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Meath V Fermanagh

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Bit more reality on here this evening than rest of week, bit of perspective might kick in. Thought meath lacked pace in attack and strange move to take Aaron Lynch off. After Cork, donegal and Armagh, won't be too much between teams in division 2 macca999 (Fermanagh) - Posts: 1142 - 27/01/2024 21:37:20 2522511 Link
Replying To IamADragon: "Cavan destroy the second best team in Leinster while Meath scrap a draw against the second worst team in Ulster. As you were." Second best team in Leinster at the moment is Louth. Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 911 - 27/01/2024 21:42:13 2522512 Link
Some players lasted too long on the pitch, Hickey and O' Connor, but especially Jack Flynn. Hopefully depending on Sigerson cup Shane Walsh can start on Saturday v Armagh Royal.1 (Meath) - Posts: 29 - 27/01/2024 21:43:02 2522513 Link
Lads we are making excuses for this lad starting and that lad starting but in reality we look devoid of ideas in attack, Shane walsh is only getting back fit, we don't have a X factor in attack that scares opposition defences. We are far to passive in defence. Fermanagh are well set up but in reality they are a poor ulster team. We need more contact in defence and more line breaking up the top end. Hopefully we get that in armagh otherwise we will struggle unfortunately CMAN1570 (Meath) - Posts: 56 - 27/01/2024 22:22:05 2522526 Link
Replying To contributingtoamelee: "It is an excuse though, look at Monaghan tonight, they're two best players not playing and they go to the all ireland champions and get a result. You don't see Vinney Corey moaning about it, he just gets on with it and finds solutions. Whenever we loose O'Rourke has an excuse lined up, instead of just admitting that we weren't prepared for the blanket of defense and we had absolutely no game plan for their best player Ultan Kelm." Agree to some extent, have to say Monaghan were well worth the win and have several top class players. However, we were very inexperienced in defence and badly missed Ryan and Harnan, include Gray, McEntee, O Sullivan and one or two more experienced lads and finding solutions becomes more difficult. Sigerson lads have a heavy workload, expected to play a different style/system midweek, then return to county panel and be expected to be 100% for weekend game. Some posters think its an excuse but its just a fact of todays game. COR would be better served by no bringing it up again and again, it will do him no favours. We have a young team, many of which go to college but he was well aware of this in advance. The blanket defence has been our downfall for years now and it looks like we will continue to struggle for foreseeable future. seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 27/01/2024 22:29:23 2522529 Link
Replying To Sheridan2010louth: "Not starting Diarmuid Moriarty is absolutley criminal. If Andy mcentee made these strange selection decisions there would be outrage, also James Conlon on the panel over Cathal Finnegan. Totally bizarre to me." Think Moriarty picked up an injury in midweek game. seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2195 - 27/01/2024 22:34:32 2522531 Link
Replying To Sheridan2010louth: "Not starting Diarmuid Moriarty is absolutley criminal. If Andy mcentee made these strange selection decisions there would be outrage, also James Conlon on the panel over Cathal Finnegan. Totally bizarre to me." Moriarty was injured playing Sigerson. Poor form saying it was 'criminal' that he didn't start when he is in fact carrying a knock. Roger (Meath) - Posts: 478 - 27/01/2024 22:40:16 2522533 Link
If we can't beat Fermanagh lads the Armagh and Donegal games are a complete write off it's been like this for years against low blocks every time we play anyone who's sit back we always struggle don't know if it's down to lack of coaching or just don't have the players to break down teams 9774739191637399 (Meath) - Posts: 18 - 27/01/2024 23:58:50 2522541 Link
And this college excuse needs to be thrown in the bin colm needs to improve asap or we will be playing division 3 next season 9774739191637399 (Meath) - Posts: 18 - 28/01/2024 00:00:27 2522542 Link
Replying To Roger: "Moriarty was injured playing Sigerson. Poor form saying it was 'criminal' that he didn't start when he is in fact carrying a knock." If he was Injured, why did he come on? Selwyn (Meath) - Posts: 383 - 28/01/2024 00:03:40 2522543 Link
Replying To Ollie2: "Second best team in Leinster at the moment is Louth." You're right buck Selwyn (Meath) - Posts: 383 - 28/01/2024 00:04:37 2522545 Link
It will be up on a year soon since Meath last won a league game. BigJoe14 (Meath) - Posts: 997 - 28/01/2024 07:44:42 2522555 Link
