Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

You're right Gold regarding the tackling and lack of leaders, McCann is a big miss McGourty also up front, injuries in the backline not helping. Be a wee bit positive. Like i said and things will work out come Championship

[PeteG]

I agree with you about the physicality of our players but we still have players that can run well and are comfortable on the ball, its just a pity that tonight our midfield felt the need to continuously supply our forward line with high balls in when they clearly weren't strong enough to win anything.  More a tactical mistake than a lack of strength

[SLIGONIAN]

Was hoping both of us would stay up, was disappointed with atmosphere and support from both counties tbh, we should be relishing div2 as fans but it was flat today, I wont comment on Sligo performance besides saying we have alot of injuries too, but i dont know where to rank us after today because i thought ye were poor especially in defence and midfield, happy with the win though. Ye are by far the soundest fans in Ulster from my experience and i wish ye well in the Ulster championship in the summer. Lastly for a Ulster ref thought Sludden was kind to us today but we got some rough justice last few games so i say it evens itself out hopefully.

[múinteoirmór]

Looks like the possible demise of the idiot Bradley (Baker).   Looks like also, we re a hurling county again!!!!

[bannside]

No need to get personal by running down the management. At least Bradley offered something positive during his reign (which is clearly over for all to see) - as opposed to one recent manager who was a complete untried, untested unknown quantity at this level - and his results bore this out!

And I dont blame Jody for that, I blame the men in their ivory tower wisdom who appointed him.

Yesterday as bad as it has been for a long time, and supporters who are not stupid are voting with their feet.

Third year syndrome raising its ugly head, players sick of hearing the same voice, cracks appearing all over the place, a few things swept under the carpet - it looks all downhill from here. This management group dont need to be told this, they will know already.

Also no need for anyone here to put the boot in. All in all they took us on a good bit - so a bit of quiet respect for the last month or two would be prudent. Then time for a new group to see if they can lift things all over again.

[4father]

No need to get personal by running down the management. At least Bradley offered something positive during his reign (which is clearly over for all to see) - as opposed to one recent manager who was a complete untried, untested unknown quantity at this level - and his results bore this out!

And I dont blame Jody for that, I blame the men in their ivory tower wisdom who appointed him.

Yesterday as bad as it has been for a long time, and supporters who are not stupid are voting with their feet.

Third year syndrome raising its ugly head, players sick of hearing the same voice, cracks appearing all over the place, a few things swept under the carpet - it looks all downhill from here. This management group dont need to be told this, they will know already.

Also no need for anyone here to put the boot in. All in all they took us on a good bit - so a bit of quiet respect for the last month or two would be prudent. Then time for a new group to see if they can lift things all over again.

Here Here!

I hate this 'we're a hurling county / we're a football county' shite.  We are a county and we promote the two main codes of the GAA equally as well as handball, Camogie and Ladies football.  (Sorry rounders)  These type of people are generally the cause of splits in clubs between the hurling and the football men.  What is that all about?

[imtommygunn]

I would concur Bannside. Irrespective of what transpires from now on to the end of Baker's reign (whenever that may be) he has got us playing with a  bit of belief. It's been many years since we have had that. We got to an ulster final by wininng as many ulster matches in 1 year as we had in about the last 28 years. For that he has to be commended.

We also have to remember that when he took over we were in division 4 - we are now 2 divisions up and there are quite a few teams in this division who are better than quite a few in division 1 as well.

Season's not over yet though...

MM you're adding about as much value to this thread as you are to the hurling thread.

[múinteoirmór]

I would concur Bannside. Irrespective of what transpires from now on to the end of Baker's reign (whenever that may be) he has got us playing with a  bit of belief. It's been many years since we have had that. We got to an ulster final by wininng as many ulster matches in 1 year as we had in about the last 28 years. For that he has to be commended.

We also have to remember that when he took over we were in division 4 - we are now 2 divisions up and there are quite a few teams in this division who are better than quite a few in division 1 as well.

Season's not over yet though...

MM you're adding about as much value to this thread as you are to the hurling thread.

And your adding a lot of positives are you?  I dont think so my son!  I tell it as it is, footbal in this county is no further on than it was say 6 years ago.   A little spurt in the Ulster championship, and we think we are going places.  We have not beaten Sligo in 4 attempts in recent years. I think we should look at getting over that obstacle first with a game plan to beat Sligo.  I dont think there has ever been a game plan or that eh current incimbents are capable of coming up with one. Same errors, same mistakes, same crap!

[múinteoirmór]

No need to get personal by running down the management. At least Bradley offered something positive during his reign (which is clearly over for all to see) - as opposed to one recent manager who was a complete untried, untested unknown quantity at this level - and his results bore this out!

And I dont blame Jody for that, I blame the men in their ivory tower wisdom who appointed him.

Yesterday as bad as it has been for a long time, and supporters who are not stupid are voting with their feet.

Third year syndrome raising its ugly head, players sick of hearing the same voice, cracks appearing all over the place, a few things swept under the carpet - it looks all downhill from here. This management group dont need to be told this, they will know already.

Also no need for anyone here to put the boot in. All in all they took us on a good bit - so a bit of quiet respect for the last month or two would be prudent. Then time for a new group to see if they can lift things all over again.

Are you not getting personal? Jody!!!

