logo
Tyrone legend left baffled by Donegal's complaints over quick All-Ireland Quarter-Final turnaround

Tyrone legend left baffled by Donegal's complaints over quick All-Ireland Quarter-Final turnaround

Jim McGuinness' men beat Louth last Sunday in the preliminary Quarter-Final and will have to play Monaghan this Saturday in Croke Park, despite the fact that they requested that they be given the full seven days to recover.
The county released a statement highlighting their disappointment in the decision to deny this request, although it might seem unfair when you consider that the other three teams who played in preliminary Quarter-Finals will have gotten a full seven days.
However, when speaking at the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championship Finals Preview, Cavanagh does not think there was anything untoward going on.
'Well, I certainly don't have anything against Donegal, and I don't really think anybody else does if I'm honest,' laughed the three-time All-Ireland winner.
'When you go looking for causes, you will always find them, and Jim is big into psychology but I don't totally get it if I'm honest with you.
'I remember back in 2005, we had a drawn game in the Ulster Final with Armagh that needed a replay, then into the back door against Monaghan, then another drawn game and replay with Dublin in the Quarter-Final – so I think we played four, five, maybe even six weekends in a row.
'We maybe had one weekend off over the six weeks, so we just got into the routine of you had to take work off on Friday afternoon, we would meet in Monaghan, head to Dublin, play the game on Saturday night and head back up the road.
'To be honest, we absolutely loved it, and I think if you asked most footballers – like, would you rather go to Carrington House next weekend and do a block of training or would you rather play a game of football, and they would all rather play the game.
'The six day turnaround has always been there, I never felt we had any ability to change that, that's the rules, that is the system, and the fact that Tyrone beat Donegal in Ballybofey in the first round, and the fact that Donegal had to play in the preliminary round of Ulster, it means they are under a bit of pressure, but it isn't the competition's fault.'
McGuinness was also vocal about having to travel to Hyde Park to play Mayo in the last game of the group stages when the venue was supposed to be a neutral ground because the stadium was so much closer to their opponents.
There are those who think that the manager is trying to harness a siege mentality and create an 'us against them' kind of feeling among the players, but the ex-Tyrone midfielder isn't convinced that it sends the right message.
He continued: 'If I was managing or coaching a team, I don't think I would be putting out noise, almost telling people that my team is tired.
'I wouldn't want that to filter into the players either, so I don't know if that is the external message to create a bit of a siege mentality and then there is an internal message saying otherwise.
'Their last game was in Ballybofey so I'm sure they were all in ice baths by six o'clock, and in the game itself they were able to rotate players, not pick up any injuries, so it doesn't feel like we will be talking about this in the grander scheme of things, especially if Donegal win on Saturday.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Liverpool ready to battle Man Utd and Arsenal for Viktor Gyokeres with Alexander Isak transfer looking doomed
Liverpool ready to battle Man Utd and Arsenal for Viktor Gyokeres with Alexander Isak transfer looking doomed

Scottish Sun

timean hour ago

  • Scottish Sun

Liverpool ready to battle Man Utd and Arsenal for Viktor Gyokeres with Alexander Isak transfer looking doomed

Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LIVERPOOL look set to battle Manchester United and Arsenal for Viktor Gyokeres with their pursuit of fellow Swede Alexander Isak looking doomed. Reds boss Arne Slot is desperate to sign a top striker ahead of their Prem title defence — and has the two Scandinavians in his sights. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Viktor Gyokeres is now wanted by at least three Prem giants Credit: Getty 4 Alexander Isak could be too difficult to lure from Newcastle Credit: Alamy But No 1 target Isak, 25, is proving difficult to lure away, with Newcastle preparing to make him the highest-paid player in their club's 132-year history. Isak earns £130,000 a week but Toon want to reward his 27-goal season with a bumper £200,000-a-week deal. Meanwhile, £60million-rated Gyokeres, who has hit 97 goals in 102 games since arriving in Portugal from Coventry two years ago, has been on Slot's radar for months. The 27-year-old was United's top summer target after boss Ruben Amorim took him to Sporting. READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWS LEAF IT OUT Ex-Premier League manager wins battle with neighbours over 7 'nuisance' trees But he wants to play in the Champions League and the Red Devils have no European football. Arsenal have already had a £55.3m bid rejected by the Portuguese champs and are likely to return with a second offer. But they now face stiff competition from the Kop. Gyokeres is at war with Sporting president Frederico Varandas over his selling price and has warned he will not return for pre-season training. 4 BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK He has an £85m release clause but Sporting could sell for £20m less. Slot wants to bolster his options up front as Darwin Nunez is close to joining Napoli in a £42m deal. Is Darwin Nunez set for £50m Serie A switch? Atletico eyeing Robertson? | Transfers Exposed While the Reds continue to pursue Crystal Palace skipper Marc Guehi and are confident of landing the 24-year-old defender — in the last year of his contract — for £35m. Guehi would fill the void left by Jarell Quansah, 22, who is set for a £34m switch to Leverkusen. 4 TRANSFER NEWS LIVE - KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW

The Celtic transfer untouchable who can't be sold at any price as Premier League clubs swirl
The Celtic transfer untouchable who can't be sold at any price as Premier League clubs swirl

Daily Record

timean hour ago

  • Daily Record

The Celtic transfer untouchable who can't be sold at any price as Premier League clubs swirl

Charlie Mulgrew knows the importance of having a mainstay at the back Celtic have splurged millions trying to replace Carl Starfelt. So Charlie Mulgrew shudders to think how much it would cost to fill Cameron Carter-Vickers' boots. ‌ The Hoops have chopped and changed their backline since Swedish stopper Starfelt quit for Celta Vigo two years ago. ‌ An eye-watering £13million has been shelled out on unconvincing trio Auston Trusty, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki, while Liam Scales and Stephen Welsh have also had auditions. Yet the only ever present at the heart of the rearguard has been the colossal figure of CCV. Aside from his injuries, the USA international has been one of the first names on the teamsheet for Brendan Rodgers. And that's why, despite interest from Premier League threesome Leeds United, Sunderland and West Ham United, Mulgrew thinks the £20million-rated defender should be one of the club's untouchables. Asked how important it is to keep the 27-year-old, he said: "I think that's massive. I don't think they'll want to let him go. ‌ "Obviously, everybody has their price, but I think his will be high. "I think he's arguably one of the most important players and most important player at Celtic. "With not having a regular beside him, he's the one, the mainstay, that's there. ‌ "It's who's going to play beside him. I think holding on to him will be worth its weight in gold and like a new signing. You'd never want to get rid of him." Carter-Vickers has never ruffled the feathers during his four trophy-laden years at Parkhead. ‌ Mr Consistent enjoys life in Glasgow and has committed his future to the club until 2029. Yet there's absolutely no doubt in Mulgrew's mind that the ex-Tottenham man is capable of playing at a higher level. The former Hoops favourite said: "Could he play in the Premier League? 100 per cent. He's quick, he's strong, he reads the game well. ‌ "He's proved at Champions League level that he can play and compete. Maybe the only question mark would potentially be over his height. "He's not a tall centre-back, but I don't think many teams play the ball in the air. It's not like the Premier League in the 90s, where you had big Duncan Ferguson challenging you. "A lot of balls are on the ground and it's a lot of reading the game. I think that the Champions League showed that this year." ‌ Despite Celts coughing up £6m to land Trusty from Sheffield United last summer, Mulgrew senses that Carter-Vickers isn't entirely happy partnering up with his fellow American Bhoy - or Irishman Scales. That could see boss Rodgers dip into the market again as he searches for the final piece of the defensive puzzle that already includes Alistar Johnston, CCV, and Kieran Tierney. Mulgrew said: "I get the feeling that he's not completely satisfied with Trusty or Scales. But then it can change. ‌ "I really like Scales. Trusty's shown he can be a good player as well. They'll come back this pre-season and they might just hit the ground running. "The way football works, they could be the main centre-back next year. Football's a mad game. "It happened to myself. The year I got Player of the Year, I came back and I wasn't in the team for the first two games. ‌ "Then I played the majority at centre-back and got Player of the Year in Scotland. Anything can happen. "I'm sure Brendan Rodgers will be assessing that and seeing who's the best fit to play. ‌ "That's the good thing about Brendan Rodgers, he's always keeping people on their toes by knowing if they don't perform, they'll be replaced. "As a player, you want to be kept on your toes and not be resting your laurels." Signed for £4.3m, injury-plagued Polish ace Nawrocki has barely had a sniff under Rodgers. ‌ The ex-Legia Warsaw star has hardly put a foot wrong for the four-in-a-row champions whenever he's been fit - leaving fans scratching their heads as to why he hasn't been used more often. Rodgers has made it clear he wants a left-sided defender to play alongside right-footed Carter-Vickers. And as a leftie himself, Mulgrew admits the manager's reasoning makes total sense. ‌ He added: "I completely understand it. Celtic have a lot of possession in their half. "As the ball comes across to the left-centre half and he steps in, it opens up more angles of the passes to put it through the lines. "Right-footed players will tend to come back onto the right and go backwards and it closes the game off on one side. "I played in a Scotland team with three left-sided centre-backs in the back three, so when you don't have a lot of possession, you can get away with it a bit more, because it's a bit more about defending rather than having the ball. "But when you have possession, to step in and be on your side especially when you're left-sided, it can open up the passing angle so I completely understand it. But left-centre backs aren't easy to get." Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.

