Meath Mightily Migrate from Mediocrity, Maybe.

[HiMucker]

+1.  Fair play to Giles.  The facts are there for all to see, but some people dont want to look at them.

[Jinxy]

What facts?

[thejuice]

Absolutely,

Trevor has it spot on, as does Grimley.

I have argued a long while now that likes of Flynn and O'Rourke who have had plenty to say needed to get their hands dirty to help to Meath football.

O'Rourke needs to take over from Barney, I'd rather see himself and Sean Boylan there than managing the county team.

[shawshank]

What facts?

Your u21 results, references to big clubs not producing players etc, playing numbers, how no Aussies were looking for your recent underage footballers? OK, or perhaps you would be happier to ignore his comments

[HiMucker]

What facts?

The facts that giles laid out in his article!  A man who has been placed better than most to comment.  Not having a pop at any of you Meath posters, but the blame being laid at the senior mangers doorstep is madness.  Should of either got rid of him at the end of last years championship or let him continue with this years.  Sacking him at the end of the league is crazy.  Any of the teams in division two would have been gutted to get relegated, Meath wouldnt have been expected by many outside of Meath to get promoted, so getting relegated from an 8 team league shouldnt come as a massive shock.  Greatly dissapointing, yes, but stinks of an over reaction.

[rrhf]

This is fascinating.  First up Im not a fan of Banty and Id prefer Boylan in because he was one of the greatest managers of all time. But Im prepared to defer to opinions of  men like Trevor Giles and Colm O Rourke. Is it that Hardy etc just want a head on a plate rather than address the underlying issues?  Im not being critical bcause If I was in Meath it would have been close to my thoughts also.  But Hardy what do you think of Giles opinions?     

[Hardy]

I don't disagree with his analysis. I think I've stated often enough here that the county board is incompetent and that they've squandered the legacy of 20+ years of success that should have had young fellas bursting to get into a Meath jersey. Trevor's experience on the ground confirms that.

However, it's nonsense to suggest that because the county board is to blame, Banty carries no responsibility. They're not mutually exclusive. Banty was full of shite when he arrived about what he was going to "put back into Meath football" and taking responsibility for the expected success. Well, he can't have it both ways and can now take his share of responsibility for the depths to which we've sunk.

His regime has been a total disaster. It's not sacking him now that's the problem - it's having appointed him in the first place.  There was absolutely nothing on his CV that qualified him as the saviour of Meath football. He was a bullshit artist from day one and I said so here, so I'm not saying anything now I wasn't saying in 2010.

Banty is a relentless self-promoter and the clowns with the responsibility for the appointment fell for the hard sell. Then he managed to project a disastrous slump in performance last year as compared to Eamonn O'Brien's results the previous year as "progress". It wasn't progress. It was flim-flam and bullshit. Trevor's insights into the antics that have totally drained the confidence of the team are revealing.

So why would it have made sense to keep him on for the championship? Why wait and waste another six months?

What I don't like about Trevor's article is the defeatism. We're no good, we don't have the players, we can't expect to win anything – live with it for ten years while we work on the system. Nonsense. We were in an All-Ireland semi-final three years ago with substantially the same set of players. One or two good ones have been added since. Our forward line would match any in the country, with a few on the bench that would make most teams.

Yes, we need to start at the bottom and fix things at all levels. But we can still perform to the best of our ability on the field while we're working on it. That we have not been doing for two years.

[agorm]

My initial reaction to the thought of boylan coming in was positive when thinking back to the good old days. However, there were quite a few bad days at the end of his tenure. As mentioned above, there is something unappealing about the fact that it is only in the last week that Sean quit his overseeing role and I agree with the sentiment above that it is probably a more important role for the future of Meath football.

Ordinarily I would say that a vote by the players would hold huge sway but this group of players are , rightly or wrongly, not rated in Meath. However, they are the best we have at the moment. Of course there are probably players out there that Banty hasnt called upon and perhaps Joe might not have left if he had been getting more games. But, overall, I think their feelings has to be factored into the vote.

It is a very difficult situation and Banty hasnt covered himself in glory but neither has the county board, players, clubs or even ex players in recent years so I would leave Banty in for the rest of the season as was previously agreed.

[magpie seanie]

Good post Hardy, especially this bit:

There was absolutely nothing on his CV that qualified him as the saviour of Meath football. He was a bullshit artist from day one

Appointing Bunty to manage Meath was a joke. Yes there are underlying problems and the levels of talent are not there compared to the 80's and 90's but as Hardy said - this team was capable of big results and made a semi final in recent years. They shouldn't have fallen to Division 3. Getting rid of Banty is a case of the sooner the better. Absolutely no value in leaving him there. It's not an appetitsing scenario for a new manager to come in to (mid season, low morale) so having Seán Boylan agree to take them for the championship is a Godsend, a complete no brainer.

