Completely baffled by some posters comments e. g." Dublin backs loosing sleep " etc.[ suspect this is just a wind up] anyway total bull. Yes Meath improved again a poor Kildare team,but we fell asleep for 20/25 mins WHY? lack of championship fitness? Too many players still recovering from injury?
On all known form Dublin are 15 to 20 points better than us at this point!!Fall asleep again, and you can make that whatever you like.
My hopes 1. We dont fall asleep against Dublin ! 2. Recovering players fitness levels upped considerably!! a tall order in such a short time!
3. MOD Can pick and use 20 fit men for the match as will be required to match the dubs.Especially around the middle third.e.g. Flanagan in , Kenny in to hoover up loose ball etc. 4. Meath respond to the blue jersey in the usual way...full throttle all the time. This is where i think we will make an impact most...spirit!! 5. Meath to win the first half and then ? Timing and placing our fresh men to meet Dublin super athletes. 6 Meath battle to the final whistle!
Yes we have a mountain to climb. An awful lot of "ifs". We CAN do it! When was the form book accurate when its Meath v Dublin anyway? Overall fitness levels my biggest concern now! Dont care about Dublin we know they a good yes! We have a big job to do against the odds.We have done similar work before. Its great to be total underdogs AGAIN!

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 02/07/2014 08:41:01    1612423

can anyone suggest out of the meath panel, who they reckon would start on the dublin 15

royalgaz (Meath) - Posts: 49 - 02/07/2014 08:57:14    1612431

I think the manager and selectors are doing a fine job. Its time to cut the crap about being real contenders in 3 or 4 years
time because at that stage the likes of Stephen Bray and Kevin Reilly will be finished. Its not impossible to see Meath beat
Dublin, we are miles further down the road than we were 12 months ago. We go to win not for glorious failure.

atta (Meath) - Posts: 698 - 02/07/2014 09:11:20    1612437

Re Royalgaz, Id imagine that Kevin Reilly would be full back with Keoghan beside him. Maybe Donnacha Tobin in a hard working half back/half forward role? Bray would be full forward in that Dublin team, maybe Newman on the frees? Thats about it!!!

Jgc81 (Meath) - Posts: 195 - 02/07/2014 09:37:44    1612446

Sean Curran is not on the panel now.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 02/07/2014 11:22:02    1612514

nobull

I think we have too many players recovering from injury to be honest.Especially Meade(really tough injury),Menton and Keoghan.But also SOR,he was out injured for two years and this was his first game in the championship in Croker since.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 02/07/2014 11:25:45    1612517

Why is Curran off the panel i was really impressed with him early in the year i taught he would have been in the mix for starter/sub.

BlackKettle (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 02/07/2014 12:44:59    1612590

Its not impossible to see Meath beat Dublin, we are miles further down the road than we were 12 months ago. We go to win not for glorious failure.

_______________

Agree with you 100%

Form goes out the window.

Dublin have been the best team in Leinster the last 10 years or so, We've destroyed Wexford, Laois, Kildare, Offaly, Westmeath etc in that time, But we never destroy Meath.

If there is anymore than 5 points in this either way, I'll be very surprised.

One thing i will say however, Is that i believe there is pressure on both sides.

I dont buy that it's all on Dublin, At the end of the day Dublin have won 8 or the last 9 Leinsters, We dont have anything to prove, We've made the breakthrough winning national trophies in the last 3 years and we could lose this game and still go on to have a successful year. There is pressure in the sense its Dublin -v- Meath, It's a Derby. But its a game that Dublin could lose and we could still win the All Ireland and it wouldnt shock many.

Meath on the other hand have won one very fortuitous Leinster title in 13 years. You are under this management now for a second year and so all his ideas/plans should be coming together. So there is also pressure on Meath, a team with such a history and tradition, To beat Dublin and they are the best placed team to do so.

