pretender (Meath) - Posts: 358 - 15/06/2016 08:23:38    1867015

Look talk over individual players is not going to happen, there is 5 certainty that we know when I comes to player if fit, burke, keoghan, rooney , riley and O'Sullivan must all start, no debating there, also for frees Newman would probably be a cert.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 15/06/2016 09:38:25    1867032

Uncle_Fester (Meath) - Posts: 217 - 15/06/2016 10:11:13    1867056

Their full back line has be targeted early to suss out any weakness. Mickey is well able to win his own ball and an early goal would be ideal for us just as it was in 2010. I don't think some realise the difference in pace between the 2 teams Wallace being our standard bearer in this regard need him on form again . I spotted a number of occasions on Sunday where players came through with ease and had men on their shoulder but opted to take a score themselves in some cases kicking a wide. This won't be acceptable on the rare occasion it does happen v Dubs.

Jimin10 (Meath) - Posts: 783 - 15/06/2016 10:31:27    1867067

In the past, even when we've been poor I've always managed to dig up some optimism for a Dublin game.
In 2013, we had a young team just out of division 3 and were the better team for the first 35 minutes. Unfortunately, Dublin's quality showed in the second half but the performance was promising.

But now, I just can't see any way we will get anywhere close to them. I'd be content with a 6 or 7 point loss. People point to promising signs against Louth, but we still just have way too many weaknesses that Dublin will ruthlessly expose on Sunday week. While defending, players still seem to follow the ball en masse, leaving free men in dangerous areas. When we have the ball, we seem to run into cul de sacs, something which Dublin will be all too happy to take advantage of. And as for opposition players running at us, we just seem incapable of countering this. 3 times in the last 5/10 minutes on Sunday Louth players ran right through the centre of our defence. And this was a team playing in division 4 this year!

I admire the shoots of optimism from some posters here and I wish I could muster the same, but I honestly cannot see us coming anywhere close to Dublin. A beating that's not too embarrassing and a home draw in the qualifiers is what I'm hoping for.

I think this could be a record low attendance at a Meath - Dublin game.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1362 - 15/06/2016 11:03:51    1867083

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 15/06/2016 11:25:34    1867102

Jimin10

An early goal for us would be ideal, but we'll probably need to score a few and concede none (very unlikely scenario) just to remain competitive. I was happy to see us kicking points against Louth rather than go for goal because I think it kept us at a safe distance but Dublin is a different animal altogether, we need goals goals goals and even then, this isn't the vulnerable Dublin we blew away in 2010, a high score guarantees nothing.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 15/06/2016 11:55:35    1867119

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1228 - 15/06/2016 12:13:15    1867129

Ratoath Royal

I understand the lack of optimism, it's certainly the least optimistic I've ever been about a Meath v Dublin game and I was always of the opinion that we were well capable of beating Dublin (even in 2014). I can't bring myself to say that I'd be content with a defeat of any sort though, ok a valiant loss would be better for team moral than a hiding but personally I'm never content with a defeat, especially not to Dublin.

You're certainly right about us having problems with teams running at us though, Louth got a criminally easy goal against us on Sunday and that is a major worry. Dublin ran at us in 2014 and it was a turkey shoot but we set up all wrong that day, this is 2 years on and you'd except that MOD learned his lesson by now, if we go man to man then there'll smoke coming out of the scoreboard by the 10min mark.

Anyway whatever the fans think or say about the game and no matter how little chance our lads are given, they have to go out and believe they can get a result and plan for it accordingly. The whole point of playing sport if you're serious about it, is to go and challenge the best teams with the goal of beating them.

We have some fresh faces in the team who carry no baggage from 2014 which is good and we also have lads on the panel who suffered that awful defeat and if their attitude is right, they'll be hell bent on turning things around.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 15/06/2016 12:24:05    1867138

Main difference between us last year and this year is that we have a very good number 11 in C o Sullivan. If o Sullivan can get the better of his man lads we must surely have a chance?

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1792 - 15/06/2016 12:28:36    1867141

I don't believe that there is a secret blueprint to beat Dublin. They just boast an incredible work rate from 1-15 along with exceptional footballers. Add to that their management team who use their bench so astutely. In the All Ireland final against Kerry you could see how they replaced the players who had done most of the hard graft for the first hour i.e Bastick, Cooper, Rock. Then replaced them with the fresh legs of McAuley, McMenamin, Brogan, Small, Fitzsimmons. They knew Kerry were out on their feet with only 20 minutes to go but with the fresher legs they were able to sustain their intensity and pick Kerry off with ease.

The only reasonable way I could possibly see any team beating Dublin is to match their work rate and also their physicality and to be able to stick with their intensity for the 70 minutes. Mayo did this last year and should have had Dublin bet in the first game but missed the opportunity.

When the opposition are in their own half the Dublin forwards are pressing with high intensity and doing it in rotation. They're always looking for opportunities where a defender makes a mistake and they do get a lot of joy in this area especially when teams tire. They also get a lot of players back in their own half when defending especially their midfielders and half forward line so trying to find space is quite difficult. They're quite comfortable to let the opposition play sideways outside their forty five where they will look to apply pressure and force mistakes which they do very well.

