Gaa 2013

Irwinwastheking

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Looking forward to it starting. I think Mayo, Armagh and Westmeath will get wins.

Donegal v Tyrone is a tough one to call. We do a prediction thing in our house and I can't call that one. If Tyrone were at home I'd go for them, but it's hard to win away. That game will probably decide the winner since you'd imagine the winner of that game will go a long way.
There'll be a huge Tyrone following at that game. Ballybofey is pure handy from most of Tyrone. I can see us sneaking a win but then I though Ireland would do OK at the eurovision.
 

JakeC

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Jesus that commentating is shite.
 

bazalini

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Delighted to see Armagh out - what the feck has happened Galway?

Thrilled with Westmeath - sadly hope Dublin don't beat us by much.

Would love to see Dublin, Mayo, Donegal or Cork win Sam. Ideally Mayo or Cork
 

bazalini

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There'll be a huge Tyrone following at that game. Ballybofey is pure handy from most of Tyrone. I can see us sneaking a win but then I though Ireland would do OK at the eurovision.
If Donegal turn up on the Day they'll hammer Tyrone. saying that Donegal have not turned up anywhere in 2013
 

Irwinwastheking

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What load of nonsense Baz. Donegal showed up against Tyrone big time last year while they were peaking and only luckily got out with a win. There's nothing between these sides apart from the fact one is hungry the other is a fattened calf. Don't be surprised to see Tyrone turn them over by a point or two in their own back yard. Will be one of the games of the year if it's close with some great play and massive hits.

The rest of Ireland better hold onto it's frilly knickers because the very best of Ulster is going at it.
 

Irwinwastheking

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Donegal announce the same line up as the All-Ireland final so a lot of the guys made it back from injuries just in time. Tyrone starting 15 to be named tonight.

Really looking forward to this one now.
 

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Really looking forward to it too. I put Tyrone down in my predictor yoke, so hope they can do it. Should be a good game.

I watched the Armagh-Cavan game on the weekend, and Armagh were terrible. Grimley really fecked it up by not playing with a blanket defence. The Armagh defenders had no hope in one on one situations and Cavan just picked them off. If Jamie Clarke had that sort of room he would've destroyed Cavan, but Cavan had the brains to double/triple mark him. Grimley has been saying some weird things since then too in the news.
 

The Black Pearl

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I heard the lads on off the ball on about Grimleys statement to the Armagh fans alright it was something along the lines of him going to stay trying to implement a style of football that didn't work over the coarse of the league and last Sunday but he's going to keep at it, even if it takes a few years and when he has that style of football polished he'll move onto plan B. That's what you call a manager sticking by his principles.

@ baz

Galway were an absolute shambles and an embarrassment, the whole system needs a complete overhaul from top to bottom. A lad was telling me yesterday that some of the players were out drinking the shit out of it Sunday night in Galway and were going on as if nothing had happened, not to sure how much truth is in that but given the way some of them were acting on the pitch attitude wise, I'd believe it.
 

Irwinwastheking

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Ye were always going to get beat in that game. It was pretty much a small minor team against a well drilled, hardened Mayo team who are playing at their peaks. The only reason you got hammered was because of the stupid mistakes leading to so many of their goals and points. Should have been a 5 point game and something to learn from. Now it's going to be a noose around those lads necks for the next few years.
 

bazalini

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What load of nonsense Baz. Donegal showed up against Tyrone big time last year while they were peaking and only luckily got out with a win. There's nothing between these sides apart from the fact one is hungry the other is a fattened calf. Don't be surprised to see Tyrone turn them over by a point or two in their own back yard. Will be one of the games of the year if it's close with some great play and massive hits.

The rest of Ireland better hold onto it's frilly knickers because the very best of Ulster is going at it.
Tyrone are a shadow of the team they once were. Donegal - Tyrone game last year was one of the worst displays I have seen from Donegal over the campaign.

