Lads in fairness if we had a time machine and brought back Liam Harnan to 6 it wouldn't make a difference.

Without a defensive plan/structure even the best will look exposed.

Uncle_Fester (Meath) - Posts: 217 - 01/07/2015 08:36:47    1745748

Uncle fester

nail on the head on that one..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 09:04:43    1745753

Ziggy -

Whether Kevin Reilly feels he is fit to play or not is irrelevant - every player wants to play especially one who may well be in his last season, MOD and his selectors pick the team ! I actually don't expect K Reilly to be named in the team vs Tyrone at all judging by his physical state as he hobbled off the pitch on Sunday and I think it is pointless suggesting Tormey as a midfield option, he simply doesn't have the engine for the position and he too should have been substituted earlier on Sunday as he offered zero support to Rooney for much of the match.I have been an advocate of Tobin as a midfield option for some time but MOD has continued to opt for the traditional midfield option right though the O'Byrne Cup and League, look at the number of possessions Sharry has last Sunday and I don't remember him pulling off any spectacular catches. Similiarly he has persisted with DK at centre back when it has ben obvious he is not nearly as effective there as he is at corner back and actually has only weakened his overall confidence. I think he should have persisted with either Harnan or Power at 6 during the early part of the season and look to the future - we haven't had an effective centre back for many many years !!

Royal_Rover (Meath) - Posts: 72 - 01/07/2015 10:22:05    1745812

They need to get the midfield pairing right this time, as well as preventing Sean Kavanagh and Peter Harte dictating play. That means no player who is less than 100% match fit should play. Thankfully no double marking of Stephen O'Neill required this year.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 01/07/2015 11:04:47    1745841

It's crying out for donnacha Tobin to be pushed up as the legs in midfield....if he doesn't play in the middle third then he shouldn't play at all cause he's not intercounty man marker. A brilliant wing back/midfielder he is tho. Another example of the many players being played out of possition. Menton maybe too midfield either cause his defensive frailties were exposed when ran at the other day. Keoghan..Reilly..mcentee..Tobin...tormey..menton...Harnan all played out of possition Sunday....harnan maybe not, we don't know where he plays at this stage, he did I do well in the league at 11 tho. This is simple stuff, no elaborate system going to make a blind bit of difference unless lads are playing where there comfortable and able

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 914 - 01/07/2015 11:40:18    1745861

southmeathgael

Thing is,we have been saying this for sometime.Micko will not change that now.

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 12:53:26    1745945

ZIGGY
Yes you have been saying for months.Whats interesting is I wrote last Wednesday that orourke played on the probable team last Tuesday in training and Thursday and that Gillespie had increased his workload considerably.I have stood by micko with confidence from what I was hearing from a very reliable source and my posts over the last year prove these points.
Now im totally confused o rourke played midfield last night for 50 mins and was excellent .Could him and Gillespie not have come on for last 20 mins and believe me they would have closed game out.
LET ME KNOW YOUR TAUGHTS ZIGGY

tampa (Meath) - Posts: 54 - 01/07/2015 13:04:43    1745955

tampa

yeah just see that O'Rourke played last night alright.I would also suggest that he is fitter than Kev Reilly to be honest.I always give managers a chance,but the man has not brought the experience of last season on.The team are still not fit enough.He is actually ruining some players confidence by playing them out of position,and again no work on a defensive structure.I honestly thought he would learn,and I am very disappointed,because it has now wasted a year.Also he keeps making the excuse that we have a young team,but many teams are young and likely he will lose Bray and Reilly next year,but ofcourse he won't be about..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 13:32:14    1745982

tampa

Surely SOR would have been a better option than Joey..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 13:33:34    1745986

Defensive plan and structure! Bring Liam harnan and Darren fay back!!!

When Westmeath had the bit between there teeth last Sunday and were coming down the tracks at full throttle ..the best plan of defences and would have won the game is if one of our players lay on the ground rolling in imaginary pain for a couple of minutes.. It would have taken the sting and momentum out of it for Westmeath players.. We would have got our composure back,its what Leinster rugby did for years when they felt a momentum shift, cuteness bloody cuteness that's all!

