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Meath v Clare - 17 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Again I'm been lied about. I will repeat I said if all them I mentioned plus subs had their best game for Meath then we would give even dubs socks, as we would certainly worry them. Now when has the last time any team including Dublin had 6 forwards have personal best games all on the same day? And subs the same. It was a hypothetical answer to a question. It ain't going to happen but if all 6 were firing on all cylinders then yes we would give them socks.
Has the educational system in Meath broken that much in recent years? Or are some people naturally just, ..... well." I'm pretty intelligent, and very well educated, and understood you fully. I still think you are talking nonsense though.
1. You have picked 6 out and out forwards. If they are to play at their best, they would have to play as forwards- that's their game. They might cause Dublin some difficulty, if they could actually get some ball. The reality is that Dublin would be to busy tearing through our defence with their midfielders and half backs to care about what our six forwards were doing.
2. Two of the forwards have played a grand total of 5 county matches between them. Brennan didn't set the world alight in the O'Byrne cup, and Mckeever played half a decent match against Mckeever. So you are judging their best by what they have produced in the meath county championship, which by your own admission is of a poor standard.
3. You will never get a situation where everyone plays the game of their life at the same time- it just doesn't happen. I know you said "if" they did, but if my auntie had balls and all that.
4. You don't get to play at your very best against Dublin because they have good defenders. You can't argue that player X played really well against a lesser team and if he played like that against Dublin he would cause them trouble. He played that well BECAUSE it was a lesser team. You don't get the opportunity to play that well against the better teams.
I'm afraid that it's just the same over-optimistic guff which is your trademark - you think all your ducks are swans.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 01/02/2018 18:07:16
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Meath v Roscommon - 16 Like(s)
Replying To Loyalroyal17: "When did Roscommon turn into such a great team since last year?? We have every right to expect a win Sunday and why shouldnt we. We have much a right as Roscommon. As for them been a class act.. hardly. We work hard under pressure hence us been a 2nd half team majority of the time playing out of our skins & leaving it til last minute to go hell for leather under severe pressure most of the time. I dont know what team u have been looking at." I don't what team YOU have been looking at. Meath a second half team? Going hell for leather in the last minute? What year do you think this is - 1991?
Last year was the first year in god knows how long that we didn't run out of steam after about 45 minutes and either give up a big lead, or get beaten out of sight in the second half. No doubt last year was an improvement, and I fully trust Andy McEntee to improve us again this year. But there are still an awful lot of supporters who are living in the past, and don't see how far we have to improve to challenge against the top teams. The same lads who insisted we were better than Kildare last year and were confident that we would beat them are now saying the same about Roscommon. Truth is that the results over the past 2 years suggest that Roscommon are at a better level than us at present, and playing at home they should be winning it. They are no world beaters certainly, but neither are we, and our away form has been terrible for as long as I can remember.
I am not trying to be negative - just realistic. Unfortunately I am working on Sunday so will miss the game, but I will be roaring at the radio until I am hoarse, and will be delighted if we get a result. I just have not seen enough to make me confident that it will happen.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 23/01/2018 21:19:22
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Meath v Longford - 15 Like(s)
Not for the first time, I disagree with a lot of what has been said about the game today. For me, there were a lot more negatives than positives, and I am normally a fairly positive person.
1. The tactics in the first half were absolutely terrible - "puke" football at its worst. Obviously the players weren't at fault for that- the tactics came from the sidelines. I accept the fact that the game has moved on and you can't go out to play man for man. But playing at home, against Longford, with the wind behind them and at times we had all 15 players inside their own 65? No wonder people won't turn up to watch if they are going to play that sort of rubbish. I don't care if its the O'Byrne cup or the All-Ireland final - if your supporters are paying in to watch you, the least you can do is to try and play a bit of football. Andy McEntee has an awful lot of goodwill among most of the supporters (myself included), but he will lose that fairly rapidly if he continually puts out teams to play like that.
