Meath GAA discussion thread

dixiefly

rpurfield wrote: »

If your starting O'Rourke full forward is the only place I'd play him, I don't think he has the mobility for midfield the way the game is gone. If we did have him in there I'd be starting Stephen Bray in the corner then. He's still our best forward despite his age, and his experience would be invaluable.

It is great that Stephen is still playing but a worry that, at his age, he is our best forward.

HighKing33

Meath Centre Forward wrote: »

I didn't make the Roscommon or Down games but attended the other four. I am struggling to see the argument about Meath's brand of football. The most important thing would be for Meath to win games.

So you don't like football then, fair enough. If you're happy watching Meath run the ball like a rugby league side down the middle time and time again, looking to win frees in front of the posts then good for you. I grew up watching Trevor Giles play centre half for Meath, that's the football I enjoy - fast, direct, willing to take a chance.

We have so little creativity, especially in the half-back line and it's compounded by the lack of any playmakers at midfield. We should have bet Roscommon out the gate with the posession we had but we ran the ball into the cover every time, heads down looking for a free - tactics.

Meath Centre Forward

HighKing33 wrote: »

So you don't like football then, fair enough. If you're happy watching Meath run the ball like a rugby league side down the middle time and time again, looking to win frees in front of the posts then good for you. I grew up watching Trevor Giles play centre half for Meath, that's the football I enjoy - fast, direct, willing to take a chance.

We have so little creativity, especially in the half-back line and it's compounded by the lack of any playmakers at midfield. We should have bet Roscommon out the gate with the posession we had but we ran the ball into the cover every time, heads down looking for a free - tactics.

No offence to you HighKing but this is just a narrative I am sick and tiring of hearing and reading. Anyone who doesn't like Gaelic Football comes out this, anyone who wants to be critical of a team comes out with it too.

Meath are going to come up against one of the most organised teams in the division today. Having 'playmakers' is not going to be worth much. It'll be an attrition and graft will win this game not style. That's the way it is with most games.

Trevor Giles and that Meath team were wonderful. They are rightly revered for the way the played the game and the standards they set. That's a different era though and I have moved on. Meath football is trying to move on but some people like yourself insist on making parallels between then and now.

I also enjoy the current Gaelic Football brand which others insist on bringing down. I also think Meath are still a top exponent of some of the game's best skills. Did I read somewhere on here that Meath have the third highest goals to games ratio in the last five years? That's a fine achievement for a team who have been struggling to stay within the top 10 teams in the country. One other thing critics like you fail to mention or maybe choose to ignore is the gradual improvement in our defence. We have conceded totals like 0-11, 0-10, 0-13 & 0-10 in 4 league games.

my friend

Muck O'Dowd P45 time

tanko

my friend wrote: »

Muck O'Dowd P45 time

Are you sure?

Looks like Roscommon are going up anyway.

dixiefly

Very poor game, only got any way semi exciting in last 10 minutes.

Shooting from both sides was poor. Meath were perhaps fortunate to win as Cavan were probably the better team for much of the second half but hit a lot of wides over the game. Once again Menton did well when introduced and helped swing the game in our favour. McEntee was v unlucky to get injured as he had just scored a great point and was playing well. Brian Power and Donnacha Tobin played well. In my opinion Shane o'Rourke was poor, got a couple of nice scores though but was very wasteful. Gillespie worked hard but Flanagan out of it in 2nd half.

The squad needs a freshen up, some players look to be not considered anymore (e.g. D. Bray & S. Tobin). It is an ongoing process and the selectors need to be looking closely at upcoming championship matches to try and identify a few players in form.

Meath Centre Forward

Meath missed out on promotion but the goal at the start of the day had to be to win the game and Meath did that. I'd be reasonably positive myself as Meath came up against a very defensive team and overcame it - just. For the fifth game in the League there were no goals conceded and the opposition were restricted to less than 14 points.

I know the view might be out there that Meath aren't ready for Division One but they are as ready as Down or Roscommon and for the second successive year have missed out thanks to a draw.

Best players for Meath today were Mickey Burke, Brian Power, Padraic Harnan and Mickey Newman. Adam Flanagan, Graham Reilly, Shane O'Rourke and Joey Wallace should be looking to improve on their performances.

