Longford V Sligo NFL Div 3 decider

[magpie seanie]

Paddy - excellent posts as usual. I read your first one there last evening but didn't have time to reply. I agree with your analysis. I think now is a time for cool heads and regrouping. The league is over and even though it was sad to get demoted to Div 4 we must now regroup and move forward for the championship. Try to focus on the positive and work on the negatives. The young players coming through are a positive. Jordan, to his credit and maybe to his cost, largely left those players to the U-21 management until their Connacht tilt was over. A correct decision if you are exercising long term thinking in my view. Along with some of these emerging players we have one or two proven injured lads to come back in. We should do enough to get over London and hopefully give Mayo a real rattle when we'll go in as total underdogs. When the hard ground returns we'll be a different team. O'Hara's performance yesterday, Naughton's continuing improvement, Phillips return, Gaughans energy, Kelly's tidiness and workrate - in defeat these were encouraging signs. Lets not get too emotional about this setback.

[SLIGONIAN]

I have to say I admire yer optimism and emotional restraint in the face of such disappointment.

Can I just say Im not writing off any of the players, just basing my opinion on past recent performance that maybe some shouldnt of started yday.

I read an article on LIAM OG GORMLEY in the champion a few weeks. Very indepth interview. I was impressed at the structures hes putting in place and the effort going into underage. More of enphasis on development rather than winning up to ages of 14. I trained my local national school for a year when I was in college and I could see thats were the key to our future success lies. The players carried that development into the club.

Unfortunetly my club is full of internal politics and I know alot of our supporters, players are quite disillusioned at the minute. The system is a huge problem and as everyone knows our club is huge area. The guidance isnt there at the top and it is hard for our players to motivate themselves when they see what goes on.

Just on the Sligo manager, isnt it a 3 man panel who select him???

Anyway I have to say Im not sure I blame Jordan. Im not even sure hes calling the shots. I know alot of people who feel the same.

For me though there just is no excuse for some of the mistakes being made. Can I ask paddy, what is the root cause of our shortcomings in your opinion or from what you hear?

[AZOffaly]

Sligonian, why do you use CAPS LOCK intermittently? It's very annoying

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligonian, why do you use CAPS LOCK intermittently? It's very annoying

Not sure why, I guess its an unconcious habit. If it is that annoying I'll stop for YOU AZ.

[AZOffaly]

GoOd MaN.

[Owenmoresider]

Have to agree with most of the points made above, in reality we've looked like relegation material for a while, and it's no surprise that we have gone that way. Very disappointing though when we were in the position needed to survive, if only Gaughan had got the goal or point. Kavanagh was excellent though, Donovan handled him early on but found it difficult as the game wore on, and it's not often Johnny Davey gets beat in a chase but he had a tough time with Padraig Berry, who did well for LD. Changes made were neccessary and should probably remain that way long-term, but bringing Davey on for Gilmartin was madness, his first contribution was to get booked for a silly foul. The notion that he still has something to offer should be banished now. Flannery looked ok early on but faded out akltogether. Bringing Byrne out the field didn't do us any good either, wasn't at the races at all.

Good to see phillips get a run at last, showed more cut than McNamara had shown, I suspect if MMcN went in for that ball in the first half with more vigour, rather than hestitating then he wouldn'r have got hurt (though it was a bit of a lunge from LD's FF). Phillips left his mark on the LD sub anyway. O'Hara did well enough (and din't rrise to the LD chb's bait too) but for one or two dodgy passes. Gilmartin showed potential, was Quinn injured I assume? Curran was much beter in 2nd half, poor in 1st, Breheny still the most reliable scoring option, coming into better form now it must be said. Kivlehan isn't a great option for HB and neither for HF either.

Well done to Longford, SS, BB, Laueleye and co on avoiding the depths of D4 and Tommy Cooper. Ye probably didn't expect that after the Louth game. Still would expect Westmeath to win in the Leinster tie though.

One consolation - the Leitrim crowd can't gloat too much at our demise.

[SLIGONIAN]

I just remembered seanie that youve posted a few times you have suspicions on why we do poor in the league. Can you tell my why you think we dont perform well in the league?

Paddy in your post you say the sligo players hunger maybe gone after last yr. That reinforces Jordans criiticisms in the local press questioning the players atitude. If a players hunger is gone why commit again. I mean no ones forcing the players to commit. You talk of unfinished business being completed an all.

In 2002 I knew and we all knew Forde cost us the final with leaving mcguire, durkin mcgarty etc on the bench. That was thrown away by team selection. Sorry for going on about your post but I read 4 times now to try a see your points. I agree with some but dont buy into others. If you can answer my queries above and here Id really appreciate, I respect others perspective and it may change my perceptions, opinions.

[Billys Boots]

Still would expect Westmeath to win in the Leinster tie though.

You won't find too many arguments with us on that score. 

[LaurelEye]

Well done to Longford, SS, BB, Laueleye and co on avoiding the depths of D4 and Tommy Cooper. Ye probably didn't expect that after the Louth game.

No, to put it mildly. I think we're just relieved not to be out in the wilderness for the summer.

Still would expect Westmeath to win in the Leinster tie though.

You'll not get any disagreement on that proposition from this quarter.

The underlying issues that were there at the time of the Louth match are still there.

[SLIGONIAN]

From a footballing perspective I dont think I seen as many balls picked up from the ground and passes given away. Longford defence is very loose and although we'd love to have kavanagh. Yer relying too much on him. He is in the same class as  cooper, forde, freeman, bradley. In the first half yer supply into kavanagh was killing him. Having to run 30 yrds and out towards the sideline is no good. Need to improve on that but as game wore on it improved.

[Billys Boots]

Longford defence is very loose

There are a good few of that back six that wouldn't be there, but for injuries, delinquency and disinterest.

Yesterday was:
D Sheridan
P McDonnell, A O'Connor, C Conefrey
Declan C Reilly, E Wiliams, P Kelly

All going to plan, I imagine that Sunday week will be:
D Sheridan
D Brady, D Masterson, C Conefrey
S Mulligan, N Farrell, Declan C Reilly

[paddypastit]

Sligonian - seeing this on the fly - will reply when I get a chance but on one point.  Restarint / optimism is built on the basis of being here before.  I was in a Sligo dressing room in Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny and Lemybrien Co. Waterford... and some of those that were alongside me on those days later played in the '97 Connaught Final and subsequently in Div 1... and are not that long gone off the panel.  There is always hope.

[SLIGONIAN]

Sligonian - seeing this on the fly - will reply when I get a chance but on one point.  Restarint / optimism is built on the basis of being here before.  I was in a Sligo dressing room in Ballyragget Co. Kilkenny and Lemybrien Co. Waterford... and some of those that were alongside me on those days later played in the '97 Connaught Final and subsequently in Div 1... and are not that long gone off the panel.  There is always hope.

I have a few questions put to ya alright, look forward to the replies, Ive been there before too supporting sligo in Div4 with about 10 others. Took us ages to get out of it. I know im still young but those were painful memories. In one game against kilkenny in kent park we won 1-14 to 1-10 i remember there are lots more. There is hope as always in the dark times and its I suppose what keeps me going supporting sligo all these yrs. And it could be worse at least ive seen us win connaght last yr. I try to live in the present moment not the past so I want that feeling again though. Not easy to accept the way the league went.