According to today's Indo. Reilly will not feature on Sunday and D Tobin is still a few weeks away from playing

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2150 - 02/02/2016 19:50:23    1821749

Donnacha tobin had a wrist opp last October and is pencilled in to return for the cavan game.does anyone know what the situation is with shane orourke? I still think that when fit he is the best full forward we have available to us.a big mobile targetman

bobjaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 02/02/2016 20:08:45    1821753

Header33, At Meath game on Sunday and was speaking to a club mate of Gillespies, exact same story I was told, it's not about comeback , it's day to day pain relief , I was told.Big loss, but his health more important, but best of luck to him with his operation .

cilles man (Meath) - Posts: 142 - 02/02/2016 20:29:12    1821756

Seadog you have a link to indo story?

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 02/02/2016 21:11:46    1821764

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/promotion-the-ultimate-aim-for-royals-newman-34415474.html

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 02/02/2016 21:48:11    1821779

Grahammc
I am assuming that you are suggesting that eamonn Wallace should be midfield going by the numbers? I know Meath are struggling for midfielders but Wallace certainly isn't the answer. We have 5 physical northern teams to contend with this year in wet conditions. Eamonn Wallace would struggle in this area I think.

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 03/02/2016 11:29:40    1821842

Mod says Reilly is fine longterm and he could play this weekend yet.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 03/02/2016 11:49:25    1821850

Fyi remaining fixtures. It might be useful to some.

Sunday 7 February
Fermanagh v Meath, Brewster Park, 2pm
Sunday 28 February
Meath v Cavan, Pairc Tailteann, 2pm
Sunday 6 March
Galway v Meath, Pearse Stadium, 2pm
Sunday 13 March
Meath v Tyrone, Pairc Tailteann, 2pm
Sunday 27 March
Derry v Meath, Celtic Park, 2pm
Sunday 3 April
Laois v Meath, O'Moore Park, 2pm

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1263 - 03/02/2016 13:48:09    1821916

Last week when picking my team I did so thinking the Ratoath and Curraha players might not be starting. Now that they're back en mass this would be the team I'd like to see on Sunday.

Paddy O'Rourke
Donal Keogan
Conor McGill
Mickey Burke
Alan Douglas
Pauric Harnan
Brian Power
Harry Rooney
Andy Tormey
Graham Reilly
Cillian O'Sullivan
James McEntee
Sean Tobin
Mickey Newman
Donal Lenihan

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 03/02/2016 15:24:41    1821961

I can see us getting 4/6 pts from remaining games... Narrowly beat fermanag and beat Cavan....Narrowly lose to Tyrone get hammered away to Galway and Derry then all depends what laois have to do on the last day, could be relegated already or fighting to stay up. All this is assuming we keep biggy, keoghan, Rooney, COS, and Newman fit...if we lose 1 or 2 of them were in trouble

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 890 - 03/02/2016 15:27:25    1821962

"All this is assuming we keep biggy, keoghan, Rooney, COS, and Newman fit...if we lose 1 or 2 of them were in trouble"

I disagree with this Southmeathgael. We were missing Biggy for the Armagh game and managed fine. O'Sullivan is a good player, but if there is one area of the field where we do have good cover, its in the half forward line. And while I disagree with the criticism of Newman after the Armagh game, I don't think that he is irreplaceable. Sean Tobin looks to be a decent freetaker, and could do a similar job to Newman from open play. Keoghan and Rooney are hugely important though - Rooney especially given our lack of midfield options.

The win against Armagh has certainly set us up nicely for the next few games. If we win against Fermanagh and Cavan, we are safe in the division and could push on from there to aim for promotion. And without meaning any disrespect in the slightest to either Fermanagh or Cavan, if you don't beat both of them, you really have no business being in Division 1. They are both decent Division 2 sides, but would be out of their depth in Division 1 (probably a bit like ourselves really!)
If we are going to get promotion, we will need to get at least 1 win out of Tyrone at home, and Galway and Derry away. They are going to be tough, and will probably define how our league goes. And to be honest, I would find it hard to predict how any of those games will go. I could certainly see a situation where we beat any of those teams if we hit a good day. However I can also see us putting up a decent performance and managing to lose/draw a game that we should have won. And I can equally see us getting hammered off the pitch by any of them if we hit a bad day. It is just so hard to tell with this team. I suspect that we may fall a little short this year, as we have done in the past 2 years.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 03/02/2016 16:33:22    1821999

anfearbeag

If we were to win one game from Tyrone,Galway and Derry,I would love it to be Tyrone..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 03/02/2016 17:07:36    1822007

