Meath Forum

Considered Opinion

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Simple reason. To many lads playing lower tier underage football and junior/intermediate adult. Need to start picking from our top clubs or look for lads on the parent rule. Roscommon have a connaught title with a Kerry man up front while we are left with nothing . Look outside the county and not at Meath juniors or junior clubs

Jackpot (Meath) - Posts: 34 - 24/06/2019 19:53:53    2200202

Did you ever here of Ollie Murphy. We don't need outsiders either.

7sams (Meath) - Posts: 8 - 24/06/2019 22:09:04    2200332

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Replying To Jackpot:  "Simple reason. To many lads playing lower tier underage football and junior/intermediate adult. Need to start picking from our top clubs or look for lads on the parent rule. Roscommon have a connaught title with a Kerry man up front while we are left with nothing . Look outside the county and not at Meath juniors or junior clubs"
We won two All Irelands in a row with Intermediate and Junior players on board in 87 & 88. In fact all winning teams in the county's history had non-senior involvement. In 1967 there were 6 Junior and Intermediate players on the starting 15 and included the whole half forward line.

MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1063 - 25/06/2019 00:01:20    2200381

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Replying To meath1977:  "agree many Meath supporters on here and on here and on Facebook just want to knock our team. it didn't work well for us yesterday but the score board didn't show a true reflection. 2-17 to 1-12 would have been about right. we just paniced under pressure. we are just one game away from the super eights which if we could get there would be a great experience for this young team. it's hateful when you have to defend your county to your own county people which I am doing all day. fair play to you Mr Dunne your always positive about the Meath team"
Of course the score is a true reflection of the game, Dublin took their chances on the day, Meath did not, and the score reflects that fact absolutely perfectly. Does it show how good Meath are though in general, probably not, because on another day, they score a few more, but by that logic, on another day, Dublin score a penalty, On another day jack McCaffrey maybe goes for goal instead of fisting it over the bar from 8 or 9 yards out and on another day, Dublin are absolutely flawless from the get go, and rack up a much bigger tally and up the gears early doors and really annihilate Meath, but the game wasn't played on another day and so you judge it on yesterday and yesterday Meath's performance ended in the result it deserved, and that was a 16 point defeat. IC level against the top teams can be a very, very sobering experience and it can turn ugly very quickly, especially when you aren't experienced in playing them top teams on a regular basis. Beating teams of a similar standard can make it seem like youre making bigger strides than what you actually are.

Speaking of reflections, is it *really* a mad coincidence that it didn't work yesterday against a top top team, Maybe yesterday when you look back, WAS a true indication that Meath just aren't ready for Dublin, despite the all the bravado and history lessons from certain posters were giving about putting it up to Dublin in the past. f you take a step back and actually analyse it in the cold light of day, what evidence was there pre match that Meath could really take a cut at Dublin ? Alot of it seemed to come from the heart and emotion of decades ago, saying teams in the distant past could, and how they would have this Meath heart and passion. Problem with that logic is tht they where much better Meath teams, but more to the point, This version of Dublin under Jim Gavin aren't just the best Dublin team of all time, they're arguably the best gaelic football team of all time. - Put Dublin of very recent times up against a Meath team who hadn't played a D1 team in Croke Park since the last time they played Dublin in 2016 (when they lost by 10 points), Who hadn't played in a Leinster final since 2014 (which also resulted in a 16pt defeat), A team who 12 months ago lost to Longford in Leinster and this year beat three D3 sides to get to the final - should anyone really have expected anything but a very comfortable Dublin win ?

If you want, you can go further and add to the equation this Dublin teams experience of winning games, The fact that since Meath last beat Dublin in 2010, we won 6 all Irelands out of 8, including the last four. Weve consistently played the rest of the top teams in Ireland, home and away in the league - and won. Any mental baggage of that defeat in 2010 has long been forgotten, None of them care about losing to Meath. Then turn it around, Apart from G.Reilly, how many of that Meath team have never mind beaten Dublin, but been in a competitive game against them ? Up until yesterday, When did Meath last play in front of a crowd of 47,000 ? Expecting that current Meath team to rock up and scare Dublin was pie in the sky stuff. Its like hoping an army of one can go to battle with a plastic knife and beat an army of 100 with fully loaded Ak47s and sub machine guns.

