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Replying To Square_B: "A long trip home for all this evening... any positives at all to be had?" Plenty of positives - plenty of possession- dominated mid field, 2nd half subs made an impact. Main downside we did not take 2ot attempts. Sets us up nicely for Laois game
leitrimabu1 (Leitrim) - Posts: 149 - 03/02/2025 17:42:33
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Replying To Timmy86: "Just watched it there too,they didn't even say mass!!!" I think we need something stronger! Like an archbishop. There was a film called Romero with an archbishop in it. He was played by yer man who played Gomez Addams in yon Addams Family films. I'm watching that on repeat this weekend. I hear he gives good mass.
Tacaí Liatroma (Leitrim) - Posts: 1135 - 03/02/2025 22:52:53
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Wasn't at the game myself but tuned in via Ocean Fm. Whilst our midfield dominated, both these guys could have been utilised in the half forward line and free up space for Mossy Beirne and Shane Moran in the midfield, baffled as to why they weren't pleaded with to give it one last lash before their good years are behind them. Not even going to start my rant about not having Conor Beirne at 14, a joke to leave him at home.
Leitrim01 (Leitrim) - Posts: 21 - 04/02/2025 09:12:05
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Replying To Leitrim01: "Wasn't at the game myself but tuned in via Ocean Fm. Whilst our midfield dominated, both these guys could have been utilised in the half forward line and free up space for Mossy Beirne and Shane Moran in the midfield, baffled as to why they weren't pleaded with to give it one last lash before their good years are behind them. Not even going to start my rant about not having Conor Beirne at 14, a joke to leave him at home." What great humour on a Tuesday morning
DontMindMe (Leitrim) - Posts: 8 - 04/02/2025 12:20:29
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Replying To Leitrim01: "Wasn't at the game myself but tuned in via Ocean Fm. Whilst our midfield dominated, both these guys could have been utilised in the half forward line and free up space for Mossy Beirne and Shane Moran in the midfield, baffled as to why they weren't pleaded with to give it one last lash before their good years are behind them. Not even going to start my rant about not having Conor Beirne at 14, a joke to leave him at home." Was watched well on radio! A number of years ago since Conor Beirne lined out for Leitrim.
Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3526 - 04/02/2025 12:32:39
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Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year.
ThePowerhouse (Leitrim) - Posts: 156 - 04/02/2025 12:43:26
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Replying To ThePowerhouse: "Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year." great post
TJH (Sligo) - Posts: 66 - 04/02/2025 12:55:48
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Replying To Leitrim01: "Wasn't at the game myself but tuned in via Ocean Fm. Whilst our midfield dominated, both these guys could have been utilised in the half forward line and free up space for Mossy Beirne and Shane Moran in the midfield, baffled as to why they weren't pleaded with to give it one last lash before their good years are behind them. Not even going to start my rant about not having Conor Beirne at 14, a joke to leave him at home." Unfortunately most of our best players are at home. If the best players in Leitrim came out and played we'd be competing for connacht championships. Until that happens we've no chance.
Would it be worth giving Emlyn Mulligan a call? I know he's playing his club football in Sligo now but hopefully we can look past that. The new two pointer enhancement/rule/regulation/adaptation would suit his style of play. We badly need shooters like him.
I can't wait to see all of my fellow fans down in Ballinamore at the weekend. The weather is promised dry so it should be a good day out. It was great catching up down in Ennis. What a brilliant day out we had!
southleitrim_mafia (Leitrim) - Posts: 123 - 04/02/2025 13:47:09
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Replying To ThePowerhouse: "Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year." Agree 100%.
3rdmidfielder (Australia) - Posts: 360 - 04/02/2025 13:51:02
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Replying To ThePowerhouse: "Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year." Extremely negative post. Poacher and the lads tried their best at the weekend and died on their shields. Were you even at the game? Us real fans were there in support and had a great day out. Oh sorry are we not allowed to enjoy a day out to Ennis or the capital?
Problem is our best players are at home. Young lads these days are too interested in their phones and social media that's the real problem. They are too addicted to looking good and going out to have any time for football. You wouldn't have seen the great Packy McGarty scrolling in TikTack.
