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Meath Vs Down - 27 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Looking at this weekend's results along with last week in the all ire series breaks my heart, Sligo drawing with Kildare Roscommon drawing with Dublin , while we are here claiming to be underdogs (rightly so) against a team who couldn't get promoted from division 3. The difference is Roscommon have one of the best managers in country in davey burke , young enthusiastic and not afraid of the new famgled things, the way they defended against Dublin in Croke park was something else, we decided to go man to man in navan. Sligo same with their game managed perfectly from sideline. Imagine how much playing against the top teams will bring Sligo on.
I'm gonna say this clearly cor was one of the greatest players to ever play the game, a highly intelligent guy with a love for Meath football, but that does not mean he can manage the county team. I get what people say about given him the 2 years but looking at next year's league that would most likely mean before we go looking for a new high class manager we would be in division 3 and playing TC again. Not many would show interest I think in that scenario, at least after this year we could entice a top manager in who wouldn't mind taking over a division 2 team. And who would probably have us playing in all ire series next year.
Colm could walk away with his head held high as still one of the greatest Meath men of all time, yes it didn't work out in management but at least he knew when to quit before causing irreparable damage and that will stand to him." More bull**** from you but then when does that record ever stop…
You're deluding yourself thinking anyone wants the Meath job, never mind a top class manager, it's clear as day last year no one did… they ruled themselves out one by one…. it was a straight shoot out between O'Rourke or Flynn (who you yourself didn't want), that's it…. You scoffed at me for suggesting the likes of Paul Curran, Paul Clarke, Mick Deegan, Declan D'Arcy, Jayo Sherlock or Davey Byrne… we don't need Dubs you said… davey burke was an option but no one considered him good enough… robbie Brennan was screwed because he was tied to Flynn…. McDermott wasn't considered good enough internally…. You're now screaming for O'Bric… he's no Paul Kenny with a serial success rate at underage….. you're dreaming of Fitzmaurice but it ain't going to happen… a young man with a family… commuting almost 2k a week (3 sessions minimum )… never in your wildest dreams
Who are these high class managers begging for the Meath job…. They're about as common as you having a good point
Sligo got to a Connaught final and all Ireland series beating London and New York… think most teams could get there doing that…. Kildare couldn't beat them… Roscommon and Dublin will top that group at a canter. BTW, both those teams are in year two under Ryan and McEntee… so they're used to a system and style… neither were stand outs last year..
You're saying we're underdogs v Down….. Sure haven't you been telling us they're better than us… but also telling us they were useless last year. Again here's the context, their manager is in his first year and has brought back the Kilcoo team members who won an all Ireland club last year… down were a shambles in 2022 and couldn't win a game…. But against your beloved Andy McEntee and his Meath team they got a result…. Without the Kilcoo contingent..
You told us ad nauseum last year the players loved McEntee and would go through walls for him… that training was great and efforts on the pitch didn't reflect the efforts going in…..and this with a management team in its sixth year…
Well guess what, the same is pretty true of what we're hearing this year… with a first year management team… and with a panel which has had 9 or 10 championship debutants… all in their first year on the panel (Brennan, O'Neill, O'Higgins, Flood, O'Regan, Coffey, Gray, Frayne, Lynch and Wyer, Caulfield & O'Halloran also in the mix)
You're also claiming there's people from clubs voicing concerns to you… from Ratoath, Colmcilles, Summerhill … funny thing is I spoke to some members from those clubs too plus multiple clubs in north Meath and whilst they're unhappy at results they're honest enough to say time is needed..
You're telling everyone here how wrong they are, yet it's you who's the sole voice slandering management... People are frustrated but they're trying to be constructive in what they say. People mightn't like O'Rourke but they're willing to give him time. Only one person in here hammers him no matter what he does…
Anyone saying a team should ignore what management are saying to them (which you said) has no respect for the team or the management. I don't think one person left the panel after the Offaly defeat, so I think they're well invested in what Colm is selling.
You're talking about irreparable damage, what's removing Colm after a year going to do only add more damage and add to a national laughing stock Meath football has become. What happens when you don't get your top class manager… when O'Bric or McCarthy gets appointed and they fail… are you going to want them moved on during the season….
brian (Meath) - 29/05/2023 23:54:55
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Counties Missed Opportunities.... - 22 Like(s)
Replying To TheHermit: "I'm always amazed at this place:
Step 1: A Troll (invariably from Dublin though often trying to disguise that fact by using a bogus account) is let post whatever crap they want to try and stir the pot.
