Replying To Royalio11:  "Well done Meath.

I agree should be more ruthless and make a statement. I too was listening on the radio and it was clear the foot went off the gas in the closing stages.

However, you should never let a team put 1-3 on you without reply irrespective of time or leading margin - it may come back to bite them if the foot comes off the throat!"

Replying To Furlong1949:  "Its a fair point about killing the game. But they are very young footballers whose game management would still be developing. Secondly kildare are the second best team in the provience and have been the top team at minor for leinster in last couple of years. They were always going to be threat at sometime. So I wouldnt be to hard on them.

Overall they are a very young exciting modern new Meath team that in my view could be the best underage team to come out of the county since the 90s. Time will tell. U never know with underage teams. Every county has had the "we are strong at minor or under 21 team team this year". And the team falters or fails afterwards . But this team I would say after kerry would have to be contenders to reach the final. Derry will be tough. In that Ulster opposition at underage is always decent. But this team has it in them to be playing in the All Ireland final. A final appearance or even a title win would give for football in the county a seriously good boost.

What I like about them. Is they are a big team. To many Meath teams at underage and senior have been small in stature in last 15 years. They are also an Atletic team. Another thing I always feel we sometimes are definitely behind Dublin and also behind kildare since 2010 in Atleticism terms. The backs r good. The forwards are very very good. But midfield cud be the key. I think we have struggled in this area at all levels recently. But with young McBride I doubt there is better midfielder at this age group in the country. Again today he lorded at midfield t. Everything must be done by county board to keep Auzzie rules from getting him. We lost Nash , but to lose McBride as well would be a massive serious blow.

Definatly we r improving at underage. There was a serious gap for 4 or 5 year between us and Dublin and kildare teams. We couldn't beat both at underage. Dublin and kildare were ahead of us at underage. Particularly kildare. But at this age group in last 2 years minor ( under 17) ,we have defeated Dublin by 7 points in 2017 leinster final and kildare by 8 points in todays leinster final..We are strongest at this age group in leinster by a distance. Now we need to translate this into leinster under 20 title in next 2 to 3 years.

We should have done better at under 20 year. Full of players who defeated Dublin at minor and other players which won the first new minor leinster grade last year. We defeated kildare in early stages of leinster at under 20 this year. And then we were hammered by Dublin. That makes no football sense. Our under 20s hammered Dublin at minor age, we defeat kildare . ans yet kildare hammer Dublin. But Dublin hammer us. It makes little football sense whatsoever .

I think there is little between Meath under 20 and kildare under 20. We beat them this year. And lost by 1 point ay minor level in extra time in a cracking game of football two years. If kildare are hammering Dublin. Meath shouldn't have been hammered by Dublin.

It must be said kildare have got a bounce from NewbridgeorNowhere for all their county teams in recent weeks. And this is a very impressive kildare team. Players like Hyland are exceptional talents and are as good as I have ever seen come out of kildare. But we were very tactically unaware v Dublin and kildare teams. Dublin teams at under 21 and under 20 play a system similar to the seniors. They are well.organised and well drilled. Our tactics were awful v the Dubs.

I hope next someone like Graham Geraghty is put in charge of our under 20s. Keep Joe Tranor at under 17. Thats what all the other sucessful counties do at underage. Brian Murphy stayed minor kildare manager for a few years. In any other county Geraghty would have been made underage manager. He is a legend , our most talented player ever. But also has a good wide ranging CV. He works with young people in his professional life. He hasnt managed not at the top level but at other levels. He has inter county experience ( selector with Meath seniors, forward coach with Longford seniors under Glen Ryan), club level ( managed a small club with resources at senior level well) and college ( managed Blanchardstown IT to Trench Cup , second third level trophy after Sigerson).

He wants to be senior Meath manager. I believe he has potential to be a really good manager. But he should now be brought in as underage Meath manager. Thats what kerry or Dublin would do. Instead in Meath we will probaly make him senior manager first. First he should be given opportunity at underage level. Imagine these minor footballers next year playing in a under 20 leinster championship v Dublin or kildare managed by Graham Geraghty. Its a no brainer. Surely theres someone in the county board who can see this.

Anyway it is good to see we are slowly improving at minor age. We need to keep being strong at minor and we need to win a title at under 20 level. But if people say we are not showing signs of improvement at underage level they are wrong. In last three years we have beaten Dublin 4 times at minor level ( 2016 minor, twice in 2017 at new minor level (U 17) and this year minor (U17)). We defeated kildare at minor and under 20 level this year. And have put 2 minor (U17) leinster titles back to back. The gap between us and Dublin and kildare has completely closed and we have overtaken them at minor. 1 or 2 more minor leinster title in next 3 to 4 years. Is what we should be looking for. And we badly need 1 leinster title at under 20. We havent won leinster title at around this grade since 2001 when we won leinster under 21 title. We have played in 1 leinster under 21 final in 17 years. Shocking stuff. Its very disappointing that we had sucessful strong minors in the last two years at under 20/ under 21 and we didnt even reach a leinster final. That needs to change. Thats the next step. Sucess at under 20. Appointing Graham Geraghty Under 20 manager next year would be a step in the right direction. We need to give these young minors all the opportunity to suceed at under 20. If they are 7 points ahead of Dublin at under 17 level in 2017 and 8 points ahead of kildare at under 17 level in 2018 in 2019 our 20s shouldn't be hammered by Dublin or kildare. And should be getting to leinster final and contenders for a title. They actually should be winning leinster under 20 title next year. But that has been an issue for us in last few years. If kildare and Dublin won two under 17 titles so well I would back them for those players to win Under 20. We need to follow that. At the moment we r failing at under 21/ under 20 level for years. Hopefully today is a beginning not another false start.

