2022 National Football League

[Blow-in]

For anyone who seen the underage gradings/bed hopping it won't get much better in years to come. I see many wanting the county board gone. Who's gonna replace them? They couldn't get a PRO let alone looking for replacing a full executive.
I listened to the game on the radio as I was driving yesterday but it seems the kickout situation was criminal.

[clonadmad]

For anyone who seen the underage gradings/bed hopping it won't get much better in years to come. I see many wanting the county board gone. Who's gonna replace them? They couldn't get a PRO let alone looking for replacing a full executive.
I listened to the game on the radio as I was driving yesterday but it seems the kickout situation was criminal.

the football gradings/bed hopping are over on the future of Laois football thread.

What goes on here at juvenile is both codes is shambolic and wouldnt be tolerated in any serious GAA county

[High Fielder]

Are you putting your name forward for County Chairman?

No point. Everyone knows it's a closed shop. They should resign en masse. They have failed. In the same way that they have passed judgement on many coaches, the Laois public have voted with their feet and won't attend. I repeat. They should resign en masse. They have failed.

By the way, that is not a criticism. It's just a fact. It may be the case that we are incapable of being any better than we are, but we owe it to ourselves to find out. Nobody in their right mind could believe that continuing as we are will yield positive results. We need structural change, not throwing out coaches after a failed stint every 2 years. We/they are not doing things right. That has to change, and up to now, they haven't been able to do so.

[BallyroanAbu]

If only the world knew that all the oracle's of football reside in the Laois GAA forum, there would never be a mistake made.
For people to post in here that Sheehans appointment is doomed to failure is ridiculous.
He probably wouldn't have been my first choice but I don't claim to to foresee the future and know it won't end well.
Perhaps part of the problem in Laois is all the whingeing and moaning that goes on in the background. An appointment has been made, if the county got behind the team the chances of success may improve.
For those claiming this is an awful appointment - out of interest, who was the last manager you were happy with when they were announced?

Happy to oracle it, complete shit show but the definition of madness is to repeat the same thing and expect different results.  We can do better,  Jesus they have dragged us to a point where we think we deserve it.

I said it last October,  I know it annoys alot of lads on here but Ross, and older players need to go.  The results may not be pretty but we have to rebuild.  It sends the right message, our manager needs to be from within the County's Coaching structure and our future managers need to come from there.  Hiring lads who need to win, leads to short-term thinking which is now unfortunately having long term consequences.  We need a clear strategy of how we are getting out of this mess and to tweak that plan as needs be. 

[Zooming around]

Are you putting your name forward for County Chairman?

No point. Everyone knows it's a closed shop. They should resign en masse. They have failed. In the same way that they have passed judgement on many coaches, the Laois public have voted with their feet and won't attend. I repeat. They should resign en masse. They have failed.

By the way, that is not a criticism. It's just a fact. It may be the case that we are incapable of being any better than we are, but we owe it to ourselves to find out. Nobody in their right mind could believe that continuing as we are will yield positive results. We need structural change, not throwing out coaches after a failed stint every 2 years. We/they are not doing things right. That has to change, and up to now, they haven't been able to do so.

Ah no... It is.

[Laois Rising]

I wanted to give Billy Sheehan some pass as he has a number of players who didn't commit or were injured throughout league. However, as a good Longford GAA friend of mine told me during the game as I brought this defence out at half time, Billy O'L is working without the following mainstay players in Longford who were not available to him:

Gary Rogers (centre-back), Donal McElligot (wing/corner back), John Keegan (midfield), Rian Brady (centre forward),Daniel Mimnagh (corner forward), Liam Connerton (full forward).

Pretty much the spine of the Longford team for the last few years and best club players within county. It's probably the same for most smaller counties the levels of non-commitment. It's about getting the best tune out of the players you have. Billy certainly isn't doing that at the moment. In the modern game when kick outs and kick out strategies are of huge importance to the winning and losing of the game we were shambolic in this department against Limerick, Fermanagh and again yesterday. I know Chris and Billy want to play a traditional kicking game but they need to address this deficiency before start of Leinster championship and Tailteann Cup. 