I hope you get your glasses sorted
 

Irwinwastheking

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:lol: We'll see today won't we. Tyrone are very near full strength, Stevie has been playing a blinder all year and with the Cavangh's plying together in Midfield we have a strength and solidity we haven't had for years. The young lads a year older and the old lads aren't that old anymore. If we can get plenty of good ball to O'Neill we'll cause them problems. Another big thing last year was Donegal fouling the Tyrone man around the 40-50 yard mark. If young Morgan has his shooting boots on they won't be able to do that unpunished anymore.

Donegal are probably favorites, but no-one is getting destroyed today.


This is why being a GAA fan is great. Football season just over and football season just getting going :D
 

The Black Pearl

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This is why being a GAA fan is great. Football season just over and football season just getting going :D
Could be over fairly fast for you by the looks of things!

Donegal were the better team from start to finish and deserved to win it. Poor enough game considering all the hype during the week about it though. And a 1000 tickets handed back by Tyrone because they weren't happy about where the were situated in the ground? Or was I hearing things, I must have been.
 

bazalini

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:lol: We'll see today won't we. Tyrone are very near full strength, Stevie has been playing a blinder all year and with the Cavangh's plying together in Midfield we have a strength and solidity we haven't had for years. The young lads a year older and the old lads aren't that old anymore. If we can get plenty of good ball to O'Neill we'll cause them problems. Another big thing last year was Donegal fouling the Tyrone man around the 40-50 yard mark. If young Morgan has his shooting boots on they won't be able to do that unpunished anymore.

Donegal are probably favorites, but no-one is getting destroyed today.


This is why being a GAA fan is great. Football season just over and football season just getting going :D
Cough cough Tyrone are half the team they once were
 

The Black Pearl

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I know it's been said a thousand times before but listening to Jim McGuinness on off the ball yesterday evening he is sounds like a serious operator. He's supposed to spend 3/4 hours on Saturdays working on tactics and how to deal with different situations etc alone with Donegal. I'd imagine other footballing counties are having to change their whole set ups or have a serious look at them at least as a result of how he is running things in Donegal in relation to tactics, fitness and strength training or in short the whole preparation side of things. He seems to be taking things to another level in football.
 

Buchan

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McGuinness is a shrewd operator alright. I think they have a perfect mix of physical domination of their opponents and skillful footballers that can put big scores up. McBrearty, Murphy and McFadden is probably the best full-forward line in the country and the way they link up is sensational. Look at McFadden's opening goal on Sunday; a deft touch from McBrearty from a huge punt up-field by Murphy into McFadden's path and he goaled. A ten second play which sums up Donegal perfectly.

I don't think there's another side in the country who make mix the skill and physicality as good as they can. Cork and Mayo are physical, but lack the skill of Donegal. Kerry are skillful but lack the tenacity and power of Donegal. Dublin are probably the closest team to Donegal in terms of style of play, but they're nowhere near the Northerners yet. And probably won't be this year either.

If they can maintain this sort of form throughout the summer, they'll be very difficult to stop. McGuinness' words after the match were ominous, saying his focus has and always will be on Championship football. He's dead right, too. The League is something you can never look too far into as team's are juggling pre-season training midweek before League fixtures at the weekend. Throw in trying out and bedding in new personnel in these games, it's madness trying to judge a team in February and March with how they'll fare out in July and August. McGuinness and his staff have the blend just right.
 

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By the way, Tipperary were abysmal against Kerry on Sunday. Kerry were light years ahead of us in terms of intelligence and movement of the ball. It's going to be hard for us to raise our heads before the qualifiers. Looking at some of the teams that were beaten at the weekend, I wouldn't back us to get competitive with them either (Sligo, Laois etc.).

Division 4 is hampering us big time. We should have been promoted to Division 3 this year, which would have been much better for our development. The longer we stay in Division 4, the prospect beating the Corks and Kerrys at senior level look ever bleaker. We're beating Cork and Kerry for fun underage, but we're going to have to wait a while for it to translate to the adult teams (Incidentally, Tipperary beat Kerry by six points in the Munster Junior Football Championship on Sunday, which was the curtain-raiser to the senior game).
 

Irwinwastheking

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Their first goal was joke refereeing and we should have had two penalties. They deserved to win, but not by the margin. Also, the sending off was beyond ridiculous when you see some of the antics Donegal get up to off the ball.
 

