ashrules...i thought our fitness levels were very poor to say the least this season,we could not see out any game in the championship with the exception of a close call with wicklow who were a division 4 team,we were dead on our feet against westmeath & tyrone in last 15 minutes of both games.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1049 - 30/09/2015 13:04:46    1794193

I am definitely going to get a kicking from the Mick O'Dowd loyalists here but as I said on the Bray retirement thread there is a worrying trend carrying on from the last two years. It is no coincidence that in year 1 of O'Dowds reign there was a far better mix of youth and experience which led to decent performances and thus far, have been largely absent since.

The panel is without question desperately short of experience and wiser heads, which even with last year's underwhelming panel was a serious issue that blew the Westmeath game.
The player turnover in the last three years has been immense and no one could argue that the level of quality and experience has fallen in tandem. Can you blame retirement on this?
Seamus Kenny certainly, Stephen Bray also but every single other senior player have not been given any serious minutes or deemed surplus to requirements by those that select the players.
What more is in store before the Christmas break, I would expect to see Micky Burke, Kevin Reilly, Jamie Queeney maybe David Bray make themselves 'unavailable for selection'. Its becoming a familiar statement in Meath's off season.

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 30/09/2015 13:15:13    1794205

All I can see is people blaming MOD for this, but if we are reliant on a 33 yr old then thats says enough and doesnt make a difference who the manager. He was not been at the quality required consistently for a long while now.

I see people saying Kevin Reilly is going to retire as well, what loss is he really? He hasn't been fit for 3/4 yrs. Seamus Kenny is 36 now, Mickey Burke is a solid player but is he of county standard, probably not.

I firmly believe we have the quality of player to compete, but it the mental aspect that is killing us, and this is the most important thing (Mayo have proved this, it not too long ago when John O Mahony was managing them the lost to Longford. We do not have leaders or lads who are killing to put the bodies on the line. We have no Darren Fay Mark O reilly, Evan kelly. Jim Mcguiness, All the Kealys. these lads would nearly put there life at risk.

johno (Meath) - Posts: 3 - 30/09/2015 14:47:22    1794276

jonho -strange statements you are making like 'a 33 year old ...' he was the best forward the county had last year and the previous 9 years. You make statements like 'mental aspect'- do you think that an poor footballer with the right mental aspect is good player and then you say 'quality players'-where are they?. I am not running down the manager or blaming anyone, however I would say that you are not going to win anything fast with a lot of kids!

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 30/09/2015 15:45:27    1794329

thelutch
County: Meath
Posts: 462

1794023 Brian......Im not naming anybody,you may just wait & see,i blew the whistle on this 5 weeks ago & was told im was talking shi**,the players meeting back then was for the 30 man panel we had in omagh,maybe some of them are been axed,i dont know but im just telling you what i do know,stephen bray made his mind up the minute MOD was voted back in.........I agree no one else wants the job but its clear to see with the selectors walking away there is no faith in the man,
==============================================================================================

Lutch I'll call ye out for talking BS on this so. I said Bray would be gone during the championship, Reilly and Burke likely to go too
You'll come out after they're probable announcements and say "i told ye there were more players going!!!!"
Its easy to be right after the fact when you say nothing other than rumour and conjecture.
Name the players or STFU..

As I've consistently said I'm not happy with MOD and he shouldn't have been reappointed but people using narrative like this need to get real. Bray's * 2, Kevin Reilly & Burke have given years of service and have nothing left to give. People calling for Ward, Joe, Farrell etc, they're are no longer up to it move on. Queeney has never made the impact he could've in a Meath jersey, lets move on.

If you're that unhappy maybe you should delete your profile and start doing something that does make you happy rather than being a happy keyboard warrior

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 30/09/2015 15:55:39    1794338

Agreed Browncows...whats in it the water in Meath that is making everyone such ageists!

So what if we are relying on a 33 year old as a full forward? Whats your point? Do 33 year olds not win All Irelands? Say that to the lads on the recent All Ireland winning Kerry, Donegal, Tyone and Dublin teams.

Ridiculous amount of players discarded by current regime with still so much to offer in place of certain players who are clearly not ready.

