National Football League Division 4 2023
January 28/29 – Sligo (Away)
February 4/5 – Wexford (Home)
February 18/19 – Carlow (Away)
February 25/26 – Waterford (Home)
March 4/5 – Wicklow (Home)
March 18/19 – Leitrim (Away)
March 26 – London (Away)
these fixtures are not confirmed yet so take care lads.
Quote from: georgedoylesrightleg on November 10, 2022, 09:20:26 PM
these fixtures are not confirmed yet so take care lads.
The London one is set in stone though as apparently teams have to know well in advance to plan travel.
Book the flights!🙂
Seniors back training? Any word of a training panel? Hopefully some Port lads commit over the next few weeks, deserve a well earned break
Quote from: Butch Cassidy on November 24, 2022, 09:45:28 PM
Seniors back training? Any word of a training panel? Hopefully some Port lads commit over the next few weeks, deserve a well earned break
Ross Munnelly is not back training. Fair play to him, he absolutely gave it his all for nearly 20 years and owes Laois nothing. Probably stayed a little longer than he needed to but according to lads that were on the squads with him for the last couple of years, he was still flying fit and leaving plenty of the young lads behind.
You only have to look at the Laois intermediate championship to see that he was on a par if not ahead of other forwards on the county panel these last few years. If Ross was 22 and playing and scoring the way he did in this year's intermediate championship there would huge call out for him to be in with the panel for the coming year. This argument that Ross should have stepped away from Laois panel years ago is ridiculous. You pick the best players possible that are available to you and he definitely fell into that category. It was up to the younger players to step up to mark and dislodge Ross from the panel. In fairness, Mark Barry to take one example took his opportunity and was rewarded with a starting place for the county. Ross was not stopping anyone who was genuinely good enough from playing for Laois. I would suggest getting to train alongside the likes of Munnelly and seeing his dedication and professionalism could only be a good thing for the development of younger players. I'd have no problem seeing him return to the panel in 2023 if he still has the time and hunger for it. If he decides to call it a day it he has served Laois football exceptionally and will deserve all the platitudes that will no doubt come his way.
Do you know who's in training SCFC?
Quote from: Butch Cassidy on November 30, 2022, 07:44:15 PM
Do you know who's in training SCFC?
Nope, sorry, was just chatting to a minor player's parent who has been in the Centre of Excellence a few nights the seniors were also in there and he mentioned that Ross wasn't back.
Sean o neill niall gorman sean greene the graigue centre forward from carlow originally are aĺl in. Niall corbett is in but seems to be outfield only young swaine from portlaoise in. No sign of Brody theyre the few newish lads I'd know offhand
Quote from: Jd on December 01, 2022, 09:22:33 PM
Sean o neill niall gorman sean greene the graigue centre forward from carlow originally are aĺl in. Niall corbett is in but seems to be outfield only young swaine from portlaoise in. No sign of Brody theyre the few newish lads I'd know offhand
Jaysus only 1 from Portlaoise ??
Ah no I know Kieran Lillis is definitely in too.Gareth Dillont isnt though theres plenty of lads I wouldnt recognise. Them lads are just a few newer faces .
Any Port lads in yet JD?
Quote from: Jd on December 01, 2022, 09:22:33 PM
Sean o neill niall gorman sean greene the graigue centre forward from carlow originally are aĺl in. Niall corbett is in but seems to be outfield only young swaine from portlaoise in. No sign of Brody theyre the few newish lads I'd know offhand
Centre forward from Carlow ? Is that Lee Walker Jd ? Could be a good addition
Yeah I think thats his name alright. Blonde hair chap. I've not seen any Port lads yet. Timmons back in Paul Kingston in no sign of Donie
Roll call for London away lads....
Times and dates.
January 29 – Sligo in Markievicz Park at 2pm
February 5 – Wexford in O'Moore Park at 2pm
February 19 – Carlow in Dr Cullen Park at 2pm
February 25 – Wicklow in O'Moore Park at 7pm
March 4 – Waterford in O'Moore Park at 6pm
March 19 – Leitrim in Carrick-on-Shannon at 2pm
March 26 – London in Ruislip at 1pm
I've heard Colm Murphy and Robbie Piggott are back in which is a step in the right direction.
Anyone else from Port in SCFC?
Mohan and Osbourne I think
Thought I saw Jake Foster in there too !?
No sign of that other corner back (name escapes me) and the wing forward Murphy?
Quote from: Butch Cassidy on December 12, 2022, 02:40:46 PM
No sign of that other corner back (name escapes me) and the wing forward Murphy?
Rioghan Murphy is on a basketball scholarship in UL so might not be able to commit. Don't know the story with Bennett.
At least its a positive sign from the Port lads, I'm sure Anthony Cunningham will be encouraging them to play County football if only for the experience alone. I think that's what they need to move on as a club.
Great to see the Port lads going back in. Good for Laois. Good for Port. Good for the lads themselves.
Gareth Dillon apparently not involved so far. Would be a huge loss.
Div4 Fixtures
Sunday 29 January 2023 - Round 1
Markievicz Park, Sligo 14:00
Sligo v Laois
Sunday 5 February 2023 - Round 2
Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise 14:00
Laois v Wexford
Sunday 19 February 2023 - Round 3
Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow 14:00
Carlow v Laois
Saturday 25 February 2023 - Round 4
Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise 19:00
Laois v Wicklow
Saturday 4 March 2023 - Round 5
Laois Hire O'Moore Park, Portlaoise 18:00
Laois v Waterford
Sunday 19 March 2023 - Round 6
Avant Money Páirc Seán Mac Diarmada, Carrick-on-Shannon 14:00
Leitrim v Laois
Sunday 26 March 2023 - Round 7
McGovern Park, Ruislip 13:00
London v Laois
Quote from: SCFC on December 15, 2022, 08:44:08 PM
Gareth Dillon apparently not involved so far. Would be a huge loss.
Gareth has retired from the county set-up . Couldn't offer the necessary commitment which is fair enough . Great player , always left everything on the field for Laois . Best of luck of to him .
Dillon was a great player for us. Never gave less than 100 % and never complained where he was played.
Wouldnt be a set of league fixtures to look forward to but we are where we are and deserve to be. Hopefully a good run might get us days out in london and croke park before championship.
Big game Sunday. Even though it's the first game, a win would set Laois up lovely.
Any idea how training is going and what kind of team will start?
Anyone have a link for tickets for Sunday . CLG Laois on vacation at that moment by all accounts .
I'll see you there.
https://am.ticketmaster.com/gaa/23MP2901
Thank you for that 👍
Just saw a post from Laois Gaels advertising it . Absolutely nothing from the county board .. and you wonder why !?
Bad time for the Twitter account to go on holidays :-[
Hopefully new pro will want to make a good start this weekend.
Going to predict a team....
Osborn to start in goals.
Collins and mohan either side of Timmons.
Piggott at centre maybe. I think he has the steel for it.
Id like to see Flynn and Paddy O'S at 5 and 7 but I'm guessing we'll see paddy further forward. So flynn and kirwan or Byrne.
Midfield is tough. I'd like to see Finn and Paddy O. Or Byrne maybe. Need pace with finn who I think is one of our best kick passers. Maybe Lillis too or could push flynn forward.
Barry, evan, Paul kimgston and colm Murphy all to start.
Hard to call after that, maybe Corbet or walker at centre with paddy o's, lowry, kavangh or swayne on the wing.
Goalkeeper and midfielder positions up for grabs . Will need those positions tied down before championship. Both a big issue . Don't think Lillis has the legs for inter county anymore . We lack pace in there . Maybe O'Flynn an option . Was tried there last year and didn't exactly work out . Shortage of midfielders in the county .
(https://scontent-dub4-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/326280040_543478461058258_7562844252445658788_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=F0Zjbyf6kuYAX9vGkci&_nc_ht=scontent-dub4-1.xx&oh=00_AfBQvs1LOg5C2EYfrSLVIhYLCA7i8f6Lk0YVg-c_dvwd0Q&oe=63D91F64)
Best team available to us .
That's not Damien O'Connor from Timahoe is it on the subs ?
Quote from: Spiritof86 on January 27, 2023, 06:11:31 PM
Best team available to us .
That's not Damien O'Connor from Timahoe is it on the subs ?
Tis the very same.
Can't fault the team it is the strongest hand available. Possibly light from the bench but few injuries will do that.
Imagine lee Walker and Niall Corbett will see a nice bit of time
Tough to call I'm going with Laois by 2
From last years championship panel there's no Mohan , conal Brennan , Campion , Bolger , Conor Heffernan, Donie Kingston , Alan Farrell , Danny o' Reilly , Cormac Murphy, Seam Moore , Gary Walsh ok and obviously Munnelly. This is a serious transitional period .
It is and where better to start your transition than Div 4.
This Division should be very winnable for us so Division 4 champions this year and reaching the Tailteann Cup final next year are two realistic goals for us to aim for.
Absolutely.
Pity Gary Walsh isn't involved this year . He scored 4-29 in the league last year . Division 4 would have suited him even more .
2 draws tonight from Wexford and Wicklow set up nicely if we get the win tomorrow.
Cahir healy named for London as well Wonder how he got on??
Decent win and start to the league, anyone at it?
https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2023/0129/1352482-strong-start-helps-laois-to-see-off-misfiring-sligo/ (https://www.rte.ie/sport/football/2023/0129/1352482-strong-start-helps-laois-to-see-off-misfiring-sligo/)
I was there not long back ...(few pit stops on the way)
Backs were excellent .
Lillis was good picked up a lot of Finn's breaks and tackles the latter is a superb kicker of a long ball and him and Evan have a great understanding as shown by the 2nd goal.
Lowry was lively early with Paul Kingston looking very fit and hungry .
We created 6 goal chances only got 3 I think on target and scored two .
Corbett might prove useful outfield yet but needs to sharpen up .
A lot players I just don't know about big big changes but they all seemed to be reading from the same page today and worked hard .
Sligo fans were disgusted I think they were expecting an easy win ..