Step 2: Someone like myself posts a reply telling them to get back in the box
Step 3: The replier is the one who gets attacked and jumped on!!
Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, this forum is overrun with the we hate Kerry brigade.
So my friend it is no surprise to me that you and others on here have "no time for us lot". Its par for the course.
And if highlighting the GAA's blatant favoritism of Dublin every now and then is "boring as F", as you so eloquently put it, then jog on.
I often think there's a serious element of Stockholm syndrome combined with the climate change denier disease going on with fellas like you.
For the record, I couldn't care less what Meath have or have not won what relevance has that to anything?" Awwwwwwweeeee some one is a bit delicate cos they can't handle the current state of football.
Just to respond to you, the point of the thread is about missed opportunities. In the last 9 years Kerry haven't been close to Dublin to have had missed opportunities.
On your own points
1) Who's trolling and stirring the pot. Kerry posters have a penchant of turning every thread into a how Kerry have been mistreated and Dublin get everything. Do you forget that there's huge money going into Kerry football by Kerry Group every year!!! Compared to any other county in the land you've the biggest sponsorship deals outside of Dublin and Glanbia (Kilkenny in Hurling) Its your own fault you can't capitalise on that huge pot of gold you have.
2) You're replies are monotenous and always the same poor mouth, us Kerry folks are not getting enough blah blah. What right have you to tell anyone to get back in their box other than the usual Kerry thing of looking down their nose at everyone.
3) You got jumped on cos you deserve it. Your points are always the same boring BS.
Don't address me as your friend. If i'd friends like you i wouldn't need enemies.
You highlight the GAA's blatant favouritism of the Dubs every day and your vinyl record is scratched to the back of beyonds. Change your tune.
Why should i jog on? If any counties have a right to cry foul about the Dubs its the 10 other football playing counties in Leinster but we're made of tougher stuff up here and just get on with things. We deal with our own house first rather than complaining about the emperor's new clothes.
Stockholm syndrome ;) yep that made me LOL.
And the deafult kerry response from you and other posters is to slag off other counties and say what have you won. I beat you to the punch it by saying we've nothing to be talking about.
Anything else you'd like to whinge and moan about??? I'm here all day.
brian (National) - 20/07/2020 16:17:52
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Meath Senior Football Team 2021 - 21 Like(s)
I would argue to turning point happened in 2010 when the St Pats club requested a motion of no confidence in Eamonn O'Brien a man who in two years had gotten Meath to a semi final and Leinster title victory. The motion was carried 31-29 and O'Brien was shown the door.
Nothing but chaos has reigned since then. A generation of talented players who got to an all ireland minor final in 2002 were allowed to waste their prime years under Seamus McEnaney and Mick O'Dowd and the whole identity of Meath football was fundamentally destroyed. As Dublin got immeasurably stronger Meath were accelerting at the same rate in the opposite direction. We appointed an outside manager who had good idea's and then supplanted him with a man with no genuine experience who single handedly destroyed the whole psyche of Meath football. He should never have got the job and set about playing athletes rather than footballers. He jettisoned years of experience and tradition and left us in a position we are still trying to recover from. We lost to teams we'd never lost to under his stewardship and suffered embarrassment on embarrassment under him. If you ask people around the country what a meath footballer looks or plays like they mention hard. tough, physical players who never take a step back. He played pussy cats who were afraid of their lives. Dublin mauled them repeatedly and others likewise.
In that time the county board abdicated all responsibility for what was happening at that level and sat on their hands in the same way the did in the later half of Sean Boylan's reign where they expected the good times to just role on. Where as most county boards around the country have become professional in their approach we've shuffled the deck chairs for the old boys brigade and are a total shambles, Look at the following things
1) Dunganny took years to develop and was subsidised heavily by levys imposed on the clubs around the county
2) The floodlights fiasco
3) the lack of any development of Pairc Tailteann
4) the absolute botch job they made of house draws whereby the raised next to nothing whilst several counties around us did similar and raised hundreds of thousands.
5) Failure to implement any of the "three wise men" strategy
6) ignoring the proposals by Colm O'rourke in the early 00's
7) lack of investment in underage training, strength and conditioning and games development
8) no investment in development panels and bridging underage to senior teams
Whilst i applaud them for not bankrupting the counties finances they've done very little to nothing in terms of swell the coffers.
