Meath Forum

Offaly V Meath Rd. 4

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Replying To redser123:  "yes middle of march he will be gone to Mali for 6 months training. We are officialy at the stage where Andy gets nit picked for everything."
Damn Andy and the Irish army :)

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/02/2022 13:38:12    2402687

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Replying To Evernal:  "Best wishes to Andy Shane and the lads. Incredibly nervous bout this one. Feel like we will throw everything at it and should comfortably win by 7. An Mhi Abu!"
I recall a similar prediction before the Roscommon game. I hope that you don't gamble for a living.

On the game, that point could prove massive at the end of the league and, on a positive side, playing out of division 2 as opposed to division 3 next year will be very important for the new management team.

Team is down on confidence and its a a bit like Custer's last stand for Andy. Probably not many changes can realistically be made for the Cork game butI think Joey Wallace should start. Let's hope that Navan is packed with Meath supporters for the game and create a good atmosphere and hopefully provide a boost to the players.

stillaroyal (Meath) - Posts: 225 - 27/02/2022 14:17:35    2402689

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Looking at remaining fixtures Offaly look certain to make the drop, of remaining teams we seem to have most difficult run in, need to get at least another 3 points and possibly 4 to make sure of survival.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2196 - 27/02/2022 17:13:38    2402757

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Replying To seadog54:  "Looking at remaining fixtures Offaly look certain to make the drop, of remaining teams we seem to have most difficult run in, need to get at least another 3 points and possibly 4 to make sure of survival."
If we beat Cork we'd get to 4 points they'd need to win both of their remaining games and hope we lose both ours and one of Offaly or Down won't get to 4. So if we beat Cork I think we'd be in an extremely strong position to stay up

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1527 - 27/02/2022 19:11:06    2402794

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Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "If we beat Cork we'd get to 4 points they'd need to win both of their remaining games and hope we lose both ours and one of Offaly or Down won't get to 4. So if we beat Cork I think we'd be in an extremely strong position to stay up"
Yeah, if we beat Cork. Cork should beat Down at home and Offaly away, get them to 5. Down have two home games against Offaly and Clare, with Kilkoo lads back expect them to also get to 5. Hard to see us getting anything against Derry, but its just the time we might pull something out of the bag. Clare not yet safe and it could come down a winner takes all between us. Cork well beaten yesterday, but still put up a big score. Nervous few weeks ahead

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2196 - 27/02/2022 19:35:44    2402807

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Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "If we beat Cork we'd get to 4 points they'd need to win both of their remaining games and hope we lose both ours and one of Offaly or Down won't get to 4. So if we beat Cork I think we'd be in an extremely strong position to stay up"
Yeah all hinges on cork game.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 27/02/2022 19:40:51    2402810

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Replying To sourmilk93:  "So you have no problem with an under pressure county manager making his son captain and he heading off half way through the year. You wouldnt see it at a club under 10 team.
Anyway its things like this that have Meath currently where they are.
What division were Meath in when Andy took over?"
Division 3

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 28/02/2022 10:56:27    2402900

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Replying To brian:  "Division 3"
Is this meant to be a joke?

Meath were in Division 2 in 2017, Andy's first year.

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1668 - 28/02/2022 12:28:38    2402938

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Replying To seadog54:  "Yeah, if we beat Cork. Cork should beat Down at home and Offaly away, get them to 5. Down have two home games against Offaly and Clare, with Kilkoo lads back expect them to also get to 5. Hard to see us getting anything against Derry, but its just the time we might pull something out of the bag. Clare not yet safe and it could come down a winner takes all between us. Cork well beaten yesterday, but still put up a big score. Nervous few weeks ahead"
Certainly possible when you break it down. But if we beat Cork it does require us losing to Clare, then Clare losing to Down. Cork beating Down and Down and Cork both beating Offaly. The bookies still have 3 teams with shorter odds to be relegated than us so it's still not an uphill battle by any means. But we just need a win so badly. If we could beat Cork it wouldn't be surprising at all if we then went and beat Clare. But the first win for confidence would be so so huge. A bit like the last 2 weeks it could be a very nervy game with 2 teams bang out of form and you couldn't rule out a draw at all

LeitrimRoyal99 (Meath) - Posts: 1527 - 28/02/2022 12:41:20    2402942

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Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "Certainly possible when you break it down. But if we beat Cork it does require us losing to Clare, then Clare losing to Down. Cork beating Down and Down and Cork both beating Offaly. The bookies still have 3 teams with shorter odds to be relegated than us so it's still not an uphill battle by any means. But we just need a win so badly. If we could beat Cork it wouldn't be surprising at all if we then went and beat Clare. But the first win for confidence would be so so huge. A bit like the last 2 weeks it could be a very nervy game with 2 teams bang out of form and you couldn't rule out a draw at all"
We have that extra point and a better scoring avg. Which may come into play. Very tight, and expect a few twists and turns before end of league.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2196 - 28/02/2022 13:58:08    2402980

