Antrim Football Thread

[Spike]

.....it's a results based business.

Straight to the nub BS. Antrim shouldn't be in Div 4, but they are.  On the plus side they have blooded some people for the championship, where, lets face it, the real scrutiny on Lenny begins. A good championship erases all that went on in the league. I for one hope he doesn't try and recruit the stay-aways as it has been a blight on previous regimes. It never resonates well within an existing panel.

[Minder]

Why "shouldn't" Antrim be in Div 4?

[bannside]

There's the rule and sometimes there can be an exception to that rule. Say...just for example...we lose two or three good forwards (they're scarce enough on the ground already) to injury or otherwise, and the scoring department suddenly looks very weak. Would you then hunt about for two or three absent forwards who we all know are amongst the best in the county, or recruit from within the squad regardless of calibre or big match experience?

In a results based business, as Spike says, one big result can lift the doom and gloom of a county and put whatever else happened that year in the shade. Id say you could make a case for either as long as it was clearly and properly communicated, especially to those who would be most affected and in danger of losing out.

I suppose you could say this is hypothetical but I'm not so sure thats the case. One top forward got hurt last week at training, another this week. So if additions were needed ( Lennys call) well at least they would be better coming in now than in a month.

My own view is that we have a good enough ream there atm if everyone was available. At full strength we would have taken Carlow I've absolutely no doubt about that. But as for strength in depth if we have three or four missing....I'm not so sure about that tbh!

[JimStynes]

Why "shouldn't" Antrim be in Div 4?

I think it's their level at the minute and in my lifetime they haven't really been anything else bar the odd decent season. And people talk about players who should be there and injuries etc. I'd say most counties have players not committing or have injuries, so Antrim can't keep using these excuses.

[themac_23]

I speak to a lot of people who agree with this line of thinking.

Then again, the traditionalists will say look if they can't commit 5 nights a week for 9 months of the year, then we can do without them.

Given that any player will not peak (both physically and football wise) until their mid twenties, you will come to the conclusion that after 5 or six years of this gruel, (because it can be) sacrifices, falling out with girlfriends, losing out on job promotion prospects, not being able to go on holidays with your mates, etc etc.......well most talented 19/20 year olds will be truly scundered by the time this new group has developed to its optimum.

And the way the fixture list is screwed up the county player will hardly set eyes on his club mates so he can be expected to be called a glory hunting county b......., given that most clubs dont really give a damn about how the county is doing.

There a no easy solution unfortunately. Bringing back half a dozen old hands for the championship and having a crack at beating Down might win a match but in the process would piss a lot of people off too, and would be counter productive in the medium term.

Then again......it's a results based business. You really can't win!

this is the bit that irks me, asking young lads for this level of commitment is whats turning lads away from IC football. To basically commit the years of your life where you're beginning to get a career and a family etc is very difficult. i would love to see the stats from counties on the average retirement age of IC footballers, i believe thats the biggest problem with IC football, outside the big counties players are retiring in their mid 20s well before we can see their best in a county shirt.

heres my question, would we be in a better place with our best available footballers training collectively say twice a week and doing their own gym work etc to suit their own lifestyle or a squad who are willing to train 4-5 times a week but maybe not of the same talent pool. i think its a question a lot of county teams will be weighing up in the next few seasons.

[Spike]

Lenny has bought himself plenty of time with his '5 year plan' so I don't think the sword of Damocles is hanging over his head therefore he has time to build the squad in his image. The rights and wrongs of his appointment, the reasons why players chose to stay away are irrelevant now - he is the man in charge and he has time to mould.

Its a results based business so Lennys only real priority is how they perform in the championship. Fitzy and Gearoid got 3 years in spite their results so as long as Lenny maintains respectability in the Championship he will be alright.

What that says about the ambition of the Antrim board is an entirely different matter.

Lenny should know now what he is working with - he either has the cajones to manage his way to success or press the panic button and parachute the stay away talent in.

[bannside]

There's one thing certain. Young guys now arnt going to hand over 15 years (remember their journeys mostly start at under 15 or 16 development squad) in pursuit of getting out of division four. Whethe they are tradesmen or aspiring professionals they will quickly realise there is so much more going on.

[bannside]

Start of a good weekend. Headin up here now to see Bagatelle in concert in the Europa with the wife = a free pass rest of the weekend with two sons.

Thurles 2pm tomorrow for the horse racing, 8pm Sharp at Limerick greyhound stadium for the fantastic Con Kirby Memorial competition. Head down anywhere and be at Newcastlewhest for twelve bells on Sunday to watch the mighty Saffrons.

Great to be Young!

[BrendanAntrim]

Enjoy that Bannside, hopefully winners all round!

[theskull1]

Start of a good weekend. Headin up here now to see Bagatelle in concert in the Europa with the wife = a free pass rest of the weekend with two sons.

Thurles 2pm tomorrow for the horse racing, 8pm Sharp at Limerick greyhound stadium for the fantastic Con Kirby Memorial competition. Head down anywhere and be at Newcastlewhest for twelve bells on Sunday to watch the mighty Saffrons.

Great to be Young!

You driving a DeLorean this weather bannside? 

[Galer]

I initally gave off about lennys appointment and still think that he picked 18/19 players and hoped that others would come back in.(and he could drop weaker players )hasnt happened to late now for new faces.but i have to say the players gave there all and i havent seen that for 2/3years

[RandyDupree]

What does the st galls gang sign mean?

[Milltown Row2]

What does the st galls gang sign mean?

Eh?

[RandyDupree]

The gesture they make with their hands in all the team photos

[Milltown Row2]

The gesture they make with their hands in all the team photos

Means they are fruits