Very difficult to pick our best 15,it all depends on form,possible tactics etc

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 07/04/2013 09:07:53    1362138

1. Paddy O' Rourke
2. Donal Keogan
3. Mento
4. Davy Dalton
5. Mickey Burke
6. Kev Reilly
7. Ciaran Lenihan
8. Conor Gillespie
9. Biggy
10. Peadar Byrne
11. Damian Carroll
12. Alan Forde
13. Wallace/Gilsenan
14.Stephen Bray
15. Mickey Newman

This is the team I came up with after watching the Antrim game.
I personally think Joe is best used as an impact sub. Would give the team a huge lift when he comes on. IF MOD wants to start him, FF sitting on the edge of the square as a target man is the only place for him imo.
I have great admiration for Brian Meade as his workrate is always fantastic. He had a very good game against a very poor Antrim side, however I feel that Biggy offers more at midfield and we have plenty of strenght in half forward line to fill Biggy's position.
Brian Farrell had a good season last year but, he lacks a yard of pace and has sometimes failed to deliver on the big days.
Cian Ward very gifted footballer with huge potential. Could possibly merit a starting position if fully fit and motivated. However Newman is class with frees and POR can hit the 45s.
Seamus Kenny could well earn a starting position, but it all depends on whether he can get back to where he was prior to his injury

Let's hope the lads do the business against Fermanagh today and get us back up to Division 2!
Come on the Royals!

GGisGod (Meath) - Posts: 15 - 07/04/2013 13:04:05    1362220

Hi lads,

What would people think of maybe starting Damian Carroll at midfield?? Big engine in him, can catch a ball, able to score???

Haven't seen it suggested so said i'd throw it out there.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1998 - 10/04/2013 12:55:12    1364723

Damien Carroll in.midfield? maybe in a year or too,I would not totally dismiss it

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2013 13:22:24    1364750

good game on sun. against an impressive fermanagh BUT midfield is going halt any progress being made

curnew (Wicklow) - Posts: 449 - 10/04/2013 13:44:15    1364778

Brian i remember damian carroll was meaths star player 4 years ago at midfield when they won the leinster minor title.you could be onto something there!!

bobjaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 10/04/2013 14:33:26    1364843

Bob, that was my thinking too. I think he was midfield at 17 on the same team as Michael Newman that lost to Tyrone in the All Ireland semi final. Anyway he's big, mobile, has the ability to catch the ball, turn, attack and shoot or make a pass, will get up and down the pitch, can chip in with a few scores.
He is as good if not better than Meade and Gillespie.
I also don't agree with the 1 or 2 years time, if he's good enough throw him in there. We won an all Ireland with a 19/20 year old full back in 1996 so age shouldn't be a restriction to him playing midfield. If he's good enough he's old enough

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1998 - 10/04/2013 16:03:43    1364943

Carroll for midfield would be worth trying, also think if Donnacha Tobin comes back he could be tried there, him self and Carroll caught more kickouts last year than the midfielders did.

ClassApart (Meath) - Posts: 1200 - 10/04/2013 18:02:36    1365068

Brian - not a bad idea. I think we need to try out various combinations at midfield to see if anything will work. I dont accept the arguement that Meade and Gillespie are the best we have so we should stick with them regardless. Aside from a few half games against so-so opposition where everything went their way, we have seen nothing to suggest that they are a midfield combination that can compete with even average midfields. Strong midfields blow them away. So why not try somethin new? If we stick with what we have, we will lose. Maybe not the next game, maybe not even the one after. But soon enough we will come across a team with a half decent midfield that will destroy us. Its only a matter of time. So we have nothing to lose by trying out new options. Is Carroll good enough? I have no idea, but lets find out. Is Conor Sheridan developed enough to be the main man in midfield - lets have a look and see. Could queeney do a job there? I doubt it, but lets give him a chance. Try Kevin Reiily at midfield, with Menton at CHB and a new full back. Try a smaller half back or half forward in midfield who won't catch any high ball but at least will have the legs to run up and down the pitch. Try something, anything new - just don't go into games accepting inevitable defeat because we are putting out a team that we know cannot compete.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 10/04/2013 18:05:57    1365072

