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Where do we go from here.?

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I have been thinking as to why our senior footballers have been performing underpar in the league and championship in recent years. I think the team lacks leaders and experienced players, this is more down to management and players not in the squad than the players currently in it. Looking at the average age of the team it's around 23/24 years of age. The most experienced players in there are Brian Murphy, JJ Smith, John Murphy, Daniel St Ledger, Shane Redmond and Brendan Murphy, with these players only being in the squad for max 4/5. So we're relying on players with relatively small experience to lead the team. I'm not doubting their leadership qualities and in 3/4 years they'll be excellent leaders. Compare this with the hurlers you have many leaders, all of whom are late 20 or in there 30's, Ed Coady, Frank Foley, Andrew Gaul, Des Shaw, Mark Brennan, Shane Kavanagh amongst others. Compare to Wicklow, you have Glynn, Hyland, Kelly, Stafford, Dalton, Power and again amongst others. Compare to other surrounding counties Wexford and Laois. To Dublin and Kerry, you have the Cooper, Donaghy, the O'Shea's etc, ya wouldn't really call Killian Young, Darren O'Sullivan Kieran O'leary leaders and these players are all 25 years old and if the leaders were missing and it was left to these players I'm sure they too would struggle. So who then should be the leaders of the team? Looking at players who played 5/6 years ago as promising 21/22 years you have Tom Walsh, Simon Rea, Richie Sinnott, Paul Kelly, Ray Walker, and look older again to lads who are in their 30s you have Mark Carpenter, Barry English, Brian Kelly, Joe Byrne, all players who left before their time. I don't want to get into why these players left but I do want to make sure that it doesn't happen the current crop of lads. John Hayden, Mark Carpenter and James Clarke were the only players in recent years for lads to look up to and the current crop are too young just yet to take there place. When you join the senior footballers the mentally should that you will be there for the next 10 years not the next 2/3 years which happened to a lot of the above mentioned. If these players were from Kerry and called into the senior set up at 21/22, would they still be playing? Therefore its extremely important to prime Brian Murphy, JJ Smith, John Murphy, Daniel St Ledger, Shane Redmond and Brendan Murphy and others as future leaders and guidance for younger lads coming onto the panel to look up to. So every effort should be made to keep these lads on the panel because if even 2/3 were to leave it would be a massive loss for many reasons. CuriousNed (Carlow) - Posts: 5 - 16/04/2012 15:05:24 1153197 Link
No I wasn't in Limerick Barrowsider, but I hope to be back,up and running in the next week or two. supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 1987 - 16/04/2012 15:58:15 1153258 Link
You know supersub Im beginning to feel the same. Actually dont think Ill bother going to Champ. game, (prob. change my mind come the time) but not looking forward to it at all. I believe we scored that goal at end of game so really we were beaten out the gate once again. Its difficult to know where to turn but I believe that Dempsey going has to be first step as he obviously has failed over 4 years to improve the situation one whit. Really no point in discussing this any further until that event takes place. On the hurlers as I said earlier great to win but wasnt a good performance by any means. E. nolan, shane, alfie, E. coady, J. kav, and Duke were the pick of the bunch. Styler had his moments with one beauty but was in and out of game too much. Thought Paudie, E. byrne and J. kane were poor , also young kav. wasnt in it but its asking too much IMO of a 17 year old. I would put Big bird in full forward and leave Mark on 40. Dont know who we can play in middle with J. kav as R. coady is not a midfielder. Any hope D. murphy will be back for Laois. We will need to show big improvement to have any chance agains them. pennypincher (Carlow) - Posts: 777 - 16/04/2012 17:40:58 1153401 Link
i agree with pennypincher on this until the management situation is sorted out there is not much point talking about it, yesterdays showing was the poorest of the year by a long way, it's going to be very hard to get the heads back up for the lfc,morale must be at an all time low Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1270 - 16/04/2012 19:07:44 1153525 Link
Your right pennypincher, it is hard to take and it probably was the worst game of the year if reports are anything to go by, but like your self I probably will be there come championship time, do you know only for that great win and promotion of the hurlers sure I dont know what we would do, that win is only beginning to sink in with me now. supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 1987 - 16/04/2012 20:51:00 1153642 Link
