Dublin v Meath Sunday 27th June

[Hound]

I see ResDubs is closed for "maintenance".

Making sure people take a deep breath before posting!

Not sure if they've been hit with or threatened with legal action in the past, but they are very sensitive in not allowing much criticism of management or players (and I guess that would be the theme of most posts!).  Or maybe its just the right thing to do as we're talking about amateurs.

[heffo]

Firstly well done Meath - they were very clinical in taking their chances.

I and a lot of other posters were very downbeat about our chances all year with the way Gilroy was going about the team - he took a sledgehammer to a team that needed only a scalpel - I believe Gilroy will stay on for another year at least - to the detriment of Dublin football. He got the job ahead of Jim Gavin in very auspicious circumstances.

To the game itself - our rookie full back line got taken to the cleaners from a lack of experience.

[Declan]

One of Gilroy's mantras was that the team that got hammered by Tyrone and Kerry were psychologically damaged goods and incapable of winning any big games as a result and so he had to clean them. Wonder how he feels this morning if his selection will be damaged by the worst beating by Meath in living memory

[The Real Laoislad]

Dublin v Tipp next I'd say

I should have put a bet on it

[Zapatista]

Dublin v Tipp next I'd say

I should have put a bet on it

You're only contributing to the Ulster conspiracy theorists here.

[Jinxy]

Just watched the goals again on the TV3 website.
Love the way each one of them was right in the corner, none of this craic of just putting the head down and blasting it as hard as you can.

[Hardy]

I don't know what to make of it, really. It was fantastic to watch the confidence of the forwards in going for their goals every time and the execution was sublime - just brilliant to watch. But I can't escape a negative feeling about the whole thing. We beat a very poor team (with all due respect, but I think the Dublin lads agree) only because we have forwards who can stick the ball in the net the way they did. We were beaten in every other aspect of play until we had finally sapped the will of Dublin towards the end.

The wipeout at midfield, against a pretty poor opposition midfield, was frightening. If it wasn't for Seamus Kenny (my MOTM) doing the work of three half-backs in mopping up breaks I don't want to think about how little ball our forwards would have got. That and Joe, Bray and O'Rourke foraging deep for their own ball.

What worries me is that Louth is an ambush waiting to happen. It's always hard to keep feet on the ground after a big win and I fear the result will mask the dire performance of the midfield. I can only hope the return of Crawford and the half hour under his belt yesterday will help to fix the problem.

[Hound]

anyone else notice Corkery lining up at right half back before throw-in, before realising that we were playing into the Hill in the 1st half, and then having to quickly make his way across to left half forward 

[meathie]

Thought our forwards were immense yesterday. Midfield very poor and  I dread to think of us facing the Louth midfield at the mo. though there was the hope when seeing Crawford come on. Mark Ward, pleassse drop him, driving me insane now. useless. Well done to Bray for answering the critics. That was prob the most promising thing I took from the game. That even though Joe and Graham were quiet for their standards some one else stood up to the mark and took over, thats promising. Like Hardy, I dont know how I feel, Great to beat the Dubs, always, but I thought we should have finished the game better. Great to be in a Leinster final again, but still unsure of how good we are really. all games we have played were poor enough opposition, no offence, so dunno. though I think the same can be said on Louths side so we're both in the same boat. Thought O Connor and Reilly had great game. Poor Moyles does not have the pace...

[Bud Wiser]

Just on my way out to K Club for a Golf Society outing.  Can I expect to see Micko and the Dubs CB Executive sitting in a corner going over the finer details of the three year contract? 

[Declan]

Can I expect to see Micko and the Dubs CB Executive sitting in a corner going over the finer details of the three year contract?

Think were safe enough on that score Bud - Sure were only 2 thirds of the way through the Gilroy masterplan  

[lynchbhoy]

gilroy has indeed taken a sledgehammer to Dublin and regressed the Dubs by 10 years in doing so.
This sublin side are gym'ed within inches of their lives, musclebound and are now back to the athletes and not footballer types that fecked the Dubs up in the early 2000's.

Meath showed that simple football, moving the ball quickly and winning breaking ball is key to winning games.
Having 8 lethal forwards helps too- as the introduction of Queeney and Farrell didnt detract from their sides potency.

I cannot understand what gilroy is doing - looks like the players dont either - training twice a day and whatever is causing more problems than good. Have not seen Barry cahill as bad since his first season, and this lad takes it seriously, so it has to be the training - and he is no worse than any of the rest, but as an all star he should be showing better than that ....and I dont blame him one bit !!
Great spectacle yesterday !

[Declan]

Ciaran Whelans' take on yesterday
http://www.joe.ie/003129/1/1/story/dubs-dodgy-game-plan-exposed-by-ruthless-royals

[Jinxy]

Worth noting again that there was a huge amount of long, accurate foot-passing from both teams yesterday.

[Croí na hÉireann]

I don't know what to make of it, really. It was fantastic to watch the confidence of the forwards in going for their goals every time and the execution was sublime - just brilliant to watch. But I can't escape a negative feeling about the whole thing. We beat a very poor team (with all due respect, but I think the Dublin lads agree) only because we have forwards who can stick the ball in the net the way they did. We were beaten in every other aspect of play until we had finally sapped the will of Dublin towards the end.

The wipeout at midfield, against a pretty poor opposition midfield, was frightening. If it wasn't for Seamus Kenny (my MOTM) doing the work of three half-backs in mopping up breaks I don't want to think about how little ball our forwards would have got. That and Joe, Bray and O'Rourke foraging deep for their own ball.

What worries me is that Louth is an ambush waiting to happen. It's always hard to keep feet on the ground after a big win and I fear the result will mask the dire performance of the midfield. I can only hope the return of Crawford and the half hour under his belt yesterday will help to fix the problem.

I would agree with all of that and it's the first bit of sense I've heard from a Meathman since this time yesterday. Anyone I was talking to last night were convinced that winning Leinster is a shoe in, far from it IMO. I thought Dublin looked comfortable enough until the goals started flying in and they weren't killing themselves. It could have been a different result if Flynn's effort had gone in. I suppose Ward will never be as poor again from the placed ball though. I got some laugh though when he goaled and gave the best twirling Cantona impression ever seen in Croke Park 

It's all set up for Louth, talk will seep down from the supporters to the team and complacency will set in, will it be enough though is the question...