I'd also like to congratulate Declan Bohan on his appointment. Hopefully he can do as good as a job as Stenson.
southleitrim_mafia (Leitrim) - Posts: 123 - 04/02/2025 14:11:44
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Replying To southleitrim_mafia: "Extremely negative post. Poacher and the lads tried their best at the weekend and died on their shields. Were you even at the game? Us real fans were there in support and had a great day out. Oh sorry are we not allowed to enjoy a day out to Ennis or the capital?
Problem is our best players are at home. Young lads these days are too interested in their phones and social media that's the real problem. They are too addicted to looking good and going out to have any time for football. You wouldn't have seen the great Packy McGarty scrolling in TikTack.
I'd also like to congratulate Declan Bohan on his appointment. Hopefully he can do as good as a job as Stenson." Agree with parts of both posts.
Poacher already getting the blame game going after RD1 to save his job and to look good, all about him.
Had better players training who dropped off the panel for one reason or another. Fair enough if they get relegated but it's how you go down. All is not well in the camp
williesboy (Leitrim) - Posts: 452 - 04/02/2025 14:39:36
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Our defence was poor, too slow to transition up the field, quick ball was always important but now more so then ever.
i don't blame Poacher but he has to learn from this defeat and change tactics. we haven't the defenders to carry the ball out. the players did their best and are brave enough to put their hand up are be picked, its not easy.
until our underage is right we aren't going anywhere, our schools A team were beaten well enough too in the last week, thats not good enough either, we've a lot of tunnel when it comes to underage county teams and i don't believe we spread the net wide enough. we aren't to win an all ireland minor but what we should be doing is coaching bigger groups at underage especially u14 up. i believe the county minor panel currently has 35 players on it, this is good, and helps develop lads better.
underage is key.
meathbasedfan (Leitrim) - Posts: 138 - 04/02/2025 15:48:32
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Replying To ThePowerhouse: "Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year." I agree 100% with everything you say.
joeman123 (Leitrim) - Posts: 527 - 04/02/2025 16:32:20
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Replying To ThePowerhouse: "Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year." The Powerhouse, agree with you fully. 100% accurate in everything you said, I've been banging that drum here when Andy was in charge. Until we realise that the lads around for the senior panel now are a dead duck the better, put anyone in charge of them and you'd get the same results as the current set up. Pump the money into the underage forget about senior for the next 8/10years it's back to div 4 this year and sure we might get a day out to croke park in 2028 and a supermacs on Ballinalack on the way home and that will do us. Underage is where it's at small improvements more coaching and bring them the whole way through. Forget about blowing the budget on the senior team, saying it for years here zero point.
Taytofoley83 (Leitrim) - Posts: 23 - 04/02/2025 18:12:46
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Replying To ThePowerhouse: "Obviously not surprised at the Clare result. If you expected any different then you're either deluded or have very little knowledge of the state of adult football in the county. Most likely you're in both categories. Those who raved about our senior final(s) are a case in point. Exciting games? Yes. High quality? No.
Another example was the league final against Laois. The prize wasn't getting to the final and playing in Croke Park. We were supposed to try and win it. Of course the build up and the aftermath was dominated by people expressing their excitement about a day out in Dublin. It shows how out of touch some people are with reality when they're still getting excited about heading to Dublin.
Our women's team showed how pathetic this attitude was. No excuses, go and win the damn thing. Who cares whether its Croke park or St. Osnats you're playing in. They showed there was a job to do first and that was the priority. Giving our supporter's "a day out" was not the priority.
If you say it as it is, you're classed as being negative or not a real supporter. Instead, we're expected to all play along and wait with bated breath for the latest instalment of someone's trip to the game and who they met along the way. Give me strength!
I'm glad that Poacher is upfront about it being a rebuilding process instead of trying to fill the masses with nonsense. I don't see it as him getting in the excuses early. It's realistic. Last years team may have got to within 7 or 8 points of Clare at best.
