Louth Discussion Thread…?

Cast Iron

Disappointing loss for the minors last night but Roscommon deserved the win. Too many errors unfortunately, turning over the ball needlessly. They have great character though and when they played direct was some great football. All the best to Roscommon.

Down to the seniors now to get past Clare, should have enough to do it based on latest results but need to be ruthless straight out the blocks.

andrew1977

A jaded /tired performance V Clare yesterday, we really havnt got back to our normal flowing stuff since the Leinster final.

The period in which Clare were down a man with the black card proved crucial in getting a decent lead.

Some tired looking players in the team, not sure if we have any good back up options to freshen it up.

Defenders getting skinned for pace, and Conor Grimes again seems to have lost the form he had.

Ciaran Downey had a great game, some lovely kicks by him, my man of the match for Louth.

Away to Donegal next round, thats looking like the end of the road for us this year.

So be it if it is, the team has given us something this season i thought many of us would not see in our lifetime.

Cast Iron

Good summary of it. Thought in that 10 mins when Downey in particular was flying we were going to get back to that flow we have had but took the foot off the gas and maybe the couple of stoppages didn't help. Not sure what happened to Lennon?

Dara McDonnell had a very good game too, fielded alot of ball.

Clare are fairly poor looking at it given we were nowhere near our best. We seemed to be overthinking or complicating things which caused alot of attacks to break down.

Massive ask in Ballybofey but have to play these teams at some stage.

Missing Lennon and Niall McDonnell won't help if they're confirmed out, hopefully not.

andrew1977

Craig Lennon got concussion , he done his best trying to shake it off/didnt want to come off, the doctor overruled him.

Niall Mcdonnell ( great save he made, superb shotstopper ) , got a gashed knee by the looks of it as he walked past me in the stand, think it happened when he came out to make a punched clearance over an attackers head.

Definitely need those 2 in the starting 15 on sunday.

Ballybofey here we come !

Cast Iron

Tough day yesterday, jaysis the hope at half time would kill ya!

Still a great season winning Leinster and the younger teams showing promise of potential pipeline. Good to see Callaghan and Maguire get experience yesterday. We'll need more to push through and bring extra pace & directness into the team over the next couple of years.

Wonder if we'll see a couple of the experienced lads on the panel call it a day. They'll have earned it if they do.

andrew1977

Disapointing performances in the group stages, no complaints second half in Balybofey, Donegal turned on the turbo .

We looked dead on our feet in the group stages, i guess the Leinster final was the promised land, once we got there, everything else hard to get going again for.

Wonder how many retirements will we say, definitely 3-4 in the group who owe us nothing and hang up the boots after their years of service.

Great year, well infact best year we have had in 68 years, once again well done to all Louth squads for their efforts , hopefully some of the younger lads can now start to filter through to the senior panel.

Over 40+ years following Louth home and away and seeing some very dark days, i will remember this season for a lifetime and more.

Louth Leinster Senior football champions 2025.

See you all for the national league after Christmas.

dxhound2005

I read that the League games won't be in Dundalk until 2027 at the earliest. Division 2 next year will be a mighty battle as usual. It would be a big comedown if Louth get relegated, or even miss out on Sam. That happened Meath in 2023, even though they finished 6th.

andrew1977

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123575790#Comment_123575790

I agree with you there, was looking at the teams in Division 2 next year , we will do well to hold our position in division 2, Tyrone and Derry in there next year along with other teams at very similar level to us.

Our home games should be in Ardee again, where we do have a good record.

I think we may have reached our optimum with this team , and got the Leinster championship thankfully.

Would not suprise me at all to see a sudden kick in the nuts next year, hopefully i am wrong.

event

Problem with Ardee is it cant really accommodate RTE. Well RTE say that. So for highlights etc its pretty tough.

I think we will see young O Callaghan in the squad for next year, he is a super prospect. And with him playing beside Durnin for the Marys anyway, would make sense.

Not sure if we will see too many leavers, Bevan and probably McDonnell. But not sure there are any others who will leave.

Need to make sure we keep Brennan, thats the key thing

Cast Iron

Does RTE come into the equation for where league games are played?

But for the storm damage all home matches would have been in Ardee this year bar Meath for capacity reasons. Under old rules it suited to play there, we'll see how we go there under the new. Nightmare for parking for supporters though.

event

Ger gone. Disappointing but cant blame the man.