McEntee for his faults took over a poisoned chalice with nothing to build from and will fall because of that. Ultimately he'll lay the foundations for the manager after the man who replaces him, only if they continue to build on what's currently in place. There seems to be some traction at underage and I applaud those involved. Some level of future planning is taking place at underage with Flynn and John McCarthy, but will that continue after they've finished. We're trying to sprint to catch up when we're barely able to walk.
If you look at fitness as a key barometer in 2106 we were one of the unfittest and weakest teams in the country, we've been trying to build that strength and conditioning for years. You can't build that in a year and Niall Ronan seems to be working on improving that with every player he can but it has to start from underage all the way up. You could argue that last Sunday superior fitness got us over the line as it did v Wicklow and Kildare in last years championship. We still have some ways to go to catch Dublin, Kerry, Donegal, Mayo and Tyrone who we faded badly against in league games due to that lack of fitness, but all of those counties are 10 to 15 years more advanced in their thinking than we are,
Ultimately its going to take a lot longer to get back to a consistent top 6 team (which Meath should be) unless they start building on whats now in place. There needs to be a clear line in the sand drawn and an identity redeveloped of who Meath are as a footballing team, what a Meath footballer looks and plays like, Andy is doing everything he can to get the identity back but it takes 10-15 years to do and unfortunately he won't get that. Hopefully with succession planning that can be developed from Andy to a Bernard Flynn or John MCCarthy manged senior Meath team.
brian (Meath) - 21/05/2021 16:28:45
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Meath Senior Football Team 2021 - 20 Like(s)
Replying To thelutch: "Apologies
Was totally misreading the leagues, wasn't aware of new format so that will benefit us.
I would love to have your enthusiasm however I cant see any progress this year from this group of players.
We can only go to war with what we have and I will always support them through thick and thin but we have to be realistic , we are not in the top ten teams in the country and if we are going to move to a two or three tier all Ireland championship this team would struggle to win the second tier.
Dublin
Kerry
Mayo
Galway
Tyrone
Donegal
Cork
Cavan
Monaghan
In my opinion the above teams are better than us
Armagh
Roscommon
Tipp
Kildare
Westmeath
Down
Laois
Above are teams on par with us and you could make a case for others.
Still a few years away from breaking into top ten but Andy Mac has steadied the ship and made us a solid division 2 team which is as far as he can go too, cant see him hanging around after this year" Hey Lutch understandable re the new format people got caught out by that.
I'd have to disagree with you on way you've graded the current Meath team and the tiers you'd have.
2020 was a poor year in terms pf what we did but lets not forget we were without several key players for parts or all of the year. Padraic Harnan and Shane Gallagher (who I've been critical off previously) missed the whole season. Andy Colgan never got a chance again during the whole year after doing and ACL. James Mcentee missed the Championship and Michael Newman retired. Graham Reilly played little to no part at all. That was 6 starters missing from a team that got us promoted and to a Leinster Final and super 8's in 2019.
In there place we had Brennan (who was a disaster), David Toner (first year as a starter), Matthew Costello (19, first year on the panel), Ronan Jones (first year back after 2 years out of football) Shane Walsh and Jordan Morris (19/20 year olds in their first full year as panelists). You can make up for the lack of experience we lost with the first group of players, all of whom were key players in the first 15.
I'd also add that Seamus Lavin and Conor McGill two of our best players in 2019 were both dealing with injuries all year and weren't close to 100% fit at any stage.
I think we have a deflated sense of the Meath team based on the Dublin match. We are easily the second best team in Leinster. We've beaten everyone we've had to in 2019 and 2020. Yes Kildare were pathetic in the second half but the team still went out and tore them assunder and put a stake through them when it mattered. Laois and Westmeath are nothing to write home about.
I'd would say this Meath team are somewhere between the 6th and 12th best team in the country. Dublin, Tyrone, Donegal, Kerry and Mayo are ahead of them. They're in a group of teams with Galway, Monaghan, Armagh, Roscommon that could all beat each other. Galway are nothing special, Monaghan are fading and Armagh and Roscommon are yoyo teams that go up and down the divisions. Until they are more consistent we can't claim they are better than Meath.
Cork, Tipp and Cavan are all mythized due to one performance last year by each of them. I think this current team would beat all three teams with 3-4 points to spare.
