Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Cheers Gold, I dont have a problem at all with your sensible and reasoned judgement. He needs to deal with public opinion in his own way - its all part of playing at that level. He definitely wont want me coming on here and defending or supporting him, thats for sure!!

He is very grounded and level headed so should be able to take constructive opinions like you have offered on board and deal with it accordingly. I am the one who would get more wound up about it TBH! 

[brendanbelfast]

Niall had a strong game I thought, is progressing steadily since Cavan game.

I think we should head into Wicklow game in good heart. They salvaged a draw last week against a Roscommon team that seems to have regressed since last year. The draw will give Wicklow a lift but really I reckon they are something like a Div 4 team. Hopefully our lads go at them early on and put some scores on the board early in the game.

Wasn't Kelly carrying an injury into the league? Maybe he isn't right yet. Against Cavan he came on when C Murray ran out of gas. Interesting the other night that Conor, while not as effective as against Cavan, was still running very strongly at the end of the game, and bagging scores.

[bannside]

Conor Murray is a great find these last couple of years. He shows for every ball and wants to run and take men on all the time. The odd time he overdoes it, but give me a player who is always available and would go through a brick wall every time for the team.

Mark Sweeney has the same qualities. The dropping back HF who can then make 50 yards for you and break two or three tackles, opening up defences. And then theres Locky too - a hell of a miss at the minute. All Mark Mc Hugh/Karl Lacy runner types.

Call me the optimist, but hopefully there is a way these two can still be part of FD`s plans, if not this year, then hopefully next year. We just dont produce quality like this in every batch, and we need them all around at the same time to challenge for Ulster.

Throw in any of SK, Aidso, any Mc Gort fully committed, or a Magill at his very best, and you know, we have a team that I would honestly fancy very strongly against anyone.

[Northern Light]

Bannside, a helping of reality.
James Loughrey has transferred to Cork, and will not return.
Mark Sweeny has transferred to Dublin, and will not come back, for the foreseeable future.
The Gall's men you identified have no interest, and comments of this nature undermine the lads that do train, and wish to play.
The point against Fermanagh will probably mean we will not be relegated this year. The performance was appalling. Fermanagh were a 'team', which had been coached. Antrim was a group of individuals who appear not to have a game-plan. At least Baker had a 'plan', whatever the quality.
Canavan proves that young, 'modern' managers can form a team 'which is greater in capability than the sum of the parts'!
Conor Murray may be a capable club footballer, and as such deserves a place on this team, but, like others, he needs to understand that a player 'carrying the ball' is from a past era. He was responsible for the Fermanagh final score, when he 'dived', having carried the ball in to a group of 4 defenders. A bit of training in passing the ball quickly, and not 'seeking contact' would help.
We need to understand that we do not have enough quality players, and the potential which existed in 2009/2010 has been wasted. Get a new, young, manager, and look to the future.

[bannside]

The point I was making NL is that we actually do have the quality players - but for various reasons work/committment etc - we cant get them all on the same pitch at the same time. Those six missing names I mentioned are all top performers - but you are 100% right - we must move on.

You are right too in that PC has turned Fermanagh into a well drilled outfit. But FD is no mug either and knows his way around a football team. He will adopt a system to suit our strengths - whenever he knows the players he is basing that around. Six or Eight years in Down football is as good an education as you can get. And personally I think we will get four more points in our next two games and get into a very safe position in the league.

The ball carrying thing you talk of is ok to a point. But all good teams do have four or five players who can carry ball, break tackles, and by taking a "man out" makes space for others. I quoted Lacy and Mc Hugh of Donegal. But they have half a dozen others likewise. Its effective and great to watch. But yes, quick hands and if a man is available, quick feet will allow the ball to move faster.

Finally the comment about a young modern manager. In most cases thats a punt, unless they have been round the block a bit and got a few stripes earned. We took that punt a few years ago. Young and modern is great, but has to mix with relevant experience too. FD has earned his stripes and was the best man for the job this time around. Deserves the support of the county behind him, and hasnt done much wrong so far.

[Corkey22]

I see Mick McCann has temporarily quit the Antrim team, anybody know what happened there?

[Simon Says]

massive loss, our best player.

[brendanbelfast]

There is no mystery about Mick McCann's stepping back - it is exactly as reported. The fella has a hell of a lot going on at the moment and felt his football was suffering. His proposed remedy is to take a few week's hiatus from the game and FD is happy to accomodate.

