Meath GAA discussion thread

enricoh

Getting a few tickets in centra yesterday, the girl that operated the machine asked me was it football or hurling I was after. Then asked me what match I wanted them for! Mad how much it has gone down the pecking order in even the last 10 years.

Cavan_King

Hard watching this even as a supposed neutral. Will McEntee be left in place for the qualifiers?

BK5

Walked into my local GAA club when there was 10 minutes to go and the mood was grim to say the least, McEntee seems to be a lame duck at this stage.

One of the lads said the game was over after 15 minutes, need to watch the highlights at least before I can add anything.

mr_edge_to_you

Was at the game - my son's first time seeing Meath playing. It was a rough watch.

Game over at 15mins??....Dublin had stretched to a 5 point lead at 9 minutes.

Xander10

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119008611#Comment_119008611

False dawn springs to mind

snowgal

So bad, so hard to watch. I think one of the worst for me. More to follow!

dunnerc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068733#Comment_119068733

Have to say i expected a lot more from Meath , something not right in that panel i feel , As for Dublin for me anyway they are still an average team , that defense will leak a lot of goals against better teams , the bench is very weak and theres not 70- 80 minutes in quite a few of the starting 15.

EICVD

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119068954#Comment_119068954

Haha, things not right but spanked by an ‘average’ team

dunnerc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069189#Comment_119069189

Haha, yes Dublin are an average team and yes something not right with that Meath team , they have gone backwards from 20/21

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069321#Comment_119069321

Whatever Dublin are, they're not "average". There's about 5 teams in the country who can beat them, and even fewer who can actually beat them in the championship.

rpurfield

Still really annoyed over yesterday. I went up thinking Dublin would win but at least we'd give them a rattle. Game was gone after 10 minutes, lads running too far off their men in the backs. The Dubs didn't kick a wide for nearly half an hour and that was mostly down to no pressure on the kicker at all. I do think we have better footballers than what was shown yesterday but they seem to be bet against Dublin before they go out at all. The whole year has been one big s**t show since the botched attempt at changing manager.

CrabRevolution

We're going to draw Tyrone in the qualifiers aren't we?

snowgal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119070230#Comment_119070230

them or Mayo!!

enricoh

I was wondering if the players were making sure Andy didn't get another year. Last year's Dublin match probably swung it for him staying this year. The dubs had the freedom of the park yesterday.

dunnerc

Well of course your entitled to your opinion , but for me this is the weakest Dublin team in 12 years and in my opinion are an average team

CrabRevolution

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119071874#Comment_119071874

It's not a matter of opinion though; Dublin are indisputably one of the best teams in Ireland and the bookies have them as 2nd favourites to win Sam Maguire. You might not think they're great but if you think they're "average" then you don't know what average means.

Hammer Archer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119069189#Comment_119069189

You realise you're arguing with a Dublin fan, right?

I have to laugh about some Dublin fans trying to claim that they're "average". Dublin have indeed come back a lot recently, but to try and claim they're average is bizarre. They were seconds away from yet another All Ireland final last year and while relegation obviously wasn't exactly planned, it's not the end of the world for them (Mayo were relegated in 2020 and made the All Ireland final later that year). I'd fully expect them to beat Kildare relatively comfortably. Kildare will put up a better fight than us (which wouldn't be difficult) but their defence is abysmal and I'd expect Dublin to have enough to get through. I honestly don't see anyone in the qualifiers troubling them in the quarter final and then it'll likely be a semi final against Kerry who, in my opinion, are the only side this year that would go into a game against the Dubs as favourites.

Sunday was just the latest in a number of depressing performances throughout McEntee's reign. Agreed that the game was over after 10 minutes. The players just didn't look bothered. Once the inevitable happens and we're knocked out, the county board need to get the new man in within a few weeks.

McEntee should have gone last year based on failing to get out of division 2 but the committee waited until the club championships were nearly over to make their recommendation meaning there was no chance of getting anyone else in. We've a young team with a lot of talented players coming through in the next few years hopefully and if we can get someone in with a tactical mind who can actually get the players consistently playing at their best, then we absolutely can see an improvement in our fortunes. But if the county board mess things up yet again, then we risk pissing away probably the best underage talent we've had in a generation.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074642#Comment_119074642

I've heard some people from the upper half of the county, near Dublin, argue that McEntee just doesn't have the players. I don't fully agree with that but I still feel that Meath are behind other counties in terms of strength and conditioning. I had a fella from a senior team in Meath text me the other day that his club team had started doing ''bronco'' runs. These are runs that the Cavan county team and clubs in Cavan were doing back in 2018. You've a Meath club starting them in 2022. I know it may be an extreme example but I do feel that even the Meath clubs are behind other counties in terms of even the club game which then leads onto the county team and the players available.

