Michael Duignan vs. Davy Fitz

[pigeon house biffo]

whats everyones thoughts on Duignan/Fitzgerald back and forth over the weekend? Once again sunday game analysts forming a rod for their own back with the sort of comments that michael came out with, personally I see absolutely zero wrong with anything that Davey said in reply!

[Bord na Mona man]

whats everyones thoughts on Duignan/Fitzgerald back and forth over the weekend? Once again sunday game analysts forming a rod for their own back with the sort of comments that michael came out with, personally I see absolutely zero wrong with anything that Davey said in reply!

The Sunday Game is getting like WWE or UFC and I reckon the pundits are contractually obliged to create spats with players and managers.

[LooseCannon]

whats everyones thoughts on Duignan/Fitzgerald back and forth over the weekend? Once again sunday game analysts forming a rod for their own back with the sort of comments that michael came out with, personally I see absolutely zero wrong with anything that Davey said in reply!

[pigeon house biffo]

Eloquent response above.

I'm not sure what Duignan expected the reaction to be. Shefflin did tweet on the same issue but phrased his comments in such a way as to sound at least objective. Duignan spilling over in Spillane and Brolly country now with comments like what he came out with. Fitzgerald rightly dismissed them the way he did. There is a lengthy list of issues you could level at Fitzgerald, his oppurtunism at selecting counties with great underage teams being one, but you cannot argue that he doesnt raise the level of the teams he takes over. He's beaten KK twice this year, reached a leinster final and all ireland quarter final. Then we have one of our former greats, when his county are at their lowest ebb, come out and slate him just because of the brand of hurling he plays? Are we so deluded in this county that we think 'ground hurling' and 'let it in to the forwards' is a successful template for the modern game? In his response to fitzgerald, Duignan mentioned that he had been managing under age teams... can we laughably dismiss this in context of the argument that was taking place? Fitz is managing a top intercounty team while Duignans riposte is that he has been managing underage teams?

I am a huge fan of Michaels and have nothing but fondness of the memories I have of him hurling in my youth. But his initial comments and subsequent follow up have made him look out of touch at best and at worst somewhat envious. If someone could guarantee offaly hurling supporters a leinster final, all ireland quarter, and a renewed interest in the team both locally and nationally the way davy has done for wexford, would be honestly decline because of some moral high ground we havent had a right to fold for nearly 2 decades now?

[biffinbanner]

i think michaels comments were entirely correct. hes an rte analyst,the county hes from should have no bearing on the thrust of what he said.and hes right.he commenting on wexford as a potentially realistic contender for the all ireland.wexford had no shot on goal. never even threatened it.and with 6 min left and 7 points down against 14 men they persisted with a sweeper. now surely there was plan b? no..they persisted and took points away till the final whistle. limited ambition,just like all teams ever managed by the same man. what and who michael managed(meath seniors and a selector with offaly) is just a side issue.the man is a well respected figure and an intelligent analyst.

[sam88885a]

Michael was correct to express his opinion thats his job .I agree with him totally .I heard Larry Murphy on the radio on sunday evening and he said the same thing .He said he go mad if he was in the full forward line in the last few minutes when guys were hand passing across the half back line instead of getting the ball in quickly .
Davy has raised the profile of Wexford ,he has them fit and working as a team but have the really improved ??
The beat a very poor kikenny team twice , well beaten by Tipp in the league semi final , beaten out the gate by Galway in the leinster final and never really troubled Waterford in the quarter finals .
They made the quarter finals last year and lost by 7 or 8 points to Waterford so there was a slight improvement i guess.
There is a lot of hype but Davy has a group of lads that have won at u 21 level , i would have expected them to be a real force but the seem to be strangled by systems .

[shamlads]

Duignan is perfectly correct with his opinion.Can any genuine hurling fan be it from those counties or neutral,say that they actually enjoyed watching that tripe.it was a complete joke.a farce of a game.I could'nt believe what I was seeing,short puck outs with no one within 30 yards of the reciever,when ball was in play,acres of the pitch with not a sinner in it.shocking stuff.well if thats the evolvement of modern hurling,its well on the road to nowhere.Its an absolute slap in the face to the paying public to watch that crap.and he's right it should be outlawed.The game is being destroyed left right and centre.and just on another issue i have with hurling over the past number of year's,I's there a size limit in place for hurley's,like a max diameter?most of what I see are bloody ridiculus.there like frying pan's.crazy for outfield.I personally think it is destroying the skill of hooking and blocking and striking.if you could not do all those things with the size they are nowaday's you would want to pack it in.Does anyone else feel the same about that point or is it just me?

