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Replying To atta:  "If Morris had of scored with his last kick it would have been a 2 point game, with all the momentum going meaths way. As it happened there was a long stoppage and we got caught for a silly technical infringement and at that the game was lost. What killed us yesterday was the wayward shooting in the first half, that kills drive in a team. We sorely miss Jones, hopefully he is back for the Carlow match. We draw a line under it and move on."
Indeed our shooting was poor esp in the first half however this was due to the pressure Louth exerted in defence. Louth were organised and closed down every ball giving our forwards zero space.

Like the early games in the league i would have preferred to see us have more patience in front of the posts.

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1815 - 24/03/2025 11:44:50    2598260

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Replying To winatallcost:  "Don't think anything malicious really. Morris was following through and Dornin and another louth player was after attempting to block. Innocuous but unfortunately looks really bad for him. He was by far our most threatening forward and was our only outlet for rescuing game. Frayne had a complete off from play and frees and was lucky to remain on field. Really concerned about backup quality and the importance of players injured such as Coffey and Jones.
Another concern has been the complete slump in form of Menton. Looks completely gassed out and I just wonder is he at the condition necessary given he was the sort of player that relied on his engine and fitness. Similar to Monaghan game our half backline was abject. Keoghan head and shoulders our best player. Flynn did some good things but also some bad. Need to figure out best team and hope we show something in Leinster and sort out alot of sloppiness."
We won more than our fair share of possession around the middle of the field. The problem was poor execution from the forwards, particularly dropping shots short which gives the opposition a launch pad for counter attacks. This puts the whole team under pressure. If we get Jones back to supplement Menton and Flynn in midfield and improve scoring efficiency we can get back to where we were after the first 4 matches. Loss of Morris would be a huge setback though as he is easily our most dangerous forward.

kingofclubs (Meath) - Posts: 336 - 24/03/2025 11:53:14    2598266

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Replying To kingofclubs:  "We won more than our fair share of possession around the middle of the field. The problem was poor execution from the forwards, particularly dropping shots short which gives the opposition a launch pad for counter attacks. This puts the whole team under pressure. If we get Jones back to supplement Menton and Flynn in midfield and improve scoring efficiency we can get back to where we were after the first 4 matches. Loss of Morris would be a huge setback though as he is easily our most dangerous forward."
I believe we can be objective about our shortcomings in the last 3 matches...In fact to begin with i suggest Manager Robbie will playback samples of lack of commitment by certain players in the last 3 matches....Tackling poor ,"giving up"" too easily in trying to win possession. There cannot be any argument about this....evidence is there for all to see. No need to name and shame.....have a look. It was not obvious in the first 4 matches to the same extent. Really can forgive poor shooting in windy conditions practice can help there. Lack of effort is unforgivable that IS different . I ask for Robbie to be ruthless on this NOW.
Luckily it seems injured players returning will help..Players to be displaced to make room have identified themselves. . OK we will not win the all Ireland this year. We can continue to improve though if the rot of the last 3 matches is arrested for the players concerned. I make no apologies to these players if you wear the jersey you take the responsibility that goes with it. It goes without saying that the vast majority of players deserve the jersey .We all know the outstanding example of the the long serving player who never is short on effort even yesterday. Maybe we should be thinking about how to best acknowledge his contribution when the time comes . He is equally easy to identify for years now at this stage even as a veteran !
Morris injury if serious would be a massive loss this year where he was our best forward. Nothing deliberate in my view just an occupational accident.....Here is hoping for the best for him

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1273 - 24/03/2025 13:36:43    2598305

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Overall a successful league. Its the best we done in the last 5 years.

Big positives are, as a team we look fit, there's an attacking plan, we've unearthed a couple of new players and got the likes of Lavin back.

Still a few issues:
1. MIdfield is a glaring one, we don't know the best partnership at the minute, I would say Flynn and Gray with Menton coming off the bench and Jones at wing forward.
2. Injuries, Morris was a huge blow on Sunday, add Coffey, O Neill, Costello and Jones, the injuries are piling up.
3. One on one marking, besides, Keoghan, Lavin and Rafferty to some extent there's no too many others who are able to go man on man, O Neill can when fit.

My team for championship would be as follows:
1.) Hogan
2.) Keoghan
3.) Rafferty
4.) Lavin
5.) O Halleron
6.) Coffey
7.) Caufield
8.) Flynn
9.) Gray
10.) Jones
11.) Walsh
12.) Kinlough
13.) Morris
14.) Costello
15.) Frayne

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 415 - 24/03/2025 22:45:27    2598442

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "Overall a successful league. Its the best we done in the last 5 years.