Up Laois
Great win and really sets them up to push on now in division 4. Unfortunately I couldn't make it, how were they set up Unlaoised? Conceding no goals is a good sign as we've been very open and great to see us hitting the onion sack too.
it was a good win, all away ones are and hopefully it won't pancake like last year when we won in Louth in the opening game as well. conditions were tough for both teams with the pitch very heavy and a swirling type of wind. the misty rain that fell in the second half made it much more awkward and the game really dropped off in quality with endless hand passing over and back across the field. realistically it was awful stuff, both teams had really poor periods, Sligo were really bad and seemed obsessed with the hand passing game with no end product.
There failure to make any real head way was probably down to our defensive structure, Timmons mostly played as sweeper, with both wing backs tucked back in line with him, with the two wing forwards back in the wing back position and both midfielders in the space in front of Timmons. at times we had no forward in the opposite half so it was a lot of bodies for them to get through. they had no real target man and didn't try to change it up either which suited us. then we pushed forward we really only went with four forwards and it was noticeable that the wing backs, midfield never pushed up in support. many of our scores came from counter attacks in the first half or from winning kick outs and moving the ball quickly, in fairness we scored some excellent points. downside, was that with none or one forward alone inside we ended up crabbing across the field, this was more of a problem in the second half. we don't have the pace or mobility currently at 6, 8 or 9 to make that big line break from deep when the space appears. we hung on after a very long period of the second half when we didn't score and missed some awful chances and probably a few changes should have been made to spark it on. in fairness once we got the late goal , they gave up and we kicked a point to give the scoreboard a better reflection.
in terms of the team, Osborne didn't have much to do and the kick outs weren't really tested, full back line was solid with Timmons as the cover, whether he is suitable for later in the year remains to be seen. both wing backs did ok and pushed on near the end when it opened up a bit. As a pair midfield was solid, Lillis probably had his best first half in a long time and caught a lot of ball, they didn't really push forward. the forwards were probably so/so. all at times had their moments but collectively it wasn't great. evan, barry and corbett were average enough, evan having no real luck with his shooting, lowry was very good in the first half and kingston was very clinical with his shots. Swayne was very busy when he came in and walker once again was lively capped off with a goal. none of the other raft of subs were on long enough to do anything.
I'm not sure why Sligo had expectations of beating Laois today. Even the bookies had them as favourites today. They have been really really poor the last number of years. I think they got caught up in the hype of winning an U20 title in Connaught and riding the wave of a lucky draw in the Tailteann Cup last year. If memory serves me correctly they fluked a win over New York and beat Leitrim on penalties before giving a spirited performance losing to Cavan in a semi-final. Laois should be beating a team of the stature of Sligo by at least 5/6 points which they ultimately did. It was a case of job done today. Winter conditions (and I mean no offence by this) suit a pairing like Lilis and Finn. It is when you hit the firmer pitches of the summer and the pace of games really intensifies that will be the test of them. However, it is a good start. I'd like to see players like Burke of Crettyard get game time in the league. the reality is Finn and Lillis in their 30s and its asking a lot of them to keep going for a full 70 minutes in the big games later in the year. Having players with youth, speed and athleticism to come on with 10/15 minutes to go in the heat of battle in a Tailteann Cup knock out game could prove crucial to our chances this year. With Wexford not overly impressive in their game this weekend I expect Laois to go two wins from two next week.
i would include Timmons in there as well unless we continue with this very defensive system with him as a sweeper. long term i would hope Paddy O Sullivan is moved back to a more natural position.
Good to get the win especially away from home but has been said we started well to the league last year as well.
Have to follow it up with another win to really get momentum.
I have to say I was slightly disappointed . A lot of that performance resembled last years opener against Louth . We won against a poor Sligo side and the game was in the balance for a while in the second half .
If the conditions hadn't deteriorated we would have been in more trouble . Lillis , Finn and Timmons all magnificent servants to Laois football will struggle on dry sod against a half decent team .
Pains me to say it but that is glaringly obvious .
I didn't see any progression from last year's performances on Sunday .
Evan , Lowry and Kingston all good footballers but blow hot and cold frequently.
Barry and Corbett were ok but Barry in Particular would be more effective closer to goal.
In fairness the backs were decent yesterday and physically better than Sligo .
Not a bad turn out from Laois in fairness . Never got the impression Sligo supporters were that disgusted during or after the match as a previous poster mentioned.
Wexford will be interesting Sunday . They'll have to show something after that draw in London .
Saying that I hear London are decent and will get a scalp or two this year .
A win is a win but this was no means a great win .
Slightly disappointed? You'll never please some people, it's hilarious :D.
6 point away win against the favourites to win the division. It was a very solid performance and great foundation to work on. Don't forget where we are in 2023. This isn't 2003.
I'm delighted with that performance, for the first proper match of the year. Sure, stuff to work on and we'll be well off any team in the first 2 divisions but we're trying hard and we have to be realistic.
Getting promoted and haveing a decent run in the Tailteann would be a very good, positive year. Have to be realistic.
I thought we did a job and managed the game well. I've seen no evidence to suggest we should be running rings around any team in the country, so we need to take a realistic view of where we're at. We're looking for a spark at the moment, and if this set of players can win the division, that might inspire others. That's as much as we can hope for at the moment
Quote from: Tony on January 30, 2023, 07:59:15 PM
Slightly disappointed? You'll never please some people, it's hilarious :D.
6 point away win against the favourites to win the division. It was a very solid performance and great foundation to work on. Don't forget where we are in 2023. This isn't 2003.
I'm delighted with that performance, for the first proper match of the year. Sure, stuff to work on and we'll be well off any team in the first 2 divisions but we're trying hard and we have to be realistic.
Getting promoted and haveing a decent run in the Tailteann would be a very good, positive year. Have to be realistic.
This is a bit harsh on Spiritof86. From my point of view, he was trying to look beyond the result, which of course was excellent. I think it's right that we should look beyond the result, both when we win and lose. It's possible to win a game and not have a great performance and to lose a game and be very good indeed. Generally, our reactions are much too aligned with the result rather than the performance and this is not very helpful to anyone, particularly in our situation.
My take on it was that is was a valuable 2 points away in tough conditions.
The forwards clicked well in the first half with some fantastic scores, especially by Paul Kingston. Defense was sound with Sean Greene having a good league debut.
With the rain adding to the strong wind in second half, playing conditions were poor. But we kept our shape and discipline and got over the line for a fine result.
The key now is that we drive it on v Wexford and get another win.
Can't understand why Laois GAA would not allow a double header with the Ladies football team take place in O'Moore Park next Sunday .
Surely this would have been a benefit to all Laois supporters.
https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/gaa/1024565/laois-gaa-shoot-down-the-idea-of-doubleheader-with-ladies-team.html
Hard to fathom from a games development perspective. Would there be an issue about having to split the gate?
An agreement could have been made regarding the gate split if that was the issue. It's a really poor decision, especially after the success of the women's team last year. If the county board rejected the request from the Laois LGFA they should have the decency to give a reason to the public for turning down this request. Paying Lip service to promoting women's football is no good to anyone. Show initiative is what is needed.
Having at least one double header game in O'Moore Park, where the Laois LGFA could do a big promotional push on the game, bringing in juveniles from the different clubs should be supported. Laois LGFA need to build on the momentum and excitement gained from last year's All-ireland success. After last weekend's result it is evident to see we are a long way of the pace at senior level. We may not get to experience the success of 2022 again for the foreseeable future so it is important to strike now while the iron is out so to speak and keep promoting the women's game within the county. We were once a powerhouse of women's football. It is important that Laois LGFA are supported in trying to climb the ladder again to the top table of women's football.
The least they could have done was come up with a reason as to why it wasn't feasible
A Games promotion opportunity missed
Any teams news ?
1- Scott Osborne (Portarlington)
2 – Sean Greene (Emo)
3 – Trevor Collins (Graiguecullen)
4 – Robbie Pigott (Portarlington)
5 – Sean O'Flynn (Courtwood)
6 – Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen)
7 – Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen)
8 – Kieran Lillis (Portlaoise)
9 – James Finn (Ballyfin)
10 – Mark Barry (O'Dempsey's)
11 – Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen)
12 – Paddy O'Sullivan (Portarlington)
13 – Eoin Lowry (Killeshin)
14 – Evan O'Carroll (Crettyard)
15 – Niall Corbet (Clonaslee-St Manman's)
Killian Roche (Killeshin)
Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan)
Sean O'Neill (The Rock)
Padraig Kirwan (Emo)
Alex Mohan (Portarlington)
Dylan Kavanagh (The Heath)
Ciaran Burke (Crettyard)
Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise)
Cathal Doyle (Ballyroan-Abbey)
Lee Walker (Graiguecullen)
Brian Daly (St Joseph's
Colm Murphy and Damien O'Connor injured . Sean O'Neil from the Rock on the bench for the first time .
Have to be winning games like today.i wasnt in sligo but good to win on the road with plenty of room for imorovement. There seems to be a bit more positivity around the panel which is good. But a slip up in a game like this would be a setback.
Id think we should have the forwards to trouble any Div 4 (or 3) team at home and our backs look solid. Hopefully our midfield can go well as both lads bring a lot when things are going well.
Like to see mohan, kirwan and young Burke get some decent time off the bench. Will be cold in the stand but could do with a good crowd there to support.
Good to keep winning and to be honest we are a Division 4 team and if we can get promoted, we'll probably struggle in Division 3 next year.
Kingston, Barry and O'Carroll are good scorers. We could do with one or two more. Colm Murphy hopefully will be one later in the league. I like Corbet but I'm not sure he's up to this level as an outfield player. Lillis and Finn are honest and solid but lack real pace which may be an issue on livelier pitches.
Pretty average today , even for D4 . Midfield is so lethargic but the lads are decent footballers. We lack a Barney,Sweeney or George Doyle in there .
The point I'm making is the management from last year have not installed or created anything new . We are at the same base . Good forwards at D4 level will get us so far but we are tactically so inept it's worrying.
Mark Barry is a player club and county .
I agree about the lack of pace around our middle but Lillis is composed and decent at reading breaks ...Finn has a presence we don't really have anywhere else on the field and is probably one of the most accurate long kickers of a ball we have ever had so despite lacking mobility they do add to the team.
Impressed with our tactics compared to last year we seem more structured in our defensive set up which can only help us going forward .
