Graham geraghty without a doubt is best candidate along with Trevor

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 06/08/2012 20:03:04    1240226

IMHO, Trevor (or Graham for that matter) would have to do something of note with either the minors or U21's before they should even be considered for the senior job. Overall I think we are better choosing from within as there is more likelihood that everyone (or at least most people) in the county would get behind them. So somebody with a proven track record at club level is all we can really go on. My preference is Sean Kelly.

Ollie do you think there is anyone within Meath, who can deliver a proper functioning zonal defense system. As it is a relatively new phenomenon in Gaelic football, maybe our coaches can develop something themselves and it's just a case that they weren't pioneering enough to think or implement it first. Otherwise, do they try and learn from familiarising themselves with other manager's systems (at present) or possibly study zonal defense in general (as utilised in other sports, almost as a science if you like). Taking Aussie rules as an example, see how the theory was put into practice, gather ideas which could then be adapted to suit Gaelic football, developing a system which would suit a manager's overall gameplan and the type of players they had at their disposal.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 06/08/2012 20:33:15    1240259

GlasagusOr
County: Meath
Posts: 770

Fair point especially re. Geraghty whose decision to come back into the team last year has brought him down at a notch or two as regards future manager.

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1856 - 06/08/2012 21:13:48    1240315

Does anybody know if Geezer is going for the job???

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1856 - 06/08/2012 21:18:43    1240324

Glasagusor
I have heard it all now "a proper functioning zonal defense system" sounds like somthing from the cold war. How 's about we just get sombody to help develop the core talents that meath football is based on. Even this team as poor as it was showed glimpses of what Meath football can do against "a proper functioning zonal defense system." I followand support meath football because I belive we play football the way its ment to be played. It is no coinsidence that when we rulled the world we were the fittest and strongest team. We need to get back to this level and both giles and gerathy understand this. Re giles comments after the kildare game when he suggested that the performance and come sooner than expected.

"It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary". Winston Churchill

Our boys will do whats necessary!!

greenrow (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 06/08/2012 21:37:28    1240351

Greenrow, whether you like it or not we cannot live in the past. To think zonal defense isn't so important it to bury your head in the sand. And if Meath had a defense that worked properly as a unit (not just one or two players) instead of just numbers back for the sake of it, Laois wouldn't have found plenty of time and space (to run into) and kick the number of points they did in the first half. That's a fact.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 06/08/2012 22:00:19    1240399

Greenrow
"It is no use saying, 'We are doing our best.' You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary". Winston Churchill

Our boys will do whats necessary!!

Greenrow you are just contradicting there what you said earlier in the same post. That is the problem - the team and many supporters including posters on here are not prepared to do what is necessary. We want to play "the traditional Meath way" - ignoring the fact that that system is twenty years out of date and is easily dealt with by the better teams. It does not matter how fit or strong the players are - if we go man for man against the best teams in the country we will be beaten. They will be just as fit and strong as we are (do you really think we can be significantly fitter than Cork or Donegal?) but their superior gameplan and tactics will ensure victory every time.

I would love to see a pure flowing game - long balls kicked in to 6 forwards, 6 backs going man for man with the oppositions forwards, no blanket defence, no cynical fouling. But you have to be a realist- we may win some friends doing that, but we will win nothing else.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 07/08/2012 12:42:39    1240654

Well said AFB.

Greenrow, I should have phrased it slightly better (I was tired after spending most of my bank holiday Monday, hedgecutting!) ... as a system of zonal defending that is highly effective (fit for purpose). If Banty's version of blanket defense wasn't thought out fully or organised well enough, you can say it was either a flawed system or it didn't function properly.

We cannot just evaluate where the Meath team are as of now (in the grand scheme of things), by comparing them to an underperfoming Kildare or a Dublin side that haven't peaked as yet (missing key forwards at times), but by how they would also measure up against a Cork or Donegal. If Meath had played either last Sunday with a similar approach they did against say Laois the week previously, they would have been beaten comprehensively, just like they were in a league meeting vs. Donegal last season. And if you say Meath have improved since then, well Donegal have to an even greater degree. You can assess where we/they are at in Leinster by comparing with Dublin, but you also have to look at and include both Cork and Donegal in terms of the overall yardstick.

It is naive to say WE ARE MEATH, we have nothing to learn from others as if we don't have to adapt how we are set up and play the game (especially from a tactically perspective), just try and replicate the type of football played in the 80's and 90's, and expect to be successful.

GlasagusOr (Meath) - Posts: 1348 - 07/08/2012 14:32:53    1240821

Dublin defend really well and they play a direct, kicking game. Statiscally, more kickpasses than any other team in the country, that's why they're so good on the counterattack. That should be the blueprint for us going forward because it's the kind of football Boylan developed, just taken to the next level. Kerry used the zonal defense well against Donegal despite the loss, their midfield dropped back about 5 metres in front of the 45 and pushed Donegal back everytime they ran at them. You have to pick up the runners breaking through, something we don't do. We don't tackle with the intensity of the top teams either. Maybe we are a bit soft?

