Allianz Football League 2017 - Division 3

[ILikeStrawberryJam]

I think creedon deserves the benefit of the doubt for now.
Lets give him the league before we start condemning the lad.
Granted its been a bad start.
If we get a few of the more experienced players back we'll survive.
A longer term view ala tipp is what we need and that requires patience ..

[steven seagal]

To be fair to Creedon, at least when he spoke on the radio after the game he recognises where Laois are going wrong and knows what to address. That in itself is a vast improvement from Mick Lillis, who came out after nearly every game last year and said he didn't know why they were losing, and then set about blaming training facilities and pitches.

Any hope we had of promotion before the league is well and truly gone now, and the other results point to a fairly unpredictable Division. We'll struggle to stay up if we don't get some experience back into the team, and we could do with the pace of Sean Moore up front too, although he's very light for this level.

[redsetanta]

Aside from the deficiencies already mentioned we had our most influential player black carded and conceded an own goal.

[Don Draper]

Aside from the deficiencies already mentioned we had our most influential player black carded and conceded an own goal.

That black card was a cunting disgrace.

[Giovanni]

Yes, I thought the referee seemed to lose the run of himself in the second half. I'd say 10-15 minutes of the second half were lost with the referee calling lads back and booking lads and black carding lads. Generally, I don't think the black card should be used except where a cynical foul is committed in a scoring position. There was nothing cynical about Kingston's tackle - not even sure it was a foul.

The fact that the players seem to be buying into Creedon's system is obviously a good thing. However, I just can't understand how an inter-county team is sent out on the field without a strategy to deal with the opposition's kick-outs. For about 25 minutes of the first half, we were neither really pressing nor really organising ourselves further back down the pitch. It was total shambles. Surely to God this is something that can/should be worked on in training?

Would agree with most of the comments on performances. Overall, I find some of the selection decisions very strange (although I accept that some experimentation is worthwhile). I don't think Darren Strong will ever be a corner back and we could do with a few more experienced half forwards. Stephen Attride is doing well at wing back but he might be a better bet at corner back while we're waiting for some of the injuries to heal. Don't know why Dillon hasn't been chosen more often (or why he wasn't introduced earlier on Saturday). Of the young lads, I think Alan Farrell has shown far more than any other the others and still he's being left out.

Generally though, the lack of organisation is really very worrying. A lot of this can be solved on the training pitch and you'd like to think that you would be seeing an improvement shortly.

[Don Draper]

All in all, I dont think there was a good game played over the weekend. Every county seemed to struggle. The two week break is usually used for hard slog, and every county seemed to be in that boat. Obviously it doesn't matter a f**k what others are at, but when you see Kerry fail to score from play in the second half at home against Monaghan then you wonder should we ease off a little bit on a team missing so many and blooding so many.

If Creedon is still like this with a full deck, then I'll have an issue, but in respect to everyone who lined out Saturday, there's a few there, that have gotten the handiest Laois jersey in quite a long number of years. That can't be overlooked.

My bigger concern over the weekend is that minor trimming. That is shambolic.

[Tony]

Comparing Lillis to Creedon exposes your ignorance, that's all. Creedon is credited with taking Tipp from a very poor side to very competitive and having a fine underage setup (their reaching the all ireland semi last year with his help over the years can't be ignored). He didn't do that within a couple of months though, it took YEARS, as expected. He's taken on the responsibility of the U-21s and seniors here in Laois and has JUST STARTED - give the man a chance. Meanwhile, legend has it that Mick Lillis is still searching for a pitch to train on in Laois.

It's clear for all to see, surely, that we're carrying 5 - 7 players at the moment and no team can do that in any division & hope for promotion. I'm fine with staying in Div 3 this year and focussing on the Championship. The team will look vastly different then. The impatience I'm seeing by a few here on the forum is baffling. It's not all rosey in the garden in Laois football at the moment but get realistic too will ye - at least we've chosen a manager with PROVEN pedigree with developing underage structures in a county and good experience taking a div 3/4 side much higher than they were before he arrived. Don't be chasing this guy out after a couple of poor performances in winter with a huge injury list. Give the lad and the players a chance. We're clearly trying to build but it won't be built in a matter of weeks.

