Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 01/07/2019 22:21:26    2204019

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 514 - 02/07/2019 23:17:19    2204679

One thing Westmeath really lack is height in the forwards. Another big ball winner in the forwards would help us a lot, a big workhorse in the mould of Bonnar Maher from Tipp. Killian Doyle seemed to get an absurd amount of ball directed towards him. He did well as always and cut through for a nice goal but he sometimes made questionable shot choices, impossible angle efforts. Laois midfield/half backs were excellent at holding possession, breaking the first tackle and then creating good scoring opportunities for their forwards. Our other forwards really needed to step up though. I thought our backs did alright. A few good 'yellow cards' prevented another couple of goals. There was some good and bad distribution of ball from our backs/midfield. Price did well when he came on but the Laois half back line did very well on our puckouts and the pressure then on our backs was relentless. Laois were always able to keep us at arms length. The final scoreline was a bit flattering. Laois weren't 10 points a better team all along, just Westmeath will to fight collapsed after the third goal. As always, nobody expects anything of the 'lesser' counties so I hope they go out and give Cork a good rattle this weekend.

RadioactiveTan (UK) - Posts: 16 - 03/07/2019 00:40:29    2204710

Niall O' Brien is in Dubai working, hardly available? Niall Mitchell is on panel, got injured, Nipper Dowdall has hardly featured regularly for clonkill in the past three years with injuries, who else at club level would improve the panel?

Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 03/07/2019 11:10:59    2204801

valley84 (Westmeath) - Posts: 1791 - 03/07/2019 21:22:54    2205152

After last weeks capitulation hopeful that the team put in some sort of a performance today and it won't be too much of an embarrassment

locklanegale (Wexford) - Posts: 58 - 07/07/2019 10:40:28    2206837

Not a good day.. I don't think the team deserves that scoreline.. They are better than that.. Last week must have made a good few heads drop and pack it in for the year

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 514 - 07/07/2019 17:24:18    2207132

Cork never tried to score goals other than the one they did get. Otherwise it could easily have been a thirty five point defeat. The gap in class was obvious from the beginning of the game, physically Cork were streets ahead of Westmeath, their touch, accuracy, movement and team work were far superior. AonghusvClarke, Eoin Price and Killian Doyle were impressive while Paul Greville never stopped trying. Otherwise it was men vs boys. Nash's puckouts were laser like. However, the team management must ship a lot of criticism for the way we lined up and the tactics employed. Playing two sweepers against a side content to notch points beggared belief, short puck outs to our full back who then pucked the ball fifty yards to where we were outnumbered was baffling. It was the 32nd min before one of the selectors made his way to tell Conor lynch to change tactics, Cork had just scored their 22nd point. The crowd's involvement had disappeared after 10 mins and our tactics and set up had a lot to do with this. Contrast our display with the Laois performance against Dublin and it's obvious that we've made very little if any progress under this management team.

Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 07/07/2019 17:41:56    2207142

Cork never tried to score goals other than the one they did get. Otherwise it could easily have been a thirty five point defeat. The gap in class was obvious from the beginning of the game, physically Cork were streets ahead of Westmeath, their touch, accuracy, movement and team work were far superior. AonghusvClarke, Eoin Price and Killian Doyle were impressive while Paul Greville never stopped trying. Otherwise it was men vs boys. Nash's puckouts were laser like. However, the team management must ship a lot of criticism for the way we lined up and the tactics employed. Playing two sweepers against a side content to notch points beggared belief, short puck outs to our full back who then pucked the ball fifty yards to where we were outnumbered was baffling. It was the 32nd min before one of the selectors made his way to tell Conor lynch to change tactics, Cork had just scored their 22nd point. The crowd's involvement had disappeared after 10 mins and our tactics and set up had a lot to do with this. Contrast our display with the Laois performance against Dublin and it's obvious that we've made very little if any progress under this management team.

Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 07/07/2019 17:42:29    2207143

Mind the gap .. it's huge

dakid (Australia) - Posts: 259 - 07/07/2019 18:50:00    2207241

Tactics were shocking today. Playing 1 player in full forward line for first half. No puck out strategy. Players didnt look comfortable with the set up. No progress made this year. Cant see what the manager brings to the countyteam.

midfield9 (Westmeath) - Posts: 54 - 07/07/2019 19:39:23    2207300

Couldn't agree more. Four or possibly five limerick men in charge today and at one stage one of them on the sideline was on his phone texting. Imagine a Kilkenny or limerick background team member using his phone during a challenge match, let alone a championship match. Tactically we were beyond bad today, yet we persisted until half time. Definition of madness doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This was our puckout strategy. Seeing what Laois have done under a serious, ambitious manager versus our lack of progress under our management team highlights the fact that we need a change of management. Worryingly, two of our most prominent players today are in the final stages of their careers at this level. Replacing Eoin price and Paul Greville over the next couple of years will be difficult.

Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 07/07/2019 21:26:09    2207411

bruceistheboss (Westmeath) - Posts: 20 - 08/07/2019 08:51:12    2207570

Losing important players has always been a problem. When Killian Doyle was coming on the scene Brendan Murtagh was thinking about retiring and so on and so on .... Our Quality player pool is too small and physically not at the level of Laois or Carlow at the moment never mind Cork. Throw in Corks skill levels and player pool and the gap becomes huge.
It's not long since Cork put 10 goals past Laois No better team to keep their foot on your throat when they they have you cornered. In fairness Laois have being playing Division 1 so that's a big advantage . We are up there next year so that's definite progress. It will be a struggle to stay up there obviously though but that's the challenge.

Jack_Sparrow (Westmeath) - Posts: 886 - 08/07/2019 10:13:15    2207633

Damage limitation tactics. Remember when they ran tipperary close a couple of years ago. They actually went 1 on 1. Most lads hadn't a clue what their role was. The going will be savage tough in division 1 next year. Hopefully all talent available will commit.

overdabar (Westmeath) - Posts: 212 - 08/07/2019 21:43:39    2208195

What quaid quoted during the week was wrong... Saying call a spade a spade westmeath were going to be gone out of the championship after the Cork match something to that effect.... You just can't be saying that... Its like telling a player even if you give 120 percent your still going to loose.... I don't think Mícheál Ryan would have ever stated something like that about his players, he seemed to believe in them... And a previous poster correctly said when westmeath went 1 on 1 v tipp two years ago look what nearly happened and in thurles of all places. I'd say Sundays game was westmeaths worst performance against one of the bigger teams in many of a year.... Since 2011 Galway have been played 3 times, wexford 3 times, limerick twice, tipperery once... I may have got them figures wrong but in those games they gave it everything and fought with pride....

preddan (Kildare) - Posts: 514 - 09/07/2019 13:41:30    2208436

Totally agree. Allowing Cork sixty shots at goal, most of them free shots, was madness. Two spare men inside our 45 in the modern game where players regularly score from 70 metres. Cork didn't try to score goals, top teams these days aim to score 25+ points, 1 goal to top that off. Tactics that were straight out of a football manager's notebook. Manager playing the media same as he did with Kildare. Talking about 3 year plans and next year going one better. Making sure that he and his fellow limerick coaches and backroom team are in place for next year. County board should insist on a review, get the players views. We have arguably our best bunch of players in quite some time, an ambitious manager interested in boosting his profile is what we want.

Bellewest (Westmeath) - Posts: 150 - 09/07/2019 14:23:09    2208460

Jesus the puck out tactic is awful alone without the defenders running into trouble from it. Cork could of put up any score they wanted in reality!
Surprised how much more conditioned the cork players were in comparison to Westmeath.
Touch, pace and quick decision making is in need of huge improvement to compete in the league next year.


Them cork fans travel well

dakid (Australia) - Posts: 259 - 09/07/2019 18:39:57    2208588

jobber (Westmeath) - Posts: 857 - 29/07/2019 00:54:22    2217944

soreknee (Westmeath) - Posts: 135 - 29/07/2019 11:22:05    2218059