Now the dust has settled hopefully the admin will let me have my say. I had a great grá for down football since the early 00's coulter, Poland Clarke etc but ever since kilcoo came on the National stage and their attitude this cocky stuff doesn't kick scores. Delighted they were bet, if they spend less time focusing on themselves and playing as a unit they'd have won tailt.
Too much focus on appearance and disco muscles and not enough of the fundamental basics of football, pass & go, kick from distance. Fair play o rourke

Sportsfanatic90 (Westmeath) - Posts: 213 - 16/07/2023 19:41:11    2494897

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 16/07/2023 21:42:30    2494935

germac (Down) - Posts: 534 - 17/07/2023 08:02:44    2494957

Antrimroad (Down) - Posts: 119 - 17/07/2023 13:31:41    2495092

I knew that we would not have learned from the previous meeting with Meath, everyone in the county knew about the goalkeeper having a mistake in him, and then you start seeing social media posts of men who have done nothing in a down shirt this year parading about like they are Rockstar's, very surprised the management team allowed this to happen. Buzz round the county not as loud this morning. It was an off day and up until that goal we were still in it, but as a management team placed all around the ground how do they not see the aerial threat that was causing us hell? To slow to make changes and any that did come in did not have long enough to put stamp on game, Have to ask the question was Poland, Finn, McPartland, McEvoy so far off the pace that they only seen a few mins or none at all. Chatting with a few Players on Saturday and they were not happy with calls made during week and on the day! Certain Problem player brought back in when work wasn't done just for photo shoot.

Hopefully the management team can be freshened up in the winter as Lav wont be able to do it all on his own.

Clonduffgaelx (Down) - Posts: 3 - 17/07/2023 15:53:01    2495163

Antrimroad (Down) - Posts: 119 - 18/07/2023 22:06:41    2495516

As a neutral in croke park I don't think it's good look for Down football to have a player who showed no respect to Down with his comments last year, on the field. The same player who was poor on Saturday also had the petulance of a child when he stormed down the tunnel after the final whistle, not even having the manners and respect to watch the presentation with the rest of his team mates.

I wouldn't have him near the panel, seems like a rotten apple to me.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 19/07/2023 10:19:22    2495554

I read that Conor Laverty said the dressing room was gutted by the loss against Meath and I can believe that. It would be easy to go over board with the criticism but it would be pretty pointless bearing in mind the really low point Down had reached in the season before the new management took over.

Realistically we're two to three years away from seeing the best that this team has to offer and the same would apply to Meath. It was well summed up by a pundit who happened to be an ex Meath player when he was asked what he thought Meath winning the Tailteann Cup meant. Anthony Moyles said it's nice to win things, especially for the efforts put in by players and management but all it proved was Meath were the 17th best team in the country. They hadn't qualified for the Sam Maguire this season and that's where they ranked.

Down find themselves where they were last year having to reach an Ulster Final to play in Sam next
season. I wouldn't read too much into players storming off. Everyone reacts diffently and not every player in a forty man odd panel gets on with everyone. There are always niggles and personality clashes, that's for management to deal with. The stuff about modern day players over doing the online media stuff, I have no problem with, it's a different world we live in.

Conor Laverty said the management would let the dust settle and review the season, what had gone right and where things had gone wrong. That's important, everyone needs to learn from the mistakes if the team is repeating the same mistakes next season then criticism would be justified.

All in all a much better season than the one that preceded it. With Barry O 'Hagan hopefully returning fully fit and the players improving with this years experience we can look forward to maybe an even better season coming up. I got plenty of enjoyment from this team and it's only fair to recognise the time, work and effort they and the management put in, backed up by their families. I know I couldn't do it.

Newmitch (Down) - Posts: 97 - 19/07/2023 16:07:17    2495674

Antrimroad (Down) - Posts: 119 - 19/07/2023 17:13:15    2495696

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 20/07/2023 11:03:43    2495769

germac (Down) - Posts: 534 - 20/07/2023 19:54:07    2495895

Dissapointing end to what otherwise was an overall positive year. Considering Down couldn't buy a win last year, and we've been in the doldrums for a large part of the last decade there is definite signs of green shoots. 2 Ulster u20 titles in the last 3 years is also significant. I don't think anyone was expecting miracles and it is still a long road to travel for Down football to get back to the top table but at least it feels like we're pointing in the right direction at long last.
I hope the management team and players in general take the positives and put the shoulder to the wheel going forward as they have collectively clearly done this season. It's essential Down get out of Div.3 and who knows another big win or 2 in Ulster isn't beyond this group. The fact that a Div.2 team has won the Tailteann may also open the door to the Div.3 winner making it into the Sam Maguire next year (depending on Provincial draws etc).....
One observation worth making though is our continued achilles heal being a lack of physicality / power / height particular in the middle third / spine of the team. It's an area that Down have struggled in really since the likes of Ambrose Rogers, Dan Gordan and Callum King retired. I hope this will be an area of focus for the County as a whole from development squads and upwards as we seem to have a long running trend of producing good but rather small in stature players. Against better opposition this can be readily exploited as demonstrated v Armagh in Ulster and also successfully targeted by Meath last week. Anyway plenty to work on and I'm really hoping this upward trend can continue into the season ahead.
An Dún abú.

