This holding back the team announcement till throw in is another childish tactics that needs to be stopped .

royalpainter (Meath) - Posts: 874 - 03/08/2014 12:24:33    1630436

Watched the game again there to try and comprehend what happened. .. Meath certainly beat themselves last night

The substitutes? What the hell went on there...absolutely mind boggling stuff in fairness.
If tactics can be implemented more and a strong team ethic enforced then this side SHOULD be able to play beyond themselves

Not a word from the captain with regards to team display, why he didnt play etc..
A member of the forum said the team had been selected - clearly talking through their rear end becausr the captain getting dropped/injured etc would have been significant news

The half back line from Armagh is what caused the damage, meaths have forward line failed to mark their menand they scored freely in the last 15 minutes.

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 757 - 03/08/2014 12:30:12    1630445

Ziggy to be fair, Graham Reilly was always going to be the player most likely to kick long range points against a blanket defense and yet he was on the bench from the start. Yesterday, wasn't the day to punish him for the LF performance but see the bigger picture.

We had two men on Stephen O'Neill last year and it backfired, other Tyrone players running through us at will. We do the same again this time to handle Jamie Clarke (by playing a sweeper, deep), same result. It may have prevented a goal, it may not, but Armagh were happy enough to run through us and take their points. It is a poor use of resources, when we are stretched as it is.

I came away from Croke Park last year, after seeing a close finish vs. Tyrone thinking well it's the first year of a new era and next year we will be that bit more experienced/advanced/developed/wiser a team but alas ... Even allowing for injuries, we are at best standing still, while others are passing us out. So effectively going backwards or down the pecking order.

Where is the manliness, physicality and work ethic in Meath teams these past few years ... why do individual players not have or show better foot kicking/passing skills during games ... why do they not take more responsibility, show more initiative on the field of play ... instead of having the attitude that it is not my role to do this or that ... have we become too genteel (soft, softly spoken) to play and possibly manage at this level ... are we trying to partly replicate Dublin in style, but without the substance or build a team for some hybrid game that doesn't exist.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 03/08/2014 12:55:40    1630468

Harrington, Wallace, McDonagh and Meade back on, these decisions say it all, a total shambles. I made a round trip of 320 miles to watch this, should have stayed at home and watched the local u16 play, more organisation and game plan. We are slipping at alarming rate, Offaly springs to mind

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2151 - 03/08/2014 13:06:37    1630474

Any chance of bringing back the Tommy Murphy so the like of Meath Cavan Westmeath and Louth might win something.................

noelpconnon (Cavan) - Posts: 209 - 03/08/2014 13:10:07    1630481

I just read that Kevin Reilly tore a hip flexore muscle 15 minutes into the Leinster final but "played on through the strength of him." He was never an option for the game.

ClassApart (Meath) - Posts: 1200 - 03/08/2014 13:13:32    1630483

Some of the stuff written on this forum is utter nonsense. Bring back Queeney and Ward and a few others?? we have to move on. These lads have had chances and have not delivered consistently. Yesterday was disappointing as i feel we have not kicked on from last year. However if we get O Sullivan, Gillespie, Wallace back next year I feel we can make progress. The lads that are playing for Meath at the moment are the best there is in the county. We have not got the players at the moment to become a top team. MIck O Dowd and his management team need to stay with this. They are the best that is there.

Under age needs to be priority and this has not been happening. Under age is very substandard in the county. Amalgamated teams are killing underage.

db9 (Meath) - Posts: 283 - 03/08/2014 13:27:00    1630505

royalio 11 your spot on about our half forwards . I know he's young but how did McMahon last the game if I was in charge I would have had him off after 20 minutes . To play at this level you have to be strong with the ball and when tackling we have to many that don't fit this . For those of you that stayed for the second game the difference between the Monaghan no. 11 and McMahon was chalk and cheese , not much different in size but so much in every other aspect of their game . The main one strength and if this meath management is to learn anything from this year is strength and fitness . D. Carroll. Is the same as McMahon no strength and can't tackle . I said it 3 years ago long before MOD took over we have to many small week players . Look at the top team they have small players but they would all go through a wall to get or hold onto a ball . So for 2015 we need all the Ss , Settled team , System we can play , Speed program , Strength program and a good feed of Steak for a few of the young lads and less of the Sauce some of them are on .