Paul kingston looks sharp and Evan is massive for us .
I'm looking forward to the next match
We'll be in trouble later in the year but I think the midfield will do OK at this level in the spring. Lillis is a class act but finn is so important. Wen we can move the ball forward quickly we look good but if we're slow we're awful.
Still think we can be run at a little too easily but an improvement on last year.
Quote from: Unlaoised on February 05, 2023, 10:06:59 PM
I agree about the lack of pace around our middle but Lillis is composed and decent at reading breaks ...Finn has a presence we don't really have anywhere else on the field and is probably one of the most accurate long kickers of a ball we have ever had so despite lacking mobility they do add to the team.
Impressed with our tactics compared to last year we seem more structured in our defensive set up which can only help us going forward .
Paul kingston looks sharp and Evan is massive for us .
I'm looking forward to the next match
Carlow away
Love it 😊
it was great to get the win today, considering how long it is since we won a home game but most importantly back to back wins to put us in with a shout of being in the business end of this league. win the two games and hopefully carlow in a fortnight would set up nicely for the games with leitrim and london which possibly could decide the group. the panel is very limited at present and bar murphy's return probably for corbett their isn't going to be many changes. none of the subs are really getting much time on the pitch and today was probably a day when we went flat in both halves where we could have brought someone on.
it was a division 4 standard game, as someone said to me on the way out, players that have struggled in the higher divisions were comfortable at this level. it definitely was way off the pace in terms of the intensity and speed that they faced at times last year but they can only play what's in front of them. Wexford offered something different to Sligo with their more positive approach at times, they certainly looked like they had the legs on us at times but ultimately probably didn't have the scoring power we had in the forwards. that being said the new defensive approach with the mass withdrawal of players or the evan on his own system is not going to work against better teams especially later in the summer. if your going to lump ball in on top of him at least give him a chance, too many times he got balls fired nearly to the corner flag for him run after or up in the clouds to contest with a sweeper in front of him. with no players pushing up to even feed off a break, it was a cheap concession of possession but often we kicked it because in reality we had no other option up front due to the lack of forwards to aim for. maybe with the return of murphy we can play both inside. Sheehan is probably going to stick with this approach after the horrors of last year and i cant see him allowing the wing backs / midfield off the lease to push a bit further forward in support or offer themselves as a line break to the defensive systems that they will face.
I haven't seen them for a while but I thought they did well. Defending was good and kick passing was better than it's been for a long time. The main criticism I would have is that they should have managed the game a bit better, especially in the first half against the wind. Having gone into a 5-6 point lead against the wind, it was begging for someone to slow down the game, get injured, just hold onto possession for a while. We didn't and it was a draw match by half time. But generally, I think it was a good performance and the instincts and skills were good.
On Sheehan's tactics, I tend to agree with what has been said.
Bringing between 14 and 15 players back behind the ball to shore up the defence is all well and good in theory, but on the transition it leave's you with no outlet if you turn over possession. Even if you have a couple of quick pacey players, it's still a huge ask for them to make up 40/50 yards and then kick a score.
I'd like to see us take a few more risks and leave at least 3 or 4 forwards up (which in turns pins a few more of their defenders to stay back too) at all times. I would like to think at this level, having 11/12 players clogging up central areas would still be sufficient to force the opposition to go for shots outside of the scoring zone! In turn, then at least if we turn the ball over we have some players to hit.
I also lost count with how many times our wing backs were either behind the play or in line, when we were in possession. There were numerous opportunities for the wing backs to be 15/20 yards higher which would have given us attacking overloads. It was pretty obvious that this was down to the manager leaving the brakes on.
I think overall, it was great to see Laois win the game and at times we played some lovely football especially in the first half. The quick and direct ball but with a purpose, going into the forwards was a joy to behold.
The full forward line definitely could of done with a bit more support when the ball was played in mind, they were very isolated and it was more down to individual brilliance (especially from Evan) that we were getting scores/frees.
Narrowing the gap between the half forward and full forward line will be crucial come Championship.
Delighted to get the win last Sunday, a long overdue home win and crucial for our promotion push.
Overall I felt that the performance in Sligo was better. Against Wexford it was more hit and miss. Brilliant first 20 minutes, Evan O'Carroll in particular took some great scores. Finn was excellent in midfield all through the game really.
With the wind, Wexford were always gonna get a purple patch and their goal was kind of a smash and grab job.
In the second half we showed good character and composure to steady the ship and we fully deserved the win, Mark Barry has a super left foot. 1-18 was a really good score to put up.
With no game this weekend, it is a good chance to get more miles into the legs and get ready for the local derby against Carlow.
Of course, we are due to face Wexford in the Leinster championship so this was a decent curtain raiser.
We Got out of jail today
2 sending off a bit silly
when we were 6 points ahead .
With all due respect to Carlow any other team from Division 3 below would have had us put away by half time . In fairness we pulled ourselves together for the latter part of the half but the start of the second was the same .
Good last 10/15 mins but this is where we are at the moment in terms of standard. Kingston was very good and capitalised on everything.
Laois much more economical in the forwards with the ball compared to Carlow . Ref was probably more harsh on Carlow truth be told . Defensively we need a plan going into the TC . Carlow opened us up on numerous occasions.
A win is a win and credit to team and management .
It's sobering when you think of the team in Division 4 in 2018 and how we lamented the situation we were in then . We are some way behind that team of 2018 .
The games are coming thick and fast! Wicklow today followed by Waterford next Saturday.
Against Carlow, it was a very slow start with a lot of unforced errors and really Carlow should have been further in front before we got our first score after 20 minutes.
The main positive from last week was the response after their second goal. We really went at it and outscored Carlow by 1-10 to 0-1 for the rest of the game. Paul Kingston was on fire and Brian Byrne came up with 2 fantastic points.
We are missing Byrne and O'Carroll for todays game but it gives other panel members a chance to impress for what should be a competitive battle against Wicklow.
Clueless. Second to most of the balls. Lucky to be ahead at HT. Best team won and we have a manager who spends his game arguing with the other team management, linesmen or the fourth official. Frustrating night.
It's not Billy's fault, it's not the county board's fault, it's not anyone's fault in particular but until we get the best 15 footballers playing for the county, we're at nothing.
There's lads in there at the moment and fair play to them for committing but some of them are simply not up to it.
I agree with you on some of those points, the two costly red cards against carlow found us with a very weak team and even lesser options on the bench. Definitely the quality present at the moment is not there but I would fault billy on not coming up with a plan to replicate what Evan brings to us. It was a tough ask and maybe he did have a plan , but it got tougher after Murphy went off but having Daly in his own full back slot on two occasions because we have invested heavily in this ultra defensive system was not ever going to work. Having him behind the play trying to get back up the field to be an outlet for an attacking ball in makes little or no sense. At least if he stayed up there we wouldn't have had their influential fullback so far up the field.
Once Lowry ran out of legs and mark Barry was offering nothing the only real option but to have put Paul Kingston in there who would at least the scoring threat in him. By the time we did that the game was effectively over. Overall it was such a sloppy performance with poor options, misplaced passes and no real shape to the team. It's a killer when we have players soloing to the half way line and no option or player ahead of them, once they delay they got swallowed up and turned over the ball. Top teams can play that system because they have more athleticism in their team, at present we don't have that . Once their two midfielders started to dominate especially Healy at 8 we were under massive pressure with their athletic advantage. We will probably beat Waterford to keep us in it but in a division where everyone can beat each other we are left with two difficult away games. They might suit us as we seem to find it very hard to win at home.
Disappointing to lose last night but have to say that Wicklow fully deserved their win. Wicklow missed a number of scorable chances in the first half including balls dropping into our keeper's hands and their keeper missing 4 placed balls (one hitting the post). Our first goal came from a dreadful defensive mix up leading to the penalty. Mark Barry took both penalties very well.
Wicklow were much more economical in the second half with their goalkeeper Jackson kicking 2 out of 3 placed balls, their midfield began to dominate and they have a superb forward in Kevin Quinn.
For us, the loss of Evan O'Carroll was massive. Added to that Colm Murphy was unfortunate to pull his hamstring early on. Nearly all of our scores from play came from way out in both the first and second half and some excellent scores they were from Eoin Lowry, Paul Kingston, Kieran Lillis and Kevin Swayne who really tried hard.
Some positives were that we got game time to some of the newers members of our panel. Dylan Kavanagh returned to the team, Kevin Swayne gained more experience in the middle, Brian Daly had a go at full forward and Damon Larkin tried hard in the second half. They will learn from this.
We have a quick turnaround and a good chance to get back on track for promotion v Waterford next Saturday.
Wheels came off the wagon last night big time. Last night's performance shows up the severe lack in depth in the Laois panel. The majority of lads in with laois are decent,committed club footballers but are not really at the level of a decent intercounty side. With Evan suspended this was a game we needed Murphy to take on the mantel of the main ball winner in close to goal. Unfortunately an early injury deprived us of that option and we really struggled to put together any semblance of a plan B to counteract Wicklow once they claimed dominance in the middle third.
Once Wicklow figured out the limitations of this Laois team there was only going to be only one winner. Long kick outs to an area of the pitch where they physically and athletically dominated Laois. I'm afraid it probably won't be the last time this year we see a similar outcome to a game.
Quote from: SCFC on February 26, 2023, 12:54:36 AM
It's not Billy's fault, it's not the county board's fault, it's not anyone's fault in particular but until we get the best 15 footballers playing for the county, we're at nothing.
There's lads in there at the moment and fair play to them for committing but some of them are simply not up to it.
I believe these are the 15 best footballers playing for Laois at the moment . What lads not on the panel would make things better ?
In fairness last night was coming . Anyone at the Sligo, Wexford and Carlow matches would probably say the same thing .
In fairness good to see the likes of Larkin get more exposure . Our lack of depth is evident but this entirely what we have to work with at the moment.
Waterford probably the worst team in the country at the moment . Two difficult away trips then to London and Leitrim who handed Carlow a right trimming today will determine promotion.
Quote from: Spiritof86 on February 26, 2023, 05:28:43 PM
Quote from: SCFC on February 26, 2023, 12:54:36 AM
It's not Billy's fault, it's not the county board's fault, it's not anyone's fault in particular but until we get the best 15 footballers playing for the county, we're at nothing.