In my view its very close, But i am sure Dublin will win.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2014 13:34:54    1612624

Re Royalgaz, Id imagine that Kevin Reilly would be full back with Keoghan beside him. Maybe Donnacha Tobin in a hard working half back/half forward role? Bray would be full forward in that Dublin team, maybe Newman on the frees? Thats about it!!!

_____________________________

I asked a similar question to Gaz's above on the main forum not realizing a similar one was asked here - My question was the ONE player from either side that would get into the others starting XV.

I picked Kevin Reilly, I think he is sensational and would likely start on every inter-county team in the country including Dublin. HOWEVER, Thats it. I'm sorry mate but there is simply no way in hell Donnacha Tobin would get near the Dublin XV in the starting HB line ahead of James McCarthy/Darren Daly, Ger Brennan/Kevin Nolan, or Jack McCaffrey/Nicky Devereux/Eric Lowndes...

As for Newman for frees, I dont believe a player should play solely for his free taking ability if he isnt as good as setting up/scoring from play. Regardless, We have Dean Rock and Cluxton, Both of whom took frees v Wexford, We have Mannion who has hit some wonderful points from placed balls in the U21 championship, Cormac Costello too... And then there is Bernard Brogan and Diarmuid Connolly aswell. We certainly dont lack players who can kick a dead-ball over the black spot.

Stephen Bray would be close, But i just dont think i would play him ahead of what we have.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2014 13:43:35    1612632

Blackkettle

He was promised some game time v Carlow,when he didn't get it,he quit the panel,not sure that was the right decision from the man..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 02/07/2014 14:36:59    1612665

Newman would be a key player for Meath(without free-taking),much better player than Rock,that is for sure.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 02/07/2014 14:38:39    1612668

waynoI
Have to say, i agree totally. I think in fairness to kevin Reilly he would be an absolute banker on every team in the country.
I would include Donal Keogan here also if im being honest as he is in my opinion better than most of the Dublin defenders.
There are about 4 players who would get on most teams,
1. Paddy O Rourke
2. Shane O Rourke(possibly better than Cian O Sullivan?)
3. Stephen Bray
4. Graham Reilly
would get on almost any other team in the country.
But being realistic, the Dubs have a lot of cover on every sector of the pitch and are currently blessed with the best panel of fit and motivated players we have seen in decades.
This is currently, it wont be for ever as some may think, wasnt that long ago where we had gifted players 1-25 ourselves. Say what you will about the money invested into systems in youth, but talent is what it comes down to. Dublin have this in abundance at the minute.
You could put this question to any team in the country, most teams would have a max of 4 or 5 that may or may not get on Dublin team!
But two things to remember.
1. Just becuase they wouldnt get on the Dublin team,doesnt mean Meath arent a better team.
2. Any team can play bad and any team is beatable.

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 02/07/2014 15:14:33    1612684

Newman would be a key player for Meath(without free-taking),much better player than Rock,that is for sure.

________

Rock has only started one game from Dublin in fairness.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2014 17:00:53    1612737

Wayno

Fair point,but at the moment you would have to say Newman is better as he has performed well at the highest level so far.. I think Dublin have many forwards better than Rock though..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 02/07/2014 17:20:23    1612753

Ziggy320001


Think you hit the nail on the head our big problem too many players not fully recovered from injuries yet! But in contrast to some other posters i believe that is the only valid excuse. No need for surrender!

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 02/07/2014 17:41:00    1612767

Tackleberry

For me, Kevin Reilly is the best full back in the country. Its really as simple as that. He would (in my view anyway) get into the Dublin team ahead of Rory O'Carroll. I think Rory O'Carroll is a fine full back and we could do alot worse than him, But i do think Kevin Reilly just has the edge over him.

I appreciate however that being a Dublin fan some of my views could be biased, But i genuinely believe that Johnny Cooper in particular is every bit as good if not better than Donal Keoghan, I also feel the way Dublin play football that they leave that full back line extreamely exposed, As i say it may be bias but i'd have both Philly McMahon and Johnny Cooper ahead of Donal Keoghan, That said it takes a very good corner back to stifle a player of Bernard Brogans quality and he has done that on a few occasions. A fine player Keoghan is no doubt.

