Ulster Senior Football Championship 2020

[thecritic]

Really disappointed to hear that Donaghy may have been left out whilst fully fit. Yes, it is important to bring through the 'youth' but you have to play your best players. Brendan would definitely have shored that defence and god do we lack leadership!!
Must comment on A Forker - a trojan of a player - he really improved his discipline and is a great leader. Cut from the same cloth as Donaghy who has been a great servant.

 

[OneofTwo]

Brendan Donaghy was named at centre half against Roscommon. Also named on the initial team were so to Aaron McKay and jemar hall. Brendan didn’t start nor was he brought on jemar and Aaron were both brought As they didn’t start. In the four matches McGeeney has used nearly all his 26 match panel except Brendan who I say again is fit and raring to go. It is my opinion that he should have been brought on it was pretty obvious but the manager thought otherwise. Brendan is the most senior player in the squad . To not even consider giving him a runnin any of the four games to me in my opinion is humiliating .

Could not agree more. Embarrassing given his service.

It would be hard to see him continuing but I could be wrong. Would be a crying shame for a career like his to end on such a sour note.

 

[OneofTwo]

I do think there are serious issues in our development squads/underage structures and coaching. This has been going on for a few years now and is something that needs addressed at county board level.

The issue is that the County board genuinely think they are addressing it!

 

[niall1980]

If Brendan Donaghy has been fit for the last 4 games then it definitely is a massive mistake by our management not to use him.

Our team was crying out for him and I for one thought he must have been injured and that's why he hasn't featured.

I'm shocked to find he was fully fit all along.

Just because some guy on the internet says he was fully fit doesn’t mean he was. People were also saying Murnin was fully fit

 

[niall1980]

If Donaghy was fit, he would have played.

 

[bcb1]

Just because some guy on the internet says he was fully fit doesn’t mean he was. People were also saying Murnin was fully fit

Whilst I would generally agree with that notion I would give some ‘guys on the internet’ more credit than others. Some are close to squads, some have played the game, some have coached the game. I do know where players have been fully fit and not played for whatever reason by this management team.

 

[gar]

The development squads/academy are shambles.

Jobs for the boys with little chance for coaches to progress if you haven’t played county football, particularly 2002. The last academy restructure claimed their focus was solely on kids playing schools football at Grammar/Macrory schools and those outside of those probably weren’t good enough. I was astounded. County players brought in when they decide they fancy a bit of coaching regardless of their experience or qualifications. When was the last time we had a minor manager that wasn’t an ex County player as a matter of interest?

It is a separate issue to the senior team but certainly a factor as part of the overall issue.

I normally don’t get involved in this argument but to say the academy is a shambles and jobs for the boys is an insult to the many many coaches who I work with who by the way are not nor never were county players but they are honest good hard working coaches who do it for the love of their county. I have been one for twenty years and to be told I am shambles is off the mark. The academy may not be the best way forward or maybe it is. Dev squads are in place in every other county . What is this nonsense about Grammar and McCrory kids only ones being good enough? Lismore comprehensive was one of the venues whereby trials were held. St. Paul’s Bessbrook , keady high others. I don’t care if a lad goes to the Royal or Armagh high if he’s good enough he will be asked to be part of it. Our system may not be right and bcb1 and I have mentioned this before but comments like yours are not only hurtful but wrong. What is wrong with county players wanting to get involved. I only wish more would. Put your name forward and if you have your qualifications your more than welcome to help out.

 

[gar]

I am not having a go at you , one of two . At the end of the day you are entitled to your opinion . It’s been a disappointing day .

 

[ShiftYa]

Just while the topic is being discussed, do ex-county players have to obtain certain credentials, for example being a certified level four coach to become a county minor manager, or would their playing career alone secure them the job?

 

[POINTMAN]

I have deliberately waited a while before posting to let the head settle.

Donegal are better than us yes - but it was the manner of our defeat today not the defeat itself that is so hard to take.

We were extremely poor and it was an embarassing performance - that is what hurt.

I don't think Kieran will go and I don't think the county board will push him either. I'm also unsure who would replace him to be truthful - there are not too many outstanding candidates out there IMO.

Spare a thought for the players tonight too as they will be hurting - they didn't deliberately under perform and this will really impact some of them.

I agree about our conditioning and will repeat a point I made previous - Julie Davis is getting well paid now for around 7 years and are we getting value for our money?

As I said I can't see Kieran going anywhere so maybe it's time he freshens up his management/backroom team.

I also don't see too many outstanding players at club level who aren't on the present panel - yes there are a couple but not too many. I think the issue is our tactics/coaching not our personnel.

We are not at the same level as Donegal or Dublin (or dare I say Kerry) but we are better than today's performance which is the most fustrating part of it all.

Tactics and coaching - is that not what the management are there for?

 

[thecritic]

I think it's unfair to be having a pop at the academy after today's results. It's great to have it in place and we are years behind our rivals on it but there's great work going on and those involved have the best interests for the county.