Diletta Leotta shows off sideboob as ‘fantastic and beautiful' DAZN host goes braless to present Club World Cup
Diletta Leotta shows off sideboob as ‘fantastic and beautiful' DAZN host goes braless to present Club World Cup

Scottish Sun

time2 hours ago

  • Scottish Sun

Diletta Leotta shows off sideboob as ‘fantastic and beautiful' DAZN host goes braless to present Club World Cup

DILETTA LEOTTA whipped up a frenzy at a Club World Cup ripped up by storms. And this time it was her fans not matches who were suspended - in awe. 16 Fans believe it's difficult to top Diletta Leotta's outfit Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta 16 She sparked wonder from fans who suffered thunder in the stands Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta 16 Diletta kept it cool amid the extreme heat of the USA Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta Half a dozen CWC fixtures have been halted by thunder, lightning and rain Stateside, despite the sizzling heat. So the DAZN presenter's 9.2million Instagram followers were grateful for Diletta sharing serene snaps. The wife of ex-Liverpool keeper Loris Karius is covering the huge tournament. And she chose a backless, sleeveless white top for her pics as she wrote: "Club World Cup Show! Let's go." Diletta also ditched her bra - but hopefully not her brolly, given the downpours besetting the CWC. The Italian opted for pinstripe black trousers as she tantalised her admirers with behind-the-scenes pics and clips from the studio. WATCH EVERY MATCH OF THE CLUB WORLD CUP 2025 LIVE ON DAZN At one point she winked to the camera - helping 'likes' for her post to soar beyond 100,000. And whereas the weather for the CWC has been unpredictable, the opposite is true for the reaction to Diletta's snaps. Amid all the much-expected excitement, the 33-year-old was called "quite possibly the prettiest human being I have ever seen!" And even though we're only midway through the tournament, all bets are already off for one enthusiast. Diletta Leotta steals show in daring red dress before changing into glamorous white outfit for Club World Cup opener He told Diletta: "You've already won the world." More foreseeable fervour flowed in as she was praised for doing a "brilliant job". One observer surveyed Diletta's minimal blouse and concluded: "It's going to be cool with this top" after surveying Diletta's minimal blouse. "Fantastic and beautiful" as well as "gorgeous" were other verdicts. Just days earlier Diletta had shared a fun contrast to her elegant studio look - as she posed in a bikini in a Miami swimming pool. She was floating on an inflatable pink flamingo. Which surely proves anyone ridiculous enough to say her pics lack variety barely has a leg to stand on. 16 Diletta is also one of the Serie A's best-loved presenters Credit: Getty 16 She stunned as she presented the Turin derby Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta 16 The glamorous TV host put on a leggy display pitchside Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta 16 She boasts more than 9m followers online Credit: Getty 16 Diletta is no stranger to extravagant outfits Credit: @dilettaleotta 16 Diletta and hubbie Karius have been snapped in Milan Credit: The Mega Agency 16 The Italian beauty on holiday with Karius 16 She has flipped between blonde and brunette looks Credit: 16 She has previously worn an outfit similar to her Tomb Raider look Credit: @dilettaleotta 16 Diletta with a pared back look Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta 16 Diletta Leotta is reportedly dating Loris Karius after he visited her in Milan Credit: Instagram @dilettaleotta 16 Leotta has 8.6million Instagram followers Credit: Getty

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store