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UU very poor, unable to handle the pace and movement of Lorcan O Dell Dublin and Jack Tumulty Roscommon and toothless themselves in the forward division.

UU were a bunch of individuals with no clear plan whereas DCU looked a proper team

[It speaks mercenary vibes to me.]

It's not as simple as that for me. Technically of course he's free to take teams the other 4 nights (the best county teams operate on a 5-7 session basis btw).

But it would be based on two things. The first being the bad message that it sends out to be players and the county in that he might not expect Antrim to be playing into the latter stages of competitions and therefore he can focus on his club team thereafter.  The second thing would show to me that his focus isn't 100% on Antrim, which it clearly wouldn't be.

There is another question to be asked as to why he wants to take more than one team. It speaks mercenary vibes to me.

I want them to do well and I want to watch them but there's something to me not right about a man taking money from multiple places whilst the players knock their balls in for love of the county.

Are you only realising that about him now?

He's been in a heap of counties and moves from club to club. From what I gather, Slaughtneil never developed much under his control over the few years.


I'm surprised Antrim didn't go after Kevin Brady. I think he'd have been a decent option. Although probably has unfinished business with Newbridge. 
 

Anyone I've spoken to is disgusted by him going after a club job whilst manager of Antrim. It smacks of a number of things and I certainly would question his commitment to Antrim at very least.

Antrim need to win Div.4, anything less and he will be told to focus on his club job permanently.

See in today's Irish News Kavan Keenan has pled guilty to his various offences, will he see a custodial sentence ?

I hope so. Horrendous what he did and makes even more hard to take that he was poster boy for the county.

Absolutely spot on.

Yep disgusting that Antrim GAA continued to use his face for team sheets on social media after what he had done. No remorse shown throughout the whole time since it happened too

Horrific thing to do by Keenan. I take it he will do time?

The new county manager has meet with the top table, he wants the league structures to remain as is, thus very little pressure on county players to turn out in league games for their clubs. The issue is this current system , while suiting inter county football, is making a shambles of our club game,  16 team div 1!

No county manager should be dictating to the county board. 16 team Div.1 is a sham and only the county manager wants to retain it for sole self interest. An 8 team Div.1 and Div.2 would be to the betterment of football in the county.

I see Antrim home NFL games are in Cargin this year. Is Corrigan out of action?

Antrim will be well up for it and last season I would have be not quite as optimistic, but with Mark Doran in charge of Antrim you fully expect them to take at least 3 steps back

His record at county level is 2 relegations with Clare and Wicklow. Not very inspiring. 3 years at Slaughtneil, they ran Glen close but never kicked on. He has hauled a few Antrim lads out of retirement I believe, could work or maybe just desperation. Time will tell.
Derry won't lose any sleep. 

Disappointed in those names released so far for the Antrim squad. Seems we are using division 4 to massage some aging egos rather than develop the future.

Yep agree. Bringing back a host of players who have retired is a great way to ensure there is no team in 2/3 years. Need to get in young players and develop them surely? Really surprised at what I'm reading in on-line media, if true!

Cahir is a class act. He played under Tally I think. He'd be in my squad. Improving every year.
Big Tohill not selected? Meenagh seems to be going after the panel he had with RG.

[sometimes you have to appoint the best man.]

Senior and intermediate champions this year had internal managers.

Yes but they had outside coaches. My own club have always had internal managers but they are usually not coaches so they hire in some expertise in that area. Has worked well at times.
I'm not a fan of paid Managers but I'm a realist and sometimes you have to appoint the best man. Players demand and expect this.

But who decides on what the 'best man' is?

Experience, track record, player feedback. It' not hard to measure against the inside man. Players have a lot of power these days and increasingly they are involved in the selection process. Players in my own club have actually gone out looking a manager in the past.

Looks like Niall Fitzgerald is the new Tipperary Senior Football Manager , takes over from Philly Ryan who sadly passed away last Month . The Moyle Rovers Man has done great work with Tipp Under 20`s over the last 3 years and will have a nice crop of young Players who he has worked with previously coming through . Well respected in the Game in Tipp and beyond .

Very sad news about Philly Ryan. I remember him as a good goalkeeper.
When you say Fitzgerald has done great work with 20's, what did he do?

Senior and intermediate champions this year had internal managers.

Yes but they had outside coaches. My own club have always had internal managers but they are usually not coaches so they hire in some expertise in that area. Has worked well at times.
I'm not a fan of paid Managers but I'm a realist and sometimes you have to appoint the best man. Players demand and expect this.

I hard chat Doran & Niall Morgan were taking Clan Eireann

a WhatsApp message in fairness one of them "forwarded many times"

He mustn't be too fond of the wife all that time away from home 

I don't know how the powers that be in Antrim can accept him managing a club team too (maybe they don't?) but for me he's not taking his duties seriously for either job by trying to do both. It smacks of a man who's in it for one thing only.

We seem to have Cavan at home on the 22nd march and away to Kildare on the 14th of Feb, has anyone else seen other fixtures yet? CD very optimistic about meenagh on the smaller fish podcast today

Div.2 a great place for Derry to start again and reset. I'd see Derry doing very well next year. Meenagh is the right man at the right time I think.

Id imagine Barry Burns will take the St Paul's job and leave Antrim, Terry will stay and continue to build, Paddy Nugent is in with St John's, Hugo is the fergie of rossa he'll stay, Mcshane will have another roll of the dice with the paddies and I've heard the hotdog man is back at ods 😂 that's the west of the city covered!

Hearing new Antrim manager Doran has put his name forward for club jobs in other counties. Surely Antrim won't allow that?

I'll be devils advocate as argue the opposite, time will tell if it happens but theres alot of politics involved there.

I would be of the same opinion. I went through Maghera with Seamus and Henry, and as of 1 year ago they were 100% never going back. It would be some turnaround if they did. Things can change though, but it would be a big surprise.

if the young lads had any balls about them they would've stayed in the first place, seamus threw the dummy out with the bath water,I'd say they're looking at newbridge and thinking that could've been them just as easy winning derry

Yeh have to agree with that, spot on. Lavey have every bit as much talent as Newbridge I'd say. If Downeys could see the wood for the trees they'd be a threat in 2026