I wonder who will they go for. A lot of early talk of Reel and Devlin. I wonder would they look at McConville…

wirelessdude01

Alot of counties will be looking at the same people. McEntee and McConville will likely hedge their bets to see if Armagh job becomes available. Both linked to Mayo as it is. Ardee manager be an option?

blowitupref

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123596405#Comment_123596405

Both your U20 and U17 managers this year look ready to make step up.

event

Yeah that's Reel. Has won a lot of club championships in louth and obviously with u20s too. If can't get Oisin, him and Devlin be good

RoyalCelt

He'll probably take professor Niall Moyna with him to the Dublin job which will be a big loss. I can see him winning Leinster next year with Dublin.

andrew1977

Sad to see Ger depart, but best of luck to him for the future and thanks for delivering a Leinster title, something we craved about for a lifetime.

Can Fergal Reel make the step up to senior intercounty ?Personally, i wouldn't go for him . He would definitely need a wise pro with him if he got the job. , Gavin Devlin is one sharp man for sure with his knowledge and know who as to what is required a the top level of Gaelic football, i would strongly consider him if he fancies it , he is well embedded now in the louth youth setup.

Louth county board have been very shrewd with the appointment of our last 2 senior managers, years ago they would have take the " inhouse " or " cheap option" , who knows what they will have up their sleeve this time.

event

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123597417#Comment_123597417

There were always reports that a lot of the players didnt like Moyna, he is very old school in his methods.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123597565#Comment_123597565

With the stadium on the way and after winning Leinster, they cant get this wrong. This will be the first appointment under McClean as well. Fitzer appointed both Harte and Brennan so a big test for him

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123597659#Comment_123597659

I meant to say Dublin will probably win Leinster next year under Brennan.

As for Moyna sometimes you need that type of character. Not all yes men and pally types.

event

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123598847#Comment_123598847

Ha, I read it the way you meant it :)

And agree on Moyna. A management team that the entire squad likes is doing something wrong. But some of the younger players these days need to be managed a bit different.

Best of luck to Ger anyway, was always going to happen. Just thought it would be next year

RoyalCelt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123599014#Comment_123599014

Yeah I felt next year could have been big. They celebrated the Leinster like it was an all Ireland win and rightly so but next year that wouldn't be an issue win or lose the province.

MacDanger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123597565#Comment_123597565

Agree 100% with your last paragraph - for Louth to have the self-confidence to go after a name like Mickey Harte showed great vision

andrew1977

Any front runners/gossip on who will be in the runinng for the job ? I see applications opened this week.

Fergal Reel/Oisin McConville two popular names floating around so far.

A lot of recent inter county managers jacking it in past few weeks, should be plenty of options around.

Big big decision this one who they go for.

event

I had backed McConville at 4/1, thought it was a good bet. But Thomas Niblock has it this morning that he will be staying at Wicklow for 2026 so thats that.

I think it will now be Reel & Devlin double act. Which will slightly worry me if I am honest.

andrew1977

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123620067#Comment_123620067

Yeah , confirmed now , McConville remains on at Wicklow for another 2 years .

Reel has done a great job wherever he has been underage/club level, i would be slightly worried too if he gets the job as main man, you need a manager who has been there dealing with players at inter country level and how to tune fine margains out of a group.

andrew1977

Gavin Devlin the man for the job , could be finalised early next week according to local radio .

I’d be happy with that, knows the panel and knows his stuff too .

Cast Iron

And so Devlin is the man.

We'll see how it goes, some of the current panel much preferred the Brennan regime than the Harte one so there might be some work for him to do there but on the other hand its more of a point of direction with bringing in the next generation of players into the panel.

A challenge to maintain division 2 and give Leinster and beyond another crack but he knows the county well at this stage so wish him and Dooley the best.

Dickie10

I don’t think Brennan will get dublin job, st Vincents man won’t get it and Brennan not overly population club circles so a lot of county board heads won’t go for him. If Robbie Brennan was still at kilmacud he’d be ahead of him in popularity in dublin club circles . Declan Darcy could be man I think . In fairness Leinster win was great achievement but league form left a lot to be desired could very easily been in tailteann cup.

andrew1977

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123661304#Comment_123661304

Staying up in division 2 next year the biggest task / challenge to strive for in my opinion , anything else a bonus .

Going to be a tight battle in that league .

I am pleased with who the went for as management team , devlin is one shrewd boyo and know the set up inside out from young to experienced .

Best of luck to him .