WhyTheLongFace (Meath) - Posts: 896 - 01/07/2015 14:11:19    1746012

I presume Jamie Queeney was on the bench last Sunday. I've given away my match programme! He would have offered some physicality and experience around the middle, for the final few minutes.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 01/07/2015 15:45:50    1746081

It is baffling how Meath have conceded so much in the two championship games when you consider that they had the best defensive record in Division 2 of the league this year. I agree with some posters that a number of our backs are being played out of position. Tobin should be wing back, Keoghan should be corner back. If Kevin Reilly is fit he should be full back or not on the team.
However I think a bigger problem for Meath defensively is the midfield/half forward line. All successful teams at this level must have two midfielders that can cover the whole pitch for 70 mins not just play between the 45's. Menton did this in some of the league games, often man marking the danger man on the opposition such as O Loughlin of Laois and Heslin when we played Westmeath. The team must also have half forwards that can defend deep like Mark McHugh and Ryan McHugh do for Donegal. I would prefer to see a player like Donnacha Tobin given this role for Meath as none of our current wing forwards are willing or able to do it.
The game has moved on folks. Defenders are attackers when they have the ball and attackers are defenders when the opposition has it.

subzero (Meath) - Posts: 69 - 01/07/2015 16:08:58    1746094

Glas

Indeed Queeney was on the bench.Not sure why O'Dowd can bring on Joey,leave Queeney on the bench and moan about lacking experience..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 17:14:41    1746129

subzero

Indeed.. I think Gillespie has been a huge loss,you often see him back in the half back line or even in front of the full back! Essentially he has missed 2 years..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 01/07/2015 17:18:15    1746132

So after the shock of Sunday, only today have I been able to look forward to the Tyrone game, when I first heard we had drawn Tyrone I immediately thought of 2008 when we played limerick and it was a disaster but as the days have passed I feel more optimistic about playing Tyrone, they were the toughest team we could've drawn so hopefully instead of the players thinking about the Westmeath game they can look forward to the big game ahead. with Shane O'rourke and possibly Conor Gillespie to come back for this game I can't help but think that the quality of players we have we can't lose this game.

Tyrone are a pale shadow of the team they once were, while I still believe our team is an up and coming team. The way our forwards played in the first half against Westmeath impressed me a lot, it was the best display by the forwards in a long time. I know we wont have as much space up front against Tyrone but we have the players who can run at them, id put Eamon Wallace at wing forward and let him run at them like he did in 2013. I think if all our forwards click on the day they could cause Tyrone serious problems.

As far as our defence goes I cant help but think that MOD was looking to play free flowing football against Wicklow and Westmeath because he thought we'd get over them handy enough playing that way. we had the best defensive record in the league, after our defence got destroyed by Galway MOD seemed to tighten up the defence considerably with a form of a blanket defence which appeared effective, I think that MOD was maybe keeping this defence plan for Dublin so to surprise them with it in a way because they wouldn't have seen us playing that way against Wicklow or Westmeath, so if this was the case hopefully he can use this plan against Tyrone so they're forwards don't do as much damage.

Hopefully the players can get their heads right after the Westmeath game and if they can I think Meath are very capable of beating Tyrone, its only a case of whether meath are in the mood to beat them on the day.

meathalltheway (Meath) - Posts: 789 - 01/07/2015 19:01:28    1746190

Bitterly disappointing in Sunday and lots of blame to go round. If we had won the match we would be focussing more on the positives and there was a lot. We played great meath football and should have do sighed the game off. We didn't and that game back to haunt us.
We can beat Tyrone. Not easy but sooner or later the chips have to fall our way and I believe we will win. #anmhiabu

Meathmen (Meath) - Posts: 73 - 01/07/2015 19:20:19    1746201

dreading next saturday. cant see us scoring much against a very defensive ulster team, and cant see us coping with our very weak defence. how you can concede 6-31 in 2 championship matches in football is beyond me. and its not like we were playing the dubs or kerry we were playing the average enough westmeath and lowly wicklow.

niallermcna99 (Meath) - Posts: 7 - 01/07/2015 19:21:35    1746203

Now you're talking meathalltheway! I'm certain meath will give Tyrone a good rattle.

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1794 - 01/07/2015 19:41:07    1746216

meathmen. you say we played great meath football,yet i dont remember any great meath teams of the past conceding 3-19 against a team that have never beaten us before.

niallermcna99 (Meath) - Posts: 7 - 01/07/2015 19:53:16    1746220

Sure it'll be good practise for next years div 2 league if nothing else

royalpainter (Meath) - Posts: 874 - 01/07/2015 21:07:06    1746248