The All Ireland Senior Football Championship 2012

Here I prefer it now when you write them off altogether and I have the blind optimism!

Since when did that McGeeney cunt ever smile?

Kildare chairman making some show of himself since yesterday. Cant believe Limerick didnt get handed home advantage for this.

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

I realise that, I just wanted to call him a cunt.

:rolleyes:

Ger Brennan dropped and Michael Dara McAuley at 14 for this sundays Leinster final

Thatā€™s an interesting placement of McAuley.

unbelievebleā€¦fennell starts at midfieldā€¦how many chances is he going to get??..canā€™t see macauley staying in full forwardā€¦hasnā€™t the skills to play with his back to goalsā€¦for a start he needs 10 yards for the ball to come back down when he soloā€™sā€¦he needs to be out at midfield winning ball and hassling folkā€¦whats the story with fennel always being wheeled out the week of every dublin match now for the interviews??..good to see O sullivan out at wing backā€¦he has a great attacking instinct.

FAO Leitrim folk. Suggestions for before and after, last time in Carrick was for a stag so I remember practically nowt.

Decent bit to ate?
Decent few scoops, before and after?

Oh and best wishes, looking forward to the banter.

Biggest weekend of the championship by far coming up.

Predictions:
Tyrone 1-15 Kerry 0-11
Kildare 2-16 Limerick 0-13
Laoise 1-14 Leitrim 0-12
Tipperary 0-17 Antrim 0-11

Down 2-9 Donegal 0-12
Meath 0-13 Dublin 0-11

I like wee Jamesā€™ positioning of Danny Hughes, should be interesting to see how this game develops.

A weekend of surprises in store Sid ??

Canā€™t see Donegal conceding 2 goals.

uā€™d get some odds if you done those in a handicap trebleā€¦hope iā€™m wrong but canā€™t see tyrone or Down putting up those scores ā€¦

if laois have anything about them they should be beating leitrim by 9+ pointsā€¦

Down move the ball extremely quickly up front which is the one thing you need against Donegal. I would have serious worries over their defence however. They have form against Donegal though having beaten them in the league. Tyrone actually created quite a few goal chances against Donegal but couldnā€™t take them. I think Laverty and Coulter are two ideal forwards to have against Donegal in that they both need very little space and will go for goal if they get the chance. Downā€™s big problem as with other teams who face Donegal will be in stopping the mass counter attacks. Theyā€™ll need a lot of luck to win but I donā€™t think theyā€™re as big an outsider as most think.

Actually looking back on it Tyrone played Donegal quite well tactically but didnā€™t build up the lead their first half performance merited. Their defensive system held up well and the younger players showed they have the fitness levels and physicality needed to compete. They also have pace all around the pitch which I think Kerry will find very difficult to deal with, and Kerryā€™s paciest player isnā€™t fit. I expect Martin Penrose to play a key role as a rover which heā€™s been doing up to now. Joe McMahon has also had a terrific year so far. Tyrone also kept the ball very well in their periods of ascendancy against Donegal. Thatā€™s something which could really frustrate and tire Kerry. Tyrone look to have the better bench. Iā€™m greatly looking forward to making my first ever trip to Fitzgerald Stadium for this game.

Since Kerry beat Tyrone in the 1990 U-21 final theyā€™ve only had one win at any level of championship football against Tyrone, an All-Ireland Minor Quarter-Final in 2003. I really donā€™t understand why most commenators are backing Kerry so strongly for this considering the opposition.

Martin Penrose is the best bogball player in Ireland.

donā€™t know Sidā€¦I think if Donegal have enough smarts they could work a serious amount of goal chances as Down are so open at the backā€¦especially when donegal breaking in numbersā€¦but Mcguinness will probably have them programmed to take their pointsā€¦would love to see donegal really going for it when they attack and working goalsā€¦

As for Dublin v Meath, I find this one a very difficult one to call. Connolly has been Dublinā€™s best forward by a mile this year and will be a massive loss. All things being equal youā€™d fancy Dublin but there has been a general malaise and flatness around the team this year, particularly with the Brogans, which will be difficult to shake off, and I donā€™t see Dublin retaining the All-Ireland at all. Could go any way but can see Meath springing the suprise, very narrowly. Hope to see Ciaran Kilkenny given a genuine chance to show what he can do, no better time to give him one.

Talking to some of my weshtern family about Kerryā€™s chance against Tyrone, they wouldnā€™t be as confident as the bookies.
There is a growing sense that this Kerry team is one loss from the end of an era.

Iā€™ve heard vague rumblings about Donaghy wanting to be a half forward, Darrenā€™s hamstring being gone, dressing room not listening to the manager etcā€¦

Might all be bullshit but I have heard enough to take Tyrone @9/4 with Powers.