Cill Dara v Aontroim - AI Football Qualifier 26/06/10

[OverThePostsAWide]

Do you not mean hiding behind his 2 men?

At one stage Cunningham did a dummy run to lose his man and lost him only for his other marker to cover his run so he tried the other direction and his first marker had that run covered!

There were basically 2 men on him. To be seen he had to lose 2. He managed on occassion but few could do it.

I disagree. I watched him closely and in the second half, in particular, he didn't even try on a number of occasions. How many times was he beaten to the ball in a contest? I can clearly remember two occasions in the second half when an Antrim player was attacking down the terrace side with 40m of space between him and Cunninghams man with Cunningham no more than a yard behind. Twice he drifted away from the line of play into traffic when the ball would have been there to be won in front. He looked like he didn't want to know. Several around me commented on it. Contrast with Kevin Brady who actually competed - even if it was with limited effect.

[Maguire01]

Realistically lads, what has baker achieved? have antrim beaten anyone of note?

Have kildare beaten anyone of note in championship football?

He has taken us from Div 4 to Div 2. He took us to an Ulster final. This was unthinkable when he took over. In championship football, we have lost to Tyrone, Kerry and Kildare. The Kildare result is disappointing but were Antrim ever going to beat Tyrone or Kerry?

And they're well up from being the worst team in Ulster. They're now clearly better than a couple and are well capable of giving another few teams a rattle. I'd call that progress.

[OverThePostsAWide]

While his tactics weren't inspirational yesterday Baker has still brought a lot to antrim football.

Before last year we had won 2 ulster championship matches since 1982. Baker doubled that tally in one year.

He has brought what any manager who came in couldn't buy - belief. Before last year I'm not sure  I had ever seen an antrim football team with belief in my life.

All true and he has delivered great progress but I fear he is up against the buffers now and has taken Antrim as far as they can go for the forseeable future. He has brought belief as you say. He has scoured the county and to his credit anybody that has shown the slightest hint of talent has been given a chance. Yet when he looked at his bench on Saturday he had no-one worth bringing in? Mick McCann was atrocious. Colin Brady looked unfit and was given the runaround - only his experience and craft saved him on a couple of occasions. Tomas McCann continually ran down blind alleys and was disposessed like a cub on more than one occasion. Justin Crozier was a poor full-back. Anto Healy looked lost as the sweeper. Magill was obviously not ready and was a poor (desperate?) call by Bradley. And with that the cupboard was bare.

What of Aaron Douglas or Dermot McCann who were flavours of the month not so long ago? Or young Finch who came on for extra time the last day and did well by a number of accounts? Was there really no-one on the bench worth using apart from Magill? That's damning in itself.

Bradley has done very well to take Antrim to Division 2 but they stumbled there in the end and have been found wanting when the ante was upped in the latter part of the league and since. They will have their work cut out to stay there. Particularly if the Derry seat comes free...

[imtommygunn]

To some degree Baker is limited by his panel. I have great respect for what he has done but the tactics deployed yesterday were never going to win us that game. We had to go at them.

The biggest thing that struck me was the he never really tried to change from his defensive strategy of 7 behind ball even when getting stuffed. He then said in the interview afterwards he was forced to take a defender off - sure he was playing 7 and could afford it!

The last few months have been fairly disappointing to be honest. A few boys who were great last year just haven't cut it this year at all. "Second year syndrome" and all that.

We needed offensive play yesterday, a HF line and Michael McCann where he could play. Why couldn't , for example, Kevin McGourty have been tried at FF? He was very effective against Salthill for St Galls (against Finian Hanley too) Loughrey could have been pushed up, then there was Dermot McCann (was he still on the panel?). CJ was a big loss might I add. He has a quality which will trouble the better teams which a lot of our players wouldn't have so Baker was constrained in that regard. I couldn't have seen Aaron Douglas improving things - I thought Crozier did pretty well. Brady (Colin) you're being harsh on as Doyle troubles the best of them. Gerard O'Boyle I felt should have been tried.

Where we go from here is anyones guess. We need to stop playing 7 defenders. Every team under the sun has that tactic sussed. What happened yesterday was 7 men behind the ball and likewise with Kildare. Then we had no-one to hit from out the field as FF line double marked. This then led to midfielders / half backs (who are our half forwards too) trying to run at Kildare and running up blind alleys. The 7 men in defense is a strategy that can take you so far - it's taken us as far as it can and time to go back to 15 on 15.

[OverThePostsAWide]

Good points imtommygunn. Dermot McCann was listed on the subs but was he even there? I've heard since that he played for Creggan on Friday night? Gerard O'Boyle wasn't even listed on the subs - had he left the panel or was just unavailable? I don't think Douglas would have added much either but there was a time not very long ago when Bradley presumably thought he could? It is interesting is it not that Bradley didn't make use of any other subs apart from Magill. In a match that was so obviously slipping away 

Fair enough about Brady on Doyle but I think he has looked below par and somewhat out of shape since his return (or maybe that's the fault of the new shirts - Magill didn't look in shape either  ). No shame in that - and no condemnation of him intended from me - given what he achieved with St Gall's. He owes nobody anything. I just think it is just another example of Bradley's poor judgement that nothing else was tried. Bradley has maybe hit his limit as much as Antrim has.