There's lads in there at the moment and fair play to them for committing but some of them are simply not up to it.
I believe these are the 15 best footballers playing for Laois at the moment . What lads not on the panel would make things better ?
In fairness last night was coming . Anyone at the Sligo, Wexford and Carlow matches would probably say the same thing .
In fairness good to see the likes of Larkin get more exposure . Our lack of depth is evident but this entirely what we have to work with at the moment.
Waterford probably the worst team in the country at the moment . Two difficult away trips then to London and Leitrim who handed Carlow a right trimming today will determine promotion.
Look, they are amateur lads. It's certainly not fair to start naming lads who aren't up to it but anyone at all could name at least 5 or 6 lads who would hugely improve the current squad. But again, until there's a structure in place that every footballer in the county wants to play for the county, we are pissing against the wind.
Quote from: The PRO on February 20, 2023, 03:38:49 PM
We (Laois) are three from three now but honestly were very unimpressive yesterday. I wouldn't suggest lumping on it or anything but I would give Wicklow a decent chance of turning us over next Saturday night in Portlaoise. It's a very flattering league table.
No great pleasure in being right with this.
It was a very poor performance but not a massive surprise.
When we were down a few starters, O'Carroll, Byrne, Finn, we were left with a very thin, inexperienced bench.
Quote from: SCFC on February 26, 2023, 07:02:55 PM
Quote from: Spiritof86 on February 26, 2023, 05:28:43 PM
Quote from: SCFC on February 26, 2023, 12:54:36 AM
It's not Billy's fault, it's not the county board's fault, it's not anyone's fault in particular but until we get the best 15 footballers playing for the county, we're at nothing.
There's lads in there at the moment and fair play to them for committing but some of them are simply not up to it.
I believe these are the 15 best footballers playing for Laois at the moment . What lads not on the panel would make things better ?
In fairness last night was coming . Anyone at the Sligo, Wexford and Carlow matches would probably say the same thing .
In fairness good to see the likes of Larkin get more exposure . Our lack of depth is evident but this entirely what we have to work with at the moment.
Waterford probably the worst team in the country at the moment . Two difficult away trips then to London and Leitrim who handed Carlow a right trimming today will determine promotion.
Look, they are amateur lads. It's certainly not fair to start naming lads who aren't up to it but anyone at all could name at least 5 or 6 lads who would hugely improve the current squad. But again, until there's a structure in place that every footballer in the county wants to play for the county, we are pissing against the wind.
I agree that there is no structure in place which would entice every footballer to play for the county .
However judging from last year's senior and intermediate championships I really believe we have the majority of the best players involved with the county .
We don't have the strength in depth anymore and we don't have the quality in the county at the moment.
This is all evidently clear to see from the local championships.
Numbers wise, things just don't stack up for us. We're a proper dual county with a small population with no real history of success. We also suffer more than most with emigration and commuting long distances to work. In this day and age, by the time you become an adult, playing high level sport could be the last thing on your mind. Irrespective of the investments or changes that we make, we will always be faced with these and many other issues.
What?? Stop making excuses. It's not easy being on county board and most dont want to give up teh time and energy required for CB roles but dont say its nothing to do with CB when the county team has just lost to Wicklow in Div 4. Dont say its nothing do do with management. Are we mad? Lets wake up.
Why did Laois win '03 Leinster title?
1. We had good underage structures in place in mid 90s to mid 00s which produced highly skilled footballers. Where did this structure come from? who put it inn place, I'm sure CB at time would have had a say and deserve credit for it.
2. Just having a pool of good footballers to choose from is not a solution in itself as a look at the 2002 Laois team and results will testify (most same players were Leinster champions next year after a dreadful 02. So Management teams obviously play a big part. Micko in this case had a massive impact as not only was not one
not committing, the opposite in fact, players were returning to the fold and doing endless laps at the chance of a medal.
Laois were still a midlands county in late 90s early 00s, with a large part of the population working in Dublin or similar issues as we have today. I get its not nice to point the finger of blame but its also silly not to point out if others are simply not good at their job.
Quote from: Joeythelips on February 27, 2023, 01:51:23 PM
What?? Stop making excuses. It's not easy being on county board and most dont want to give up teh time and energy required for CB roles but dont say its nothing to do with CB when the county team has just lost to Wicklow in Div 4. Dont say its nothing do do with management. Are we mad? Lets wake up.
Why did Laois win '03 Leinster title?
1. We had good underage structures in place in mid 90s to mid 00s which produced highly skilled footballers. Where did this structure come from? who put it inn place, I'm sure CB at time would have had a say and deserve credit for it.
2. Just having a pool of good footballers to choose from is not a solution in itself as a look at the 2002 Laois team and results will testify (most same players were Leinster champions next year after a dreadful 02. So Management teams obviously play a big part. Micko in this case had a massive impact as not only was not one
not committing, the opposite in fact, players were returning to the fold and doing endless laps at the chance of a medal.
Laois were still a midlands county in late 90s early 00s, with a large part of the population working in Dublin or similar issues as we have today. I get its not nice to point the finger of blame but its also silly not to point out if others are simply not good at their job.
i
Hard to disagree with any of that .
Laois were beaten in the O'Byrne Cup in Port in 2002, beaten by a poor offaly side in the championship and embarrassed by Meath in Portlaoise in the Qualifiers . Clearly a new manager and a new set up influenced things majorly the following year .
Laois went from Division 4 to Division 2 under the Sugrue set-up . This is clearly not going to happen under the current regime . This is absolutely disrespect to the current set-up who are doing their best for Laois football .
Quote from: Spiritof86 on February 27, 2023, 02:44:52 PM
Quote from: Joeythelips on February 27, 2023, 01:51:23 PM
What?? Stop making excuses. It's not easy being on county board and most dont want to give up teh time and energy required for CB roles but dont say its nothing to do with CB when the county team has just lost to Wicklow in Div 4. Dont say its nothing do do with management. Are we mad? Lets wake up.
Why did Laois win '03 Leinster title?
1. We had good underage structures in place in mid 90s to mid 00s which produced highly skilled footballers. Where did this structure come from? who put it inn place, I'm sure CB at time would have had a say and deserve credit for it.
2. Just having a pool of good footballers to choose from is not a solution in itself as a look at the 2002 Laois team and results will testify (most same players were Leinster champions next year after a dreadful 02. So Management teams obviously play a big part. Micko in this case had a massive impact as not only was not one
not committing, the opposite in fact, players were returning to the fold and doing endless laps at the chance of a medal.
Laois were still a midlands county in late 90s early 00s, with a large part of the population working in Dublin or similar issues as we have today. I get its not nice to point the finger of blame but its also silly not to point out if others are simply not good at their job.
i
Hard to disagree with any of that .
Laois were beaten in the O'Byrne Cup in Port in 2002, beaten by a poor offaly side in the championship and embarrassed by Meath in Portlaoise in the Qualifiers . Clearly a new manager and a new set up influenced things majorly the following year .
Laois went from Division 4 to Division 2 under the Sugrue set-up . This is clearly not going to happen under the current regime . This is absolutely disrespect to the current set-up who are doing their best for Laois football .
Fair points but I don't think anyone could compare the quality of players Micko had at his disposal in 2003 to the ones Billy has in 2023. But Billy has to take some citicism. There's no way the net was cast wide enough for players over the last 4 months.
Should the county board be above criticism? No, they're the ones who put Billy in place. But then again, was there a big queue of quality managers interested? I don't think so.
Quote from: Joeythelips on February 27, 2023, 01:51:23 PM
What?? Stop making excuses. It's not easy being on county board and most dont want to give up teh time and energy required for CB roles but dont say its nothing to do with CB when the county team has just lost to Wicklow in Div 4. Dont say its nothing do do with management. Are we mad? Lets wake up.
Why did Laois win '03 Leinster title?
1. We had good underage structures in place in mid 90s to mid 00s which produced highly skilled footballers. Where did this structure come from? who put it inn place, I'm sure CB at time would have had a say and deserve credit for it.
2. Just having a pool of good footballers to choose from is not a solution in itself as a look at the 2002 Laois team and results will testify (most same players were Leinster champions next year after a dreadful 02. So Management teams obviously play a big part. Micko in this case had a massive impact as not only was not one
not committing, the opposite in fact, players were returning to the fold and doing endless laps at the chance of a medal.
Laois were still a midlands county in late 90s early 00s, with a large part of the population working in Dublin or similar issues as we have today. I get its not nice to point the finger of blame but its also silly not to point out if others are simply not good at their job.
Uh, I made no mention of the CB. For once. That's a whole other topic. Right now, we don't have the players good enough to get us much further than we are .Just the way it is sadly. Not Billie's fault, and it's possible he's not up to the task either. Again, a whole other debate.
I don't think Billy is good at man management judging by the way he treats the squad. In both games against Wexford and Carlow he brought on young Burke from Crettyard with 2 minutes to go.
That's an awful way to treat a good young player and it must be embarrassing for him to go through that twice.
He brought on Walker from Graiguecullen in the first game against Sligo, he's scored a vital goal and he hasn't got any minutes since that. I think he has now quit the panel.
That's not the way to build team moral or to encourage guys to hang around and they'll get their opportunities to play.
If he doesn't change his attitude I can only see more defections from the squad and then we will be in big trouble
In fairness Junior, whilst I agree with your specific points about the treatment of players, I don't think we can fall much further than we are at the moment. As for lads walking away, I wouldn't worry too much about anyone who couldn't even last the league. He didn't exactly stay long enough to prove anyone wrong, did he? And it's not like we got him from Kerry or Dublin either. We have as good amongst our own, and sadly that's not saying much
How in the name of God could a lad walk off a panel after a couple of games? It beggars belief.
Quote from: Zooming around on March 01, 2023, 05:23:05 PM
How in the name of God could a lad walk off a panel after a couple of games? It beggars belief.
In all fairness this has been happening for years.
In this case absolutely no loss .
However it doesn't alter the fact the limitations of our current regime.
