Messages

Lads, this is basically the same squad we've had for the last 6/7 years. Yes some players are older now but they're not 35/36! How did we go from division 1/high division 2 to division 4? How did we go from challenging Dublin and Donegal in the latter stages of the championship to going out to teams like Clare and Antrim?
To me it's clear. O'Flatharta, Lillis and now Creeden. Amateur set ups have destroyed these players. While other counties have developed and improved their players, we've gone backwards. Physically, tactically, mentally, we're just nowhere near what these players are capable of. I'm not saying they are world beaters but they are far better than what they've shown for the past few years. It may be too late for them now.

It's 5 years since we challenged Dublin in 2012 all those lads were in their prime including Ross.
Gone are Healy POL Billy Clancy Boyle it's not the same panel or anything like it.

Let's not overestimate the ability of Billy, Clancy (at that stage of his career) and Boyle. They were no better than what we have now. Healy and O'Leary are big losses but we had no Kingston in 2012, Meaney was forced to play full back. You say they were in their prime so did they suddenly go out of it when losing to Tipperary the year after it? Antrim the year after that?
Look at the team that ran Donegal close:
Eoin Culliton (Timahoe); Paul Begley (Stradbally), Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen), Peter O'Leary (O'Dempsey's); Darren Strong (Emo), Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise), Padraig McMahon (Ballyroan Abbey); Padraig Clancy (Timahoe), John O'Loughlin (St Brigid's); Ross Munnelly (Arles-Kilcruise), Billy Sheehan (Emo), Colm Begley (Parnells); Conor Meredith (O'Dempsey's), Donal Kingston (Arles-Killeen), Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard).
This is the team that lost to Antrim:
G Brody; D O'Connor, M Timmons, S Attride; D Strong (0-02), G Hanrahan, C Begley; B Quigley, J O'Loughlin (0-01); N Donoher (0-01), C Boyle, E O'Carroll (0-01); R Munnelly (0-04, 2f), D Kingston (0-07, 1f), P Kingston (1-00).

It's the difference between a manager and set up getting the best out of players and other set ups doing the opposite.

Lads, this is basically the same squad we've had for the last 6/7 years. Yes some players are older now but they're not 35/36! How did we go from division 1/high division 2 to division 4? How did we go from challenging Dublin and Donegal in the latter stages of the championship to going out to teams like Clare and Antrim?
To me it's clear. O'Flatharta, Lillis and now Creeden. Amateur set ups have destroyed these players. While other counties have developed and improved their players, we've gone backwards. Physically, tactically, mentally, we're just nowhere near what these players are capable of. I'm not saying they are world beaters but they are far better than what they've shown for the past few years. It may be too late for them now.

Just had a look at our side of the draw. If I'm correct and if we beat Wicklow, we'll play the losers of Kildare/Meath if it's Meath, Galway/Mayo, Tyrone/Donegal or Kerry/Clare. I wouldn't be overly optimistic of a qualifier run.

Two division 4 teams face off and we're away. Moral will obviously be low so losing this game is a possibility. I wouldn't put any money on us winning anyway.

If there's anything in the players, they'll win that. Anything at all.

We would have said the same against Antrim the other year. Definitely should be beating Wicklow but confidence and moral will be very low and then it depends on how many want it.

Two division 4 teams face off and we're away. Moral will obviously be low so losing this game is a possibility. I wouldn't put any money on us winning anyway.

We need a complete change in approach and attitude. That's from everybody. Those involved in running things, coaching, clubs and supporters. We actually had someone in charge of this group of players who was in touch with the modern game and what was needed. Justin McNulty had them strong, fit and set up to compete but he was ran out of the county. We replaced him with a list of old school amateurs and we've paid the price. This group of players have paid the price. They are forced to compete against teams who've had 4 or 5 years of superior strength and conditioning programs in place.
And it works from the top down. If the senior team isn't getting adequate preparation then how will the underage teams get it? Our underage teams have been overran and overpowered for a good few years now and nothing is changing. We're living in the past, trying to produce nice dandy footballers and watching them being swathed aside year on year. Hopefully this is rock bottom and something changes from here but I doubt it.

Don't respond. That's exactly what he wants, probably a lily living in Laois.