[imtommygunn]

I would concur Bannside. Irrespective of what transpires from now on to the end of Baker's reign (whenever that may be) he has got us playing with a  bit of belief. It's been many years since we have had that. We got to an ulster final by wininng as many ulster matches in 1 year as we had in about the last 28 years. For that he has to be commended.

We also have to remember that when he took over we were in division 4 - we are now 2 divisions up and there are quite a few teams in this division who are better than quite a few in division 1 as well.

Season's not over yet though...

MM you're adding about as much value to this thread as you are to the hurling thread.

And your adding a lot of positives are you?  I dont think so my son!  I tell it as it is, footbal in this county is no further on than it was say 6 years ago.   A little spurt in the Ulster championship, and we think we are going places.  We have not beaten Sligo in 4 attempts in recent years. I think we should look at getting over that obstacle first with a game plan to beat Sligo.  I dont think there has ever been a game plan or that eh current incimbents are capable of coming up with one. Same errors, same mistakes, same crap!

What division were we in 6 years ago?

Sligo were one of the teams of the summer last year. They are excellent team. We have beaten Sligo twice in the last 5 attempts. We beat them in the non-playoff  league matches 2009 and 2010.

You called Baker an "idiot". Slightly more personal than anything posted by anyone else.

[bannside]

Not personal at all re Jody. Should have been brought in at a lower level, ie minor or u-21 to get a chance to see what he could do. A good guy, did his best, but purely and simply a punt by the new county management of the time - who lets be totally honest - had absolutely no idea that our senior footballers had a few levels of improvement in them. As I said, untried and untested at this level. A failed punt.

You only have to dig out a few choice quotes from JMS at the time. "Lets be honest Antrim wont be winning any Ulster championships any time soon" or words to that effect. In the archives somewhere. Hadnt the first clue about the talent coming through in the county at the time. Please dont get me started!

Baker/Niall/Paddy all well around the block, lots of experience working with elite players, esp at club level. Do a shift of five or ten years in Derry club football and you`ll get my drift. Not knocking them - football men to the core. Because of that they know the crack. Hard to balance taking a county side with club management also, and personally I think that a county job warrants full and total concentration.

[Atticus_Finch]

Looks like the possible demise of the idiot Bradley (Baker).   Looks like also, we re a hurling county again!!!!

I take it the fact that there is another thread where lads are disowning being you, should lead me and most people to consider you nothing but a WUM.  A WUM worthy of nothing but the silent treatment, but i'll indulge you and give you a response.

Baker Bradley has been the best thing that has happened Antrim football for a very long long time.

He took the job when no one else would touch it with a barge pole. And achieved a minor miracle by instilling confidence and self belief into a team that had next to none.

Antrim's achievements under Baker speaks for itself:

- Back to back promotions bringing Antrim from Division 4 to Division 2.
- Getting to the Ulster final in 2009 and going out of that same All Ireland in the qualifiers to the eventual winners, Kerry.
- 2010 were unfortunate to get the two toughest draws they possibly could have got when they met Tyrone in Ulster (eventual Ulster champs) and got Kildare (eventual All Ireland semi-finalists) in the first round of the qualifiers.
- Getting Kevin McGourty back in the Antrim fold

They are now in a Division that has nothing but quality opposition and staying up this year was always going to be tough but with the absence of a number of key players Mick McCann, James Loughrey, Sean Kelly and CJ they were always going to struggle as would any county without those sort of players.

No doubt this year's championship is going to be tough, Antrim would do very well to get past Donegal but there is no reason why they can't have a decent run in the back door.

I don't think after one league campaign where things haven't gone to plan, under difficult circumstances, that people should forget how much Antrim have developed under Baker.

[bannside]

Agree with a lot of that AF. Locky, Kel, Mick all huge losses, and to be fair Baker has`nt tried to play the sympathy card.

I think getting out of div four was almost guaranteed with the quality of the younger players coming through and the all ireland club champs in our midst. But getting out of div 3 was a creditable achievement.

Since then a real mixed bag. We didnt really turn up against Tyrone or the replay against Kildare, nor even against Sligo in the play off. To me that was three clear stinkers out of four important games from April onwards last year - and this year shaping up like another mixed bag!

Credit where its due, but an awful lot of inconsistency in there, which has been a trait of Antrim teams for a very long time. Wouldnt totally rule out a result at home against Derry which might change the whole picture. But I worry that we are flat out for survival in this division that our battery will run flat again, just like last year. Time will tell, but worrying clouds starting to gather.

[Gold]

I spoke of lack of leaders yesterday--but there is no doubt Baker is a great leader

To take us as far as he has in the past few years has been great compared to what had gone before. We've had success in league and championship but it's just a pity we've levelled off/gone back--due in no small part to the loss of Locky and McCann and the lack of at least one other scoring forward


On another note--when we were winning well in the league last yr we'd no St Galls boys playin --we had footballers who weren't flashy but just got the job done and a good 'team.' When the Galls boys (although admitedly they are nearly all more talented than the rest) came back things were upset during the last few league games and on into championship last yr. They havnt really got it together since other than in flashes.

Think Mick's power, scores and good use of ball is badly missed but Loughrey's pace and power not there is fatal. He would put forwards and defenders (depending on where he played) on the back foot  and made so many scores. Pace is leathal as we saw with Tomas yesterday--not many players can break past a man and stay past him.

[4father]

While i don't think we will stay up in division 2 or beat Donegal, let's not have him retired/sacked just yet.