Why oh why do we keep trotting out the same names that should be involved in the inter-county set up. The one that grates me most is Podge McKeever, obviously a fine footballer but he has walked away from the panel at least twice and possibly 3 times. I have no problem with any player choosing to walk away because of the huge commitment it requires but have a problem with him being described as some kind of saviour in waiting.
O'Caoileann was back on panel and picked up an injury at the wrong time if he stays at it he certainly has something to bring in the half forward line.
If Jones and Lenihan were to return it would seriously boost us. but time will tell.

We need a new keeper, that has been obvious for quite a while, There is no way that our starting keeper should not be even considered the best keeper in his club. Andy burned bridges when he brought Joe into the panel a couple of years ago, he needs to resolve that.

In the backs I feel that we are quite competitive, obviously improvements would help but particularly the full back line has stood up very well. Ronan Ryan has been a big loss over the past number of weeks he adds greatly to the depth.

Midfield is a big issue, I would not question his effort or dedication but the simple fact is that Shane McEntee is not an intercounty midfielder. He has neither the size to influence a game or the ball playing ability to effect the game enough. Menton badly needs a partner.

We need a go to forward in the mould of McBrearty, Lenihan was shaping up to be that and I think he would really have thrived under the system this year, hopefully he returns to the fray.

Our option taking in the Red Zone yesterday was shocking at times. We simply have to start converting a higher number of opportunities if we are to develop further.

I have been to every game the past number of years and the progress we have made is serious but we have not beaten a team that we weren't expected to as yet. If we can iron out some of the things mentioned, we will. Great to see the confidence of Young Walsh certainly one for the future.

longroadback (Meath) - Posts: 300 - 22/07/2019 14:34:12    2214736

Brian Conlon would be an asset to the team but he wont play in green and gold with Andy Mcentee as manager.

NuttyMeathMan (Meath) - Posts: 35 - 22/07/2019 15:06:04    2214758

GlasgowRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 275 - 22/07/2019 15:11:35    2214763

Aloblack (Meath) - Posts: 265 - 22/07/2019 15:33:45    2214777

ASaminthehand (Meath) - Posts: 292 - 22/07/2019 15:46:36    2214787

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 22/07/2019 16:47:14    2214830

Barney123 (Meath) - Posts: 676 - 22/07/2019 17:01:43    2214838

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 22/07/2019 17:37:20    2214854

redser123 (Meath) - Posts: 306 - 22/07/2019 17:40:00    2214856

Our decent backs that we could convert into forward?

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1668 - 22/07/2019 17:40:52    2214857

bert09 (Meath) - Posts: 1668 - 22/07/2019 17:43:16    2214858

Jackpot (Meath) - Posts: 199 - 22/07/2019 18:32:19    2214887

Eri (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 22/07/2019 18:34:23    2214888

It pretty simple why are we fading in last ten minutes.

We are a division 2 up and coming young team ( I Donegal were in div 2 but they are not division 2 team they are in top 3 teams in country). Division 2 up and coming teams need to peak twice in one year eg once in the spring and second in Summer . Division 1 teams have to peak once in the summer. Division 1 teams just need to stay in divsion 1. Division 2 teams need to finish in top 2. Division 1 teams all their training is focussed on the July to peak for July. Division 2 team need to peak Feb March April and then in the summer. This is very hard to do and teams in general especially up and coming teams fail to do so. All the teams in Meath position who had good div 2 campaign had a poor championship in recent years. Actually been the first team in 11 years to lose leinster final and win next qualifier, reaching leinster final and super 8 and going toe to toe with Mayo and Donegal for 60 mins is the best any promoted div 2 team has done in years and is a very good sign for the future and pretty damn good going.

Last year Cavan and Roscommon won promotion to div 1 . They peaked in the spring. Both had dreadul championships. Cavan were knocked out early and Roscommon got real bad hammerings in super 8s.
In 2017 Galway were promoted from div 2 to div 1.They peaked in the spring and had poor championship. Roscommon hammered them in Connacht final and Galway were awful when kerry knocked them out of the championship. kildare were also promoted to div 1 in 2017. They played well v us , but were hammered by Dublin. The media tryed to hype up the performance but that leinster final kildare v Dublin in 2017 was over after 20 mins. Kildare were knocked out of championship by Armagh and kildare were very poor that day. I could give many more examples going to back when Laois won a div 1 league title in 1986 and lost first championship match to Wicklow. Our when Kildare under Dwyer reached div 1 league final in 1992 and were knocked out of the championship in first round to louth.

