Glasagusor- I would argue that 3 proper midfielders is the MINIMUM you need on a panel, with preferably a 4th decent option available.
The cliché about it being a squad game now is absolutely true - you need subs to come on who are as good (or nearly) as the person they are replacing. So come the championship, when we have Rooney and Tormey in midfield, and the opposition bring on fresh legs in midfield, what do we do then? The other options of Tobin, Reilly or even Harnan will have presumably already being playing some other position, So who do we bring off the bench?

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 10/02/2016 15:22:52    1824423

pim

It was Conor?

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/02/2016 15:49:57    1824438

Ziggy
It was Ciaran who was introduced on Sunday..

Greenwood (Meath) - Posts: 210 - 10/02/2016 16:08:07    1824449

Greenwood

Thought so all right..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/02/2016 16:47:59    1824463

AFB ... yes, this is my point. Imagine the Ireland rugby or soccer team playing in a six nations, World Cup or European championships (finals or qualifying group) - they would have at least two players for every playing position within the squad. If player(s) got seriously injured or suspended, they would replace them in the starting 11/15 and also draft in replacements to the squad as cover. Wouldn't you think the management of the Meath senior team would do likewise where midfield options are concerned. This predicament hasn't been sprung on them suddenly, it has been known for some time. What is the point in having a squad with too many half-back options but too few midfield ones. A Mr versatility isn't really the answer. Bring in 1-2 of the very best club midfielders in the county that aren't there already and could do a job "now", if what is there already are mostly youngsters for the future that management doesn't have enough faith/confidence in at the present time. Surely some other posters (who know the club scene much better than I) should be able to throw a few names out there. Has MOD tried out all the options and/or burned too many bridges.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 10/02/2016 17:12:47    1824472

GlasagusOr

I think you hit the nail on the head there with the last line of your post. "Has MOD tried out all the options and/or burned too many bridges". I think he has in relation to the midfield area anyway.. Matimoe of Kells could do a job, Who plays midfield for O'mahoneys, Na Fianna, Wolfe Tones, Simonstown, ect.. when you look at these clubs midfields, the majority of them have at one point or another been tested and deemed not good enough or refuse to play under micko. Boom we have a problem.

Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 631 - 10/02/2016 17:29:19    1824483

Lads, we aren't good enough, but then again club games in the county are poor and at times it can be hard to pick out a good county player at any club game within the county. There is to many light players on our team who are easy bullied off the ball and not able to win a 50 /50 ball. Our forwards a poor at scoring. remember the days when once Brain Stafford was stand over a free you were guaranteed a score, you couldn't say that about any of the current panel.
I have a mad idea but one I wouldn't mind seeing tried out - move Paddy O'Rourke to midfield, he is big strong and definitely wouldn't let anyone bully him and in fairness to him he has been an ok outfield player for Skryne. Regarding the Fermanagh game, Brewster Park was worth 2 points to Fermanagh before a ball was kicked and Pete McGrath was worth another few points to them, he is one of the best managers in the game add in the ref and having a man less we actually were lucky to loose by 4 points. We arent good or consistent enough for division 1 so stay in division 2, a good run in Leinster and not get hammered or give away big leads would be a massive improvement for this team.

anto_meath (Meath) - Posts: 108 - 10/02/2016 17:33:46    1824485

If we look at how modern day football is played now no team would play a third midfielder.. Not running down the idea..but the day of the highfielding midfielder plucking the ball out of the air is well any truly gone! People always and forever harp on about we don't have a John McDermott any more to win midfield, thing I always remember about John was he had a great engine for a midfielder.. He was always the extra man back or the extra man going forward.. Probably put in more tackles than any midfielder to ever play the game,but he could not kick a ball straight if his life depended on it! Look at Tyrone at the minute they play Mattie Donnelly midfield all 5t 11 ..he is there to get through high volume of work load,So the ideal candidates to play midfield would be Harnan, D Tobin and Menton who have a good engine and would do a lot of work been the extra man back and forward..but that all said I am a massive fan of young Rooney ..there is a lot of good teams in the country and good mangers that would make a job of him and make him top class midfielder. I am very defensive orientated when it comes to football, defence is the first thing and important thing to me..and so far Meath have got that right so far this season! What shortened the playing career of Joe Sheridan, Brain Farrell ,Cian Ward or young Gilsenan was not Mod but actually bad defender's! The problem with bad defenders if you are forward is you have to work harder and do two jobs scoring and getting back and helping out to defend..this game was alien to all four guys!

