Antrim Football Thread

[Spike]

its about time football started going the way of hurling and started looking outside of the top teams for players who could do a job for the county.

you have lads from Armoy, St Pauls, Sarsfields all playing county hurling and will be in 1B next year amongst lads from the Div1 clubs and they fully merit their places on the team.

We won the minor championship last year and not one single fella was on the county panel. Following year the U21's squad for ulster and not one single fella asked to come along.Are they not good enough? did anyone come along and see them play? or is it a case of 'your not playing Div 1 therefore your not good enough?'

Im pretty sure theres plenty of lads out there playing in Antrim would love the chance to represent their county but have not been asked. Its time the footballers took the same approach as the hurling and realise where its at and try and build itself up against.

The hurlers may not be the best but they have a great team spirit in the panel and are starting to get it right again.

All this nonsense about not enough representation by the county champions etc look at the hurling, 2 starting from Loughgiel, 1 from Dunloy, 4 from Cushendall & 2 from Ballycastle. All the top 4 clubs in Antrim.

Look at the team yesterday - plenty from outside the top teams - still abject. Whats next, give wholesale Div 3 & 4 players or the Waterboy a game? 

At this juncture picking solely from the top teams isn't really the long term answer but it certainly creates a base level of performance that the team wont drop under and we can then improve from that level with players of the lower teams coming in if they are good enough.  For the avoidance of doubt we are currently well below that base level.

Harsh? Anyone who watched that game yesterday wouldn't say so.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

[Hectic]

its about time football started going the way of hurling and started looking outside of the top teams for players who could do a job for the county.

you have lads from Armoy, St Pauls, Sarsfields all playing county hurling and will be in 1B next year amongst lads from the Div1 clubs and they fully merit their places on the team.

We won the minor championship last year and not one single fella was on the county panel. Following year the U21's squad for ulster and not one single fella asked to come along.Are they not good enough? did anyone come along and see them play? or is it a case of 'your not playing Div 1 therefore your not good enough?'

Im pretty sure theres plenty of lads out there playing in Antrim would love the chance to represent their county but have not been asked. Its time the footballers took the same approach as the hurling and realise where its at and try and build itself up against.

The hurlers may not be the best but they have a great team spirit in the panel and are starting to get it right again.

All this nonsense about not enough representation by the county champions etc look at the hurling, 2 starting from Loughgiel, 1 from Dunloy, 4 from Cushendall & 2 from Ballycastle. All the top 4 clubs in Antrim.

That is 9 out of 15 from the best teams in the county. Besides I would say the hurling has also suffered from not getting our best players out over the last decade and in real terms our hurlers are not faring a great deal better than our footballers. But my point is not about filling the team with players from the County champions but rather the lack of some obvious players from these teams on an ongoing basis and indeed as CB pointed out other top players in the county. These are guys with know how how and have proven it by continually coming out on top even in recent years when people thought they were there for the taking.

[country bumpkin]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

I understand two Dunloy players decided not to make themselves available for county minor duty....?

[Spike]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

Arrogance? One thing that cant be thrown at the current management is they haven't gave the weaker team's players a chance at county football. 

Ill state very clearly here that there are no hidden Bernard Brogan's plying their trade in Div 2 or 3. 

[stiffler]

Russ has given plenty of div 2 players a go this season. The entire full back line yesterday was from div 2.

[Hectic]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

Arrogance? One thing that cant be thrown at the current management is they haven't gave the weaker team's players a chance at county football. 

Ill state very clearly here that there are no hidden Bernard Brogan's plying their trade in Div 2, 3 or 4.

Better than that, there are no players hidden in Div 4 in Antrim and any good players in Div 3 are probably going backwards at an alarming rate given the standard of that competition.

I agree that the current management have cast the net wide but if we do not have our top experienced players on board to lead then this almost becomes futile.

[country bumpkin]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

I understand two Dunloy players decided not to make themselves available for county minor duty....?

Sian Elliot.....Declan Smith...