it really has been a tough year for a football supporter, all grades are miles off even a mediocre standard, we have done well in leinster at u21 for 5 years and we are just above london in the league, it just doesn't add up. Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1270 - 16/04/2012 21:18:22 1153686 Link
Well done to the hurlers, fantastic achievement and I think they can stay up next year. They basically only need win two games to do so. Would have to target Wexford, antrim or Offaly. As for the football I'm not going to run down kids so less said better about the minors. Regarding the seniors. I would not write them off yet. Not totally. If Wicklow take Meath they would have a chance against them. Nobody gave then much hope against Louth last year either - look what happened TAFKANO1FAN (Carlow) - Posts: 588 - 17/04/2012 12:10:30 1153992 Link
Well done to the hurlers, fantastic achievement and I think they can stay up next year. They basically only need win two games to do so. Would have to target Wexford, antrim or Offaly. As for the football I'm not going to run down kids so less said better about the minors. Regarding the seniors. I would not write them off yet. Not totally. If Wicklow take Meath they would have a chance against them. Nobody gave then much hope against Louth last year either - look what happened TAFKANO1FAN (Carlow) - Posts: 588 - 17/04/2012 12:35:20 1154024 Link
tafka the hurlers would have to win 3 to avoid the relegation game, if they get the right games at home then it's very possible they could survive, as for the senior footballers, last year was slightly different, we won 4 of our last 5 games of the league so we had some form, this year we have no form at all to go by Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1270 - 17/04/2012 13:22:01 1154087 Link
I'm after going back through all the games we played in the NFL to see if I could ressurect any positives at all from them to see how we might handle our first game in the Leinster senior football championship,and I came up with two or three albeit very important one's like, 1. The game wont be played in DCP, that's a positive, as we play better away from home. 2. Any goals we score are usually scored in away games and not in DCP. 3. I predicted in two separate posts in the thread, "Carlow v Meath/Wicklow that Wicklow would more than likely beat Meath and I see no reason to change my mind on that, now if that's the case and we meet Wicklow away from DCP I wouldn't be as confident in saying Wicklow will win that one, anything but. 3. I think the lads will pull out all the stops to get that win under their belts so as to give Luke Dempsey a big send off, and to welcome in the new management set up for the coming year, just to let them see what they can do and achieve when they put their minds to it. ----- Who knows what tomorrow will bring, or the 10th of June for that matter. supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 1987 - 17/04/2012 13:44:34 1154134 Link
Although management is the main problem the attitude of the players also needs to change. TownFan70 (Carlow) - Posts: 86 - 18/04/2012 15:36:43 1155130 Link
Will Luke be back for the championship or will Rainbow be at the helm. Jack L (None) - Posts: 2760 - 18/04/2012 17:03:31 1155225 Link
he was only ever a few rows back anyway not like he was really gone Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1270 - 18/04/2012 17:59:19 1155284 Link
Presume a few players will be called into the oanel come champiosnhip time?I know young Jack Kennedy was and he came on against Limerick last week but with JJ Smith and Ed Finnegan now going abroad and of course with Cormac Mullins and John Murphy out,we are fairly short on forwards i reckon. fergie (Carlow) - Posts: 1082 - 20/04/2012 15:40:00 1156688 Link
yeah we may try find a few more forwards, who though? Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1270 - 20/04/2012 18:02:04 1156779 Link
Mark Fitzgearld. A great football TownFan70 (Carlow) - Posts: 86 - 20/04/2012 21:34:40 1156891 Link
was watching fr ted and the following line came up. thought it the way forward for us.. is there anything to be said for having another mass? old yellar (None) - Posts: 2601 - 20/04/2012 21:52:58 1156902 Link
Since the league started we have lost four forwards - Mullins, Murphy, Smith and Finnegan. I don't normally agree with bringing players in after the league just in time for Championship but in these circumstances we surely have no choice. Jack Kennedy i agree with (it will do him no harm anyway given the dire state of Tullow football which won't do anything to bring him on). I know he's been in and back out very quickly before but given the dearth of scoring forwards I think Luke has to approach Paul Broderick. If still not interested so be it but if interested he could be a revelation. Onion Breath (Carlow) - Posts: 1171 - 22/04/2012 13:38:45 1157488 Link
he would be a big addition alright onion breath, i see mccormack is back with eire og too is he available Barrowsider (Carlow) - Posts: 1270 - 22/04/2012 13:54:55 1157496 Link
I didnt think JJ smith was gone to Australia yet - i had heard he was going to be around for championship - this may have changed? dual supporter (Carlow) - Posts: 772 - 22/04/2012 17:19:19 1157620 Link