Antrim Football Thread

[Rodger Mona]

With all the talk of area's that antrim need to focus on to improve i think school football, development squads, underage managers etc.. all contribute to development and need seriously looked at, but the truth is with the exception of a small number of clubs, is that around antrim the footballing culture just isnt there! il be lambasted for saying that but the proofs in the pudding. How many antrim clubs are solely fooball? How many colleges/ schools whether it be mcrory, mclarnon, vocational schools do well against other schools in ulster on a consistant basis? Bar St.Galls who was the last club to win an ulster match?

How many players from intermediate down, are on that antrim footballing panel- the reason im asking is, other counties have some proloific footballers that has come from clubs playing at that level, but from my perspective i see the likes of these clubs in antrim fulfilling footballing fixtures with very little aspirations of actually producing the next Kevin Niblock, Mick McCann, Paddy Cunningham. That comes from the culture around the place, its alright going to training and playing matches and saying your a footballer, but culture comes from the home and communities which breeds aspirations for youth. In Tyrone youv an endless amount of communities that live and breathe football, Derry is the same. We need more of the likes in Antrim.

BS talks about Antrim football being competitive and on any given day, any team can win it, but in all honesty how many clubs have actually won a championship in the last 30 years? 6? 1 of which was southwest so im not sure that backs up the argument that the south west clubs are reaping the rewards of derry schools competing in mcroary football

its a fair enough point and is reflective of some of the points you all have raised with the county boards lack of investment and backing of underage set ups. If the culture was there, as it is in derry, tyrone, armagh etc.. their would be outcry the way our underage are coached/ treated and the sad truth is, thats where success starts no matter how you measure it. Paying Mcginley, Baker, Gormley etc... is fine for gaining promotion and maybe winning one qualifying match but is only papering over cracks if we cant back that up with a conveyor belt of youth that supplements a senior squad, year in year out.

[johnnycool]

Excuse my ignorance but was Gaelfast not put in place to support GAA in Belfast? As an Antrim man I don't mind it spreading its wings throughout the county but going into St. Pat's Maghera? f**k that!

And the Down parts as well, but if you can make it to take Gaelfast coaches to North Antrim, they can also make it to the Ards peninsula.

Where Gaelfast went wrong was aligning it so rigidly to Antrim CB..

[imtommygunn]

Excuse my ignorance but was Gaelfast not put in place to support GAA in Belfast? As an Antrim man I don't mind it spreading its wings throughout the county but going into St. Pat's Maghera? f**k that!

And the Down parts as well, but if you can make it to take Gaelfast coaches to North Antrim, they can also make it to the Ards peninsula.

Where Gaelfast went wrong was aligning it so rigidly to Antrim CB..

What do you down boys know?

(Joke - you're probably spot on to be fair)

[Belfast GAA man]

Whats Gaelfast up to these days? lack of communication about this flegship initiative is criminal

[Milltown Row2]

Whats Gaelfast up to these days? lack of communication about this flegship initiative is criminal

Not another dig at Gaelfast? 

[johnnycool]

Excuse my ignorance but was Gaelfast not put in place to support GAA in Belfast? As an Antrim man I don't mind it spreading its wings throughout the county but going into St. Pat's Maghera? f**k that!

And the Down parts as well, but if you can make it to take Gaelfast coaches to North Antrim, they can also make it to the Ards peninsula.

Where Gaelfast went wrong was aligning it so rigidly to Antrim CB..

What do you down boys know?

(Joke - you're probably spot on to be fair)

I know a shítshow when I see one 

[Belfast GAA man]

Whats Gaelfast up to these days? lack of communication about this flegship initiative is criminal

Not another dig at Gaelfast? 

genuine concern that Gaelfast oportunity is being wasted - you call it a dig 

[imtommygunn]

You could be right but when you come on and complain that people on furlough are doing no work, when they're not allowed to, on furlough then you have to wonder if they could win or not.

What looks to have not panned out very well has been since that.

[Belfast GAA man]

You could be right but when you come on and complain that people on furlough are doing no work, when they're not allowed to, on furlough then you have to wonder if they could win or not.

What looks to have not panned out very well has been since that.

im no guru but on big initiatives u surely need to communicate regularly? to the clubs?

[bannside]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/jim-mcguinness-gaelic-football-is-now-just-a-shooting-contest-1.4628827

Well worth a read. Terrific narrative from Jim Mc Guinness, I think sums up more than anything the exact points I was struggling to make a month ago when putting my view across that we needed to be more defensive minded.

For me anyway Jim hits the nail on the head with this superb article in this mornings Irish Times.

[Belfast GAA man]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/jim-mcguinness-gaelic-football-is-now-just-a-shooting-contest-1.4628827

Well worth a read. Terrific narrative from Jim Mc Guinness, I think sums up more than anything the exact points I was struggling to make a month ago when putting my view across that we needed to be more defensive minded.

For me anyway Jim hits the nail on the head with this superb article in this mornings Irish Times.

good read thanks and clearly a very bright guy. He though admits it was crowd pleasing and enjoyable. He doesn't seem to think that's important. jim would be happy to go back to 0-4 to 0-2 matches with ferocity in tackling... sorry not for me jim

[bannside]

Does it need to be one or the other? Some difference between a total of 6 points a game or 66!!! It dosent need to be a feast or a famine, does it? Surely an innovative coach would find the sweet spot between the two!

I agree it's easier on the eye, but something is definitely amiss. Games are becoming a shoot fest and I just cannot fathom why coaches leave gaps in defence that horses and carts can run through. It's not specific to any one county, everyone is at it!

[Milltown Row2]

Does it need to be one or the other? Some difference between a total of 6 points a game or 66!!! It dosent need to be a feast or a famine, does it? Surely an innovative coach would find the sweet spot between the two!

I agree it's easier on the eye, but something is definitely amiss. Games are becoming a shoot fest and I just cannot fathom why coaches leave gaps in defence that horses and carts can run through. It's not specific to any one county, everyone is at it!

What ever happened to marking your man? You mark your man when you've no ball whether you're a forward or back, allowing your opponent to run up the field to collect a pass freely lays squarely at the opponent's feet!

Now marking space and counterattacking seems to be the done thing, I've no problem using a sweeper system for periods to limit a better team, but with it I'm not going to win that game and all I'm doing is damaged limitations, managers teams are judged on results, not style

[imtommygunn]

I\ve never seen like the space Armagh gave Monaghan the other week and they still nearly won the game!

[Sportacus]

It seems 15 years of blanket has produced a generation of backs who just can't defend unless half the team are within 20 yards helping them.  Jim is reaping what he sewed.  I'd take the Armagh Monaghan game any day rather than half-backs running up the sideline unchallenged, and then going back round on the loop when they eventually see an opponent in front of them.