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 876 - 10/02/2016 17:47:25    1824490

I'm surprised we haven't tried Lenihan with the frees.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/02/2016 18:07:02    1824499

WTLF ... What we mean is having two proper midfield players to start a game and one other (if not two) to finish it, as replacement(s). We all agree that you need a different type of midfield combo (pairing) than the distant past.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 10/02/2016 18:08:16    1824500

Agree,I'm a huge fan of Rooney,and yes it should be Tobin,Harnan or Menton who partners him.Thing is MOD will no if Menton is due back or not..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/02/2016 18:17:21    1824503

I'd bring Smyth and Douglas in for reilly and Newman. Alex Ferguson was never afraid of dropping or selling on players that were not performing. Graham reilly is a class player, Meath best player last year but for the good of the entire team I'd love to see him dropped for the next game.

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1792 - 10/02/2016 18:17:49    1824505

Yes Glas I may have bulldozed over your post there just a tad...but I just seen it as a opportunity to get my little bit bullsh#t of my chest ..thanks and sorry :)

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 876 - 10/02/2016 18:53:28    1824527

Is Andrew Tormey suspended for the Cavan game?

trim1 (Meath) - Posts: 162 - 10/02/2016 19:51:52    1824545

MOD, Is A little unlucky with Gillespie Menton Flagangan O'Rourke Tobin all not available. Its hard to parachute someone in to partner Rooney. Decent midfielders are hard to come by in most counties. For me Tormey Rooney is the best option moment. Picking up on someones posy above. I cant under why MOD tried out 31 players in the O'byrne cup. Into to his 4th year and he is trying that many players ?? To me this says he not sure on the best 30 whatever the squad is these days, never mind who to play midfield.I heard MOD saying some of these lads deserved a run. We are not running charity organization.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1263 - 10/02/2016 19:59:06    1824547

Bob- I'd disagree with you on a couple of points there.
Firstly I don't think Andrew Tormey is an inter-county midfielder. I have seen him play there a good few times at this stage, and I have never been impressed. At best he is a half-forward who can help out in the middle. but to be honest, he is another player that I thought should have improved more over the past year, but if anything has gone backwards.
Secondly, I don't have any issue with MOD trying out 30 players in the O'Byrne cup. That is really what the competition is there for. I would be more worried if he was only playing the same 20 players, especially considering that some of the games were close together.
The issue I do have though is that he didn't try out anyone new in midfield who might be a realistic option there, but instead went with Graham Reilly who should never be in midfield when the serious football starts, and Tormey. Now to be fair to MOD, he did not have some players available to him that he might have wanted to try out. like Cian O'Brien or Donnacha Tobin. But would he have played them there even if they had been available? I doubt it. Padraig Harnan was available and he didn't give him a run in the middle, so evidently he is set on Rooney and Tormey as his partnership, with presumably Graham Reilly as first back-up.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 10/02/2016 20:25:47    1824552

The OBC has always allowed managers to indulge themselves in a way they would not do in the league and championship.

All I'm saying is that however unlucky he has been on the injury front with midfield options (he has not even tried Tobin or Harnan there in all his time), he goes with old-school thinking/selections all the time. The panel does evolve with each season that passes, but I do think it should be reevaluated at more regular intervals to ensure you have the right squad to meet all your playing requirements, and especially when there is longer-term injury list.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 10/02/2016 20:39:24    1824558

anfearbeag
Yep, I take on board your point that player rotation was welcome during the O,Byrne cup, But why so many ? Its not a big thing but I think it dose gives small us a insight into Mod lack of understanding to who should be in the squad. Going back over the years the O,Byrne there was new players introduced, and players that there on the bench from the previous championship. That's exactly what it is meant for. But so many surely MOD couldn't even know how the where getting with such a mishmash so many players. Yes did he try Reilly I suppose it confirmed he is not a midfielder. Tormey is not a long term solution but is the best option I think in the short term. But I noticed Fermanagh where avoiding our midfield where possible. And poor kicks outs from O'Rourke is not helping either.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1263 - 11/02/2016 11:13:21    1824626

bit off topic but what did you all make of Conal Keaney's comments regarding Andy McEntee. Sounds like the complete opposite of MOD.. Just saying..

Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 631 - 11/02/2016 11:22:54    1824631

Bob - 3 games on v heavy ground in the first week of January is one reason for so many changes.

Another is the availability of players, some Ratoath players were only availability for 1 game.

Any fella carrying a knock wasn't going to be thrown into an O'Byrne Cup game due to the closeness of the matches to each other.

There were also U-21 games at the same time so that ruled certain players out of some games.

One of two players only became available later on in the competition when they got over an injury or in Harnans case when UCD were out and he hadn't played for them yet.

Then you've a chap like Daire Rowe who was brought onto the panel for the final due to good U-21 form and Mick seeing what he is like.

They're just a few reasons and FYI dublin also used at least 31 in one game less.

jackhackett (Meath) - Posts: 773 - 11/02/2016 14:35:41    1824709