When you say Shane O'Rourke is better than Cian O'Sullivan, You could be right if you are partnering them alongside MacAuley in midfield for example, But lets be honest here, Cian O'Sullivan despite doing a decent job in the Dublin engine room is not a midfielder. It's not his position. So i suppose in a sense i agree Shane O'Rourke for his physicality around the middle of the field could possibly get into the Dublin team. Paddy O'Rourke - No. There are at least 4 goalkeepers who are better than him playing IC level in my opinion, I dont think he would get into Dublin, Tyrone, Mayo, or Monaghans team.

I still don't see the fuss around Biggy, Honestly cant see it. I think he is vastly over-rated by Meath fans and to compare him at this point (which people do) to Meath greats of the past is very premature.

As for your points at the end, Im sorry if you thought my vew was that i feel that if they dont get into the Dubs team that they arent good players, Thats not my view at all. Meath have some super talented players. And they are capable of beating Meath on any given day (Anyone is capable of beating us in fairness). We are a good side with strong players, The best in the country but we are not a great side yet, To be great youve to at least win back to back All Ireland titles.

Dublin are beatable but, as i already said, I do think we will have too much for you's on the day.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2014 17:43:52    1612769

Fair point,but at the moment you would have to say Newman is better as he has performed well at the highest level so far.. I think Dublin have many forwards better than Rock though..

_______________________

Oh no doubt,

But you can also twist that and say its alot harder for Rock to break into the Dublin forward line, Than it is for Newman to break into Meaths as we have so many options for 3 full forward positions.

Thats not a statement meant to belittle Meath, It's just the facts as i see them. Meath are a proud county with alot of very good players capable of beating any 15 on their day. Dublin arent an exception..

But again i'll say, I dont think Meath will beat us.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2014 17:46:32    1612773

Dublin's confidence going into this game is 100% justified there's no question about that but you just never know when you're going to be toppled.

I always think back to the Dublin game in 2002 as the day I matured (or copped on, which ever) as a football fan and realised that the sun didn't shine out of Meath's you know what. However before that day I thought we'd win every single game we played and yes I even laughed when a Dub in his 60's said that Dublin would beat Meath a week before the game, childish I know but I'd never seen the hard times so you might let me off on that one.

I was only 14 then but my confidence in beating Dublin wasn't unjustified, at the time since Dublin had won their last trophy in 95, we'd won 3 Leinsters, 2 AI's and beaten them in every championship game we'd played (96, 97, 99, 01).......so we were going to win again in my mind, no doubt.

Now there are statistical similarities between both sides going into this year's game, since we beat them last in 2010 Dublin have won 3 Leinsters, 2 AIs and beaten us in every championship game although it's 2-0 not 4-0 on that front. However that's where the similarities end because it turned out that we were on a sharp slide back in 02 and it took us years to make ripples in the championship again, this Dublin team clearly isn't on the slide, that's for sure!

So anyway there's some useless trivia and a pointless coming of age football fan story for you's :-)

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 02/07/2014 18:14:30    1612790

Htaem

absolutely confidence is justified, But its a confidence with more than a hint of caution. Nobody that i know that supports Dublin feel we are unbeatable. A Meath win wouldnt surprise me at all.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 02/07/2014 19:03:07    1612828

wayno

absolutely confidence is justified, But its a confidence with more than a hint of caution. Nobody that i know that supports Dublin feel we are unbeatable. A Meath win wouldnt surprise me at all.

Oh I know wayno, I wasn't suggesting that you were implying Dublin are unbeatable, every weathered sports fan knows there's no certainties in sport, there are highly probable results alright, like a Dublin win in 2 weeks time but no certainties.

To be honest I just felt like posting that because of the statistical similarities between 02 and 14 and also it showed how naive some very young sports fans can be.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 02/07/2014 19:32:41    1612848