It has been a long time since Meath took a big scalp. I think McEntee got a couple of further years because of the promotion to Division 1 for 2020 but it ended with a damp squib without them even winning a game. My own county didn't exactly set the world alight when up there over 2 different seasons but we did at least draw with Kerry and beat Mayo in 2017 and beat Roscommon in 2019.

Sonny678

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074642#Comment_119074642

From what I am hearing Malachy O Rourke will be new Meath manger, Robbie Brennan has been mentioned. But O Roukre did fantasitc job with Fermanagh and Monaghan and has huge sucess with different clubs in different counties in Ulster. We want to be Monaghan. he turned them from div 3 team to top div 1 team, 2 Ulster titles, beating top teams and reach All Ireland semi final and consistent q final. For me he is best Ulster manager after McGuinness since 2010. Much better manager than over hyped McGeeney who can barely win match in Ulster. in 9 years. O Rourke would be an excellent choice. There are no options other in Meath that are credible other than Colm O Rourke. But at 63, COR will never manage Meath now. But what I heard Malachy O Rourke is number 1 on the list. And he is course is available and would jump at the job. Huge county with huge tradition and underage sucess. Ideal for him also.

dunnerc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119074257#Comment_119074257

I beg to differ actually , it appears you dont know what average means , Dublin are a division 2 team .

rolling boh

I doubt Colm o Rourke would fancy the job a combination of his pundit roll etc plus maybe his standing would take a bit of a knock if his was manager . He would likely have limited success with the players at present and his good reputation might dip a bit in some people's eyes .Sometimes your standing remains high as long as you Don't take the job . Some of the recent Meath managers took over at a bad time and got a lot of flack for doing so .

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119075353#Comment_119075353

You seem to be posting on this thread and another thread as if O'Rourke has already taken the job - why are you so sure of this? He's never managed club or county outside of Ulster. I also thought he was still managing Derry club side The Loup but maybe he has moved on from them.

Speaking of men managing in Meath, what about former Clare manager and current Wolfe Tones manager Michael McDermott? He has applied for both the Monaghan and Cavan jobs in the past so is interested in a return to intercounty management and has managed both Ramor in Cavan and Wolfe Tones recently to senior titles.

rpurfield

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119076954#Comment_119076954

I'm pretty sure he's openly said before that his time has passed in terms of taking the job on.

CrabRevolution

Hurlers almost pulled off the impossible earlier; winning at half time and drawing with 15 minutes to go in Ballycran where a win would have seen them safe in the Joe McDonagh. Down however finished stronger with 2 late goals and won comfortably by the end.

Aside from one season down in the CR in 2019, we've finished last in our group every year since 2017. This despite the fact they've regularly expanded the competition and in theory made it easier to survive.

We'll be hot favourites for division 2B and the Christy Ring next year, so we may get used to being a yo-yo team.

rpurfield

Footballers away to Clare in the qualifiers. Probably as good a draw as we could hope for, its a 50/50 game.

snowgal

yea in a way I was hoping for one of the bigger guns....Clare could beat us in their home, or we might scrap through only to meet a bigger fish and lose anyway. I have no optimism left after the last game Im afraid.

Hammer Archer

Yeah, who knows what'll happen with this. Clare could and probably should have beaten us numerous times in recent years so will definitely want to put one over on us. I have a feeling that the players could "down tools" given that they know that McEntee will be gone.

dobman88

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119101626#Comment_119101626

If the players do that, there will be bigger problems than McEntee. Any player who downs tools should be banned from playing. Have some pride and play for your own self respect if nothing else

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119101087#Comment_119101087

The only easier draw I could see than Clare would be Louth and that fixture brings alot of baggage. The 4 biggest guns, Mayo, Monaghan, Armagh & Tyrone, will all dispose of each other leaving only two of those. If Meath beat Clare and got any sort of momentum going, could they get Limerick in the next round and move forward?

snowgal

game on saturday 4th June at 5pm. Just checked Ennis for accommodation to see, booked out!