Replying To sourmilk93:  "Anyone able tell me when the last time Meath played a game where McEntee wasnt crying about the officals? Has it ever happened?"

Replying To royaldunne:  "The lies been spouted about McGill is disgusting tbh. A man who gave everything to the county. For him to be slandered by trolling keyboard warriors is beneath contempt at this stage. And all to blame mcentee as Colm walks on water in their eyes. It has comic value but when they try to take the name of the BEST FULLBACK in county it gets too much. Poisoned trolling at its finest. You have the wonder were they the type of people to write letters to previous management and their families. Doesn't seem beneath them looking at the rubbish they wrote here."

Replying To Young_gael:  "Another decade over. The GAA has always based its eras off of the measurement of the decade. The 2010s firmly belonged to Dublin. Likely the most one-sided decade in the game's history, a phenomenal team with no clear signs of slowing down into the 20s. It was also an era that will forever be pockmarked by the scourge of overtly defensive, bordering on negative tactics, practically unwatchable at all levels bar a few very competitive sides from Ulster. An era where traditionally strong counties, such as ourselves, Cork, Galway, and arguably even Kerry if we look at success in terms of trophies, languished. An era wherein an extremely hungry Mayo captured the hearts of the nation, yet it all added up to squat. An era where rule-changes, player welfare issues, attendance issues, player retention issues, and rampant talk of change and overhaul reigned supreme. Mercifully, its over. Great if you're a Dub, otherwise it will not be missed. There are positive signs of change in the styles of play and the attitudes coming from management within successful counties. There seems to be a gradual emphasis placed upon the fair and balanced funding of the inter-county game and the structure of inter-county competition, de-centralisation of the capital city and county, the super 8s will likely be a short lived venture, but the idea was based off of the right line of thinking. Two or or even three tiered championships are inevitable. The rose-tinted glasses we all put on when addressing the game of antiquities past, namely pre-millenium are just that, rose tinted. The game has changed and is changing and those days are never coming back. We must adapt. If elements of the GAA which oppose these types of change in favour of stoic and cold conservatism and idealisation of the past, and sit idly by collecting their huge profits from 4/5 big games per year, under the pretence that everything is ok, then I genuinely fear for the future of the game. This is a large element of the GAA hierarchy and is even visible at grassroots community level, and I worry about the generation gap and shifting mindset of these people with the up and coming generation, for whom there is a lot of work to be done and the state of the game of football is plain to see. As a Meathman, I believe 2019 to be the best year Ive had following Meath. I am 24 years of age, I was a child of the 90s. I barely remember those old says. This year was the closest Ive seen to the mythologised teams of the past. However as I said earlier, we must move on from that era, not judge these new players off of their heralded fathers and grandfathers. The county has changed. I am proud of that team and the effort they put in all year. They did thenselves proud in the super 8s and Im delighted for the men who received all star nominations. On a bleaker note I also believe that Andy Mc Entee and his management have done an amazing job with that panel of players... their season is a textbook example of a team being better than the sum of its parts. Theyre a good TEAM. Theyre to be admired and held up because lets be honest, us Meath supporters are a fussy lot and these lads are placed under massive pressure, it cant be easy hearing overweight, raunchy 50 year olds who barely kicked a ball in their lives calling you useless because you aren't John McDermott. It cant be easy reading national media expressing similar messages. So, Meath 2020, what does the future hold? What lies ahead? Whats the next step? Btw apologies for my inactivity over the last few months, glad to be back."

Replying To Crinigan:  "Sorry lads, hate to say it but the final 15 minutes when the game was there to be taken was a shocking indictment of this management team. Leaving aside all the tactical shortcomings discussed daily here, wtf were they doing with O'SUllivan and McEntee going for vital scores from distance frees while Barry Dardis was kicking his heels on the sideline. I mean it was embarrassing to have no free taker on the pitch at such a vital time. Dardis is exceptional from placed balls (yet has not taken one for Meath since kicking over arguably the greatest free I've ever seen a Meath player kick in Croke Park last summer, 70 yards out, way over on the right) and we had the wind at our backs. What the hell are the management thinking standing there looking at James McEntee kicking a 45? (even Menton kicks them over for his club sometimes). And Eamonn Wallace came on of course because that's what we needed, right? And what does he do? I'll say nothing more. As predictable as night and day."

Replying To MillerX:  "I agree fully with you but to others in the county it does not seem important, for example in last year's Leinster Final a certain player was penalised for a double hop, fair enough one might say but the same player did a double hop in the previous game v Kildare and got away with it. I then stated in a post after the Dublin disaster that team management don't appear to analyze games because if they did this would have been acted on and the mistake avoided in that awful Leinster Final. Some posters took exception to my remarks and said 'it was just a mistake in the heat of the moment' or words to that effect. So there appears very little chance in the near future of taking on board people for specialist roles. Multi tasking will be around for a while yet."