Let him walk ...Not a big loss
More important to get O'Carroll Finn and Byrne back for Saturday
i wouldnt have handed that player a laois jersery
Hopefully Murphy's injury won't keep him out too long. He's not had a run of games with Laois due to the recurring nature of his injury. A forward line composing of players of the calibre of O'Carroll, Murphy, Barry, Kingston and Lowry should be be capable of kicking enough scores to challenge any county in the Tailteann Cup. I also think Niall Corbet, if given a run of games, has the potential to claim a starting position. The more natural scoring threats we can put out on the field the better we will be.
I'd also like to see Burke of Crettyard given the opportunity from the start against Waterford. This game provides Laois with an opportunity to make 2/3 changes and give younger players a chance to impress and gain experience. We need to find some solutions to our problems in the middle third of the field.
Is Donie Kingston involved/training?
Quote from: Butch Cassidy on March 02, 2023, 03:39:16 PM
Is Donie Kingston involved/training?
He is not involved this year .
If killkenny gave up hurling and entered a football team theyd beat Waterford last night.
Awful game to watch at times. Couldnt read much in to it from a laois point.
The less said the better about last night .
I also wish the flexibility was there to bring some of these Division 4 matches like last nights to a somewhere like a Port or Stradbally.
Division 4 is wide open after this weekends results.
Big game next against Leitrim win we qualify
lose and the odd are against us to qualify,
yes we will beat London in the last game.
Could this come down to score difference in the end or does head to head decide it.
Quote from: Junior Ex Laoistalk on March 06, 2023, 09:58:50 AM
Could this come down to score difference in the end or does head to head decide it.
As per the Official GAA Guide - Part 1 - Section 6.21[5] -
If two teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:
Where two teams only are involved - the outcome of the meeting of the two teams in the previous game in the Competition;
If three or more teams in the same group are equal on points on completion of the league phase, the following tie-breaking criteria are applied:
Scoring Difference (subtracting the total scores against from total scores for);
Highest Total Score For;
A Play-Off.
In the event that two teams or more finish with equal points, but have been affected by a disqualification, loss of game on a proven objection, retirement or walkover, the tie shall be decided by the following means:
Score Difference from the games in which only the teams involved, (teams tied on points), have played each other. (subtracting the total Scores Against from total Scores For)
Highest Total Score For, in which only the teams involved, have played each other, and have finished equal in (i)
A Play-Off
Quote from: Junior Ex Laoistalk on March 06, 2023, 09:58:50 AM
Could this come down to score difference in the end or does head to head decide it.
Head to head if two teams. Scoring difference if more than two teams.
Wicklow could seek I yet .
Quote from: Unlaoised on March 06, 2023, 11:40:40 PM
Wicklow could seek I yet .
Yes they're certainly building momentum. Leitrim in Carrick is big. Win that and ball back in our court .
No major surprise yesterday in Carrick . Game management is nonexistent . Even when when we scored 6 in a row you always knew Leitrim were going to score every time they got forward.
Huge lack of depth on the panel and a couple of forwards carrying us . But we already know all this . Billy will be gone this summer and we start again .
Division 4 is our level and promotion is very much out of our hands regardless of London result .
Hope Lowry is ok . Looked a nasty old knock .
If Wicklow beat Waterford which they will and we beat London then it all depends on the result of Sligo and Leitrim.
If Leitrim win then ourselves and Leitrim go up. If Sligo win then we are stuck in Div4 for another year.
Quote from: Junior Ex Laoistalk on March 20, 2023, 12:40:56 PM
If Wicklow beat Waterford which they will and we beat London then it all depends on the result of Sligo and Leitrim.
If Leitrim win then ourselves and Leitrim go up. If Sligo win then we are stuck in Div4 for another year.
What happens if Leitrim and Sligo draw ?
Depends on how Wicklow and Laois end up. If a draw happens and both Wicklow and Laois win Wicklow go up on head to head.
Another year of Division 4 football to look forward to next year. In the modern game of football you need to be able to bring on 4/5 players from about 20 minutes to go to add legs and impetus to a team. Last year Billy was criticized for not using/trusting his bench more. We ended up losing points in tight games to Limerick and Antrim where we were perhaps slow to make changes. Again, yesterday we saw Laois slow to bring on subs even though conditions weren't great and players were clearly fatigued. It can't be hugely motivating for those on the panel but outside the starting 15 to stay positive and keep giving the required commitment knowing that the management team doesn't have a whole lot of faith in you.
Hope that No4 from Leitrim is reprimanded and this just doesn't get brushed under the table . The fact this is division 4 the chances are slim.
Quote from: Spiritof86 on March 20, 2023, 08:37:33 AM
No major surprise yesterday in Carrick . Game management is nonexistent . Even when when we scored 6 in a row you always knew Leitrim were going to score every time they got forward.
Huge lack of depth on the panel and a couple of forwards carrying us . But we already know all this . Billy will be gone this summer and we start again .
Division 4 is our level and promotion is very much out of our hands regardless of London result .
Hope Lowry is ok . Looked a nasty old knock .
That chestnut of this is our level, no it's not not. This has been a farce since last year but no one as yet has the balls to pull it.
Still a good chance this weekend but irrespective of the result this isn't the manager to lead us into next year regardless of it being in div 4 or 3.
Unbelievable lack of defensive structure only Waterford have more goals conceded.
Ref brought the ball up on numerous occasions due to mouthing from players but as a player if all you see is your manager doing the same then it becomes the norm.
Hopefully Eoin Lowry makes a speedy recovery.
Quote from: BallyroanAbu on March 20, 2023, 06:24:21 PM
Quote from: Spiritof86 on March 20, 2023, 08:37:33 AM
No major surprise yesterday in Carrick . Game management is nonexistent . Even when when we scored 6 in a row you always knew Leitrim were going to score every time they got forward.
Huge lack of depth on the panel and a couple of forwards carrying us . But we already know all this . Billy will be gone this summer and we start again .
Division 4 is our level and promotion is very much out of our hands regardless of London result .
Hope Lowry is ok . Looked a nasty old knock .
That chestnut of this is our level, no it's not not. This has been a farce since last year but no one as yet has the balls to pull it.
This is our level and we need to accept it . This is years of neglect accumulating and hitting us right in the boll***s . Very little talent coming through which was clearly evident yesterday by the substitutions .
Billy been out of his depth is irrelevant . The foundations were there under Sugrue somewhat and plan in place which was dismissed .
So yes this is our level and we are cementing it .
Very little talent coming through,
That tell me the coaches in our clubs
and county are not up to the there job
so it's time for a change.
it was a tough watch yesterday with a heavy pitch, bad weather and a very fussy referee. the team didn't seemed dialled in at all for such an important game, the result of which greatly damages our chances of getting out of this group. they were up for it, their backs especially niggly and eventually they paid for this by going down to 13 players. wexford had done us a favour the night before with the last minute free against wicklow which had they missed would have buried us. the game itself was really of a poor standard marked by moments of some great scores but neither at present are really going anywhere. leitrim, i didn't think were great especially defensively and you would be hoping sligo will have too much for them as a very sporadic laois attack managed to get 18 scores against them. london had already hit them for 1-15, wexford 0-19 and even a fairly dismal waterford got 0-11 and they had been doing well on an ability to get goals before yesterday. we unfortunately never looked like getting one which probably could have got us over the line. our system of really playing four scoring forwards up only succeeds when all are pitching in, far too often in this league we have relied on good individual performances like barry yesterday, lowry against waterford and kingston earlier in the league. in such a poor quality division some players should be doing much better especially in terms of getting goals in open play.
with this in mind, the concession of two very stoppable goals really gave them something to play for and got them over the line. the first goal came from greene getting slipped by a very tricky and fast corner forward who squared it across to the on rushing dangerman for a tap in. i felt sorry for greene as he spent most of the game with no defensive cover in front of him, which made it easy for them to ping the ball in front of his opponent. tactically you would have to ask why both paddy o sullivan and the two wing backs were more often every where bar where they should have been, in byrne's and o flynn's case they were mostly tracking their men but o sullivan's positioning in the centre was bizarre. maybe they felt they had to do this with the dangerman beirne mostly at centre forward but it freed up a lot of space down that wing. the second goal as confirmed on the footage was a run straight down the middle after most of the team got caught on the wrong side from a breaking ball and nobody could either catch or impede the midfielder. the lack of pace in areas of the spine of the team will reoccur again when the ground gets firmer and the sweeper system is not being applied consistently if that's the way we are going to go. strangely having played a very defensive structure in some of the early games against weaker teams, we played a slightly more open system today unfortunately not to our detriment.
its hard to know where we are going, we possibly could get promoted but are relying on others and the odds aren't currently in our favour. with the few injuries, the panel is very weak and we have a tough few months ahead of us.
I still think we will go up leitrim might be Sligo
Quote from: Unlaoised on March 21, 2023, 08:11:36 AM
I still think we will go up leitrim might be Sligo
Yes would like to think that . There won't be much in it . Sligo going there won't be any deterrent to them .
When you see what Louth are achieving it puts to bed the lack of underage success as an excuse. I don't believe there is a proper defensive structure in place and it's killing the team and that's on Billy and his management team. Do Laois have a defence coach?
No we don't have a defence coach . Absolute no defensive plan in place and if there is I haven't seen it yet .
Only for injuries and blood subs, would Billy Sheehan have even made any substitutions at all on Sunday. There has been no progress or development of the squad or players at all since he took over.
Quote from: Spiritof86 on March 21, 2023, 01:45:44 PM
No we don't have a defence coach . Absolute no defensive plan in place and if there is I haven't seen it yet .
Is there not a collective of coach's involved?
Conway
Mulligan
McGill
Plus seen Paddy Dunne involved surely these can put a defensive plan in place.
Quote from: Tier2 on March 21, 2023, 07:50:21 PM
Quote from: Spiritof86 on March 21, 2023, 01:45:44 PM
No we don't have a defence coach . Absolute no defensive plan in place and if there is I haven't seen it yet .
Is there not a collective of coach's involved?
Conway
Mulligan
McGill
Plus seen Paddy Dunne involved surely these can put a defensive plan in place.
All coach's yes . No specific defensive coach though . But you're right surely they can put something together.
Anyone know the story with James Kelly of St Josephs? Doesn't seem to be involved this year - thought he was one of the better performers anytime I saw him last year.