The lads that committed this year are to be commended. It is a huge commitment and I genuinely hope that in time they get some kind of reward for their efforts. The lads that have stepped away and got their lives back are also to be commended. I am very grateful that they put their young lives on hold for us.
It doesn't take away from the fact that we have a major problem in that lads will inevitably come to that decision and will conclude that it's not worth it. As it stands, there's no other conclusion.
The irony is that the same supporters who won't countenance any criticism of Leitrim GAA are the same ones who will expect miracles from Poacher and expected miracles from his predecessors. They refuse to acknowledge that by the time lads are due to move into senior football its too late. The damage was done when these lads were 10 and 11 years of age. We didn't have the systems or pathway in place to produce inter county footballers.Can we produce good footballers? Absolutely. Are they good enough to play inter county? Absolutely. Are they ready to play it now? No. A major difference.
In spite of all this, there are positives. The appointment of Declan Bohan is one. Shane Wards involvement is another major plus. I was delighted to read his comments after the Leitrim schools semi final. We can produce the footballers but they need to be playing in higher quality competitions to progress as footballers. I've said it before, our football is too diluted. We have very good footballers mixed in with very poor footballers. The very good ones need to be playing with and against each other more often. There is ample room for the lads who just want to play football because they enjoy it. They are just as important but from an inter county perspective they are not going to improve our standards. For too long we have tried to progress our standards using a model that wasn't fit for purpose 20 years ago. That's why we're in this mess now. Manors minor team also showed what can be achieved with proper coaching. Of course they have some very talented footballers but the team as a whole was very well drilled.
The senior Leitrim team has to be seen as a separate entity from what's going on in the background. Some of our most "loyal" supporters fail to see that. Jim Gavin wouldn't have got a different result against Clare. They haven't a clue that the shambles of the last 20 years has brought us to this point. Calling it a shambles is being mild.
There are tentative signs that it is starting to turn. Our lack of proper structures at underage and in adult football means that players are thrust into senior inter county football when they're not ready. That's not the players fault. If Steven Poacher can instill a culture of the standards expected then his tenure will already be a success. If we overhaul our underage structures and instill a professional attitude at that level it will bear fruit pretty quickly. To put it mildly, those standards have been allowed to drift. You don't have to be paid to act professionally. If you are being paid, then you've absolutely no excuse. As important as our senior team is, sorting out the pathway to the senior panel is even more important. Otherwise we'll be repeating this year after year." Fantastic post and every word of it is true. We now have a manager who has proper experience etc and whilst he wasn't my first choice, at least he's a credible coach not a 'name' manager. My next hope for Leitrim is that we can produce a few of our own coaches, plod our own path so as to say. It would certainly be more sweeter if we did manage to win something. Along with underage it has to be our next goal to work upon.
Square_B (Leitrim) - Posts: 1133 - 04/02/2025 19:03:19
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Replying To southleitrim_mafia: "Unfortunately most of our best players are at home. If the best players in Leitrim came out and played we'd be competing for connacht championships. Until that happens we've no chance.
Would it be worth giving Emlyn Mulligan a call? I know he's playing his club football in Sligo now but hopefully we can look past that. The new two pointer enhancement/rule/regulation/adaptation would suit his style of play. We badly need shooters like him.
I can't wait to see all of my fellow fans down in Ballinamore at the weekend. The weather is promised dry so it should be a good day out. It was great catching up down in Ennis. What a brilliant day out we had!" Emlyn Mulligan was a great footballer.
Past tense.
He wasn't even guaranteed his place on an average club team last year.
eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 2012 - 04/02/2025 19:32:04
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Replying To Square_B: "Fantastic post and every word of it is true. We now have a manager who has proper experience etc and whilst he wasn't my first choice, at least he's a credible coach not a 'name' manager. My next hope for Leitrim is that we can produce a few of our own coaches, plod our own path so as to say. It would certainly be more sweeter if we did manage to win something. Along with underage it has to be our next goal to work upon." For a change I agree with you too. Patience is required and forgetting about the senior team for 10 years is not going to work either as the good talent coming through needs a professional set up to graduate to.
joeman123 (Leitrim) - Posts: 527 - 04/02/2025 21:19:37
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Replying To southleitrim_mafia: "Unfortunately most of our best players are at home. If the best players in Leitrim came out and played we'd be competing for connacht championships. Until that happens we've no chance.
