Trouble in Laois

stevemac

http://www.hoganstand.com/laois/2004/july/072804.asp

Lawlor and Byrne quit Laois


Laois’ preparations for Sunday’s daunting All-Ireland football qualifier against Tyrone have been rocked by the news that Michael Lawlor and Colm Byrne have both opted off the panel.

Neither player has attended training since last Saturday’s Leinster final replay defeat to Westmeath and, while slight hopes remain that they will return in time for Sunday’s make-or-break clash with the All-Ireland champions, the chances of such happening appear slim at this stage.

Manager Mick O’Dwyer, who will celebrate his 100th championship game as a manager on Sunday, confirmed that the pair had missed a swimming session on Sunday and had also failed to turn up for training on Monday night.
“Neither of them has contacted me so I can’t say whether or not they have left the panel,” he said.
“All I know is that they didn’t attend our get-togethers on Sunday or Monday so you can judge the rest yourself. My priority is to make sure that Laois present themselves next Sunday in the best possible manner to take on Tyrone and I can’t be concerned about anybody who doesn’t have the same target.”

It appears that the actions of the pair were prompted by the decision of management to substitute them over the course of the two games against Westmeath. Full back Byrne was replaced after 32 minutes of the drawn game after struggling badly against Denis Glennon and didn’t feature in the replay.
Experienced attacker Lawlor came on as a sub in the drawn match and did quite well before taking a knock to the leg and being replaced a minute from the end. He started last Saturday, only to be replaced after half an hour.
This is the second time that Byrne has been in trouble with O’Dwyer this year. Together with Portlaoise clubmates Colm Parkinson and Martin Delaney, he was suspended briefly from the panel during the National League for missing training.

Both Lawlor and Byrne are badly needed by Laois, whose squad has been decimated by injuries. Chris Conway and Joe Higgins have already been ruled out and they look set to be joined by All-Star centre back Tom Kelly and dual star Darren Rooney who suffered broken bones in their hands during last Saturday’s replay.
“Both players got their injuries in the first half, but yet finished out the game,” said selector Declan O’Loughlin.
“However, afterwards the two lads were very sore and our medical people have told us that there is no way that they will be able to play on Sunday.

“They went for X-rays on Monday. Tom’s finger is in a splint, and Darren’s thumb is in plaster.
“Lads like Donal Miller, Cathal Ryan, Padraig McMahon, Shane Cooke, Tom McDonald and Patrick Conway will come into the reckoning when we sit down to pick the team on Friday,” he added.




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so laois are favourites again then

so what do ye think of this then?
a few babys sulking and a lot of injuries.
and all this in a year we where expecting to improve and move forward.

This must seriously piss micko off.

impr0v

Byrne can hardly complain about being replaced, Glennon roasted him in the drawn game and to include him in the replay would have been asking for trouble.

The Laois guys I was with at the replay were happy enough with Lawlor's removal, they claimed he was showing his age, and he had seen very little of the ball by the time he went. Granted his removal didn't improve the midfield situation all that much.

Article in the Sunday Tribune the weekend before last hinted at there being a small bit of tension between Lawlor and Micko since day one.

Shaque attack

mick lawlor should not have been brought off, especially for the likes of fitzgerald who never touched the ball when he came on. lawlor has been and is a great footballer and there was no reason to bring him off and i can honestly tell you that myself and the other laois fans around me were not to happy with the decision at the time. it looks like something has been brewing betwen micko and lawlor alright because it would have to take more than one bad decision and one bad result for mick lawlor to leave (dont forget he has seen his fair share of bad results and bad management throoughout his 14 years with laois).

i cant understand why colm byrne has left although he could be frustrated that he was third choice full back in the replay but then again it was micko who brought byrne into the fold in the first place. i'm a little confused at the situation although i know that mick lawlor aidan fenelly colm byrne and a few others besides were on the beer saturday and sunday. i wonder if the magic micko is all that magic or if we are seeing the return of that famous laois team spirit?

watman

Both have now returned - from www.hoganstand.com

Laois received some welcome news for a change on Wednesday night, July 28, when Michael Lawlor and Colm Byrne returned to training ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland football qualifier against Tyrone.

Waylander

I know these guys are important to Laois but I think Micko should have sent them home and told them not to come back. I would have no room for anyone who behaves like that just because I subbed them off.

Shaque attack

some good news i suppose but we still have little or no chance against tyrone


Micko probably would leave them off the panel if it was earlier in the championship but he cannot afford to do that now with the amount of injuries we have

Flukey

I think they have better than little or no chance. Tyrone still aren't up to where they were last year. A lot more is being read into their win over Galway than maybe it deserves. From here on in the serious business will happen. There are no more soft games for anyone. This is the business end of things.