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The Newry Democrat has an article today in which they interviewed Steve Poacher. In it he says he won't get the county job as his face does not sit well within the hierarchy of the county board and that in the future he could see himself managing other county teams. If he is serious about taking county teams at any level then he needs to seriously look at how he conducts himself on the sideline during a match. I certainly would not want him representing any county team given the way he acts on the sideline. Part of being a manager is composure and unfortunately its an area where he falls down. I watched him beside the dugouts on Saturday past at Ballyholland's match and I suppose I could understand the excitement when they got the goal but for the 25 -30 mins prior to that the language and abuse he shouted at the referee, the other team and our county officers was a disgrace. Its nothing new but if he is to give an interview citing county management aspirations then there no point in blaming the hierarchy on the county board, he needs to look at himself and change his ways. Imagine if last weekends management in croker acted like that!!!!

Most people on here seem to be agreed that they don't want to return to Paddy O'R, or Ross/DJ or that Pete would politely say no and I'd tend to agree with this. My suggestion tho is that why don't the county board set up all these guys plus wee james in a committee with the remit of selecting our next senior, U21 and minor management teams and that the selected managers set out there stall for three years and cannot be voted out by clubs within that time. At the same time set up a committee to oversee the underage development including people like the school football coaches throughout the county, liam hardy who is a great coach and people of that nature so we have an organised blueprint to work from and we have players teams and coaches beiong monitored. We need to get this approach more streamlined asap.

And we wonder why we are not doing well at county level - the last few pages of posts should explain that one!!!

Just for a change of focus on this board - I was at the Clonduff v Burren match yesterday and must say that even with the horrible weather conditions I thought Burren played some great attaching fast football. I have been hearing how well they were playing but now that I have actually got to see them I think they most certainly will be very hard to beat this year. They seem to have a great mix of players and are physically very strong. Their passing was direct and slick and if they hadn't kicked so many wides they really would have posted a massive score. Clonduff were poor for the most part although they had a good 10 minute spell in the second half. 

Well now here is a surprise. Steve sticking up for his former management colleague and the man whom he has written numerous column inches about over the past few weeks in admiration. Like it or not the harsh world of management is that you are judged on your results and that holds true even more at county level. It would be harsh after one year to get the sack so most managers get at least two bites at the cherry. It doesn't matter how you go about your job if you are winning, you will get all the plaudits for what you are doing so even though Mulholland may well have been proactive in his approach he wasn't winning championship matches and that led to his dismissal. The journey home from Derry done no favours either. Steve may well have points regarding the development squads in terms of working to a blueprint but my understanding is that POR is overseeing this so this should have no bearing on the minor managers job, its a big enough job in itself. It would be good to know however if Down underage teams are singing of the one hymn sheet in terms of development or is it just haphazard. It will be interesting to see how quickly and what process is used to select the next minor manager. 

Danny may have hit home on a few points but it isn't that long ago that all he done in his column was take a swipe at the previous management. If he is a player with previous county experience, which he thinks needs to be got more involved, then I would like to see in his column what he would do different. Lay out his plan for all to see. I am as much disheartened as anyone at the recent results but just complaining about it isn't going to fix things. Bringing in Ex county players to each of the age groups certainly is not the answer, in fact this in the past may have been part of the problem. Too often ex players were given these roles without any real significant management/coaching experience. Off course other ex players did serve their time and maybe deserved a shot at it.
I certainly don't have all the answers and maybe people reckon I'm talking through my hat but I really believe that Down will improve when club football in Down improves. Club football needs to be competitive at all times, county players need to be released far more often and championship needs to have that knockout edge to it. County footballers are wrapped up in cotton wool once the county training starts. Now that Down are out county players will play far more football in 3 months than they have in the last six which is what they need. Good hard matches to show they are consistently the best in Down or chances for others to show that they deserve a shot. County managers have far too much control over these lads, the club are completely forgotten about and training and challenge matches are not going to improve these footballers. Why not let them play away and if they are at a superior strength and level of fitness then they will stand out. County subs end up becoming completely disillusioned as they are getting even less competitive football than a club player and their performances suffer as a result.
My last point, and one which unfortunately I don't see changing, but clubs in Down need to start playing a better brand of attacking football. Most clubs are far too negative. So much so that the art of defending is dying a death and fast flowing attacking play is being replaced with the 13/2 formation and the ball being short passed up the field and nearly walked over the bar. How are players supposed to develop at underage if they are taught this negative football, this will be carried through into senior and remain with us to endure for years to come. Yes it might mean that teams get beat now and again which off course they wont like but why not test yourself toe to toe rather than 10 men crowding space so 6 men can't shoot. Football is becoming very hard to watch, attendances are falling, atmosphere is dying and skill levels are reducing. Is the fear of loosing to do with other benefactors eg paid managers, sponsors etc, maybe so!! Club football needs to be improved right across the board, proper coaches promoting traditional gameplans need appointed and the county board need to stop worrying about giving work to county players (some of who only turn up when it suits them) but to invest their time and effort into firstly not bowing down to county mangers dictatorships and secondly to put more emphasis on club football.