Well that was terrible. Over 20 years of blanket defense been used and every Meath team still look like deer caught in headlights as If it's the first time they've ever seen it. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. And let's be honest they ain't even that good at it. Point 2, if I hear sigerson excuse after excuse again Jesus Christ every team is the same, you don't hear any other manager or supporters banging on about it. Look at Derry they played the Glen lads against Kerry less than a week after winning club all ire and celebrating for at least a few days. We were too slow to make changes. Flynn wasn't having a good game and needed to be taken off lot sooner, same for hickey and O'Connor, in first half we gave away soft frees by lazy tackling that a better team with the wind would have put over, It's funny that those who say this is Colm's team etc are very quite on the same errors that plagued mcentees team, passing to opposing players, running into blind alleyways, giving up possession cheaply, not looking up when having the ball. I'll pick out one example , we turned over the ball I think it was Costello (open to correction) their GK out and I believe Lynch with him, a good punt pass and we had a goal. Instead wait too long for the pass and they get back. There is many other examples I could use as in the 3 to one incident towards the end. Eivers (I'm not looking up how to spell his name) was let go from Meath set up he walked out of navan straight to Donegal I was told yesterday, if that is true then why did that happen? Garrigan similar, we were promised a top class coach by Colm and by everyone on cb ran with same line. Why was frayne taken off when game in melting pot ? The only forward who had shown ability to score , yes he should have passed to player in better position that would have probably ended in a goal, but that's something you address in post match not whip him off. The backs, donal keoghan is a phenomenon the shift he put in was spectacular. But a one man defence isn't going to work. While we have solid defenders sitting at home twiddling their thumbs. It is not too late to bring in someone to add to sideline, Colm can still give out about sigerson and call for dubs to be split in two etc he can still be the face of the sideline while we have someone working with the team to improve them , we can't let this generation of players (best in number of years) fail to at least make the top 8 in country. Colm stated all through last years league that next year we would see huge improvements in league. Now it's only 1 game, but I haven't seen anything different than I have for past 10 years (gk maybe but that was sorted as cor came in) We move on to Armagh , we need to lay down a marker louth didn't shirk neither should we. As always. Hon the royal royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/01/2024 08:34:17 2522559 Link
Replying To Ollie2: "Second best team in Leinster at the moment is Louth." Exactly Ollie. royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/01/2024 08:38:43 2522561 Link
Replying To BigJoe14: "It will be up on a year soon since Meath last won a league game." Wow I hadn't thought about that. A year since we beat a division 2 ranked team in either league or championship. I'm trying my hardest to reserve judgement on improvement until after game 4. But that stat is a damning one of where we have fallen. The TC playing div 3/4 teams might have covered over a serious problem. That this year may come to the fore. royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/01/2024 08:44:32 2522565 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "Wow I hadn't thought about that. A year since we beat a division 2 ranked team in either league or championship. I'm trying my hardest to reserve judgement on improvement until after game 4. But that stat is a damning one of where we have fallen. The TC playing div 3/4 teams might have covered over a serious problem. That this year may come to the fore." Agree totally tbh - I still think the way the management and team turned around last year to win the Tailteann Cup was admirable, and they have credit in the bank for me anyway, but yes I think you're right, winning 2/3 games in this division along with yesterday's draw might be the optimal outcome for this team. I think we always knew that deep down as well. I tend to agree with Ollie as well about Louth, and I would think that out of Meath, Kildare, Louth, Westmeath, Longford and Offaly, there isnt a whole lot between any of them on the day in Leinster. I also really have to admit I dont care for thinking of the game in the provincial mindset anymore but thats just me personally. Remember, we have a ticket into the Last 16 in Sam from winning the TC. For my mind, a progressive year would be staying in Division 2, beat Longford in Pearse Park in Leinster and have a pop at Dublin, then aim at a win in the round of 16 All-Ireland series. If this team could pull off a championship win at that level they could find themselves in the last 8, where again, they have a free shot. If they found themselves in a group with a Roscommon, Cork, Donegal etc, Id give them a puncher's chance. Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 596 - 28/01/2024 09:31:14 2522575 Link