Meath over the last two years have beaten the teams they should beat and are closing the gap to the teams ahead of them. To bridge that gap and I agree with your assessment Andy is unlikely to stay after 21 we need to build on the work Andy has done. The bones of a good team are there and they need a manager and collectiveness to drive themselves forward.
Andy has his blind spots which the whole country knows and he doesn't see or refuses to address. A new manager coming into this team will have identified
1) goalkeeper - a dependable keeper who commands his area, is a good shot stopper (TBF Colgan isn't bad here) and organises his defence. You rarely see Colgan and definitely not brennan giving the lads in front of them guidance on what they as a keeper are seeing. Its there responsibility to organise that.
2) Kick Out startegy - or lack there off. For all Nally's talk of how to use a kick out srategy and where we should or shouldn't kick a ball, we seem inept at gaining parity or above in kickouts which all of the top teams do. We easily cough up 4 scores a game or more with it and until that is sorted out we're starting the game at a disadvantage.
3) Free kicks - we don't have a proper natural free taker or even someone involved who is looking after this. Brian Stafford (the greatest free taker i saw) wasn't a natural free taker but Sean got Brian chatting to the great Ollie Campbell, and Staff developed his style and composure over the years to the extent where it was almost automatic from within the 45 that he'd score. In 2020 we'd no designated free taker and in games we'd several players taking free's and 45's. Was it the Wicklow game where we'd 6 or 7 45's and about 5 players had a go?? I remember Costello taking two and one of them he looked like he had no technique other than to kick it as hard as he could. I think Morris, Menton and Thomas O'reilly also had a go and none were close. This failure invites teams to foul us as we're giving up another 4/5 scores from dropping balls short or wide. Every top team is over 90% conversion rate from free's and we're barley 60%, that number has to improve.
Know that's a long post so hopefully raise a few more points for people to chat about but i don't think it's the doom and gloom many are saying it is and one bad game is stuck in peoples minds. Lets not forget Cavan lost by 15 in an all ireland semi final, Tipp lost by 13 points and no one is telling you they are bad teams.
brian (Meath) - 05/04/2021 13:02:50
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Meath 2024 - 20 Like(s)
God you'd have to laugh at some one here. Talk bull about Colm and the team all through 2023, belittle them and their efforts, suggest they don't play for a manager, down play their achievements in embracing a competition they clearly didn't want to be in but embraced it and won it and to then say they only beat poor opposition including Down twice (who beat Donegal in the championship) … you can't win with some here regardless of what you do.. imagine what they'd have said if we hadn't won it….
Talks all off season about older players who aren't on the panel as saviours… I think and I am open to correction those players were asked to be involved this year and they said no, so it's time to move on… that the coaches who departed (who they also didn't want in the first place) were responsible for all last year, thrashing the new appointees as unproven and not up to it
It's laughable
Then turning round and saying our aim is promotion… and looking to game 7 rather than game 1… and also to suggest we needn't bother about Leinster
Talk of speaking out of both sides of their mouths
This and previous Meath teams are where they are and at the standard they have been for approaching 20 years. An also ran with some brief interludes. Setting targets of promotion and all Ireland quarter finals in 2024 (somewhere we haven't been since 2009) and saying we need to be playing better teams to improve (How did that work out for the great Andy McEntee, I don't remember any victories of note) is not close to our current ability.
We as a county need to accept where we are and work on gains each year. Last year wasn't what many of us hoped but finished on a high. Year 2 needs to be about doing better in the league and championship than we did last year. To me that would be success. Being in the top 4 given the teams in Division 2 this year would be a great achievement. Donegal, Cork, Louth, Kildare and Armagh all played Sam maguire last year, those teams are all ahead of us right now.
Our new players from 2023 and new players coming in this year or returning from injury will need to hit the ground running and all up their game 10-15% more to be competitive in Division two. If they can do that and I think they can then I believe that's success.
Call me crazy or say I'm setting a low bar but I'm not setting up the team to fail already. Incremental gains are where it's all at for me. The league is a huge chance to grow and develop and bring the team on further. Those lads all got into the habit of winning in green last summer. When's the last time we won 6 championship games in a row. Regardless of quality of opposition as the great Andy McEntee said winning is a habit as much as losing is. Let's hope they can keep that winning habit up.
There'll be some bad days coming up but let's hope there's more good ones than bad ones this year.
