Meath Forum

Change Of Management?

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Replying To Utdroyal:  "Players always walk,name one player to walk who would start,this is embarrassing"
Paddy O'Rourke
Harry Rooney
Donal Lenihan

There's three who would be as good if not better than some players of the recent and current squad.


The following he's had fallings out with or tossed aside
Burlingham/ Hannigan/ McDermott/ Beakey/ Yorke
Toner/Power/ O'Coilean
Toher/Douglas
Brian Conlon/ Padraig McKeever/ Mark Mccabe
Ben Brennan when he was aksed to be a back up keeper this year

Eamonn and Joey wallace both walked away at different stages.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 08/10/2021 12:58:39    2384895

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Replying To brian:  "Paddy O'Rourke
Harry Rooney
Donal Lenihan

There's three who would be as good if not better than some players of the recent and current squad.


The following he's had fallings out with or tossed aside
Burlingham/ Hannigan/ McDermott/ Beakey/ Yorke
Toner/Power/ O'Coilean
Toher/Douglas
Brian Conlon/ Padraig McKeever/ Mark Mccabe
Ben Brennan when he was aksed to be a back up keeper this year

Eamonn and Joey wallace both walked away at different stages."
What utter lies.

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 997 - 08/10/2021 13:11:48    2384899

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Replying To brian:  "Paddy O'Rourke
Harry Rooney
Donal Lenihan

There's three who would be as good if not better than some players of the recent and current squad.


The following he's had fallings out with or tossed aside
Burlingham/ Hannigan/ McDermott/ Beakey/ Yorke
Toner/Power/ O'Coilean
Toher/Douglas
Brian Conlon/ Padraig McKeever/ Mark Mccabe
Ben Brennan when he was aksed to be a back up keeper this year

Eamonn and Joey wallace both walked away at different stages."
Complete and utter nonsense.

Paddy O'Rourke walked away because he had enough commitment it took to be an Inter County player. No issue with this fair play for being honest. He also now lives in Australia so are you planning on flying him back in for games??

Harry Rooney also just didn't fancy the commitment it takes to be an Inter County player and also went travelling and as of now is tipping away with Skyrne and doing fine without being fantastic.

Donal Lenihan wasn't getting as much game time as he wanted and at 31 decided to call it a day which is totally understandable. No falling out with Andy whatsoever and no tossing aside.

Don't know the burlingham situation so can't comment but as I've said before on here it seems the longer your not on the Meath panel the better you become on Social media and Forums. He is a very good club keeper but would not be much better than anyone we have at inter County level and nowhere near the top keepers in the Country.

Hannigan plays for Ashbournes 2nd team!!!!! Enough said.

McDermott/Beakey/Yorke simply not good enough.

Toner moved abroad. No falling out no being tossed aside.

Power i don't know.

O'Coilean has spent more time travelling and moving out of the country and back in the country in the last few years than Kathryn Thomas did on No frontiers. Again no falling out and no being tossed aside.

Mark McCabe a good club player and nothing more.

McKeever jumped ship himself before the start of a league campaign and went to the states. Again wasn't tossed aside left of his own free will.

Conlon did fall out with Andy but has since come back in and featured regularly under Andy.

The Wallace Brothers. Same as Conlon are back now and playing regularly. Also it seems that they would start an argument in an empty room so I'd take their fallings out with Andy with a pinch of salt.


Seems like any player who was in the panel and then wasn't in the panel was either tossed aside or had a falling out with Andy. Players leave panels all the time and Players are dropped off panels because management don't think they are good enough all the time.

Not 1 of those players you'd mentioned who were not on the panel in 2021 would make our starting 15 better in 2022 and only 1 or 2 might and i stress might make the bench better.

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 08/10/2021 13:31:23    2384905

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Replying To Irish_downunder:  "paddy o rourke"
Why did he walk away???

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 08/10/2021 13:36:06    2384906

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Surprised at so many thinking andy is doing a good job , he is doing harm at this stage.
That said why wait till now to give him the sack?
Why the delay?
The must have somebody lined up

hurlit (Meath) - Posts: 424 - 08/10/2021 14:00:46    2384911

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As a supporter who believes Andy has done his best,but he had a fair chance ,and really fell short. I am one who firmly believes that a full blooded review should have been completed in full months ago. To treat the position of manager like this is unforgivable, and insulting to a man who has given it his best shot. There probably will be more puffing and blowing ,and if i were in Andys shoes i would walk away now.

