After following Longford for over 20 years I can't remember being as downbeat about our championship chances as now. In the league we have shown very little. The spirit in the camp appears to be down and our lack of a crediable midfield also suggests that a defeat to to Wicklow is quite possible. The committment of the lads should not be questioned as county training ect is a tough station, however it appears that we are just making up the numbers in Leinster. Before the season started we had to be looking at a possible Leinster semi with Dublin/Meath now we are starung another pointless qualifier in the face. Anyone got any thoughts?

Goat68 (Longford) - Posts: 19 - 05/04/2009 21:15:58    248786

When did Longford ever have a good midfield or defence?

ChungLad (Longford) - Posts: 351 - 06/04/2009 13:48:45    249428

when they won the national league back in the 60s

titus (Longford) - Posts: 390 - 06/04/2009 14:43:05    249514

I didn't exist around then. We probably have the worst middle third in the country-we can never produce decent midfielders.

ChungLad (Longford) - Posts: 351 - 06/04/2009 14:56:07    249531

We have had some class acts in midfield in the relatively recent past - Enda Bardan, David Hanniffy and Liam Keenan on his day was hard to beat. All these players had power and strenght along with footballing ability. While Philip Reynolds has done his bit this year he is definately missing the physical edge that these lads had

Goat68 (Longford) - Posts: 19 - 07/04/2009 22:04:16    251401

Goat, lad get a grip!! u cant be serious!!........ Junior Championship to Inter County Level!! done his bit, hes simply not good enough!!! u are jokin rite??

Lpd (Longford) - Posts: 165 - 07/04/2009 23:04:09    251490

LPD, it's very lazy saying because he is a Junior footballer he isn't good enough, there's lots of Kerry players from intermediate or junior teams. It's like saying Michael Quinn couldn't possibily be any good as he played in the same Division as Shroid are curently in. Reynolds may or may not be up to it but leave the club out of it.

hop and solo (None) - Posts: 107 - 08/04/2009 13:29:24    251937

Why no just play the whole Shroid team for Longford and sack Glen Ryan!!

PearsePark (Longford) - Posts: 278 - 08/04/2009 14:38:42    252032

going to have to disagree with you there hop and solo. coming from a junior club in longford is much different than coming from a junior club in kerry. the standard of junior clubs in longford is probably the worst in the country and when you have maybe a decent player on the likes of forgney/shroid/moydow who are surrounded by poor players they end up getting dragged down to that poor level. those junior county players in kerry play with divisional teams which improve their game a great deal

dromardabu (Longford) - Posts: 175 - 08/04/2009 15:24:01    252086

chunglad what planet are you on? david hanniffy was one of the finest midfielders around in his hey day. probably should still be playing for longford. got too much too young id say

dromardabu (Longford) - Posts: 175 - 08/04/2009 15:28:50    252097

wellsaid dromardabu.As well as that junior clubs in kerry are would probably match many senior clubs in this county.

heyhey (Longford) - Posts: 80 - 08/04/2009 15:34:57    252106

yea hanniffy was unreal at his best... i agree with the comments about the junior teams but having said that does it mean that a junior player will never be good enough for county. just taking conor keegan from forgney for example. he has serious potential but does it mean he will never play senior county as long as forgney are a junior team? I can understand how players can get dragged down by poor players around them but there can be exceptions. I'm just puttin it out there??

ElTel (Longford) - Posts: 125 - 08/04/2009 19:43:52    252391

Don't wish to add to the general air of negativity on the site but my Div 3 weekend predictions probably do.

As with all games to date in this group i expect four competitive games.

Tipp v Longford..Expect some response from our boys to recent poor form but still believe Tipp will end their league program with a win.

Roscommon v Down..Understrength Down to win in Hyde Pk.

Louth v Cavan..Louth's greater need for points to ensure home win.

Offaly v Limerick....Close call but Limerick probably will be too strong.

SlasherNavy (Longford) - Posts: 45 - 09/04/2009 13:57:29    253125

Bit of a difference between the Reynolds and your average Junior player I think. Read in the Leader last year that Mark was playing abroad professionally with basketball (Yes, I realise a different game, but either way, how many people can say that? how many of those skills are transferrable?) and just did a quick search there, he seems to have played on the Irish national team as well - http://www.sportsfile.com/search/Mark-Reynolds/ . Don't want to get into a debate about merits of basketball versus football but I think Philip has a fairly big football background around the town. And from what I saw against Roscommon, there's definitely something there with Philip anyways. He cleaned Mannion out in the second half.

There's a little bit of a difference between those lads and your average junior footballer swilling pints and chasing skirt down the town 2 nights a week. Fair play to them for sticking with their club I say. The same lads on here probably giving out about people transferring to Dublin clubs in the same breath. I'd find it hard to believe there wouldn't be more than a few senior clubs looking to pick up players like the pair of boys.

Don't pick me up wrong here... dunno if they'll make it at county level, but jesus some of you lads need to get past the Shroid thing. Lastly, if junior football is so bad in Longford and they are able to prove themselves to McGowan, Harkins and Ryan at training week after week to the point of breaking into the first team for some of the league matches, then that says more about the pair of boys then lads around the country walking onto county teams because of reputation or club form.

fiveupdown (Dublin) - Posts: 9 - 10/04/2009 14:09:52    254164

Great post. That's exactly what I've wanted to say just didn't know how to phrase it. I wish people would let the club thing go. If Phillip Reynolds played for a Senior Club like Dromard or Killoe, I garuntee you he'd be held in far higher esteem around the County.

Ronnie_Coleman (Longford) - Posts: 59 - 10/04/2009 17:25:58    254318

We shouldnt criticise Philip Reynolds. I had my reservations when I seen him first, never had heard of him beofre, did not see him play, but he did a job in a few matches, notably against Roscommon and Down. Maybe the standard of junior football in Longford is not as high as other counties by by what I have seen Philip gives it his all. Keenan when he started did not actually take the bull by the horns but he gradually progressed into a player who gave it his all. He did not feature on minor teams so Reynolds should be given a chance as we are in transition.

Jack L (None) - Posts: 3187 - 11/04/2009 00:02:01    254629

As a granard man , after watching Pauric Davis against granard ,I think Ryan should bring him back.

hitman (Longford) - Posts: 272 - 11/04/2009 19:51:45    254943

True David Haniffy was a great player but was he known widely around Leinster and Ireland despite being a class apart in Longford? I don't want to be criticizing him or Keenan or Enda Barden, I saw all of them play and liked them as footballers but were any of them in the top 3/4 midfielders in their time?

I saw Reynolds against Roscommon and he was one of our best players. Big man, did well in difficult conditions and hopefully will do well tomorrow. Eamon Hanrahan if he is playing for Tipp is about 6'7 or 6'8 and is a monster so will be interesting to see how Reynolds fares.

ChungLad (Longford) - Posts: 351 - 11/04/2009 22:26:31    255034

I meant to say were they in the top 3 midfielders in the province...

ChungLad (Longford) - Posts: 351 - 11/04/2009 23:22:11    255070