Other positives were Mickey Newman's improved free-taking, good defensive play and overturning a 3 point deficit at the end. Negatives, we struggled at midfield and were lucky Cavan were so wasteful. Also Shane O'Rourke is probably out of his depth especially in a game like that where every ball into the full-forward line needs to be retained by a Meath man.

Jampip

Meath Centre Forward wrote: »

Meath missed out on promotion but the goal at the start of the day had to be to win the game and Meath did that. I'd be reasonably positive myself as Meath came up against a very defensive team and overcame it - just. For the fifth game in the League there were no goals conceded and the opposition were restricted to less than 14 points.

I know the view might be out there that Meath aren't ready for Division One but they are as ready as Down or Roscommon and for the second successive year have missed out thanks to a draw.

Best players for Meath today were Mickey Burke, Brian Power, Padraic Harnan and Mickey Newman. Adam Flanagan, Graham Reilly, Shane O'Rourke and Joey Wallace should be looking to improve on their performances.

Other positives were Mickey Newman's improved free-taking, good defensive play and overturning a 3 point deficit at the end. Negatives, we struggled at midfield and were lucky Cavan were so wasteful. Also Shane O'Rourke is probably out of his depth especially in a game like that where every ball into the full-forward line needs to be retained by a Meath man.

Your bench won the game for ye IMO. Cavan also missed our normal free taker Niall McDermott.

We had a few decent goal chances that a better team will score so that's a worry for Meath management.

Thought the ref was harsh on ye.

Tikka391

Meath Centre Forward wrote: »

Meath missed out on promotion but the goal at the start of the day had to be to win the game and Meath did that. I'd be reasonably positive myself as Meath came up against a very defensive team and overcame it - just. For the fifth game in the League there were no goals conceded and the opposition were restricted to less than 14 points.

I know the view might be out there that Meath aren't ready for Division One but they are as ready as Down or Roscommon and for the second successive year have missed out thanks to a draw.

Best players for Meath today were Mickey Burke, Brian Power, Padraic Harnan and Mickey Newman. Adam Flanagan, Graham Reilly, Shane O'Rourke and Joey Wallace should be looking to improve on their performances.

Other positives were Mickey Newman's improved free-taking, good defensive play and overturning a 3 point deficit at the end. Negatives, we struggled at midfield and were lucky Cavan were so wasteful. Also Shane O'Rourke is probably out of his depth especially in a game like that where every ball into the full-forward line needs to be retained by a Meath man.

I'm a meath man and I never thought I'd say this but I would not of put Graham Reilly in the list of best players. What did he do today, all I saw was him walking around and playing the ball when it came to him, he never actively looked for the ball he did not look to get involved in the game no movement off the ball at all and his marking and tackling useless, and this is not the first game like this. He seems to be getting worse. I would put him down as the worst player today.

Jampip

Tikka391 wrote: »

I'm a meath man and I never thought I'd say this but I would not of put Graham Reilly in the list of best players. What did he do today, all I saw was him walking around and playing the ball when it came to him, he never actively looked for the ball he did not look to get involved in the game no movement off the ball at all and his marking and tackling useless, and this is not the first game like this. He seems to be getting worse. I would put him down as the worst player today.

You've read that wrong. He said Reilly needed to improve.

rpurfield

Hard to know what to take out of yesterday, Shane O'Rourke looked at home in full forward, but we lack a killer instinct in front of goal a couple of times when a goal would've killed the game. Conor Gillespie had a pretty decent game too, and Stephen Bray was showing for the ball well. Hopefully the team can take a bit of confidence from overcoming the Cavan blanket defence and grinding out the win, along with the whole going to Newry and getting the win up there.

Division 2 is going to be tough next year with 5 Ulster teams in it!

Tikka391

Jampip wrote: »

You've read that wrong. He said Reilly needed to improve.

Ok but I stick to my sentiment. Hi was worse than useless.

HighKing33

I was much happier with the starting team than the dummy team named last week. Hard to find too many positives - at least we tried something different.