Best of luck to Colm, his back room team, Ronan, Matthew and the players. One game at a time lads.
brian (Meath) - 19/01/2024 15:23:28
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Meath V Tyrone - 19 Like(s)
Replying To LoyalRoyal66: "Most effective way to play football. Just drive it in. Doesn't require much thought but is highly effective. Often don't even have to look up, just lump it in" Not sure if that's a sarcasm post but i think in the modern game its a lot more difficult than just lump it in & especially against a likely packed Tyrone defence. You've got to be intelligent in how you let it in. Should be out in front of the player to try and take advantage of the advanced mark rule (believe that's in again this league campaign) and in an area a player has a reasonable chance of converting from. No use kicking ball into the corner as it only allows teams to get back and block up the middle and defend the D which was our major downfall last summer.
brian (Meath) - 07/01/2020 10:59:35
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Ballymun Vs Kilmacud - 19 Like(s)
Replying To KingdomBoy1: "Who's slinging mud Brian? Explain that? Did a certain player from said club not eye gouge a player from my own county not too long ago?" And so the typical make it all about Kerry posts begin.
You said and i quote "There seems to be a culture of eye gouging at ballymun"
So are you saying they're all told to go out and do it. You're claiming theirs a culture of it in Ballymun. How many thousands of players in the ballymun clubs are there? One player in a Dublin jersey appeared to do it. Never conclusively proven he did, same with the case at the weekend. Two incidents about 5 years removed from each other but there's a culture of it....
But as usual the Kerry lads have to get in the digs at Dubs.
Jeez ye really do yourselves no favours at all lads. The bitterness is clear to Stevie Wonder.
brian (National) - 15/09/2020 13:30:23
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Four Teams Representing Dublin Geographic Area! - 19 Like(s)
Jeez some people on here create an awful lot of noise but as an old lecturer used to say to me empty cans make the most noise.. i know some who that applies to for sure
brian (National) - 12/02/2021 13:53:58
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Tailteann Cup - 19 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Yeah I did that with u. And it's much more enjoyable. I prefer to converse with those who know what they talking about." And yet you just responded to him… says more about you
All those voices in your head don't count btw…. Conversing with one's self is a dangerous thing RD… signs of madness and all that… watch out you don't answer yourself back
brian (Meath) - 08/05/2023 08:42:00
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New Players For 2021 - 19 Like(s)
Replying To Foley91: "We obviously haven't a good footballing keeper. Why not try and transform an outfield player who is accurate with their feet. A keeper in the modern game will have about 4 shots to save whereas he will have about 15-20 knockouts. And its the kickouts that are killing us." We don't have an accurate free taker from beyond the 45 so i think that's out the window. Andy has tried Barry Dardis on multiple occassions but that hasn't worked either. And given how Barry has been treated i doubt he'd want to bring himself back in for more of the same.
brian (Meath) - 10/12/2020 09:45:47
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Meath V Dublin - 19 Like(s)
Replying To Crinigan: "Clann na Gael isn't north Meath.
North Meath is north of Navan... places like Syddan, Drumbarragh, Oldcastle, Castletown and Mordor itself, Cortown. The kind of places where it's always lashing rain and you can barely stay upright since the pitch is invariably a sloppy quagmire ... perfect conditions for late shoulders and sneakey fists and elbows and since no visiting fans can make it up there and the weather so bad, there are no witnesses. They say that Cortown always leave one opponent without a concussion, so he can remember what happened and spread the message back home..."yer in North Meath now so ye arrrr" :)" Cut the rubbish out. They're all Meath, doesn't matter if its the Monaghan border around Drumconrath/ Meath Hill or the Offaly border in ballinabrackey. They're all Meath men and women. No better or worse.
brian (Meath) - 19/11/2020 09:56:27
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Meath Senior Football Team 2021 - 19 Like(s)
Just saw the final squad list with Donal Keoghan now included for 2021. Assume this was before Ronan Jones went down with a broken arm. I think as Leitrim Royal mentioned no Shane Gallagher is a surprise. Is he still injured or taking time out.
Other thing that baffles me is there are 7 players from Dunboyne. Ratoath then with 5 and no other club with more than 2. Is there something i'm not seeing in that representation from Dunboyne??? I'm not trying to stir a debate on nepotism as I don't see anyone bar Lavin and Jones being a starter calibre players and somehow Shane Mcentee will be in the starting 15 but are the other 4 players that much better than other players within the county? To have almost 20% of a panel from one club and that club not to be the dominant team in the county is strange to me. I look at the dubs and they've a lot of Ballymun Kickhams players on their panel ( and individually they've all more than proved their worth) and Ballymun are always there or thereabouts in Dublin championships. I just don't see Dunboyne as being of that ilk in Meath football right now. They're quite flaky as a team and when its put to them they tend to crumble.
brian (Meath) - 12/05/2021 14:26:00
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New Meath Manager - 19 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Wow. The fact you are condoning the abuse of a man and his family says a lot more about you than me.