One other thing. Their number 13. By far best player on show yesterday (and since keoghan was brilliant that's saying something). Why didn't we change things ? No man marking. Everyone could see he was destroying us yet no change , you can't know what's gonna happen before a game starts but when something is unfolding in real time in front of ur eyes and you do nothing about it. That's where the problems lay. I mean if we tried man marking and our lad got roasted well then fair enough but at least we tried. royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/01/2024 09:34:57 2522576 Link
Replying To Young_gael: "Agree totally tbh - I still think the way the management and team turned around last year to win the Tailteann Cup was admirable, and they have credit in the bank for me anyway, but yes I think you're right, winning 2/3 games in this division along with yesterday's draw might be the optimal outcome for this team. I think we always knew that deep down as well. I tend to agree with Ollie as well about Louth, and I would think that out of Meath, Kildare, Louth, Westmeath, Longford and Offaly, there isnt a whole lot between any of them on the day in Leinster. I also really have to admit I dont care for thinking of the game in the provincial mindset anymore but thats just me personally. Remember, we have a ticket into the Last 16 in Sam from winning the TC. For my mind, a progressive year would be staying in Division 2, beat Longford in Pearse Park in Leinster and have a pop at Dublin, then aim at a win in the round of 16 All-Ireland series. If this team could pull off a championship win at that level they could find themselves in the last 8, where again, they have a free shot. If they found themselves in a group with a Roscommon, Cork, Donegal etc, Id give them a puncher's chance." That's a fair assessment. But then 2 years in are we in a worse or better situation? Then before Colm came in. Look everyone here thinks I have something personal against Colm. Nothing could be further from the truth. I idolised him as a player. I just don't think he is the right man for the job at this time. I think after sean stepped down he should have been handed the job without any questions and I believe he would have made a huge success of it. But football has moved on dramatically since those times. And I honestly believe Colm hasn't, and his back room doesn't seem to have the necessary modern day approach that is needed. I honestly believe we are settling for average or below average results when the players are there to better if better coached and managed. That is my only concern. Is there anyone out there who could set this team up differently ? Surely Obric and Gillespie are front runners going forward. But what about Brennan? Maybe he is the man. I don't know. But something has to change. If we are to improve even slightly then I think we need someone in asap. royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 28/01/2024 10:08:53 2522588 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "One other thing. Their number 13. By far best player on show yesterday (and since keoghan was brilliant that's saying something). Why didn't we change things ? No man marking. Everyone could see he was destroying us yet no change , you can't know what's gonna happen before a game starts but when something is unfolding in real time in front of ur eyes and you do nothing about it. That's where the problems lay. I mean if we tried man marking and our lad got roasted well then fair enough but at least we tried." The frustrating thing is that there doesn't seem to be a huge amount of progression over the winter months in adding many to the panel especially defensively when we are without Harnan and Ryan for the start of this campaign. If anything defensively we are not as strong personel wise as last year with limited backup options. Also the forward line still has some personal involved that are unlikely to cut it based on last year's performances but again slow to make changes here. The introduction of Frayne, a fit Shane Walsh and perhaps Moriarty should improve things but Frayne was taken off and other two not started in a must win game?Moriarty and Finnegan were actually form forwards in O Byrne cup and surprised Finnegan wasn't on bench. I think staying in Div 2 is as good as it'll be league wise and maybe get a few players from u20s plus injured lads back before genuine improvement can even begin. winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 28/01/2024 11:03:18 2522596 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "One other thing. Their number 13. By far best player on show yesterday (and since keoghan was brilliant that's saying something). Why didn't we change things ? No man marking. Everyone could see he was destroying us yet no change , you can't know what's gonna happen before a game starts but when something is unfolding in real time in front of ur eyes and you do nothing about it. That's where the problems lay. I mean if we tried man marking and our lad got roasted well then fair enough but at least we tried." Were fermanagh vulnerable to the high ball? bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1807 - 28/01/2024 11:13:31 2522601 Link