Davy Dalton played as a sweeper and was our best player, instrumental going forward he seemed to be the only player on the team who was allowed to kick the ball. Defensively however, he was wasted, just covered in front of the square when Cavan never kicked any long ball in there, one man wasted marking space. Very naive.

Second half Dalton had to do a man-marking job and we lost our playmaker. We have no creativity at midfield. Our best players still insist on running the ball, win the handy frees. Shame.

With Cillian O'Sullivan and Alan Forde hopefully available we could win division 2 next year but it might require a new man to take us to the next level.

Hammer Archer

Thought it was a satisfactory finish to the league, but overall a disappointing league. We finished with the same number of points as last season. And that was with 4 home games this year and, in my opinion, an exceptionally weak division 2, especially compared to last season.
I've seen some people say that they were glad we weren't promoted as we wouldn't be able for division 1. That's rubbish in my view. The only way that this team is going to improve is by playing top teams before going into the championship. And I do believe that this team can improve greatly if they have the commitment and the right man in charge.

As for the game, I didn't think Biggy had a bad game to be honest. Going forward he didn't do a lot I'll admit but he has been doing much more defensive work recently, something he tended to neglect before. Ditto Joey Wallace. Paddy's short kickouts were infintely better and I don't think a single one went astray. Obviously he's been putting a good bit of work since the Hyde disaster. And Newman was, more or less, solid from his frees on Sunday.
Anyone know if Keogan was injured and, if so, how seriously?

Positives from the league I think were McGill and Brian Power in defence, the returns of Gillespie and Wallace and the general solidity of the defence as a whole. Main negative was missing out on promotion and the complete capitulation against Laois that was the main cause of it.
On to Leinster again where I'd be amazed if it wasn't an almost carbon copy of 2014 in that we'll make the final handy enough only for Dublin to turn us over once again. Failure to make a quarter final at the fourth time of asking after losing a Leinster final may mean Micko's time is up.

CrabRevolution

It sounds unambitious, but I wouldn't mind losing another Leinster final if we just finally won the 4th round qualifier afterwards. The last 3 seasons have been carbon copies of each other, just that we lose to a different qualifier team each time after a tame performance. We cant use the one week turnaround excuse any more either.

iDave

Div 2 is really becoming a bear trap for us. Cannot get out of it. The big concern is this year was the best opportunity for years we would have to get out of it and still failed. Cant see us getting prompted next year in a division with so many Ulster bogey teams like Armagh, Derry and Tyrone. It will be back to the days of trying to survive I fear.
We will need to get maximum points from Fermanagh, Laois and Cavan which could all be away worryingly. Hopefully we'd get Galway in Navan where we beat them last year. Perhaps not visiting Derry may help us but they had no problem beating us at home in 2012. For me 2018 will be the earliest you will see Meath in a Div 1 match.
Some positives for me where how we closed off the game against Down and came from behind against Cavan in dying minutes to win. Polar opposite of the Laois debacle so I'm hoping lessons on how to compete for 70 mins have been learned.
That bloody Laois game FFS, we'd be up only for it!
As for championship, well a game at home for once will be a nice novelty even if its against uninspiring opposition and I hope the semi is against Westmeath or Louth as I feel the derby element will be better experience than a Wexford team team in free-fall. Another defeat to Dublin will represent stagnation but lets be honest that's exactly what is happening so no point expecting any better. The key to saving 2015 is the Rd 4 qualifier but I remember saying that 12 months ago.

Jampip

rpurfield wrote: »

Hard to know what to take out of yesterday, Shane O'Rourke looked at home in full forward, but we lack a killer instinct in front of goal a couple of times when a goal would've killed the game. Conor Gillespie had a pretty decent game too, and Stephen Bray was showing for the ball well. Hopefully the team can take a bit of confidence from overcoming the Cavan blanket defence and grinding out the win, along with the whole going to Newry and getting the win up there.

Division 2 is going to be tough next year with 5 Ulster teams in it!

Do you really feel Cavan played with a blanket defence? We got men back when needed but I certainly feel we also moved alot of men forward. At times, Meath were able to move quickly down the pitch at speed to counter attack but wasted the possession.

rpurfield

Jampip wrote: »

Do you really feel Cavan played with a blanket defence? We got men back when needed but I certainly feel we also moved alot of men forward. At times, Meath were able to move quickly down the pitch at speed to counter attack but wasted the possession.

