Antrim Football Thread

[Spike]

BS, appreciate your honesty but in a case of 'show us your medals', is there a realistic candidate from antrim (sw or other) that has actually won something of note?  Madden was only the assistant manager to Baker at Glenullin so cant claim that as his title and since then hasn't won anything despite getting a range of good sides to manage. This is a big year for him as he needs to reach a championship final with creggan this year just to maintain any credibility as a manager (of senior club grade) going forward.  McKeever managed portglenone in div 2, won an intermediate title in tyrone but had a rotten year with ballinderry at senior level in derry, hardly the stuff of legend. Nice guy though and someone who you hope will do well in the future....one for 5 years time? JC has some credibility with his championship win at cargin but that was 10 years ago and he has been managing mostly in antrim div 2 as past number of years.    Recent success in antrim seems to have came from outside managers such as john rafferty, john brennan and McCabe.  whats the honest view from st galls men of harbinson as he appears the only recent antrim man with any success?   

maybe time has come to have an honest appraisal of the situation, stop putting unqualified men in and get someone with pedigree.  Frank Dawson was a disastrous appointment but at least he came with a CV in Co. Down so I can at least see the sense in his why appointment was made. Fitsy and Geroid seem like good fellas who have antrim's best interests at heart but appear to be out of their depth strategically and neither was really qualified to manage an intercounty team, certainly one with aspirations.

Don't believe anyone really believes with the players we have there is an all-Ireland in antrim, but we are certainly top of div 3 / lower div 2 standard when playing well.  Jumping into the 'coz hes from antrim' reasoning sounds a lot like the xenophobic arguments the England soccer management discussions used to have. 

Big call for Antrim Vision as their next management team selection will tell us if they are serious or are just going to pick any old manager and hope for the best as the old regime did. Whatever they do, they need to fully explain their reasoning for any appointments.

[paddyjohn]

BS, appreciate your honesty but in a case of 'show us your medals', is there a realistic candidate from antrim (sw or other) that has actually won something of note?  Madden was only the assistant manager to Baker at Glenullin so cant claim that as his title and since then hasn't won anything despite getting a range of good sides to manage. This is a big year for him as he needs to reach a championship final with creggan this year just to maintain any credibility as a manager (of senior club grade) going forward.  McKeever managed portglenone in div 2, won an intermediate title in tyrone but had a rotten year with ballinderry at senior level in derry, hardly the stuff of legend. Nice guy though and someone who you hope will do well in the future....one for 5 years time? JC has some credibility with his championship win at cargin but that was 10 years ago and he has been managing mostly in antrim div 2 as past number of years.    Recent success in antrim seems to have came from outside managers such as john rafferty, john brennan and McCabe.  whats the honest view from st galls men of harbinson as he appears the only recent antrim man with any success?   

maybe time has come to have an honest appraisal of the situation, stop putting unqualified men in and get someone with pedigree.  Frank Dawson was a disastrous appointment but at least he came with a CV in Co. Down so I can at least see the sense in his why appointment was made. Fitsy and Geroid seem like good fellas who have antrim's best interests at heart but appear to be out of their depth strategically and neither was really qualified to manage an intercounty team, certainly one with aspirations.

Don't believe anyone really believes with the players we have there is an all-Ireland in antrim, but we are certainly top of div 3 / lower div 2 standard when playing well.  Jumping into the 'coz hes from antrim' reasoning sounds a lot like the xenophobic arguments the England soccer management discussions used to have. 

Big call for Antrim Vision as their next management team selection will tell us if they are serious or are just going to pick any old manager and hope for the best as the old regime did. Whatever they do, they need to fully explain their reasoning for any appointments.

The circumstances he had to deal with in Ballinderry were tragic and I don't think anybody would of won a SFC with them so I think your doing him an injustice there.

Frank Dawson was a disaster from the word go.

[Spike]

Certainly, the tragic circumstances with Aaron undoubtedly had an effect. Besides that, an intermediate title in tyrone, Div 2 with Portglenone and few months with Coalisland is not an acceptable CV for an intercounty manager. As I said, perhaps in the future with more success and experience but not yet. The county managers position is supposed to be the ultimate recognition of sustained years of senior club management experience and success - not the starting point to a management career.
   
Agree with frank comment but the principal of his appointment had merit at least. 

[paddyjohn]

Certainly, the tragic circumstances with Aaron undoubtedly had an effect. Besides that, an intermediate title in tyrone, Div 2 with Portglenone and few months with Coalisland is not an acceptable CV for an intercounty manager. As I said, perhaps in the future with more success and experience but not yet. The county managers position is supposed to be the ultimate recognition of sustained years of senior club management experience and success - not the starting point to a management career.
   
Agree with frank comment but the principal of his appointment had merit at least.

Agree with what your saying about Johns CV, but I don't think that should go against him.

[Dualta Duane]

Harbinson came into a team that was very VERY good. They had back to back titles, been beaten in all ireland a few years before so they were gunning for gory with or without him. I'd question his familiarity with the local talent as he's not been involved in taking teams since. That said, when they won AI he was well organised etc... but not for me.
Maybe i've missed it, but are the two lads stepping down? I'd like to see them have a crack at Div 3...

[bannside]

No one here has suggested the management must go. They are good Antrim Gaels and should be treated with respect.

They know that they are in a results driven environment and whilst there was lots to like pre the flat Croke Pk display, everything since then has been sub standard. Fitzy and Gearoid will be hurting more than anyone. They will have had opinions too on previous management's and will have on future ones. At the minute they will understand why we are having this discussion and it's only to try and get the best for Antrim football. Nothing personal or anything else.

Some have questioned whether they had the CV to do the job and would their track record have got a county job anywhere else. That's fair enough isn't it?

I liked the way Fitzy was big enough to freshen things up this time last year and if he is going to still be involved he will know that something has to change.  Gearoid must know that that system of play he is implementing hasn't worked anywhere he has been. Not even at St Louis where he had great players on the bench in favour of men who could play his blanket defence muck. I know a lot of parents who weren't at all happy with the way St Louis played with 13 men behind the ball and some of them are good knowledgeable football folk.

That's the main thing that needs to change and everyone knows it. I'd say he will struggle to get past the new board unless he puts his hands up and admits this is not working.

[Dualta Duane]

difficult to understand how some on this forum are calling out the management as being 'out of their depth'. I think people's expectations are too high. We just came out of Div 4 - the bottom drawer!

[theskull1]

A good Antrim man to me is someone who doesn't rip the ar$e out of the expenses ...otherwise it looks as if you're overly interested in the financial gain

All these outside candidates are in interested in the wonga first and foremost. Doesn't sit well with me

[paddyjohn]

A good Antrim man to me is someone who doesn't rip the ar$e out of the expenses ...otherwise it looks as if you're overly interested in the financial gain

All these outside candidates are in interested in the wonga first and foremost. Doesn't sit well with me

Agree but seems to be the way that its going now.

[theskull1]

Still doesn't make it right or them 'decent' in my eyes

[country bumpkin]

Be nice to see you tomorrow MR2................can u retain unbeaten record

[Milltown Row2]

Be nice to see you tomorrow MR2................can u retain unbeaten record

We've loads away on hols, you should win by ten!!

[country bumpkin]

We were lucky MR2........couldn't  handle Niblock and u had sooooo many missing

[Milltown Row2]

We were lucky MR2........couldn't  handle Niblock and u had sooooo many missing

Closer than I thought... Well done

[country bumpkin]

would someone please enlighten me on how the league proceeds as the opening phase has completed....................and if casements beat teresa's tomorrow evening and finish joint sixth with rossa what then?

Or do I really need to ask the Paddies....................