Replying To Furlong1949:  "Thanks for your responses Bobkarlgees and Young_Gael. They are always intelligent thought provoking comments that always give me food for thought. Bobkarlgees regards managers not staying long in jobs that is correct we do see allot of managers coming and going. But there is examples of long term managers . Firstly u have sucessful ones eg O Rourke at Monaghan. Then u have managers trying to build up a traditional county in the doldrums. Kevin Walsh and Cian O Neill are in their 4th years and McGeeney is in his 5th or 6th year in.charge of Armagh. When u build a traditional county from the doldrums it takes years and years of ups and downs bad defeats it is not a quick fix, it is slow long term process. No manager in the history of hurling or football has turned a traditional county around from the doldrums overnight eg Jimmy Barry Murphy, Nicholas English , Sean Boylan and Eugene McGee Mick Dwyer all.took years. The only manager to do it overnight was Kevin Heffernan in 1974 with Dublin but Heffernan had a touch of genius. For me when McEntee took the job it was a 5 or 6 or 7 year job to get Meath back and I have seen nothing yet to say any different. I am very historical driven but my general theory is life keeps repeating itself. Times changes technology advances but human needs and emotions are constant. History just keeps repeating itself. Trump is just another ruder cruder version of Reagan. Man Utd are just repeating the same things that happened after Matt Busby left in late 60s as they are now with Ferguson leaving. The faces change but history repeats itself. Its not exact and not a science but I do think u can get answers from the past. I am very repetitive very past driven and very consistent. What I wrote above in my earlier message u responded to, I said that 2 years ago on this forum and I have said it upteen times since. I said 2 years ago on this forum that McEntees first two years were going to be a write off and we would see improvement in year 3 and Meath would make impact in year 4 and 5 . I said at the start of this year we would get promoted get leinster final but fail to reach super 8 losing to Ulster team like Tyrone. I feel today we have great chance of staying in div 1 next year and if we get 4 home games anc I think we will and we will reach super 8 next year and make a good impact at super 8 next year. Again this all based on age profile of players , McEntee staying in the job. For me we r on target but it will take years. If McEntee leaves I think we r in trouble. There is no obvious quality candidate in the county. We would be looking at another Mick O Dowd inexperienced manager with less sucessful CV..McEntee is the best qualified manager available to us and his stock is rising outside the county. On Off the ball a few weeks ago they were talking about manager of the year leaving Jim Galvin to one side , they said if McEntee gets Meath to super 8 after promotion to div 2 he would be there manager of the year. Of course Anthony Cunningham would be better candidate now but it does show how people view what McEntee is doing in Meath. He is no Sean Boylan. But he our best option and truthfully our only option. He is building something at Meath and for me he will be only half way through the job at end of the season. The key is division 1 football. Nearly every year the last 8 are nearly all division 1 teams. Only 1 team in this decade has reached All Ireland final and were outside division 1 eg Donegal 2014. Mayo have reached 8 All Ireland finals in last 23 years , they have spent every one of those years in div 1. Monaghan have been top 6 team since 2014 they have spent every year in div 1. Donegal have won 1 All Ireland and 5 Ulster in this decade. They have spent nearly every year in div 1. If u stay in div 1 for a few seasons it is a certainty u will become a top 8 team. Division 1 is essential to sucess. Since Boylan left I have being very pessimistic the managers I felt their CVs were not great. Coyler was the only manager I felt had potential and in 2008 I was really hopeful but that year became a nightmare for Meath and Coyle. At the start of 2010 and 2014 I was optimistic but every other year and every other manager since Boylan left I had little faith in. But when McEntee came in I felt had the CV and I felt optimistic. I still am. I still feel we r on target. Regards the system is broken. I would say the system the championship has been broken for generations. But I am in the minority I believe Dublin dominance will soon end. Yes they have gone up a level. And will remain very strong but I believe like kilkenny in next few years there will be change. Every county that had their greatest team the following decade there was a steep decline in counties fortunes. Cavan had greatest team in 40s and 50s the following decade a decline. kildare had their greatest team in 1920s the following decade deline..Mayo had their greatest team in 1950s the following decade decline. Cork hurlers had their greatest hurling team in 1940s and 1950s following decade decline. Tippearey hurlers had their greatest team in 1960s the following decade decline. Offaly had their greatest football team from 1972 to 1982 the following decade decline. Dublin had their greatest team from 1974 to 1985 ( up to the current team )the following decade decline. Down had their greatest team in 1960s the following decade decline. Meath had greatest team in 1980s 1990s following decade decline. kerry had their greatest team in 1970s and 1980s the following decade decline. Kilkenny had their greatest team in 00s the following decade they declined. Dublin have their greatest team in this decade , the following decade ????. Time will tell. But when two teams dominated like Dublin their counties fortune declined and in the following era or decade an era of competitiveness was ushered in . Between 1974 to 1986 Dublin and kerry won 12 of 13 All Irelands, Kerry won 8 and there was 2 contenders for Sam every year. Ten years after kerry won Sam in 1986 there was now yearly 8 or 9 contenders for Sam..And 8 teams won Sam in 10 years in the following ten years between 1990 and 2000. In the 00s kilkenny dominated hurling at unprecedented levels. In 2009 there was 2 All Ireland contenders. Ten years later we have 8 or 9 All Ireland contenders. If u said in 2009 that ten years that kilkenny wouldnt be in top 3 or 4 All-Ireland contenders and Clare Galway and limerick would win liam in the following decade people would have laughed at u. An era of uncompetitveness is followed by an era of competitiveness. look at kerry with minor wins theyre is a All Ireland winning kerry team on horizon. Donegal have an All Ireland win in the current team. Galway Cork Tyrone Mayo are all counties u can see pushing for Sam in next ten years. kildare and Meath have got their act togther at underage and minor and under 20 leinster championship is very competitive. Ask anyone who is involved at underage in Dublin they will tell u Dublin are not producing the talent they were 5 years ago. If this continues it will effect Dublin at senior level in the long term. Yes there is 2 to 3 more All-Irelands in this Dublin team but as the next decade progresses and alot of these Dublin greats retire eg Cluxton, Mcarthy, Sullivan , McMahon etc it should impact. My feeling is in the years 2024 , 2025 , 2026 , 2027 , 2028 , 2029 we will see a very competitive championship with allot of contenders. I could be wrong but anytime a team has dominated the following era is always very different. Time will tell."

