The Official GAA thread

Close but not quite there. Upset win for Antrim in the Hurling though over Wexford. Didn't see that one coming at all. Sets up Dublin v Antrim now in 2 weeks. Winner likely makes it out of Leinster

 

The magic of live TV on BBC there at half time

 

All-Ireland group stage draw confirmed

Group 1- Connacht winners (Galway/Mayo), Ulster runners-up (Donegal/Armagh), Derry, Westmeath

Group 2- Leinster Champions (Dublin/Louth), Connacht runners-up (Mayo/Galway), Roscommon, Cavan

Group 3- Ulster Champions (Donegal/Armagh), Munster runners-up (Kerry/Clare), Tyrone, Cork

Group 4- Munster Champions (Kerry/Clare), Leinster runners-up (Dublin/Louth), Monaghan, Meath

 

You for sure got the toughest draw there which when you became a third seed (which is a joke) was always likely to happen. The other 3 groups seem fair with maybe Kerry getting the most favourable draw of the 3 main contenders IMHO.

 

Teams who have met already should not get to meet again. Ulster teams that have to negotiate a minefield in the provincials should avoid having to meet the same teams again. Also a bit of variety is always nice.

I would say in the last 10 years Donegal and Tyrone have probably met 9 times in the championship. I haven't researched it but I'd say I'm not far off the mark.

So Donegal who have played both Derry and Tyrone this year are now scheduled to meet one or other of them again depending how the Ulster final goes

 

I don't think (and hope) that the shitshow of two weeks ago will be repeated. If Harte stands on the sideline in a * daze like he did then, some of our more experienced players will have to stand up and organise the team. Don't know why McKaigue and Glass didn't rectify the issue last time out. Humiliating. Don't think Donegal will beat us again and we will probably have Armagh at home. Westmeath proved tricky last year for both Armagh and Tyrone. As three of the four go through, I'm hopeful though would have preferred an easier draw. Agree that Kerry look to have an easier draw with the other three teams all playing Division 2 football next year. Being a Derry fan takes years off your life. Hoping for a lift tomorrow evening in Armagh with the U20s.

 

Absolutely gutting end to the U20 final. Derry teams just don't seem to be able to finish opponents off. Clearly the better team and just went to sleep thinking it was won. Not a great couple of weeks.

 

Probably the most intense Ulster championships ever. 3 games extra time. Neither of the top 2 making the final.

What a difference to Leinster and Munster

 

Feel incredibly sorry for McGeeney and Armagh.

 

Not looking good for Derry.

 

In the North for the weekend. Staying in Derry tonight so went to the game today. Ironically I stayed in Armagh last night randomly as didn’t book anything until yesterday so just plucked Armagh. First GAA game for me today. There was only ever one winner today.

 

They should be able to beat Westmeath and squeeze through into the knock outs but crazy that they face Westmeath knowing they have to win or they are done. Even a draw would not be enough as I think Westmeath have a better points difference. I expect them to win that match though and go through.

 

For Dublin should be an interesting match up against Mayo next up. Should give a good gauge as to how both sides are likely to fare once the knock outs get started.

 

Mickey Harte will need a major change of strategy. Pretty much made the same mistakes as they did home to Donegal. Donegal put the ball 3 times into an empty net whereas Armagh chose to break forward and numbers and take shots on a keeper who had to find his bearings after a quick retreat to his goa line. Another problem for Harte will be picking them players up after two heavy defeats at home. Should they beat Westmeath they'll have a 2nd place team to face and if they get over that they have a well rested 1st place team. Hard to see them making the semi this year

 

We won't.

 

It is still doable but no question the recent poor form has made it really difficult for Derry.

 

While I had a sense something was building within the county before our back to back Ulster titles and AI semi finals, this collapse took me by surprise.

The appointment of Mickey Harte and Gavin Devlin was a tragic mistake. Harte in particular, knows very little if anything about Derry football, probably less than I know about Tyrone hurling. He never liked Derry. It is also a very uncomfortable truth but Rory Gallagher is light years ahead as a coach. The backroom team was also a downgrade but remarkably things were still ticking along nicely. The McKenna Cup and NFL Division 1 campaigns did appear to have added depth to the squad, apparently the missing ingredient. The subsequent regression defies logic. Anyone who has watched Derry over the past two years will know that, in all competitions, opponents were not given a yard in the scoring zone. Three championship games in 2024 and we have conceded 9-42, 8-34 of which is from open play. Any team playing Tailteann Cup football would have beaten us this year.

Some pundits have cited fatigue/burn out which is a lazy explanation. Before yesterday, we had played one match in six weeks! Mickey Harte told the press yesterday that he has no idea what has happened. Obviously, what happened in Portugal stays in Portugal!

It's absolutely heartbreaking to watch as I think we are watching history repeat itself. Our best players had for a long time opted not to play for our county, club rivalries and north/south county divide destroying our county teams. Then along came Eamon Coleman (RIP) and he led us to our only AI in 1993, by far the best team in the country at the time. The following year, the county board sacked him when he was on holidays. Some players went on strike, others didn't and the ill feeling and fall outs lingered on for years and club rivalries and tensions are reignited. The board turned to an outsider, Brian Mullins (RIP) of Dublin and we won an Ulster title in 1998, the last one before the back to back successes of 2022 and 2023 under Rory Gallagher, another outsider who was able to rally all the players together to want to play for Derry. What it took Gallagher several years to build, a coaching dinosaur has helped to destroy in six months. I just want to be clear also that the personal abuse of Mickey Harte is totally unacceptable. .We are hurting but some people have crossed the line of decency in their criticism. IIt's also not all down to him by any means. The players have contributed hugely to this * show.

I'm disappointed for the players but also in them. I have followed this group just like their many predecessors all over for several years now and seeing the sudden lack of discipline and team spirit is brutal. The Irish News talked yesterday about players being in open mutiny and asked where was the on field leadership. Simple, probably in the bin in some bar in Portugal.

 

Wow that sounds like things are really bad and Harte has lost the dressing room so to speak. Maybe the Westmeath game even is not a banker after all although surely not.
I remember thinking after I watched us play you in the league final that while obviously disappointed we didn't win that day I was not too bothered as I felt it was a good game that would stand us in good stead heading into the championship and that given all the players we still had to come into the side that we had a lot of room for growth whereas I felt that for Derry that there probably wasn't all that much room for your lads to get better in the championship. So while I thought Derry were a serious challenger for the All Ireland I also felt confident given how the league final went that we could win if we met in an All Ireland semi or final. But I never expected to see what we have seen so far in the championship.

 

It could be years before we are back. Fully expect Westmeath to win. Not all Harte's fault but we need a complete reset next year. If you want to fight with your team mates, then leave the panel and don't come back. Huge amount of talented young players in the county to take your place.