Antrim Football Thread

[Milltown Row2]

Not sure anyone has mentioned 'throwing out the managers'. And how can we forget Frank Dawson's championship match v Monaghan, where the team was set up solely to ensure a 'not too bad' defeat, which was what we got that day. It was appalling.

Spike put this up  'there is complete ineptitude of how to manage a game' and you agreed... now if that's not blaming the managers I don't know what is

[BrendanAntrim]

I didn't read Spike's post as a call to throw out the managers. I agreed with sentiment that at home, v 13 men, you can't blame hard luck if you don't win. As someone else said a few pages ago, that game was there for us, and in my view we should have gone on the front foot and been more offensive.

That might make me 'keyboard manager' but hey, it's a discussion board!

[Milltown Row2]

I didn't read Spike's post as a call to throw out the managers. I agreed with sentiment that at home, v 13 men, you can't blame hard luck if you don't win. As someone else said a few pages ago, that game was there for us, and in my view we should have gone on the front foot and been more offensive.

That might make me 'keyboard manager' but hey, it's a discussion board!

That's great, maybe one reason why it's actually easier to talk about it than actually manage

[Hectic]

Much easier to talk than manage, happens up and down the country at every game every week folk will be watching calling the game as it goes and scratching their heads at what they see at times - I am totally guilty of it and am not alone.  I have seen cases as well where a majority are calling for a certain inclusion or positional switch week after week and then when the management give in it proves to be an absolute failure - I have also seen it work the other way where it pays off handsomely.  Sure it is all about opinions but I think there is a need to say look these are the guys that are in charge, let them get on with it, support them and then assess when the season is over - otherwise you end up with far too many cooks who all know best to the point one clear line of thinking is impossible.

[Milltown Row2]

Joint management teams are difficult to run with unless you are both very like minded..... Everyone has a fixed view on how they would run a team, what drills to improve on how the intesity should be, the type of player for positions, conditioning of the teams, attitude of players that would fit in with your views....

At club level you're dealt mainly with a hand that you cant change, at county level you have a chance to bring together the best/committed players, who are (should be) at the top of their game phyiscally mentally and skill wise, thats a lot of alfa males to fecking manage..

just on one game, as i seen a video of the final moments. the beauty of that team score to go in front to the recklessness of the players to allow a quick kick out by the keeper (stand in front of the keeper dont give him options, take a yellow card, the ball cant be moved forward from a kick out) push up on every player for that kick out (with the extra men) snuff out the charge forward and give away free either in the half back line or the midfield area (not cynical enough, too nice) or have the ability to apply pressure on a player thats looking to score from play rather than 3 players charge down a player past the 45 line and give away an easy one for the ref!!!

Now if we are reviewing the season, we got promoted last year and by in large, bar the Offaly game, we performed pretty well and unlucky in a few games.... We should have stayed up but i see no reason, should this group of lads plus a few add ons cant get promoted next year and build on the expereinces of this year... We'd need at least 3/4 years at div 3 to look to push on again..

I think possibly a better start in the McKenna cup where if we got the fitness levels higher and strength and conditioning earlier, we'd come into the league with a higher tempo and build some confident results/games rather than getting a thumping by the stronger Ulster teams... again all opinions and everyone has them, bit like arseholes

[country bumpkin]

Another hard luck story forever told and retold in our county, but again I would suggest that we will never move forwards and indeed upwards until we come to terms with the fact that more and more players are not at all interested in donning the Saffron jersey......and ask Why.
Jeez even look at the number of those who decided to lend support to the Antrim cause on Sunday....a few hundred I guess and most likely outnumbered by Longford people.

[Minder]

Another hard luck story forever told and retold in our county, but again I would suggest that we will never move forwards and indeed upwards until we come to terms with the fact that more and more players are not at all interested in donning the Saffron jersey......and ask Why.
Jeez even look at the number of those who decided to lend support to the Antrim cause on Sunday....a few hundred I guess and most likely outnumbered by Longford people.

It was a "huge crowd" according to the Antrim twitter feed !