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1266 - 08/10/2021 14:03:22    2384913

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Replying To nobull456:  "As a supporter who believes Andy has done his best,but he had a fair chance ,and really fell short. I am one who firmly believes that a full blooded review should have been completed in full months ago. To treat the position of manager like this is unforgivable, and insulting to a man who has given it his best shot. There probably will be more puffing and blowing ,and if i were in Andys shoes i would walk away now."
Fully agree with you there nobull. I know people think i have it in for Andy. I don't have it in for him at all but I think he's made far too many mistakes which have held back the team and he's not been questioned on them. I commend Andy for taking things this far and believe he's leaving things a lot better than he found them in. But his first two years were a disaster, third he was outstanding no arguments there, but since then we have regressed and are roughly where we were when he took over. There's no doubt he's left a better foundation than he inherited fro MOD but that doesn't mean he should be allowed continue in the role. I think he has done as well as he can and it's now time to reassess.

However his treatment this week has been nothing short of disgraceful. I don't know the ins and outs of the role but I'm sure he has been looking through the county championships to see if there's talent there and planning for 2022 and now finding out he might not be in charge leaves the county board with egg on their face and Andy with a lot of potentially wasted time on his hands.

Ultimately the clubs will now decide his fate, the same clubs who removed a man who brought us to an all ireland semi final and leinster title in his two years in charge and then backed Banty after the executive moved to remove him in 2012. God knows how the clubs will go but it leaves thing in a mess.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 08/10/2021 14:38:56    2384919

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For about a week after the under 13-20 GM was announced, McCarthy was announced for the 20's and O'Bric for the post minor development squad I thought finally we have our house in order and then we go and do this. It's absolute lunacy. I would keep Andy because I feel he is changing the culture of Meath to being more professional and the team seems to be more prepared and better looked after in terms of diet, S&C and the overall environment of the squad. But I do understand that Meath people expect high things and in our biggest game of the year against Kildare we preformed badly so I'm aware people wanted change. But to do this now is absolutely crazy. Why was this vote not done 3 months ago. Also were the players consulted. If senior players like Menton, Keoghan, Cillian, McGill believe in Andy I would trust their judgement far more than the county board. It hasn't come out that the players are on either side of the fence but last week it seemed Andy would continue and now he's on the ropes, it does seem like the players were blindsided by this. Crucially if they do get rid of Andy who the hell are we bringing in. McCarthy and O'Bric are already in the correct roles for them next year and they are being lined up as future senior managers it seems like. Other than that inside the county, maybe Colm O'Rourke and then if we're appointing an outsider we are appointing them after the championship where they wouldn't get to watch any games to see who could be included. It's absolutely ridiculous to leave it this late. The plan was there Andy to keep the ship steady, hopefully achieve promotion, continue to build a team like he has with Morris, Walsh, Hickey and Costello now key players and then if success didn't follow O'Bric/McCarthy are ready to go as perfectly suited candidates having minor and hopefully under 20 success. But the county board in their wisdom have absolutely destroyed that stability. Let's hope the clubs vote to retain Andy but even if they do what a daft decision and timing by the executive

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1523 - 08/10/2021 15:01:46    2384927

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Before the Dublin game I was of the opinion McEntee should go after this year but after the Dublin game I was veering towards thinking he should stay on.
For me it's too late to start looking for a new management team from scratch at this point, why nothing from the county board about this before the nearly 3 months since we were knocked out of the championship?. It's a bad way to treat McEntee and shoddy way of doing business in that new management team will not be up and running early enough to expect them to perform well this coming year.

bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 08/10/2021 15:07:08    2384928

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Replying To LoyalRoyal:  "If you're going to change management these days You would hope there was a plan or something resembling forward thinking by the board.

This is the most bone headed knee jerk decision I've seen since the 2010 debacle. Honestly this seems like nothing more than a few disgruntled heads angry about the U20s. Ever since then there have been a good few clueless ejits shouting "Andy Out" on social media with no idea of who'd replace him, maybe Bernard Flynn because…..??? No idea, or Colm O'Rourke who is Stone Age judging by his punditry.

Whether you like him or not Andy is passionate about Meath, that's why he gets a bit mad, And that's fine by me. He gives a damn. and he'll stick around and not **** off to Kerry or wherever like Jack O'Conner.

You won't even get that passion from O'Rourke or Flynn either. They've got a comfortable life in journalism and punditry. They'll put there hand in for a year or two with a large back room team to do the real work no doubt and if it doesn't go well they'll jump. Andy had a rough few years to begin with but stuck to it and it was starting to pay off. There have been a few wobbles recently but you can't ignore the effects the pandemic has had too."
Another articulate and accurate post. I can't add anything more except this is what we did with O'Brien. In over a decade we are still that bloody stupid. Embarrassing

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/10/2021 16:27:26    2384940

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Review was only presented to CB this week, was decision based on its contents? if so what were they supposed to do? A full meeting of all clubs and board officials due to be held next Tuesday, hopefully clubs are made aware of contents of review and base their decisions on this and not like we witnessed in 2012 when the good of Meath football came a poor second to some clubs wanting to settle old scores with CB.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 08/10/2021 18:25:34    2384955