As for stopping? No NEVER, the day good people like me bow down to keyboard warriors who'd **** their trousers if they thought Andy or Shane knew who they were like you is day never." Agh here, where was he condoning anything, now you're making stuff up to suit your own argument. The lad stated , as I have on many occasions that this happens, and happens to the best of managers but that it's in the minority. Look at what Andy himself spoke about on OTB AM last week, said he'd rather focus on the man from Collon who sent him letters about games, or the lady from Tullamore.
The only person i see on here on here throwing out abuse is yourself with your constant reference to Keyboard warriors and calling anyone who picks you up on things a nameless faceless bully that you will stand up too. I'd say 95% of the lads and ladies on here are critical of what they saw on the pitch and lack of preparation from Andy and his management team and they hope these things are fixed. And rightly so, people are paying hard earned money to travel and support the team and time's are tough, so i think they're entitled to talk about it on a forum which is there to allow people to do so.
It seems anyone who's critical is a keyboard warrior or condoning them in your eyes. Yet when the hard questions are asked of you you clam up and don't respond. I seem to remember you hammering the players last week claiming they're just not good enough despite blowing them up 6 weeks ago before they faced Dublin, and that history might reflect well on Andy (and i see the point you're making). You were well able to hammer 30+ lads who are giving of their time, energy and efforts but when i asked you if that wasn't abuse there wasn't a dickie bird from you in response as you knew you'd no leg to stand on.
For the last god knows how long you've hammered Mick O'Dowd relentlessly, long after he was no longer involved you still blamed him for faults with the team, again a man who gave of his time in the same manner as Andy and yes he wasn't good enough for the job and committed just as many mistakes as Andy but yet I don't think one person said you were abusing him, until you started on about how everyone was abusing Andy and that it was a poison chalice.
As I've said to you many times before, maybe think before you speak and stop being so confrontational, everyone here is entitled to an opinion what ever that is. Try and understand their point of view, as they do with you and that no one is on here abusing anyone, merely discussing something they're just as passionate about as you are.
brian (Meath) - 20/06/2022 10:15:14
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Ballymun Vs Kilmacud - 19 Like(s)
Replying To KingdomBoy1: "Oooh I'm trembling Brian, you nutter :-)" Resorting to insults. Think that says it all.
brian (National) - 16/09/2020 11:57:12
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Meath Vs Tipperary - 19 Like(s)
Replying To Maestro: "I was wondering what faults you would find with Colm after today's game.
There we have it, answering questions put to him by the media...." Well said…. Colm can do no right in the eyes of said poster… since he's been appointed.
Yesterday was progress but let's not talk about that… let's not talk about the fact that Colm was brave after a poor league and brought in Sean Coffey and Ronan Ryan and others from the development panel… that after Offaly he dropped Harry hogan, brought in Sean Brennan, Conor Gray and Aaron Lynch …. That Brennan, Coffey, Ryan,Gray and Lynch were amongst the best we had yesterday or that it shows Colm is willing to make hard calls and accept when he's been wrong…. No no no let's not talk about that at all…
Let's not talk about the fact that there was structure and a game plan there, that you could see what this team was trying to do, that both sides of the ball the plan was clear on what they were doing. Or that as the game developed that this team opened up their shoulders and kicked for home, that our kick outs looked functional for the first time in living memory… no no… let's not talk about that…
We're there faults, plenty of them… we left about 8-10 scores out there, that decision making at the start was poor, that we allowed some easy scores to be kicked with no pressure on the kicker wasn't good, that we gave the ball away a lot wasn't good,that Jordan Morris was again I'll disciplined and got himself sent off again was a poor look…. But as the game went on you could see the tension go out of the players and they played better with each passing minute…
None of that matters.. Points must be scored and let's talk about a question he was asked by media… let's not have a manager give his honest opinion…. But yet it was okay for our previous manager to have to be restrained by his own players from striking an official…. In fact I seem to remember said poster saying it's a pity the previous manager was held back…
This job was never ever going to be easy, Colm O'Rourke taking it on was only going to it… as the next generation of media pundits could now line up and get their speak in about Colm and what he's said about them or their counties in the Independent and on the Sunday game over the last 25 years. He might not have been the best choice but he's the man in charge right now and he deserves everyone's support…
Btw didn't said poster say he was going to go out and find some new players for the next manager for next year. Wonder how that's going for him. He missed out on seeing plenty of them last night in the likes of Coffey, Brennan, Lynch, Gray, O'Neill, O'Higgins and Ronan Ryan.
