FERMANAGH V DOWN Preliminary Round USFC

[DownFanatic]

Does Sexton not play for Down anymore ?

He is on the panel but doesnt start.

[thewobbler]

That was a deeply disturbing perfrormance.

There is a lot of merit in the idea of playing an early, direct ball into ball-winning forwards. What Down teams over the past five years, and especially so today, don't seem to understand is:

1. The only teams who have had genuine success with this tactic in the past decade were Armagh, Galway and Kerry. In each instance, they had a frontline partnership (McDonnell and Clarke, Joyce and Savage, Donaghy and Walsh), who worked together in training and throughout the winters to create an almost subconscious understanding of how to play with each other; their lines of running, when to break, where to break, when to shoot, where to shoot. Down went through 3 partners for Coulter today alone, and must be in double figures for the past 5 years. A two-man, ball-winning full-forward line works as the result of practice, patience and application, not from hope or desparation.

2. Teams these days do need a preferred tactic - Tyrone and Kerry are the perfect examples of how and why. But the point about Tyrone in particular is that it is a preferred tactic... and not the only tactic. One ball was pumped into Coulter today from 50 metres when there were four men surrounding him. Yes your managers want you to play the ball in long, but for fucks sake, when that option isn't actually an option, you don't have to pursue it! Carry the ball, hold it it up, dink it in front, whatever. It doesn't matter. Just don't kick aimless ball away in the name of tactics.

Conor Maginn might look out of his depth at senior level, but he's probably the only player in the squad who would have continued to play a sensible game instead of following orders that just weren't working.

And further to this, the points raised above about why players were selected today to play in positions that they have had no competitive action in, are completely on the mark. If Ross and DJ spent less time trying to bamboozle opposing managers with their selections, and more time focusing on making sure their own players are aware of their roles - not just for a y playergame, but for a whole campaign - then let's just say it would make a difference.

This ultimately is the difference between coaches like Mickey Harte, Joe Kernan, Jason Ryan and Malachy O'Rourke, and the vast majority of county managers, our current incumbents included. They don't leave it to chance and hope players can wing it on the day. They create a system and tell players what to do.

Down's players frankly looked lost today.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Carr has to take a good bit of the blame,

a Full Back who wasnt match fit
One of the best young midfielders in the game today at full forward
Starting Benny Coulter when he wasnt near fit and would have been much better suited to have been brought on in the second half.

Where are the likes of

Martin Cole
James Colgan
Michael Walsh
Ronan Sexton
John Clarke??

I know Ambrose Rodgers and Liam Doyle are injured,but the 5 named are much better than some of the players down had playing today. Whats the problems there?

[mylestheslasher]

I tipped Fermanagh for the game based on what I seen when Cavan went over to Newry to play down with a team full of new, inexperienced players. It was a dirty wet windy evening and Down showed signs f not liking to get down and dirty and fight. Fermanagh are the opposite, they like a war. It is hard to come up with some tactic to beat Fermanagh out the gate in Enniskillen as they will get men behind the ball. Its all about attitude and work rate and balls at that stage. I questioned if Down had these skills and I think we know the answer today. The question is will Cavan be any different for Fermanagh and I'm not sure.

[thejuice]

I dont think Down won a breaking ball through the whole game, either in the middle or in front of goals. They had Dan Gordon to win clean ball in the middle but Fermanagh spoiled most of the catches and the 2 forwards were far too isolated and it was easy enough for the Fermanagh backs to deal with. Fair enough Down had the winning of the game but Coulter despite his fantastic point from the corner, wasnt going to get to do much with the quality of ball that was going into him. Ryan Carson was a good find for Fermanagh, good ball winner and a reliable free-taker. Fermanagh aren't near the form of last year but considering the conditions aswell they will improve as the weeks go by.

[FermGael]

From a fermanagh point of view a decent performance.
Great defensive performance.  All the defenders played very well.  H Brady played very well on a half fit Benny Coulter.
T McElroy never stopped running and Shane McDermott played very well.  
James Sherry had a great game but Dan Gordon bossed midfield and Marty did not have one of his better days in a Green shirt.
Maxi dropped back and won an awful amount of dirty ball.  Lyttle was quiet and R Keenan showed well.
Carson had a great debut and the wee man in the corner got through an awful amount of work.