On a different note - Niall - I heard today from a reliable source that Donaghy has been fit and ready to go for a few games now. If so he's been clearly frozen out. I stand corrected if this info is wrong - we may never know!

 

[OneofTwo]

I normally don’t get involved in this argument but to say the academy is a shambles and jobs for the boys is an insult to the many many coaches who I work with who by the way are not nor never were county players but they are honest good hard working coaches who do it for the love of their county. I have been one for twenty years and to be told I am shambles is off the mark. The academy may not be the best way forward or maybe it is. Dev squads are in place in every other county . What is this nonsense about Grammar and McCrory kids only ones being good enough? Lismore comprehensive was one of the venues whereby trials were held. St. Paul’s Bessbrook , keady high others. I don’t care if a lad goes to the Royal or Armagh high if he’s good enough he will be asked to be part of it. Our system may not be right and bcb1 and I have mentioned this before but comments like yours are not only hurtful but wrong. What is wrong with county players wanting to get involved. I only wish more would. Put your name forward and if you have your qualifications your more than welcome to help out.

Gar, that is the thing. I was involved and recently. I have full understanding of the set up. I was at a meeting where the clear player pathway was mapped out and was told the focus would be in those schools and maybe if others were good enough they would be brought in and have a look at them. I know this as I openly asked a question at the time from the floor.

My carte Blanche statement claiming it was a shambles is unfair. There are many fantastic people and brilliant coaches involved, many of which don’t get given roles they deserve but I stand over my statement that the system on a whole is substandard. The results, both in terms of volume of players produced who are prepared for senior county football along with the results on the field confirm this.

This was probably not the platform for voicing my opinion, I apologise. As you say, it was a disappointing display.

 

[OneofTwo]

Just while the topic is being discussed, do ex-county players have to obtain certain credentials, for example being a certified level four coach to become a county minor manager, or would their playing career alone secure them the job?

No certain credentials required.

 

[Rufus T Firefly]

I think it was valid.

Thanks Niall. I try and avoid talk of the referee but I was particularly peed off at the time and mentioning it then means your words can get misconstrued.

To clarify.

Was the ref the reason for our defeat? No.

Was the referee the reason we got hammered? No.

Was the referee the reason why we got beat by 12 points and not by 9 or 10? Maybe.

Do many care? No.

Do I care? Yes.

 

[PutTheHighBallInLow]

Why are we behind in conditioning? What recourses does Donegal have that wouldn't be available in Armagh or we couldn't bring in?

I've mentioned this to A

I normally don’t get involved in this argument but to say the academy is a shambles and jobs for the boys is an insult to the many many coaches who I work with who by the way are not nor never were county players but they are honest good hard working coaches who do it for the love of their county. I have been one for twenty years and to be told I am shambles is off the mark. The academy may not be the best way forward or maybe it is. Dev squads are in place in every other county . What is this nonsense about Grammar and McCrory kids only ones being good enough? Lismore comprehensive was one of the venues whereby trials were held. St. Paul’s Bessbrook , keady high others. I don’t care if a lad goes to the Royal or Armagh high if he’s good enough he will be asked to be part of it. Our system may not be right and bcb1 and I have mentioned this before but comments like yours are not only hurtful but wrong. What is wrong with county players wanting to get involved. I only wish more would. Put your name forward and if you have your qualifications your more than welcome to help out.

I appreciate and have seen first hand the hard work that coaches in the development squads put in and the sacrifices they make,giving up their Saturdays or whatever day.
But you have to admit there has been poorly schooled teams at underage levels over the past 10 years.
Tactically and skills wise it has been or has got stale.
Our coaching officer needs replaced or sent back to school,

 

[PutTheHighBallInLow]

A quite simply outrageous comment. We are all hurting at the moment but thank God, the majority of comments, pro or anti management are more measured and better researched than this. Some quick examples- a superbly run Armagh draw, providing 100+ kids the opportunity to grace the hallowed turf of Croke Park at the u12 go games excellently prepared for and organised. These are but 2 examples I know of directly, I'm sure there are many others.
Maybe you should dip your own toe into the bath, you might like it.

A draw that a lot of club only sell the minimum tickets

 

[Orangeade]

On a positive note i thought Ryan Kennedy was outstanding today. If we can stop teams creating countless goal chances running up the middle that will be tremendous progress.

Obviously a Nab man,, ffs he was roasted!! ,to slow, poor distribution, very much out of his depth

 

[Too Long Ref]

Just because some guy on the internet says he was fully fit doesn’t mean he was. People were also saying Murnin was fully fit

What a lot on here say I take with a pinch of salt but IMO Gar is a super poster and I've no reason not to believe him.

If it was said by certain other posters I'd actually think it was a lie.

 

[Too Long Ref]

Tactics and coaching - is that not what the management are there for?

Yes totally and I do put the blame on a lot of yesterday - not all - at the door of the management.

 

[ragingbull]

Have Armagh not went backwards since the year they got to the All Ireland quarter finals beat by Tyrone had good wins against Tipperary & Kildare & played some good attacking football