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"For the record, I don't think Meath will win an All Ireland/Leinster/Div 2, or get promoted. I'm mot delusional. " Now that sounds to me that you are writing them off this year!! :) Still in December??? Only one challenge match played?? You're some Meath supporter!!!! JonnieG (Meath) - Posts: 246 - 12/12/2023 16:11:19 2516522 Link 1 |
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Outside of Dublin and Derry what we faced in Division 2 last year was, in hindsight, sub standard, a poor Limerick, a completely overhyped Louth, an annoyingly unpredictable, yet full of notions about themselves, Kildare, a Cork team that looked to have completely underestimsted us and a Clare team missing many key players yet we were still lucky enough to beat them. A lot of those teams in Division 2 weren't far off Tailteann Cup standard and both Cork and Kildare were flirting with ending up in it if provincial results had gone against them, although Cork also showed improvementand are worth watching in 2024. Our play, our plan, our confidence all improved during the TC. I don't think I have anything to reign in as I would like to think I bring a realistic view of things at all times. If COR and that squad hadn't won the TC this year they would be demonised, they did win it and some are still demonising them for winning a debareable national competition and then some just like coming on here as silly wind up merchants looking to get some sort of kick out of predicting disaster. I'd love to know what people's motives are at times.
Richieq (Meath) - Posts: 3744 - 12/12/2023 18:44:05 2516537 Link 6 |
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What counts as progress for 2024? longroadback (Meath) - Posts: 330 - 12/12/2023 19:40:06 2516539 Link 1 |
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For me promotion. Dublin will beat us in Leinster unfortunately Dublin and Derry are both better than Donegal and Armagh , Limerick aren't great but I'd have to put them ahead of Fermanagh cavan aren't better than clare imo. So that's 50/50. But all in all a lot easier league than last year louth with new management,, Kildare ? I just don't buy them at all, cork ? Maybe their run in al ire will have brought them on. For me this is the ultimate test. Which was better for competition? Playing against the top teams as louth, cork , Kildare did (with varying degrees of success) or with Meath hammering teams of div 3/4 and actually winning a competition. I have gone from one view to the other. Firstly winning is a habit, and should breed confidence, so tick for that, but is there more benefit to playing Dublin Armagh mayo etc for progress? We will find that answer out in next few months. 23 could either be remembered as the year Meath started to make moves back to the big time or it could be remembered as the year we blew it for any hope of a recovery. I'm a glass half full type of person and my positivity will always win out at this time of year. So my main thing is promotion. That for me is an improvement on last year. Hon the royal royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 12/12/2023 21:18:00 2516551 Link 0 |
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Looking forward to taking tea with ye in Navan!!
LilywhiteGael (Kildare) - Posts: 113 - 13/12/2023 07:22:40 2516569 Link 0 |
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As I said I will reserve judgment on whether or not there has been improvement until 3 or 4 games into the league . As for our play and our plan improving during the TC again this is up for debate. Did our plan and play improve or was it just easier to play and implement a plan v 3 current Division 4 teams in Tipp Wexford and Waterford and 2 current mid table and lower end Division 3 teams in Down and Antrim ??? We will find out early next year but as it stands given the opposition we faced in the TC there is no way anyone can say with absolute certainty the team improved . You may say they improved but I would I am not sure either way. They either did improve or were just playing teams at a much lower level ability than they are at. Lets wait and see. Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1012 - 13/12/2023 09:45:48 2516577 Link 3 |
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I think there were clear signs of improvement defensively, in goals and at midfield. Further improvement necessary particularly in full-forward line and score taking. Basically really need to improve on scorelines or we will be a mid-ranked div 2 team. Before we can even be considered that, it is worrying that 4 of the 6 backs that started the TC final are currently injured or unavailable. Shane Walsh (our most dangerous forward also still out). Until our best players available it's a huge concern with many players inexperienced and unproven.
winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 594 - 13/12/2023 10:25:54 2516580 Link 1 |
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Anytime me auld friend.
royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 13/12/2023 14:58:34 2516619 Link 0 |
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McGill needs to return. End of story. That's Colm's first job. Even if he has to grovel royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 13/12/2023 15:00:46 2516620 Link 0 |
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Agree with royaldunne here. Promotion will be the main indicator of progress in 2024! For Leinster, winning all games with the exception of Dublin should be attainable too. For All Ireland series - the funny thing is that if we get promoted or do well in Leinster then we would actually end up having a good run in that competition but anything at all in the AI series would be a bonus for me. I have never said that the players are not there in Meath. I have always had a problem with the management setup. And even with that I am not strongly against COR. I just wish he would see the light and strengthen up the backroom with some top class coaches! I do not believe that Louth have better players than us. Nor do i believe that any other team in Leinster (bar Dublin) or any other team in Div 2 have a gulf in class when it becomes to players! I believe that we have players of similar talent or even better!! If Mickey Harte and his backroom team (as an example - dont be all jumping on the horse now because I used his name!!!) took over Meath last year you can be guaranteed we would be confident of promotion from Div 2 in 2024 and giving Dublin a good game in Leinster!! Again my beef is with the lack of coaching experience in the setup and i dont think we are getting the best out of our players because of it. Especially in defense!! I think there is actually a fine line with Meath at the moment ....... we could get promoted with the players we have but we could as easily get relegated if they dont have the correct training/coaching!! JonnieG (Meath) - Posts: 246 - 13/12/2023 15:29:52 2516624 Link 0 |
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Id take hand and all now for 4 wins and 3 defeats. i cant see us getting anything out of the games away to Donegal and away to Armagh, anything from them games is a massive achievement in itself even a draw. another big achievemnet would to win in breffni park v cavan for first time since early 1960s, they always seem to get up for playing meath, while meath never seem to be as bothered. i can see the games at home to Kildare and Louth, the big Leinster dearbies being the ones where the meath team really targets big time to win, if we win both of those we will be safe , i think we will beat cork and fermanagh also at home. defeat to louth or fermanagh and i think we could be relegated. id like to see us training very hard now and being in flying form come mid february to early april, i wouldnt pass much stock on the rest of the year after that, it unlikely but not out of the question to beat a weakened or half second string dublin team in Navan in early May, espesecially if we were in flying form and dublin trialling players before group stages. group stages nice to get out of them then its bonus territory. for me nothing really to be achieved in all ireland group stage really, a run would be nice but its all about the league for Meath. dickie10 (UK) - Posts: 790 - 13/12/2023 22:33:40 2516675 Link 3 |
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McGill had his day. Time to try new blood. Wouldn't be the greatest miracle to have a full back as good if not better within a couple of years with the proper coaching and game time.
Greensheen (Meath) - Posts: 58 - 13/12/2023 22:34:54 2516676 Link 10 |
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We only play 1 Leinster game before playing Dublin, so I think it's a given we need to win all games in Leinster with the exception of Dublin. But it'll still only be 1 win in Leinster which isn't great either. Yes the draw is tricky, and we don't need to do well in Leinster as we already in Sam - so it's a free shot at Dublin. Division 2 is very very competitive this year. Based on where we were last year, we enter the league currently behind Armagh, Cork, Donegal, Kildare, Louth. All of these teams done better than us last year and looked competitive at different times. Of course promotion represents massive progress, and that is always the goal - but I genuinely thing this year, the goal is to avoid relegation. I know that might seem a bit pessimistic going into the season. But the logic is we already have secured All Ireland football, a good solid league campaign where we are competitive and likely finish middle of division with some very good teams sets us up nicely for a crack at Dublin and the All Ireland series. If we go and lose 5 or 6 of those games which is entirely plausible (it's also plausible we win 5) - and we end up in Division 3 ahead of the championship, that would be an absolute disaster. I'm looking for a solid league campaign, good performances in every game, a crack at Dublin, maybe a run in the All Ireland series getting out of the group - which will set us up nicely for next year to have a go at promotion. That would be a good season for me Look at Westmeath, very unlucky in the championship last year, were a kick of a ball from reaching the K/O stages, and because they're stuck in Div 3, they likely won't get to take part in the All Ireland this year aside from reaching a Leinster Final. I don't want Meath to be in that situation next year. You can't have progress if you're jumping between the Sam Maguire and Tailtean Cup every year. hyperache (Meath) - Posts: 254 - 14/12/2023 11:34:00 2516723 Link 2 |
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Yes AGREED .Was good for couple of seasons ,and then form slipped . Thanks for his contribution ! From unconfirmed reports he is supposed to have decided that he could not meet set targets. That's fair enough ,its his decision . I assume he could indicate he wants to be considered having met the targets if that's the case. Assuming that's what happened where is the problem? Its a team sport so i expect the manager to be Fair,Firm,and Friendly. The suggestion that the manager should "GROVEL" is not i assume a serious comment in those circumstances. I totally agree that coaching ,and in particular matching training sessions to on field needs is absolutely critical now. If we could crack that long standing problem with strong positive mental preparation anything is possible . We have the players with the potential after exhaustive searching driven by COR. In his language that was paper 1. Paper 2 is equally important because its how to best prepare these lads for competition at a high level. Of course it will take time. I assume Colm will have a mechanism that his players will understand how their progress is measured and how they can be part of there own assessment .How they have to take individual and collective responsibility. for progress The first half of the game is over now. We have the best available i believe .Now we develop to our full potential .I expect all coaching areas will be busy and business like. Value for money comes to mind That.s also where i think the new top table have a leadership role in ensuring targets are agreed ,monitored, adjusted etc. I think some occupants at the table are very capable of implementing and maintaining a strong business focus now. Best of luck to all on a tough road ahead .
nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1266 - 14/12/2023 16:13:05 2516796 Link 8 |
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I see the All Ireland Intermediate club SF is now fixed for the 6th of January at 1pm in Páirc Tailteann. Our game with Louth is fixed for 1:30pm. CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1668 - 19/12/2023 10:25:12 2517375 Link 2 |
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I wouldn't be writing off our chances in Cavan/ Armagh/ Donegal already. Hard to know how thoes teams will be faring when we play them. For me division 2 this year obviously weaker with no Dublin in it, ultimately I think we'll stay in division 2 but promotion is a realistic aim. bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1402 - 19/12/2023 20:39:10 2517431 Link 2 |
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Agreed. Dublin and perhaps Derry who were also division 2 last year were pound for pound the two best teams in the country. We must however concentrate on ourselves and hopefully by start of league that means getting all of our best players fit available and playing. Even a slight improvement should see is competing at the higher end of div 2 and I think that would do just fine. Obviously Dublin are likely to be our stumbling block in Leinster but then again we have to start making inroads against them sooner or later. They are not the force they were 5 or 6 years ago. A decent showing in the All-Ireland series with perhaps a knockout game would then be considered largely meaningful progress but without best players available, and an obvious improvement in score taking and selecting right options particularly in full forward line, we are likely to see more of same!
winatallcost (Meath) - Posts: 594 - 19/12/2023 22:47:41 2517435 Link 2 |
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The Louth game is scheduled for Ashbourne! I know people have made little of the O'Byrne Cup in the past but personally I would like to see a different approach this year! Rather than using it as a chance to blood a raft of new players, I'd like to see us go with our strongest available team and try to get a few games under the belt and hopefully develop a style of play, build confidence and put ourselves in a different mental space for the league. Promotion should always be the aim! I don't believe any decent management or squad would go into a league with the objective of avoiding relegation! There will be no easy games, but there are also no games that we can't win! COR has had a year to vet players - he has had a season of club championships to see these players play, he has had the regional championships surely at this stage he knows his top 30 players! Get a squad together, commit to them, give them competitive game time, build a pattern of play and a back up plan and let them at it!! Royalblufill (Meath) - Posts: 515 - 20/12/2023 13:45:51 2517474 Link 1 |
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Yes.....That is it in a nutshell. !! The expensive journey for delivery is the road we are on now. No distractions. about what other counties do or do not do ;or how they spend their money. Hope we don't have to listen to any excuses in advance for lack of improvement as a result of lessons learned over last 10/15 years.To begin with full marks to Colm O Rourke for his patience in giving every player a chance to prove he does or does not deserve a chance to wear the jersey. Game on now.....best foot forward beginning with O Byrne cup...Meath to re-emerge from the doldrums by concentrating on continuous improvement only,and lets see where that brings us. I also would like to see us not stick slavishly to the "modern day" version of football that is so boring I hope COR can find the right mix because do i want to win with 15 men behind the ball.,and all the rubbish.........eh no thanks!! nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1266 - 21/12/2023 10:48:28 2517535 Link 4 |
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Did we actually improve in goals?, I'd prefer Harry in goals.
bdbuddah (Meath) - Posts: 1402 - 22/12/2023 09:38:12 2517625 Link 1 |