2. I wasn't that impressed with Lavin and Moran in the full-back line. I thought Lavin mixed the really good with the very bad, and I thought Moran struggled. For me, Burke was easily the best of the full backs. I'd expect to see Kepghan and McGill back in there for the first round of the league.
3. I thought Conlan was unlucky to be substituted as he was doing ok . Perhaps he committed a cardinal sin by actually venturing up into the opposition half at the end of the first half.
4. Shane McEntee was poor, and was lucky to stay on as long as he did. He is one player that I just don't see what others see in him.
5. We were good at midifeld. However I would strongly disagree with anyone who would have Rooney as a nailed on starter. I didn't think he added much when he came on, taking the ball into contact too often and generally slowing things up. I would stick with Menton and Flanagan.
6. We were non-existant in the half forward line. Obviously Royaldunne is going to defend Reilly and find the positives in his performance - I'd be disappointed if he didn't. In reality though, he was poor. At least the other two have the excuse of inexperience.
7. I think people are being a bit harsh on Brennan. I thought he did ok in the first half. It wasn't easy as he was usually the only forward we had (although he was usually around the 65 yard line. At least he was putting in a bit of effort and trying to get stuck in. He does seem to be a black card waiting to happen though, and needs to temper his enthusiasm a bit.
8. The subs did well when they came on. McEntee, O'Sullivan, Tobin and Wallace all added a bit of energy that was sadly lacking before. They did have the advantage though of a change in tactics - oddly enough we did better when we decided to push forward and put the Longford backs under a bit of pressure. I still don't know what to make of Tobin to be honest. At times (especially when he is brought on as a sub), he looks the real deal and I can't understand why he isn't starting. Then he gets a couple of starts, and he doesn't look up to it at all..
9. How did we allow Longford to get away with the short kick-outs so often?. We knew they were not going to kick it long, but yet seemed powerless to do anything about it. Even when we had everyone marked for a kick-out, someone would lose their man and they would find someone to kick it out to. We need to get a lot better at that.
10. Considering that we seemed to wanted to play with 15 defenders for most of the game, would it not have been a good idea to actually do that when we were 4 points up with 2 minutes to play? We need to get much much smarter about closing games out. Holding possession when we have it, slowing the game up, tactical fouling when necessary. We are so clueless at times,
11. Not for the first time, Pairc Tailteann is a laughing stock. Floodlights rusting beside the pitch, and we finish the game in the dark.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 14/01/2018 23:13:18
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Meath v Longford - 15 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Last time I checked it was a forum and I was entitled to MY opinion. I mentioned the two players as they had been mentioned in previous posts. I also mentioned lavin Tobin and wallace. But you neglected to say that.
Again it is MY opinion and I don't think I have to check with yourself to say proofread what I write in case it is not in your view acceptable." Absolutely you are entitled to your opinion, and you are entitled to express that opinion as often and as loudly as you like.
However, you are not automatically entitled to have that opinion taken seriously.
I would defend to the end the right of anyone to express their opinion, but I would equally defend to the end the right of anyone else to question and to ridicule it. Freedom of expression goes both ways.
I admire hugely your dedication to the Meath cause, and your willingness to defend and praise you clubmen. However, that does mean that your posts are generally completely biased and unbalanced, and are very often difficult to take seriously. That doesn't bother me as much as seems to bother other people though - I generally find it amusing!
anfearbeag (Meath) - 14/01/2018 23:23:56
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Meath U17s - 14 Like(s)
Replying To royalass: "And every 1 has gone quiet, I wonder why...." eh - because the competition is over for Meath?
anfearbeag (Meath) - 17/08/2017 21:52:56
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Meath v Cavan - 14 Like(s)
I see paddy o rourke has been taking to twitter again
"In my un-educated opinion the #Gaa chiefs should have grown a set and moved the @CavanCoBoardGaa V @MeathGAA game to Navan 2moro. If a pitch is unplayable at 7pm it wont be playable 19hours later with zero drying. Both teams deserve decent pitch conditions."
There is no precedent and no justification under any gaa rules for moving the game out of Cavan. You can moan and whinge all you like about the late postponement of the match, and you would have some justification. But the Cavan county board didn't cause the weather conditions yesterday, and the cavan team can hardly be punished for it by having a home game changed to an away game.