Anyway well done to our minors. You have done ur county proud. And u r a wonderful young team. That have all the attributes we look for in Meath footballers. You r talented. But brave also. An All Ireland title cud be urs. But the main thing is we see in a few years time players like McBride and Costello and co playing for Meath seniors and performing v the Dubs and kildare like you have done so well this year.

Onwards and upwards. The Meath fightback v the Dubs has begun. Its a long road ahead. But hopefully we are climbing back up the ladder and the future Royals we saw today will see us come roaring back at senior level at the Dubs in the coming years.

Meath leinster football Minor Champions 2018. Well done."

Replying To Northsidegaels:  "Haha some people will jump at any chance to play the martyr and grab a few likes. To try and create a situation to make it look as if I'm in any way criticizing this team is low as No one is as big a fan of this team as me I'm delighted. I was referring to the fact that we lay off the gas in the last 20 minutes we must be ruthless as there could be more than just a Leinster in this team if we are"

Replying To Aloblack:  "Lads were any of yous actually at the game ?? They did kill the game . They killed it by half time and then with 20 minutes left cruised home. Plenty of ruthlessness in this team"

Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "I do not understand people calling for Geraghty to manage a team. This years minors have Paddy Gilsenan as a selector. Last years 17's had Martin O'Connell as a selector. It would be far better for Geraghty to not be the main man. As I don't trust his managerial ability but he could still bring the presence. I would 100% leave Conor O'Donoghue in charge of the minors next year, maybe Joe Traenor if he wants the 20's"

Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "Furlong you started your post disagreeing with me, really long post and then ended up saying Traynor for 20's, O'Donoghue for 17's with a player like Geraghty in as a selector. Is that not what I said in the first place haha. Just don't think GG is a good manager."

Replying To Furlong1949:  "As long as we are sucessful at under 20 next year and are strong at minor thats the main thing.
I have always felt Geraghty had potential as manager and should have being given underage job in the last few years. I know others disagree. Thats fair enough.

Your proposal of Donoghue minor Treanor Under 20 with Geraghty selector is a good option. It seems rationale and reasonable. You have got me thinking. I still I would like to keep Trenor at Under 17, but I understand the idea of whoever is charge of development panels at under 15 16 currently should take over under 17 next year. With the players we have at Under 20 next year reaching a final should be the minimum and winning the title should be a possibility.

For me I get the feeling and the evidence is suggesting this that we are turning the tide at underage. With increase in coachs in the county from 3 to 17 by the end of the year. Money from GAA for East project for counties like Meath kildare Wicklow. Hard work on the ground. Genunine steely determination by everyone involved we will continue to produce good players at underage. Its not a given. But I feel we are getting our act together.

We were ten years behind Dublin at underage and a few behind kildare. We have caught up at minor and overtaken them. We need to maintain strong at that level. And at under 20 we need titles . Beating kildare All Ireland finalist this year at Under 20 was progress. Losing to Dublin badly was a massive step back. Next year we have to be contenders at Under 20. A title is possible.

But for me we need to start developing modern tactically aware coachs and managers. We have a very poor record at producing managers and coachs. If the playing talent is coming through and I believe it is. And I believe it will continue to come through. We need the right managers and right coachs,coaching the right modern tactics. So this is an area we need to see improvement in. Look at Dublin they have Jim Galvin. He leaves Dessie Farrell minor and Under 21 winning manager cud take over. Sherlock coach of their three All Ireland wins could take over also..Pat Gilroy cud also take over the footballers in the future. And St Vincent's All Ireland winning manager could also take over. Dublin have a conveyor belt of managerial talent and good coachs. We need to make sure we have coachs and managers who know how to play the modern way. Tactically aware. Thats the next step. Yesterdays Minor win hopefully is the turning point the new beginning for a new era. Not another false dawn."

Replying To LeitrimRoyal99:  "Furlong you started your post disagreeing with me, really long post and then ended up saying Traynor for 20's, O'Donoghue for 17's with a player like Geraghty in as a selector. Is that not what I said in the first place haha. Just don't think GG is a good manager."

Replying To Analyst:  "I hope next someone like Graham Geraghty is put in charge of our under 20s. Keep Joe Tranor at under 17.

And what do the current U 16 management who have put 3 years work into their squad do ??? You mention further on in your post about what other successful counties do. Very few of them pick a former great player with very limited coaching experience or indeed any level.of success in that field and parachute him in at U20 level.....there was am element of that this year already when Barry callaghan stepped out. Behind all the negativity there is great effort going in at underage and has been for a while now. Fair play to all involved yesterday and hopefully another one next year with what is a highly rated U16 squad this year."

Replying To royaldunne:  "I think you will find gg has had great success with limited teams."

Replying To Analyst:  "Educate me so. Your definition of success could be different to most"

Replying To royaldunne:  "I think you will find gg has had great success with limited teams."