Big positives are, as a team we look fit, there's an attacking plan, we've unearthed a couple of new players and got the likes of Lavin back.

Still a few issues:
1. MIdfield is a glaring one, we don't know the best partnership at the minute, I would say Flynn and Gray with Menton coming off the bench and Jones at wing forward.
2. Injuries, Morris was a huge blow on Sunday, add Coffey, O Neill, Costello and Jones, the injuries are piling up.
3. One on one marking, besides, Keoghan, Lavin and Rafferty to some extent there's no too many others who are able to go man on man, O Neill can when fit.

My team for championship would be as follows:
1.) Hogan
2.) Keoghan
3.) Rafferty
4.) Lavin
5.) O Halleron
6.) Coffey
7.) Caufield
8.) Flynn
9.) Gray
10.) Jones
11.) Walsh
12.) Kinlough
13.) Morris
14.) Costello
15.) Frayne"
Morris made some recovery......if we are depending on Conor Gray at midfield then i fear for us, Jones was flying but will not be back for Leinster either so we are in trouble there, there is a 43 man squad there with some who have gotten very little opportunity, intercounty football requires power

Analyst (Meath) - Posts: 1506 - 25/03/2025 09:39:47    2598487

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "Overall a successful league. Its the best we done in the last 5 years.

Big positives are, as a team we look fit, there's an attacking plan, we've unearthed a couple of new players and got the likes of Lavin back.

Still a few issues:
1. MIdfield is a glaring one, we don't know the best partnership at the minute, I would say Flynn and Gray with Menton coming off the bench and Jones at wing forward.
2. Injuries, Morris was a huge blow on Sunday, add Coffey, O Neill, Costello and Jones, the injuries are piling up.
3. One on one marking, besides, Keoghan, Lavin and Rafferty to some extent there's no too many others who are able to go man on man, O Neill can when fit.

My team for championship would be as follows:
1.) Hogan
2.) Keoghan
3.) Rafferty
4.) Lavin
5.) O Halleron
6.) Coffey
7.) Caufield
8.) Flynn
9.) Gray
10.) Jones
11.) Walsh
12.) Kinlough
13.) Morris
14.) Costello
15.) Frayne"
On what basis are you throwing Conor Gray into the starting midfield for championship?

He's been on the bench for pretty much all the league games and hasn't come on once I don't think or if he has its been for a few minutes.

The management who are seeing him 3 or 4 times a week are obviously not convinced on him playing even a major role off the bench in the league and even when our midfield have struggled in this league campaign they've chosen not to bring him on more often than not so I'm really curious as to how you see him starting championship in 2 weeks .

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1062 - 25/03/2025 10:14:18    2598494

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I'm picking a team based on everyone being fit and making miraculous recovery from injuries.

Realistically Jones and Morris won't make the match in two weeks time while Coffey is also touch and go.

There's an evident issue in midfield at the minute, Menton has struggled the last 3 games and its no coincidence that it's since Jones picked up the injury. Whoever is picking him up against Louth, Westmeath or Dublin will have a field day on him.

Our depth at midfield is currently Flynn, Menton, Gray, Jones, McBride. Duke, O Neill and Kinlough can also cover there but that's really it. After Flynn none of them fill me with any confidence.

UsernameInvalid (Meath) - Posts: 415 - 25/03/2025 13:20:03    2598533

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Based on Sunday you will be doing well to win your 1st round match never mind beating Offaly in a 1/4 final

Louth had the game won at half time and were missing 8 or 9 including 5 guaranteed starters in Mulroy, Corcoran, Kennan, Lennon, Grimes

Hopefully we get to a Leinster Final and get to meet you in the group stage again. Be another handy 2 points

DundalkGael (Louth) - Posts: 936 - 25/03/2025 13:44:09    2598538

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Replying To Blackspot09:  "On what basis are you throwing Conor Gray into the starting midfield for championship?

He's been on the bench for pretty much all the league games and hasn't come on once I don't think or if he has its been for a few minutes.