We live in Ireland - these things happen from time to time ffs.
Just switch the game to next weekend and move on.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 11/02/2018 09:17:31
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Meath v Clare - 14 Like(s)
Replying To royaldunne: "Good man. Thanks for your long insightful post it was most eye widening. Cheers" It was pretty much all that your nonsense deserved!
anfearbeag (Meath) - 31/01/2018 23:27:27
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Meath v Donegal - 14 Like(s)
You think that the management should review their plans for the team?
That's a really brilliant and original idea. I bet they have never thought to review things at the end of the year. You should contact Andy McEntee immediately and offer him the benefit of your wisdom.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 12/07/2017 19:35:00
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Meath v Roscommon - 14 Like(s)
Replying To Maestro: "Just saw the highlights there, was never a penalty at the end for Roscommon.
Meath very unlucky with that call" I'd have to agree. Very harsh call. Listening to it on the radio, they thought it might have been given for handling on the ground. Looking at the video (thanks for the link Bob) it look like it was given for a foul on the Roscommon forward. If so, it was very soft. If I was from Roscommon I'd argue that there was a slight pull on the forward, which is therefore a foul, but it's the sort of thing that happens a hundred times a game and doesn't get blown, unless the ref is being ultra fussy.
I would ask though what Conlon was doing up on the Roscommon 45 yard line with us a goal up in injury time. That's the time to have 15 men behind the ball inside your own 65, with players taking turns to foul the opposition. Need to get a lot smarter.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 30/01/2018 18:20:52
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Meath v Clare - 14 Like(s)
Replying To bobkarlgees: "Yeah, But Lavin is only learning his trade. keoghan played Corner back for years. But keoghan was prone to a roasting to from time to time there as well. Keoghan said on a interview that he missed two months of training this year due to studying. So I expect Donal to get fitter in the coming weeks ahead. Where he can be more effective half back. Also Lavin hopefully will get more comfortable in his role consonantly changing people around is not going to help the over all performance of the team as unit. But defending is a team effort theses days, not just the full back line. It starts with corner forwards and winning breaking ball in midfield starving the other team of possession, Not giving the ball away cheaply etc. You find our come back was last Sunday was largely down to wining alot of breaking ball in the midfield.
Thus nobody has to do anything in our full back line once we have possession. I think Keoghan is great player probably our best having him at corner back I think is a bit of a waste. I prefer to see him out around the middle of the field. Where I think over all he will more effective." Absolutely agree with all that.
As I have said here many times before, if your full back line is getting roasted, you need to take a long hard look st your half backs/midfielders/half forwards. There is not a full back or corner back in the country who can mark a decent forward if they are being constantly left one on one, and there is plenty of good ball coming in to them. Defending must start much further out the pitch.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 01/02/2018 11:53:39
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Division 2 2018 - 14 Like(s)
Did I imagine it all, or did paddy o rourke not get a chance out the field for the county a few years back, and wasn't good enough?. Playing well in a few league games for skryne is not going to make him any more of a county footballer. I'm just waiting for the usual nonsense of "stick him in the edge of the square for the last 10 minutes and kick it in high to him" as if teams hadn't worked out how to nullify that tactic 15 years ago or more.
I don't know either Andy McEntee or paddy O'rourke, but from a distance they don't seem like the types who would necessarily get on. From his interviews McEntee seems like a very straight talking no bulls**t type of man. From his social media outbursts, o o'rourke doesn't. I may be very unfair on him, but paddy and Andy don't seem like a match made in heaven.
But it is absolutely typical of posters on here that when the team finally seems to be progressing, and there is some positivity about the squad, all they can do is look to the past. It's definitely time for a suggestion that Mickey Newman should start. Maybe even cian ward!
anfearbeag (Meath) - 12/02/2018 21:10:41
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Division 2 NFL Fixtures - 14 Like(s)
It looks like a wide open division next year. This is realistically our level at the minute- we are of similar standard to Cavan, tipperary etc. I guess Roscommon would be favourites to win the division but there will not be much between any of the sides. Any of the teams could beat any other on a given day. 5 wins or even 4 and a draw could probably be enough for promotion, and I could see a situation where everything is to play for on the final day. As has been said before, the first 3 games are essential- get 2 wins out of 3 and we are in a position to push for promotion. 1 out of 3 and we are looking over our shoulders.