mmc (Meath) - Posts: 268 - 03/08/2014 13:33:57    1630518

Well first off every manager should set up a team to defeat opponents. So it was a no brainer against armagh to start biggy the game was set up for him , we all knew what armagh would bring why didn't we play the game to beat or at least compete with them? Against the likes of Dublin leave him on sideline against armagh where you going to be uncontested until 45 have biggy Newman and Carroll there with Kenny behind to feed them also bring McMahon out to run and not turn just go to ground if tackled ala the Monaghan lad. Was stephen bray the best option at ff yesterday? I don't know. He was surrounded every time . Theblanket ddefense is easy to counter if you got the playersand we had. WWould you start same lads against different opposition? No. You cut your clothe measure.
IMO this game only. Let's make that clear before I get accuse of all sorts was ideal for a wardy or Joe type in front of high ball dropping in. Each game is different so each game must be individual and the team picked on who is best to counter what opposition brings. Its not rocket science. Its really easy. I've said before and I'll say again mod MUST bring in someone who is tactically astute, if no one is within county willing to do it, look outside. We need a fresh voice along with those there.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 03/08/2014 13:42:14    1630522

Bit like many posters here I went to Croker hoping to see a performance full of pride and commitment after the LF debacle but left disappointed and soaked from rain. Found some of decisions from the line baffling. Thought the treatment of Stephen Bray last night was disgraceful. While not at his best he never stopped trying safe to say that was probably his last game for Meath under this management team. Could not believe why we did not push up on Armagh kick outs as we chased the game in the last 15 mins instead of allowing them to continually build from the back. Also Armagh keeper did not look the most confident under the high ball so what was wrong with sticking SOR on the edge of the square and go route one for change. Not sure where we go from here but if MOD wants to continue at the helm he has to appoint a top class coach to his management team. Finally a dreadful show of support last night where have all our supporters gone?

Greenwood (Meath) - Posts: 210 - 03/08/2014 13:48:36    1630529

DB9 you haven't got a clue. Firstly there is massive focus on underage in meath at the minute. Secondly how are amalgamations killing underage structures??? Such utter nonsense. Two senior clubs in meath are now amalgamated at minor underage level in meath and they can barely field a minor team this year while u17s have been disbanded for the year!!!!

Also are you telling me with a straight face that Joey Wallace and Dalton McDonagh are better footballers than Cian Ward???
Back to your bar stool lad

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1319 - 03/08/2014 14:07:47    1630547

@ Noelpconnon

Not a bad idea. Louth won that trophy in 2006. They beat Leitrim in the final and it was held before the All Ireland semi-final between Dublin and Mayo. Its nice lifting a bit of silverware in HQ.

OLLIE (Louth) - Posts: 12224 - 03/08/2014 14:13:19    1630550

Agree with the vast majority of posters here.
We didn't appear to even think about going route one, which against a blanket defence is effective.
We can't just say this is how we play and that's it.
Different games require different tactics, and it's this bullishness of sticking to the same game plan at all costs that concerns me about MOD.
He has another year on his agreement and I'd let him see that out, but I would ask him to consider bringing somebody more tactically astute in to his backroom team.
Maybe Eamonn Barry might be worth taking on board, although he might want to be manager, so that could be a clash, but they definitely need someone with a bit more tactical nous in there.

BoynesideBlue (Meath) - Posts: 130 - 03/08/2014 14:24:58    1630557

MOD deserves another campaign. I'm not one for sacking managers. I have always maintained that both Eamon O'Brien and Banty did not deserve to be sacked.

MOD is not stupid, so you would hope that he learns from his mistakes yesterday.

Granted, we have had injuries in key areas of the field (Reilly, Gillespie, Wallace), but to play without any sort of a gameplan yesterday was very disappointing to see.

As others have talked about, it's not all on MOD. He has in front of him a very SOFT team. Some of that comes from a lack of physicality in the team, but some lads just don't want to know about the gritty side of the game.

Spoofer (Meath) - Posts: 48 - 03/08/2014 14:30:22    1630564

Spoofer

You are no Spoofer! ,I am being saying it for a while,that some of the players are too soft.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 03/08/2014 15:49:32    1630645

Every team has injuries (it hampered Meath but not a reason for defeats)

Tactics, tactics, tactics killed Meath time and time again...

There was never a change in tactics.. stuck to a suffocating plan that was easily read and played to the advantages of others.

As for the call of Queeney, Ward etc. I would rather see them come in in the last 10 mins than Joey Wallace, and an injured McDonagh.
They are danger players and would no doubt have gotten frees/scores etc. It is hard to argue different. Queeney always had an impact off the bench and is a guy who is only in his mid 20s and is running riot in Meath Sfc.