So div 2 teams that get promoted to div 1 when it comes to the summer their form dips because theyre training is all to peak in spring. To ask young up and coming amateurs to peak twice in one year is very very difficult. And all the teams that were promoted from div 2 followed up with very very poor championship. We have actually done well compared to promoted teams last year and recent years eg Roscommon and Cavan and kildare and Galway in 2017. Even Colm Nally said after the Donegal loss about how teams like Donegal and Mayo all.their training is to peak in summer.

That is it. That is the reason why we fading in last ten minutes. Yes experience is an issue also. But the issue of peaking twice in one season for young team.is not really possible. Under such circumstances our performances have been really good and really encouraging for the future.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 22/07/2019 19:28:00    2214917

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 22/07/2019 19:29:21    2214919

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 709 - 22/07/2019 19:41:58    2214926

southmeathgael (Meath) - Posts: 709 - 22/07/2019 19:51:00    2214933

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 17035 - 22/07/2019 19:52:39    2214936

We are on schedule everything is coming slowly together. To be successful in gaelic football it is a slow burner , it takes years and years of ups and downs, bad defeats, near misses , hard luck loses and morale victories to achieve ur aims. There are no ever overnight sucesses in gaelic football. There is odd exception once in a blue moon where team is a sucessful over night eg Dublin 1974 Meath 1996. But especially when it comes to a a traditional county in the doldrums it take 4 to 5 years before aims are achieved. It took Boylan Dywer and late Eugene McGee 4 to 5 years to turn the corner. It took Jimmy Barry Murphy Nicholas English kevin Walsh and many more 4 or 5 years to achieve their aims, years of ups and downs.

2 years ago I said on this form because of the above examples and that are players age profile would peak at 26 27 28. I predicted 2 years go on this forum we would improve this year and make impact in year 4 of McEntees tenure. I know no one likes a no it all.

The point is here if u examined the evidence closely the signs were there we were going improve this year. No one in the media or in gaa community thought we would get promoted this year or reach super 8 , no one was saying this in January 2019. People didnt see Meath improving. Actually most people were predicting Meath would be relegation candidates and many said we would be relegated in the media and in the gaa in general . Tomas O Se predicted in January we would be relegated to div 3 along with Tippearey. Everyone expects us to be relegated next year. But With McEntee in his 4th year , players returning eg lenihan Wallaces Jones Forde Kennelly O Coilean Kane. New talent coming through eg Costello Mitchell McBride, younv players developing furthrr eg Walsh Campion Conlon and Devine and players peaking eg Harnan 24 , Lavin 24 , Gallagher 25 , Sullivan 25 , McEntees 25 , McGill 26 , it very obvious are going to be stronger next year.

Two years ago on this forum
1 I predicted in McEntees first two years we was going to be no or little progress. That proved to be right
2 I predicted two years on this forum we would improve in year 3. I predicted at start of the season on this forum we would get promoted. That proved to be right
3 I predicted two years on this forum we would make an impact in championship in year 4 and year 5. And I feel they are all still very very attainable.
4 I predicted two year on this forum we would win leinster title in 2021 or 2022. 2 years that seemed not very attainable. I think to say Meath could win leinster title in 3 years time doesnt sound that outlandish now.

So we are on target. I expect if we get 4 games in Navan and get teams like Galway in Navan ( they haven't beaten us in Navan in near 40 years ) we have a great chance of staying in div 1.
But with ten games v top teams in ten months by next years championship we will be much better able to deal with Mayo or Donegal. And I expect us to reach super 8 next year and we will beat Donegal or Mayo or Tyrone next year. We r on target. We are definitely going in the right direction to where we all.want to be. By end of this year McEntee is half way through this rebuilding job. When McEntee took the job it was always a 6 or 7 year job to get Meath back to where we all want us to be. We are on target.

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 22/07/2019 20:01:10    2214939

Furlong1949 (Meath) - Posts: 1046 - 22/07/2019 20:34:57    2214952