[paddyjohn]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

Arrogance? One thing that cant be thrown at the current management is they haven't gave the weaker team's players a chance at county football. 

Ill state very clearly here that there are no hidden Bernard Brogan's plying their trade in Div 2, 3 or 4.

Better than that, there are no players hidden in Div 4 in Antrim and any good players in Div 3 are probably going backwards at an alarming rate given the standard of that competition.

I agree that the current management have cast the net wide but if we do not have our top experienced players on board to lead then this almost becomes futile.

I'd of rather had a Sean Burke or Mick McCann or Justin Crozier lining up yesterday and that is no disrespect to those lads who started but we need our most experienced lads out in a saffron jersey.

Saying that, we are where we are for a reason.

[Na Glinntí Glasa]

well its that arrogance thats costing the county potential players.

its pretty clear that whats there isnt good enough. Its about time they started looking throughout the county for every single talented player.

I understand two Dunloy players decided not to make themselves available for county minor duty....?

Sian Elliot.....Declan Smith...

I spoke to Deaglan about why he wasnt on it and he told me it wasnt worth it as last year he didnt get near playing and also with him playing hurling he couldn't commit to the training nights they wanted with the football.

Seaan is the same, the lads are dual players and its near impossible to train for both of them at county and club level. both are playing U21 hurling as well.

a real pity as the two of them are great footballers.

[Milltown Row2]

Talking about other players not on the senior team is daft.... that's the squad that committed to staying the distance... whether there are better players not playing county is irrelevant as they didn't commit for whatever reason..

To use a soccer view... it's like Chelsea playing York city... minors playing well and winning one match won't fix it, changing managers every 3 years won't fix it either. Getting a state of the art county ground won't also....

back to basics with kids and schools.... proper coaching at clubs and schools with a plan to bring competitive games at all levels within all areas schools/colleges/clubs.... getting all the clubs coaches and schools to row in behind this is the first problem...

If we continue to do the same thing we'll continue to get the same results... keep bashing the people who put their names forward for managing then we won't get anyone half decent to take it on

[Saffrongael]

Jesus lads, Div 1 team beats a now div 4 team... What were you expecting? Had they taken their goal chance early on and continued with their pressure they applied for most of the first half then we might have had a better impact... Until Antrim become a div 1/2 team then we can expect a beating like that, just like Monaghan beat Fermanagh

Sligo, a Div 3 team, in the game with Mayo until the late stages.

[Milltown Row2]

Jesus lads, Div 1 team beats a now div 4 team... What were you expecting? Had they taken their goal chance early on and continued with their pressure they applied for most of the first half then we might have had a better impact... Until Antrim become a div 1/2 team then we can expect a beating like that, just like Monaghan beat Fermanagh

Sligo, a Div 3 team, in the game with Mayo until the late stages.

Beat by nine, Donegal as good as Mayo and Sligo better than Antrim,  what's your point?

[BrendanAntrim]

Jesus lads, Div 1 team beats a now div 4 team... What were you expecting? Had they taken their goal chance early on and continued with their pressure they applied for most of the first half then we might have had a better impact... Until Antrim become a div 1/2 team then we can expect a beating like that, just like Monaghan beat Fermanagh

Sligo, a Div 3 team, in the game with Mayo until the late stages.

Beat by nine, Donegal as good as Mayo and Sligo better than Antrim,  what's your point?

we beat Sligo in the league.

[Milltown Row2]

Jesus lads, Div 1 team beats a now div 4 team... What were you expecting? Had they taken their goal chance early on and continued with their pressure they applied for most of the first half then we might have had a better impact... Until Antrim become a div 1/2 team then we can expect a beating like that, just like Monaghan beat Fermanagh

Sligo, a Div 3 team, in the game with Mayo until the late stages.

Beat by nine, Donegal as good as Mayo and Sligo better than Antrim,  what's your point?

we beat Sligo in the league.

Ah right so by beating Sligo in the league we should have beaten Donegal?