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Westmeath Football thread

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Replying To Jack_Sparrow: "Over on the Louth Facebook page they say they can't be beaten. They are just too good." Facebook never lies. Ollie2 (Louth) - Posts: 938 - 24/04/2023 09:46:48 2473076 Link
Possible worst case scenario for us now is a group consisting of us / kerry / armagh / mayo based on the seedings at moment. Are we heading for defeats that may put our perceived progress back a couple of years . After yesterday's performance how can we expect to get within single digit losses to any of the stronger teams yellowboy (Westmeath) - Posts: 85 - 24/04/2023 10:00:08 2473088 Link
The kickout problem really bugged me. There is an obvious lack of a proper strategy and it goes back further than this year. Louth were very passive in the first half and allowed us handy kickouts. In the second half they pushed up from the start and made hay. My observations on the second half kickouts. When Louth pushed up the fullback line stopped trying to get free for most of them. Many times I saw all 3 players walk up the pitch with their backs to the ball. The rest of the team were spread out and we seemed to keep a player near the sideline on both sides about halfway up the pitch. These 2 players are who Louth targeted. They left enough space around those 2 players on either side to tempt Daly to hit one of them each time since the middle always looked too congested. Daly did send most of them to either side and that's where our problems began. Firstly the receiving player is usually static and secondly Daly's long kickouts tend to float in the air and take a long time to hit their target. As soon as the ball left his foot 3 Louth players, and it was always 3, quickly converged on that spot and usually got there before the ball landed. It resulted in a solitary Westmeath receiver competing against 3 Louth players. Even if we succeeded in winning it initially, the player was bottled up, without support and near the sideline. It was very predictable watching it. Contrast to Louth. Their strategy was especially noticeable in the first half in that they targeted the same area for kickouts. The difference was that Louth deliberately left those spaces free. A bit of movement and send a runner in to the space gave their keeper better options to receivers who were moving on to the ball and unlikely to get bottled up. They won theirs and we lost ours. lady_gaagaa (Westmeath) - Posts: 97 - 24/04/2023 10:37:23 2473114 Link
Replying To yellowboy: "Possible worst case scenario for us now is a group consisting of us / kerry / armagh / mayo based on the seedings at moment. Are we heading for defeats that may put our perceived progress back a couple of years . After yesterday's performance how can we expect to get within single digit losses to any of the stronger teams" Key word is perceived. TC masked the reality that the squad is way off what it was just a few years ago, and will only get worse. The players who have retired over the past 3 years have not been replaced with players of the same level, and the best players who remain are mostly over 30. There was an excellent u21 team in 2010, which laid the foundations for everything good we've seen since then. But very little since. jamsie (Westmeath) - Posts: 465 - 24/04/2023 10:51:37 2473121 Link
Replying To ManBallAndAll: "Thought at half time we were home and hosed. Harte must of ate them in the dressing room it took them that long to come out! I think the second half was summed up by Ray Connellan giving away the ball in the last few minutes. He stood with his hands on his head and watched as Louth went down and scored. Never bothered to try and get back." Disappointing to lose in the manner in which we did. Our experienced players didnt stand up to the challenge that Louth rose in second half unfortunately. Look at the second goal and how Louths 10 waltzed his way through our defence and John never tracked him. Games hinge on moments like those. A_Chairde (Westmeath) - Posts: 251 - 24/04/2023 10:53:03 2473122 Link
A great opportunity missed. A more experienced manager maybe would of saw that game out but players have to take some of the hit didn't look fit enough to last. The bench not good enough in most cases to come in in the managements eyes. A tough loss will be hard for them to regroup after that. Dazzler30 (Westmeath) - Posts: 36 - 24/04/2023 10:59:50 2473129 Link
Replying To philbrown: "Westmeath fans have been seriously let down by the county board . We've never shown serious ambition to push and develop , compete at highest level possible . Dessie a hero in Westmeath Gaa no doubt about it and can't blame someone when offered the county job , hes entitled to go for it . But the board have shown zero ambition . County was on a high after Tailteann Cup , chance to take advantage of that , appoint an experienced manager and get experienced personnel in . Roscommon our neighbours aren't just small bit ahead , they're streets ahead . Had few difficult years but have really got things in order and showed sum bottle to go get Davy Burke . Even Offaly aswel assembled a very experienced management team . Money of course a huge factor but need to wake up before we head for div 4 and football wilderness in next year or 2" You may just be overreacting slightly. What about the players? The y need to take responsibility for yesterdays meltdown. We were in total control almost cruising to victory but completely lost our composure when Louth put it to us . Not for the first time this season we fizzled out like this. Yes of course management have ultimate responsibility. But bar Cooney same management team that won the Tailteann Cup with the addition of Jason Sherlock (was he there yesterday? ) A_Chairde (Westmeath) - Posts: 251 - 24/04/2023 11:08:35 2473140 Link