Replying To redser123:  "You may bleed green, but do you have a proven successful coaching CV like andy does? Doing unbelievable things with Boden, Meath minors and 1 brilliant year with the meath seniors. Pre Covid we we should have beaten Mayo and donegal in super 8s at least one of them, you cant deny hes been dealt some rotten luck surely? Whether it be Mickey Newmans dodgy Hip, 2 elite prospects heading to AFL clubs, promising young talent breaking bones, I see people blaming Andy for free taking give me a break he cant fix the issues that there is no great free takers in meath bar Mickey Newman"

Replying To Young_gael:  "Ive noticed a stagnation on our forum lately, and on the national forum as well. My question is a simple one, amidst the chaos and upheaval of 2020, county football finally looks to be back on the cards for July; how does Meath, our great traditional county push on and win? How do we go from where we are at present and push on where no Meath team has gone since 1999? Can this panel be the ones to break the deadlock and prove the old anecdote of generations past "You can never write a Meath team off"?"

Replying To royaldunne:  "Btw wouldn't it be great to have a stress free game v Fermanagh? Where we could bring flags horns or whatever and have a party atmosphere, to thank the players and management for a great effort. Jesus that' sounds brilliant."

Replying To Selwyn:  "Christ that's awful negative. We're better than that. Very harsh and inaccurate at times. The one thing I'll agree with is that we are not consistent and lack guile. However, I think the Galway league game was an eye opener to how a game can be won by a team who really didn't deserve to win. It'll probably be a turning point for the team and we'll see a different Meath in that regard. I think we're 4, maybe 5, players away from being and All Ireland finalist. If Dublin's stock comes down, then we could be legitimate All Ireland winners. A Keeper, a Midfielder, a standout forward (Murphy/Clifford level) and 1/2 more consistently scoring forwards. If we can unearth them in the next couple of years we'll be in business. Easier said than done and all that, but it has to be done soon as Keoghan, Menton, Newman are all not far off 30."

Replying To royaldunne:  "Now that the obc is over. It's time to get down to the real business. The push for promotion. Game one we have to win, there is no ifs or buts about it, I think we will win , as we seem a more determined, focused and coherent team than last year. Can't wait. Bring it on. Hon the royal"

Replying To offtheditch:  "I just love this time of year. It's when the Meath supporters get to say all the things there going to do next season, with disregard of how poor they were last season and base it on some god given right because "we are Meath". If only they could back it up with performances. They have to be the most optimistic supporters in the country, although it's a fine line to delusional."

Replying To royaldunne:  "Just home after a 312 km round trip. Very disappointing , let's be honest we are decimated by injuries, I'd say well over half the starting team today wouldn't get on the bench if all fully fit. We never looked like winning the game, and when Tyrone went full on defensive in second half we ran around like headless chickens. We missed someone to put a bit of oumph into the game. Dare I say .... we badly missed graham Reilly. Anyway onwards and hopefully upwards"

Replying To bobkarlgees:  "If Cilllian could use possession better he could be one of the best footballers in the country. He has improved from last year. No reason why he cant improve again. He was great during the league. And if the team gets a few additions the likes ROC Donal lenihan and hopefully Shane Walsh can play again. It will take take a bit of pressure off him."

Replying To Thejoeshow:  "What's the point in following the county? You can pick holes in any form and say that any side was better in championship than league and that we conceded 4-36 despite the very obvious and well reported facts of how the majority of those goals were conceded. I don't understand people from inside the county insisting on putting down the team despite our best year in almost a decade? What is the benefit? Yes 2-3 forwards are hard to find but we have lenihan hopefully back for next year which is one. Is embarrassing when the team get more praise from outside the county then from ourselves"