Antrim Football Thread

[Glensman]

Agree about dropping the extra man into defence. That is what he is doing but also agree it has to be a man with a super engine...maybe we have found Tony Scullions calling. Loughrey could be used for this as well.

Think we might be talking at cross purposes Milltown Row...my man is in front of the corner forward as well but watching both play and his man "ye have to have eyes in the back of yer head".
Just you sit 3 yards in front of a classy corner forward. He'll be over the other side of the field playing one twos with the other one and rifling them over the bar.

It actually completely depends on the type of player you're marking but anyhow.

Fire power with Cunningham, CJ, Magill, McCann is arguably as good as its been for a bit??

[Hoof Hearted]

is there not a young fellow marron deputising for mcgreevy for the last couple of league games

[milltown row]

Well there's one thing that we all agree on, the defence system from last year is crap. Not one poster has said it works. Will Jody use it again this year?

Regarding the first round match, I think we could give Cavan a beating going 15 on 15. they will have improved from the McKenna Cup game but we have a winning mentality at the minute which is strange. And all this talk about players from St Galls having problems with the county is rubbish.

There's more from St    Galls on the panel now than ever before and they are all keen to play this weekend and in the final (provided we beat Waterford)

What date is the Cavan game?

[imtommygunn]

May the 18th.

So hopefully Jody / Joe Brolly will read this board and get rid of the silly defensive system.

Incidentally the Offaly FF John Deighan scored 1-2 on account of this "locking out" tactic.

[saffron sam2]

Yes indeed, an excellent day for the thread. I will answer as many points as possible.

Firstly, re. my alleged dislike of the current manager. This man has walked out on the Antrim senior squad before (when he was offered the Down trainer job), then he walked out on the Down squad when it became clear that Paddy O'Rourke wasn't going to be reappointed. Is he the type of individual who is likely to be able to instil necessary qualities like loyalty and commitment? I would suggest no. Is he likely to be able to convince boys not to book flights for the States, when that is exactly what he did during his own playing career? Again I would suggest no. This is where any perceived dislike may have arisen. I know Jody Gormley and he has always struck me as a quiet, sound man, but I do not think that he is the best man to get the absolute maximum out of this squad.

However, had I been told that at the start of the NFL that a draw in our last game against Waterford would take us up, I would have taken that. I have stated on this thread that not qualifying for this year's TM cup would represent a good season and singled out the Wicklow game as being vitally important. On first glance then, the season to date looks like a success.

But, take a closer look at Antrim's campaign. Rule out London and Kilkenny. Rule out also Wicklow, Clare and Carlow, still suffering the after-effects of expensive managerial appointments. This left only Offaly, Tipp and an improving Waterford. Therefore two wins from these three would guarantee promotion. So far Antrim have played two and won neither. An inability to close out Offaly, despite being two points and a man up with minutes left and a defeat to Tipp when our most dangerous forward wasn't deemed fit enough to play, yet played a full game of hurling the same day.

The campaign whilst generally functional hasn't been the roaring success some on here seem to think that it is. There is unrest in the camp, there are several obvious blunders that Jody Gormley has made that have (or could have) cost us points. Paddy Cunningham not starting in Wicklow, McLean starting whilst injured, McGourty Og not going to Tipp etc, the list goes on. The walk-outs (which, with the names mentioned (Burke and Kerr) generally don't annoy me); the non-attendance at training in the week before the biggest game of the year to date certainly would suggest all is not well. The buck stops with the management here.

I fully expect us to beat Waterford - it is a dangerous game, but if we can't win at home against the Decies then we have no right to be promoted.

Turning to the championship, I don't think we will beat Cavan, despite the fact both teams are likely to be in Division 3 by the end of the week. I was much more confident that we would beat them in '03 - we had some semblance of basic tactics ("Lump here in to big Darren"). A half-forward line that will consist of Gallagher, Niblock and O'Neill is not going to cut the mustard in the senior championship. Whilst the defence is almost as good as we will get, we need cover at FB for when McLean gets injured (he should be at CHB anyway). Midfield again is fine, but lacking in cover. Although Cavan have been relegated and there is obvious discontent there with Keoghan, they should have little fear coming to Casement in May.

As for the other snide comments:

Max – it's just a pity that the McCooey's you refer to don't get to play Bellaghy every week then. Or Glenullin for that matter.

Glensman – it doesn't matter how many games I go to. My opinion would be no more or no less valid if I had been to all the games or none of them. % Attendance is not directly proportional to common sense debating. Besides, why does a person calling himself / herself 'glensman' feel he / she is in a better position than me to comment on the state of Antrim football? Name the last glensman who actually played football for Antrim. 