I wouldn't get too hung up on the consistency or otherwise of the team at this stage. A few lads who were breaking into the panel last year (conlan, o'reilly) could step up. You could see 1 or 2 more of last years u-21s brought in. Others could be back from injury or travel. Until the o'byrne Cup is done, it is hard to know what we are looking at. In addition, one would like to hope that another winters training under McEntee could bring more consistency.
I wouldn't call it a disaster if we don't get promoted, but promotion would be a big step forward in the teams development.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 14/10/2017 14:10:26
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Meath v Cavan - 13 Like(s)
Replying To hawkeye1: "I'm not sure .. But probably not lad given there would be a massive turnout" Sorry the flu is playing havoc with my sarcasm detector so I can't judge if you are being sarcastic or not. I suspect that you are having a dig at the size of the crowd likely to turn up. Sure, it's not going to be the tens of thousands that the dubs attract, but it would still be a big wnough crowd that you couldn't just play the match on some training pitch at the back of the stand. Or in a club pitch if they did not have a stand or proper terracing at least.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 11/02/2018 11:04:52
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Meath v Cavan - 13 Like(s)
Replying To Jinxie: "But isn't that the point, we know the climate won't change or can't be helped, so why not focus on the other things that can be helped. Either start the fixture calender later, or implement rules around alternative grounds or options." Again I don't disagree with you jinxie. But that is not going to help things this weekend. In order to implement rules, the rules have to be in place. And they are not.
As I said earlier, if the gaa bring in a rule about needing a second county venue, they better be prepared to pay for it. Because if I am a club member, there is no way I am going to agree to spend club money bringing the pitch up to inter county standard, on the off chance that once every few years a county match might need to be played there. And if I am on the county board, there is no way I would spend county money on a club ground, especially if like in meath, the county ground needs serious work.
Incidentally, anyone remember the last time a match ( not necessarily county) fixed for Páirc Tailteann had to be postponed due to being unplayable. It should not be difficult / it was this year!!
anfearbeag (Meath) - 11/02/2018 10:48:39
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Meath v Cavan - 13 Like(s)
Replying To Jinxie: "I think you'll find that there is precedent for games being moved.
Most counties with have an alternative pitch put forward, like roscommon used kiltoom, Jonathan use iniskeen and so on. And in the past games have been moved outside the county, like roscommon moving their home game to longford.
This is no b league football where we shove it in midweek when championship is over, a bit of proper planning is all that's being asked for. That pitch has been frozen all week, yet nothing is done until 90 mins before throw in. Total amatuerism at it's best ." Plenty of precedent for games being switched within the county - provided the county has an alternative pitch that will hold the crowd forecast to attend. Do Cavan have a suitable alternative venue? Would we?
Also precedent for a county voluntary moving a game out of the county of their own pitch is unavailable.
But to force a county to play a home match at an away venue because of severe and obviously unavoidable weather conditions is not normal. Cavan would object to it, and they would be right to do so. I would hope that if the situation was reversed, meath would absolutely refuse to allow that to happen.
You would think a game had never been postponed in meath before with the whinging going on. Yes the late postponement was wrong, but that's it.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 11/02/2018 09:46:57
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Meath v Clare - 13 Like(s)
Replying To Loyalroyal17: "Biggy will be starting this one. He has to be back on form by now. This time last year he had a few games in when he was playing club he hasnt been playing club so think this is where is he is slacking off. Dont think hes going to leave him as a sub when Andy knows what Tobin is capable of, have feeling he will do what he has done last 2 games...stated Graham then subbed him with Tobin." I disagree. As I said earlier, the game plan from what I have seen this year is to defend for the first half, then let rip for the second. If that changes against Clare them fine, I'd put Reilly in from the start. Otherwise I'd leave him off, and bring him on with 20-25 minutes to go.
