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Madness that our County team were EIGHTEEN to 2 down at half time yesterday and  no one on here appears to give a f**k. Bitching about transfers

Literally just accepting being worse than shite and not laying a glove on the opposition.

Was thinking that myself. Can't understand how a goalkeeper can't be found.

There are plenty of strong keepers in Antrim, Nugent is a strong keeper. Why has Lenny has tried to train a full forward to do nets is beyond me! He needs to be questioned on this and held accountable.  Why has Ronan Hanna, Kerrs understudy, not been approached? One of the best keepers in Ulster at Minor and u21, having played with him on development squads I saw it first hand. Speaking to him over Christmas he said he has never been asked to even attend a trial.

Top team in Ireland held to a draw v div 3 opposition.....really hope Lenny can work the oracle but he has some task ahead.

have you the Dublin teamsheet?

The Dublin football squad are on a team holiday in South Africa this week.

Apparently not, the man in the know said they were held to a draw by Div 3 team....

Dublin are the top team in Ireland and they were held to draw by a division 3 team, he didn't say anything that wasn't a fact. Tyrone had 2/3's of their squad changed from last years heavy defeat to Dublin so it's not like we were playing their strongest outfit either.

I wont be jumping to any over-the-top conclusions regarding last nights result but I will say that we throw the towel in far too handy, and that is a mind set the players need to challenge.

[Ronan Hanna]

                                                           Last years panel (roughly)
Domhnall Nugent  Lamh Dhearg            Ronan Hanna
Padraig Nugent    St Johns                    Chris Kerr
Andrew Hasson  Rasharkin                Matthew Fitzpatrick
Ryan Murray Lamh Dhearg                    Kevin OBoyle
Peter Healy  St Endas                           Sean Pat Donnelly
Odhran Eastwood St Endas                   Stephen Beatty
Kistan Healy St Endas                          Conor Murray
Ruari McCann  Creggan                        Ryan Murray
Seamus McGarry Aldergrove                 Declan Lynch
Connor McKenna Eire Og                      CJ McGourty
Conor Murray Lamh Dhearg                  Brendan Bradley
Declan Lynch Lamh Dhearg                   Ruari McCann
Kevin O'Boyle Cargin                           Conor Small
Tomas McCann Cargin                          Martin Johnson
James Laverty Cargin                          James Laverty
Jack Dowling St Brigids                       Tomas McCann
Paddy McBride St Johns                      Jack Dowling
Mark Sweeney St Judes                       Paddy McBride
Chris Kerr St Galls                             Conor Hammill
CJ McGourty St Galls                           Patrick Gallagher
Niall Delargy Portglenone                    Owen Gallagher
Niall McKeever Portglenone                 Niall Delargy
Peter McNicholl Ballymena                  Ordhan Eastwood
Connell Lemon Ballymena                   Ruari Scott
Paddy McAleer Ballymena                   Peter Healy
Sean McVeigh Ballymena                   Sean McVeigh
Michael McCarry Ballymena                Paddy McAleer
Colum Duffin Moneyglass                   Seamus McGarry
Pat Brannigan Aghagallon                  Pat Brannigan
Gareth Magee Aghagallon                  Ruari McCann Agha
Stephen Beatty Rossa                       Oisin Lenaghan
Pat Gallagher Glenavy                       Eunan Walsh
Paddy O'Connor St Comgalls.             Mark Sweeney

Bold - Are missing from this years panel. Can anyone shed any light on it? Some excellent players in there.

how many of the bold names will we really miss? 1 or 2 max.

Fitzpatrick, Small, Hanna, Conor Hamill, Martin Johnson, Sean Pat Donnelly - they are amongst the best players in our county without a doubt.

[Ronan Hanna]

                                                           Last years panel (roughly)
Domhnall Nugent  Lamh Dhearg            Ronan Hanna
Padraig Nugent    St Johns                    Chris Kerr
Andrew Hasson  Rasharkin                Matthew Fitzpatrick
Ryan Murray Lamh Dhearg                    Kevin OBoyle
Peter Healy  St Endas                           Sean Pat Donnelly
Odhran Eastwood St Endas                   Stephen Beatty
Kistan Healy St Endas                          Conor Murray
Ruari McCann  Creggan                        Ryan Murray
Seamus McGarry Aldergrove                 Declan Lynch
Connor McKenna Eire Og                      CJ McGourty
Conor Murray Lamh Dhearg                  Brendan Bradley
Declan Lynch Lamh Dhearg                   Ruari McCann
Kevin O'Boyle Cargin                           Conor Small
Tomas McCann Cargin                          Martin Johnson
James Laverty Cargin                          James Laverty
Jack Dowling St Brigids                       Tomas McCann
Paddy McBride St Johns                      Jack Dowling
Mark Sweeney St Judes                       Paddy McBride
Chris Kerr St Galls                             Conor Hammill
CJ McGourty St Galls                           Patrick Gallagher
Niall Delargy Portglenone                    Owen Gallagher
Niall McKeever Portglenone                 Niall Delargy
Peter McNicholl Ballymena                  Ordhan Eastwood
Connell Lemon Ballymena                   Ruari Scott
Paddy McAleer Ballymena                   Peter Healy
Sean McVeigh Ballymena                   Sean McVeigh
Michael McCarry Ballymena                Paddy McAleer
Colum Duffin Moneyglass                   Seamus McGarry
Pat Brannigan Aghagallon                  Pat Brannigan
Gareth Magee Aghagallon                  Ruari McCann Agha
Stephen Beatty Rossa                       Oisin Lenaghan
Pat Gallagher Glenavy                       Eunan Walsh
Paddy O'Connor St Comgalls.             Mark Sweeney

Bold - Are missing from this years panel. Can anyone shed any light on it? Some excellent players in there.