[Joeythelips]

If only the world knew that all the oracle's of football reside in the Laois GAA forum, there would never be a mistake made.
For people to post in here that Sheehans appointment is doomed to failure is ridiculous.
He probably wouldn't have been my first choice but I don't claim to to foresee the future and know it won't end well.
Perhaps part of the problem in Laois is all the whingeing and moaning that goes on in the background. An appointment has been made, if the county got behind the team the chances of success may improve.
For those claiming this is an awful appointment - out of interest, who was the last manager you were happy with when they were announced?

Happy to oracle it, complete shit show but the definition of madness is to repeat the same thing and expect different results.  We can do better,  Jesus they have dragged us to a point where we think we deserve it.

I said it last October,  I know it annoys alot of lads on here but Ross, and older players need to go.  The results may not be pretty but we have to rebuild.  It sends the right message, our manager needs to be from within the County's Coaching structure and our future managers need to come from there.  Hiring lads who need to win, leads to short-term thinking which is now unfortunately having long term consequences.  We need a clear strategy of how we are getting out of this mess and to tweak that plan as needs be.

I agree, Ross has been one of Laois' all time greats and a modal player in the way he prepares and conducts himself on and off the pitch, but to have a 39 year old coming off the bench at this level tells its own story. Again I know most people will say he is there on merit but Laois need to bring in and blood younger players, build a side that can compete. Thats a 3 year plan (minimum) realistically and would most likely ship some beatings early on but you would understand if you could see thats what they were doing. This looks like we are going no where. Do the current management have a plan?

[Giovanni]

If only the world knew that all the oracle's of football reside in the Laois GAA forum, there would never be a mistake made.
For people to post in here that Sheehans appointment is doomed to failure is ridiculous.
He probably wouldn't have been my first choice but I don't claim to to foresee the future and know it won't end well.
Perhaps part of the problem in Laois is all the whingeing and moaning that goes on in the background. An appointment has been made, if the county got behind the team the chances of success may improve.
For those claiming this is an awful appointment - out of interest, who was the last manager you were happy with when they were announced?

Happy to oracle it, complete shit show but the definition of madness is to repeat the same thing and expect different results.  We can do better,  Jesus they have dragged us to a point where we think we deserve it.

I said it last October,  I know it annoys alot of lads on here but Ross, and older players need to go.  The results may not be pretty but we have to rebuild.  It sends the right message, our manager needs to be from within the County's Coaching structure and our future managers need to come from there.  Hiring lads who need to win, leads to short-term thinking which is now unfortunately having long term consequences.  We need a clear strategy of how we are getting out of this mess and to tweak that plan as needs be.

I agree, Ross has been one of Laois' all time greats and a modal player in the way he prepares and conducts himself on and off the pitch, but to have a 39 year old coming off the bench at this level tells its own story. Again I know most people will say he is there on merit but Laois need to bring in and blood younger players, build a side that can compete. Thats a 3 year plan (minimum) realistically and would most likely ship some beatings early on but you would understand if you could see thats what they were doing. This looks like we are going no where. Do the current management have a plan?

I have absolutely no objection to giving youth a chance (and this would be a sign of the health of the county set up if we could) but this doesn't make any sense as a strategy in the current circumstances. Ross came on for the last 7 or 8 minutes of the match when the team was 6 or 7 points down.  Do you really think it would help the development of a 19 or 20 year old if he came on instead of Ross in those circumstances.

Would you clear out Mark Timmons along with Ross? And presumably Lillis would have to go too, despite being by far the best of the various midfielders that we tried during the league. JOL would also be for the chop (and, to be fair, it hasn't been his best season). But if those 3 were missing yesterday, we would have been beaten by a point a man ...... by Longford. I don't see how this helps young lads.

