Antrim Football Thread

[EOC1923]

And yet if we had been a bit more composed in front of goal yesterday we would have taken something out of the game. Anyone who was there will know that. Disallowed points, narrow misses inches wide of posts (twice Big Pat twice Ryan Murray) and three excellent goal opportunities,  all in a great final quarter, meant it was just not our day.

Would it be a disaster if we did drop down, regrouped and came back up again with a fresher renewed squad? I mean Leitrim are Division 4 and toyed with us at will only a few months ago in the Tailteean Cup. We are in some kind of transition, few can doubt that.

It doesn't seem like we have begun a transition, Antrim U20 team beat Derry 3 years ago before losing narrowly to Tyrone, only 3 players from that team playing yesterday. Last year again Antrim had a decent U20 team, no players form the team featured yesterday.

[Saffsof82]

One thing that was apparent yesterday was how much fitter the team looked. Very strong second half as Offaly wilted.

[bannside]

From the team that beat Derry at the Dub isn't Pat on the squad, also Luke Mulholland, Adam Loughran, Dominic Mc Enhill,Jamie Gribben and Cormac Mc Gettigan are all up on extended panel.

From last years team Cahir Donnelly Conall McGinn Eunan Quinn are all involved with under 20s atm and can probably expect senior recognition when that's over. Of that team Sean O Neill Ronan Boyle and Cathal Hynds are already on the senior squad.

Apologies if I've left someone out,  just going from memory.

That's not bad representation EOC, just give it a whilecto settle down. The cream will rise to the top.

[paddyjohn]

Stick a knife in the footballs and send Andy back down the road.

Jeez whizz lads calm down.

[Spike]

And yet if we had been a bit more composed in front of goal yesterday we would have taken something out of the game. Anyone who was there will know that. Disallowed points, narrow misses inches wide of posts (twice Big Pat twice Ryan Murray) and three excellent goal opportunities,  all in a great final quarter, meant it was just not our day.

Would it be a disaster if we did drop down, regrouped and came back up again with a fresher renewed squad? I mean Leitrim are Division 4 and toyed with us at will only a few months ago in the Tailteean Cup. We are in some kind of transition, few can doubt that.

Come on BS, after the diatribe launched last Summer for failure to get promoted to Div 2?  Some consistency please.  If we were in some form of transition then it would be more obvious unless as Antrim supporters we are doomed to eternal transition.     I will follow the same logic as CK says: Where are all the Creggan, Cargin and PG1 players?   At the moment we are hanging our hats on some positives in the last quarter of a match ignoring the dire nature of considerable periods of it.  Contrary to some hysterical believers, we are not and never were ready for Div 2 and I would have accepted Div 3 status this year as a launching point for a 2024 promotion push. 

The manager needs to cull and perhaps with the introductions of Kevin Small and Ruari he is getting there, that is my positive from it.  He still has some culling to go.

More than happy to give McEntee time but relegation should not be a consideration.

[Caesar]

And yet if we had been a bit more composed in front of goal yesterday we would have taken something out of the game. Anyone who was there will know that. Disallowed points, narrow misses inches wide of posts (twice Big Pat twice Ryan Murray) and three excellent goal opportunities,  all in a great final quarter, meant it was just not our day.

Would it be a disaster if we did drop down, regrouped and came back up again with a fresher renewed squad? I mean Leitrim are Division 4 and toyed with us at will only a few months ago in the Tailteean Cup. We are in some kind of transition, few can doubt that.

Come on BS, after the diatribe launched last Summer for failure to get promoted to Div 2?  Some consistency please.  If we were in some form of transition then it would be more obvious unless as Antrim supporters we are doomed to eternal transition.     I will follow the same logic as CK says: Where are all the Creggan, Cargin and PG1 players?   At the moment we are hanging our hats on some positives in the last quarter of a match ignoring the dire nature of considerable periods of it.  Contrary to some hysterical believers, we are not and never were ready for Div 2 and I would have accepted Div 3 status this year as a launching point for a 2024 promotion push. 

The manager needs to cull and perhaps with the introductions of Kevin Small and Ruari he is getting there, that is my positive from it.  He still has some culling to go.

More than happy to give McEntee time but relegation should not be a consideration.

Assuming that Ricky, Marty, James Laverty and Niall Delargy cannot be enticed to commit again this year, which players from those clubs do you think should be getting the call up?
Just curious who, I agree that we would expect greater representation from these clubs than there is at present.

[Lár na páirce 1]

Hearing our County Board have made a right pigs ear of the underage structures.

[BrendanAntrim]

Maybe I am missing something but, yesterday was a better performance than much of what we saw towards the end of last year's campaign. If we had someone on the pitch converting frees and 45s and / or we had converted goal chances, we would be on here talking about having beaten Offaly. Survival in Div 3 is the aim, it wasn't going to be promotion this year.

[Spike]

Yes it appears you are.  Promotion to Div 3 in 2025 seems to be our aim now. 

[JimStynes]

Hearing our County Board have made a right pigs ear of the underage structures.

What way

[EOC1923]

Apparently a vote on Monday night on whether to change age grades in Antrim to u18, 16, 14, 12 etc this season 2023 (with decoupling meaning last year minors can't play adult), or stay at u17 (with decoupling at u17 level)
Seems a real mess having a vote on this at this late stage.

[country bumpkin]

Yes it appears you are.  Promotion to Div 3 in 2025 seems to be our aim now.

Yep the aim in 2021 was to win promotion to div 3, and when such was achieved, and status maintained this was not acceptable and the knives were out for management...
And now seems the aim has changed to the retention of the aforementioned status...

[bannside]

CB, I thought we had agreed here to move on...do we really want to debate EMG era here again because that's what will happen if you don't stop bringing it up after every match Antrim lose. Your call.

[realisticsaff]

Hearing our County Board have made a right pigs ear of the underage structures.

That will happen when you have no actual gaa people on the board and it's all about business, finance making videos and ego

[JimStynes]

Hearing our County Board have made a right pigs ear of the underage structures.

That will happen when you have no actual gaa people on the board and it's all about business, finance making videos and ego

Our minors have been training for a month now at u17 ffs. The league starts in a month and they're not sure what grade it is? Joke as usual.