Psychologically it would have made an impact on Armagh.. they must have been laughing seeing the Brays trotting off and joey wallaceand McDonagh coming on.

after watching Kildare bring Monaghan to E.T and narrowly missing out and looking at Galway bringing at least a fight to Kerry is quite disheartening

Royalio11 (Meath) - Posts: 757 - 03/08/2014 17:15:07    1630712

Crinigan
County: Meath
Posts: 48

1630547
DB9 you haven't got a clue. Firstly there is massive focus on underage in meath at the minute. Secondly how are amalgamations killing underage structures??? Such utter nonsense. Two senior clubs in meath are now amalgamated at minor underage level in meath and they can barely field a minor team this year while u17s have been disbanded for the year!!!!

Also are you telling me with a straight face that Joey Wallace and Dalton McDonagh are better footballers than Cian Ward???
Back to your bar stool lad

Ok your entitled to opinion. You say massive focus on underage in meath?? Explain?? From being involved in underage football I think it is not up to scratch. The Underage Co Teams are not getting the best of what is there when you compare them to Other counties. Underage is poor. no minor or u21 since the 1990s.

2- Amalagamations are a bad idea. ok you have 1 team but between 2 senior clubs. That should not be happening. That means that there is not enough young lads playing the game in them areas?? There is a serious drop off in numbers in underage and this can be seen in the amount of teams at minor level that are joined up.

Cian ward yes is a better player in 2014 but with some of these young lads we need to give them time and patience. These lads will be at an age in 5-6 years time where they still can play for meath. MOD is building for the future. The lads that arent on meath panels anymore have and were given years to prove their worth.

db9 (Meath) - Posts: 283 - 03/08/2014 18:33:52    1630815

Very disappointed leaving Croker last night. Our game plan seemed to be all about trying to stop Jamie Clarke getting the ball as we asked one of more mobile players to stand on the "D" and stop supply. This allowed Armagh, a team who are good at carrying the ball, all the time to take the quick kick out and build from the back. Were my eyes deceiving me or not but did we have Bryan McMahon at FF for a period in the first half? We kept kicking the ball to the Armagh Sweeper.
While Shane O'Rourke may not have the legs to play in midfield at the top level surely the one way to try to counteract the blanket defence is to place a big man on the square and drive the ball in. With the poor weather last night this surely had to be a tactic in the managers armoury at some stage particularily in the second half. But alas he took him and the Bray brothers off. I just couldn't understand that. In my opinion the same mistake was made against Dublin where everyone knows the dubs FB line is very vulnerable to the high ball. We sent in the ball high twice in the Dublin game and scored one goal and McDonagh was given the early free instead of the ref allowing the advantage.
It was obvious Dalton McD was carrying an injury when he entered the game and what MOD expected Joey Wallace to do is beyond me. I felt really sorry for Brian Meade. Was asked to play wing forward which is probably alien to him and you need a pacey player to do that. You take him off early which was probably tough for him and then ask him to come back on and try to rescue the game.
We don't look fit which is a worry. For the last 25mins against Kildare, the last 45 mins of the Dublin game and again last night we looked out on our feet with 20 mins remaining. Also very few players seem to have the upper body strength to take or break through the tackle and definitely a few of them just know the first thing about tackling, Damien Carroll being one who constantly comes to mind.
We got rid of Joe, Wardy , Farrell, Queeney and have replaced then with some very small men and while they might be quick if the haven't got the physique to win their own ball then they are no more of an addition to the squad than those dropped because they had no pace.

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 03/08/2014 19:02:01    1630839

DB9, the future is now. Stephen Bray might not be around next year, nor might Kevin Reilly or a number of others. You telling me that S Bray should go oh well, we got knocked out to Armagh in my last game because MOD was blooding players who may or may not win us somethinhg in 5/6 years? What guarantee have you that the likes of Wallace or McDonagh will even be playing football in 5/6 years time. Ward, Queeny, McLoughlin etc are ready now. Today. Not in hypothetically in 5/6 years.

I also think that we should have a squad big enough to accomodate all different types of gameplans and styles and that includes different players with different attributes. Weather that is the big full forward required for the last 5-10 minutes against a packed defence or a pacy leggy player needed on the counter attack when holding a lead etc. It shouldnt be a prequisite that you are under 23 years old to be on the Meath panel.

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1319 - 03/08/2014 19:02:07    1630840

Yes other teams learned from their mistakes, Cork hammered in Munster but came within a kick of a ball from beating Mayo. Kildare have shown great improvement over last few weeks and fair play to Galway gave it a shot, beaten by better team which is no disgrace. But Meath seem to think that all will be well the next day. Keep doing the same things and expecting different outcome Let management finish out their term, but unless we see indicators that things are improving and lessons have been learned, time to change, I agree with posters that have said we need a shakeup in backroom team, bring in a decent coach, Grimley was man enough to realise he needed help

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2151 - 03/08/2014 19:08:14    1630850