Mick will be back soon enough and I think the team will see the benefit of it.

[NAG1]

There is no mystery about Mick McCann's stepping back - it is exactly as reported. The fella has a hell of a lot going on at the moment and felt his football was suffering. His proposed remedy is to take a few week's hiatus from the game and FD is happy to accomodate.

Mick will be back soon enough and I think the team will see the benefit of it.

Maybe Ive missed it (cant be bothered reading back tbh) but what was the story with MM axed again?

[Simon Says]

What is going on with our football panel?

Mick mc cann has taken a back seat, magill has been axed? surely hes one of our best forwards?
i am led to believe that ciaran close has also been axed. Add on top of that mark sweeny, loughrey, gallagher, the johnston twins all missing from last years panel, then the boys who have 'retired' from st galls. Can anyone shed any light on this and why players dont want to play for their county?

[otbar]

Dawson is looking to the Youth and is preparing saffrons for not only this year but next few.  He told magill a target man is not required for his style of play and that he will be blooding in U21's.
Hope all works out.

Mc cann I agree will come back rested.

[brendanbelfast]

Mick mc cann has taken a back seat - yes, and will be back

magill has been axed? surely hes one of our best forwards? - MM's own doing, not the managers.

i am led to believe that ciaran close has also been axed. FD decided that.

Add on top of that mark sweeny, (moved to Dublin for work) loughrey (moved to Cork for work)
gallagher (left late lastyear)  the johnston twins (made their own decision for personal reasons)

all missing from last years panel, then the boys who have 'retired' from st galls. Can anyone shed any light on this and why players dont want to play for their county?

Guys who want to play, and adhere to the regime, are playing. We will see the benefit of this approach in the long term.

As Bannside earlier, we can hardly complain too much about results so far can we?

[bannside]

I had got the impression Locky was away for a year - didnt know that he wasnt expected back at all. And Sweeney being in Dublin - Jesus wept thats only an hour and a half away. People in London would drive that to work every day!

Its only my thoughts (and I know that dosent matter in the big picture) but couldnt those two have been training away with good clubs, ( or a county set up by agreement) and making themselves available on matchdays, especially around championship time, as long as they were in tip top condition. Didnt some of the Kerry players train as a group in Dublin?

The Johnston boys need some private space to deal with a personal matter. Marty and Ricky will be back in due course. This best left alone.

Finally Mick Mc Cann. A mature decision by a player who knows himself that he wasnt firing recently. A top lad, Mick will bounce back fresher to play his usual pivotal role. Into his thirteenth year with Antrim (non-stop since he was 15) and owes no one anything.

[NAG1]

How dare you Brendan Belfast say michael magill deserved it. He never put a foot wrong and actually was
Doing additional training. Your friends anto Healy and dirty aidso
Missed training sessions and and other matters we can not expose.
I ma whitehill man and michael magill gave 100 quid each month to development of gaa with his
Father giving double. And you turn round with a lose statement that he caused it himself. He works
Across the globe. He was left of the county the same way Mccann had to take the break
That people need to survive.
Don't dare insult that fellow. He is salt of the earth and Brendan ur sadly mistaken and bottom line a people follower.

Your assessment is loose and boarder line wrong.

I appreciate that you are defending a club mate, but this type of information has absolutely no place on this board or on any public forum. I would ask you to take this down.

[Milltown Row2]

How dare you Brendan Belfast say michael magill deserved it. He never put a foot wrong and actually was
Doing additional training. Your friends anto Healy and dirty aidso
Missed training sessions and and other matters we can not expose.
I ma whitehill man and michael magill gave 100 quid each month to development of gaa with his
Father giving double. And you turn round with a lose statement that he caused it himself. He works
Across the globe. He was left of the county the same way Mccann had to take the break
That people need to survive.
Don't dare insult that fellow. He is salt of the earth and Brendan ur sadly mistaken and bottom line a people follower.

Your assessment is loose and boarder line wrong.

I appreciate that you are defending a club mate, but this type of information has absolutely no place on this board or on any public forum. I would ask you to take this down.

Could take it all down as far as I'm concerned, firstly I don't understand his post and got a sore head from trying to read it!! Secondly he's giving off about other players (on/off the panel) while complaining about posters having an opinion about his own clubman?? Baffling to say the least