Good question the PRO. Similar question re Diarmuid Whelan, he injured or not committing?
Round 7 has arrived, best of luck to the lads today in Ruislip. Last time we went there we got out with a 2 point victory in 2018.
We were unlucky not to get a result last week against Leitrim. We responded well to the concession of the 2nd goal and played some good football at times.
Leitrim themselves have some sharp forwards, great support and with home advantage v Sligo today, I expect them to win. They clashed last year in the Tailteann cup and it went to extra time and penalties!
Leitrim and Laois to get promoted to division 3.
Laois Abu
This is unfortunately the lowest point we have ever been to get relegated to division 4 but to remain there is inexcusable.
We know what billy has brought to the table is there an appetite to cut our loses before championship.
Long flight home ahead
You can't lose to Leitrim and Wicklow and expect to be promoted. Division 4 is very much our level unfortunately and the sooner Billy walks the better. Also, are we the only Division 3/4 county with a 16 team senior championship? For such a poor standard of football internally in Laois we sure do have grand notions about ourselves. Our senior and underage structures are breeding mediocrity. We're not where we are by accident.
Quote from: Countyminor on March 26, 2023, 03:11:38 PM
You can't lose to Leitrim and Wicklow and expect to be promoted. Division 4 is very much our level unfortunately and the sooner Billy walks the better. Also, are we the only Division 3/4 county with a 16 team senior championship? For such a poor standard of football internally in Laois we sure do have grand notions about ourselves. Our senior and underage structures are breeding mediocrity. We're not where we are by accident.
Laois, both football and hurling, need a serious re-vamp ....starting at their underage structures.
Need to go back to square one asap.
Quote from: marty34 on March 26, 2023, 03:42:28 PM
Quote from: Countyminor on March 26, 2023, 03:11:38 PM
You can't lose to Leitrim and Wicklow and expect to be promoted. Division 4 is very much our level unfortunately and the sooner Billy walks the better. Also, are we the only Division 3/4 county with a 16 team senior championship? For such a poor standard of football internally in Laois we sure do have grand notions about ourselves. Our senior and underage structures are breeding mediocrity. We're not where we are by accident.
Laois, both football and hurling, need a serious re-vamp ....starting at their underage structures.
Need to go back to square one asap.
Completely agree plough all resources into development panels change the culture
Quote from: Countyminor on March 26, 2023, 03:11:38 PM
You can't lose to Leitrim and Wicklow and expect to be promoted. Division 4 is very much our level unfortunately and the sooner Billy walks the better. Also, are we the only Division 3/4 county with a 16 team senior championship? For such a poor standard of football internally in Laois we sure do have grand notions about ourselves. Our senior and underage structures are breeding mediocrity. We're not where we are by accident.
When all is said and done, we continue to think we have the nucleus of something good here. That might have been true many moons ago, but it's nowhere near anymore. I can't stand what we are if I'm honest. It annoys me. I'd rather not send any Laois team out than the whipping boys we have become. It's demoralising, it's cancerous and it's a shocking waste of time and money. We're a functioning GAA county, but no.more. We exist only to participate, never to achieve. Most sane people want nothing to do with it. I really don't blame them.
The 2-8 conceded tells its own story. We have let in 2 goals in 4 of our last 5 games against Division 4 opposition, if those teams can cut through us so easily then Lord knows what a division 3 team will do, let alone a division 1 or 2 team.
Its obvious that Billy is not up to it, pretty sure any coach worth his salt would get a tune out of his players at this level, and at least have them competitive against the Westmeath's, Limerick's and Antrim's of this world in division 3. He's had 2 years to implement some semblance of a plan, is there one actually evident? Definitely no defensive plan anyways.
On a greater scheme of things are we coaching players correctly at an underage (or even down to primary school) level? Are we coaching defenders to actually defend or is it basically all just hand pass it up and down the pitch for 60 mins. Until we get the structure right it doesn't really matter who we have in charge of the seniors, they will always have a ceiling of the third tier.
The players are not good enough. Never mind Billy. Billy isn't a magician. None of those players are good enough to get into a Division 2 team. Not one of them. We didn't get promotion and even if we did, we would have dropped straight away
That's simply not true. At least 4 of our forward line - O Carroll, Barry, Lowry and Kingston - are very well capable of playing at a high level. Only a few years ago, Derry was languishing in Division 4. Now they're beating Dublin. We also see the difference good management has made in Louth.
Having said that, of course, huge work is needed from the ground up. Maybe someone might go talking to Karl Lacey?
Keep believing it's not true if you want. If 4 of our 6 forwards were Division 2 standard, we'd outscore any team in this Division. None of them are consistent enough. We're not good enough. We need to stop thinking otherwise. It's silly talk
Quote from: Giovanni on March 27, 2023, 01:49:04 PM
That's simply not true. At least 4 of our forward line - O Carroll, Barry, Lowry and Kingston - are very well capable of playing at a high level. Only a few years ago, Derry was languishing in Division 4. Now they're beating Dublin. We also see the difference good management has made in Louth.
Having said that, of course, huge work is needed from the ground up. Maybe someone might go talking to Karl Lacey?
His relations in Laois might talk to him.
The 16 team senior championship is a farce but that's an argument for another thread and one that has been repeated several times on this forum-but turkeys will never vote for Christmas and clubs won't vote to reduce our championship in numbers. I still cannot for the life of me understand why clubs won't meander for years simply avoiding relegation than be competitive at intermediate level and target county and potentially Leinster and All-Ireland glory. Look what winning an intermediate title did for Laois Ladies football. Park winning intermediate title last year brought huge joy to the community there. Endless examples.
Laois being opened up defensively is a problem that has been there long before Billy arrived. Even Sugru struggled to keep us defensively sound and only for Graham Brody in a couple of games could have conceded a higher number of goals. In championship games against Meath, Monaghan and Cork we could easily have been taken for a half dozen goals. Things have regressed further since then.
Like it or not, Michael Quirke called it correctly after the championship exist to Westmeath when he said there is simple not enough players of a proper intercounty standard within the county. It doesn't matter what game plan you put in place if you don't have the players to pull it off. Laois are performing to the calibre of players available at the moment. We are not under performing.
Unfortunately, if you are going to make changes at underage level you need plenty of willing people to invest and sacrifice time, energy and expertise. Sadly, we don't have that within the county at present. Therefore, things will not change too much in the immediate, medium or dare I say long term.
Nail on the head LR. All I've ever known is coaches not being good enough to coach Laois. It's bollocks, frankly. We don't have the players
I don't buy the "Laois don't have enough players of county standard" argument. We certainly do. Realistically, once you get to the very lower end of Division 2 you can cast a blanket over teams in terms of quality. I refuse to believe that Laois have inherently worse players than the likes of Westmeath, Limerick or Longford nor would I be surprised were Laois to go out and beat the likes of those teams in the Tailteann cup later this year. The level we operate at is as good as it'll probably ever be unless we become really ambitious over night and get our house properly in order. Until that day comes, we'll continue to oscillate between the lower divisions. That's it.
The evidence says otherwise. Why is it so hard to accept?
If you want an example of how we regressed- you could argue that Lillis and Finn at their peak were unable to break into our starting 15 circa 2016/2017. Now we have never been more reliant on them and they both well into their 30s. Timmons who has been a brilliant servant to Laois but now closer to 40 than 30 and there is still no defensive player in the county to equal him. Sean O'Flynn could yet kick on to be our marquee defensive player in the next 12 months but he is yet to truly reach the potential he showed that made him stand out at U20 level a few years back. A huge loss defensively is Attrite who is a genuine intercounty standard player and would strengthen our defense if he was still there. Sugrue, Quirke and Billy all tried but couldn't solve our defensive frailties-reality is that the players at our disposal are division 3 standard max on a good day. That's not a criticism-it's the reality of the situation.
The reality of the situation is that we have a manager who is clueless. A manager who has no plan and no rapport with the players. We have forwards who are well above Division 4 standard. I have no doubt at all that Sugrue would have had us up this year.
Is there any chance that Sugrue would come back and manage us, we really need someone of that caliber
Quote from: Giovanni on March 28, 2023, 12:52:23 AM
The reality of the situation is that we have a manager who is clueless. A manager who has no plan and no rapport with the players. We have forwards who are well above Division 4 standard. I have no doubt at all that Sugrue would have had us up this year.
It's always the coach's fault in Laois. To the point that literally nobody wants the job of coaching our footballers. Our name is mud
Yer man Berne in Leitrim is the standout performer in Division 4. 30 points clear of our top scorer. Some going in fairness
Ideally would like to see Sugrue come in as a Director of underage football than the senior manager. We need a long term plan with a focus to get our underage structures as competitive as they can be. Clubs need to take some responsibility as well to unskill their own coaches.
As much as I'd like to see it happen it's extremely unlikely John Sugrue would come near the county football set up again . He had his fill the last time .
We clearly don't have the cohesiveness or consistency in the forwards to be anywhere close to the top table . The stats and results are there to be seen .
I think part of this is the serious lack of competition in recent years . We can safely say the 6 lads that started against London barring injury will be starting against Wexford Sunday week .
We simply don't have the players presently . It's glaringly obvious .
The fact Billy Sheehan isn't up to the task is nearly irrelevant at the stage .
Bringing up the Derry and Louth situations is laughable.
Why is it laughable?
Quote from: Giovanni on March 29, 2023, 03:12:07 PM
Why is it laughable?
Ok so I'll start with Derry first . The population of Co Derry is close to 250,000 . Any sort of cohesion within that county between the club and county set up will show progressive . They've appointed a director of football in the county under the guidance and instruction of Rory Gallagher . It's all paying dividends now . There has been serious development within the underage structures accumulating in the All Ireland minor win in 2021.
Regarding Louth , there are six clubs in Dundalk and five in Drogheda, towns with over 40,000 people. The largest town in Laois has just one GAA club – Portlaoise – catering for nearly 25,000 residents .
This is my opinion is massive problem and has been continually not addressed .
If you begin to amalgamate clubs then you simply dilute and reduce your player pool altogether and that's what is happening in Portlaoise. The Senior championship in Laois is laughable and the introduction of this B championship doesn't add up .