Mourne.Identidy (Down) - Posts: 20 - 25/07/2023 22:11:45    2496939

From the outset guys I just want to say that I'm not here to gloat or goad Down posters in any way. I have a very healthy respect for Down, and Ive had many friends who lived and played in the county. I hope Down press on in the coming years as this year has produced undeniable green shoots. Fair play for a fine year.

However I will say that I find common ground with the Westmeath poster from this thread... I think if Down had knuckled down correctly and learned from the first Meath game in Parnell Park, it may have been a very different final. Even though Meath have beaten Down twice in one year and won the Tailteann Cup, in many ways I think Down have a higher potential ceiling in the coming years. Time will tell in that front.

I think the Laois semi-final (with respect to them) was far too easy, and I remember the post-game when a Down player (cant remember his name) went to the punditry staff for a live chat, and I understand he is a young fellow and not polished in front of a camera, but to me personally I felt like his outlook, perspective and even his persona was wrong - I remember myself and the people I was with having a little giggle to ourselves that the final would be a different animal, and that if his posture reflected the squad as a whole, then they were in for a rude awakening when they played Meath again with something on the line, and I honestly think I was proven right. There just seems to be a bravado. I even saw it in Parnell Park as well, there were Down lads putting up a front, they werent being true to themselves.

Anyway, a great coach, progress on recent years, and hopefully some character will come from the final as failure is a hell of a motivator. These guys have a future, no doubt about that and I hope they push on. On another note it was nice to add another final between our respective counties and increased respect.

Young_gael (Meath) - Posts: 587 - 27/07/2023 07:50:51    2497202

The reason why down are **** is because it isn't kilcoo. Mentality's are different.

How many non kilcoo players from the down team would play for kilcoo??

One wins we all win!!

berba9 (Down) - Posts: 2 - 04/08/2023 05:52:58    2498959

Suas Sios (None) - Posts: 1550 - 04/08/2023 16:43:20    2499063

Very quiet on here, so thought I'd resurrect the chat.....Vital we got out of Div.3 this year and job well done. Hoping the team can take another step forward next wknd in Croke Park and put the poor Tailteann final performance last year out of their system......There is real incremental progress being made, still don't think we'll necessarily set the world alight this year but there's definitely a good scalp in them + teams won't fancy coming to Newry again (and it's been a long time since we can say anything like that)......Really hoping we can make it into the Sam Maguire this year (either as Div.3 winners or who knows a run in Ulster) as so important to this group's development to get the experience of playing at a higher level. In truth we'd probably still struggle against the top tier teams but if this management team and group of players can stick together over the next few years I think we'll see steady progress and brighter days ahead......Good to see positivity return and a bit of a buzz about the senior set-up as it's been sadly lacking this past decade......Best of luck Sunday and a wee bit of silverware in Croke Park would do them no harm at all even if only Div.3 but still counts as progression given where we're coming from (I can't remember the last piece of anyway meaningful silverware which Down have won at Snr level, is it the 94 All-Ireland??!!).......Wouldn't be taking Westmeath lightly though + with Heslin back they'll be tough enough to beat.

Mourne.Identidy (Down) - Posts: 20 - 25/03/2024 22:58:50    2533773

Down do it again tailteann cup all over. Less focus on pulling up the shorts and more focus on playing the game. Delighted

Sportsfanatic90 (Westmeath) - Posts: 213 - 30/03/2024 21:19:44    2534705

35OLT (USA) - Posts: 90 - 30/03/2024 21:30:07    2534708

Very disappointing result (and largely performance) Saturday night. Was hopeful of a win in the knowledge that Westemeath would be tough to beat but they were well worth their win and congrats. It does leave Down with a lot of questions hanging over the team but I'm sure the management and squad can regroup for championship v Antrim week after next......A few things worth noting though, we seemed to really lose our way as the game wore on, sure Westmeath got bodies back and crowded Down out but wrong options were taken time and time again. Felt we should have had more on the scoreboard by half time and it came back to bite us.
Progress is being made and Down supporters should be patient with what is a young squad with much potential. However glaring deficiences were exposed again in Croke Park against similar or better opposition (as per Tailteann Final). Big wins against weaker opposition in Div.3 has possibly flattered Down somewhat. Better opposition have worked out that if you thwart Down's goal threat we're going to stuggle. I thought we would have a better plan against a mass defense, support runners from deep off the shoulder to punch holes etc. but got badly bogged down with slow lateral play in the final third. This squad needs to be playing at a higher level to learn and we'll get that in Div.2 next year. Would dearly love to see us in the Sam Maguire this year but that's just gotten a lot harder as Saturday was possibly our best chance.
Hoping the boys can bounce back v Antrim and we can't look past that game. I hope supporters will turn out in numbers in Newry to get behind the team as Ulster's the only show in town now......

Mourne.Identidy (Down) - Posts: 20 - 02/04/2024 22:28:00    2535284

Lads, for those heading to Clones on Saturday week. If you're heading through Ballybay you might be better taking the left at Pearse Park (look out for the Bingo sign) go over the Avenue and you'll come out at the old Riverdale Hotel, then take a right and left in middle of the town to Clones. Saves you the bottle neck at Centra and you're going with the turn for Clones.

FootblockREF (Monaghan) - Posts: 563 - 16/04/2024 11:17:52    2538304