Fermanagh have a game plan and its awful hard to play against.  
Down played liked headless chickens in the second half.  Their only tactic was to launch the ball on top of the full forward line.
Your management team was hopeless.  How the Down full back stayed on the field is beyond me.  

Now onto Cavan.  Never beat them in the Ulster Championship.  Have one of the best forwards in Ireland in Johnston.
They will be confident of beating us in their back patch and if we are to win an Ulster, it would make it all the sweeter if we beat
our neighbours on route.
Fermanagh will take alot of confidence form this victory
Barry Owens may be back, D kelly and Goan should be fit.  Clucker will be a doubt.

[Gnevin]

In fairness Gnevin, and anyone else waiting to have their predictable pops at Ulster football, they were two very average teams playing in absolutely shite conditions. You were never gonna get a great free flowing game when good handling and keeping your footing was so difficult.

I'll reserve judgement on Ulster until Tyrone and Armagh .

Thankfully the province of Ulster does not care too much for your judgement.

This, the province that has produced a team to win 4 out of the last 7 All-Ireland championships.

Leinster, on the other hand, are yet to win it this century.

I'll not even start on Dublin.

But it cares a little?  Great i'm making progress so . 

[Gnevin]

I was expecting that game to be dire but thought it was pretty decent.  Down are an indisciplined shambles with no descernible game plan.  

Has Pete McGrath been away long enough to be considered for a possible return?

In  what way was a grame with 57 frees and terrible aimless kicking decent?

[Pangurban]

Congragulations Fermanagh on fully deserved win. Down were disorganised, at times dirty, sluggish and uncommitted. Resignation should not be an option for Carr at this stage, him and his team must be dismissed now, before we suffer further humiliation by losing to some team like Carlow in the qualifiers. He never had the ability to manage a football team at any level, and this should now be clear to all. If he is not removed before the qualifiers, then Down supporters should vote with their feet and stay home. It will be for the long term good of football in the County.  Pete Mc Grath should be asked to take over for the remainder of what will be a short campaign, and try to restore a little credibility and pride.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Very Rarely are first round games classics Gnevin
Most teams havent had a "competitive" match in at least 3/4 weeks.
Always littered with mistakes.
Case in point
Last Year, Down/Tyrone draw in Omagh,while not a bad match was littered with too errors and mistakes,
The Replay in Newry the week after was for me the Best match of the year in the  championship.

[Gnevin]

Very Rarely are first round games classics Gnevin
Most teams havent had a "competitive" match in at least 3/4 weeks.
Always littered with mistakes.
Case in point
Last Year, Down/Tyrone draw in Omagh,while not a bad match was littered with too errors and mistakes,
The Replay in Newry the week after was for me the Best match of the year in the  championship.

I didn't excpet a classic but a semi decent game of football would of been nice, the errors made too day would be called dire at Junior B level , let alone Inter County .

[INDIANA]

Not very inspiring. Inter county players who can't tackle or pass accurately- astonishing. Good God please bring back the experimental rules if thats all thats on offer.

For fighting spirit, determination and will to win Fermanagh deserved ti hands down. But the lack of the basics was beyond belief quite frankly from both teams. And down fans need to consider what happens their underage players at senior level. How can stars at u21 level look so average at senior level. Its an epidemic in down football at this stage.

[pintsofguinness]

I was expecting that game to be dire but thought it was pretty decent.  Down are an indisciplined shambles with no descernible game plan.  

Has Pete McGrath been away long enough to be considered for a possible return?

In  what way was a grame with 57 frees and terrible aimless kicking decent?

f**k sake gnevin you've your opinion on the game and so do other people, you've made your point, leave it at that.

[Pangurban]

How can stars at u21 level look so average at senior level.


Simple answer.....Management, and the present Down Senior Management are so incompetent that a good U12 player should not be placed in their care

[Gnevin]

I was expecting that game to be dire but thought it was pretty decent.  Down are an indisciplined shambles with no descernible game plan.  

Has Pete McGrath been away long enough to be considered for a possible return?

In  what way was a grame with 57 frees and terrible aimless kicking decent?

f**k sake gnevin you've your opinion on the game and so do other people, you've made your point, leave it at that.

Sorry ,I must be lost.  Can you direct me to the discussion board?