waynoI (Dublin) - Posts: 13650 - 25/06/2019 00:01:30    2200382

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Replying To meath1977:  "agree many Meath supporters on here and on here and on Facebook just want to knock our team. it didn't work well for us yesterday but the score board didn't show a true reflection. 2-17 to 1-12 would have been about right. we just paniced under pressure. we are just one game away from the super eights which if we could get there would be a great experience for this young team. it's hateful when you have to defend your county to your own county people which I am doing all day. fair play to you Mr Dunne your always positive about the Meath team"
We didn't.have a clear goal chance tho did we??? About 11 or 12 point's is right yea but we never looked like scoring a goal. Dublin could have had 2 or 3 and that was with our backs playing really well too. I thought the match Ups were spot on and 4 of their forwards in particular were very well marshalled

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 890 - 25/06/2019 06:54:34    2200409

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Replying To Jackpot:  "Simple reason. To many lads playing lower tier underage football and junior/intermediate adult. Need to start picking from our top clubs or look for lads on the parent rule. Roscommon have a connaught title with a Kerry man up front while we are left with nothing . Look outside the county and not at Meath juniors or junior clubs"
Utter nonsense-- of all the issues that we have this is certainly not one of them? So if you are not from one of the big towns in Meath you should not be playing with them. Almost every good young player no coming on to Meath panel will have come through the academy system, and the reality is that these lads are playing most of their football in these development squads and there school. Our best player is from a smallish rural club, should we only pick from Ashbourne, Ratoath, The Cilles, Dunboyne and the Navan clubs? Also fair play to Roscommon on winning the Connaught title, great achievement for them, will be interesting to see how the get on against Dublin in the Super 8s.

longroadback (Meath) - Posts: 325 - 25/06/2019 10:05:11    2200458

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Few points
1) Colgan is costing us 4-6 points a game directly or indirectly. He's not first choice for his club so why is he for his county. He needs to be replace now. Not next season, immediately. The fact that none of Beakey (Cilles) Burlingham (Simonstown) Lynch (Moynalty) and Hannigan (Don/Ash) are not on the panel is a disgrace.
2) Kick out strategy is terrible. Gary Rogers needs to have this under review and working with the whole middle 8 and goal keeper. We don't win enough breaking ball. Our strategy on Sunday was to palm it down to an oncoming player but in wet conditions that's a lottery. Catch it clean and you've a mark or a potential to be fouled and win a free kick.
3) We need a midfield partner for Menton. Stop chopping and changing, one player and leave it be. I'd even go with one of Harnan or Keoghan to break. Ryan looked good at 6 and seemed to know when to sit and when to go.
4) Free taking. Can we not get anyone in to sort this out. Boylan sent Stafford to Ollie Campbell in the 80's and Stafford wasn't even a free taker. Even a few session with a kicking coach would help break down the mechanics and mindset. Get the technique nailed and down, constant repetition.
5) Reputation should count for nothing. Unfortunately Ben brennan isn't in good form and yet has started all four games in the championship.
6) Full forward line. We need to leave two players inside at all times. Sunday was not a day to play Conlon inside on his own with no support. He was often left 1 on 2 with Fitzsimons and O'Sullivan and had no support within 60 yards at times so inevitably when he won a ball he'd no one to lay it off too.

Look we're not as bad as that performance on Sunday and i think we're still in with a shout at super 8's but we've got to do better all over the pitch and on the sideline.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 25/06/2019 10:16:20    2200467

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Replying To longroadback:  "Utter nonsense-- of all the issues that we have this is certainly not one of them? So if you are not from one of the big towns in Meath you should not be playing with them. Almost every good young player no coming on to Meath panel will have come through the academy system, and the reality is that these lads are playing most of their football in these development squads and there school. Our best player is from a smallish rural club, should we only pick from Ashbourne, Ratoath, The Cilles, Dunboyne and the Navan clubs? Also fair play to Roscommon on winning the Connaught title, great achievement for them, will be interesting to see how the get on against Dublin in the Super 8s."
Im from one of the big towns and i agree with u. This is utter nonsense. Did we have any non senior club players starting on Sunday? And majority were from big clubs as in Dunboyne Rataoth Ashbourne St Colmcilles and Summerhill who despite being a small town i would class as a big senior club. By his logic keoghan COS and james Mcentee should be struggling to get on the panel and instead replace them with players from big towns just because their from big towns. What a farcical opinion