Tyrone v Galway will be an interesting game, lots of turns in this division before it finishes. MoD seemed upbeat about Reilly in Times today, what a difference a day makes. Don't think any team in this division will hammer us.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2150 - 03/02/2016 19:50:54    1822045

Good analysis anferbeag. It's clear from the O'Byrne MOD is putting in contingencies if we lose players. Lesson learned the hard way over last 2 seasons with key players getting lost to injury

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1792 - 03/02/2016 21:31:49    1822078

I admire ur glass half full view anfearbeag, I'm on the other hand more of a realist. Firstly, we bet a woefully underperforming Armagh team that played div 3 last year and were.missing all there cross' players, we were slightly above average on Sunday. Secondly I don't think u were looking closely at COS performance so far this year, he is an extremely strong ball carrier with an eye for a pass and score and one of the only players we have that consistantly breaks the tackle, u say we have plenty of options on half forward line too replace him, I struggle to think of one that fits that description of his performances, bare in mind he'll only get better after 2 years out. Same goes for Mickey Newman, only finding his feet again but Mark my words with no brayer he is extremely important and simple put Tobin isn't a patch in him, for example mickeys goal on Sunday...he does sometimes spill possession but the fact of the matter is he broke through 3 Armagh tackles, strong tackles....Tobin just doesn't have that in his locker. I think being introduced for last 15 minutes is about right at the minute for Tobin. Sunday will tell a lot about this squad, it's a game we probably should win so we'll see how mentally strong we are or if the same flakeyness is there

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 890 - 04/02/2016 10:27:23    1822118

Jackhackett, that's a good strong team and possibly best we could hope for at this stage. I definitely think that there should be a place for Eamonn Wallace and donnacha Tobin if fully fit but, considering games that have been played, that's what I'd pick.

trim1 (Meath) - Posts: 162 - 04/02/2016 10:34:28    1822124

If we were to win one game from Tyrone,Galway and Derry,I would love it to be Tyrone..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts:4498 - 03/02/2016 17:07:36 1822

Yep, Maybe, but from a practical point of view. Tyrone will probably finish top the division. So maybe its better Tyrone win all their games except against us of course, and we take a cut at the rest. Which would mean wining against Galway or Derry would be better. Maybe I am been way to negative :) Having said that I would take one win out of them 3 right now.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1263 - 04/02/2016 10:39:10    1822125

I am the eternal optimist but we really should be targeting to beat Tyrone. They are in no way better players and what brings them across the line is their system of play. We owe them big time and psychically we are more than able to complete with them. Also the fact it is at home i think we could do it irrespective of what happens in the next few games.

Derry, i dont really know how good they are but if this was championship on Croker i would not be afraid of them one big. Same of Gaway, we need to get our heads around these games big time and all are winnable.

Attitude, system and work rate and we can beat any of these. We are no near as bad as make ourselves out to be

pretender (Meath) - Posts: 358 - 04/02/2016 10:44:22    1822127

Trim1 - I've not picked D. Tobin as I've a suspicion he's going to get some game time under his belt with Blackhall Gaels and then come into the picture for the Cavan match.

E. Wallace I didn't consider for starting B as I think he might be best suited to coming off the bench at the moment and use his pace against a tiring defence. Also think McEntee is more suited to the half forward line then him.

Then in the Cavan game I'd leave out McEntee as there'll be an U-21 game against Dublin the following Wednesday. That would pave the way for Tobin to come in with Tormey moving to the forwards if Tobin goes to midfield like many here want.

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 04/02/2016 11:54:45    1822150

a win on sunday would be huge i think we are capable of a win but we are also capable of a 5 ppoint defeat, however i think we will win and will then be very close to safety because i thinnk e will beat cavan and laois thus giving us 8 ppoints. cannot see anyway in which we will beat derry or galway away though prob wouldnt rule out tyrone at home though, but definitly have us chalked down for defet in celtic park and salthill

dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 693 - 04/02/2016 12:01:25    1822158