Ollie99 (Meath) - Posts: 442 - 07/08/2012 15:29:51    1240903

Ollie99 - UI agree with you completely on the kick passing thing. I don't understand why prople think that the blanket defence/zonal marking (call it what you like) means that you cant play a kick passing game. In fact I would have thought that that type of system relies on lads being able to give long accurate kick passes in to the full forward line. Drop midifelders and half forwards deep, allow the opposition to come forward until they reach midfield or so, then start putting serious pressure on the ball carrier. Pick up the runs of any lad coming through, or if necessary block the run (or rugby tackle the player as seems to be the tactic this year). Have at least two spare men available at all times in defence to be able to keep pressure on the ball carrier. Block off the space in front of the full forward line and don't allow easy ball to be played in front of the corner forwards. But most importantly when you manage to turn over the ball, you need to be able to use the space that has been created by the oppistion coming forward. A combination of long quick ball into the forwards before the opposition have had a chance to get back, and lads running through from the half backs/midfield to support the man with the ball. All done with accuracy and at speed.
We don't do that. When we do get the ball in defence, we either handpass it sideways in the defence , allowing the opposition to re-organise, or we hoof big high balls into the full forward line, which any decent full back line should be able to cope with.
And don't get me started about the defensive part of our game.

anfearbeag (Meath) - Posts: 1134 - 07/08/2012 17:51:05    1241085

People have been making your point about defensive systems since Tyrone beat Kerry in in 2003 that was almost 10 years ago. So im not sure which of us is living in the past. But not to make it personal my point is made when you look at kerry since then. They looked and what happened them and came back with a game plan based on fittness and strenght and also a total believe in sticking with the core princples of kerry football. Since then they have won four all irelands.

The biggest reason our defence struggled was due to the volume of traffic coming through on it. This is because we have no midfield. With the exception of the kildare and wicklow game we got beaten in every match at midfield. In the laois game our half backs and half forwards gave away soft ball.

Why adopt a zonal defencive system and become a sub standard team like laois or kildare (just two examples). personally I get more joy from the glimpses of true meath football we play and watching our team adopting a kildare or donegal style football.

greenrow (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 07/08/2012 21:05:51    1241272

Sean Kelly. With Finian Murtagh, Graham Geraghty & Darren Fay. I understand a manager will want to select his own selectors but this bunch should combine well?

Harribo (USA) - Posts: 28 - 08/08/2012 10:00:53    1241388

greenrow
County: Meath
Posts: 22

Why adopt a zonal defencive system and become a sub standard team like laois or kildare (just two examples). personally I get more joy from the glimpses of true meath football we play and watching our team adopting a kildare or donegal style football.

Every team uses some kind of zonal defense at this level greenrow. Even Kerry use it. Whether it's a sweeper system or a screen to block the runners.

We can still play a three man full-forward line and have an organised defence, totally agree on that point fearbeag. So long as you have a good target man inside and two corner men who can win the high-ball then you can play direct football. It would mean a centre-forward who can drop deep and defend with the rest of the midfield but isn't that basically the system that Boylan built, with a certain centre-back from Skryne handed the no.11 jersey? If you can add a good zonal defence to that then Sam might not be too long coming home.

Ollie99 (Meath) - Posts: 442 - 08/08/2012 15:51:48    1241753

yeah you can defend well and still play a 3 man full forward line.I like the way our full forward line functioned Under Coyle.One full forward with two corner forwards working off him..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 09/08/2012 10:19:37    1242148

The best form of defence is attack

bobjaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 09/08/2012 10:37:43    1242155

wax on, wax off Danielsan.

Ollie99 (Meath) - Posts: 442 - 09/08/2012 14:19:33    1242340

Thank you grasshopper

bobjaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 09/08/2012 14:45:16    1242367

i for one would love to see a meathman over meath again but there not enough xplayers getting involved in club football .i was just wondering how many outside coaches are over meath senior clubs? i know in last years senior final both dunshaughlin and summerhill has coachs from cavan.blackhall gales have leo turley from laois over them plus i think barney rock is over skyrne but im not sure,is there many others does anyone know

bobjaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 1400 - 11/08/2012 14:05:23    1243324

bobjaffacake
County: Meath
Posts: 631

1242155
The best form of defence is attack


Let's see how you get on with that tactic when you don't have the ball! There is no set way to play ATM. Mayo and Cork playing an intense and traditional style of play which is good to watch. Dublin and Donegal playing an intense and exciting brand of football. It's a bit like Chelsea in soccer or spain, defend in numbers and attack in waves. i doubt meath have the players or will get the coach required for dublin and donegals style but with a lot of new lads coming through i don't see why we can't play fast open football like mayo.

On another note BRING BACK BANTY!!!

BettystownRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 3353 - 12/08/2012 08:34:47    1243584