So what have we learned from last Sunday?and are we capable of beating Kildare.. We need to be winning these home games

blind ref (Meath) - Posts: 204 - 03/02/2015 16:53:33    1689733

The players are capable of alot better.
Look ive sounded off enough about Galway game. I HOPE mod has learned.
And in that respect i think we can get back on track for promotion.
Meath by2
Hon the Royal.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 03/02/2015 18:25:07    1689760

The team who loses this must win match will struggle this campaign. Plenty food for thought going into the break.

Jack L (None) - Posts: 3099 - 03/02/2015 18:46:33    1689771

Won't it make sense to put Donal K in the corner and shift Burke out to the half back line,the lad will never be a number 4.Need to find a place for Carroll back in the forward line half forward line I'd say.he is better when 60yds from goal picking out a pass or running into open space.

blind ref (Meath) - Posts: 204 - 03/02/2015 19:25:41    1689790

What have we learned?!

What has mod learned?!

Too late now...

Players have no idea of game plan.

What progress can be made in a week?

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1790 - 03/02/2015 19:37:34    1689796

Last year we were lucky to get promoted.

The year before we were lucky to stay in division 3.

Holding a place in division 2 would be progress

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1790 - 03/02/2015 19:40:44    1689798

I think last week proved that nothing has being learned..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 03/02/2015 20:14:38    1689810

Thing is though we are a big enough population in this county,it is football mad,there are a lot of passionate Meathmen about,the Meath forum in itself here is very active.Soon counties like Tipperary and Clare will be passing us out,were are we going wrong??

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 03/02/2015 20:33:22    1689821

Firstly I have to say I understand where the frustration is coming from after the Galway game, plus last years championship displays however I do feel posters on here really need to lay off the criticism on both players and management. The reality of the situation is that the players are not in Meath. In the two years or so MOD has cleaned out all of the players people were complaining about at the beginning of his tenure. Players gone from the pre MOD era:
C King
J Sheridan
B Farrell
C Ward
M Ward
C Mc Guinness
P Byrne
S Mc Inerney
C Lenihan

That's only the ones I can think of off the top of my head. On Sunday we were also missing B Meade, E Harrington, S O Rourke, and K Reilly from last year. Throw in Stephen Gill and Eamon Wallace. The team has been turned on its head several times over, during the last two seasons. For years people were saying that there are players in the county good enough for the county team. MOD has tried plenty of players in a search for new talent. Its probably just not in the county realistically.
However to criticize and question the commitment and effort being put in by players and management is laughable. The amount of time spent by all involved is unbelievable... And for what?? For people to come on here one week thinking we'll win same (after O Byrne Cup semi) and the next calling for a clear out of players and management (Galway game). Pride in the jersey? Maybe some supports should do their jobs..... and support.

Gabhra (Meath) - Posts: 5 - 03/02/2015 20:38:44    1689825

Indo reported that MoD was shocked by Meath's display on Sunday, what has he been watching for last two years, he should be well used to performance's like that.
As for next Sunday its difficult to see what improvements can be made in a week. Serious lack of confidence within team. Hopefully home advantage can give us a much needed boost

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2142 - 03/02/2015 20:55:17    1689832

That's the conundrum Ziggy.maybe we take our football too serious?!

Football mad county but going backwards.The new Cavan is what we are.

In my opinion we need to develop good coaches in the county.

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1790 - 03/02/2015 20:55:24    1689833

Anyone know how good Ruari O'Dowd is? Seems like a more natural forward compared to Joey Wallace and McMahon..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/02/2015 10:11:07    1689884

I cant understand MOD being shocked, id be more shocked if we had a coherent plan!

sob (Meath) - Posts: 492 - 04/02/2015 11:08:30    1689913

sob

Ya his reaction was a bit rich at this stage...

I see Eamonn Wallace is playing,apparently he played for Maynooth..

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/02/2015 11:55:25    1689941

Good man Gabhra, the old chestnut of lads who have left the panel suddenly being world-beaters.

C King - on panel since 2005. Never established himself as a nailed-on starter.
J Sheridan - sorry to say it but he wasn't up to the pace of it at the end
B Farrell - a bit harshly treated IMO
C Ward - again, regular on panel for years, had plenty of chances & never consistently performed.
M Ward - injured
C Mc Guinness - opted out before MOD came along
P Byrne - plenty of chances under several managers & never a nailed-on starter, they can't all be wrong.
S Mc Inerney - heart-scare and was getting on in years even aside from that.
C Lenihan - possibly cast aside a little early but again, did he ever make himself undroppable?

After the Dublin game everyone was optimistic. After last week we're the worst side ever. I'm not saying MOD has all the answers but please don't start this moaning about lads not being on panel who had years to prove themselves & never did.

SmallHouse (Meath) - Posts: 291 - 04/02/2015 12:35:20    1689958

Ha, apologies Gabhra, maybe I should read your post properly before posting! Took you up wrong.

100% agree with you on that. People need to get real.

SmallHouse (Meath) - Posts: 291 - 04/02/2015 12:37:36    1689960

I honestly don't know why people were surprised with the Galway result. We lost to a Dublin team who had maybe 3 people who will see minutes for them in the championship. In reality Meath put out a very strong team in relation to players available and they still got stuffed... and I say stuffed because the Dublin trial players backed off.

Wake up and smell the coffee folks, Meath football is dire and there is nothing MOD is able to do about that, even if we gave him another 5 years.

Irish_downunder (Meath) - Posts: 630 - 04/02/2015 13:03:36    1689976

The thing that worried me most last Sunday was just how weak our panel actually is! Granted Wallace and Gillespie will be back but after that we're struggling...don't think our subs are strong enough to make a real influence on the game! However I do think Ruairi O'Dowd is worth his place ahead of Joey Wallace or McMahon for instance...seems to be a real corner forward who's accurate demonstrated for Walterstown last weekend when I think he notched 1-5 along with his 4 points from play during the O'Byrne Cup against Longford. Saturday's massive for the team and MOD so lets support the lads and hopefully get a morale boosting win otherwise we're in real danger!

Meathmaster (Meath) - Posts: 251 - 04/02/2015 15:02:32    1690039

I think Ruairi O'Dowd is worth a place on the panel, I mean I haven't seen enough from McMahon or Joey Wallace to suggest they're miles ahead of him and what's the story with Dalton McDonagh, he gets himself around a bit and looked decent against Kildare last year. Although it has to be said that while the 4 names I've mentioned above are good footballers, they're still nowhere near the quality we produced in the glory years and therefore we can't expect to build a team around them.

Now the game against Kildare is a vitally important one for both teams if they have any real ambitions of pushing for promotion, lose on saturday and both teams are realistically out of the race for promotion barring some very favourable results. Last year we bounced back in the league when we needed to so it will be interesting to see if the players are up for the battle this year.

Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 04/02/2015 15:33:40    1690060

Vital game for both teams Htaem. With both Meath and Kildare losing in their opening league games I think that both teams would rather have avoided each other until after the break. Still it will make for an intense and tense encounter on Saturday night in Navan. I wouldn't care to predict which way it will go though I wouldn't rule out a draw.

lilywhite1 (Kildare) - Posts: 2990 - 04/02/2015 16:15:54    1690091