The management who are seeing him 3 or 4 times a week are obviously not convinced on him playing even a major role off the bench in the league and even when our midfield have struggled in this league campaign they've chosen not to bring him on more often than not so I'm really curious as to how you see him starting championship in 2 weeks ."
Agreed ........Management are best placed to call if fit and has the required work rate. Gray is obviously not showing enough at training and as a midfielder may have questions about mobility.....I do think Bryan Menton as midfielder was never a natural . I go for broke with Costello at midfield .Injury free he may be a very versatile player.......At 14 Menton and Gray may have a job to do at training to demonstrate appetite and workrate required for intercounty now.

nobull456 (Meath) - Posts: 1273 - 25/03/2025 14:11:46    2598543

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Replying To DundalkGael:  "Based on Sunday you will be doing well to win your 1st round match never mind beating Offaly in a 1/4 final

Louth had the game won at half time and were missing 8 or 9 including 5 guaranteed starters in Mulroy, Corcoran, Kennan, Lennon, Grimes

Hopefully we get to a Leinster Final and get to meet you in the group stage again. Be another handy 2 points"
Louth people are gas. Meath had a bad last 2 games, they were well better in the league than louth. There is no way you think Carlow will be hard bet. The Wee people are obsessed with Meath, keep crying about 2010 and how yous were wobbed....

Meathboyos86 (Meath) - Posts: 72 - 25/03/2025 14:18:18    2598545

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "I'm picking a team based on everyone being fit and making miraculous recovery from injuries.

Realistically Jones and Morris won't make the match in two weeks time while Coffey is also touch and go.

There's an evident issue in midfield at the minute, Menton has struggled the last 3 games and its no coincidence that it's since Jones picked up the injury. Whoever is picking him up against Louth, Westmeath or Dublin will have a field day on him.

Our depth at midfield is currently Flynn, Menton, Gray, Jones, McBride. Duke, O Neill and Kinlough can also cover there but that's really it. After Flynn none of them fill me with any confidence."
In the first 4 matches Jones was acting as a third midfielder, and Menton/Flynn/Jones were very effective across the middle third. Unfortunately any replacement that has come in for Jones at wing forward has not been able to duplicate his role and the midfield as a whole has suffered. The half back line and half forward lines are hugely significant under these new rules as the vast majority of the possession is got from winning breaking ball with very few clean catches . Meath have been poor on breaking ball in the last few games (Coffey has been badly missed in this area). I can't see Conor Gray coming into midfield when he has not featured at all in the league. Don't know about McBride at midfield, but the experiment of playing him at full forward against Monaghan certainly didn't work. The management will be watching all these players in training and we must rely on their judgement.

kingofclubs (Meath) - Posts: 336 - 25/03/2025 14:33:11    2598549

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Replying To DundalkGael:  "Based on Sunday you will be doing well to win your 1st round match never mind beating Offaly in a 1/4 final

Louth had the game won at half time and were missing 8 or 9 including 5 guaranteed starters in Mulroy, Corcoran, Kennan, Lennon, Grimes

Hopefully we get to a Leinster Final and get to meet you in the group stage again. Be another handy 2 points"
i wouldn't mind yous were all looking at results hoping not to be relegated on sunday

Points76 (Meath) - Posts: 32 - 25/03/2025 14:38:24    2598552

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Replying To DundalkGael:  "Based on Sunday you will be doing well to win your 1st round match never mind beating Offaly in a 1/4 final

Louth had the game won at half time and were missing 8 or 9 including 5 guaranteed starters in Mulroy, Corcoran, Kennan, Lennon, Grimes

Hopefully we get to a Leinster Final and get to meet you in the group stage again. Be another handy 2 points"
I agree, if Louth get those players who were missing back they could even maybe win their first leinster or all ireland in 70 years.......

Analyst (Meath) - Posts: 1506 - 25/03/2025 14:58:49    2598560

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "I'm picking a team based on everyone being fit and making miraculous recovery from injuries.

Realistically Jones and Morris won't make the match in two weeks time while Coffey is also touch and go.

There's an evident issue in midfield at the minute, Menton has struggled the last 3 games and its no coincidence that it's since Jones picked up the injury. Whoever is picking him up against Louth, Westmeath or Dublin will have a field day on him.

Our depth at midfield is currently Flynn, Menton, Gray, Jones, McBride. Duke, O Neill and Kinlough can also cover there but that's really it. After Flynn none of them fill me with any confidence."
There is evident issues in Midfield at the minute. I would 100% agree with you. And yey despite these evident issues in midfield management have chosen not to use Gray for the most part. So I really can't see how you could be picking him to start in 2 weeks .

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1062 - 25/03/2025 17:04:58    2598578

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Funny reading so many posters knocking the idea of Conor Gray starting. It's as if they didn't watch us get absolutely cleaned out in midfield in the last 3 games. Conor Gray wouldn't have let Tommy Durnin run the show. He's 21 years old and was brilliant in the tailteann year, had a nightmare 2024 (despite winning the keegan cup) with injuries and illness and its as if he's been wrote off. He's going to be a great player for meath for a long time I have no doubts. He's getting very close to returning to the senior team and I'd be shocked if he doesn't play championship.

