Antrim Football Thread

[playwiththewind1st]

I believe Lámh Dhearg got a bit of a bad doing at Slaughtmanus on Friday. Supporters came over the fence and Frankie Fitzsimons suffered a busted eye socket which is being operated on today. Shower of cnuts.

Well, I can remember a guy losing the sight in one of his eyes at the hands of the aforesaid club, during a hurling league final in Casement.

[AQMP]

Div 4 here we come??

[imtommygunn]

That performance was depressing. Hard to comprehend how poor we were.

[Milltown Row2]

That performance was depressing. Hard to comprehend how poor we were.

Couldn't make it, I was refereeing a Feile game (sleet,snow,wind!!!) Were our lads not up for it ? No fight? Or beat by a better team?

On the Feile game, these lads haven't even started the league yet and they have played the Feile games already, unfair on lads to play in those conditions IMO

[imtommygunn]

There was a big difence between the teams mr. Strength wise we barely broke a tackle the whole day. No cutting edge in the forward line. Their full forward had a field day too.

First half was up there with as bad i've ever seen an antrim team play.

Second half improved a good bit with the herrons winning good break ball but when the ball went into the full forward line it either went straight back out or we worked it backwards.

On the plus side kevin o'boyle is a class act. That's about all could be said!

Hoping it was just a bad day at office. Horrendous stuff. How it was only a 2 point game i don't know.

[Gold]

As bad a performance as ever witnessed by Antrim yesterday.

Div 4 is beckoning bar a miracle.

Dunno if i could be bothered talking about it.

Could maybe play McClean at 6 or even in middle as No 3 is not his best spot.

Need Niblock, Mick and Tomas McCann back asap.

Dawson was totally wrong to take McVeigh off before HT. McVeigh had ran into traffic and got turned over instead of lettin the ball in (there was no one showing and no one to hit it in to). Dawson immediately took him off. McVeigh had made a few mistakes but his midfield partner Doherty hadnt touched the ball yet. Dawson got frustrated and took off our best player this year--stupid.

Took us 26mins to score. Nothing up front, Murray and Pollock couldnt get out in front enough to get ball. Compare that to Compston who was out in front of MCClean all day, leading the line and causing havoc.

We were so bad that when we had the ball up front and kept recycle it as we couldnt get a shot off a player just threw his leg at it and kicked the ball wide just so they could get a kick-out and we could try again. We just gave up on attacks-weird.

We've had massive losses this year. But you cant blame boys for leaving the county when other boys were happy to train all year last year and other years then f off during championship to go on 1 week holidays. Stinking commitment by people who give no f**k about anything bar themselves

Disgraceful crowd too--Rossies had more than us and us at home. But sure Celtic were probably playin a bunch of fishermen or postmen.

Thomas McCann not fit to start but had him doing sprints on sideline (more than he'd do during a game) from 4 mins in. Then put him on before half time (why not start him ?) Dropped Tony Scullion who gives his all for the cause yet put him on during 1st half (why not start him?)

If we go down we'll never get out

[Northern Light]

It is a story of continuous decline. A point against Fermanagh was not deserved. Antrim were lucky against Wicklow. These points will probably keep us in Div 3 for this year but have simply disguised how far Antrim has fallen. Whilst we have lost a number of key players, those remaining show no signs of a 'game-plan', or any understanding of what they are supposed to be doing. Again, Conor Murray doing a passable impression of 'Kev' is of no assistance to the remainder of the team. At least, Dawson pulled him off this time!

Whether we are 'secure' or not in Div3, we need to seek the services of a new manager, now. Baker (who did a great 3-year job) should have been replaced a year earlier than he was, and we can't slip into the same mistake. We have two Universities in the County, with a number of young, 'expert' coaches, from a new generation, who have trained with McGuckin, O'Rourke, etc. Give them a chance and they may stay with us for a couple of years. At least a 'professional' approach to coaching would assist. No harm to Dawson, he is simply an 'old man', with 'old' ideas. I have no axe to grind with the man. His 'qualities' were there to be seen when he was appointed.

As for the players, a number of these men are 'pulling on the shirt', and doing their best! We must continue to support them. We cannot afford any more 'departures' (and I hope McVeigh doesn't walk!)!

[bannside]

A very depressing state of affairs indeed, but to say its all down to the managers age is nothing short of insulting. Cathal Murray, Kevin Murray, Paddy Graffin and Gerard Mc Nulty are all young men in managerial terms, and all well regarded in their own right - and are all heavily involved in this current  backroom team. Age has nothing to do with this.

I was totally disgusted by what I saw on Saturday, and sadly division four looks a distinct possibility. Sligo will probably beat Wicklow at home, and unless we get something from Saturday against Meath, then we are favourites for the chop.

