Htaem Ziggy nobull. Yep that's me all over. Too optimistic :).
Look I do think we are all on same page, and no one wants mod to go before this year ( well apart from fr). And Htaem is absolutely right we have seen too many false dawns over the last decade, a improving year followed by a set back it does seem to be the major problem, progression, we are probably a mid ranked team, but I'd like to see a basis and a plan that we can say look in a few years we will be back competing with the top boys, and im not saying winning all ire just with half a chance to make to a semi. I think the cloak and daggerof tthe review meeting struck a sour note with a few people myself included. We are the ones going to all the matches supporting the team through good and bad times. All I want is a little clarity. It doesn't even have to be specific.
If cb and mod came out with a statement saying, this year was disappointing, injuries aside we didn't do ourselves justice, we have looked at ways to improve our fitness, we are brining in some players to strengthen the panel, and mod fully understand that he must act quickly during games to rectify any area we are lacking in. We assure the fans that we understand their concerns and will act accordingly.

Now if a statement like that or any other form was issued I'd be over the moon. My worry in the absence of clarity is very little is been done.. now I pray I'm wrong and if I'm honest mod seems like a very intelligent man and I'm sure there is plenty going on.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 11/11/2014 13:30:54    1671407

look lads, by the sounds of it we could debate this right up until February. But I feel I have to back up some of my comments.

We might not be the youngest team in the county, but we are very close... look at the age profile of a lot of the STARTERS/SUBS.
24 and under - Newman, Tormey, Tobin, Carroll, Menton, Harnan, Flanagan, Wallace, Wallace eile, McMahon, O'Sullivan, O'Sullivan eile, Keoghan, McDonagh... Now people keep bringing up the Monaghan/armagh games. Can I point out that both these games were played in poor condition in CLONES. Now I want to see us win regardless of weather, but to expect these lads to compete with MEN in wet conditions at this stage of their career is a lot (and probably going to be used an excuse to bring back older guys)
But MOD is building for the future, bringing in lads now, and while they might suffer in the short term, once they mature they will be the foundation for bigger and better things. With the list I have put up I think most people in the county can admit that its got the potential to be where we want them to be, but not now.
On a summers day is when these guys can compete at this stage in their career, and they have (bar Dublin episode)!!

Im just saying MOD has made the hard calls in building for the future okay! you can question his decisions all you want but he has sacrificed immediate success for the future of the county. What is he supposed to do on the sideline against a more physical Dublin/Monaghan/Armagh team with this group of players. should Micko adopt Banty's approach of just playing big lads? (i.e. twin towers) Id HATE to see that. these younger lads excite me personally and given time I do think there is an A-Ireland for us with them.... but fans' short sightedness may put to bed that idea.

And just so you know, im not following him blindly, I realise he has made mistakes and if they continue to happen he deserves whatever happens at the end of next year. But this talk of him not making tactical decisions on the line is not thought out.

dubsout (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 11/11/2014 14:23:11    1671429

dubsout

Add to that the possiblity of the likes of Daire Rowe etc coming through and MAYBE Harry Rooney.Always be a few others coming through too..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 11/11/2014 17:21:11    1671524

Ziggy- Exactly! two other players who I'D hope would become stars in the future. there's probably others I missed too, but realistically Micko cant be expected to turn them into world beaters in 2 years... if im honest it wont be until 2017/18 when these players have matured and then we will have a core capable of challenging. Its at that stage that we start to add one or two players each year from the 21s/minors. similar to the way Dublin built a core team with Flynn Brogans Connolly O'Carroll etc...then when the foundation was there they could afford to bring in the elite young lads i.e. Kilkenny, mannion, mccaffrey. Its a slow process but in my eyes it will be worth it.

dubsout (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 12/11/2014 10:28:35    1671663

If we are challenging in 3 or 4 years,then it is worth it for sure

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 12/11/2014 12:52:33    1671714

Just wondering what our DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL has to say at this point about the way ahead,and if he can see any light at the end of this very long tunnel. Maybe i have missed something. All i heard is the role of DIRECTOR OF FOOTBALL was filled a couple of years ago. I cannot recall reading anything more since. Anyone know anything? I am sure he reports on matters

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1227 - 12/11/2014 13:31:40    1671735

Well its official I've heard it all now. The reason we got hammered by monaghan , had nothing to do with players not been prepaired right or management getting it wrong 3 times. It was the weather. Lol.
And just to prove a poiint about micko and his new young players below is a list of players who more than likely play some part come champ
1 p orourke brought in by obrien
2 keoghan brought in by banty
3 k reilly brought in by coyle/ obrien
4 dalton brought in by obrien
5 carroll brought in by banty
6 menton brought in by obrien
7 s orourke brought in by coyle
8 gillespie brought in by obrien
9 g reilly brought in by obrien
10 tobin brought in by banty
11 s bray brought in by boylan/coyle
12 d bray brought in by coyle
13 queeny brought in by obrien
Another which I think could be included is harnan didn't banty bring him in?