Last I think Meath should beat Waterford and secure a quarter final and hopefully from there as the team develops they can show their true ability. Winning 4-6 games in a row would be really good for this team going forward. Look at how Derry developed from division 4 with winning consistently and going up the divisions, that's what we needed and why I wasn't averse to playing Tailteann cup this summer. Build that winning habit and confidence going into 2024. As a great former manager (one Andrew McEntee) said losing can become a habit just as much as winning..
brian (Meath) - 14/05/2023 13:14:10
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New Players For 2021 - 19 Like(s)
Replying To longroadback: "We absolutely need a new keeper in 2021, but we need to be patient with him... it is the a very difficult position where the smallest mistake ends in disaster. What are the options? Pluck from the Bracks? very young but I have been really impressed with him. Patience is the key... remember it took Cluxton plenty of time to become the keeper he has. We have to allow for mistakes... kickouts going astray, but he has to be given time to grow into the role. Fair play to Brennan and all but he just doesnt cut it and at 36/37 he is unlikely to ever." So you mean Andy shouldn't do what he did to Dominic Yorke above in Omagh in January ;)
Brennan should never be allowed pull on the jersey again. His lack of physicality for the second goal alone showed he's not up to intercounty standards. Heaven forbid he goes through the player and clears the ball rather than turn sideways and pull out of a challenge.
Colgan if he walked after being ignored for the championship couldn't be blamed. He's not a bad keeper just not an intercounty top end keeper.
Solutions to this problem. Andy tries keepers 12,13,14 and 15 before the league and we're back with David Gallagher or Big Joe during the league.
I'd imagine the Dunboyne keeper gets a call up (regardless of whether or not they're good enough) seeing as Andy doesn't seem to look passed Dunboyne players on his panel. That's not a knock on Dunboyne btw, more the blinkered vision Andy has towards that club.
brian (Meath) - 09/12/2020 12:32:36
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Best Club Players Not To Play For Meath - 18 Like(s)
Replying To Thelongwoodslasher: "jez Lad.....this is a row/debate between posters…..but somehow the Chap (Michael Deegan) is to my mind being dragged down and castigated for o reason other than someone trying to make a point.....lets try leave the lad out of it....as far as I know he hasn't killed anyone recently, and all he seemed to try & do was see could he make the level at Dublin county....chap followed a dream, and should not be faulted for that?" Well said mate, the idea was to suggest players who haven't played for Meath on the club scene now or previously. Pretty sure that a minor, U21 and senior all ireland winner with Dublin, who played all his underage and early senior football in Meath fits into that category.
But some people just want to throw rocks and sling mud.
brian (Meath) - 12/03/2021 10:50:18
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The Andy Mc Factor - Tailteann Cup - 18 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "It's a hard one. For me and the vast majority of fans it can only be viewed satisfactorily if we win it, as it guarantees all ire football next year. It's the "you only improve playing the best teams" thing. I'll try to post a link to an interview with Sligo manager and one of the players who said the experience of playing top teams will be a huge factor in next years league. My worry and I'm sure everyone's real worry is what good will hammering Wexford do against Armagh Kildare a rejuvenated Donegal Cork louth next year. ? If they beat us then it can be said with confidence this year was a very bad one, not that some will admit it, it will be described as gobblydegook and new fangled ideas that have nothing to do with football. But sure there you go." You're such a bluffer, would you ever stop with the vast majority stuff, you've been proven multiple times to be talking bull squirt. Trying to talk about being a majority voice when your voice is contrary to almost everyone who's on here. Just state things as your opinion and leave it at that. That's what everyone here does.
Only improve playing the better teams, how well has that serviced Meath under McEntee and O'Dowd. Bar beating Kildare in 2020 when have we beaten a team at a similar or higher standard than us. I'll wait… cos I'm pretty sure it was Kildare in 2012.. 2010 is the last time we beat a team of a higher standard v Dublin.
