The highlights are on the TG4 player if anyone wants to see them

Barney123 (Meath) - Posts: 676 - 03/02/2015 09:23:25    1689488

'Barney123'

Thanks for the note. Mind you the highlights sadly turned out to be mainly 'lowlights' from our perspective so hopefully MOD will learn a lot from the video although not too confident that will happen !!

Royal_Rover (Meath) - Posts: 72 - 03/02/2015 10:56:25    1689513

Ziggy - Good job the game is this weekend, because you'll be on the wagon tomorrow week!

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 03/02/2015 11:14:07    1689521

I understand your frustration on sunday. This was not a great Galway team. But i feel that Meath people should take stock and realise that they are not superpowers any more. It is not long ago that they were lanquishing in D3 of the NFL. Progress has been made. But they are a long way off the top seven or eight teams in the country at the moment. Progress will come but it will take time.

Jack L (None) - Posts: 3099 - 03/02/2015 11:42:33    1689536

royaldunne- re all stars!! what were they feeding you on in Galway over the week end?.- I'd like some of it! Anyway the best of luck to everyone on Sat night and it is not yet the end of the world.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 03/02/2015 14:49:27    1689665

I stand over what ive said for a number of years , Donegal barring one or two players are of the same quality as Meath , the difference was jim , lets not forget this is virtually the same Donegal team that was hammered in a qualifier in 2010.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 03/02/2015 16:22:28    1689716

Royaldunne agreed,but we do not have a jim mc guiness . We have weak management.I dont think anyone could say otherwise ! But that is the hand of cards we have. Some players may not have it either when it comes to it . Harnan dont know either. i would TRY him CHF and TORMEY CHB [no not a misprint] What have we got to lose? Its not as if we have many options! Yes it is picking at straws really, but maybe we might be pleasantly surprised on Saturday. Not sure why smaller forwards were used on sunday with no apparent plan or reason.Annoying to see Newman with no support when he needed it. Ah FRUSTRATING !

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 03/02/2015 17:33:59    1689750

Agreed Jack L. It will come alright, but its not like MOD has a magic wand. NOBULL, I'm not having a pop at you here but how would you suggest Meath should have played on Sunday? I was down in Galway, and saw how they pulled 13 men behind the ball mostly and hit Meath on the break. Presumably the long balls being kicked into Newman were aimed at bypassing Galway's blanket defence. The other option we tried was to run at them, which is damn near impossible to do without fouling the ball or being dispossessed. How would you have set up?? Again I'm not having a go at you just curious.

Gabhra (Meath) - Posts: 5 - 04/02/2015 14:58:50    1690036

Very hard to run at teams on a real heavy pitch at this time of the year.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/02/2015 15:13:23    1690047

Gabhra 1 You obviousely saw that Galway had a clear game plan and tactics !! 2...Was Meath,s game plan and tactics as obvious to you....3..If so what were those plans and tactics because i cant see them. A classical example here we played wallace and Mc Mahon [too young and light at this time IMO] However, if they must play then use them to feed off players such as NEWMAN.That did not happen enough.In fact Newman must really feel frustrated with no support when needed. Those 2 men in particular should have been deployed for that using their speed. Importantly, i note in your asesment it seems Galway dictated how the match was to be played, men behind the ball etc. SO MEATH are on the back foot already.WE had to respond to what way Galway wanted to play. Poor Meath we are the "VICTIMS" again [the person to whom things happen] .Why cant we be the team that makes things happen ? Answer because we are not confident and competent enough to have a plan that we can implement,and deviate from if required. That brings me to the punch line..Mental preparation [as per jimmy mc guinnes for example] It seems we are not at the races on this one. Ok some players are young etc. so it has to come by way of leadership and management,and i dont believe it is there. Just ask yourself. Do MEATH look like a confident team with a clear plan? NO. Does it seem we learned from last year NO...... With respect to your post i agree we acted like victims,and we did not control they did etc Agreed talent pool low at present, but that is not the main problem. The main problem is lack of direction !!

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1224 - 04/02/2015 15:59:34    1690078

Easy for people to say we don't have the players etc,and of course that is true to a degree,but it is very hard to see what the team is trying to do,nevermind actually doing something..Wallace and McMahon are both very quick,if you are going to use them,well then they have to be feeding off Newman and getting closer to goal.They are far too lightweight to be wandering around the field..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/02/2015 17:31:48    1690128

Ziggy you see there is a plan right there!;; how can us see this and not mod?
Nobull that is the problem there doesn't seem to be a clear cut game plan, i mean if we played 14 behind the ball and handpassed until their palms were sore, while it wouldn't be my idea of football at least we could say well there is a game plan, which we cant say at the moment, and 3 years on that's the stain on mods record , not having a set comprehendible plan A never mind a plan B.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 04/02/2015 18:06:21    1690141

I think people shouldn't be saying we just do not have the players. It is about getting the best out of what you have got. Meath are less than the sum of their parts, that's the problem.

As for the lack of discernible gameplans, this cropped up even in EOBs time. What is Sean Kelly's role in the current set up? (selector only).

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 04/02/2015 19:14:52    1690179

its amazing how none of us can see a gameplan,as said by many,its not as if we can see what they are trying to do.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/02/2015 20:31:18    1690212

royaldunne- I think you are off the mark about Donegal. Most of their team is experienced with at least 6 of them between 28 and 32, guys who stand out for their clubs. JM did not a very good job coaching the kickouts!. Now we have a very inexperienced team with only about 2 players over 26. Inexperienced young teams win very little. Nobull, you would try guys in positions where they never played before and are not good enough in those positions in their own clubs-are you picking a junior team?. I am not saying that things could not be done better on the sideline but I am saying that there is more to winning than good management and self belief - you need the players!. On the good team of the 80's most of the them was over 25 years of age.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 04/02/2015 20:57:56    1690221

Browncows alot of that 80s team was going nowhere until Sean came along.
Trust me when i say that a manager can cost you a game, ive played under bad and good management and even with the majority of same lads, the difference a coach who you believe in and buy into their ideas and visions makes is worth a good 6 points. I played for men who to be honest hadn't a clue , yeah you still try, but your legs seem heavier yet you doing same as before, but the guy gets by you that you had in your pocket previously, the ball you would pop over bar in your sleep blazes wide . Its hard to describe, its not lack of trying or wanting to succeed, but there's a spark missing, that something that just makes everything seem easier and that only comes from total confidence for the men on sideline , and that if they make a choice you just go with it cause they know best. Whereas with a underperforming management you second guess them , they don't command the dressing room, you try to do something different hoping it works better than what management is trying, but with a good manager that never occurs and you blindly follow.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 04/02/2015 21:28:33    1690234

A clear gameplan can give players a lot of confidence.I am sure some players are frustrated at a few things,especially playing players out of position.Do I beleive we have the players good enough to challenge at the top? No,not even close,but I do believe we are capbale of better,we have as good as players as Armagh for example..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/02/2015 21:42:55    1690240

royaldunne -I agree with most of what you are saying and most of us have been there. I was just making the point in a roundabout way that you also need players with experience as well and it is very difficult to win anything in senior with a lot of 19/20/21 years olds and that goes for clubs as well.

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 05/02/2015 10:21:04    1690293

Mick O'Dowd was saying "He was at a loss" as to what happened with the display on sunday,well thats a problem..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 05/02/2015 11:36:06    1690335

Ziggy that sent shivers down my spine, if he is at a loss to explain what went wrong then what remedial action can be taken?
I mean how can he fix it if he doesn't know what went wrong???

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 05/02/2015 16:48:08    1690449