Tinchy1 (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 08/03/2023 15:22:05    2462802

DefenceWinsChampionships (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 08/03/2023 15:44:12    2462815

DefenceWinsChampionships (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 08/03/2023 15:44:38    2462816

Tinchy1 (Meath) - Posts: 66 - 08/03/2023 16:38:20    2462833

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 08/03/2023 16:43:27    2462837

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 08/03/2023 16:57:40    2462845

DefenceWinsChampionships (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 08/03/2023 17:26:38    2462853

1.) Burlingham
2.) Lavin
3.) McGill
4.) O Neill
5.) Keoghan
6.) Harnan
7.) Menton
8.) Nash
9.) McBride
10.) O Sullivan
11.) Flynn
12.) McGowan
13.) Walsh
14.) Costello
15.) Lenihan

Struggled to pick 6, 11 and 14 as we have no out and out players in those positions at club level.

Gallagher hasn't played in a few years, McEntees best position is wing back but he doesn't get in ahead of Menton or Keoghan

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 403 - 08/03/2023 19:20:39    2462875

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1352 - 08/03/2023 21:28:19    2462891

grahamc9897 (Meath) - Posts: 1175 - 08/03/2023 21:30:18    2462892

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1003 - 09/03/2023 13:29:57    2462973

DefenceWinsChampionships (Meath) - Posts: 25 - 09/03/2023 20:56:35    2463084

Haven't commented in a long while, I wanted to see how this block of games went, how the team developed, how new combinations were working, how the game plans developed, if S&C was up to scratch and if we saw signs of the continuous improvements I hoped for. Unfortunately after this block of games I'm even more concerned with things.

I think it's great to see that most posters here are seeing where we are as a county team, and what our grade is. We've dropped steadily since 2019 and unfortunately I don't think it's over yet. We're a middle of the pack team, and I'd say we're nothing more than the 14-20 best team in the country. I think, most here would agree with that. I spoke in pre season that maybe a Tailteann Cup is where we need to be for 2023 and that's not changed. Winning is a habit and so is losing. Even Andy mcentee himself said that. In 2019-2020 we lost 10 games in a row to the best teams in the country (Leinster Final, 3 super 8's and 6 division 1 games) and we're still reeling. A run in the Tailteann and winning a trophy might do this team some good and give them a bit of confidence in themselves. A Leinster final hammering and 3 Sam Maguire losses will only set them back more.

Losing Bryan menton, the Conor McGill situation and Bryan McMahon's withdrawal from the panel has left us short of the leadership and the brains trust that was there. Donal keoghan is trying to replace all of that almost single handedly and he's failing due to no lack of effort on his part, it's not having experience in front and behind him. I'm not saying we should beg them to come back, they've made choices or management have and I respect that and will move forward accordingly.

Unfortunately the concerning thing for me is that many of that Concerns we had at the end of Andy's reign don't seem to have been fixed.

Kick outs are still a huge issue, even the lesser teams know to pressure our kick outs and we'll crack. Harry i feel is still not the keeper of the future, was badly at fault for both goals versus Derry and his kick outs are costing us scores in every game. I accept Harry needs help from out the field and the players in the central areas need to help him out but he seems to lack the ability of a Beggan, Morgan or Patton to hit the opposing 65 with his kick outs and at least allow the team to get numbers back.

Free taking/45's are still an issue and the fact we're still bringing Harry up for 45's and he's kicking them backwards (not blaming Harry) is alarming. If we need to carry a guy just for their ability to kick dead balls I think we need to do just that. Unfortunately I'm not sure we have that player in the county. but Boylan laid the template years ago and got Stafford and Giles help and we need that now.

S&C is still a concern, but Eivers is 4 months working with them. It took years to get the ladies team up to the levels they were at. He was involved with Donegal under Jimmy and it took time to get them to a certain level. It'll take time here too, which needs to be allowed to happen. It might not be until 2025 that we're fully up to speed with the top counties, but we've got to trust the process. Same goes for Garrigan, there's a certain game plan they're looking to implement which won't happen overnight. The plan seems to be to kick the ball which Kerry, Dublin, Galway all do, nothing travels faster than the ball, but it's not going to happen overnight. Garrigan had the ladies team playing a certain way and it took time, but look at the success they had. Most teams on the country marvelled at that style and said you can practice for it all you like but until you play it you've no idea of how good it is.

The most concerning aspect though for me is that our football IQ is very low.

Forwards are still taking pot shots at goal, not being patient, working into better positions and improving their position to score. In all our games so far we've been outscored by the opposing team, and goals have saved us. Whilst goals help with momentum we need to be adding points. There have been multiple periods we've gone 20+ minutes without scoring, that's something we need to address. A score every 5 or less minutes is a necessity. We also lack a marquee forward, that's getting us 5-6 scores a game. Maybe Eoghan frayne will be that player in time, but I'm not of the opinion there's a marquee forward on the current panel. And most counties have two of these forwards, so that's where we've got to get too.

The other area is our defending as a team. Now I understand this is a new defensive unit and we need to let them settle but in the Louth game they all got brought upfield, the top teams never do that. There's always 3 players minding the house at least. The fact Reynolds ran about 100 yards all in and wasn't fouled or dragged down 40 yards from goal is baffling. Yes I understand there's a system that needs putting in place and trying not to foul and disposes the opposing players is where they're working towards but in a 1/2 on 1 situation, take the foul and card a distance from the goal. Again Harry also didn't cover himself in glory with the goal and it's why I've concerns about him.