Would it be worth giving Emlyn Mulligan a call? I know he's playing his club football in Sligo now but hopefully we can look past that. The new two pointer enhancement/rule/regulation/adaptation would suit his style of play. We badly need shooters like him.
I can't wait to see all of my fellow fans down in Ballinamore at the weekend. The weather is promised dry so it should be a good day out. It was great catching up down in Ennis. What a brilliant day out we had!" Give him a call about what?
boxtyburgerbuns (Leitrim) - Posts: 97 - 05/02/2025 04:04:18
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That Clare result was predictable but also probably a little bit better than what I might have expected. Which is telling.
Firstly, does anyone know the injury status of Ben Guckian, Jack Foley and Adam Reynolds? All three would be guaranteed starters and are an even bigger loss to the team considering the sheer number of other players we are missing.
Also, On Ocean FM John Lynch and Brendan Guckian seemed fairly certain that Ryan O'Rourke was back in training? Is this true? (I doubt it). Would be a strange thing for both men to say if it wasn't though a they would be in the know? Finally on injuries, How far off is Donal Casey?
Some of the comments on here are on point but some are dramatic and needlessly sensationalist, but I suppose that's what you expect on an open forum. Some people claiming we wouldn't do any better if we had everyone available is both stupid and insulting to those players.
We seem to have another generational talent in Barry McNulty. He's exceptional. Although I would be worried about the amount of games he's been playing in recent weeks when you factor in his Sigerson exploits. Last thing we need is him to get injured.
Theres no doubt our underage structures and coaching has improved dramatically in the last 5 years and the Centre of Excellence is a huge help in this in my opinion. So the county Board does deserve huge credit.
I do have an issue with the lack of Coaching Education the County Board provides - which has dropped off a cliff since James Glancy resigned from his post - This needs to be addressed Asap. For proof of this, How many Leitrim men have been over our top senior teams in the last 10 years? A handful at the very most.
Also, its no surprise Manor are thriving at underage with the likes of James Glancy and Shane Ward and the Kellys involved. Same goes for St Marys who have really put effort into this area.
But the reality is we have the lowest amount of Gaa players in the country after Fermanagh.
So when 20 - 25 of those top players do not commit to the Senior Panel for whatever reason we are really going to struggle. The plain truth is many of the players who togged out on Sunday would be 3rd/4th choice if we had everyone available. So therefore, a drop of in performance was always going to happen.
As a county where we are so far behind is on S&C. this starts with our facilities - our Gym facilities and our buy in to proper S&C at club level are pathetic compared to most other counties. S&C takes no talent just a structure being put in place by each club but it needs facilities to back it up - which we don't have (outside of a few). So when you do have players dropping off county panels it is too big of a gap for our club players to bridge to catch up in over one winter when they are called up. The lack of good facilities is even more frustrating when you consider the sheer amount of money being pumped into journeymen coaches from each of our neighbouring counties.
Back to the football - I fully expect an improved performances going forward now that the players have had a proper game with the new rules. Keith Beirnes match sharpness will only improve which will ensure our scoring goes up. The likes of Paul Honeyman and co will also improve with more experience. One thing I will say is that I'll be shocked if Darren Cox isn't a starter from now on he's built for these new rules with the amount of space there now is.
If we can get Foley, Guckian, Reynolds and Cox onto the field we will improve instantly and then Casey will also be back at some stage.
Saying all this I still can't see us taking any points in this league.
Hopefully there's a great crowd in Ballinamore on Saturday to support the lads
Leitrim1234 (Leitrim) - Posts: 326 - 05/02/2025 09:52:10
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I would expect a decent size kildare crowd for upcoming match. Is there much parking in Ballinamore or any suggestions please?
St.Conleth (Kildare) - Posts: 1706 - 05/02/2025 10:31:40
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