RR (Meath) - Posts: 165 - 26/03/2023 19:34:53    2466874

ORourke clearly hasn't a breeze what he's at, was never qualified for the job but noone else would have it......but again players get a free ride, bar 4 or 5 of them they should be ashamed of themselves. These aren't 5 year olds, show some personal responsibility for your own performances and don't hide behind management. Really pathetic representation of our jersey the last 5 games.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 937 - 26/03/2023 19:46:14    2466877

What can I say. I have never seen Meath this low. I went to the terraces today and was surrounded by Meath people from every part of the county. Some of the words used by them. Heartless clueless managerless and embarrassing. The wheels have came off big time. Yes mcentee brand of football wasn't great but at least the players looked like they bought into it. Even mod style the players bought into it. But the players either don't care or don't believe what management are doing. Apart from a few and I particularly want to single out Ronan jones for special mention as someone who actually played with pride and drive.
The questions for management are numerous, including what is our game plan, do we actually have 1? Why is our defense so poor ? Harnan is not a full back yet had to fill in there after flood was getting roasted. All this while the best fb in county sits at home twiddling his thumbs, Jordan Morris is frustrating but he deserves his spot on the panel at the very least why is he not in it ? Where's Shane mcentee as an impact sub ? Time and again we gave up silly possession , why haven't we come up with some plan to get around mass defence? Why did an average Kildare team run rings round us ? Why isn't lenihane starting if he's designated free taker. Why are we so unfit, and why does our manager just stand looking bewildered with his arms folded?
Let's can a spade a spade here. Cb need to call in management team this week and ask what the hell is going on , who or what can they get to help them out going forward. The general consensus today among Meath fans was that if we don't show signs of improvement then we shouldn't wait 2 years to rectify it and as one man put it to me we can't let the u20s into this sort of carryon. We really were made a show of today by a very average Kildare team missing some of their best players for a lot of the match.
I don't know what can be done. But the fact is we aren't great by any means but by Jesus we better than we have been playing like.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/03/2023 20:24:12    2466898

LilywhiteGael (Kildare) - Posts: 113 - 26/03/2023 20:29:58    2466900

This is as bad as its ever been,COR judgment on player's abilities seriously have to be looked at,he has brought in new and brought back several player's that are absolutely nowhere near the standard required,player's that are at home for one reason or another are far superior player's,we are a mid table division 3 team at best,sad time's

Utdroyal (Meath) - Posts: 65 - 26/03/2023 20:42:23    2466905

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 596 - 26/03/2023 20:48:33    2466907

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/03/2023 20:59:00    2466910

Meath so easy to play against. All you need to do is defend in numbers and let Meath get to the opponents 45, potter about for a minute or two before they lose possession and break in numbers on them. I know we were bad under McEntee but this was different levels altogether, if Kildare could shoot it could have been 10/15 point defeat.

AthboyCelt (Meath) - Posts: 148 - 26/03/2023 21:10:20    2466915

For years on this page when Andy McEntee was getting slated I said that Meath supporters needed to be realistic about the talent level in the county and what it is currently capable of. I got told the players were there, well we've brought in a raft of new players and have finished with our lowest points total in division 2 since Banty's time. I was told Andy ignored players from North Meath and smaller clubs, our entire full back line is North Meath, two of them from non senior clubs and it's been exposed. I was told we weren't giving our forwards a chance with our running game. This league we played a kicking game and scored 107 total (averaged 12.8 in our last 5) Andy's team scored 103 in division 1 against way better teams and got abuse for it. I'm hopeful that now it is appreciated where we are really at. With the team playing well and going great we are somewhere between 8-12 in Ireland. When going badly we are 15-20. That is the reality and no manager would change it. On the one positive note people gave out about midfield, since Flynn came back it's definitely been our best line. In the last 2 games where the application and workrate has been lacking Jones and Flynn have worked their arses off, threw themselves into tackles and fought for balls like their lives depended on it, unlike their teammates. Maybe that might answer another myth that was thrown around under the previous manager that Dunboyne and Ratoath lads were soft and didn't show pride in the Meath jersey like guys from small clubs. Because they're the only ones I can see who could hold their hand up and say they're giving it their all.

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1523 - 26/03/2023 21:10:52    2466917

grahamc9897 (Meath) - Posts: 1175 - 26/03/2023 21:26:48    2466924

Another very poor performance from Meath again today but I didn't have too much hope with how the recent games have been going. A disappointing league campaign where we finished with the same number of wins as last year while playing an extra game away from home.
It was clear to see last year that this team was on the decline under McEntee. A lot of our better players are finished up playing or have seen better days.
We had a very bad league and championship last year. A few goals against Wicklow papered over the cracks, we received a hammering against Dublin and then got knocked out of the championship by a very average Clare.
Some posters are coming on here saying we have gone way back which isn't really true from where we were last year.
The players that have come in are not yet at the required standard for inter county level and might never be.
O'Rourke does need to look at setting the team up better and will have time over the next few weeks to come up with a plan but this current team is not capable of achieving too much and we need to hope we can build for the future.