Just picking up on the point of the development squads - we employ coaches to go round our schools to coach the young children the basics of football, now whilst this is admirable can we not also utilise some of these (paid) coaches in coaching our development squads or at least oversee the coaching that is being done so that there is a plan in place and a development plan and timeline adhered to in respect of these (above average) players to enable them to improve. Just a thought.

Heading to yesterdays game was a journey of hope rather than expectation. Given the relatively unknown in respect of the Derry team and, in my opinion, our flattering position in Div 2 I had hoped we had moved a little from our league performances.
So what did we witness? Two average teams. Down, for me, are just not a big enough threat going forward. We labour getting the ball into the forward line and then when we do it is fist pass after fist pass until we either lose it ourselves, get turned over or possibly win a free. We have no real potent threats, we don't break at speed and we try to walk the ball over the bar. I understand that we are not gifted with the most talented player in the country but surely they could do equally as well by played a more open brand of fast flowing football. It really is getting very hard to watch. Derry mind you were not much better. I thought we contained them fairly well in the second half but in the first half they did break through us easily at times and with the direct football they played in that half they were worthy of their 3 point winning margin at half time. So where do we go now, a run of some kind in the qualifiers which might bring a win or two but honestly I cant see much more than that. We play like a team that is afraid of losing rather than a team that is going to take it to the other team and go out and win.

In respect of the minor match, I thought we were again set up very defensively. I wouldn't know any of the players on it but if that is the best we have to offer then I fear for the future. I'm probably wrong but I barely remember a minor team winning a championship match in the past 5 or so years. I know nothing about the set up in minors or seniors. Obviously Jim Mc Corry has a long list of credentials, I'm not sure what the minor managements credentials are but I do believe that all those people involved in either selecting managements or those who are currently in the role need to sit down asap and analyse what can be done differently because the way it is at the minute Down are going to be also rans for a long time to come.

Does anyone know if the matches on the 27th April, the night after the national league final, are going ahead?

With the 15 players that had to come in to the panel has there now been players dropped from it?

After reading Mc Corry's interview in the Belfast Tele. where he is complaining about the blanket defence tactics of Cavan on Sunday where Down were up against one and sometimes two sweepers. Well from what I seen on Sunday Mc Corry had Kevin Mc Kernan playing as a sweeper for the majority of the match and Down were certainly not playing this open football as Mc Corry eludes to. As a matter of fact you could nearly have brought both sidelines in about 15 yeards each and very few Down attacks would have went over these lines. Sundays match was very little to do with tactics from Cavan nor Down for that matter. Cavan were hungrier, Down made far too many mistakes, Cavan tackled hard not allowing the Down defence out easily whilst Cavan defence came out without hardly being touched. Now I'm not going to worry about a result in the first week in January but surely the manager should have more cop on than to go slating the tactics of Cavan in a Mc Kenna cup game, we have enough problems of our own to sort out.

Didn't get to the match in Newry yesterday, any reports?

My preference is the 12 teams, home and away. Players want to play football so give them plenty of matches. Have a 2 week holiday period in July and play away even without county players if need be. Too many sunny weekends are spent with training and no matches to play in.

I went to a few County U21 matches this year and last year and unfortunately these lads that have been mentioned just did not count against other county players at their own age level in these games. Maybe Mc Corry can get more out of them but for me they suit club football but are just not up to it at county level. I agree that skill is vital but it takes a certain type of smallish player to be able to cut it at county level and keep taking the hits whilst also being able to be composed on the ball and play their best football. The jury is out on this regard but as I say maybe Mc Corry can work something.

Clubs are now on the hunt for new managers or re-appoint the current ones. Below is what I have heard so far, anyone add or amend this?

Bryansford - Dawson 
Mayobridge  - Walsh
Castlewellan - Shorty?? Not sure
Burren - Could be a change on the cards here
Kilcoo - ?? Def on the lookout for someone
RGU Downpatrick - Kane
Clonduff - Current managers not re-appointed so on the lookout
Longstone - Mc Gee, though heard he may be leaving
Glenn - Not sure but would imagine the same as this year
Rostrevor  - Word on street is Sean Ward
Ballyholland - Poacher
Saval - Not sure
Annaclone - Not sure, John Morgan has moved on so don't no if that affects Mc Avoy's position
Liatroim - On the lookout for new manager
Warrenpoint - Same as this year
Banbridge - Wilson

Last years relegated teams:
Tullylish - On the lookout as Poland not re-appointed
Loughinisland - On the lookout as managers quit before end of season

Some is this is street talk but don't think its too far off the mark.