The League champions have fallen apart since their win over the Dubs in March.
They were brilliant that day. Up against a driven, if somewhat weakened, Dublin team, they delivered. Writing for The Star the next day, I placed them on a shortlist of three teams who could win this year’s All-Ireland.Since their Ulster Championship quarter-final defeat to Donegal, Derry have given up, downed tools.
And that’s a change - because last year we were all revelling in their innovation, the new sight of things like full-backs appearing in the full-forward line, freeing up space for the likes of Shane McGuigan to drop deep and unleash shots.They were so easy to play against. No team got it easy against them in the League. That structured defence, that physicality, that innate toughness, that belief in their system, they looked like All-Ireland winners.They have imploded. A four-year gameplan has been fired out of the window, their players not playing at the level they are capable of.
And as those sides found their stride, McGuigan has lost form. Doherty has looked leggy, Glass played petulantly yesterday.
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