Worst game of football in living memory

Dublin v Donegal All Ireland semi Final 2011.
Pig ugly

This isn't football.

Fasincating game....really enjoying it (not an anti-Dublin comment btw).

''The game from Hell''
Colm O Rourke

''Stinks the place out''
Joe Brolly

never witnessed anything like it , disgusting tactics from donegal disgusting game of football

hipster 2 wrote:never witnessed anything like it , disgusting tactics from donegal disgusting game of football

And Dublin tried to play flowing football eh? Take your blue glasses off and admit that Dublin played more than their part in the defensive nature of the match!

To be honest i really enjoyed watching the match and looking at it from a defenders point of view, i thought it was an enjoyable chess match although as a game for the lovers of flowing football it was far from enjoyable!

bald eagle wrote:

hipster 2 wrote:never witnessed anything like it , disgusting tactics from donegal disgusting game of football

And Dublin tried to play flowing football eh? Take your blue glasses off and admit that Dublin played more than their part in the defensive nature of the match!

To be honest i really enjoyed watching the match and looking at it from a defenders point of view, i thought it was an enjoyable chess match although as a game for the lovers of flowing football it was far from enjoyable!

They are both to blame but I think Dublin had the intention of playing attacking football and Donegal didnt. It showed when Donegal never scored for 30 minutes. Personally I did not like it but it worked for Donegal and thats all that mattered, they will be sussed out earlier on next season though I think.

bald eagle wrote:

hipster 2 wrote:never witnessed anything like it , disgusting tactics from donegal disgusting game of football

And Dublin tried to play flowing football eh? Take your blue glasses off and admit that Dublin played more than their part in the defensive nature of the match!

To be honest i really enjoyed watching the match and looking at it from a defenders point of view, i thought it was an enjoyable chess match although as a game for the lovers of flowing football it was far from enjoyable!

I agree with you BE.

The lads at HT (analysts) were talking about exploiting the wings better, running harder and showing more patience in front of goal. But none of those things are how you beat Donegal.

To beat them, you do exactly as they do and that's what I presume Dublin did - missed last 20 minutes but Dublin didn't concede a score in the last 30 minutes, with a man less for half that.

And like you, I enjoyed the game. A tactician's paradise and a game for leaders, bravery and courage. What the ordinary Joe Soap needs to understand is that if you concede space, you concede scores. So why not take away the space?

GAA-Fan wrote:

bald eagle wrote:

hipster 2 wrote:never witnessed anything like it , disgusting tactics from donegal disgusting game of football

And Dublin tried to play flowing football eh? Take your blue glasses off and admit that Dublin played more than their part in the defensive nature of the match!

To be honest i really enjoyed watching the match and looking at it from a defenders point of view, i thought it was an enjoyable chess match although as a game for the lovers of flowing football it was far from enjoyable!

They are both to blame but I think Dublin had the intention of playing attacking football and Donegal didnt. It showed when Donegal never scored for 30 minutes. Personally I did not like it but it worked for Donegal and thats all that mattered, they will be sussed out earlier on next season though I think.

Sussed out? The only way to suss Donegal out is to exactly as they do!

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

To beat them, you do exactly as they do and that's what I presume Dublin did - missed last 20 minutes but Dublin didn't concede a score in the last 30 minutes, with a man less for half that.

They didnt concede a score because donegal were playing without any forwards. To see a team with an extra man and a point behind keeping everyone in their own half was the most bizarre thing ive seen in a long time. Disgusting game between two awful teams

the team that played football won , the team that took risks won , i hope though that we will never have to witness that tripe again , you can keep it in ulster BE

hipster 2 wrote:the team that played football won , the team that took risks won , i hope though that we will never have to witness that tripe again , you can keep it in ulster BE

Hipster - you a poor reader of the game. Dublin withdrew a lot of defenders, and have been doing so all year. Look at your half-forward line. They didn't take risks really....or at least that's not how I would describe it. They were patient, they held their nerve, and they took the chances on the rare occasions that they presented themselves.

Though I agree Dublin played better football - largely because they have better footballers than Donegal. Dublin are a very good side but your idea that they play 70s football is a little bit naive - no offence.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

hipster 2 wrote:the team that played football won , the team that took risks won , i hope though that we will never have to witness that tripe again , you can keep it in ulster BE

Hipster - you a poor reader of the game. Dublin withdrew a lot of defenders, and have been doing so all year. Look at your half-forward line. They didn't take risks really....or at least that's not how I would describe it. They were patient, they held their nerve, and they took the chances on the rare occasions that they presented themselves.

Though I agree Dublin played better football - largely because they have better footballers than Donegal. Dublin are a very good side but your idea that they play 70s football is a little bit naive - no offence.

are you for real i told you before you dont know football you dont even know how to call it when its plain to see , and when did i say dublin play 70 s football , they took the risks and won , donegal well they had no balls they were to preoccupied in trying to stop dublin .

hipster 2 wrote:

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:

hipster 2 wrote:the team that played football won , the team that took risks won , i hope though that we will never have to witness that tripe again , you can keep it in ulster BE

Hipster - you a poor reader of the game. Dublin withdrew a lot of defenders, and have been doing so all year. Look at your half-forward line. They didn't take risks really....or at least that's not how I would describe it. They were patient, they held their nerve, and they took the chances on the rare occasions that they presented themselves.

Though I agree Dublin played better football - largely because they have better footballers than Donegal. Dublin are a very good side but your idea that they play 70s football is a little bit naive - no offence.

are you for real i told you before you dont know football you dont even know how to call it when its plain to see , and when did i say dublin play 70 s football , they took the risks and won , donegal well they had no balls they were to preoccupied in trying to stop dublin .

