2021 National Football League

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

GAA split season for 2021 will see Laois begin their Division Two league campaign in February

https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/sport/595715/gaa-split-season-for-2021-will-see-laois-begin-their-division-two-league-campaign-in-february.html

[The PRO]

I think Gary Walsh is unfortunate not to be starting today. The backs look strong and you have Buggie and O'Flynn on the bench, both good defenders.

[SCFC]

At this stage, you'd have to think it might be best to cull a few of the older long serving players who in fairness have given their all and try to base a team around the two decent under 20 teams we had last year and 2019.
I'd like to see that Eoin Dunne lad in there. Coffey. Saunders. Owens. Mohan (a proper sticky corner back). Maybe Tyrrell although he doesn't convince me. Along with Barry, O'Flynn, Lacey and I think Whelan who are already in there.

[Chrimtain]

At this stage, you'd have to think it might be best to cull a few of the older long serving players who in f
airness have given their all and try to base a team around the two decent under 20 teams we had last year and 2019.
I'd like to see that Eoin Dunne lad in there. Coffey. Saunders. Owens. Mohan (a proper sticky corner back). Maybe Tyrrell although he doesn't convince me. Along with Barry, O'Flynn, Lacey and I think Whelan who are already in there.

I think this has to be the way forward. These young guys will have to be thrown in  and may sink or swim in Division 3 next year.

[SCFC]

Looks like we could be playing Down or Westmeath in a relegation playoff. I'm watching Down at the moment and also saw most of their game last week and they are very, very poor. I know we are dreadful too.

[Heshs Umpire]

I'm not sure I'm totally happy with this narrative that yesterday's performance is some sort of improvement on the Clare game.
We were at home to a Cork team that Kildare beat well last week and lost by 8 points! There might have been a few improved individual performances but in general, I thought it was equally as poor as the performance in Ennis. 

[The PRO]

Quirke isn't convincing to say the least. He has two big games now coming up against  Down and Westmeath. Probably need to win both for him to have any chance of a third year in the job.

That said, that was a horrific display today and the players need to have a serious self examination.

[Joeythelips]

The players tried hard and it was not like they were completely over run fitness wise. To me it seemed Laois were able to work the ball out of their half perfectly fine but once the got inside the Kildare 45 they took the wrong option over and over and kicked some awful wides. It has to be a big worry that so much of our mistakes were unforced errors.

It is all well and good having a go at management or players but there needs to be a serious look and player development from underage. So many of our players are the wrong side of 30, its not their fault they get picked as they are obviously the best footballer in the county but there should be players in their early 20s knocking on the door at this stage. The reason Laois won the Leinster in 03 was down to the conveyor belt of talented footballers developed throughout the 90's. The whole point of the underage set up is to get players up to the level required for senior intercounty yet we are struggling in this regard it seems.

[SCFC]

Any thoughts on the Down game? I've seen them on GAAgo and they are pretty ordinary. Very defensive too.
Bad and all as the last three games have been, I'm hoping we might make a fight of it and hopefully edge a scrappy game.
The team is anyone's guess.

[Laois Rising]

Down are poor side who still play a defensive brand of football. The win against Westmeath might give them some confidence but Laois are capable of going to Newry and getting a win. Kingston and Begley should be back which will be of help. Hopefully Laois can reduce the error count and move the ball much quicker and play more directly into O'Carroll and Kingston. If we do we have a chance.

[The PRO]

That was dire. Absolutely no progress made now since Sugrue stepped away. What a loss he has proven to be.
Hard to see us competing with Westmeath in three weeks time.

[town1980]

I disagree jobs last game cork kicked us up and down the field,,today we are to old 3,6,8;9;14 all the wrong side management and also chairman of the football board should be called into question he has made the wrong decision for Laois Gaa in appointment simple as and his not up to the most important job in our county,,,bad result but we’re a div 3/4 team realistically

[Giovanni]

Very disappointing again. It wasn’t for lack of effort but the missed goal chances and the mistakes at the other end were killers. Evan’s a fantastic player but his finishing rate is atrocious. That’s surely something that could be worked on in training? Lack of pace down the middle exposed at times but I thought all of the older lads were very good. Donie Kingston looks in better shape than I’ve seen him for a long while and his personal performances have improved as a result. That was a game that was there for the taking and we blew it.

[High Fielder]

I find it hard to blame anyone in particular. We are mediocre in both codes and we don't have enough quality players in either. Mistakes have been made by the CB for sure, and letting Sugrue depart was unforgivable. Same with Brennan in the hurling. But we are what we are; we don't have the numbers or quality, and we will always struggle until we get a golden crop. Throwing money at coaches will not make anything better, and most counties are in a similar situation. There's a pointlessness to all of this that makes me think we'd be better off not bothering, but I can't listen to the bleeding hearts tell me that giving up is weak. In reality, the mountain is far too high to climb. That's just being realistic. We are a small county with limited resources and like so many others, we are just fodder.

[Giovanni]

I know how you feel but surely we can have ambitions to play in Division 2 and compete with the likes of Down?

I see a lot of talk about giving the young lads a chance but I don’t really see who they might be. Most of the young lads that can realistically add value are already there.