Buchan

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Agreed, Irwin. The sending off was a little harsh, but at the same time, McMahon was already booked and knew what he was doing. He can have no real complaints.

I actually thought Tyrone were the better team from the 20th minute to the first Donegal goal. Donegal were far more economical with their points-taking though. The sign of a good team when you're being out-performed for large periods of the game yet still win comfortably enough.
 

Irwinwastheking

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We had something like 14 wides. Far too much ponderous play up front. Couldn't understand why they didn't let it in to O'neill a wee bit sooner. Harte was so disappointing. Every time he got the ball he took far too much out of it and tried to beat every Donegal defender.
 

The Black Pearl

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Wasn't 6 of them wides from the goalkeeper alone? It was a bad move to bring up the keeper from the distances he had to take them to have a pop. Bringing him up was more or less telling the Donegal lads that he or Tyrone were going to try land it over the bar and all they had to do was stand there for a minute or two and have a rest. I thought there was a few times there the keeper could or should have made a quick 20 yard pass to one of the Tyrone lads which would have caught the Donegal lads off guard and would have improved their chances of scoring a point or maybe even a goal too. Some of them frees were clearly beyond the keepers limits and he should have known that too. I think he landed two from the six or seven frees he had to take in the square. He should have known better.
 

Irwinwastheking

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I agree, he scored 1/7 I think. Uncharacteristic as he has been very accurate during the league. Bear in mind too though that the Donegal players were clearly not the required distance each and every free yet the ref never pulled them on it once. Lo and behold when a Tyrone man didn't retreat quick enough once he put the ball 20 yards forward and Donegal got their goal from it.
 

The Black Pearl

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The reason I was on about the Tyrone keeper there was because of a junior match I was playing in a hurling match against Kilbeacanty last monday evening and every time they got a 65 their keeper came out to take it. After he landed the 5th or 6th point over the bar it became a bit of a routine and we used to just stand up and take a breather every time they'd get a 65 or a free within range. Anyways after annoying the feck out of the lad I was marking by not giving him an inch for 50 odd minutes I took my eye off things completely for around 5 seconds, they got a 65 and I said to myself 'ah here's the keeper up again to take it I'll have a breather' I turned my back and started walking back towards my own goal, next fecking thing I noticed the ball was in the back of the net, the bastard of a goalkeeper caught us all but especially me by surprise and landed a short one to the lad I was marking who went on a bit of a solo run and he buried it. Talk about being pissed off!
 

lem8sh

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Agreed, Irwin. The sending off was a little harsh, but at the same time, McMahon was already booked and knew what he was doing. He can have no real complaints.

I actually thought Tyrone were the better team from the 20th minute to the first Donegal goal. Donegal were far more economical with their points-taking though. The sign of a good team when you're being out-performed for large periods of the game yet still win comfortably enough.
Spot on
 

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Peter Harte was a huge disappointment at centre-forward for Tyrone. I expected him to be much better. Tyrone weren't brutally bad though, they were competitive for large periods of the game. If they can cut out the wastefulness in front of goal, they'll be a very tough match for anyone in the qualifiers.
 

Irwinwastheking

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Wastefulness in the shooting can be attributed to two things. Inability to work the ball inside and Morgan missed too many kickable frees. Not many teams will be able to keep us outside the shooting zone for as long as Donegal were.

Look, it's disapointing and I'm a bit bitter given how we were going before yesterday but we'll have to regroup and have a crack at the qualifiers. Of the beaten teams so far I see no-one of Tyrone's class so the first round 'should' be a breeze. After that we'll have to see who gets knocked out in the provincial semis. Honestly I can't see us being bothered by too many teams though until we play the beaten provincial finalists. Hopefully we can get London who I see as going to the final now in Connaught.
 

