Kildare and Meath must do better - Lyons
May 31, 2016
Tommy Lyons
Tommy Lyons says Dublin's dominance in Leinster is in part due to the failings of their opponents.
The former Dublin and Offaly manager points out that, with huge population bases at their disposal, Kildare and Meath especially "have no excuse for not being more competitive."
Speaking to The Irish Independent, Lyons argues: "Others should be doing better too but in terms of population, Kildare and Meath have much-increased numbers and they're growing all the time.
"Granted, Dublin have an exceptional team at the moment but the likes of Kildare and Meath should be a lot closer to them.
"Dublin have been miles ahead of the other Leinster teams in recent years. The opposition hasn't even been competitive, let alone have a chance of winning.
"I can't understand why that's the case with Kildare and Meath, in particular. There have been big population increases in both counties but it has not been reflected in the quality of their football teams.
"I know that it takes a while to get squad development blueprints going - and there are signs that things are improving at underage in Kildare and Meath - but they should not be starting from such a low base. Kildare were ahead of many other counties when they built the centre in Hawkfield but it didn't show with their county teams.
"As for Meath, you would always expect them to be competitive as befits a county with such a good football tradition."