The problem yesterday was not the age of the players. The problem was that the tactical preparations were so poor and the motivation of the team also seemed pretty poor given the importance of the game. Certainly, it looked to me like Longford wanted it more. The management has to be responsible for that. I would understand arguments about the age of the players or the county board or the youth structures if we saw a team that was well prepared and motivated but just wasn't good enough in the end. But in this particular case, I'm afraid the basics of team management seem to be missing.

[BallyroanAbu]

Yes they would be is the uncomfortable truth, that might not be what everyone wants but that's what needed in my opinion.  In Div 4 if we continue with Timmons and O Louglin, we may win but where are we in two years bar an older JOL and Mark Timmons because of Mike Quirkes and Billy Sheehan's refusal to cull we are having to face being more brutal than already was the case.

Yesterday the team had given up on the manager.

[High Fielder]

Are you putting your name forward for County Chairman?

No point.

Of course not

Related. Actual CB member. Or beneficiary?

[High Fielder]

A volunteer. A supporter. A fundraiser. A stakeholder in club and county. An individual prepared to call out a shit show for what it is

I'm sure like me you were there yesterday. Another pitiful crowd. People have walked away. There is no faith in Laois GAA. People are tired of the cronyism and lack of progression. I have no issue with people who feel differently but I've made my mind up. In my opinion, the buck stops with our CB

[Laoiseabu]

I wanted to give Billy Sheehan some pass as he has a number of players who didn't commit or were injured throughout league. However, as a good Longford GAA friend of mine told me during the game as I brought this defence out at half time, Billy O'L is working without the following mainstay players in Longford who were not available to him:

Gary Rogers (centre-back), Donal McElligot (wing/corner back), John Keegan (midfield), Rian Brady (centre forward),Daniel Mimnagh (corner forward), Liam Connerton (full forward).

Pretty much the spine of the Longford team for the last few years and best club players within county. It's probably the same for most smaller counties the levels of non-commitment. It's about getting the best tune out of the players you have. Billy certainly isn't doing that at the moment. In the modern game when kick outs and kick out strategies are of huge importance to the winning and losing of the game we were shambolic in this department against Limerick, Fermanagh and again yesterday. I know Chris and Billy want to play a traditional kicking game but they need to address this deficiency before start of Leinster championship and Tailteann Cup.

Donal McElligott, Patrick Fox, John Keegan, Gary Rogers, Rian Brady, Daniel Mimnagh, Liam Connerton, Barry McKeon ,Colm P Smyth , Robbie Smyth , James McGivney, David McGivney , Larry Moran , Ross McNerney, Liam Hughes , Peter Lynn. They are Some of the best players In Longford unavailable this year .
The Longford man beside me at the match named out 15 players they have at home that would beat the 15 they had on the pitch yesterday .
I know we have some players injured and unavailable but we just can't use they as an excuse . Mind you Longford have less than half the population of Laois .

[redsetanta]

I think the general consensus when Billy took over was that we try and stay in Div 3 but it wouldn't be easy. The O'Byrne cup and earlier rounds of the league gave us a greater expectation of how things might play out.
I didn't think we'd survive Div 3 however the initial results were good.
The last time we were in Div 4 we had a better group of players imo and a good manager came in and took us up at the first attempt. This will be different I think with no guarantee of an early return.
Unless we produce a good crop of players over successive years with some emerging talent we will labour.

[Spiritof86]

We had direction and guile under John Sugrue .He had a plan in for the development of Laois football  that was seemingly not recognised by the County Board .
There and then was an opportunity to capitalise . It's been a disaster ever since .
Division 4 football is on the horizon for the next few years .

[Gmac]

Correct me if I'm wrong but was billy o loughlin a candidate for Laois manager and had an ok record with under 20s  ? But we went for no experience billy Sheehan probably because o loughlin is a bit of a loud mouth , too ambitious and rubs some people up the wrong way , the no hire of o loughlin to me signals a lot of problems in Laois football, bitter ,local  petty squabbles , no vision , no pride in the county . We have always ran ofc any managers who were doing some good in football and hurling
time for a major culture change