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So what about these underage games coming up? Are Derry expected to provide a challenge tomorrow night in Ulster U21 Final? Our minors went as well as expected in Ulster but Dublin is a big step up. Have we a fighting chance against them?

Guys, we are at a low ebb no doubt. But these same sentiments were aired last year and the year before etc etc....what is for sure is that at each Co Convention, nothing changes. I can only imagine that the hurt of June / July goes away by the time December comes round. What else could explain it?

In ths last two years we have heard that Aidan O'Rourke was the answer, that John McKeever was the answer, and now that Pete McGrath  was the answer all allong. All well and good but is it as smple as that? I'm not sure anymore, our teams appear, in the big championship games, to go out and contain, stay in the game, clog things up, hopefully get scores on the break....all that bullshit. And you know what? Fermanagh are NOT a a good side, watch how far  they go, it wont take that long. Will Quigley score 14 V Rossies? No chance. FFS I'd like to think that he wouldnt get 14 off a e decent Div 1 full back.

as for the yankees, - yes I understand the allure, no doubt. But shouldnt they be asked at the start of the calendar year - Are you here for the duration or not? Guys cant leave a panel with the hearty best wishes of their  colleagues on the county team, can they?

Frank Fitz had a difficult year, and he handled himself very well, though I would like some explanation for the nature of Sunday's performance., But FF has earned a second year.

well....it is a football thread, no?

It was wrong, no two ways about it. Have to say that Fitzy emerges from all of this so far with tremendous credit. It is also the case that the players that are there have responded very well to Fitzy and his team. I absolutely believe we can beat Fermanagh and more importantly the players do too. Despite the body blow of boys taking off to the States, we now have a spread of experience of people who have played and won championship matches. I just hope that all involved see the advantages i attacking a team - 2.15 v Laois is a helluva better return than 0.8 V Fermanagh.

Can we all get back to talking about football now?

I think that draw is just fine. Our players will know they under performed last time out, and Saturday only served to confirm that. In addition, Fermanagh are not a great side - thats not putting them down as some claimed after the 31st May, its just an observation. Our lads know that Fermanagh are very beatable in Brewster. McVeigh back on board, hopefully the 3 St Galls lads too, Ryan Murray and others high on confidence....it all amounts to a very winnable game for us. Looking forward to it.

Quote from: brendanbelfast on June 15, 2015, 12:00:41 AM
Whats 'diabolical'? an early end to the season which hasn't happened yet? Don't be an idiot. If it happens, put whatever label you want on it, but lets see how Saturday's match goes - yeah?
If such a safe bet whether Home or Away, would you be putting a significant wager on it? Idiot or not, come Sunday, I'd safely say you can put your flag, hat, flask and sat nav away for another year.  Diabolical is the correct label.

Tell ya what, you put £20.OO on Antrim to win and put a tenner on Laois for me,  lets see who you collect on come Monday next. Either way you cant loose!

So, does 'diabolical' still apply? Don't pre judge. There are enough people out there keen to put the boot into Antrim football, we shouldn't rush to join them.

Yep - the issue of being away last year only applies to first round matches of the qualifiers, and we entered the qualifiers at Rd 2 last year. Still, we haven't had a home qualifier match now since 2012, and Laois were at home twice last season, losing in the end to Tipperary when at home. Hopefully they are still caught in the headlights of Saturday's second half collapse when we play them this week.

Whats 'diabolical'? an early end to the season which hasn't happened yet? Don't be an idiot. If it happens, put whatever label you want on it, but lets see how Saturday's match goes - yeah?

Of all the Div 4 teams in the 'hat' - we draw the losers of this pair. And away from home too.

Third year in a row we travel in our first round qualifier game.

The training ground issue is a red herring. Of course we want to see Dunsilly up and running, but in the meantime our players have all the facilities they need at their disposal - its not an issue.

Where did we lose yesterday's match? Up front. We scored 2 bloody points from play, having a dedicated training ground wouldn't have solved that. Having scoring forwards would have.  If players and clubs made playing for the county a benchmark and all players made themselves available and committed to the panel, how different would yesterdays team have been? McCanns x 2, KN, Bam. There's 4 for starters who would have played. KOBO if fit would make 5. If those 5 were fit and had been playing, we would have won. I don't have any doubt about that.

Now if Bam, Niblock and others choose not to play, I'm not sure there is much the current manager can do about that either. Between us all though we have to create the circumstances where players - all players - strive to play for the county. We don't have that.

That's an attitude issue, a county wide attitude issue, and is nothing to do with not having a training pitch. I don't have the answers - wish I did.

Best thing about the day was the minor team. In speaking to Fermanagh folk at the game its clear that their minor setup is not good, and taking the team seems to be something of a poisoned chalice. But - our lads looked very strong, some standout individual performances. Hopefully the team captain - Conor Small - went off with cramp and nothing more serious. Be interesting to see how they get on against stronger opposition. The goal was terrific.

Poor game, poor performance. A disappointing day for the most part when hopes had been quite high - in our car anyway.

At least we have the hurlers to look forward to. Oh, wait.......

There are a lot of those minors in their first year at U18, including all of the St Brigids contingent I think. This time next year they will be major players for us, maybe too early this year though will be interesting to see how the Finnegans get on if they feature.

I think we have a great chance v Fermanagh, the mood within the football camp is very positive. Fermanagh have had a great year so far, and are now two divisions above us. But we were not far off promotion ourselves, and the asap between isn't that big. Cant see either team setting up as they did last year an it will be more defensive all round. Wont be much in it, travelling with a bit of hope.

This was appalling. No other word for it. Second to every single ball, from full back line to full forward line. Off the pace, slow, looked unfit, no imagination when in possession, truly awful. Poor on the pitch and poor on the line, can't dress it up.

Now, Westmeath were a lot better than I though they would be, a helluva lot better. But my God we were dire.

It gives me zero pleasure to say it will be a while before I hit the road to support this team again.