Dublin v Meath Sunday 27th June

[qprmeath]

Moyles unlikely to play according to my sources

[paddypastit]

I have to say that I cannot understand how the bookies are making Dublin favourites.

Let's look at it logically for a second.

One side has a generally settled team and set up, has played three championship matches already this year and was really pushed in the second of those, but survived and learned.  That same team appears to have a bit of  reliable strenght in depth, with a good number of scoring forwards, forwards that can win their own ball and defenders that may have some individual shortcomings but have experience of each other. Factor in also that they have the experience of twice in the past three years getting as far as the All Ireland semi, an achievement that one could only 'fluke' once and also that Croke Park is as regular a venue for them in the championship as for their opponents, which is something that they will relish attacking.

Consider by contrast a team that has had up to ten changes over two years, has in its current form only played once on Croke Park and were awful and are getting lukewarm support.  There is only one line on the team – the FF line – that has any form, Last time out, the half forward line was busy but largely ineffective, the centre field was hosed and the backs by their own admission didn't click at all.  Add in the weight of pressure and expectation that is placed on Dublin in any championship and I just don't see how there is even a match up. 

If the names on the shirts were IarMhi  and An Lu, and the match was in Navan, folk would be stacking the house on the former. Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

[Hound]

But Paddy, if this game had been each team's first championship game, with Dublin having won 5 Leinsters in a row and not having lost to Meath in championship in 9 years, and Dublin coming off the better league campaign (on paper anyway) Meath would have been at least 3/1.

The events you mentioned have closed the gap with the bookies, but the fact is Dublin must have won 20 plus championship matches in a row v Leinster opposition, and it wasnt just the Wexford game where we havent been the best team, but unless and until someone beats us, the bookies won't be making us odds against.

BTW Meath -4 are 11/2 with PP. Fill your boots!

[INDIANA]

I have to say that I cannot understand how the bookies are making Dublin favourites.

Let's look at it logically for a second.

One side has a generally settled team and set up, has played three championship matches already this year and was really pushed in the second of those, but survived and learned.  That same team appears to have a bit of  reliable strenght in depth, with a good number of scoring forwards, forwards that can win their own ball and defenders that may have some individual shortcomings but have experience of each other. Factor in also that they have the experience of twice in the past three years getting as far as the All Ireland semi, an achievement that one could only 'fluke' once and also that Croke Park is as regular a venue for them in the championship as for their opponents, which is something that they will relish attacking.

Consider by contrast a team that has had up to ten changes over two years, has in its current form only played once on Croke Park and were awful and are getting lukewarm support.  There is only one line on the team – the FF line – that has any form, Last time out, the half forward line was busy but largely ineffective, the centre field was hosed and the backs by their own admission didn't click at all.  Add in the weight of pressure and expectation that is placed on Dublin in any championship and I just don't see how there is even a match up. 

If the names on the shirts were IarMhi  and An Lu, and the match was in Navan, folk would be stacking the house on the former. Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.

[Royalranter]

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.
[/quote]
aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.
[/quote]

I hope it is a 50/50 game. My last couple of trips to croker to see Meath playing the dubs couldnt be called 50/50 with a few questionable decisions going against Meath; (Geraghty disalowed goal in 07, the amount of stopage time in '09 and the ref blowing the final whistle as the ball was landing in the Meath full forward line with 2 Meath forwards facing 1 dublin back).

[INDIANA]

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.
[/quote]

I hope it is a 50/50 game. My last couple of trips to croker to see Meath playing the dubs couldnt be called 50/50 with a few questionable decisions going against Meath; (Geraghty disalowed goal in 07, the amount of stopage time in '09 and the ref blowing the final whistle as the ball was landing in the Meath full forward line with 2 Meath forwards facing 1 dublin back).
[/quote]
Sure why don't we put a meath man in charge. Will that make you haapy.

[Jinxy]

I have to say that I cannot understand how the bookies are making Dublin favourites.

Let's look at it logically for a second.

One side has a generally settled team and set up, has played three championship matches already this year and was really pushed in the second of those, but survived and learned.  That same team appears to have a bit of  reliable strenght in depth, with a good number of scoring forwards, forwards that can win their own ball and defenders that may have some individual shortcomings but have experience of each other. Factor in also that they have the experience of twice in the past three years getting as far as the All Ireland semi, an achievement that one could only 'fluke' once and also that Croke Park is as regular a venue for them in the championship as for their opponents, which is something that they will relish attacking.

Consider by contrast a team that has had up to ten changes over two years, has in its current form only played once on Croke Park and were awful and are getting lukewarm support.  There is only one line on the team – the FF line – that has any form, Last time out, the half forward line was busy but largely ineffective, the centre field was hosed and the backs by their own admission didn't click at all.  Add in the weight of pressure and expectation that is placed on Dublin in any championship and I just don't see how there is even a match up. 

If the names on the shirts were IarMhi  and An Lu, and the match was in Navan, folk would be stacking the house on the former. Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.

Lighten up Indiana.
The sun is shining and Meath and Dublin are playing in Croke Park tomorrow.
Just enjoy it for what it is.

[Zulu]

I have to say that I cannot understand how the bookies are making Dublin favourites.

Let's look at it logically for a second.

One side has a generally settled team and set up, has played three championship matches already this year and was really pushed in the second of those, but survived and learned.  That same team appears to have a bit of  reliable strenght in depth, with a good number of scoring forwards, forwards that can win their own ball and defenders that may have some individual shortcomings but have experience of each other. Factor in also that they have the experience of twice in the past three years getting as far as the All Ireland semi, an achievement that one could only 'fluke' once and also that Croke Park is as regular a venue for them in the championship as for their opponents, which is something that they will relish attacking.