[Spike]

Look no one has called for the managers heads but we are now in the 3rd year of this project and, just like footballers, managers have to learn too.
I'm talking about the basics of management - Team set up & Selection..........and if the opposition loses 2 men how to overwhelm them.  Creating and Countering the oppositions tactics is where the top line managers in Div 1 earn their corn and we are not even talking about that here.

A player will get rightly slated if he makes a horrendous error and managers cant be above that if they too make horrendous errors. In my opinion (and It may be just my opinion), the tactical decisions made against Louth in Croke Park, Fermanagh in C'Ship and failure to adjust a team to beat a 13 man Longford side (reminder with respect this wasn't a Dublin/Kerry side) were reprehensible errors in management.    This isn't managing the Johnnies 3rds, playing away in Twinbrook on a Sunday morning after a skinful the night before - this is supposed to be the top management position in the county so they would need a sharp learning curve prior to championship. 

We aren't privy to the tactics, player availabilities etc of the other teams in Div 3 through the campaign - we most likely would have accepted the scenario if offered at the start of the year that it would be all or nothing, last game, at home, against Longford, them down to 13 men with 20 mins to go. All we can say for certain was it was when it was put up to them, Antrim choked tactically.

Fact of the matter is that no team that gets relegated doesn't deserve it and no matter what spin you put on it, its a bad campaign and management and players deserve to be scrutinised for their performances.

[country bumpkin]

Another hard luck story forever told and retold in our county, but again I would suggest that we will never move forwards and indeed upwards until we come to terms with the fact that more and more players are not at all interested in donning the Saffron jersey......and ask Why.
Jeez even look at the number of those who decided to lend support to the Antrim cause on Sunday....a few hundred I guess and most likely outnumbered by Longford people.

It was a "huge crowd" according to the Antrim twitter feed !

Yep was indeed a few hundred.......in the midle of West Belfast .

[Milltown Row2]

Another hard luck story forever told and retold in our county, but again I would suggest that we will never move forwards and indeed upwards until we come to terms with the fact that more and more players are not at all interested in donning the Saffron jersey......and ask Why.
Jeez even look at the number of those who decided to lend support to the Antrim cause on Sunday....a few hundred I guess and most likely outnumbered by Longford people.

It was a "huge crowd" according to the Antrim twitter feed !

Yep was indeed a few hundred.......in the midle of West Belfast .

Can just picture you running around Corrigan doing a head count #getafeckinglife

[NAG1]

Another hard luck story forever told and retold in our county, but again I would suggest that we will never move forwards and indeed upwards until we come to terms with the fact that more and more players are not at all interested in donning the Saffron jersey......and ask Why.
Jeez even look at the number of those who decided to lend support to the Antrim cause on Sunday....a few hundred I guess and most likely outnumbered by Longford people.

It was a "huge crowd" according to the Antrim twitter feed !

Yep was indeed a few hundred.......in the midle of West Belfast .

Can just picture you running around Corrigan doing a head count #getafeckinglife

#getcasementbuilt

[country bumpkin]

Another hard luck story forever told and retold in our county, but again I would suggest that we will never move forwards and indeed upwards until we come to terms with the fact that more and more players are not at all interested in donning the Saffron jersey......and ask Why.
Jeez even look at the number of those who decided to lend support to the Antrim cause on Sunday....a few hundred I guess and most likely outnumbered by Longford people.

It was a "huge crowd" according to the Antrim twitter feed !

Yep was indeed a few hundred.......in the midle of West Belfast .

Can just picture you running around Corrigan doing a head count #getafeckinglife

#getcasementbuilt

Nope followed another's example.....scuttled away early and took a head count as they made exit

[country bumpkin]

Sure we really do need a new stand, but not in Ballymena, Toome, Ahoghill, Glenravel, Creggan, Whitehill or any S West venue...

[theskull1]

Its unbelievable how blatant a move this is to look after your own.

[paddyjohn]

Ach no way lads.. surely it's for the betterment of the county.