I think confidence is at a all time low. Our big players just aren't clicking with the exception of keoghan and jones to a lesser extent. Mcentee did hell lot work today as did walsh. But I want in particular to single out young scully who was everywhere today. While the result is not what anyone wanted but there was some positives

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/02/2022 19:57:18    2402563

Ashrules (Dublin) - Posts: 518 - 26/02/2022 20:00:14    2402565

I agree the manager is done at this stage, but the players are getting a serious free pass since the start of the league. Accurate handpassing, the ability to kickpass a ball 25 metres and the ability to kick the ball over the bar from 30 metres unopposed are what I'd expect from an intercounty footballer, and that's before the manager says a word...... if we get all of them, plus the basics that lads would have learned as 10 year olds right, and we are still playing this bad, .......then we can point the blame solely on management. Players need to take a long hard look at themselves right now too.... they aren't kids anymore that need there hands held by management. Their individual performances by and large have been well below whats recquired.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 891 - 26/02/2022 20:07:38    2402567

So many goal chances butchered today this simply has to get better, based on what i saw today i do feel a good performance is coming. Harry Hogan was super again today and hats off to Andy Mcentee for finding him. Hopefully Cathal Hickeys injury is not too serious he was our best player until he went off injured. Scully deserves all the credit today, won 3 or 4 frees in the scoring zone, tackled ferociously and even chipped in with an important score late.

redser123 (Meath) - Posts: 404 - 26/02/2022 21:01:13    2402585

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/02/2022 21:52:37    2402599

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/02/2022 21:53:09    2402600

Hi, one thing that nobody has mentioned is our fitness. Under McEntee early years we were getting fitter and fitter but this year in all the game the opposition looked the same/fitter than Meath which is very worrying as it ties into when John Coghlan left. Hopefully they are planning to peak in the May/June period but any thoughts?

Teve123 (Meath) - Posts: 1 - 27/02/2022 07:59:54    2402612

With the games left we need at least 4 points from 3 games to be sure of staying up. (Yes we might stay up with less but I'm just giving a guess here). The one thing we don't want is Derry coming on last day needing points to be promoted. If they already secure then I think we may get a win.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/02/2022 09:23:04    2402617

urizen (Meath) - Posts: 115 - 27/02/2022 09:27:04    2402618

redser123 (Meath) - Posts: 404 - 27/02/2022 10:55:52    2402634

Did I hear correctly after the game that Shane is away to Mali in 2 weeks on peace keeping. So we've a player that's not going to get championship game time not only playing every minute in a pivotal position but he's still captain of the team. Another black mark against management, but it's it any way surprising??

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1954 - 27/02/2022 11:01:09    2402637

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 258 - 27/02/2022 12:01:38    2402649

First of all it was great to see the fighting spirit right to the end and get the goal to draw.Both teams were guilty of kicking bad wides but for some fine goalkeeping we could have had a couple of goals and maybe won the match.Hogan looks good in goals maybe finally we have this position sorted.Passing needs to improve, few poor simple passes turned over.Hopefully we can kick on now and maybe snatching the draw will give some confidence.Im afraid thats were we are at the minute but if we can stay up and have a decent foundation for a new man next year maybe things will look up.

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 258 - 27/02/2022 12:13:03    2402653

Anyone know where Daragh Campion has gone? Is he injured?

Just looking at our current team. It's very similar to the team that did ok in super eights a few years ago (aside from Newman and Gallagher). Quite stunning how the team regressed as opposed to kicking on. Maybe they were playing beyond themselves as I remember Cian Ward implying at that time (he said they were greater than sum of their parts).

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1319 - 27/02/2022 12:23:43    2402658

redser123 (Meath) - Posts: 404 - 27/02/2022 12:31:30    2402665

A dark day for our county yesterday, simple fact is we are only on par with the Offaly's, Laois's , Down's etc at this present moment.
Sometime you need to just go back to basics and start a four year plan ;like other counties have done.

I will not slam any Meath Man here as nobody goes out to loose or not perform.

Let this management team finish out this year and lets see can we put a plan in place going forward.

On a separate note I was told their is better players in Meath but where are they ? Who are they ? I am sure if a lad is good enough he would be giving a chance but perhaps lads are not committing.

Was Cian ward the best player in the championship last year ? Was Stephen Bray one of the top ten forwards ? If so I think we need to identify lads 19 -21 now and bring them in to start the strength and conditioning and coaching. Ask them to buy into the plan, look after them like the other big counties do, this is a professional sport played under amateur status.
Success needs investment, players need to know the county board are behind them.


It has taken McGeeney 7 years to get to a level to compete at the top level, We cannot change it over night.
Derry will be competing here very soon also, they have a plan, we don't seem to have one hence the disappointment.

This will get worse before better but we need to stay the course if we choose one.

thelutch (Meath) - Posts: 1049 - 27/02/2022 12:38:02    2402667

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1465 - 27/02/2022 12:56:35    2402671

Positives, we found a way to not lose and never gave up. Jason Scully was terrific and was also good last week and seems to have improved a lot. Eoin Harkin showed great steel and leadership in the last 20 mins and took the fight to Offaly. Shane McEntee done very well I felt. Jones brings big physicality around the middle. Moments of rustiness but he's so much better than Devine or Costello are in midfield, Harry Hogan has improved massively and is the answer to our goalkeeping issue and Keoghan played his best game of the year and also showed great leadership with driving incisive runs. Negatives, the team still look so short on confidence and are playing within themselves and not showing expression. People can put this down to tactics, but I don't think tactics have changed all that much in the last few years and we didn't play this conservative consistently before. Hickey looked so dangerous before his injury and is a huge loss if it's serious. We had too many period of being passive when as soon as we got tackles in and pressure on Offaly were only dying to give us the ball back. Also an obvious negative is that we didn't win and now the pressure comes on even more and players could go further into their shells. Incredibly though despite not having a win there are 3 teams below us and if we could muster a win over Cork then we'd be as good as safe and we could park this campaign for the disaster that it was without it hurting us next year and most likely not hurting us in this years championship

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1465 - 27/02/2022 13:04:50    2402672

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1319 - 27/02/2022 13:07:47    2402673

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/02/2022 13:34:57    2402686