Sligo… are you joking, they got to Sam beating London and New York…. Most teams could've done that
Lost by 14 to Galway
Drew with Kildare
Lost by 10 to Roscommon
Lost by 24 to Dublin
How's that benefiting them… they were in Sam due to the draw in Connacht. Otherwise they'd have been out early in Tailteann and no one would be talking about them. Let's see how they do in division 3 next year v Clare, Limerick, Down and Antrim
The reason many seem to be okay with being in the Tailteann is it's allowed us to rebuild, blood young lads, develop lots of systems and get some confidence into them. Playing at Sam level this year would've been no benefit and we'd learn nothing about these new lads, other than get hammerings v top teams.
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. That's what unfortunately happened Meath under Andy McEntee. He did his best but we have gone backwards since 2019.
Talking about next years league, what's the point, it's 7 months away. Louth will be seriously dented after some results, Donegal are fragile, Cork are inconsistent, Kildare are inconsistent. God knows who'll be in charge of those teams next year and what might change.
Meath will be under Colm and his team for a second year under, who've shown they can adapt. Worry about those things then.
This year was always about building. Next year will be too and there will be dark days then too. And there will be if your new hero Cathal O'Bric gets the job. Your self imposed targets that no one else is privy too aren't how the team and county board are being judged or will be judged. We've to bridge the gap a game at a time. From what I read from this forum, most people are willing to allow the team to develop and grow gradually.
brian (Meath) - 20/06/2023 14:54:09
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Flynn Set For Meath U20 Job - 18 Like(s)
Replying To LeitrimRoyal99: "That isn't a rule unless it's a new one. Shane Walsh played under 20 against Wexford last year and got injured despite playing in the super 8's against Kerry the year before. Bernard Flynn has said in a few places that he took the job on condition that the lads on the seniors get to play with him and Andy agreed to it. So if it takes places Costello and Hickey will be playing bar injury" Fair enough LR ;)
Thought the rule was that if you played senior you couldn't play U20. Was sure that was why Clifford and Sean O'Shea never played U20/21 with Kerry as they went straight into the senior team. That's what i based it on so if it's not an actual rule then ;)
brian (Meath) - 19/04/2021 12:55:41
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Where Do We Go From Here? - 18 Like(s)
Replying To Thebantersauras: "Its not about naming individuals. I'm not just talking this past year gone, I'm talking over the past 4/5 years. Its no wonder smaller clubs are decimated by lads leaving and not bothering to play anymore. Regional teams are the way forward to discovering this new talent and giving lads an incentive. Throw the regional teams into the senior championship and really give everyone a shot of playing top level football. The future of Meath football depends on it.
Border Royal named a few lads definitely worth a run out and there's more lads that if given the same opportunity would surely be county standard.
Look at the Kerry example sure.
I might be mistaken but wasn't Clifford's club a junior one?
Food for thought.It doesn't matter be it north, south, east or west of the county, Every man deserves a shot of representing their county at top level if they're good enough and willing to give it all. Sick of seeing lads talking down players saying they're not good enough without them being fully trialled out.
Look how the Cavan supporters get behind their players regardless of where they're from. Fair play to them" It is about naming lads, it lazy analysis to say a man is ignoring vast swathes of the county and throwing out suggestions of what should be done. You have to work within the bounds of what is in place. Kerry have regional teams and fair play to them. We don't so move along until something like that is considered and ratified. Those same regional teams in Kerry still go back to their clubs and play in the intermediate and junior championships too so then you're talking about player burn out and too many games.
BorderRoyal fair play you did throw out some names and some of those lads have been in and around the panel. I believe all of them have all been in and around the panel at various stages. They've maybe a couple of sessions to impress and they need to grab the bull by the horns. If they don't impress Andy needs move forward. How do we catch a juggernaut like Dublin, or bridge the gap to the top 6 sides if we're giving multiple guys games to impress when they're not doing it in training. Should he do to them what he did to Dominic Yorke and absolutely shatter there confidence.
Andy hasn't been shy in bringing in lads if they're doing it at club level during the championship
2019 - Shane Walsh
2020 - Cathal Hickey, Eoin Harkin, Jordan Morris, Jason Scully
Andy for his faults and he has a few isn't blind to lads doing it at club level from all grades. If they're performing they're brought in and given an opportunity. They should be leaving no stone unturned to make sure Andy doesn't get rid of them.
brian (Meath) - 10/12/2020 09:58:01
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