Replying To A_Chairde: "You may just be overreacting slightly. What about the players? The y need to take responsibility for yesterdays meltdown. We were in total control almost cruising to victory but completely lost our composure when Louth put it to us . Not for the first time this season we fizzled out like this. Yes of course management have ultimate responsibility. But bar Cooney same management team that won the Tailteann Cup with the addition of Jason Sherlock (was he there yesterday? )" Tailteann cup was a fluke. Cavan fluffed it. jfd (Westmeath) - Posts: 254 - 24/04/2023 13:42:14 2473250 Link
Replying To jfd: "Tailteann cup was a fluke. Cavan fluffed it." We won the Tailteann Cup by being the better team on the day simple as. Our forwards performed better and we took our chances when it mattered most. Cavan fluffed their lines against Armagh by hitting 16 wides but doesnt mean Armagh fluked it. A_Chairde (Westmeath) - Posts: 251 - 24/04/2023 14:27:35 2473278 Link
Not looking forward to the All Ireland Group stages after that yesterday. 1 point from play from any half of Championship football is shocking and inexcusable. You'd have to question either the mindset of the players going out for the second half or their fitness, or both. I don't really want to knock Dessie Dolan, but serious questions have to be asked. He was there during Cooney's tenure so he is not a complete novice and i'm afraid he has to shoulder the blame here. We are not blessed with great players, so we have to make up for it with teamwork and hard graft. Neither of which were on display in that second half yesterday. Shocking! Meridian (Westmeath) - Posts: 663 - 24/04/2023 14:33:30 2473284 Link
We have been throwing away big leads for as long as I can remember. 2001 versus Meath springs to mind. We have been blessed with some classy players down the years but there's something wrong with our mindset which I cannot explain. Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 1031 - 24/04/2023 15:22:56 2473316 Link
Replying To Meridian: "Not looking forward to the All Ireland Group stages after that yesterday. 1 point from play from any half of Championship football is shocking and inexcusable. You'd have to question either the mindset of the players going out for the second half or their fitness, or both. I don't really want to knock Dessie Dolan, but serious questions have to be asked. He was there during Cooney's tenure so he is not a complete novice and i'm afraid he has to shoulder the blame here. We are not blessed with great players, so we have to make up for it with teamwork and hard graft. Neither of which were on display in that second half yesterday. Shocking!" I feel the players need to take some of the slack off Dessie and his management team. The management team got everything right yesterday in the first half. The game plan worked to perfection! When Louth had all the momentum in the 2nd half I feel like the management team could have made a sub or two but at the same time the players game management was awful. They never slowed the game down or they never faked an injury to stop the play like all top teams do an example of this was when Louth faked an injury after Westmeath's goal on the 21 so the Louth keeper could not take a kick out. Anytime we went short for the kick outs players were out numbered and that team work and hard graft was not there. All the so call 'big players' went hiding. Temple56 (Westmeath) - Posts: 518 - 24/04/2023 15:23:23 2473317 Link
In relation to the players, the only thing I can fault them for was panicking under pressure. We started making poor decisions and making poor mistakes. We lost our structure and composure. Everything else is on management for me. There definitely seems to be a consensus from posters who were at the game, including myself, that a) quite a few players looked out on their feet in the second half. Tired players are more likely to make poor decisions and there was certainly an element of that yesterday. The fitness of some players was definitely an issue and it was compounded by management not introducing fresh legs. b) lack of a proper kickout strategy when teams push up against us. c) lack of action from management in making substitutions quick enough. It was plain as day some lads were fecked after about 10 mins of the second half. Louth brought fresh legs on much earlier and reaped the reward. Did management not see it or is it simply they don't have any faith in the bench. When they finally decided to spring a few subs it was too little too late. I wouldn't mind most of those that seemed to me to be struggling the most finished the game. Very odd. It is hard to be optimistic about the All Ireland series in terms of the squad taking some steps forward. Management certainly need to do better, I don't think we lose that game from that position yesterday with Cooney still in charge. It has been a feature of the team this year of there being long periods in most games where the opposition get complete momentum and we are unable to turn the tide. 2 games lost now from positions of having very healthy leads. lady_gaagaa (Westmeath) - Posts: 97 - 24/04/2023 15:49:28 2473327 Link
