Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Sure if it's for decent expenses what's the problem? Outside your own club who would you take for free, give up 4 days a week or more? Even if players chipped in £2 a session, what's the problem? Some people more interested in what's in it for Ross!  I'm sure Ardoyne came looking for him, not the other way around. Hope it goes well for both parties.

[Belfast GAA man]

Sure if it's for decent expenses what's the problem? Outside your own club who would you take for free, give up 4 days a week or more? Even if players chipped in £2 a session, what's the problem? Some people more interested in what's in it for Ross!  I'm sure Ardoyne came looking for him, not the other way around. Hope it goes well for both parties.

The problem is 3 things
- it is against the rules of the GAA - professionalism
- it means richer clubs can buy a better chance at success
- it tells your own club members that they r not good enough to take the team

[BigBallWeeBall]

BS, agree with best wishes to Ross & Ardoyne. However anyone who thinks this is a £2per session cost to players is kidding themselves. This will be will be like the sums bandied about last year for SW clubs and from memory £30K was mentioned and for a very small city club that's a huge outlay

[Belfast GAA man]

BigBall best wishes my .....!
https://www.gaa.ie/news/payment-managers-strike-the-heart-gaa-ethos/

[bannside]

Big shout out to Sean Kelly on a great video for the big game on Sunday. The man puts some time into his work and goes way and beyond the duty of a county PRO. Best in the business!

[JimStynes]

Big shout out to Sean Kelly on a great video for the big game on Sunday. The man puts some time into his work and goes way and beyond the duty of a county PRO. Best in the business!

He really does do a great job and seems to love his role too.  Him and his wee girl doing some serious travelling! Lovely fella too.

[Belfast GAA man]

Super win for the county today - I thought the scoreline didn't reflect The ease of win as we had too many wides but good day all round....

[Sportacus]

Great opening 15 minutes, then Wexford upped their intensity for a while and we stalled a bit, but great start again to second half pushed us through.  Goals win games and we got three.  Big McCann did everything right in full forward.  Hope we use him to the max.  Early ball and he'll cause panic in most defences. Not sure how good or poor Wexford are, but we look like we could give promotion a rattle, especially if we back it up next week in Sligo.

[bannside]

Sheer relief to get that monkey off our backs. All over the pitch we competed well and looked the better team throughout. There is a good system going that players are sticking to and it could be very effective in this division.

Some excellent performances, Oisin Kerr offers us much more assurance in goals and pulled off a first class fingertip save when it was needed. Paddy Gallagher superb throughout as well, and Big Ruairi stepping up all the time. A very satisfactory days work, excellent in places but a few players taking pot shots when a smarter pass would have been the option the only grey spot on an otherwise good day for Antrim.

[BrendanAntrim]

A very encouraging performance. Agree that Paddy Gallagher was terrific throughout, I would say nearly everyone posted strong performances today. Obviously McCann with left his mark his goals, I'd still like to see us feeding him more 50/50 balls, I think he would do well against most teams in this division in that scenario. Ricky was great too, full back line looks solid. Our third goal was started with a turnover from James McCauley, he played v well, Conor Murray did too...lots did.

In some ways the day me longed to Paddy C. Pure class and not just from frees.

Be interesting to see how Wexford get on, some fine individual players for sure and Ben Brosnan kicked a couple of great points. But they are lacking something...

Good days work. Felt good to watch it and well done Glenavy, well stewarded and well set up. 

[bannside]

Good point Brendan that everyone did their bit today. At around 45 or 50 mins I was saying to myself what changes are needed and there was nothing obvious! Also I thought that James Mc Auley had a great game, hes another very solid addition to the team. If we are still happy this time next week we will be nicely on our way. The real supporters will find their way to Sligo but it would be good if an extra hundred or two made the trip West.

[Rodger Mona]

Important to keep grounded, that was a decent wexford team with a few main men missing like ourselves and we seem to have caught them cold. I dont think anyone could have predicted how well our men done yesterday. I liked niall delargy in that role which gave him a bit more freedom, i thought kerr was very composed and i thought defence was solid. Jordan impressed in midfield and offers us something different rather than just fielder. Though i feel that any teams that want to well against us will need to push up on our kick out. I think we could be vulnerable if forced to kick long and win breaks. Saying that it may benefit our forwards if we can get possession.

Not to take away from a great result!! Well done

[bannside]

Lenny had the troops well up for that one - there was a feeling we had beaten ourselves down there last year. Agree RM a lot of very solid performances, not like anyone was stand out brilliant or stand out poor - just good solid performances all over the pitch. Sometimes when you have a Fitzy you feel everything has to go through him, but this year other players look ready to step up and carry more responsibility.

As you say let's not get carried away. The wides tally was starting to mount yesterday and other days that could come back to bite. A couple of players a bit too trigger happy for my own liking, get head up and keep playing the percentages.

Peter Healy another who impressed yesterday some workrate on him. I'd say his stats were good. Great to have him back again.

[Caesar]

Like the look of big McCann at 14. Seems to have progressed and become a real handful up there. Also like the look of Niall Delargy in that more advanced role. Not a natural forward but a touch of class and a very intelligent and unselfish player who can take his man on and make things happen. Oisin Kerr seems a good addition to the team along with Healey. Would like to see a FF line of Eastwood, McCann and Small.

I am not as convinced about some of our defenders as you lot seem to be, but hoping to be proved wrong. Hopefully we can get a bit of momentum going and kick on!

[Belfast GAA man]

No Cunningham in your ff line ? I know he isn't Brilliant from play but I d say the players love knowing that 90% og Frees will be scored