[Orior]

Good points imtommygunn. Dermot McCann was listed on the subs but was he even there? I've heard since that he played for Creggan on Friday night? Gerard O'Boyle wasn't even listed on the subs - had he left the panel or was just unavailable? I don't think Douglas would have added much either but there was a time not very long ago when Bradley presumably thought he could? It is interesting is it not that Bradley didn't make use of any other subs apart from Magill. In a match that was so obviously slipping away 

Fair enough about Brady on Doyle but I think he has looked below par and somewhat out of shape since his return (or maybe that's the fault of the new shirts - Magill didn't look in shape either  ). No shame in that - and no condemnation of him intended from me - given what he achieved with St Gall's. He owes nobody anything. I just think it is just another example of Bradley's poor judgement that nothing else was tried. Bradley has maybe hit his limit as much as Antrim has.

I dont think so. Are there any other full-backs in the county that would provide a bit more competition for places?

[Donnellys Hollow]

Which one of the Antrim lads started on big Willie Heffernan after the final whistle?

Brave man! 

[Dinny Breen]

[The Konica]

Baker is still the man imo. Last night was bad but sure, forget about it and go again next year. Baker has taken us to Div 2 and has to have a crack at it. He's only been there 2 years and has brought us on no end. I can't see anyone wanting him to go. FFS, we're not Cavan.
Will he get a better offer, in Derry perhaps? Is Derry a better offer?
Anyway, I still think he's the mutts nuts and would be sad to see him go.

I'd agree with that and the point that Antrim are a little limited by the panel.
If I was Antrim CB I'd be tying him into a long term plan as he's a good manager if they can improve the structures a little.
Antrim have huge potential to improve - possibly more than any other Ulster county.

[imtommygunn]

Baker has worked wonders.

He needs to move away from not playing a half forward line though!!

Basically we used the same tactics this year as last year and were predictable. For Baker to continue doing well he has to change that.

Some people have asked who have we beat of significance. Maybe you should cast your mind back 2 years... Donegal, Cavan, rattling Kerry and drawing with Kildare is pretty big for antrim never mind stepping up 2 divisions in 2 years when we couldn't get out of the bottom one before him.

[AZOffaly]

Big Willie Heffernan is a legend.

Well done Kildare, great win up in Casement.

[Dinny Breen]

Even Chuck Norris wouldn't mess with Big Willie 

Cheers AZ, hopefully Offaly can send those Blahs back to Waterford with their tails firmly between their legs.

[A Quinn Martin Production]

Baker is Antrim's most successful manager since about 1912.  Simple as that.

I wasn't at the match on Sat but there are a couple of points worth making.  Externally, opposing teams take Antrim much more seriously than in the recent past and therefore the level of preparation is probably much greater.  Antrim have no element of surprise any more.  Allied to this they ahve sussed how Antrim play and can negate this.

Internally, we have a few obvious weaknesses on the team (HF line) but what is worrying are the problems in front of the posts.  I make it that Antrim scored 7 or 8 points from play during 160 odd minutes of football.  This is a return of the dark days of the 80s and 90s when Antrim players seemed not to want to shoot for a point.

THe objective now is to stay in Div 2 next year and maybe with a bit a a kinder draw another Ulster final??  In 2011 it will be 60 years from the Saffrons last provinical title.  If someone would knock out Tyrone and Monaghan we could be in with a shout

[tonesfirstandlast]

Baker is Antrim's most successful manager since about 1912.  Simple as that.

I wasn't at the match on Sat but there are a couple of points worth making.  Externally, opposing teams take Antrim much more seriously than in the recent past and therefore the level of preparation is probably much greater.  Antrim have no element of surprise any more.  Allied to this they ahve sussed how Antrim play and can negate this.

Internally, we have a few obvious weaknesses on the team (HF line) but what is worrying are the problems in front of the posts.  I make it that Antrim scored 7 or 8 points from play during 160 odd minutes of football.  This is a return of the dark days of the 80s and 90s when Antrim players seemed not to want to shoot for a point.

THe objective now is to stay in Div 2 next year and maybe with a bit a a kinder draw another Ulster final??  In 2011 it will be 60 years from the Saffrons last provinical title.  If someone would knock out Tyrone and Monaghan we could be in with a shout

Are you serious?

[bannside]

Some interesting views. Personally i think it would be great if Antrim could keep Niall Conway on board,who has brought things on a fair bit and who hasnt got one per cent of the headlines Baker has. The players have a lot of respect for Niall, and what he has brought to the set up.

Kildare were better than us on a lot of fronts. Better movement, better shape, and much more physically capable. It looked like welterweights against light-heavyweights at times.
Say what you like about Niall Mc Keever, but he would have won a good bit of first phase possession that we lacked.

In fairness to Baker, he lacked the opportunity to play Gallagher and Mc Keever which would have been his automatic midfield selection. Herron and Mc Gort tried hard, and gave their all, but neither first choice in the MF dept, but used in the forward line, in an ideal world would have left us stronger up front.

Andy, and possibly Burke might have offered help in the physical stakes too, but again neither available. Finally, in my own opinion Mark Dougan would have been a big plus on his recent club form, see my posts on that subject on the Antrim discussion page last week.

We were too tired looking, too weak, and too easily disposessed.

Fair play to a good Kildare team, and good luck as you go.