[private joker]

Any team is entitled to play as they see fit. With Davys way of playing wexford got promoted in the league. No one saw that coming. Got to a Leinster final which no one expected and beat KK which no one expected.
He won an all Ireland and a league with Clare. Pretty successful I'd say.
As donal o Grady said, it's not about how it looks, it's about winning. No one in Waterford will care as long as they win. Also, playing with a sweeper system Waterford beat KK in 50 odd years. So it works.

[Lone Shark]

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, and it's up to those listening to decide which opinion carries more weight - that of a proven intercounty manager who has improved the fortunes of every county he went to, including winning an All Ireland with Clare and leading a revolution in third level hurling with Limerick IT, or that of a man who was an equally successful intercounty player, but whose management experience extends to a moderately successful stint in charge of Meath, mixed fortunes as an Offaly selector and some success with club underage sides.

i think michaels comments were entirely correct. hes an rte analyst,the county hes from should have no bearing on the thrust of what he said.and hes right.he commenting on wexford as a potentially realistic contender for the all ireland.wexford had no shot on goal....

I don't know that I agree that Wexford were realistic contenders for the All Ireland, given how their limitations were exposed by Galway, but I will say this - if they are in the mix, that owes a lot to where Davy brought them. This is the same team that lost to Dublin in last year's Leinster championship after all, not to mention losing to Offaly in the league. Bring in Davy and they've got promotion, beaten Kilkenny, and completely rejuvenated hurling in the county.

[sam88885a]

Come on lads big deal Wexford got promoted to 1a in the league . Galway won the league and when it mattered the hammered Wexford in the lenster final .
Wexford lost heavily to Tipp in the league , and the were well beaten by Galway and Waterford in the championship ,Ok they beat Kilkenny but last sepetember showed us that Kilkenny team are way off the pace .
Wexford only beat Limerick and Offaly by a few point in the league so the kilkenny wins was more to do with the fall of Kilkenny that the rise of Wexford .
If Wexford has won lenster or made the semi finals that would have been progress , i think there in a group of counties outside the top 4 that includes Kilkenny Limerick Clare and maybe Dublin.
Davy got lucky against Cork in the 2013 final Cork were weak at the heart of the defence and fair play to davy he exploited it .by the had the forwards to beat that Cork team no matter what game plan the used .
Listening to some people u would think Davy had gone to a team that had no hope and made them into an unbeatable force ,Wexford has 3 good u 21 teams that are around 23 now so u expect them to be a force .
He entitled to manage his teams what way he wants but M Duignan may be a great manager if he had quality players that Davy had in Clare waterford and Wexford .What Duignan did with his own club was massive to take lads that were losing by 40 plus point at u16 to win a minor title was some improvement .

[allstar2010]

Duignan was a wholehearted hurler and absolutely gave his all for the county as a player and was never found wanting. But since he has retired can someone please tell me what he has offered to the county from a coaching/mentor point of view?? He's now going into the same bracket as Spillane and Loughnane when it's comes to making controversial statements and Davy was right to shut him down.

[Toxicity234]

Two lad sharing a different opinion.
It's wasn't anything that i was overly interested in.
Duignan gets paid to say what he think, That his job.
Davy gets paid to manage his players. That his job.
Both doing there jobs. not much to see here.

As for the game. Some lovely hurlers on display. but "THE SYSTEM" didn't let them should there skills.
Wexford had a good year by wexford standard. But Davy always has one good year with teams.
Then "The System breaks" and leaves a group of excellent hurlers that are burned out, Trying to play a system that isn't working.
If the davy system worked Kilkenny, Tipperary and Galway would all be using it.

As a manager i like Davy for motivation and man management. that part of his management are excellent.
Tactical Davy a one trick Pony. All his team play the same way. all the time, never change, Rubbish to watch and he build his name on short term gains at the expense of long term damage.

[Buttons]

Duignan was a wholehearted hurler and absolutely gave his all for the county as a player and was never found wanting. But since he has retired can someone please tell me what he has offered to the county from a coaching/mentor point of view?? He's now going into the same bracket as Spillane and Loughnane when it's comes to making controversial statements and Davy was right to shut him down.

He managed Ballinamere to a first minor title with his son playing a leading role, anyone that seen him that day couldnt ask for more commitment from the sideline.