It appears that is what you think - you certainly haven't said that Dublin play a modern style.

This is why I think Dublin won - they did to Donegal what Donegal had done to them in the first half. They raised the intensity, tackled with discipline and threw thunderous shoulders and hits. They simply refused to give Donegal a scoreable chance. Very, very impressive defending - as good as, if not better than Donegal in the first half.

At the other end, Brogan carved a few openings with some good runs and two nice moments (flick to McMenamin and pass to Cullen). Donegal were able to stop a lot of things but ultimately, too often they had no answer to the intelligence of Brogan.

Maybe you can point out the risks that Dublin took because they aren't immediately obvious?

hipster 2 wrote:the team that played football won , the team that took risks won , i hope though that we will never have to witness that tripe again , you can keep it in ulster BE

Eh let's not get carried away. Dublin scored two points from play. In an all-ireland semi final, two points from play! The slightly better of two shocking teams won. Kerry will eat them alive

On the thread topic though, it has to have been the most un-sightly game of football in mortal memory.
Granted, on a very bad day, the 1980 final was a dour and rancorous affair, but this capped all I've ever seen.
Fair play to the Dubs for coming through to reach the final, for another 70 minutes of this turgid stuff would have alienated the masses.

I confess to not having admired certain teams with negative approaches in the past, but the "style" of Donegal's play today was nauseating. Despite the plaudits McGuinness will garner for a promotion and Anglo Celt cup, there's hardly many, even in Donegal, who can buy into this system.
Deploying their marquee forward and main scoring threat 60 yards from the posts at all times was baffling. Murphy has regressed as a footballer this year, 5 points from play in the C/Ship tells it's own story...

Boxtyeater wrote:On the thread topic though, it has to have been the most un-sightly game of football in mortal memory.
Granted, on a very bad day, the 1980 final was a dour and rancorous affair, but this capped all I've ever seen.
Fair play to the Dubs for coming through to reach the final, for another 70 minutes of this turgid stuff would have alienated the masses.

I confess to not having admired certain teams with negative approaches in the past, but the "style" of Donegal's play today was nauseating. Despite the plaudits McGuinness will garner for a promotion and Anglo Celt cup, there's hardly many, even in Donegal, who can buy into this system.
Deploying their marquee forward and main scoring threat 60 yards from the posts at all times was baffling. Murphy has regressed as a footballer this year, 5 points from play in the C/Ship tells it's own story...

Omar might give a better indication of the reaction in Donegal.....my impression is that they are happy with their progress. As a Meath person, I am usually satisfied when we get more days out. Though Meath never played like Donegal, I would happy if we adopted a similiar approach - with same success.

The things I enjoyed about this game - intensity, tackling, bruising shoulders and generally just two sets of players who were able to give and take the bits. There is also the tactical battle which unfolded. These kind of trappy affairs can make for good post-match analysis if allowed.

All in all, I have no complaints about today's game.

1 - Horrible game. Donegal playing to their strengths, doing what they have to do.....I'm sick of hearing this dung, it would have been a travesty to see such a negative interpretation of Gaelic football make it to the All-Ireland final. No-one doubts that Donegal have worked just as hard as any team this year and they have made all the sacrifices that come with long seasons but sometimes we just have to say it like it is....Donegal as a football team are woeful, are at least the way they are set up makes them look so. Their plucky attitude belies their failings as footballers and quite simply if Jim McGuinness had succeeded in guiding this poor footballing team to an AIF purely by means of constantly putting 3/4's of the team behind the ball it would have been sad.

2- Yes Dublin did their fair share of defending but the simple fact is that everyone knows that Dublin can attack and can do so to great effect. I hope they put up a great show in the final against Kerry and send out a definitive signal that the type of football Donegal played this year will not win out.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:Omar might give a better indication of the reaction in Donegal.....my impression is that they are happy with their progress. As a Meath person, I am usually satisfied when we get more days out. Though Meath never played like Donegal, I would happy if we adopted a similiar approach - with same success.

The things I enjoyed about this game - intensity, tackling, bruising shoulders and generally just two sets of players who were able to give and take the bits. There is also the tactical battle which unfolded. These kind of trappy affairs can make for good post-match analysis if allowed.

All in all, I have no complaints about today's game.

Fair enough there was intensity and stern challenges, but when you have 20 bees in a jam-pot you can see the same thing...
I'd hardly call it a tactical battle now in fairness. Twas' more of a "Winner takes All" poker joust. Gilroy knew the score, how Donegal's game plan evolved and he stuck to his. It may have been a game of nerve, for once Dublin got their noses in front the Donegal "run" was busted...

Hard to fill an inside straight with 1 card.....Lacey's retirement cost them in the end, because he'd have shown leadership in the closing quarter..

Donegal disgusted me today - in a lot of ways. And disgusted a lot of their supporters too. Armagh and then Tyrone pioneered this type of approach but Donegal left them both standing today.

I don't know what you lot are talking about. I saw no game of football today.

Jayo Cluxton wrote:Donegal disgusted me today - in a lot of ways. And disgusted a lot of their supporters too. Armagh and then Tyrone pioneered this type of approach but Donegal left them both standing today.

That's what annoys me about you at times. If you read the thread "negative tactical approaches" was vaguely addressed, sufficent for today.
Now you draw the wrath of various posters down upon yourself....

You've won, deservedly so, but handing grenades to those whom you refer to as "Nordies" (Bocerty for example) will skewe the discussion and it will go off track....
That is why strong Moderatership is need here..eg. Loyal....

I am not stirring. Tyrone especially adapted and modified this approach and came up with a brilliant style of play - I have always said that. Tyrone 08 v us was as good as a display of football as I have seen.

You all knew what was going to happen before the match started. IMO is was a good game of football.