Sheridan2010louth (Meath) - Posts: 217 - 25/03/2025 17:48:00    2598583

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Replying To DundalkGael:  "Based on Sunday you will be doing well to win your 1st round match never mind beating Offaly in a 1/4 final

Louth had the game won at half time and were missing 8 or 9 including 5 guaranteed starters in Mulroy, Corcoran, Kennan, Lennon, Grimes

Hopefully we get to a Leinster Final and get to meet you in the group stage again. Be another handy 2 points"
You should me more worried about actually making it into the Sam Maguire competition as I can see Westmeath or Kildare sending you to Tailtean cup.

Maestro (Meath) - Posts: 586 - 25/03/2025 21:04:46    2598598

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Replying To UsernameInvalid:  "Overall a successful league. Its the best we done in the last 5 years.

Big positives are, as a team we look fit, there's an attacking plan, we've unearthed a couple of new players and got the likes of Lavin back.

Still a few issues:
1. MIdfield is a glaring one, we don't know the best partnership at the minute, I would say Flynn and Gray with Menton coming off the bench and Jones at wing forward.
2. Injuries, Morris was a huge blow on Sunday, add Coffey, O Neill, Costello and Jones, the injuries are piling up.
3. One on one marking, besides, Keoghan, Lavin and Rafferty to some extent there's no too many others who are able to go man on man, O Neill can when fit.

My team for championship would be as follows:
1.) Hogan
2.) Keoghan
3.) Rafferty
4.) Lavin
5.) O Halleron
6.) Coffey
7.) Caufield
8.) Flynn
9.) Gray
10.) Jones
11.) Walsh
12.) Kinlough
13.) Morris
14.) Costello
15.) Frayne"
For me the acid test was the Monaghan game……and the MAJOR difference between the two teams was the pace of several Monaghan players, we were lost particularly on the wings. We had nothing even near approaching the pace of 7 and 10 I think were their numbers and a few more not far behind those.
Is that the reason why Monaghan could go toe to toe with Dublin while we were not over the past 9 or 10 years?
If it is then we are firmly a Division 2 team.

MillerX (Meath) - Posts: 1099 - 26/03/2025 00:14:50    2598613

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Replying To Sheridan2010louth:  "Funny reading so many posters knocking the idea of Conor Gray starting. It's as if they didn't watch us get absolutely cleaned out in midfield in the last 3 games. Conor Gray wouldn't have let Tommy Durnin run the show. He's 21 years old and was brilliant in the tailteann year, had a nightmare 2024 (despite winning the keegan cup) with injuries and illness and its as if he's been wrote off. He's going to be a great player for meath for a long time I have no doubts. He's getting very close to returning to the senior team and I'd be shocked if he doesn't play championship."
Hes not been wrote off, everyone wants him to be back, but he's just not back yet unfortunately. His form has dipped , prob all due to last year's set backs.

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 961 - 26/03/2025 07:17:46    2598618

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I don't get why people are dismissing trying Gray out. We've been cleaned out of it the last 3 games in midfield. No harm to try something else. He's a very big man and can win ball. It's a no brainer.

Selwyn (Meath) - Posts: 400 - 26/03/2025 07:34:43    2598622

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Replying To Sheridan2010louth:  "Funny reading so many posters knocking the idea of Conor Gray starting. It's as if they didn't watch us get absolutely cleaned out in midfield in the last 3 games. Conor Gray wouldn't have let Tommy Durnin run the show. He's 21 years old and was brilliant in the tailteann year, had a nightmare 2024 (despite winning the keegan cup) with injuries and illness and its as if he's been wrote off. He's going to be a great player for meath for a long time I have no doubts. He's getting very close to returning to the senior team and I'd be shocked if he doesn't play championship."
To be fair we I don't think anyone or at least not too many are knocking the lad or questioning his potential.

But is not a reasonable point to make that the fact he was on the bench for pretty much the entire league campaign and saw little or no game time even when as you rightly pointed out we were getting absolutely cleaned in midfield that it is difficult to see how anyone could have him down to start the first championship game in less than 2 weeks ?

If he was on the bench and fit to play which he was V louth and he wouldn't have let Tommy Durnin run the show like you said well then why didn't the management bring him on to deal with Tommy Durnin ???

There is no doubting his potential and the fact he had a good Tailteann cup year 2 years ago but it's pretty obvious that management don't believe that he us currently ready up or to the level required at this moment to be involved and it's unlikely he will get there in 2 weeks and I find it strange that people are tipping him to start pretty much based off some good performances 2 years ago.

Blackspot09 (Meath) - Posts: 1062 - 26/03/2025 08:33:19    2598626

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