Classapart,would have loved to have seen Tobin tried there

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2013 18:14:35    1365090

brian,you are right,I would just be worried that Carroll may struggle physically in midfield right now

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2013 18:17:50    1365094

Lads donnacha tobin is not due back until november so it will be next season before we see him in a meath jersey again. a huge loss

bobjaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 10/04/2013 19:15:48    1365141

Yeah Bob he is,great work ethic and physicality,we lack that in midfield

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 10/04/2013 21:44:02    1365289

I dont think its up for detabe if Carroll is a better player than Meade or Gillispie, think everybody knows the answer to that.
Firstly, Carroll is still badly injured still so not an option IMO. But I agreee he is an option, but we do need a 6ft 4 or 5 player with him, be it Meade or Gillispie.
Secondly, Tobin is away for the rest of year minimun so not an option what so ever. I also dont remember him to be overly tall.
I wouldnt hold any faith in Carroll and tobin together just yet against the Cavanagh brothers, Dublin or the giants in Kerry, but both are excellent talents who if fit would be certainties on my team somewhere!

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 11/04/2013 10:21:51    1365409

someone said on this awhile ago that MOD had told david bray to go back to his club for awhile and get playing more football before he'd call him back onto the panel. is there any sign of him being called back to the panel? seen as that was before the league when he got dropped.

meathalltheway (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 11/04/2013 16:32:21    1365929

Just wondering do you mean conor or ciaran when you say C.Gillespie ?

summerhilllad (Meath) - Posts: 34 - 11/04/2013 16:57:17    1365976

Glad to see i'm not being shot down on Damian Carrolll in midfield anyway...I agree on the other poster suggesting Tobin if he was available. As the title of the thread says our strongest possible 15.... Both of those lads should be in their somewhere (injury and availability allowing) on any team.

I think we have the bones of a team coming together anyways, and a bench with players who can come in and make a big impact. I also like that the age profile of the team is mostly under 25, MOD is definitely looking to a couple of years down the line with his squad. Potentially next season we could have D Tobin & Cillian O'Sullivan (if they come back from Oz) and Shane O'Rourke (if he could get injury free) too enhance the squad...

Target no 1 has been achieved with promotion

Hopes for the rest of the year are
Leinster Final
AI Quarter Final

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1998 - 11/04/2013 17:22:10    1366021

Whats the big deal with Cillian O Sullivan he's stil very young. All the lads that were good enough from that minor team were tried at the u21s and Harry Rooney was the only lad to make it. Is there any other lads from the 21s on d senior panel or trainen do ye know?

RoadRage (Meath) - Posts: 52 - 12/04/2013 12:51:20    1366507

In fairness RoadRage O'Sullivan is the same age as Eamon Wallace, what about 18? He probably would have been on the U21 panel only for he's away. There is no point in just looking to this year. Mick O'Dowd is definitely looking to the future and he said this time next year with the development squad he hopes to have a group of 19/20 yr olds ready to play senior intercounty football. So by then I'd say he will drop a lot of the older crew apart from maybe Bray, Byrne, Burke or whoever else pulls up their socks between now and then. The more consistent individuals we can get on the pitch the better, thats been the problem the last number of years, too many players appearing with one big performance a year, and obviously that has got us nowhere.

ClassApart (Meath) - Posts: 1200 - 12/04/2013 13:05:30    1366522

ClassApart
Hasrsh words, but possibly the truth, I am a firm believer that teams should be picked on current form, a lot of deadwood within the county havent been doing it for some time now, with club or county.

tackleberry (Meath) - Posts: 324 - 12/04/2013 14:16:19    1366584