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1319 - 30/09/2015 16:17:46    1794347

Look micko can't be blamed for lack of fitness it's no coinsidance that players been spoken about are some of the least fit on team maybe questions are been asked of thier desire to get fit that they have gotten away with for so long and they are not happy with this
The players talked about Jamie queeny David bray Micky Burke Kevin Riley are all bit part players on Meath team now and my feel disgruntled about this and have separate reasons to make themselfs not available Jamie and Kevin always injured David bray not committed and Micky Burke is a beast and I would be surprised to see him leave
I would be more concerned if players like biggy, keoghan, McGill, paddy o rourke, Wallace, Gillespie, Tobin, Rooney, Harnan, menton, tormey, were to make themselfs unavailable, this would signal a serious problem but when fringe players or retirement age players start leaving that's just normal and maybe a good thing as to give new blood a chance.

head4dblackspot (Meath) - Posts: 513 - 30/09/2015 16:55:55    1794367

Last post is spot on,I would be very surprised to see any of those players mentioned were made unavailable..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 30/09/2015 17:42:11    1794394

highking12

1794205 I am definitely going to get a kicking from the Mick O'Dowd loyalists here [/I]

If you actually bothered to read peoples posts, you would realise that there are very few "loyalists" posting on here. At a rough guess, I would say that those wanting him to go outnumbered those wanting him to stay by about 10 to 1 on here.
However, the more sensible posters don't try and blame every single little thing on Mick O'Dowd. Are we happy with the fitness levels of the team? - no. Are we happy with the tactics?- no. Are we happy with the results?- hell no. Do we think he should still be in charge? - definitely not
But that does not mean that he is responsible for Stephen Bray retiring, and if Mickey Burke or Kevin Reilly retire it won't be down to Mo'D either Stephen Bray is retiring because he has pretty much given up every ounce of spare time he had for the past 15 years into playing for Meath, and at 33 years of age and with a young wife and family, he doesn't want to do it any more. Sure he might stay on another year or two if we were winning things. But even if MOD left in the morning, we still wouldn't win anything for the next couple of years, and Stephen Bray would be retired anyway by then.
To be honest, I would nearly be happier if there were players leaving the panel because of MOD. It would show me that there are players there who can see that they are going nowhere fast, and want things to change But everything you hear from the camp seems to indicate that they are happy with the situation. That worries me a lot, because it seems that they are in a comfort zone and that is not healthy.
So by all means knock MOD for the things he deserves to be knocked for. You will only be joining most of the rest of us on here in that. But you can only blame him for so much, otherwise it just gets silly and weakens your arguments.

Lads, time to row in behind mod for another year. Give him and the team support and lets start next year by giving the dubs a mashing in the obyrne

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1792 - 30/09/2015 19:21:59    1794421

Well first off Brian.
What i said was ten players were unhappy at the way management worked this year and some believed that the all out attack until Dublin Leinster final whe we would go ultra defensive (had been training this since February) was too much and tbh putting the cart before horse. These ten players agreed to go and meet mod (hotel in Ashbourne i think) they had a frank discussion where they laid out their concerns. They were reassured that 2016 would be different.
Now i did not say that Stephen went because of this as i think no matter what Meath did he would have left.
Now let me be clear the other two that have been mentioned burke and k Reilly were not at the meeting neither was the capt Donal or Andrew tormey. Or any of the rathoath players.
If you all get what i mean? It doesn't take a genius to come up,with the other ten.
I don't say anything on hear that i don't know for sure or if i do its always clarified with a "rumour has it" tag.
However i thought this was general knowledge, i honestly did, i have heard this quite often and was done before mod ratified, it wasn't underhand or anything it was done as a clear the air exercise and while i only found out about it after mod had been ratified it gave me a little hope that he took on their concerns and tried to reassure those who came to a agreed meeting between all involved .
Furthermore this is quite a normal thing especially after a poor year. Jesus harnan Lyons and O'Rourke went to boylan in the early 80s and told him to put his shyness in his ass pocket.
Now brien i hope that clears it up for you im not trying to do anyone down. I only speaking fact.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 30/09/2015 19:49:13    1794431

I have no problem with players having meetings with management etc,for a start it shows they care..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 30/09/2015 20:42:11    1794449

Exactly ziggy, what i have a problem with is that it was only 10 that bothered showing up and a few notable absentees that worries me more.
They went for a clear the air meeting not a we want your head meeting , this is quite normal and acceptable

