Meath's demise

[Maroon Manc]

I know in Galway I always thought there was talent there but we'd suffered under bad management, Galway have had a lot of underage success winning 4 U21 All Ireland's and in that time they haven't made a Semi final appearance at senior level and in the last 7 years have been a million miles away. I know most of you have been very critical of MOD but at the same time Meath haven't won an u21 in Leinster since 2001, are the players there to turn Meath into AI contenders in the next 2-3 years or is the situation a lot worse than that?

[Kuwabatake Sanjuro]

I know in Down a lot of the best players simply don't want to play for the county. They don't see the point in putting in a slog from Jan to June to play 1 championship game and a qualifier. Not many would blame them either. Is it same in the other counties?

There would be an element of that creeping into Kildare at the moment too, O'Neill offered call ups to 10 of the talented u-21 team this year with only 4 accepting with one of them being quickly dropped for skipping training to go to Punchestown. There is nothing to play for once they exit the underage grades and I'd assume plenty will start focusing on non footballing careers and life when they finish college.

[seafoid]

I know in Galway I always thought there was talent there but we'd suffered under bad management, Galway have had a lot of underage success winning 4 U21 All Ireland's and in that time they haven't made a Semi final appearance at senior level and in the last 7 years have been a million miles away. I know most of you have been very critical of MOD but at the same time Meath haven't won an u21 in Leinster since 2001, are the players there to turn Meath into AI contenders in the next 2-3 years or is the situation a lot worse than that?

the process whereby a team declines and becomes seriously mediocre is very interesting . There are no quick fixes . Why meath should be down longer than Galway is not clear.

[omaghjoe]

Its not often wee Martin McHugh is right but it would appear he was spot on about the Celtic Tiger turning Meath soft

[armaghniac]

Its not often wee Martin McHugh is right but it would appear he was spot on about the Celtic Tiger turning Meath soft

With Enda Kenny's new plan to include Derry and Tyrone in Tiger 2, things will even up.

[Declan]

The front-runner in the race to succeed Mick O'Dowd as Meath senior football manager has confirmed his interest in the vacancy.

Ballyboden St Enda's All-Ireland winning club manager Andy McEntee has informed The Meath Chronicle: "I'm interested in the position and I believe that I will be nominated before the deadline."

The nomination forms were circulated to clubs last week and must be returned to the County Board secretary by 5pm this Friday (July 29th).

Now that would shake things up a bit

[thejuice]

Good stuff.

[Dinny Breen]

Is this his first time going for it on his own? Comes across very well any time I hear him. What's his management background like apart from BSE?

[seafoid]

I know in Galway I always thought there was talent there but we'd suffered under bad management, Galway have had a lot of underage success winning 4 U21 All Ireland's and in that time they haven't made a Semi final appearance at senior level and in the last 7 years have been a million miles away. I know most of you have been very critical of MOD but at the same time Meath haven't won an u21 in Leinster since 2001, are the players there to turn Meath into AI contenders in the next 2-3 years or is the situation a lot worse than that?

When the 2011 under 21 team started playing senior there was no cohort of older lads with experience as there was in 98 when PJ and Donnellan came on the scene. So it took longer for the team to come up with something decent.

[Hound]

I know in Galway I always thought there was talent there but we'd suffered under bad management, Galway have had a lot of underage success winning 4 U21 All Ireland's and in that time they haven't made a Semi final appearance at senior level and in the last 7 years have been a million miles away. I know most of you have been very critical of MOD but at the same time Meath haven't won an u21 in Leinster since 2001, are the players there to turn Meath into AI contenders in the next 2-3 years or is the situation a lot worse than that?

the process whereby a team declines and becomes seriously mediocre is very interesting . There are no quick fixes . Why meath should be down longer than Galway is not clear.

Beating a half asleep Mayo team without their best player and taking 2 games to beat a Roscommon team in disarray is hardly evidence of Galway being too far along.  More to come perhaps, but there's little to suggest so far that Galway this year are better than Meath last year when they were unlucky to lose to Tyrone.

Not that Meath weren't a shambles this year. Appointing anyone other than McEntee would be very odd.

[seafoid]

Meath remind me of Nora Mharcais Bhig. She was lovely. But she fell in with the wrong people. 

[Blowitupref]

I know in Galway I always thought there was talent there but we'd suffered under bad management, Galway have had a lot of underage success winning 4 U21 All Ireland's and in that time they haven't made a Semi final appearance at senior level and in the last 7 years have been a million miles away. I know most of you have been very critical of MOD but at the same time Meath haven't won an u21 in Leinster since 2001, are the players there to turn Meath into AI contenders in the next 2-3 years or is the situation a lot worse than that?

the process whereby a team declines and becomes seriously mediocre is very interesting . There are no quick fixes . Why meath should be down longer than Galway is not clear.

Beating a half asleep Mayo team without their best player and taking 2 games to beat a Roscommon team in disarray is hardly evidence of Galway being too far along.  More to come perhaps, but there's little to suggest so far that Galway this year are better than Meath last year when they were unlucky to lose to Tyrone.

Not that Meath weren't a shambles this year. Appointing anyone other than McEntee would be very odd.

Mayos three best players is Lee Keegan,Colm Boyle,Keith Higgins all played against Galway. That player in question you reckon is their best player has a bit to go before reaching the heights of Boyle,Keegan,Higgins at senior level.

[Hound]

I know in Galway I always thought there was talent there but we'd suffered under bad management, Galway have had a lot of underage success winning 4 U21 All Ireland's and in that time they haven't made a Semi final appearance at senior level and in the last 7 years have been a million miles away. I know most of you have been very critical of MOD but at the same time Meath haven't won an u21 in Leinster since 2001, are the players there to turn Meath into AI contenders in the next 2-3 years or is the situation a lot worse than that?

the process whereby a team declines and becomes seriously mediocre is very interesting . There are no quick fixes . Why meath should be down longer than Galway is not clear.

Beating a half asleep Mayo team without their best player and taking 2 games to beat a Roscommon team in disarray is hardly evidence of Galway being too far along.  More to come perhaps, but there's little to suggest so far that Galway this year are better than Meath last year when they were unlucky to lose to Tyrone.

Not that Meath weren't a shambles this year. Appointing anyone other than McEntee would be very odd.

Mayos three best players is Lee Keegan,Colm Boyle,Keith Higgins all played against Galway. That player in question you reckon is their best player has a bit to go before reaching the heights of Boyle,Keegan,Higgins at senior level.

I won't argue with that, but Mayo would miss DOC more than any one of those 3 if one of them had to miss a game

[Jinxy]

Is this his first time going for it on his own? Comes across very well any time I hear him. What's his management background like apart from BSE?

He was the minor manager in 2012 when we lost to Dublin in the all-ireland final (after losing to them in Leinster).
He's the right man for the job, the only question I have is if it's the right time for him to take it.
I'd nearly rather he took over the minors AND the u-21s to be honest.
Until we start getting things right at those grades, there's only so much that can be done at senior level.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Is this his first time going for it on his own? Comes across very well any time I hear him. What's his management background like apart from BSE?

He was the minor manager in 2012 when we lost to Dublin in the all-ireland final (after losing to them in Leinster).
He's the right man for the job, the only question I have is if it's the right time for him to take it.
I'd nearly rather he took over the minors AND the u-21s to be honest.
Until we start getting things right at those grades, there's only so much that can be done at senior level.

Interesting, why haven't we seen this already? The championships run back to back nearly so could be done. It would definitely help progression and communication between the panels.