All the great Laois teams have had prominent Portlaoise representation. That's no disrespect to the lads giving there all now .
Also I really can't see Laois county board appointing anyone of Mickey Hartes calibre anytime soon .
The issue is that Laois isn't making GAA appealing enough to the kids of the county. And we can sit here and blame every reason under the sun like the competition of other sports but the reality is that the issues lie square at the feet of years of inadequate administration.
I don't know whether your point about poor administration in Laois is right or not but that is certainly not the reason for the change in fortunes in Louth and Derry. The population of Louth and Derry is pretty much the same now as it was when they were in the lower divisions and the club structure in those counties was roughly the same too. The only thing that really changed was the manager. Laois should never be one of the 6 worst teams in the country, even at times when the crop of players is not the very best.
Genuine question. Why not?
Quote from: Giovanni on March 29, 2023, 10:03:46 PM
I don't know whether your point about poor administration in Laois is right or not but that is certainly not the reason for the change in fortunes in Louth and Derry. The population of Louth and Derry is pretty much the same now as it was when they were in the lower divisions and the club structure in those counties was roughly the same too. The only thing that really changed was the manager. Laois should never be one of the 6 worst teams in the country, even at times when the crop of players is not the very best.
Why should we not be in the bottom 6 teams in the country ? I mean why do we feel that we are entitled to be above the Wexfords , Leitrims , Wicklows , Sligos , Longfords etc . In fact those are all predominantly football counties ( with the exception of Wexford ) whereas we are trying to balance both hurling and football at the same time with a smallish population. Also our main population centre in Portlaoise caters for a third of our population and has just ONE club . This notion that we are entitled to be above these so called weaker counties really dosent make sense to me . We are where we are on merit unless there is HUGE long term changes within this county . It's such a steep hill to climb that it will probably never be climbed in our lifetime
Quote from: Laoiseabu on March 30, 2023, 02:33:15 PM
Quote from: Giovanni on March 29, 2023, 10:03:46 PM
I don't know whether your point about poor administration in Laois is right or not but that is certainly not the reason for the change in fortunes in Louth and Derry. The population of Louth and Derry is pretty much the same now as it was when they were in the lower divisions and the club structure in those counties was roughly the same too. The only thing that really changed was the manager. Laois should never be one of the 6 worst teams in the country, even at times when the crop of players is not the very best.
Why should we not be in the bottom 6 teams in the country ? I mean why do we feel that we are entitled to be above the Wexfords , Leitrims , Wicklows , Sligos , Longfords etc . In fact those are all predominantly football counties ( with the exception of Wexford ) whereas we are trying to balance both hurling and football at the same time with a smallish population. Also our main population centre in Portlaoise caters for a third of our population and has just ONE club . This notion that we are entitled to be above these so called weaker counties really dosent make sense to me . We are where we are on merit unless there is HUGE long term changes within this county . It's such a steep hill to climb that it will probably never be climbed in our lifetime
Agree with all of above .
Just with the exception of Wexford comment 😂
5 All Ireland Championships
10 Leinster Championships
And yes they were all a long time ago but that's a county with huge football tradition. We as a county couldn't touch that .
Quote from: High Fielder on March 29, 2023, 11:16:46 PM
Genuine question. Why not?
Interested to hear an answer to this ?
Because ANYONE with a decent management team should be able to rise above the bottom 6 in the country. The bottom 6 in the country don't take football seriously. Their training regimes are not serious. Their motivation levels are on the floor. ANY team that is properly trained and reasonably motivated should rise above that (as Leitrim showed this year with a new competent manager) despite the tiniest of resources. Wicklow also got out of it with a new competent manager. Getting out of the bottom 6 is really not a difficult bar to overcome. If we're in the bottom 6, it means that our group are not being serious and if that is so, we need to change the manager.
In fairness to you Giovanni, you have more faith in our resources than I do. I genuinely believe we haven't one player that would get onto a Kildare team, never mind anything better. And I'm dead serious about that. I refuse to blame Billy Sheehan, because the demise of Laois football has been years in the making. We're just not capable of producing footballers of the calibre needed to be competitive. We literally need to start at scratch and rewrite our entire template. Billy is the least of our worries
I don't want to dismiss the idea that our structures and player development systems are in chaos. I honestly don't know enough about that and the evidence suggests that something is wrong structurally. But we're not talking about getting on the Kildare team (although I think several of them would). We're talking about doing better than Leitrim and Wicklow. This doesn't require a team of David Cliffords. It just requires good preparation, organisation and motivation. Obviously, as you move higher in the Divisions something more is needed but really in Division 4, it's not.
The players themselves need to take ownership. If they're as good as you think they are, they should go out and show it. Are they putting their shoulders to the wheel individually? Remember a lot of them have walked away and come back again. That hardly sings dedication. And then you have these lads coming in for a fortnight and walking away. How disruptive is that? A lot of harm done before Billy or any other coach could ever have an influence. As well as everything else, there's a culture and attitude problem in Laois
Unlucky not to get promoted out of division 4. 10 points would be enough most years. Beat Sligo by 6, Wexford by 5, Carlow by 6, Waterford by 11 and London by 10 points. All convincing wins. So unlucky not to get at least a draw away in Leitrim. Wicklow deserved their win in Portlaoise.
Season not over. A lot of football still to be played. We have Wexford coming to Portlaoise on Easter Sunday and hopefully a chance to play Dublin in Portlaoise 2 weeks later.
Come May we have the Tailteann cup which should be very interesting with 3 group games followed by knockout stages. Lets get a run in this competition and see where it takes us.
A number of new lads have been introduced this year and they are doing well. We have some excellent forwards as well who would get on to most teams in the country. I'm looking forward to supporting them in the weeks ahead.
Our under 20s are doing well this year so I'm optimistic of them progressing through to senior in the coming years. We are through out of our group with a game to spare having beat Carlow and Longford. We also drew with Cork, drew with Roscommon and only lost to Galway by a point earlier this year. Last year, our under 20s ran Kildare to 2 points and they ended up in the All Ireland final. We contested provincial finals in 2019 and 2020.
Quote from: High Fielder on March 31, 2023, 08:36:00 AM
The players themselves need to take ownership. If they're as good as you think they are, they should go out and show it. Are they putting their shoulders to the wheel individually? Remember a lot of them have walked away and come back again. That hardly sings dedication. And then you have these lads coming in for a fortnight and walking away. How disruptive is that? A lot of harm done before Billy or any other coach could ever have an influence. As well as everything else, there's a culture and attitude problem in Laois
Can't really argue with this point but a good coach will find ways to improve the buy in and create game plans that actually work (which includes some kind of coherent defensive system). But the players also need to be serious about what they're doing - no doubt about that.
Quote from: County Man on March 31, 2023, 11:19:07 AM
Unlucky not to get promoted out of division 4. 10 points would be enough most years. Beat Sligo by 6, Wexford by 5, Carlow by 6, Waterford by 11 and London by 10 points. All convincing wins. So unlucky not to get at least a draw away in Leitrim. Wicklow deserved their win in Portlaoise.
Season not over. A lot of football still to be played. We have Wexford coming to Portlaoise on Easter Sunday and hopefully a chance to play Dublin in Portlaoise 2 weeks later.
Come May we have the Tailteann cup which should be very interesting with 3 group games followed by knockout stages. Lets get a run in this competition and see where it takes us.
A number of new lads have been introduced this year and they are doing well. We have some excellent forwards as well who would get on to most teams in the country. I'm looking forward to supporting them in the weeks ahead.
Our under 20s are doing well this year so I'm optimistic of them progressing through to senior in the coming years. We are through out of our group with a game to spare having beat Carlow and Longford. We also drew with Cork, drew with Roscommon and only lost to Galway by a point earlier this year. Last year, our under 20s ran Kildare to 2 points and they ended up in the All Ireland final. We contested provincial finals in 2019 and 2020.
Good post.
Admire the positivity of the last two posters . We all want Laois to do well and be competitive whatever division we are in . I hope this year turns out positive for the lads committing and the supporters who follow them around .
However after attending 5 of the 7 league matches there is very little to suggest a lengthy run in the TC .
Quote from: Spiritof86 on March 29, 2023, 06:40:12 PM
Quote from: Giovanni on March 29, 2023, 03:12:07 PM
Why is it laughable?
Ok so I'll start with Derry first . The population of Co Derry is close to 250,000 . Any sort of cohesion within that county between the club and county set up will show progressive . They've appointed a director of football in the county under the guidance and instruction of Rory Gallagher . It's all paying dividends now . There has been serious development within the underage structures accumulating in the All Ireland minor win in 2021.
The population of Co Derry is 250,000 alright but those with an inclination for GAA would be a lot closer to 100,000. There is no Director of Football in County Derry, there is a Head of Operations who is in no way under the guidance or instruction of Rory Gallagher. Underage football and to an extend club football in Derry has always been strong. Their underage teams are always competitive and among the favourites for Provincial titles. A general apathy to county football has at times held them back, just my opinion. Every county has its own dynamic, sad to see Laois in Division 4 all the same.
Interesting. I was under the impression that Gallagher was one of the main reasons Derry appointed the county's first Director of Operations. Stephen Barker was chairman and then became Director of Operations and Gallagher extended his stay . Not entirely on this alone but it helped apparently.
Again I could be wrong as I heard it on the GAA Social on BBC radio Ulster .
Quote from: Giovanni on March 31, 2023, 07:45:31 AM
I don't want to dismiss the idea that our structures and player development systems are in chaos. I honestly don't know enough about that and the evidence suggests that something is wrong structurally. But we're not talking about getting on the Kildare team (although I think several of them would). We're talking about doing better than Leitrim and Wicklow. This doesn't require a team of David Cliffords. It just requires good preparation, organisation and motivation. Obviously, as you move higher in the Divisions something more is needed but really in Division 4, it's not.
Do you still think several of our lads would get on the Kildare team ? In my opinion not one of our lads would be let carry in the water for a full strength Kildare . The sooner we pull our heads out of our own arses the better . What went on between Laois and Dublin last weekend was nothing short of DISGRACEFUL. That same Dublin team today SHOULD of been beaten by Kildare in croke park only for some bad decision making . I knew we were bad but to be honest we are A LOT worse than I actually thought . SERIOUS SERIOUS changes are needed in this county just to keep our names on the map now the way it's gone .