Now some of the above may not be correct as which manager brought them into panel but one thing is for sure they were all in before micko arrived.
So this line been spouted about micko needing time cause its such a young squad is total bull. Excuses excuses.
Fact is this management have regressed this current squad and will continue this trend this year.

foreverroyal (Meath) - Posts: 349 - 20/11/2014 19:01:40    1673813

Foreverroyal Unfortunately there is an awful lot of truth in what you say,especially your last 2 lines...Yes we are hearing too much bull by way of young team,not enough time. EXCUSES,EXCUSES Absolutely no doubt we have gone BACKWARDS this year,and that is not bull. I have NEVER seen a Meath team so poorly prepared,and that is not bull either !!

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1227 - 20/11/2014 20:08:33    1673836

foreveroyal - I never said MickO brought them all in.... you seem to have IGNORED the fact that the list of players I put up are all still very young.
what would a new man do differently with this group of players?

Bar giving half of them steroids to beef them up so that they can compete when a dogfight in WET conditions is necessary, there not a lot else wrong with this team.
A lot of you complain about the fitness and condition of the team....yet I think the only area where we fall down in this department is Midfield. O'Rourke and Gillespie are NOT athletes like DaraMcCauley or Cian O'sullivan. NO amount of training will make them like that either. So what would a new man do differently here? (bring in young lads like Flanagan and rooney???----oh wait)

give up cribbing lads and get behind the team.

dubsout (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 21/11/2014 10:16:03    1673893

dubsout

I agree with many of your points,but I think Gillespie is on a different planet to SOR as a midfield player

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 21/11/2014 12:37:52    1673941

I CAN USE CAPS LOCK TOO IN A WHOLE SENTENCE AND IM NOT GOING TO BE A NEGATIVE NORMAN ITS TOO CLOSE TO CHRISTMAS AND IM LOOKING FORWARD TO THE O BYRNE CUP AND THE LEAGUE AND SEEING DUNGANNY BEING FINISHED IN 2015 AND OUR TEAM GOING FORWARDS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP, THE COUNTY NEEDS REPAIRING NOT JUST THE SENIOR TEAM AND THAT PROCESS WILL NOT BE DONE OVERNIGHT

Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3734 - 21/11/2014 13:17:43    1673948

Just one question needing an answer. Are "getting behind the team " only when you are being positive ? If you go to support the team in every match, come home annoyed and frustrated because you think we are going backwards, does that mean you are/are not "getting behind the team

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1227 - 21/11/2014 14:08:31    1673966

nobull, everyone got frustrated last year..... but radical calls for change and upheaval without detailing any realistic/improved alternative is serving no purpose. If next year the Micko project still hasn't served any reward then your complaints will be justified.

my argument all along has been that you are away with the fairies if you think that this group of players could have achieved more than they have in the last couple of years (bar the possibility of being promotion this year with a bit of luck)...so why not let them develop, support them on their learning curve and then when they have finally reached their peak hopefully we can embrace in the return to the glory days of meath football.
do you not understand what the term 'team in transition' means!!!!

dubsout (Meath) - Posts: 220 - 21/11/2014 14:56:52    1673987

Dubsout I fully supported MOD appointment 2 years ago. Now i am very disappointed and frustrated that the basics of management are not evident. That is the main problem with this team .Good management,and everything else should flow from there. Even then it will take time for some younger players to develop.Without being driven by good management that may never happen. Sean Boylan won an all Ireland in 1996 with a team " in transition" Why? because it was Boylan
I know there is no ready made replacement for MOD. Surely he deserves some assistance in the same way that Banty got assistance when Evans was brought in. That was a good move,and we could see the difference. So i don't want to see MOD dumped ! I want to see him given the assistance he deserves. It is clear he needs it,with no disrespect to him, he is doing his best,but his best is not good enough up to now. So give him the help he deserves now. Clearly he has his own strenghts,but needs assistance with instilling team spirit,belief, fitness levels etc
To me statements like " give more time " "team in transition" etc. are valid only to a point. Management and leadership is the most important requirement now.
So we supporters " get behind" and support that cause,and in this way support the team. I assume CB have a handle on the need here. Let them know we have to.
MOD to stay with all the assistance he asks for, or requires for this coming year!

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1227 - 21/11/2014 15:38:04    1674005

I think there is perhaps too much knocking for those of us who have questions. I certainly will be behind the team no matter what.
But do people think we are any further on than under banty? I personally don't. Are we going backward? No I think we have stagnated since eob.
Has mod shown he is capable ? Yes. Has he shown some basic errors ? Yes . I think a assistant would be a great advantage. Mod had shown a lack of ability to read games inrreal time. Dubsout I think there was a lot more lads that were unfit apart from midfield.
But no one is calling for his head, just a nessery extra voice that could turn things around.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 21/11/2014 21:34:48    1674068

Outright Betting

Each Way Odds 1/3 places 1,2

Kildare 3/1

Galway 10/3

Down 9/2

Meath 11/2

Laois 13/2

Roscommon 7/1

Cavan 10/1

Westmeath 16/1

Are we a good bet?
Tbh thought us and kildare would be the favs.
Is mid table realistically the best we can hope for???

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 15/12/2014 21:07:53    1678729

Rd

Honestly we could get promotion,but we could also get relegated.Likely we will finish in the middle..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 16/12/2014 10:16:25    1678765

Lads time ye stop all this talk.
We just do what kerry did

Doitmyway1212 (Meath) - Posts: 72 - 04/01/2015 18:20:12    1680422