Aloblack (Meath) - Posts: 265 - 25/06/2019 10:28:19    2200473

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Replying To Aloblack:  "Im from one of the big towns and i agree with u. This is utter nonsense. Did we have any non senior club players starting on Sunday? And majority were from big clubs as in Dunboyne Rataoth Ashbourne St Colmcilles and Summerhill who despite being a small town i would class as a big senior club. By his logic keoghan COS and james Mcentee should be struggling to get on the panel and instead replace them with players from big towns just because their from big towns. What a farcical opinion"
Yes, Mickey Newman from Kilmainham is a non senior club player but he was the only one.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 25/06/2019 10:33:53    2200479

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Replying To brian:  "Yes, Mickey Newman from Kilmainham is a non senior club player but he was the only one."
Sorry yeah newman. Well either way his opinion about only picking from big town clubs is laughable

Aloblack (Meath) - Posts: 265 - 25/06/2019 10:54:29    2200493

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Replying To royaldunne:  "That's a fair reflection. And hard to argue.
The only thing I'll say is we move on, win the next game and we have achieved all our goals. And it will have been a great year"
royaldunne....." a great year " ???? Are you not setting the bar a little too low ? ( or are you badger baiting ...if so you've caught me ! ) . However in fairness I watched the match back in TV last night ,and thought we done quite well ,but unfortunly ,our 3 Cills players let us down badly .....Ben and Graham were so far off the mark that it was quite unbelievable . I felt sorry for Ben ,but Graham has been winging it for a few seasons now and I suggest that Andy just made the wrong call . Suffice to say that most posters are sniffing around for "weak " teams to enhance our very poor performances in this championship ,and hibernate for the winter saying we had "a great year and lots to look forward to " . This is not supporting our county but most likely giving a hiding place to the mediocre ,which has been going on for years now . The real problem is our club competitions ,but when the CB delageates were given the opportunity to enhance and change they opted for the status quo ....ie a group of teams playing Senior football who are clearly not fit for the grade and hence is a poor standard . Also at juvenile level it is clear that there is far too many games and competition but because of this far too little coaching .....how many Meath players actually caught a ball on Sunday ?.... How many meath players scored from play on Sunday .... ?....to be fair to the lads they gave it their best , but appeared to be overawed around the forward line . Anyway hopefully we can pull one of the weaker teams out of the hat and feel a bit better about reading our lowly goals

noluso (Meath) - Posts: 164 - 25/06/2019 11:10:02    2200503

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Replying To Aloblack:  "Sorry yeah newman. Well either way his opinion about only picking from big town clubs is laughable"
no disagreement there but i do note a distinct lack of intermediate and junior players on the panel

Brennan - NOM senior
Devine - Na Fianna - Senior
Harnan - Moynalvey Senior
Campion - Skryne - Senior
McGovern - Don/Ash - Senior
O'Reilly - Wolfe Tones - Senior
McCoy - Dunboyne - Senior
Dardis - Summerhill - Senior
Curran - Don/Ash - Senior
Tobin - Simonstown - Senior
Kane - Simonstown - Senior
Burke - Longwood - Senior

Flanagan - Clonard - Junior!!
Lynch - Trim - Intermediate

Drawing a blank on other panel members right now but its pretty narrow scope to say only three players (that i can think of off the top of my head) outside the senior club championship are good enough for the county.
Considering our senior champions find it very difficult in Leinster it shows the standard of of senior championship.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 25/06/2019 11:34:23    2200520

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Replying To brian:  "Few points
1) Colgan is costing us 4-6 points a game directly or indirectly. He's not first choice for his club so why is he for his county. He needs to be replace now. Not next season, immediately. The fact that none of Beakey (Cilles) Burlingham (Simonstown) Lynch (Moynalty) and Hannigan (Don/Ash) are not on the panel is a disgrace.
2) Kick out strategy is terrible. Gary Rogers needs to have this under review and working with the whole middle 8 and goal keeper. We don't win enough breaking ball. Our strategy on Sunday was to palm it down to an oncoming player but in wet conditions that's a lottery. Catch it clean and you've a mark or a potential to be fouled and win a free kick.
3) We need a midfield partner for Menton. Stop chopping and changing, one player and leave it be. I'd even go with one of Harnan or Keoghan to break. Ryan looked good at 6 and seemed to know when to sit and when to go.
4) Free taking. Can we not get anyone in to sort this out. Boylan sent Stafford to Ollie Campbell in the 80's and Stafford wasn't even a free taker. Even a few session with a kicking coach would help break down the mechanics and mindset. Get the technique nailed and down, constant repetition.
5) Reputation should count for nothing. Unfortunately Ben brennan isn't in good form and yet has started all four games in the championship.
6) Full forward line. We need to leave two players inside at all times. Sunday was not a day to play Conlon inside on his own with no support. He was often left 1 on 2 with Fitzsimons and O'Sullivan and had no support within 60 yards at times so inevitably when he won a ball he'd no one to lay it off too.

