Your inability to accept reality drags this out.
Bit harsh there considering Wexford defeated Down easily this year.
2 Likes
You acknowledge hunger is an issue in an amateur sport, and thus completely demolish your own argument, and prove my point - that it’s more difficult to have to peak for pretty much the whole championship, as Ulster teams do, than waltz into the last eight and peak in August and September. That consistent, tough routes, year on year, like Ulster teams have, are a barrier to consistent, year on year success. Why? Because, like I said, it becomes a slog, draining a team both mentally and physically.
You mention Cork in 2011 - they prove my point - Cork had a tough route in 2010 and winning the league in 2011 meant that they were even more physically and mentally drained come the championship, when they bowed out in meek fashion against a Mayo team which they still should have had the measure of at that stage in time.
Under your reasoning, Cork should have been a better team in 2011 than they were in 2010.
The best team pretty much always wins a 38 game league. The best team can be undone in a knockout championship on a given day, and that’s the beauty of it.
Between 2002 and 2008 Tyrone were beaten by Sligo, Donegal, Mayo, Derry, Laois and Meath.
None of those teams were better than Tyrone. But they were better on a given day, and that’s what counts.
Kerry and Dublin can waltz into the last eight nearly every year. They’ve almost never had to face what Donegal and Tyrone have had to face and that is a cut-throat provincial championship that forces them to them peak early, every year.
The proof is in the facts. One team has retained the All-Ireland since 1990. If you were right, several more teams would have retained it. They haven’t, and you’re wrong.
That’s not even up for debate.
1 Like
Yawn
Here’s a list of teams who were clearly better teams than their opposition but lost to them on a given day. The best don’t always find a way.
Tyrone v Sligo 2002
Tyrone v Donegal 2004
Tyrone v Mayo 2004
Tyrone v Derry 2006
Tyrone v Laois 2006
Tyrone v Meath 2007
Kerry v Down 2010
Armagh v Monaghan 2003
Armagh v Fermanagh 2004
Armagh v Derry 2007
Cork v Mayo 2011
Galway v Roscommon 2001
Meath v Offaly 1997
Meath v Offaly 2000
No retirements for Donegal, 12 new faces added.
Donegal Senior Manager Rory Gallagher has confirmed to Highland Radio Sport there’s no retirements among the current squad and he has added twelve younger players to the panel ahead of the 2016 season.
Danny Rodgers, Stephen McMenamin, Ciaran Gillespie, Michael Carroll, Eoghan Ban Gallagher, Ciaran Thompson, Stephen McBrearty, Caolan McGonagle, Jack O Brien, Rory Carr, Tony McClelland and Caolan Ward have been brought in.
Speaking with Oisin Kelly on Saturday Sport, Rory is happy that the squad are committed for another year and with the younger players that have come in.
Think it’s vital that these young lads get as much time as possible in the McKenna Cup and National League and they find out how many of them are viable options next year. They should be able to experiment a lot in the league as there is a huge gap between Down and Roscommon and the other six teams in the league so they can afford to give much needed rests to players like Murphy, Lacey and Gallagher while trying new lads out.
Most of those lads would seem to have graduated off the minor teams of the past two years, from what I remember the two players who really caught my eye in the 2014 minor final were Stephen McBrearty and the wing back who I think may be Stephen McMenamin.
Benny Coulter is coming out of retirement. 
He moaned enough about how much he hates football when he retired. Did the GPA grants increase or something that him and Galvin came back?
Beer.
1 Like
Drew Wylie will re-retire Benny Coulter.
It was the treatment he got in the Ulster Championship that he commented on, particularly the sledging.
Oh yes he is!!
Looks like Big Dan and Marty Clarke could be on the way back too.
I’ll be backing Down against Monaghan this summer.
No Jamie Clarke for Armagh this year.
How long will the exile last this time do you think? 3 weeks? 3 months?
I’d hesitate at about 8 months. He’ll be back for a part in the Ulster club. Think Armagh have bigger problems than losing Clarke. Naming half back lines full of forwards isn’t very comforting.