Yep I did. Yes Cavan got lads forward to break but if Meath weren't direct the middle area of the pitch got packed very quickly making it hard to get through. I'd agree with the wasted possesion alright, when we did break through a lot of bad choices were made in front of goal.

Jampip

rpurfield wrote: »

Yep I did. Yes Cavan got lads forward to break but if Meath weren't direct the middle area of the pitch got packed very quickly making it hard to get through. I'd agree with the wasted possesion alright, when we did break through a lot of bad choices were made in front of goal.

Do you not think Meath played similarly? At times I looked ahead of me and Shane O'Rourke alone in the forward line.

rpurfield

Jampip wrote: »

Do you not think Meath played similarly? At times I looked ahead of me and Shane O'Rourke alone in the forward line.

I wouldn't disagree with that either, both teams also insisted with a sweeper in front of the full forward, in Meath's case it was too deep at times as Cavan were shooting from further out. It's more the fact we've constantly struggled with them systems over the last few years that had me delighted we got over it, regardless of what you want to label it!

Hammer Archer

Minor hurlers beat Kildare 5-11 to 1-11 in the Leinster MHC. They'll play Laois in the next round.

Hammer Archer

Ratoath setting down a marker or just flattering to deceive again? 6-11 to 12 points against Trim.

Good starts from Navan, Summerhill and Dunboyne in the SFC.

dixiefly

Hammer Archer wrote: »

Ratoath setting down a marker or just flattering to deceive again? 6-11 to 12 points against Trim.

Good starts from Navan, Summerhill and Dunboyne in the SFC.

I was at the Ratoath Trim game. It sounds like a right hiding and, in the end, it was. However after 20 minutes the sides were level and I think that Trim went ahead briefly. In that period Ratoath looked ordinary.

Ratoath got a goal shortly after a fortuitous free and then Trim defence gave a poor pass which resulted in another goal and I think the half time score was then 3-4 to 0-6. Trim's fragility was exposed and Ratoath took full advantage in the second half.

Ratoath had good performers in county men Bobby O'Brien and Conor McGill who made a difference in the first half when coming out to CHB. The Wallaces did a lot of damage up front.

It is certainly Ratoath's championship to lose but they will come up against a more dogged defence that Trim put up. Having seen Ballinlough play Trim last year Ratoath are much better but Trim were missing players yesterday and seem to have started the year very poorly.

HighKing33

Conor McGill might just be the most natural centre-back in the Meath panel right now. He offers much more going forward than Keogan and Power. Asides from Davy Dalton who starred at no. 6 the last day we sorely lack creativity in the half-back line. Patently obvious by this stage that Harnan and O'Sullivan are wing-backs but we'll be heading into the summer still scratching our head r.e. no.s 4 to 6.

Hibbeler

HighKing33 wrote: »

Conor McGill might just be the most natural centre-back in the Meath panel right now. He offers much more going forward than Keogan and Power. Asides from Davy Dalton who starred at no. 6 the last day we sorely lack creativity in the half-back line. Patently obvious by this stage that Harnan and O'Sullivan are wing-backs but we'll be heading into the summer still scratching our head r.e. no.s 4 to 6.

Keoghan at least should be corner back imo as he's our best man marker. I'd be happy with either McGill or Reilly at full back.

Though most importantly fingers crossed we have a full strength squad for once

HighKing33

Hibbeler wrote: »

Keoghan at least should be corner back imo as he's our best man marker. I'd be happy with either McGill or Reilly at full back.

Though most importantly fingers crossed we have a full strength squad for once

I'd be the same. Our half-back line still lacks a lot going forward. Davy Dalton was excellent the last day, given a quarter-back role but look at our other wing-backs - Burke is good on breaking ball but not the most creative and Menton is clearly under instruction to run the ball everytime he gets it in hand.

dixiefly

Hibbeler wrote: »

Keoghan at least should be corner back imo as he's our best man marker. I'd be happy with either McGill or Reilly at full back.