Lads, just ignore anyone hoping that we'll lose, not worth the time.

That was much better than all the league games obviously. We played well at stages, got a few great goals and dominated midfield for the most part. Our defence looked like it could be opened up and it was at times in the first half. That's going to be our problem. Begley, Quigley and the 2 Kingstons were the stand outs I thought with a good few others having decent games. Let's hope Attride's injury isn't too bad but it looked like a re-occurrence. We need him and Timmons back the next day as it will be a big step up.
Very nice to get so many nice scores and our forward play looked good. Let's build on it, tighten up things and the back and see how we get on against Kildare.

It's great to hear that Attride is back. Pace is key in the modern game and I think we need him and O'Connor on the starting team. The problem is that we are very short on corner backs and these 2 are better suited out the field. We have to play defensive with numbers back and then play on the counter with the option of the long ball into Kingston. It's the game that suits our players best. Number one because we don't have great tacklers or tight man to man markers. Also with our lack of pace around the middle, we can't be chasing back after players, we have to keep our spine solid.
Our attack should be based on the combination of powerful runners and pacey runners and then the King as our ex factor. I would put either Walsh or O'Carroll in beside him. A strong player who can win their own ball. Our wing backs and wing forwards should be interchangeable. I think there's only room for two out of three of Quigley, O'Loughlin and Meaney so whoever is showing best in training. If Timmons gets his match sharpness soon he has to start and I think Booth in one corner mainly because we have no one. Kelly might have to stay in the other but he wouldn't be as exposed with a proper defensive structure. Something like this:

___________Brody___________
Booth_____Timmons______Kelly
__________Strong___________
Attride_____Begley____McMahon
____Quigley______O'Loughlin___
O'Connor___O'Carroll___Donagher
_____Kingston_____Walsh_____

Wasn't this Town1980 fella the same lad that would continually suggest Lillis/Kavanagh for the Laois job on the Laoistalk forum? Well Lillis eventually did get the job. Turned out well!

First post here so go easy on me. I used to post on the old Laoistalk forum. Recognise some old names here and I recognise some who have changed their usernames.

I think a lot of my posts on the old forum were defending Justin McNulty and also saying what a mistake it was to get rid of him. I think everyone accepts at this stage that it was a huge blunder and the results before and after his reign proves this. We had a team that was fit, strong, organised and most of all competitive. It wasn't all perfect but it was a lot better than what we have now.

He was ran out of the county because we in Laois were too good for that 'Northern style' football, we have natural, classy footballers, let's go out and attack teams! Well how did that go for us? We're now in division 4 instead of competing in division 1 or the higher part of division 2 and we've been knocked out by Clare, Antrim and Tipperary instead of running the reigning All Ireland champions Dublin and Donegal to a few points.

It's been a complete disaster of a move and let's not fool ourselves into thinking we had better players then. A lot of the players were the same and we didn't even have Donie when we were beating Monaghan and Meath in 2012. What would be the score against those teams now?

We have also seen in the last few years that everyone has accepted that you must organise yourselves defensively to compete, everyone! Dublin thought they could outscore teams at will and Donegal taught them a lesson, Kerry have had 'the blanket defense' for a good few years now. It's time we in Laois copped ourselves on.

Despite the myth that it's not in Laois players psyche to play defensive football, it clearly is the best method for us to compete. Defending in numbers and counter attacking at pace with Donie and another player playing inside is what we're best suited too. Our best performances in the past few years have all been when using this system.

We have the players to do this. With O'Connor, Attride (when fit), Begley, O'Loughlin, O'Carroll, Donagher, McMahon, Meaney, Strong etc we have the mixture of power and pace to cause teams trouble. We are also struggling with quality backs so an organised defensive system is an obvious solution. If we can get everyone fit and focused we could even do well in this years championship.

Creedon hasn't made a good start but we should give him the championship to make a judgement. It's obvious to all that we don't have many players coming through but that's a separate issue to the current senior team. The development of players has to be done at a young age and we need serious change to how we go about this but the manager of the senior team has to work with what he has and Creedon has to do better than he has up to this.

There have been a lot of injuries though, get them right for the championship and implement the right system and I think we'll have a similar campaign to what Tony thinks above.