Do we know the full backroom team yet?

Anybody hear how 'trials' went last night.....?

I took a walk round on Tuesday night. To my eye there was about 8 players short of last years panel and I believed Tuesday was the last time everyone could trial? Could be wrong.

Heard on the sideline that a handful of boys from last years panel can't commit this year for whatever reasons.

Rossa by all accounts were very impressive at the weekend..

I was up at the Rossa game, pure quality from start to finish - nailed on for the u21's this year. Pub talk is St.Johns bad week about to get worse with a player from A/G receiving serious facial injuries from a dirty joe.

Did anyone make yesterday's trials for a gander?

[Minor Football A]

Quarter finals by numbers:

Minor Football A
SW Teams: 6
City:2

Minor Football B
SW Teams: 6
City: 2

Minor Hurling A:
NA: 6
City:2 (one of which was an amalgamation that didn't show)

As an Antrim man who understands how important the City is to our County, it looks great that we have two teams in the final, but its very worrying what's coming through at minor and underage, which is what the SW boys are alluding to constantly. Why are the Belfast boys so defensive about what is clearly an issue?

Look, Lenny could be the best rope maker in the world, the problem is we are handing him thread.

A lot of the negativity is directed at the means not the outcome.

Maybe one of the reasons we are fucked as a county is because too many don't give a guy a chance on his own merit but rather have to generalize, throw negativity and give up before we begin.  These are the traits of losers which our county has been for a long time.

[professional set ups]

It is very clear what I mean but you can continue to be facetious.

Fitzy was hamstrung, Adams too. Now Lenny will be no different. McK, O'R and Lenny all know how difficult the job is, the two men in question wanted every possible advantage to get the set up off the ground.

Like it or not MR2, if there isn't money invested in the players they will stay at their clubs. No question! fs Cargin's set up has been better than Antrim's for the last three years! No wonder half of them don't fancy driving to Belfast 3 times a week.

With all the CV's on the table, yes, Lenny would come out on top.

The difference, as mentioned before, is that McKeever and O'Rourke have been a part of professional set ups and from what I hear were demanding that Antrim transitioned in to a professional set up. Which means the highest level of funding possible.

Of course, Saffron vision are in their infancy of their bigger picture and perhaps they are not ready to invest such capital. With the business scheme starting to gain momentum we might be in a far stronger position financially in 2/3 years time.

Did I hear JC was a part of the backroom staff, that might appease all the SW chat on here?

you mean they were getting paid?

With all the CV's on the table, yes, Lenny would come out on top.

The difference, as mentioned before, is that McKeever and O'Rourke have been a part of professional set ups and from what I hear were demanding that Antrim transitioned in to a professional set up. Which means the highest level of funding possible.

Of course, Saffron vision are in their infancy of their bigger picture and perhaps they are not ready to invest such capital. With the business scheme starting to gain momentum we might be in a far stronger position financially in 2/3 years time.

Did I hear JC was a part of the backroom staff, that might appease all the SW chat on here?

There is definitely a correlation between the teams in the South West having success and those teams being close to St Mary's M/Felt, and St Louis Ballymena. Playing school football at a high level cannot be underestimated. St Mary's and St Malachy's seem to be making head way, has there been Ulster Coaches put in to these schools recently or is that hearsay? 

We will never know if Tyrone had good enough players yesterday to trouble Dublin because they weren't allowed to show it. I can only assume they were told not to break in numbers because with every good turnover Tyrone grinded for, one or two carried the ball forward and got wrapped up, then dispossessed.

There was obviously a degree of nervousness in the camp too, I counted 7 unforced handling errors in the first 30 minutes. It isn't all doom and gloom, they will learn.

Meyler was very bright when he came on, but at the end of the day the biggest problem is scoring forwards and if you are not playing and feeding scoring forwards, plural, all year then what can you expect from them in big games?

There is a fine line between critiquing and wanting more for Antrim. Suggesting that we need a fresh new manager to bring on the new, young talent in the county doesn't amount to belittling Fitzy for standing up when no one else would. Every one is thankful for Fitzy's service but he said widely at the start of the year this was his last year and he should have stuck to that.

Fitzy gave alot of time to Antrim for many years from Minor to u21 to senior and always done his very best with the limited resources he had. Lots of people especially in Antrim are quick to criticise our best volunteers. Thats what Fitzy was a volunteer unlike all these so called replacements. Best thing is ul not hear any sour grapes about his treatment in the papers he wouldnt run down his county in any way. No doubt some team will pick up a very good manager/coach very soon. Best of luck Fitzy and thanks for all your efforts in improving Antrim.