Look we're not as bad as that performance on Sunday and i think we're still in with a shout at super 8's but we've got to do better all over the pitch and on the sideline."
Dont know much about Beakey but in my opinion Burlinghams not good enough Lynch is not even the best junior goalkeeper and Colgan, who I agree is poor, is first choice with his club as Hannigans in New York.
I have coached senior club keepers in Meath and Louth and for me the best senior keeper is Shane Geraghty I think he's called from Na Fianna and apparently he's not interested.
There is definitely a vacancy for a decent keeper though.

BoynesideBlue (Meath) - Posts: 130 - 25/06/2019 13:02:14    2200571

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Replying To BoynesideBlue:  "Dont know much about Beakey but in my opinion Burlinghams not good enough Lynch is not even the best junior goalkeeper and Colgan, who I agree is poor, is first choice with his club as Hannigans in New York.
I have coached senior club keepers in Meath and Louth and for me the best senior keeper is Shane Geraghty I think he's called from Na Fianna and apparently he's not interested.
There is definitely a vacancy for a decent keeper though."
Nobody wants to play in goals. Did'nt Burlinham and Jake Hannigan leave the Meath setup when they where in it a few years ago ? I taught they left rather than been dropped. POR jumped ship too. seems hard to get lads that want to play in goals.

bobkarlgees (Meath) - Posts: 1263 - 25/06/2019 13:28:39    2200591

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Replying To BoynesideBlue:  "Dont know much about Beakey but in my opinion Burlinghams not good enough Lynch is not even the best junior goalkeeper and Colgan, who I agree is poor, is first choice with his club as Hannigans in New York.
I have coached senior club keepers in Meath and Louth and for me the best senior keeper is Shane Geraghty I think he's called from Na Fianna and apparently he's not interested.
There is definitely a vacancy for a decent keeper though."
Fair points there sir.

Hannigan and Burlinhgam left after Andy brought back David Gallagher from the intercounty freezer after 6/7 years away from the set up. Hard to blame them in that case.

I've heard the same re Shane Geraghty his ability and also not being able/ willing to commit.

Agreed we 100% need a new goal keeper.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 25/06/2019 14:19:50    2200624

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Replying To Jackpot:  "Simple reason. To many lads playing lower tier underage football and junior/intermediate adult. Need to start picking from our top clubs or look for lads on the parent rule. Roscommon have a connaught title with a Kerry man up front while we are left with nothing . Look outside the county and not at Meath juniors or junior clubs"
Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh's young lad is with the Dublin U20s. His mother managed Nobber. Bean Mhór na Mí agus Rathcairn. We could get him to play for us under the parent rule?

In all seriousness, you're talking rubbish. Clubs from the intermediate and junior grades have always supplied players to the county team. Martin O'Connell our Man of the Millennium came to prominence as a junior/intermediate club player and there were many other great Meath footballers the same as him.

summerof09 (Meath) - Posts: 315 - 25/06/2019 16:30:49    2200720

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Replying To MillerX:  "We won two All Irelands in a row with Intermediate and Junior players on board in 87 & 88. In fact all winning teams in the county's history had non-senior involvement. In 1967 there were 6 Junior and Intermediate players on the starting 15 and included the whole half forward line."
Well said.

summerof09 (Meath) - Posts: 315 - 25/06/2019 16:33:05    2200721

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Replying To summerof09:  "Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh's young lad is with the Dublin U20s. His mother managed Nobber. Bean Mhór na Mí agus Rathcairn. We could get him to play for us under the parent rule?