Saturday is now our biggest game of the season. The players will not need told that the Roscommon performance was "dire", and they have a duty to come out fighting this weekend.  Quite simply they too must also take some responsibility for what is happening. Its not the manager kicking the ball away time after time, and its not Frank Dawson missing the tackles, missing vital short frees, or not offering essential back up support play to the player on the ball. Nor is he a forward who refuses to take his man on, even once.

These are basic things that any county manager should be able to take as "given".

Players need to get the basics right and stand up and be counted, starting again with Saturday night. The captain cant do it on his own.

[Gold]

Not one hit was put in the other day. This is problem in our clubs that's affecting our senior team.

There are very few genuine hard men knocking about who will bury a player fairly. Sure u may get a broken leg or jaw from behind up the white rock rd by some coward but you'd very rarely get winded or your ribs cracked by a fair shoulder.

Many of those boys playin aren't good footballers or ball players unfortunately. Just athletes.

Anyway judging by the turnout no one gives a f**k. Where are the crowd from clones 09?

[Simon Says]

its took me a few days to gather my thoughts in regards to saturday, the simple fact is that we dont have the quality. for example out of the starting 15 on saturday with the exception of kevin o boyle. who would get on for our current football champions st galls?

i know its not frank missing the tackles or the shots but last year at no7 we all had the joy of paying into games to watch one of our best ever players line out at wing back in james loughrey. Niall delargy on sat, by all accounts hes a decent corner back but going forward and bringing and attacking option running from deep is zero, micko and brendan herron played most of the game on our 45? which left two murrays and pollock being marked by 7/8 players. it was shambolic that performance on saturday, from 1-15 (apart from o boyle). finucanes kickouts had no distance what so ever, he made a good save after a bad kickout, but the two balls he kicked straight into the stands unopposed was shocking. the full back line got tortured because they had no protection. if we dont win on saturday, then its bye bye div 3.

[brendanbelfast]

Lads - for the record, the game v Meath is 2pm Sunday, not Saturday.

[bannside]

Big week for Antrim Football.

Tonight we will get quick taste of what our minor team has to offer this year, when they travel to play Tyrone in their new Garvaghey Road complex near Ballygawley, in the minor league.

Tomorrow we await Derry in the Ulster U-21 C`ship at Casement, and then "die dog or shite the licence" time against Meath on SUNDAY.

Please God there is respite somewhere on the horizon!

See Tony Scullion pulling no punches again in the Irish News. 

[theskull1]

We dont have the critical mass of players, coaches who really want to coach, interested parents/family members, local club supporters etc etc to make good things happen

[brendanbelfast]

I was interested to read Bannside's comments, as an astutute reader of the game and someone who is honest in giving an assessment. 'Disgusted' with Saturday is probably a fair summary, I haven't been able to get the performance and result out of my head since. It genuinely was the worst performance since we failed to beat Waterford at home in 08 when promotion from Div 4 was on the cards.

I hope that in the fullness of the season overall Saturday comes to be regarded as a 'blip' in Antrim's year. I dont think the outcomes reflects the work rate of the players in training, or their ability. Guys who don't normally miss 20 metre passes were missing them. Guys who normally don't miss challenges were missing them. The unwillingness to take on a player or take on a shot suggested a lack of confidence which should not be present. Our kickouts to Roscommon players were suicidal.

Fellas should have taken enough heart of the comeback v Sligo and battle v Fermanagh to have confidence. Ryan Murray scored points against Fermanagh that were sublime, yet looked a pale shadow of that player on Saturday. Sean McVeigh was hastily withdrawn in what looked like an act of frustration from Dawson, he is a better player than he showed. Just two examples to make the point.

I am almost afraid to go on Sunday - if we get a similiar performance then it will be a defeat, relegation and depression. But I will go because I want to be there when it is a markedly different performance, a win, salvation and hope. Right?

[bannside]

Love your positivity Brendan - hopefully it rubs off on the players come Sunday.

Every manager knows that in any given season there will be results that simply cannot be explained. There will be a horribly negative experience (like Saturday past) or just as likely, a win out of the blue when no one expects it.

That is the same with a player. Usually you will get a performance consistent with their ability, but occasionally there will be a stinker, and occasionally a man of the match display.

Quite simply we haven't settled down yet. The new management is still searching for the right formula, and mix of players that can deliver some consistency. Three of our recent Ulster players have been missing (Mick, Locky and Nibs) and that class and experience just cant be replaced. Aidso a big miss too, especially his leadership qualities. And there are others as well that have been well documented here before.

In the meantime 15 players will be handed a jersey come 1.30 on Sunday and asked to represent their county. They only have to show the same spirit and fight that we saw three weeks ago against Fermanagh to be in with a great shout of a result. Nothing less will do. If they play their hearts out and lose, no-one can say a word. All we ask for is a performance that is worthy of the jersey and the occasion.

Backs to the wall - come out fighting lads.