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Replying To meath1977:  "seriously are u ok writing a comment like that"
Did they also tell you father Christmas and the Easter bunny were also approached.

latouche25 (Meath) - Posts: 532 - 08/10/2021 21:35:03    2384970

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Replying To VernonSmith:  "The only thing that annoys me in this is the timing, but surely they have a shortlist of alternatives to speak too. It's late in the day now to look for a new man. But look, people talking about the second half against Dublin. What about the first half? What about the Kildare game? Progress has been limited in my eyes. Many players have walked away, and more going. If one selector left you'd say fair enough, but then Curtis goes too. Something doesn't smell right. McEntee have got on the wrong side of a lot of people within the county. I respect him for taking the job and devoting so much time, but his attitude and interviews after games is appalling. I don't think we have anyone in the county ready to step up and take the job. It's too early for McCarty or O'Bric. I think it has to go external."
O'Bric is a born winner. He would revel in the position and would put a game plan in place to get the best out of these lads.

latouche25 (Meath) - Posts: 532 - 08/10/2021 21:39:38    2384971

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Replying To Blackspot09:  "Complete and utter nonsense.

Paddy O'Rourke walked away because he had enough commitment it took to be an Inter County player. No issue with this fair play for being honest. He also now lives in Australia so are you planning on flying him back in for games??

Harry Rooney also just didn't fancy the commitment it takes to be an Inter County player and also went travelling and as of now is tipping away with Skyrne and doing fine without being fantastic.

Donal Lenihan wasn't getting as much game time as he wanted and at 31 decided to call it a day which is totally understandable. No falling out with Andy whatsoever and no tossing aside.

Don't know the burlingham situation so can't comment but as I've said before on here it seems the longer your not on the Meath panel the better you become on Social media and Forums. He is a very good club keeper but would not be much better than anyone we have at inter County level and nowhere near the top keepers in the Country.

Hannigan plays for Ashbournes 2nd team!!!!! Enough said.

McDermott/Beakey/Yorke simply not good enough.

Toner moved abroad. No falling out no being tossed aside.

Power i don't know.

O'Coilean has spent more time travelling and moving out of the country and back in the country in the last few years than Kathryn Thomas did on No frontiers. Again no falling out and no being tossed aside.

Mark McCabe a good club player and nothing more.

McKeever jumped ship himself before the start of a league campaign and went to the states. Again wasn't tossed aside left of his own free will.

Conlon did fall out with Andy but has since come back in and featured regularly under Andy.

The Wallace Brothers. Same as Conlon are back now and playing regularly. Also it seems that they would start an argument in an empty room so I'd take their fallings out with Andy with a pinch of salt.


Seems like any player who was in the panel and then wasn't in the panel was either tossed aside or had a falling out with Andy. Players leave panels all the time and Players are dropped off panels because management don't think they are good enough all the time.

Not 1 of those players you'd mentioned who were not on the panel in 2021 would make our starting 15 better in 2022 and only 1 or 2 might and i stress might make the bench better."
I don't know where you're getting your information from but I got it from 2 of these lads who said they would never play for him again.

latouche25 (Meath) - Posts: 532 - 08/10/2021 21:50:42    2384972

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "Before the Dublin game I was of the opinion McEntee should go after this year but after the Dublin game I was veering towards thinking he should stay on.
For me it's too late to start looking for a new management team from scratch at this point, why nothing from the county board about this before the nearly 3 months since we were knocked out of the championship?. It's a bad way to treat McEntee and shoddy way of doing business in that new management team will not be up and running early enough to expect them to perform well this coming year."
I agree entirely, even if McEntee was a very poor manager, which he is NOT, he should not be removed at this time of the year. As virtually every poster here said, if he was not what they wanted then it should have been addressed within two weeks of the loss to Dublin.
The only reason why any move should be made at this time would be if new information came to the Committee's attention. Did the resignations of Finnian Murtagh and Donal Curtis have something to do with this late move? Even then surely it was up to the Committee to manage the fallout through negotiation and not by airing matters publicly. There will only be big loosers from the current debacle, so sad comming on the back of our most successful year in a long, long time. Probably since 1999.

MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1080 - 09/10/2021 10:10:24    2384978

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Replying To latouche25:  "O'Bric is a born winner. He would revel in the position and would put a game plan in place to get the best out of these lads."
I agree Cathal O'Bric seems to be a great manager but he already has his position for 2022 as the post minor squad development manager. Which is absolutely the correct position for him as he can keep building with the talented 2021 minor squad. But you can't put the cart before the horse. John McCarthy and O'Bric will hopefully be top contenders in 2/3 years time when they've had successful under 20's teams that they can bring into senior and really kick on. But they aren't ready now, and also if they were brought up to senior it's just as important to have them at 20's. We need a steadying hand to keep stability and keep building the right habits and culture so that the 2020 and 2021 minors can come in to a team ready to go places. And Andy McEntee is that steady hand. And if you are to go for a replacement then you definitely won't get stability hiring a manager in November. These 2020/21 minor teams are a rare chance to build a serious county time. We had the perfect plan in place and now we're destroying it

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1523 - 09/10/2021 11:07:10    2384985

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Replying To bdbuddah:  "Before the Dublin game I was of the opinion McEntee should go after this year but after the Dublin game I was veering towards thinking he should stay on.
For me it's too late to start looking for a new management team from scratch at this point, why nothing from the county board about this before the nearly 3 months since we were knocked out of the championship?. It's a bad way to treat McEntee and shoddy way of doing business in that new management team will not be up and running early enough to expect them to perform well this coming year."
A good 20/25 minutes against Dublin only highlighted the potential we have, its potential that current management have failed to bring on. Granted timing is poor, however the same excuse was used after Dublin wiped the floor with us in previous year, combined with dropping back to div 2 with only one draw on the credit side, cannot change now, new season too close, new managment will not have time and on and on.We took the easy option and gave him another year, where did that get us? The review must have raised a lot of questions and those who voted against another term realised Andy Mac does not have the answers. There is never a bad time to do the right thing, Meath football will not fall apart and certainly will get better if change is made now.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 09/10/2021 13:00:55    2385001

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Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "I agree Cathal O'Bric seems to be a great manager but he already has his position for 2022 as the post minor squad development manager. Which is absolutely the correct position for him as he can keep building with the talented 2021 minor squad. But you can't put the cart before the horse. John McCarthy and O'Bric will hopefully be top contenders in 2/3 years time when they've had successful under 20's teams that they can bring into senior and really kick on. But they aren't ready now, and also if they were brought up to senior it's just as important to have them at 20's. We need a steadying hand to keep stability and keep building the right habits and culture so that the 2020 and 2021 minors can come in to a team ready to go places. And Andy McEntee is that steady hand. And if you are to go for a replacement then you definitely won't get stability hiring a manager in November. These 2020/21 minor teams are a rare chance to build a serious county time. We had the perfect plan in place and now we're destroying it"
I understand what you're saying here. Why is it so important to have Mc Carthy and O'Bric in charge of these lads. Joe Treanor led the minors to Leinster glory 3 years ago, why is he totally ignored why has no poster here not even mentioned his name. When O'Bric was given this position it was assumed by Kenny that McEntee would be returned to his position. Hopefully the clubs will see sense now and back the county board as McEntee's position has now become untenable. If he had the best interest of Meath football at heart then he would resign and not force this vote. He will plough on and force a vote that will only split the county more because it's all about him and not what's best for Meath.

latouche25 (Meath) - Posts: 532 - 09/10/2021 13:23:57    2385004

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Replying To latouche25:  "I understand what you're saying here. Why is it so important to have Mc Carthy and O'Bric in charge of these lads. Joe Treanor led the minors to Leinster glory 3 years ago, why is he totally ignored why has no poster here not even mentioned his name. When O'Bric was given this position it was assumed by Kenny that McEntee would be returned to his position. Hopefully the clubs will see sense now and back the county board as McEntee's position has now become untenable. If he had the best interest of Meath football at heart then he would resign and not force this vote. He will plough on and force a vote that will only split the county more because it's all about him and not what's best for Meath."
The REAL question and issue here is......WHY insult the man by waiting till now to come up with this?. Does the role of manager not merit better treatment than that ? How will that approach help to attract future worthwhile candidates? Is there some FACTS as distinct from rumours that may help to explain the situation ? I wont hold my breath on that for clarification!

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1266 - 09/10/2021 14:39:56    2385016

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Replying To latouche25:  "I understand what you're saying here. Why is it so important to have Mc Carthy and O'Bric in charge of these lads. Joe Treanor led the minors to Leinster glory 3 years ago, why is he totally ignored why has no poster here not even mentioned his name. When O'Bric was given this position it was assumed by Kenny that McEntee would be returned to his position. Hopefully the clubs will see sense now and back the county board as McEntee's position has now become untenable. If he had the best interest of Meath football at heart then he would resign and not force this vote. He will plough on and force a vote that will only split the county more because it's all about him and not what's best for Meath."
Not a chance he will step down, only one thing of concern to him and thats self preservation. Clubs have a history of backing the wrong man, Banty in 2012 and going against Eamon O B in 2010, so hope for the best but expect the worst.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 09/10/2021 15:00:12    2385019

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