Maestro (Meath) - Posts: 584 - 26/03/2023 21:30:24    2466926

What can I say.Went to Newbridge hoping we could spring a result or even an improved performance but got neither.We cant kickpass the ball,we cant shoot (score) we keep going sideways and backwards and coughing up cheap possession.Taking shots from near impossible angles so frustrating.We get the ball up to the 45 and meet a blanket and we dont know what to do.When we did kick it long we were out in front but then lost it again.How many hospital passes do we give I counted 3/4 at least were we put one of our lads in a position to get nailed and they did get nailed.Listen to COR after the game he did say our shooting has got worse through the league.He said Meath people need to look further down the line.I would really love it to work for him but we have got worse as the league has gone on.It was a hard watch today and speaking to some Kildare folk they said Kildare are not in a good place but let's be Frank easily saw off this Meath team.Postives from today probably as other people put Ronan jones never stopped, Cosstello will be key going forward but cant think of anymore, maybe Lenihan on the frees that's about it.I thought our kickouts were good v Dublin and I said so on here but today they were shaky to say the least and better team would have punished us on them.Backs way to loose and forwards poor wayward shooting.Four weeks till Offaly or Longford so hopefully they can work on things in training and we get the lads back from injury and go from there.

Proudroyal (Meath) - Posts: 294 - 26/03/2023 21:49:35    2466936

Diego (Meath) - Posts: 1205 - 26/03/2023 22:02:03    2466948

Listening to Colm's interview and honestly it left me more worried. He seemed to care more about what Cora Staunton said last week than anything else. Just to clarify just cause you go 3 points down early does not mean you abandon a game plan and go man to man.
But you know what ? I and everyone else will let it pass, he needs to forget about what anyone says on SG, or writes about, just focus on getting a game plan together, one where the games aren't effectively over by halftime, one where there is clear instructions to players. A clear plan A and a back up plan. There is little doubt we are worse than we were when he took over, and tbh he is dicing with danger should we end up in tailteann. There is rumours of disquiet among some players . And the last thing I think any supporter wants is to have conflict within a group.
The good will towards Colm will only go so far. No one is expecting a Leinster or all ire but we are expecting a bare minimum of standard of play and attitude. That lays firmly with management. And if that is not there in year one I don't know what it will be like in year 2.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/03/2023 09:04:10    2466969

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/03/2023 09:06:26    2466970

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/03/2023 09:09:38    2466972

Our full back line and our defence in general was embarrassingly bad yesterday (and throughout the league). Countless times, our defenders were turned with ease, would give a Kildare player a good yard or two of space to get a shot away or would simply be ball watching and allow their man to drift into space to easily receive a pass. That was a poor Kildare team whose best forwards only came on in the second half. And we made it all too easy for them. The lack of urgency and lack of basic skills was embarrassing at times. Even fans of Kildare around me, who by their own admission have been woeful at times, were amazed at how poor we were.

In all four divisions, only Limerick, Antrim and Longford have conceded more than us. And if you discount the goals that we've gotten, we've roughly averaged just 10 points per game. From a quick look, only London and Waterford have scored fewer points than us in all 4 divisions. That is abysmal whatever way you look at it. Right now, teams know that if they keep us from getting goals, they're almost certainly going to beat us because we're certainly not going to beat anyone on points alone.

Assuming we get Offaly in the Leinster quarter final, I honestly cannot see how we're winning that. And if we manage to drop into the All Ireland proper, we will be hockeyed in every single game we play. Even if we're in the Tailteann Cup, I can't see us making inroads.

Ratoath Royal (Meath) - Posts: 1374 - 27/03/2023 10:29:04    2466987

Royal.1 (Meath) - Posts: 29 - 27/03/2023 11:22:41    2466997

houndinbound (Meath) - Posts: 22 - 27/03/2023 11:28:54    2467001

As well, lenihan ended the league as one of our highest scorers, but played less minutes than morris, moriarty etc

Just doesn't make sense to me that he was never given a proper go out there he clearly added an improvement when he came off the bench. Don't think fitness is an issue with him he always looked sharp and in good shape.

Our criticism of mcentee playing center back last few years seems harsh now as well after seeing what the other options there was without him. I'm guilty of the criticism as well.

Royal.1 (Meath) - Posts: 29 - 27/03/2023 11:31:38    2467003