Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

Lenny

[JimStynes]

3 years ago we played Derry in a Div 4 league game in Corrigan, where aided by a dubious call by the ref (we should have had a penalty when he gave a 14 yard free for a technical foul by keeper), Derry won by a point. We know what has happened since then.

So what's the difference? Don't think Derry have introduced a big number of new players, in fact RG has stated that the fewer personnel changes the better. They did get Conor Glass back and he has made a difference. Is it primarily the manager (management team), attitude, training methods, commitment? Like, they have gone from Div 4 to Ulster champions. In same period our progress has been limited and in championship terms, non existent.

Very frustrating. I was glad for them yesterday but still, very frustrating.

Derry have superior footballers, that helps!

[Flanker]

Lenny

Who was the Derry manager ?

[NatSoSaff]

Only Chrissy McKaigue and Shane Mcguigan played on the starting team that day compared to the other 13 players that started yesterdays Ulster Final. I'd say a fair bit of personnel has changed!

[NatSoSaff]

Lenny

Who was the Derry manager ?

Damian McErlaine

[Milltown Row2]

Heard great reports of the u20 management. Minors, not so sure if was or wasn't a good setup but I do know a lot of effort went in regardless. The minor appointment is a more important one for Antrim than the senior one if you ask me.

Spot on EOC.
U20 management this year were very switched on and more than half of their squad back next year, think they are good men and would be more than happy to see them stay on for a few years.
Minor is a huge one, need to get a high quality manager and equally high quality coaches around him and again keep them in place for a number of years, and no dotting daddies.

If kids need quality coaching at minor then we are bate before we step out onto the pitch, you can have a high quality manager (good luck) but if the kids haven't the basics and are not as physically strong as the likes of Tyrone then you are pissing against the wind..

Kids are now physically stronger than 20 years ago, when more input back then was put out on the training pitch and not the gym, now its a combination of both..

Development squads should be looking to prepare kids better before minor, an academy approach rather than a development set up. honing skills and preparing for the future, coaching tactics and reviewing games and learning from them.

As an example the IFA in preparation of kids heading off on trials have the young lads 15/16 year olds living and learning in dorms/classroom/pitches at UUJ..

I know this sounds a lot for our lads but that approach is what is being used, ours could be a slightly less intense or water downed version over a smaller period but if we are serious or if the kids are serious about it then that's what makes a difference, and it needs to be a conveyor belt of talent coming through.

But lets remember this is an amateur sport and school and education will always come first at that age, the likes of Tyrone and Dublin must have more lads to pick from, so that helps also

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Antrim are miles off rest of Ulster unfortunately, just don't have strong enough clubs

[bannside]

This will most likely be put out to the club's, so feel free to get busy. I've no doubt we will come up with someone who will re invigorate the morale in the county, attract the best players to make themselves available and when there, be able to adopt a style of play that plays to our strengths. There will be plenty interested...the show must go on!

[bannside]

That Enda made the call to step down is likely because after weighing up his options he came to the decision that he had taken this group as far as he could. The last four performances will have disappointed him greatly, and as the old saying goes you learn more in defeat than you do in victory. The squad was starting to break up and on reflection year three rarely gets any better, so all in all he manfully made the right call imo and the many people I spoke to yesterday were in agreement.

The three last second winning points in year one may have put a slight gloss on where we were really at...two of those teams put us easily to the sword this year to offer some perspective. So I think Enda made the right call after weighing it all up.

Where it goes from here is anyone's guess. I'd be confident we can get a man in who will get us back up and competitive again in our grade, at senior level.

As many have alluded to here, the priority needs to be what happens in the build up to senior. A director of football in Derry set about attracting many big name ex players and bolting them on development squads, and there's no doubt that medium term policy worked out very well when you see yesterday's result.

We have some thinking to do!

[Saffsof82]

Any suggestions Bannside??