I would strongly disagree with people trying to paint Boylan's words as nasty or sneaky - they're anything but. I'm sure he doesn't want the job long term and to be frank if Bunty had any sense he would be long gone by now...

[Declan]

What  don't like about Trevor's article is the defeatism. We're no good, we don't have the players, we can't expect to win anything – live with it for ten years while we work on the system. Nonsense. We were in as All-Ireland semi-final three years ago with substantially the same set of players. One or two good ones have been added since. Our forward line would match any in the country, with a few on the bench that would make most teams.

I think that semi final appearance was a flash in the pan Hardy - don't mean to rain on your parade and whilst I would agree that the people available in the forward sector are good and possibly a match for a lot of teams the talent just ain't there to be consistently at the top level. I've watched a lot of football over the last couple of years and the standard is poor  - the county final last year being a case in point - Now I know county champions enjoy themselves after winning but Brigids toyed with Summerhill in Navan in the Leinster championship and it was men against boys.
I'd agree with Giles re the underage structures and I said earlier that we only had 17 for a minor league game last week against Skryne who hammered  us - I dread to think what jenkinstown will do

I do think a lot of the clubs are trying from what I see at the younger age groups but when they hit 14/15 it goes awry - I'd like to see O'Rourke get the big job and drive the plan forward and I think if they could get McEntee in with Harnan and I know people will slag me but Dudley Farrell as a mgt team it's be a start.
Forget about Flynn as he's only interested in being a hurler on the ditch.

The other side of me hopes they stay like they are for the next 10 years
 

[Jinxy]

What facts?

Your u21 results, references to big clubs not producing players etc, playing numbers, how no Aussies were looking for your recent underage footballers? OK, or perhaps you would be happier to ignore his comments

I think if you can be bothered to read back over my comments you'll see that I blamed the county board and the players themselves more than I blamed Banty for the current predicament.

[spuds]

Slithering Slowly Sean Steps in. Shame to see such a shambles in Slane, Senchelstown and Simonstown.
Even the once jovial jester Jinxy is jabbering.

[T Toatler]

This has been coming for a while now, the demise of Meath. I think most people would agree they have been terrible at dealing with the Management issue even since Sean Boylan left. They are no world beaters in fairness but I think under Eamon O Brien, as stated previously, they were making progress. The Exec of the County Board need to look at themselves. If as it seems they are looking to get rid of Banty they could be defeated by the Club Delegates and then what happens. O Rourke, Harnan, Flynn, Dowd and Eamon Barry cant all be wrong. If there was a change at the top these lads would "get the hands dirty". There is a need for the root and branch review in the County as it appears nothing is coming up through the ages groups and that is were it begins. Leinster and the GAA in general need Meath to be competing.

[ballinaman]

I heard Banty was at more club games that he's every been to over the weekend. Looks like he wants to cling on and put it to a vote, can't see how he'll get a 2/3 majority.

[seafoid]

I don't disagree with his analysis. I think I've stated often enough here that the county board is incompetent and that they've squandered the legacy of 20+ years of success that should have had young fellas bursting to get into a Meath jersey. Trevor's experience on the ground confirms that.

However, it's nonsense to suggest that because the county board is to blame, Banty carries no responsibility. They're not mutually exclusive. Banty was full of shite when he arrived about what he was going to "put back into Meath football" and taking responsibility for the expected success. Well, he can't have it both ways and can now take his share of responsibility for the depths to which we've sunk.

His regime has been a total disaster. It's not sacking him now that's the problem - it's having appointed him in the first place.  There was absolutely nothing on his CV that qualified him as the saviour of Meath football. He was a bullshit artist from day one and I said so here, so I'm not saying anything now I wasn't saying in 2010.

Banty is a relentless self-promoter and the clowns with the responsibility for the appointment fell for the hard sell. Then he managed to project a disastrous slump in performance last year as compared to Eamonn O'Brien's results the previous year as "progress". It wasn't progress. It was flim-flam and bullshit. Trevor's insights into the antics that have totally drained the confidence of the team are revealing.

So why would it have made sense to keep him on for the championship? Why wait and waste another six months?

What I don't like about Trevor's article is the defeatism. We're no good, we don't have the players, we can't expect to win anything – live with it for ten years while we work on the system. Nonsense. We were in an All-Ireland semi-final three years ago with substantially the same set of players. One or two good ones have been added since. Our forward line would match any in the country, with a few on the bench that would make most teams.

Yes, we need to start at the bottom and fix things at all levels. But we can still perform to the best of our ability on the field while we're working on it. That we have not been doing for two years.

Passionate Hardy but it comes across like  a fella in a suit moaning about ending on skid row to a few tramps.
I wonder how the posters from Division 3 or Division 4 counties would read it.