I know I've had a few pops at Harry, I'm not trying to say he's a bad player, just that I'm concerned. I could only wished to have had the talent he has and good luck to him. Being an inter county player is a difficult ask, so my hats off to you Harry.

There's multiple players who need to drive this team on and stop playing of reputation. Most of those guys have been there since late Mod and early Andy days. They're the senior players and they're not showing that.

All the above being said I think there's some green shots there to build on. Adam O'Neill has been a find and hopefully proves to be that man market we've lacked in recent times, Jack Flynn has driven on from last year and is hopefully a driving force from midfield, Matt Costello after a poor 21 and 22 seems to have rediscovered the potential he has and Shane Walsh, injury free might be what we all thought he was.

All this being said Colm O'Rourke needs to take some criticism too. Whilst I accept there's a game plan being worked on, there's gotta be a plan b and C etc. Going to owenbeg, which is wide open, on a wet, windy and blustery day and trying to play a game suited to summer football is criminal. Yes we all want to see the kicking game and that it's successful, but in the wind and the rain you've got to be smarter and have that football IQ. Going down to 14 men and attacking all out whilst leading is not a great game plan, you need to be smarter and not resolving some long standing issues carried over from your predecessor is now your issue, and you need to work on it. It's not Andy's fault anymore that kick outs and free taking aren't up to scratch.

Some things done, many more to go. Let's hope for that continued development and improvements v Dublin and Kildare. If those jersies don't get this teams blood pumping then there's more to be concerned about.

Lastly it's good to see most on here are of a similar opinion and allowing the team to develop. There's still the spoofers who are trying to present false narratives and act like they know what's happening within the camp, but I think most have cottoned onto that now.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 11/03/2023 13:02:03    2463343

Crinigan (Meath) - Posts: 1352 - 11/03/2023 15:45:02    2463383

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 11/03/2023 15:56:42    2463393

All ireland series is a must for the further development of this team how posters think otherwise is mind boggling, meath should reach the leinster final and will have a great chance of getting out of one of them groups considering three go through, it's still early days for o rourke and our weaknesses are fairly obvious so he knows what to work on, I fully believe that meath will improve as the year goes on with fitness strength and conditioning and experience all getting better, roll on the dubs next Saturday.

Royal.Legend (Meath) - Posts: 681 - 11/03/2023 16:04:55    2463397

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 11/03/2023 16:31:13    2463402

Colm O' Rourke (and people on here) I feel may be talking up a bit too much the positive impact of bringing in a few of this year under 20's (after their championship ends) into the Senior panel for the Leinster championship.
Although the under 20's prospects look very good, they have the players to go a long way and a great chance of getting silverware this year, it does not mean they have the players necessarily better at this stage of their development than the lads Colm played last Saturday against Dublin.
Firstly for this evenings opening Leinster championship game, eight of those players starting will be eligible to play under 20 again next year and would really be too young in my opinion to be brought in to the Senior set up this year.
All six of the starting backs are under 20 again next year, so in area of the pitch where people think we need shoring up at Senior, it is highly unlikely that any of those six are ready to step up to Senior. There are probably, at best two or three that would be even be considered for playing Senior this year, probably Eoghan Frayne (Summerhill), maybe Ciaran Caufield (Trim) who is just returning from injury this evening, maybe Billy Hogan in goals (Harry's brother), maybe Ruairi Kinsella (Dunshaughlin) and probably Adam McDonnell (Summerhill, if he wasn't injured) who has an ankle injury and has not played any competitive games this year for Meath Under 20's.
Only one player from last years under 20 Meath team has come through (Diarmuid Moriarty) and he is only now beginning to assert himself now getting a start against Dublin last Saturday.
There is no doubting there is great talent coming through, but patience is needed and we shouldn't rush things.
Best of luck Meath under 20's this evening.

Meathball (Meath) - Posts: 140 - 21/03/2023 08:59:12    2465387

We've had bad leagues under Andy, MOD and Banty but we have always gotten a reaction. Leinster is now all about a reaction, need to win our quarter final and then beat either Westmeath or Louth to show some improvement. Even if we don't we are probably going to make the All Ireland series unless there is a huge upset in Ulster or Munster.

On the league itself, teams figured us out early on. Clare and Cork weren't expecting a kicking game or going direct which caught them out. Derry, Limerick, Louth would have all seen this and decided to sit back against us. Once teams did that we didn't have a plan B.

Most teams also racked up heavy points tallys against us. At the start you would expect it with a whole new fullback line and very average half backs protecting them but there has been very little of an improvement.

Clare, Cork, Louth all put it up to Dublin and Derry who were the favourites, we didn't and both games were over at half time.

We still lack a marquee forward, Walsh, Morris, Costello, Lenihan and O Reilly all blow hot and cold. This is probably the last we see of Lenihan in a meath Jersey.

I'm not going to be all doom and gloom, there has been improvements around midfield, Adam O Neill is a great find but we have a lot more questions on this team and management need to answer them fast.

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 403 - 26/03/2023 21:09:29    2466913

BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 997 - 27/03/2023 12:01:58    2467019