Buchan

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I still see Tyrone having a big say in the Championship this year alright, Irwin. For what it's worth, here's the teams I see reaching the quarter-finals:

Donegal
Mayo
Dublin
Kerry
Cork
Tyrone
Kildare
and one of Derry/Down/Monaghan/Meath/Armagh/Galway

Hardly original I know, and to win Sam outright, I don't see past the top five listed to be honest. One of them may be caught on the hop by a 'lesser' county along the road, but all five aren't going to be caught out.
 

Irwinwastheking

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I think you're pretty much spot on with everything there (almost). I agree that the winner will come from the top five teams and I agree that Tyrone and Kildare (barring being drawn against each other will be the other two.


It's the...

and one of Derry/Down/Monaghan/Meath/Armagh/Galway
...line that I disagree with. The Ulster championship draw is set up for Cavan to get to the final against Donegal, they have Fermanagh in the next round and then play either Antrim or Monaghan. I don'[t see any problems there. Then they play one of the qualifier when Donegal inevitably beat them so they have a great chance of getting to the quarters. Galway will go no-where after their humiliation and I don't see a lot else in Ulster. Meath will have a good shout.
 

Buchan

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Monaghan are more than capable of toppling Cavan, for one. I also fancy Galway to get their act together in time for their qualifier when that rolls around.
 

Irwinwastheking

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Cavan have looked decent enough when I've seen them this year and I think if they got a few decent years under their belts they could become a force again. One huge GAA county and a genuine sleeping giant I think.
 

Buchan

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Cavan have some decent young fellas coming through from those good minor and u21 teams, but it's a whole new ball game at Senior level. Look at Tipperary, for example. I fancy Monaghan to come through that side of the draw and reach the Ulster Final. Although I am biased as I've got family in the Farney county and have had cousins represent Monaghan in football at various age groups.

Hon Monaghan! :D
 

Irwinwastheking

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The big difference between Cavan and Tipp is that Cavan are a football county with 5 all-irelands in the pocket. Football heritage and every club in a big county is football dominated. They are obsessed up there and starved.
 

Buchan

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Tipperary have four All-Ireland Football titles I'll have you! Although the last one came in 1920, we're still claiming them! Cavan's last title came just after the end of WWII, which is as far away as ours in the grand scheme of things.

We'll both be long gone before it happens maybe, Irwin, but I'd wager Tipperary will win Sam again before Cavan do. The talent in Tipperary really has to be seen to be believed. Munster champions in all underage grades and they beat Cork and Kerry practically every year now. Once/if this success starts to translate to senior level, we'll be competitive and among the top ten or twelve in the country again. Long hard road, but we'll get there.
 

Irwinwastheking

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Tipperary have four All-Ireland Football titles I'll have you! Although the last one came in 1920, we're still claiming them! Cavan's last title came just after the end of WWII, which is as far away as ours in the grand scheme of things.

We'll both be long gone before it happens maybe, Irwin, but I'd wager Tipperary will win Sam again before Cavan do. The talent in Tipperary really has to be seen to be believed. Munster champions in all underage grades and they beat Cork and Kerry practically every year now. Once/if this success starts to translate to senior level, we'll be competitive and among the top ten or twelve in the country again. Long hard road, but we'll get there.
Sorry, didn't know that. I'm well aware of the talented underage teams you have but with Hurling being the No1 it's hard to be successful in both.
 

Buchan

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The underage talent ye have in Tippearary is fantastic, just hope they all progress and stick around.
It's unreal, lem8sh. From u14 to u21, I doubt there's a better structure around. The only problem we have is that many of them prefer the hurling and opt for that when the inevitable choice has to be made, not to mention the soccer. It might take ten years of consistent underage success for this attitude to change as there's no doubting the talent is there.

What's the story with Kerry anyway? Why is there underage structure failing in the last few years?

Sorry, didn't know that. I'm well aware of the talented underage teams you have but with Hurling being the No1 it's hard to be successful in both.
Hurling will always be number one in Tipperary. It has such a rich heritage and the passion for it in the county is up there with Kerry in the football. Look at all the main hurling counties in Ireland: Kilkenny, Waterford, Cork, Clare, Limerick, Galway, Offaly, Wexford, Dublin and Antrim. Most of them share a border with Tipperary. Unreal, really.