[Laoiseabu]

Everyone is talking about the players that have to come back. The last couple of years that we have had these lads there was also problems so what next like. A lot of the lads that have to come back are on the wrong side of thirty aswell.

[Don Draper]

Everyone is talking about the players that have to come back. The last couple of years that we have had these lads there was also problems so what next like. A lot of the lads that have to come back are on the wrong side of thirty aswell.

Just because they're the wrong side of 30 doesn't mean they're finished.

Just because they were there the last couple of years, doesn't mean they're bad players. We looked f**king abysmal in '02 against Meath with a lot of players you'd despair about, yet in '03...

Being the wrong side of 30, means they're experienced, and can at least help younger players who are starting out. Instead we have a situation where the likes of Begley, Donie, Strong, Attride and Johnno are trying to do their own jobs, and help others who are struggling to stay afloat. Have you ever been fucked in the deep end in a trial match and tried to make an impact with a load of lads trying to do the same? Our young players may or may not be up to the level yet, but given their less than stellar underage careers, they've little or no hope without a bit of experience or steel alongside them.

[Laoiseabu]

There is a lot of things wrong defensively it's like a knife through butter when our lads are ran at by opposition. What's the point in us carrying the ball down the field in slow motion and running into opposing defenders and getting turned over. They only time we look like doing something is when we kick quick ball into Kinger it bypasses the blanket defence instead off running into it and loosing possession

[Giovanni]

I don't think any reasonable Laois supporter expects the team, missing several experienced regulars, to perform like All-Ireland winners after a few months of a new manager.

On the other hand, it shouldn't "take years" to work out how to deal with the opposition's kickouts. You don't have to be a team of All-Stars to do that either. If you're organised (and you don't need great players to be organised), you can make it hard for the opposition. There are, of course, a lot of elements to being organised but it should be possible to get some of the basics right within a matter of a few months. Hopefully, we'll start to see that in a much more systematic way in the remaining games.

[Laoiseabu]

Another thing what's the point in having extra men back if we still can't stop sheep. It's pure slavery trying to carry the ball through all the lines it's what I call Egyptian football . It's one thing having players not up to the mark but then the manager trying to play a shite brand of football is another thing that finishes it altogether . We aren't penetrating to opposition lines carrying it into trouble yet our lines are penetrated with ease. I disagree with this running game we are trying to pull of its what I call Egyptian football Laois should get back to playing FOOTBALL we have the best full foward in the country like?

[town1980]

being the wrong side of 30 is a major problem as you can see the game involves a lot of tracking back then turning over ball and breaking the line ,,,fitness wise the lads we have comming back will not be at this level as players are training since last october they just wont be at the pace of the game simple as so we have to make do with what we have but the lack of a plan and fitness is just alarming thats the issue ,,,thats what creedon is employed for so to me his struggling with aspect of management well sorry thats what it looks like and we have to bring garry and the other selectors too into this because they seem to lack this too,,im sorry im being negative but jeez tipp made us look like fools they missed 5 sitters the other nite we got a fluke goal as much as they did also but they were the better side from the off

[Tony]

Laois should get back to playing FOOTBALL we have the best full foward in the country like?

Great insight there. Back to playing football, 15 on 15. Awesome, in 2017, that will work. Apply for the job next year mate, nobody has thought of "playing football" 15 on 15 and how that will work against any good organised team. Genius

[Laoisonic]

Some laughable posts comparing Lillis and Creedon after a few league games.
Obvious problems have been arising the past number of years and is scarily to the forefront of our performances this year (including our lucky escape against Armagh). The number and type of young player being developed for Senior ball from an earlier age is not to a good enough standard anymore. At club and county level. End of. Would be interesting to see the age profile of the squads from the past few years.  Every year some young guys are drafted from minor/U21 panels for the seniors. 2-3 years later they are no where to be found on the panel. Is this through lack of interest? Lack of development? Is it happening in other counties?
Anyway for this years league campaign, I still feel we still can be promoted, slate me if you will for believing that. Clare got promoted last year from this division on 8 points.