‘There HAS to be a better way' – GAA fans baffled by Meath & Donegal decision for All-Ireland semi-final
The two sides will meet in
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Meath attacker Jordan Morris was named Player of the Month for June
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While Donegal still run through 35-year-old Michael Murphy
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This is the visual prospect that awaits viewers
Credit: @truefergallynch
It had been expected that the Royals' outfield players would wear an alternative kit whether it be their luminous yellow goalkeeper strip or their navy jersey.
Meanwhile Jim McGuinness' men were supposed to wear their alternative white kit. However, it appears both sides have opted to revert back to their preferred colours.
On Wednesday Meath Chronicle sports editor
The Donegal side of things was confirmed an hour later when the official Donegal GAA account tweeted: "
BREAKING NEWS
Our boys will line out in our home jerseys."
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Lynch's post has generated a largely exasperated response from Gaelic football supporters nationwide since it seems to go against all common sense.
John replied: "That'll make it a hard watch on the TV."
Meanwhile someone else complained: "Jesus do they actively try and make the worst decision they can. Can they both not wear away jerseys?"
Daniel vented: "There HAS to be a better alternative."
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On a lighter note/colour, Tom joked: "Hope Meath do like Trevor Giles and cut the sleeves. It's be too warm they need to go!"
Lastly, Thomas Niblock of
Watch RTE pundits' contrasting reaction to full-time whistle of Tipperary's epic win over Kilkenny
Ahead of Sunday's tussle Meath icon Giles has
He admitted his county are ahead of schedule but urged the current crop to seize their last-four chance as it may not come again.
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In an extraordinary season that has already yielded
The campaign has been beyond the wildest dreams of supporters, whose team were preparing to play in the Tailteann Cup final this time two years ago.
Giles said: 'We could say we'll be here for the next few years because it's a young team. But it's very hard to get to another semi-final.
'You couldn't guarantee you'd be there next year or the year after. It's grand saying this is bonus territory but you have to make the most of the opportunity.'
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'UNBELIEVABLE IMPROVEMENT'
Robbie Brennan was appointed last September to succeed Colm O'Rourke as Meath boss. Giles, who was part of O'Rourke's backroom staff, is full of praise for the new gaffer.
The two-time Footballer of the Year said: 'We felt the lads would be a bit better this year. The young lads would be a year older, so I was expecting improvement this year with the team.
'But it's been an unbelievable improvement since, so great credit to Robbie Brennan and Conor Gillespie and to the coaches and to the players.
'The county in Meath, everyone is happy. Everyone's talking about the game. There are cars being spray-painted.
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'There are double-decker buses going to Croke Park on the weekend full up. When it's that little bit unexpected, it's that bit more enjoyable.'
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24 minutes ago
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24 minutes ago
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24 minutes ago
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'Darragh told me actually he was just trying to get the Kerry team going," Marc grinned. He got exactly what he wanted. "But it (the atmosphere in Kerry) is completely different. It's been excellent in the way the mood has shifted down here. It's gone from, 'Jeez, we've so many injuries, we're in the doldrums' to 'we're going to win Sam Maguire'. Look, any year we get to an All-Ireland, we always feel we've a great chance of winning. It's no different this year. "The mood has totally changed, very much upbeat but obviously knowing full well that we face a huge, formidable challenge in Jim McGuinness and Donegal. "The fact that Jim knows Kerry so well, the fact that he's been down here, knows the way we think about football, after a few years in Tralee that all adds into it as well. It's going to be very interesting how it pans out but two teams of contrasting styles. "The momentum has been huge. I think if we can curb the influence that I see Shaun Patton, I would just expect us to get over the line by a point or two." Donegal's Colm McFadden with Marc O'Se of Kerry in the 2014 All-Ireland SFC final at Croke Park (Image: ©INPHO/Morgan Treacy) Ó Sé smiles at the question about a possible Kerry curveball on Sunday. Everyone talks about what master tactician Jim McGuinness will bring to the party and Ó Sé quickly recalls the 2012 quarter-final defeat to eventual Sam Maguire winners Donegal. He was shocked to see Colm McFadden maintain 100 yards of space between himself and Colm McFadden, and how his brother Tomás was equally surprised to see Rory Kavanagh tearing back into his own defensive line when Kerry had possession. But Kerry and curveballs? Sure it wouldn't be unusual. Ó Sé delves into the memory bank and comes up with Jack O'Connor's "twin towers" of Kieran Donaghy and Tommy Walsh who were unleashed in Kerry's '08 All-Ireland final attack. The move forced Tyrone's McMahon brothers into their own backline - but it didn't work out for Kerry. In 2014, in response to Donegal's novel approach to secure their 2012 triumph, Kerry went on the defensive themselves under Éamonn Fitzmaurice and it worked out. "I'd imagine there will be curveballs from both sides," said Ó Sé, who won his last Celtic cross that day. "The big thing in 2014 was that we got match-ups bang on, we learned a lot from 2012. "In terms of curveballs we threw one that day, Aidan O'Mahony did a fine job on Michael Murphy. The big thing is who are they going to put there now and is there a curveball coming, because if I'm looking at match-ups, and I'm looking at, say, Michael Murphy, the obvious physical character you would say is Jason Foley. "But I think he would be well equipped for the likes of Oisín Gallen because of that explosive pace Gallen has. So are you looking at Mike Breen or someone like that? "Curveballs...I'm sure Jim McGuinness would have plenty of those. With the new rules, though, it was hard to see how you're going to tie down a David Clifford. Former Kerry footballer Marc O'Sé, pictured for AIB ahead of GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship final between Kerry and Donegal this Sunday, July 27th at 3:30pm. The 2025 Championship, revolutionised by the Football Review Committee's rule enhancements, has produced a thrilling, high-scoring Championship season and a final that is proving to be one of #TheToughest to predict. (Image: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne) The 45-year-old is a big fan of the FRC's revolution that has transformed Gaelic Football this season. The new rules have put a renewed emphasis on the attacking game and Ó Sé predicts that the team who gets their attacking game plan right will prevail, even with the contrasting styles in play. Kerry's problem, as he sees it, is their dependency on David Clifford and Sean O'Shea - and maybe Paudie Clifford and Joe O'Connor after them - to deliver scores, whereas Donegal have a much wider spread of threats. "There's so many different aspects of Donegal's play that Kerry need to counter-attack the next day," he stressed. "And don't think I'm the cute Kerry hoor who's trying to play Kerry down and Donegal up. My point is that Kerry are focused on maybe two or three players who get the scores, Donegal have that balance all over the field." He points to Ciarán Moore as an example of a great athlete in the rival camp, plus Peadar Mogan and Ryan McHugh. And, at 19, the outstanding Finbarr Roarty. "To me it's off the charts," said Ó Sé. "I always felt it would take you a year or two to find your way, obviously Jim has seen something in this young fella, he brought him in even before he was the legal age! He got man of the match the last day, there's very few players that can do that in your first season. "I'm looking at Kerry and you were talking like David Clifford, Gooch, players who are performing at that level in their first season, so it's phenomenal what he's done. "We're going to have to track him on Sunday." What the Kingdom must do, Ó Sé warns, is stay all day with Donegal's runners and he forecasts that Jack O'Connor will pick a team with that in mind. That means the likes of Graeme O'Sullivan and Micheál Burns playing the Donnchadh Walsh role in this Kerry outfit. "I close my eyes and I can see Donnchadh Walsh running after Jack McCaffrey down the Cusack Stand in 2013 in an All-Ireland semi-final," he said. "And you'd think that Jack would take away from him but Donnchadh actually stayed with him, so that's going to have to be the case on Sunday." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