Though most importantly fingers crossed we have a full strength squad for once

Do we? Is Kevin Reilly not injured and needing an operation on his hip. I heard that he came on for NOM at the weekend, anyone know the situation.

I heard also that Cillian O'Sullivan has had an operation and hopes to come back later in the summer.

Hammer Archer

dixiefly wrote: »

I was at the Ratoath Trim game. It sounds like a right hiding and, in the end, it was. However after 20 minutes the sides were level and I think that Trim went ahead briefly. In that period Ratoath looked ordinary.

Ratoath got a goal shortly after a fortuitous free and then Trim defence gave a poor pass which resulted in another goal and I think the half time score was then 3-4 to 0-6. Trim's fragility was exposed and Ratoath took full advantage in the second half.

Ratoath had good performers in county men Bobby O'Brien and Conor McGill who made a difference in the first half when coming out to CHB. The Wallaces did a lot of damage up front.

It is certainly Ratoath's championship to lose but they will come up against a more dogged defence that Trim put up. Having seen Ballinlough play Trim last year Ratoath are much better but Trim were missing players yesterday and seem to have started the year very poorly.

The main strength of this Ratoath team is goals. Concede less than 2 against them and a team has a good chance of winning. This Ratoath team can't seem to cope with any sort of tight defence as evidenced against the Bracks yesterday. In general they're pretty awful at long range shooting.
I'd expect us to get through the group but I would still have my doubts as to whether we have the tactical skill on the sideline to win the IFC outright. Get the tactics right, and I'd say we'd be unbeatable.

HighKing33 wrote: »

Conor McGill might just be the most natural centre-back in the Meath panel right now. He offers much more going forward than Keogan and Power. Asides from Davy Dalton who starred at no. 6 the last day we sorely lack creativity in the half-back line. Patently obvious by this stage that Harnan and O'Sullivan are wing-backs but we'll be heading into the summer still scratching our head r.e. no.s 4 to 6.

I'm not sure about O'Sullivan being a wing back. Has he ever played as a wing back? At Moynalvey, he's always been a forward as far as I know.

I agree with Keogan at corner back. While he does a decent job at 6, I just feel he's wasted there. At corner back, you can almost guarantee that the man he's marking will have a poor game.

The minor team to face Laois in Navan tomorrow has been named:

Jordan Browne (St Colmcilles), Danny Quinn (Dunshaughlin), Danial O'Neill (Wolfe Tones), Ronan Ryan (Summerhill), Thomas McGuinness (Rathkenny), Robin Clarke (Duleek Bellewstown), Eanna O'Kelly Lynch (Wolfe Tones), Ronan Jones (St Peters Dunboyne), Conor Nash (Simonstown Gaels), Eamon O'Donnchadha (Clann Na nGael), Thomas O'Reilly (Wolfe Tones) (captain), Adam Carey (Seneschalstown), Padraig McGowan (Slane), Caolach Halligan (Rathkenny), Ross Ryan (Summerhill).

Hibbeler

Hammer Archer wrote: »

The main strength of this Ratoath team is goals. Concede less than 2 against them and a team has a good chance of winning. This Ratoath team can't seem to cope with any sort of tight defence as evidenced against the Bracks yesterday. In general they're pretty awful at long range shooting.
I'd expect us to get through the group but I would still have my doubts as to whether we have the tactical skill on the sideline to win the IFC outright. Get the tactics right, and I'd say we'd be unbeatable.

That's a bold statement right there Hammer :P. Rathoath have probably some of the best players but no one is unbeatable. Particularly not in the IFC where it's competitive and there's probably at least 4 or 5 teams with a good chance of making an impact on the business end

Hammer Archer

Hibbeler wrote: »

That's a bold statement right there Hammer :P. Rathoath have probably some of the best players but no one is unbeatable. Particularly not in the IFC where it's competitive and there's probably at least 4 or 5 teams with a good chance of making an impact on the business end

Unbeatable is the wrong term I suppose. I just feel that if we have a tactically aware management team, we'd win the IFC outright. In last season's semi final, we played for 40 minutes with an extra man but had no idea how to utilise it.

Minors easily beat Laois 1-17 to 2-8.