Quote from: High Fielder on March 31, 2023, 08:36:00 AM
The players themselves need to take ownership. If they're as good as you think they are, they should go out and show it. Are they putting their shoulders to the wheel individually? Remember a lot of them have walked away and come back again. That hardly sings dedication. And then you have these lads coming in for a fortnight and walking away. How disruptive is that? A lot of harm done before Billy or any other coach could ever have an influence. As well as everything else, there's a culture and attitude problem in Laois
I get that but all you do is look at what a good coach brings, look at Laois in 2002 v 2003. Colm Browne I believe was the manager in 2003, hardly a terrible manager but they lost to Offaly in Leinster championship and got a hiding off Meath in the qualifiers. Micko came in and the same group won a Leinster title straight away. Now there are a few things here, Micko was a huge name so all of a sudden you had everyone in the country wanting to get on the panel, obviously he was no idiot and knew Laois had a strong pool of players after winning minor titles.
I know this is not the case not the case now but the point is to highlight the difference the right man in charge can make, a better example would be the impact Sugrue had after Lillis and Creedon terms. Players defiantly buy into people in charge who really know what their are doing.
Im not blaming the current management team for all Laois ills, its not their fault the underage teams have not been doing well for example, but I simply do not think they are up to the task. In my opinion this current group of players under a good management team would at least be mid Div 3 and give the Tailteann Cup a decent rattle, not earth shattering targets granted but its better than whats happening currently.
It's not that long ago that Louth were a division 4 team. They had the foresight to ask Mickey Harte to coach their senior football team and now they have gained promotion and reached a Leinster final. That's what I call an inspired and inspiring appointment.
In fairness, they have some very good players. It was the right time for them to get a quality coach to glue it together. A coach is not a magician. I don't believe for a minute there's a coach out there that would get us much further than Division 3; at best
Quote from: High Fielder on May 02, 2023, 02:25:42 PM
In fairness, they have some very good players. It was the right time for them to get a quality coach to glue it together. A coach is not a magician. I don't believe for a minute there's a coach out there that would get us much further than Division 3; at best
So what your saying is if we had a good management set up the current group of players could get to Div 3, i.e we are underachieving under Sheehan. I fully agree.
Division 3/4 is our level regardless of the manager in charge . We don't have players in the county who can consistently compete at a higher level . The lads who represent Laois give absolutely everything to the cause . Unfortunately you need more attributes such as physique which we lack in all grades as was evident this year with the minors and u20 .
Quote from: Joeythelips on May 02, 2023, 02:42:36 PM
Quote from: High Fielder on May 02, 2023, 02:25:42 PM
In fairness, they have some very good players. It was the right time for them to get a quality coach to glue it together. A coach is not a magician. I don't believe for a minute there's a coach out there that would get us much further than Division 3; at best
So what your saying is if we had a good management set up the current group of players could get to Div 3, i.e we are underachieving under Sheehan. I fully agree.
I said at best, but happy to concede to your obvious dislike of Sheehan
Quote from: Spiritof86 on May 02, 2023, 03:07:36 PM
Division 3/4 is our level regardless of the manager in charge . We don't have players in the county who can consistently compete at a higher level . The lads who represent Laois give absolutely everything to the cause . Unfortunately you need more attributes such as physique which we lack in all grades as was evident this year with the minors and u20 .
100%. We are a long way off
Quote from: High Fielder on May 02, 2023, 03:12:53 PM
Quote from: Joeythelips on May 02, 2023, 02:42:36 PM
Quote from: High Fielder on May 02, 2023, 02:25:42 PM
In fairness, they have some very good players. It was the right time for them to get a quality coach to glue it together. A coach is not a magician. I don't believe for a minute there's a coach out there that would get us much further than Division 3; at best
So what your saying is if we had a good management set up the current group of players could get to Div 3, i.e we are underachieving under Sheehan. I fully agree.
I said at best, but happy to concede to your obvious dislike of Sheehan
I neither like or dislike the man, do not know him and have nothing against him. I am just stating my opinion that I don't not believe on the evidence I have seen that he is up to the task of improving the Laois team. I get the current crop of players may not be world beaters but feel with a better coach in place they would be getting the best out of them. I thought the same under previous management such as Mick Lillis for example, people who it was clear were no up to the task and seemed out of their depth.
Last year Laois had a glorious opportunity to defeat Westmeath in the Tailteann Cup-a man up and a goal up and conspired to blow it. Westmeath went on the win the competition. I don't think Cavan are going to get caught twice after last year but hopefully Laois can win through to perhaps a semi-final with the luck of the draw and build up the experience of some of the younger players who maybe have potential to kick on over the next few years. This year it is important to put the building blocks in place for a better 2024 where Laois might gain promotion to Division 3 of the league and possibly give the Tailteann Cup a right rattle.
Quote from: Joeythelips on May 03, 2023, 10:46:20 AM
Quote from: High Fielder on May 02, 2023, 03:12:53 PM
Quote from: Joeythelips on May 02, 2023, 02:42:36 PM
Quote from: High Fielder on May 02, 2023, 02:25:42 PM
In fairness, they have some very good players. It was the right time for them to get a quality coach to glue it together. A coach is not a magician. I don't believe for a minute there's a coach out there that would get us much further than Division 3; at best
So what your saying is if we had a good management set up the current group of players could get to Div 3, i.e we are underachieving under Sheehan. I fully agree.
I said at best, but happy to concede to your obvious dislike of Sheehan
I neither like or dislike the man, do not know him and have nothing against him. I am just stating my opinion that I don't not believe on the evidence I have seen that he is up to the task of improving the Laois team. I get the current crop of players may not be world beaters but feel with a better coach in place they would be getting the best out of them. I thought the same under previous management such as Mick Lillis for example, people who it was clear were no up to the task and seemed out of their depth.
It's Catch 22 though isn't it? We struggled to get a coach last time and we'll struggle the next time because we're in decline. We're relying on this bunch or the next to rise up and get us out of this mess. Under 21s, Minors, anything. Truth is, the whole shagging lot appears desperate at the moment. Every team we send out is getting a walloping. We're in particular trouble physically and defensively. These appear to be legacy issues that have never been properly addressed
Could Laois potentially look at putting together u12/u13 development squads? Am I right in saying that u14s is the youngest age group that we have at the moment?
The younger you can catch these players the better, because you would hope by the time they mature, all of what they've learned will just become second nature to them. I.E. drilling home the basic fundamentals, the importance of nutrition, S&C training, exposing players to what it's like to be in an elite environment etc.
Inviting in local club coaches of the players involved into training to show them how a session is properly structured, that will ultimately allow it to flow properly. Or even spread training around the county regularly, which will allow "Laois development squads to come to them" per say.
Our senior team cannot go any lower than when we're at the moment, so instead of being short sighted and pluck for a big name on huge wages invest that money into better coaching structures at underage level.
I completely get the reasoning behind hiring a Mickey Harte type, because now Louth will ride the crest of a wave for a few years with them getting into a Leinster Final. "But" Louth haven't won a Leinster minor title since 1953 or an under 20 title since 1981 so you would wonder how long they will sustain the consistency they've shown this year and last year per say?
When Laois were doing really well at underage level in the mid to late 90s and into the 00s, it was no fluke that we were able to sustain a competitive senior team for the best part of a decade.
It really isn't rocket science, plough money into developing our younger players and into coaching structures and watch it bear fruit. Have a target that by 2034 that we will have our senior side in Division 1/2 with our underage sides competing regularly in Leinster Finals and beyond.
Quote from: Pugwash on May 03, 2023, 02:01:40 PM
Could Laois potentially look at putting together u12/u13 development squads? Am I right in saying that u14s is the youngest age group that we have at the moment?
The younger you can catch these players the better, because you would hope by the time they mature, all of what they've learned will just become second nature to them. I.E. drilling home the basic fundamentals, the importance of nutrition, S&C training, exposing players to what it's like to be in an elite environment etc.
Inviting in local club coaches of the players involved into training to show them how a session is properly structured, that will ultimately allow it to flow properly. Or even spread training around the county regularly, which will allow "Laois development squads to come to them" per say.
Our senior team cannot go any lower than when we're at the moment, so instead of being short sighted and pluck for a big name on huge wages invest that money into better coaching structures at underage level.
I completely get the reasoning behind hiring a Mickey Harte type, because now Louth will ride the crest of a wave for a few years with them getting into a Leinster Final. "But" Louth haven't won a Leinster minor title since 1953 or an under 20 title since 1981 so you would wonder how long they will sustain the consistency they've shown this year and last year per say?
When Laois were doing really well at underage level in the mid to late 90s and into the 00s, it was no fluke that we were able to sustain a competitive senior team for the best part of a decade.
It really isn't rocket science, plough money into developing our younger players and into coaching structures and watch it bear fruit. Have a target that by 2034 that we will have our senior side in Division 1/2 with our underage sides competing regularly in Leinster Finals and beyond.
AS High Fielder said its a bit of a catch 22 situation. Im not talking though about going and getting some big name just yet. I am talking about a John Sugrue type, someone who can get the best out of the players at his disposal. Granted people like that do not grown on trees but someone like that I believe could get the current Laois team to Div 3 and give the Taitleann cup a real go. Hardly earth shattering targets. I do remember seeing underage players under Sean Dempsey and they were very well trained and looked after but Laois did also have a good senior team that players looked up to and aspired to be part of. So both aspects need looking at. Schools are also vital, when laois were winning minor titles, the likes of Knockbeg, Portlaoise and Ballyfin were having lots of success with their school teams.
Schools are also vital, when laois were winning minor titles, the likes of Knockbeg, Portlaoise and Ballyfin were having lots of success with their school teams.
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The most sensible comment I've seen on this site in a while.
All this talk of S&C for 12 or 13 Yr olds is a load of nonsense.
Kids that young don't need any of that sort of sh!t, they need to enjoy the game first and foremost. Trying to turn them semi pro before they have hair on their balls will turn them off the game.
Laois has 40 odd clubs, you're not goin to get great coaches into all those clubs. Get them into 5 or 6 schools instead.