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 30/09/2015 21:15:38    1794469

You are like auld ones gossiping at the back of the bingo hall

head4dblackspot (Meath) - Posts: 513 - 30/09/2015 21:27:06    1794475

Don't bother, fearbeag. Unless you're blaming MOD for players retiring, the poor weather this summer and the middle eastern migrant crisis you'll be classed as a loyalist by some.
Hell, simply being from Ratoath led me to being classed as a MOD defender not too long ago.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1362 - 30/09/2015 21:30:12    1794479

anfearbeag

You completely missed the point of what I posted

I said Seamus Kenny and Stephen Bray's retirements couldn't be blamed on O'Dowd, in fact i explicitly said it.

'no one could argue that the level of quality and experience has fallen in tandem. Can you blame retirement on this?
Seamus Kenny certainly, Stephen Bray also'

My point to spell it out again is that the manager should not be blamed for older players retiring but he should very very validly be blamed for getting the balance of the panel completely wrong.
As I have previously stated it was in Year 1 that the panel had a much better mix of experience and youth and the results reflected this. Unfortunately since then bizarre inclusions and exclusions within the squad has led to a callowness and an inability to see out tight games for which they have been punished for by weak teams.

Now they are undeniable facts, whatever the rumors are about players who are fit able and young enough (apparently 29-33 is too old for the Meath panel for some) to play making themselves unavailable are i wont get into again but as ever with these things someone is talking and that's rarely a good thing

highking12 (Meath) - Posts: 184 - 01/10/2015 08:33:38    1794499

I'm not a fan of MOD(so far),but you cannot blame him for Bray retiring,its frankly absurd..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/10/2015 09:07:20    1794506

royaldunne
County: Meath
Posts: 8273

1794431 Well first off Brian.
What i said was ten players were unhappy at the way management worked this year and some believed that the all out attack until Dublin Leinster final whe we would go ultra defensive (had been training this since February) was too much and tbh putting the cart before horse. These ten players agreed to go and meet mod (hotel in Ashbourne i think) they had a frank discussion where they laid out their concerns. They were reassured that 2016 would be different.
Now i did not say that Stephen went because of this as i think no matter what Meath did he would have left.
Now let me be clear the other two that have been mentioned burke and k Reilly were not at the meeting neither was the capt Donal or Andrew tormey. Or any of the rathoath players.
If you all get what i mean? It doesn't take a genius to come up,with the other ten.
I don't say anything on hear that i don't know for sure or if i do its always clarified with a "rumour has it" tag.
However i thought this was general knowledge, i honestly did, i have heard this quite often and was done before mod ratified, it wasn't underhand or anything it was done as a clear the air exercise and while i only found out about it after mod had been ratified it gave me a little hope that he took on their concerns and tried to reassure those who came to a agreed meeting between all involved .
Furthermore this is quite a normal thing especially after a poor year. Jesus harnan Lyons and O'Rourke went to boylan in the early 80s and told him to put his shyness in his ass pocket.
Now brien i hope that clears it up for you im not trying to do anyone down. I only speaking fact.
=============================================================================================================================

Fair play Royal, as I say I respect you as a poster here and you generally have well thought out points of view and its clear from the above that you're not speculating here. Lutch has been hiding behind the In the know act whilst kowing fcuk all then blaming MOD for everything. The players that have retired were at that age, but it suited his narrative to blame MOD. As I've consistently said I don't think MOD is up to it and I'm glad to see players have the balls to stand up and say to his face things aren't right.

Lets all hope for a better 2016.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 01/10/2015 10:28:17    1794553

Good man brian....yeah i know nothing....sure hasnt royaldunne just told you whats going on !!!! Certain players not happy with MOD,what do you want me to say ? i told you i wasnt naming the players.Its not my fault we know a little bit more than you.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1049 - 01/10/2015 10:58:58    1794571

browncows , all Im saying in relation to Bray is that his best days are behind him, hes not the player he was a couple of years ago and nobody can deny that.

i personally feel if the current squad of player were mentally strong then they could put it up to most of the teams out there.

My point in relation to the mental side if basically about players lacking the will to do all for the jersey. If you have a player who will work his socks off this is better than someone who goes through the motions which i feel is something which has been let go for the past few years.

johno (Meath) - Posts: 3 - 01/10/2015 11:12:22    1794576