Who would want to be Laois manager?

[Unison]

I wouldn't dismiss Colm Parkinson's assertion that Lillis is 'out of his depth'. Unfortunately, I think that will be proven very early in the Spring. It seems to me the selection committee was nothing but a charade. They simply wanted the cheapest option.

[Tony]

Ah go away out of that Unison. You're only backing the easy horse. If the man gets a quality few people on board in the back and the portlaoise boys back, this could be a good year. Get a good man in as physical coach and we could have a good year. It's small details that will swing it.

[The Saint]

Totally un-inspiring appointment. We have a long standing problem in this county with players who won't commit...we needed another Micko type appointment to try raise us above the TOF standard. Mikey Sheehy, Tony McEntee, Kevin McStay, Johnny Evans or even Jason Ryan would have been a step up. Think this is just ammunition for another few early retirements.

[Tony]

Ah go away out of that! Jason Ryan? After the year he's had?! What a crazy comment. Oh yeah - another micko? Us and 32 other counties mate. Sure you provide the 75k for Jimmy McG there! Goodman.

[GAA-SMART]

Division 3 is a cert and early exit from Championship.. wouldnt fancy us against Anyone other than Carlow at this stage.

[The Saint]

Might be a crazy comment to someone like you Tony who seems to have a total over-reaction to pretty much every comment posted here. Jason Ryan had a poor run with Kildare, doesn't mean he's a poor manager...his record would say differently. And I still think he'd be a good option for us taking into account where we are. Look, Mick Lillis is appointed and more power to the man....we'll see what the league panel shapes up like, who has came back that wouldn't commit last year and also which longer serving players stay on for another go. That'll say a lot about our manager.

[From the Terrace]

the most successful counties in the recent past certainly have had managers from within there county, this is definitely the right move for us imo, best of luck to mick & his management team. Hopefully they get some money from anywhere & start doing things right. Any word on minor manager for next year? think conroy is back with u/21s.

[Uisce]

Some serious pessimism here already in relation to the new manager, which is a pity. I agree with other posters that it's pivotal now that a good backroom team is put in place. With a good structure in place, we could definitely push hard for a Leinster final, provided we avoid Dublin prior. In relation to players, people saying he might get Portlaoise players back on board, don't think there are too many that would cut it, bar the obvious ones, Healy, Cahillane one or two more at a push. Collectively, they are an excellent team but there isn't 10 individual brilliant players that should be on the county panel. I don't think he should go begging lads to give it one more year or to come on to the panel after being off it for a period. You want players who want to be on the panel, who will fight to get on it and give everything when they do. You'll get more from those lads over lads who were coerced back and could let you down at the first sign of trouble. It'll be a tough job for Mick but we should give him a chance and not write him off before he has even been ratified!

[south Laois]

Not the most most exciting of appointments but with the right backroom team it could work. Would love to see Joe Higgins involved. Hopefully Cahir Healy will come back to the footballers.Could do with O Leary, MaMahon,Walsh back. As regards Cahilane, is he not playing soccer with Wexford Youths next year?

[Laoischat]

Absolute negativity on this thread.

Its a new regime, a new man in charge, a new backroom team, hopefuly a few new faces. Lets start fresh and actaully get behind the lads. Lets be constructive here rather than point out what we dont like about Mick and how shite we'll do, instead talk about who could actually get a spot on the backroom team and add there bit to the squad.

We are damning the lads before a ball is even kicked in pre season.

I'd like to see a team of Joe Higgins, Chris Conway and maybe Padraig Clancy, these guys have won and might bring a bit of passion and pride to the jersey again. S & C is going to be vital again this year.

[goal 10]

I heard Parkinson say on the radio during the week
that he will never support laois again, because of
Lillis becoming the new manager.
Some history between them.

[Saint75]

Mick Dempsey (Laois) - no real impact or success - went on to get great respect with KK
Tom Cribbin (Kildare) - Pushed Dublin hard in his first year
Colm Browne (Laois) - no impact or success
Micko (Kerry) - Leinster 2003
Liam Kearns (Kerry) - Leinster Final but hard to follow Micko
Sean Dempsey (Laois) - no impact or success
Justin McNulty (Armagh) - Push Dublin and Donegal all the way.
TOF (Kerry) - uninspiring appointment no success
Mick Lillis (Laois) -
Fact is in Laois if there is no respect for the manager or he is one of our own or both don't expect a positive reaction. Couple that with ageing players this is not looking good.

[High Fielder]

I heard Parkinson say on the radio during the week
that he will never support laois again, because of
Lillis becoming the new manager.
Some history between them.

Never support Laois again? Do we have a choice now? That sort of mentality has us the way we are. I won't play if such and such is manager. I won't play if I'm not picked. I won't play because we play a particular style. Blah blah. The county is bigger than all of these people and in truth, we are short on talent at the moment. We probably have two players capable of playing on any team in Ireland (Kingston and Healy) and a few "nice" players after that. We haven't a pot to piss in either so marquee appointments weren't going to happen. It's an uninspiring appointment (again) but we're fishing in a shallow pond. I don't think we've bottomed out yet, and I don't think any manager in the country could prevent that. We just have to suck it up and get on with it.

[The Monument Road]

I heard Parkinson say on the radio during the week
that he will never support laois again, because of
Lillis becoming the new manager.
Some history between them.

Never support Laois again? Do we have a choice now? That sort of mentality has us the way we are. I won't play if such and such is manager. I won't play if I'm not picked. I won't play because we play a particular style. Blah blah. The county is bigger than all of these people and in truth, we are short on talent at the moment. We probably have two players capable of playing on any team in Ireland (Kingston and Healy) and a few "nice" players after that. We haven't a pot to piss in either so marquee appointments weren't going to happen. It's an uninspiring appointment (again) but we're fishing in a shallow pond. I don't think we've bottomed out yet, and I don't think any manager in the country could prevent that. We just have to suck it up and get on with it.

Typical of Parkinson even going back to his Minor days. He is a radio pundit though and he gets his popularity from these  type of comments. We are at a low ebb player wise now due to the mismanagement of our juvenile structures.That happened when we started paying coaches to do what Gabriel Lawler, Ollie Phelan. Ed kelly & Sean Dempsey and others used to do for the love of it. We now have football coaches earning huge sums and they have done literally nothing to continue the work done by those before this coach(s) appointment(s). Thats the crux of it in a nutshell and when this crop of senior players retire (and they are no world beaters) we will be in a dire state. I have to take issue with one comment Hi Fielder, we do have a pot to piss in. Look at the upgrading work being done with OMP and the old Portlaoise grounds. It will be sate of the art facilities. The only problem is we wont have a decent crop of footballers to grace the place.

[Tony]

Yee are not thinking straight. Here's how it goes : You have a core group of senior players that are at a good level : Check.

You have 3 - 4 good players coming in abound the u-21 age group : check.

You have 4 - 6 good minors coming through : Check.

We're not winning all irelands at minor level anymore, but that's not necessary to continue having a good group of players.

There are many years left in the likes of kingston, timmons, o loughlin, begley, quigley, begley junior, etc.

There are more coming through in the shape of o'connor, shiel, young kingston.

Minors are looking promising. We're not in a half bad state.

Let's remember : Laois were never world beaters; we're about par for the course at the moment. The way people are talking, you'd think we had 10 all irelands in our trophy cabinet and now we're crap. Truth is, we're doing ok, by our standards since the GAA began. With hard work, good communication, lads committing and a good setup, we can have a good year, by our standards.