(Oldest Posts First)
As an old school footballer who has not played for a few years. what I have found in the last 10 years is a huge drop in the physicality in Club football. I am not talking about dirty football but hard and tough football that Meath has always been known for. MeathNo3 (Meath) - Posts: 23 - 30/06/2015 15:40:03 1745521 Link 0 |
Nice post,but we have bigger problems than that... ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 30/06/2015 15:58:51 1745537 Link 0 |
Yeah it's more about athletes now then the Hardman. But another thing is county players are taken from their club for nearly all league, cup and friendly matches meaning the most physical players won't be playing. Jack_Goff (Meath) - Posts: 2920 - 30/06/2015 16:03:39 1745543 Link 0 |
Yes. I totally agree we have bigger problems. But it doesnt matter who the next manager is if players dont have heart,aggression, determination and will to win then we wont win anything.. MeathNo3 (Meath) - Posts: 23 - 30/06/2015 16:07:55 1745551 Link 0 |
Ah, the old "back in my day" line. Been a while since it was trotted out. Meath are plenty big enough around the pitch in most positions. Football has changed a lot since the 90s at all levels. Comparing eras is a complete and utter waste of time and serves no purpose. SmallHouse (Meath) - Posts: 291 - 30/06/2015 16:24:53 1745560 Link 0 |
Meath no 3 Agreed.....you are bang on the button...sometimes a good coach can bring these qualities out as needed. If a player has not got it in his DNA at all you can forget it. nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1198 - 30/06/2015 16:40:34 1745568 Link 0 |
I would call it committed Football,its one of the traits that every good footballer should have..its not dirty play by any means its when a 50/50 ball is there to be won you go for it regardless if you get smashed out of it or not..if a footballer is committed to a 50/50 ball or even a 40/60 ball well he is committed to the cause.. He is committed to train harder, work harder,work harder on his skills,run harder and not to give up when the chips are down..why because he is committed to the cause. WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 872 - 30/06/2015 17:17:29 1745601 Link 0 |
Here's one of the problems with Meath Football, To many divisions at underage, Look on this site for instance. There is a report of Skryne winning the minor Div2 last night. They won the Minor div2 last year and the U16 div1 and the U15 div2, Do people not think they should be playing minor Div1 this year instead of hammering teams and winning Div2 completions. I see in a post earlier that Mick O'Dowd also coached their minors to Div 2 title a couple of years back. This is a club that boasts never being relegated from the Senior grade. Surely it would be more beneficial for them and their young footballers and the general standard of football to compete at the highest level possible. To many clubs looking to play in lower grades to win cheap completions. By no means is this having a go at Skryne just using this as an example there are several clubs doing this that's why we have div 5/6 at most underage levels. latouche25 (Meath) - Posts: 520 - 30/06/2015 17:49:10 1745613 Link 0 |
we don't necessarily need bigger players, we need players who are mentally tough, lads who would put their head where most lads wouldn't put their boot. Seamus Kenny type players, he always gave everything for meaths cause, on so many occasions youd see him go in looking for the breaking ball among 4 or 5 opposition players and he'd somehow come out with the ball unscathed. we needed lads like that on sunday but unfortunately no one stood up. meathalltheway (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 30/06/2015 17:52:36 1745614 Link 0 |
Ye the days of hardmen are more or less gone out of modern day inter county football, the rules just don't facilitate them anymore. You can be an imposing team and try to intimidate other teams but that basically all boils down to petty pushing and shoving, and mind games (like Armagh lining up in Cavans place last year) but it's not the rough and tumble stuff we were used to in the 80s and 90s and further back. Htaem (Meath) - Posts: 8657 - 30/06/2015 18:03:06 1745621 Link 0 |
I am not talking about " the back in my day" but as mentioned it is the attitude. It is not also about getting bigger players. Kevin Foley, Colm Coyle for instance were not big men but you wouldn't find tougher anywhere. Our defense is not only too small but too timid. Westmeath got 2 fisted points in less than 5 mins by our backs been beaten on the goal side and running along our end line . We were out muscled. Any corner back/defender worth their salt would have made sure he was knocked over the line and put on their backside. MeathNo3 (Meath) - Posts: 23 - 30/06/2015 18:21:01 1745628 Link 0 |
MeathNo3- One of those players you mentioned would not last a full match now, as he would be watching it from the sideline-having been sent off!! browncows (Meath) - Posts: 2340 - 30/06/2015 20:55:04 1745703 Link 0 |
Browncows. Those players never lost a game to Westmeath either. Also they did play on the line and when needed a little over it. But it is more so the mental toughness that is needed. The total and utter refusal to be beaten even by better footballing teams. Until we get players with this attitude then everything else is a waste of time. MeathNo3 (Meath) - Posts: 23 - 30/06/2015 21:14:14 1745717 Link 0 |