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I think we are getting away from what is important around the Meath senior football team, worrying about our next game and avoiding relegation. While important not to go down to div 3, the key element to this team, is that it is a disjointed mess in terms of how it is playing and the whole setup. We are simply not playing any football at all. Absolutely no kicking, no play making, no direction. I feel sorry for some of the players as there is clearly effort going in and there were some very gritty performances from players in the backs last Saturday. Meath used to be the standard bearers for direct play, distribution from defence to attack with brilliant ball winners and score getters in the forwards. Have we got these players with these skills. I have Absolutely no idea as we never try. Unless this changes, regardless of whether we beat Cork or not won't matter. This is the game plan needed for summer football and when the important prizes are up for grabs. We simply cannot plod along with this coach and manager implementing these Conservative non footballing tactics and direction.

winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 594 - 28/02/2022 14:14:40    2402987

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "Is this meant to be a joke?

Meath were in Division 2 in 2017, Andy's first year."
Apologies, yes i was wrong. I was full convinced we were relegated in 2016 before Andy took over. Wasn't trying to knock on Andy in any ways with it.

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 28/02/2022 15:02:14    2403006

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "Is this meant to be a joke?

Meath were in Division 2 in 2017, Andy's first year."
Be some kick in the stones for a prominent poster here if his almighty hero Andy left Meath in a worse state than when he took over from the man he abused on a daily basis here MOD.

sourmilk93 (Roscommon) - Posts: 1186 - 28/02/2022 16:03:01    2403029

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Replying To sourmilk93:  "Be some kick in the stones for a prominent poster here if his almighty hero Andy left Meath in a worse state than when he took over from the man he abused on a daily basis here MOD."
MOD will still get the blame.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2196 - 28/02/2022 17:31:32    2403070

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Replying To sourmilk93:  "Be some kick in the stones for a prominent poster here if his almighty hero Andy left Meath in a worse state than when he took over from the man he abused on a daily basis here MOD."
ooooofffff, wonder who this poster might be..... and would be some kick alright...

brian (Meath) - Posts: 1973 - 28/02/2022 17:44:59    2403074

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Replying To sourmilk93:  "Be some kick in the stones for a prominent poster here if his almighty hero Andy left Meath in a worse state than when he took over from the man he abused on a daily basis here MOD."
Sad

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 938 - 28/02/2022 18:29:10    2403089

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Replying To sourmilk93:  "Be some kick in the stones for a prominent poster here if his almighty hero Andy left Meath in a worse state than when he took over from the man he abused on a daily basis here MOD."
It's a great point youre making though, all
jokes aside. To add my two cents to it, I dont think MOD or AMcE are to blame at all for the situation Meath football is in. Both are/were volunteers who had the best interests of the jersey at heart and teams of the same dedication as Meath teams of the past. I think if you wanted to point out why Meath had slipped to its current position the main reasons are:

1) Urbanisation - the closeness to the city, the closeness to colleges, which wasnt necessarily there, particularly in people's minds, until the construction of 4 motorways in the county and the burgeoning of every town in the county. The centre of power in the county also moved due east to the regions around Dublin, which are an entirely different people than found in Navan, Trim, or Kells, the traditional hinterlands of Meath football. Indeed the schools and types of schools kids attend in the county is very different to the era before the millenium when there was a CBS in the three aforementioned towns. Now there are 2/3 major public schools with a far more varied sporting outlook, this has been to the betterment of Meath society but it has damaged the GAA in the county and the type of player once produced is an extinct race.
2) Rising popularity in soccer/rugby in the major towns primarily since the celtic tiger - goes along with urbanisation.
3) mismanagement at administrative level and the failure to adapt to a more professional level in the 00s when other counties were adapting rapidly.
4) Scandals such as the 2010 leinster final and a few others down through the years which turned away many modest supporters.

These are the primary reasons why Meath is where it is, and managers taking the scapegoat has been the form of the last 15 years. I believe Meath football is a sleeping giant and when (if) it ever rekindles its old allegiance with Meath or if a new identity can be nurtured in the players, Meath can and will be back winning All-Ireland titles, I have no doubt about that. As things stand Id prefer us to have a pop at the Tailteann cup, because I think we have a good opportunity of a run in it, whereas we havent a hope in the race for Sam Maguire.