Tommygunn – begrudgery is the wrong word. Realism would be a much more appropriate choice.

[Glensman]

Woh Sam...I merely asked you if you were a regular attender. How was that snide in any way? I may have been insinuating you might not be, but snide?!
I never once said that attendance was linked to sensible debate, I just wanted to see exactly what type of supporter you were. One that harps from the wings or one that is actually there regardless.

We are all Glensmen. My name comes from the previous board and from other boards when there was but a few Antrim posters. We are from the county of the 9 glens my friend.
I myself am not from the Glens themselves.
Arguably players such as Martin Mullholland, Ruairi O Loan, Sean P OHagan might take issue with your sentiment given Glenravel are probably the only club from that region.

I have never suggested that I am in a better position than anyone to comment on the state of Antrim football. I speak as much sh1te as the next man.
My downfall might be that I am a little bit too optimistic now and again. My optimism does not not sit well with launching pretty persitent sometimes personal attacks on the management. There are others who do the same to Sambo and Woody and I say the same things to them.

[LanceArmstrong]

Anything the corner backs do for Antrim, they are asked to do by Jody.  Watching Kevin play for his club, he attacks the ball like most corner backs, but at the the county he reverts to facing the player.  Both strategies have been highly successful for him.  This year,  he has only conceded 0-2 from play against an intercounty forward.  What more do you want from a corner-back? Surely his method of marking has to be justified.  Gaelic football is an evolving games, with huge changes from how the game was 30years. . .this is just another one of those changes.#

Kevin for an all-star

I love the man

[mattockranger]

hows st johns limbering up this season??
is there champo prospects poor?

[mattockranger]

Cheers hardstation

[Glensman]

No chance hardstation.

They Glens are calling to you as well, they just don't shout so loud for the McCooeys...

[imtommygunn]

Besides, why does a person calling himself / herself 'glensman' feel he / she is in a better position than me to comment on the state of Antrim football?

Think that is a bit uncalled for Sam.

So who in your opinion Sam would do the job for Antrim?

With regard to your HF comment I would agree. What I would hope to see happen the HF line is McCann move to CHF, Hasson to midfield and then Magill/Niblock to FF. Currently not enough ball players in there. The remainder to stay the same though.

With regard to progress well I think you're at a glass half empty scenario there. If you recall the Offaly game and the 2 point lead Antrim held then you may also recall that diabolical refereeing decisions gave Offaly two easy frees to equalise so you can not , in my opinion, criticise for not holding onto a lead. (The referee actually screwed Offaly with the most innocuous sending off ever in the first place but balanced it up with the last two frees). There has been one bad result - Tipperary. Don't get me wrong it was a truly crap result but we can still get out of division four.

Also there was more to the moving to Down thing. He didn't move directly. Do I not recall the fact that he organised a fitness test at the poly and the county board wouldn't pay or am I mistaken? It was after this it kicked off.

[saffron sam2]

So who in your opinion Sam would do the job for Antrim?

Kevin Madden, well respected within Antrim, a proven record and the ability to deal with difficult individuals like the fabulous Baker boys.

Also there was more to the moving to Down thing. He didn't move directly. Do I not recall the fact that he organised a fitness test at the poly and the county board wouldn't pay or am I mistaken? It was after this it kicked off.

I think you may be referring to Paul Murphy. Although, I too could be mistaken.

[PlayWithTheWind]

Is it true that St. Enda's have been fcuked out of the underage leagues? Heard this today.
Anyone know anything about it?

Yes its true.
entered North Antrim leagues and South Antrim agreed to this as long as SA games came first.
St Enda's then had 2 matches in the one day, North and South. phoned SA to say they couldn't field, then later rang to say they could play the game because the NA game was off.
South Antrim then made a decision to throw St Enda's out as they did not stick to the agreement.

[ONeill]

Kevin Madden, well respected within Antrim, a proven record and the ability to deal with difficult individuals like the fabulous Baker boys.

You're full of mad-dogs' shit SS. What is Madden's inter-county proven record? I once scored 18 penalties in a row in one hour. Should I be Tyrone's new penalty taker?

[Glensman]

Please take this as a seperate SNIDE comment but what the f@ck Sam?
Kevin Madden?

Well respected...yes. A great scoring forward in his day.

Proved track record... Some good work with Glenuillin, maybe a few other teams but come on.

Seems like a nice guy and all but increasingly it appears you need really good pedigree to do anything as a county manager. Which is fair enough. In a couple of years maybe.