Consider by contrast a team that has had up to ten changes over two years, has in its current form only played once on Croke Park and were awful and are getting lukewarm support.  There is only one line on the team – the FF line – that has any form, Last time out, the half forward line was busy but largely ineffective, the centre field was hosed and the backs by their own admission didn't click at all.  Add in the weight of pressure and expectation that is placed on Dublin in any championship and I just don't see how there is even a match up. 

If the names on the shirts were IarMhi  and An Lu, and the match was in Navan, folk would be stacking the house on the former. Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.

Jasus Indiana, you got out of the wrong side of the bed today mate. Where does Paddy say CP is an advantage, in fact he says it is not an advantage - "Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.". I thought his post was very fair and he made some good points. I still think Dublin will win it but you'd have to give Meath a good chance (as you say yourself) and that is what I took from Paddy's post too.

[INDIANA]

I have to say that I cannot understand how the bookies are making Dublin favourites.

Let's look at it logically for a second.

One side has a generally settled team and set up, has played three championship matches already this year and was really pushed in the second of those, but survived and learned.  That same team appears to have a bit of  reliable strenght in depth, with a good number of scoring forwards, forwards that can win their own ball and defenders that may have some individual shortcomings but have experience of each other. Factor in also that they have the experience of twice in the past three years getting as far as the All Ireland semi, an achievement that one could only 'fluke' once and also that Croke Park is as regular a venue for them in the championship as for their opponents, which is something that they will relish attacking.


Consider by contrast a team that has had up to ten changes over two years, has in its current form only played once on Croke Park and were awful and are getting lukewarm support.  There is only one line on the team – the FF line – that has any form, Last time out, the half forward line was busy but largely ineffective, the centre field was hosed and the backs by their own admission didn't click at all.  Add in the weight of pressure and expectation that is placed on Dublin in any championship and I just don't see how there is even a match up. 

If the names on the shirts were IarMhi  and An Lu, and the match was in Navan, folk would be stacking the house on the former. Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.

Jasus Indiana, you got out of the wrong side of the bed today mate. Where does Paddy say CP is an advantage, in fact he says it is not an advantage - "Not only is Croke Park not an advantage for this Dublin team, it is a millstone.". I thought his post was very fair and he made some good points. I still think Dublin will win it but you'd have to give Meath a good chance (as you say yourself) and that is what I took from Paddy's post too.

I've a pain in my arse listening to people going on about CP being an advantage. As Kerry and Ttyrone have shown its no advantage to Dublin. Its not our fault some of the teams in leinster are incapabale of beating Dublin in CP. Considering the mediocre levels Dublin currently operate at- it doesn't say much for them. Longford got their chance in Pearse Park and still couldn't do it a few years back. Mind you Paddy would complain that Pearse Park was a disadvantage that day most probably.
As I said Meath play there as often as we do. Sure maybe we'll get a meath man to ref it as well. F*** it we'll go the whole hog and play with 14 men as well. So no-one can have any complaints if we get a result. A result I think we will be steeped to get.

[Royalranter]

For me there is a 6 points + advantage to Meath.

aAy yes the same ould crap from some bitter country man. Croke Park is an advanatge bla bla. Meath play as much as we do there so it is no advantge there.
Tomorrow is a 50/50 game between two very medicore teams. Thats the bottom line. This is not the nineties when either dublin or meath were knocking around the top table.

I hope it is a 50/50 game. My last couple of trips to croker to see Meath playing the dubs couldnt be called 50/50 with a few questionable decisions going against Meath; (Geraghty disalowed goal in 07, the amount of stopage time in '09 and the ref blowing the final whistle as the ball was landing in the Meath full forward line with 2 Meath forwards facing 1 dublin back).
[/quote]
Sure why don't we put a meath man in charge. Will that make you haapy.
[/quote]

Sounds good to me, and i like your 14 man idea too. That'd spice things up

[Hound]

I hope it is a 50/50 game. My last couple of trips to croker to see Meath playing the dubs couldnt be called 50/50 with a few questionable decisions going against Meath; (Geraghty disalowed goal in 07, the amount of stopage time in '09 and the ref blowing the final whistle as the ball was landing in the Meath full forward line with 2 Meath forwards facing 1 dublin back).

The Meath lads on here try to keep the reputation going of not being whinge-bags. So you're letting the side down solid ranter.

[Jinxy]

We'll have a drop of rain before 4pm I'd say.
The surface will be nice and slick.

[Hound]

A small breeze out there, but generally conditions should be good.

[Royalranter]

I hope it is a 50/50 game. My last couple of trips to croker to see Meath playing the dubs couldnt be called 50/50 with a few questionable decisions going against Meath; (Geraghty disalowed goal in 07, the amount of stopage time in '09 and the ref blowing the final whistle as the ball was landing in the Meath full forward line with 2 Meath forwards facing 1 dublin back).

The Meath lads on here try to keep the reputation going of not being whinge-bags. So you're letting the side down solid ranter.

I know, i know, and i apologise. I retract that statement!! Hopefully ill have nothing to moan about in the morning except a celebration hangover!!!

[thejuice]

Looking forward to it, think we have a decent chance at it. Will probably depend on how our midfield is.

C'mon the Royals!!!!

what sort of attendance is expected??