[Flanker]

3 years ago we played Derry in a Div 4 league game in Corrigan, where aided by a dubious call by the ref (we should have had a penalty when he gave a 14 yard free for a technical foul by keeper), Derry won by a point. We know what has happened since then.

So what's the difference? Don't think Derry have introduced a big number of new players, in fact RG has stated that the fewer personnel changes the better. They did get Conor Glass back and he has made a difference. Is it primarily the manager (management team), attitude, training methods, commitment? Like, they have gone from Div 4 to Ulster champions. In same period our progress has been limited and in championship terms, non existent.

Very frustrating. I was glad for them yesterday but still, very frustrating.

In the main a combination of 2 things

Derry had been addressing their underage pipeline which consistently produced very competitive squads for a few years prior to this and since
Ulster (Minors), Ulster U20's, 3/4 Macrory Cups, All Ireland Minor, Ulster minor club, probably lots more & there or thereabouts in lots of others as well.

In that time We have.............

Both teams changed there management/coaching setup

One got a modern day tactically aware setup maximising what they have into a cohesive force much stronger than the sum of the parts

We got a setup that in the end looked like a gather up

Derry get 2 out of 2 Result 2022 Ulster Senior Title

We get 0 out of 2 Result Knocked out by mid table Div 4 team


Challenge is to get both parts right and bring it together

[EOC1923]

3 years ago we played Derry in a Div 4 league game in Corrigan, where aided by a dubious call by the ref (we should have had a penalty when he gave a 14 yard free for a technical foul by keeper), Derry won by a point. We know what has happened since then.

So what's the difference? Don't think Derry have introduced a big number of new players, in fact RG has stated that the fewer personnel changes the better. They did get Conor Glass back and he has made a difference. Is it primarily the manager (management team), attitude, training methods, commitment? Like, they have gone from Div 4 to Ulster champions. In same period our progress has been limited and in championship terms, non existent.

Very frustrating. I was glad for them yesterday but still, very frustrating.

Derry we're in Div4, but it was a false position. With the structures they have had in place for decades, schools, clubs, always competitive at every underage level. Derry won several minor and u20 titles in the last 5 -7 years. Comparing Antrim to them isn't logical. Yes they were in the same division at 1 point but as Joe Brolly said at a function in our club recently With Derrys talent they should never not be a Division 1 team.

[Sportacus]

3 years ago we played Derry in a Div 4 league game in Corrigan, where aided by a dubious call by the ref (we should have had a penalty when he gave a 14 yard free for a technical foul by keeper), Derry won by a point. We know what has happened since then.

So what's the difference? Don't think Derry have introduced a big number of new players, in fact RG has stated that the fewer personnel changes the better. They did get Conor Glass back and he has made a difference. Is it primarily the manager (management team), attitude, training methods, commitment? Like, they have gone from Div 4 to Ulster champions. In same period our progress has been limited and in championship terms, non existent.

Very frustrating. I was glad for them yesterday but still, very frustrating.

Derry we're in Div4, but it was a false position. With the structures they have had in place for decades, schools, clubs, always competitive at every underage level. Derry won several minor and u20 titles in the last 5 -7 years. Comparing Antrim to them isn't logical. Yes they were in the same division at 1 point but as Joe Brolly said at a function in our club recently With Derrys talent they should never not be a Division 1 team.

I'd agree with all of that.  We are not in the same breath as Derry, we haven't earned it.  They are knocking their pan in at schools and underage, producing teams which are consistently competing at Ulster and All Ireland level.  That creates a pipeline of talent.  Credit to their clubs as well. 
What are we doing, hoping to hire a magician to pull a rabbit out of a hat with our senior team - quick fixes get found out.   

[Sportacus]

And the special atmosphere in Clones yesterday.  My god it was a catastrophic mistake to give away the keys to Casement. 

[bannside]

Tomorrow is a big day for news regarding Casement. Fingers crossed it's news we will welcome.