaghan and outplayed Armagh for 1.5 games)
Wexford annhialated by Dublin then beat Down the team who beat Tyrone

No semi-finalists in the last 2 years either

Glad to see at least you're consistent. Doesn't matter though on what site you post it, the form lines you draw are still a nonsense.

Yes, Ulster may only have two teams in the last 8 - not great. But another Ulster team (Monaghan), were drawn against 2 relatively strong Ulster teams in the qualifiers. Had the draw been different, there may have been more Ulster teams left today. At the same time, the other three provinces are all relying on one or two big teams. I don't see the AI heading north this year (although i think Armagh are ebst placed to have a stab at it), but i wouldn't be unduly worried.

Nail on the head. If we could alocate each team a mark out of ten, based on their ability, in my opinion the average would be highest in Ulster. Simple as that. The two top teams though are Dublin and Kerry and they would have the highest individual scores. But to average it out over a province, there is no doubt in my mind that Ulster is still comfortably top.

Ask yourselves this - pick the fourth, fifth, sixth best teams in Ulster and ask yourself how they would do against their direct opponents from other provincial Championships. The Ulster teams would slap all round them.

Rufus - Why not argue with facts for once???

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

(the team who beat Derry, Monaghan and outplayed Armagh for 1.5 games)

Nonsense although I'll give you a fool's pardon since DUblin were playing the same day as the Ulster final. To say Fermanagh dominated the whole first match is ridiculous. They might have won the first match given their dominance in the last 20 minutes but over the two games, the best team won.

[Rufus T Firefly]

Rufus - Why not argue with facts for once???

Cavan beat Antrim in the Championship - Kildare beat Cavan in the Championship - Wicklow beat Kildare in the Championship - Antrim beat Wicklow in the Tommy Murphy Cup Final!

There's some facts Einstein - go on then - let me know what they tell you!?!?

[Bogball XV]

Or what about Monaghan lost to Fermanagh by 2 and Kerry by 3, thus Kerry would be 1 better than Fermanagh, but obviously Kildare would hammer them if they played, and they're lucky that Wicklow weren't allowed back into the qualifiers

[mylestheslasher]

I personally believe that the standard of football has gone back almost everywhere this year. Definetely Tyrone and Armagh are not what they were. Kerry too are not what they were. Mayo are on the way backwards hoping for a few new players to bring them up again. Cork are ok but no better than last year. Galway - hard to tell yet but I suspect that they aren't up to much. Kildare are a poor team - for god sake we should have beat them (i.e. Cavan). Leinster is very weak at the moment I think, I think Wexford are doing well but fighting well above their level. Saying that, I now believe that this is the best chance the Dubs will have of winning Sam, they seem to be as good as last year, maybe a bit more hungry and bit cuter. They have a huge advantage in having home support every game. I think they will beat Tyrone and after that who knows.

[AZOffaly]

Leinster may be weak alright, but given that Kildare, Wexford and Dublin are all in the quarters, does that mean the other provinces are weaker?

I think the standard is down everywhere, not just in Leinster. I also think that Dublin are, on paper, the best team in the Championship. The question is are they good enough, mentally, to do the job on the pitch.

[haranguerer]

Or what about Monaghan lost to Fermanagh by 2 and Kerry by 3, thus Kerry would be 1 better than Fermanagh, but obviously Kildare would hammer them if they played, and they're lucky that Wicklow weren't allowed back into the qualifiers

Monaghan lost to fermanagh by 4.
All these comparisons have no little to no merit anyway, every game is different, and will develop in different ways. Regarding fermanagh, its all irrelevant now, but its my opinion that if they had put away a few of those early chances, they'd have wiped Kildare out. After the criticism of their shooting in the replay, it was clear to see their confidence ebb away as they missed. Shooting is very much reliant on confidence, so the problem just got worse. For eg, McGrath is generally good for a few long range points from mf, kicked a few v bad wides. Has he lost the basic skill of being able to kick the ball over the bar in the space of two weeks?

Lazy journalism, and looking into the past with rose tinted specs is where most of this stupid criticsm comes from, its a pity to see so many on here who claim their own opinions parrot the stuff. A horrible game of football, but is the whole game gone to hell? Hardly.

Anyway, Ulster is clearly the strongest province, looks to me like someone has been just waiting forever to start a thread with this title and realised they might never get a better chance...

[BerfArmagh]

Lads the standard of football this season has been nothing short of shocking. I have never watched such dross as I did at the weekened. Fermanagh, Down, Kildare & wexford  - to a lesser extent shoudl not have been allowed to stain the hallowed truf with that absolute nonsense. 25 mins before either team registered a score, appalling.

Anyway rant over... The standard is diabolical is all provinces at the minute, fitness & physique has taken precedence over basic skills. Just watch how many hand passes there is now, compared to 20 years ago. Guys have no confidence or ability to pass with the foot. Ulster would be the most competetive province in that all counties bar Antrim, have some home at its kick off. That said Armagh has won 7 & Tyrone 3 in the last 10 years, so is it really competetive? Province wise I'f put it

Ulster
Munster
Leinster
Connaught

Its amazing what a team with a couple of decent forwards can do i.e do the simple things and put the ball obver the bar.!