In all seriousness, you're talking rubbish. Clubs from the intermediate and junior grades have always supplied players to the county team. Martin O'Connell our Man of the Millennium came to prominence as a junior/intermediate club player and there were many other great Meath footballers the same as him."
In fairness Blathnaids young lad is prospect. Seen him on Dubs TV a few times. Cant understand how he hasn't been approached.

Jackpot (Meath) - Posts: 199 - 25/06/2019 19:04:23    2200809

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Replying To brian:  "Fair points there sir.

Hannigan and Burlinhgam left after Andy brought back David Gallagher from the intercounty freezer after 6/7 years away from the set up. Hard to blame them in that case.

I've heard the same re Shane Geraghty his ability and also not being able/ willing to commit.

Agreed we 100% need a new goal keeper."
Would u blame them for that type of foolery goin on.

Reco (Meath) - Posts: 419 - 26/06/2019 12:25:11    2201196

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Replying To Reco:  "Would u blame them for that type of foolery goin on."
Not in the slightest.

McEntee is not without his faults and I'd be the first to admit that.

The fact that many of our best players have
1) not made themselves available (Brian Conlon and Padraig McKeever after being treated like crap last year) or
2) gone off to study abroad (Ronan Jones, Ruairi O'Coilean and Padraic Harnan) or
3) departed due to Goal Keeping drama's with Joe Sheridan and David Gallagher (Robbie Burlingham and Jack Hannigan)
4) have just disappear of the scene (Wallace brothers, O'Brien Brothers and Brian Power) for unknown reasons

and has effectively weakened the hand we have been dealt to play with says a lot.

Now i know some or all of these guys are not certain starters and may be out of form, not willing/ unable to commit etc but its also a show of where people's heads are at as most of these guys are under 25 and should be prime for building team around.

For me one of those two should be our county goal keeper, Conlon should definitely be in our half back line, Jones at midfield Harnan in the half forward line. Those players would vastly improve what is a decent but not great team as things stand or at least give us more impact off the bench.

I can already see Daragh Campion being disillusioned as he's barely got any championship minutes after playing most of the league and being one of our better players.

I'd love to hear people's idea' on what our best 15 would be if everyone was available.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 26/06/2019 13:44:53    2201250

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Replying To brian:  "Not in the slightest.

McEntee is not without his faults and I'd be the first to admit that.

The fact that many of our best players have
1) not made themselves available (Brian Conlon and Padraig McKeever after being treated like crap last year) or
2) gone off to study abroad (Ronan Jones, Ruairi O'Coilean and Padraic Harnan) or
3) departed due to Goal Keeping drama's with Joe Sheridan and David Gallagher (Robbie Burlingham and Jack Hannigan)
4) have just disappear of the scene (Wallace brothers, O'Brien Brothers and Brian Power) for unknown reasons

and has effectively weakened the hand we have been dealt to play with says a lot.

Now i know some or all of these guys are not certain starters and may be out of form, not willing/ unable to commit etc but its also a show of where people's heads are at as most of these guys are under 25 and should be prime for building team around.

For me one of those two should be our county goal keeper, Conlon should definitely be in our half back line, Jones at midfield Harnan in the half forward line. Those players would vastly improve what is a decent but not great team as things stand or at least give us more impact off the bench.

I can already see Daragh Campion being disillusioned as he's barely got any championship minutes after playing most of the league and being one of our better players.

I'd love to hear people's idea' on what our best 15 would be if everyone was available."
I think you need to look into things a bit more:
1) Conlon and McKeever were both played quite regularly during the league, neither standing out as nailed on starters and by all accounts left to play over in the states along with club mate Sean Tobin who is back in this year.
2) Agree here, they went to study abroad, Harnan back now but injured and O Coilean also in Meath squad and played with the Juniors.
3) Agree again, I think aNdy made a mistake bringing in Gallagher and Sherridan
4) The Wallace brothers aren't even playing with the club at the minute so that has nothing to do with the Meath set up, Brian Power has moved to New York to live which is a life choice, nothing to do with Meath set up and I'm not sure who the O' brien brothers you are talking about are.

Darragh Campion did ok during the league, but when he came on against Fermanagh in the last game and again against Donegal in the final he slowed the ball down to much and was wasteful in possession, he is still young and will no doubt learn and improve but I don' think he has earned his place over anyone who has played ahead of him.

ratlag (Meath) - Posts: 557 - 26/06/2019 14:30:07    2201268

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