Graham Reilly is not a particularly good defender, but on his day is probably the best forward we have. So why play him for the 45 minutes we intend to sit back, and the replace him for the last 25 when we intend to go forward. Surely it should be the other way round.
Problem is, a lot of people are stuck in the past, and if a player doesn't start, then he must have been "dropped" which therefore must be a negative. But the game has moved on. Most games are won and lost in the last 20 minutes, so it is equally as important if not more so, that you have your best players on the field playing at 100% for that period when the game is decided. That's why I would start a more defensive half-forward, or even another half back, and bring Reilly on at half time or 10-15 minutes into the second half. 25 minutes of him in full flow going forward is far more useful that what McEntee is asking him to do at the minute.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 01/02/2018 18:19:59
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Meath v Roscommon - 13 Like(s)
2 big results today to start the division - Clare drawing with Cavan, and Tipperary surprisingly beating Cork. This really is a division where anyone can beat anyone else. If we can get anything out of tomorrows match, it will be huge. Here's hoping that RD's optimism is well placed.
Bookies heavily favour the Rossies. Roscommon 1/2 Meath 11/5 Draw 8/1
although I have said that Roscommon are favourites to win, those odds seem a little long on Meath. You can get similar odds on Sligo winning away to Armagh, and there is no way I would put us at that sort of underdogs. Since I am working all weekend and won't get out, I reckon I'll lump the weekends drinking money on Meath to cause an upset. C'mon the Royals!
anfearbeag (Meath) - 27/01/2018 18:47:25
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Junior A Championship - 13 Like(s)
Replying To Belt: "No Moynalty are safe now. Kells move up and replace Simonstown" So they are going to stick with 20 junior A teams next year? Including 8 in the group of second teams, so each has to play 7 group games before they even reach the quarter final. Where's the sense in that?
Surely dropping simonstown and dunshaughlin down to junior b to have 18 junior a teams would be better to start with, and then move on to who Kells should replace.
Meanwhile moynalty lose all their group games, lose a relegation play-off and yet still manage to stay up? How is that right? Why not relegate them and move Kilbride up. At least they have done something to warrant being junior a next year.,
anfearbeag (Meath) - 28/09/2017 15:25:53
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Meath v Cavan - 13 Like(s)
Replying To southmeathgael: "Well the powers that be should bring in some sort of ruling on it....this is pretty much a yearly occurance in the league.....at least one game a year postponed due to a waterlogged pitch so counties should have a back up plan....space for games is at a premium these days...even more so now with the club v county debate getting such attention.....so if ya don't have a 2nd county ground it gets moved to the nearest available one...by rule.....and it's just tough luck if it happens to be your home fixture but this way everyone is in the same boat.....bar the dubs obviously cause they play their home games in our national stadium" I don't necessarily disagree with you. But there is no such rule right now.
Also if the GAA want to do this, they better be prepared to put serious money into developing club pitches to bring them up to the standard required to hold county matches. Health and safety won't allow people to stand on the banks in Navan - do you think they are going to let any club grounds hold 3-4 thousand people?
It also does not do you much good if your second county pitch also gets heavy rain. Maybe another rule that there must be a minimum distance between the county grounds and the second county pitch, to minimize the risk of both grounds being unplayable.
Or many people could just stop getting their knickers in a twist about a postponed football match, and just accept the fact that in a country with our climate, these things will sometimes happen.
anfearbeag (Meath) - 11/02/2018 10:10:54
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Meath clubs in Leinster - 13 Like(s)
Replying To numberedjerseys: "Are you serious 10 days it will be a good run out for them. Dr Croke's play east kerry championship on Sunday a week before they play Munster club final." Absolutely. A hard conpetitive match 10 days before the semi? It's perfect preparation. The county board are doing them a favour giving them such a warm up game! (And I am being serious. No sarcasm intended)
anfearbeag (Meath) - 16/11/2017 07:49:16
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