You can never trust a Westmeath team to see out a game even with a good lead during the second half of the game. The mindset is always fragile and they will never mix it with a perceived stronger team. I thought the Tailtean Cup win would have brought you on but looks like a flash in the pan! tarfboy (Dublin) - Posts: 27 - 24/04/2023 16:09:07 2473339 Link
The poor fitness levels have been a recurring theme throughout the league, the Down match as an obvious example, that's simply inexcusable, the players simply need to get fitter, whoever is responsible for this area is not good enough or knowledgeable enough. The league should have been an opportunity to try players for the championship, Daniel Scahill played almost every minute of the league and yet absent yesterday, the opposite was the case with Jonathan Lynam and Darragh Seery, not playing any mins in the league like those lads and Jack Smith and Jamie Gonoud meant we had players lacking match sharpness. Not their fault, that's on management. I presume the players will play league matches for their clubs over the next 2-3 weeks, badly needed in some cases. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1948 - 24/04/2023 16:29:48 2473357 Link
Was Kieran Martin in any way carrying an injury inti yesterdays game?if not then why was he not brought on-even at half time!! At 8 pts up the game was won and all that was needed was to see it out and the one player who would do that -was Martin.How many times have we seen him drag Westmeath to victory with his energy and really just getting stuck in.We were a shambles in that second half as we were when we threw away promotion chances in the second half in Newry against Down-a 10 pt swing in both games and scoring only 1 point from play in 2 halves of championship football.I geninely feel Martin would have made a huge difference yestetday but if was injured then ok if not then what planet are this management team on. Bruno@1 (Westmeath) - Posts: 211 - 24/04/2023 17:01:21 2473384 Link
Foolhardy to introduce Kieran Martin when leading by 8 points. Make zero sense. Possibly with ten to go as a full forward alright. Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1948 - 24/04/2023 18:31:44 2473430 Link
Yesterday was a deflating defeat, we played superbly in first half but again a momentum swing in second half and we couldn't handle. Louth looked bigger sharper and fitter but that can happen when everything is going for ya. What is the best option for westmeath now going forward, do they stick with the experienced team and try compete in the group stages of Sam or start the rebuilding process. This will probably be some snr players last campaign, so stick it out with them or go with younger players. I do think kieran Martin would have made a difference physically yesterday. He is a powerful runner. The league didn't appear to count for much yesterday as at least 5 players (Inc subs) played very little to no league. The fitness showed late in game. Was James dolan injured or was it a tactical decision not to start him. If he was injured why bring him on. Upforthegame23 (Westmeath) - Posts: 110 - 24/04/2023 19:57:44 2473458 Link
Replying To lady_gaagaa: "The kickout problem really bugged me. There is an obvious lack of a proper strategy and it goes back further than this year. Louth were very passive in the first half and allowed us handy kickouts. In the second half they pushed up from the start and made hay. My observations on the second half kickouts. When Louth pushed up the fullback line stopped trying to get free for most of them. Many times I saw all 3 players walk up the pitch with their backs to the ball. The rest of the team were spread out and we seemed to keep a player near the sideline on both sides about halfway up the pitch. These 2 players are who Louth targeted. They left enough space around those 2 players on either side to tempt Daly to hit one of them each time since the middle always looked too congested. Daly did send most of them to either side and that's where our problems began. Firstly the receiving player is usually static and secondly Daly's long kickouts tend to float in the air and take a long time to hit their target. As soon as the ball left his foot 3 Louth players, and it was always 3, quickly converged on that spot and usually got there before the ball landed. It resulted in a solitary Westmeath receiver competing against 3 Louth players. Even if we succeeded in winning it initially, the player was bottled up, without support and near the sideline. It was very predictable watching it. Contrast to Louth. Their strategy was especially noticeable in the first half in that they targeted the same area for kickouts. The difference was that Louth deliberately left those spaces free. A bit of movement and send a runner in to the space gave their keeper better options to receivers who were moving on to the ball and unlikely to get bottled up. They won theirs and we lost ours." Westmeath don't win when teams press their kickouts, look back at last years Leinster semi final vs Kildare, the press on our kickouts single handedly bet us. We look void of options when facing a press westmeathgaa11 (Westmeath) - Posts: 299 - 24/04/2023 21:46:22 2473496 Link
Replying To westmeathgaa11: "Westmeath don't win when teams press their kickouts, look back at last years Leinster semi final vs Kildare, the press on our kickouts single handedly bet us. We look void of options when facing a press" i think lar wall should be given the job for the remainder of the championship mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1873 - 25/04/2023 11:38:16 2473631 Link