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 596 - 01/03/2022 08:52:35    2403140

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Reckon relegation is a dead cert.
Down probably beat Offaly but whoever wins that game will be on 3 points.

Hard to see us getting a win at this stage. Cork got 2-17 or so v Galway we scored a few points we have no one to score even 5 or 6 points in a game... no stand out forward like even Louth or Wesetmeath have in Heslin and Mulroy.

We are are set up lacking any confidence and the disastrous start v Galway has a lot to do with that.

Dropping to Div 3 especially in this year is very hard to take but Derry dropped to Div 4 and have climbed again. Hopefully we get a decent draw in 2023 and get to Leinster Final and stay in Sam Maguire as I hope I'm wrong but it seems the only hope

glenny (Meath) - Posts: 1116 - 01/03/2022 09:25:03    2403143

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Replying To Young_gael:  "It's a great point youre making though, all
jokes aside. To add my two cents to it, I dont think MOD or AMcE are to blame at all for the situation Meath football is in. Both are/were volunteers who had the best interests of the jersey at heart and teams of the same dedication as Meath teams of the past. I think if you wanted to point out why Meath had slipped to its current position the main reasons are:

1) Urbanisation - the closeness to the city, the closeness to colleges, which wasnt necessarily there, particularly in people's minds, until the construction of 4 motorways in the county and the burgeoning of every town in the county. The centre of power in the county also moved due east to the regions around Dublin, which are an entirely different people than found in Navan, Trim, or Kells, the traditional hinterlands of Meath football. Indeed the schools and types of schools kids attend in the county is very different to the era before the millenium when there was a CBS in the three aforementioned towns. Now there are 2/3 major public schools with a far more varied sporting outlook, this has been to the betterment of Meath society but it has damaged the GAA in the county and the type of player once produced is an extinct race.
2) Rising popularity in soccer/rugby in the major towns primarily since the celtic tiger - goes along with urbanisation.
3) mismanagement at administrative level and the failure to adapt to a more professional level in the 00s when other counties were adapting rapidly.
4) Scandals such as the 2010 leinster final and a few others down through the years which turned away many modest supporters.

These are the primary reasons why Meath is where it is, and managers taking the scapegoat has been the form of the last 15 years. I believe Meath football is a sleeping giant and when (if) it ever rekindles its old allegiance with Meath or if a new identity can be nurtured in the players, Meath can and will be back winning All-Ireland titles, I have no doubt about that. As things stand Id prefer us to have a pop at the Tailteann cup, because I think we have a good opportunity of a run in it, whereas we havent a hope in the race for Sam Maguire."
Mostly valid points but for my two cents what I see as a problem was that we didn't realise when we were doing something well and then to continue it.
Underage development squads have yielded 3 Leinster minor titles in recent years, 4 if you count the transition year in 2017, and an All Ireland. Many counties would be jealous of that return however what wasn't done was the continuation of that model through the U20's and afterwards to possibly 23. If it didn't work then we would at least have tried it rather than finger pointing at whoever the senior coach was /is. A provincial U20 win or a series of them would provide a platform for senior teams.

ABK67 (Meath) - Posts: 62 - 01/03/2022 11:31:39    2403201

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Replying To winatallcost:  "I think we are getting away from what is important around the Meath senior football team, worrying about our next game and avoiding relegation. While important not to go down to div 3, the key element to this team, is that it is a disjointed mess in terms of how it is playing and the whole setup. We are simply not playing any football at all. Absolutely no kicking, no play making, no direction. I feel sorry for some of the players as there is clearly effort going in and there were some very gritty performances from players in the backs last Saturday. Meath used to be the standard bearers for direct play, distribution from defence to attack with brilliant ball winners and score getters in the forwards. Have we got these players with these skills. I have Absolutely no idea as we never try. Unless this changes, regardless of whether we beat Cork or not won't matter. This is the game plan needed for summer football and when the important prizes are up for grabs. We simply cannot plod along with this coach and manager implementing these Conservative non footballing tactics and direction."
There is a strong link between the disjointed mess, all other issues you correctly identified and relegation, one is lightly to be a consequence of the other. The style of football we play will not change until new management take over. For me its all about damage limitation for rest of season and best outcome is to remain in Div 2. Looking at fixtures we have the most difficult run in of all the teams in survival battle. I have no doubt players are there to play a better brand of football and must be a least given a chance and see where it takes us. For now its about survival and hopefully next season our overall skills will be given a chance to improve, not expecting a swift return to the top table, however, looking forward to Meath playing football and an end to the rubbish currently on display.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2196 - 01/03/2022 11:59:33    2403208

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