When they make turnovers their transition from defense to attack is very well drilled. They recycle the ball excellently creating overlaps driving forward from their half back line and midfield. The pace at which they do this especially over the course of the 70 minutes is what has the most bearing over any team. They are a team of high quality individual footballers whose work ethic, fitness, physicality and athleticism are unrivalled. Is there a way to beat them? Of course there is, they're not unbeatable. However if you are going to win you will need to match them in most of the aforementioned.

For this Meath team it's not impossible. Just very improbable. I don't think we have an inside forward line that's going to give them much trouble. We can't match them in terms of physicality especially our half back line and half forward line. Our full back line is quite weak, Keoghan aside we have 2 unorthodox corner backs whose strengths aren't in the art of defending.

The only way I could see us doing damage is if we get our best ball carrying players on the ball quickly on the counter attack. I'm looking at players like Graham Reilly, Eamon Wallace and Cillian O'Sullivan. Countering them at pace with accurate kick passing and getting the ball to these guys and get them running at Dublin before Dublin get enough players back we

RoyalClass (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 15/06/2016 12:46:31    1867157

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 15/06/2016 12:49:07    1867163

I don't believe that there is a secret blueprint to beat Dublin. They just boast an incredible work rate from 1-15 along with exceptional footballers. Add to that their management team who use their bench so astutely. In the All Ireland final against Kerry you could see how they replaced the players who had done most of the hard graft for the first hour i.e Bastick, Cooper, Rock. Then replaced them with the fresh legs of McAuley, McMenamin, Brogan, Small, Fitzsimmons. They knew Kerry were out on their feet with only 20 minutes to go but with the fresher legs they were able to sustain their intensity and pick Kerry off with ease.

The only reasonable way I could possibly see any team beating Dublin is to match their work rate and also their physicality and to be able to stick with their intensity for the 70 minutes. Mayo did this last year and should have had Dublin bet in the first game but missed the opportunity.

When the opposition are in their own half the Dublin forwards are pressing with high intensity and doing it in rotation. They're always looking for opportunities where a defender makes a mistake and they do get a lot of joy in this area especially when teams tire. They also get a lot of players back in their own half when defending especially their midfielders and half forward line so trying to find space is quite difficult. They're quite comfortable to let the opposition play sideways outside their forty five where they will look to apply pressure and force mistakes which they do very well.

When they make turnovers their transition from defense to attack is very well drilled. They recycle the ball excellently creating overlaps driving forward from their half back line and midfield. The pace at which they do this especially over the course of the 70 minutes is what has the most bearing over any team. They are a team of high quality individual footballers whose work ethic, fitness, physicality and athleticism are unrivalled. Is there a way to beat them? Of course there is, they're not unbeatable. However if you are going to win you will need to match them in most of the aforementioned.

For this Meath team it's not impossible. Just very improbable. I don't think we have an inside forward line that's going to give them much trouble. We can't match them in terms of physicality especially our half back line and half forward line. Our full back line is quite weak, Keoghan aside we have 2 unorthodox corner backs whose strengths aren't in the art of defending.

The only way I could see us doing damage is if we get our best ball carrying players on the ball quickly on the counter attack. I'm looking at players like Graham Reilly, Eamon Wallace and Cillian O'Sullivan. Countering them at pace with accurate kick passing and getting the ball to these guys to get them running at Dublin before Dublin get enough players back is probably the most realistic approach I can think of. However, collectively we will need a lot more.

I don't think we'll beat them but I'd love to be proven wrong. I've never liked Dublin but I do respect them. They're the All Ireland champions for a reason and it would take a monumental effort to get past them.

RoyalClass (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 15/06/2016 12:52:56    1867165

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1955 - 15/06/2016 13:30:44    1867196

Meath have never played at the level they will experience in Croke Park, the only way to prepare for these games is by playing in division one year in year out. This will give the players some insight into what will be expected on the day. I expect Meath to be competitive and put up a decent show but we are currently playing at a much lower level.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2154 - 15/06/2016 14:49:28    1867241

AthboyCelt (Meath) - Posts: 147 - 15/06/2016 15:29:26    1867262

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 15/06/2016 15:53:03    1867269

you've got to love these doom and gloom merchants saying how we're going to be beaten, we'll no get within ten points etc etc..

Right so geniuses, tell us something we don't already known.. most of us are realistic enough to know we're on a hiding to nothing but we're not stating the obvious to a blind man and expecting him to be amazed..

We've a match against the reigning all Ireland and leinster champions. lets talk about that eh.. how can we look to win?? What could MOD do to try and set up the team to win?? What can he do differently from the Louth game? is there any players he could introduce or be available that you'd change from the 15 v louth.. otherwise we might as well not turn up on the day of the match and fulfill the fixture

This defeatist lose by 10 - 15 points, won't keep the ball kicked out etc should be something people can get banned and reported for

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1955 - 15/06/2016 16:04:00    1867277

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 15/06/2016 16:17:44    1867292

browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2342 - 15/06/2016 16:21:57    1867295