Antrim Football Thread

[bannside]

Google search gaa counties by ranking 2024.

The two charts I saw have Antrim at 17th and 19th.

We've seen them a lot lower than this in the past. If we could jump another three or four places that would be fantastic progress.

[Milltown Row2]

In your haste to answer you've become confuaed in the difference between expectation and reality.   

There is a question mark there, so it's a question not an answer, carry on

[Spike]

Happy to go with progress.

[Duine Inteacht Eile]

The bar is resting on the ground at the moment.  Right where you want it.

We will likely lose to Armagh, the current All Ireland champions. I imagine McEntee will be doing what he can to win that game but chances are they are better than us. Is that how we should really be judged?

[Spike]

Its our only proper way of testing.  Then the league.


To say to andy he has a free pass to lose by whatever is all wrong. 

[bannside]

So what would be an acceptable level of performance against Armagh in next year's cship look like?

[ONeill]

Don't let the fcukers move ye outta Corrigan.

[BigGreenField]

So what would be an acceptable level of performance against Armagh in next year's cship look like?

Last time out vs Armagh I think it was 2 points scored after 30 mins (with the wind?) a distinct lack of physicality across the park but most noticeably in the forwards who had no interest in competing for ball unless it was delivered on a plate. Armagh sauntered forward at half pace to score. Success this time is in the performance not the result or even the score line - how long can Armagh be made to go before running the bench. Not inspirational but where it's at (unless an early melee and some helpful red cards).

McEntee has improved the teams resilience, physical ability and a bit of grit - Fermanagh away should have been a marker to kick on to a final at Croke Park however it didn't because a question mark remains in attack, some talent but a lack of intelligent play. Not clear to me who the onfield general is directing the attack and for a team with some great options as "bears in the square" there is a refusal to kick the ball to the forwards (not until they are double marked), the attack is ponderous and against decent defence's hasn't the guile or out and out pace to break them down, a kicking game needs to develop going forward.

Hoping players coming back from injury provide the missing pieces, failing that perhaps the new rules might bail out. Either way mid table Div 3 is where it's at.

At a county level the likes of Clare and Offaly have shown great work - spread the net wide for s&c training (huge numbers at each age grade rather than narrow dev squads) and build a culture of physical development, focus on getting clubs to coach the basics with some stick around  passing assessment of coaching structures in a club, heavy handed but needed.

There was a pow wow led by county coaching officer 18(?) months ago after county minors on the wrong end of a heavy score, has a peep been heard from that.

[Newbridge Exile]

And we wonder why we dont win anything

Yeah it's got nothing to do with believing you can win, that'll only give you so much, the personal needs to be there and willing to put their shoulder to the wheel.

Club is king in Antrim, that's the mindset here

On a side note, who's managing Newbridge? 
[/quoteGary

And we wonder why we dont win anything

Yeah it's got nothing to do with believing you can win, that'll only give you so much, the personal needs to be there and willing to put their shoulder to the wheel.

Club is king in Antrim, that's the mindset here

On a side note, who's managing Newbridge? 

Joint managers Gary Heatherington and Kevin Brady

[marty34]

Kevin Brady is a quiet and modest lad.  Goes about his business in an efficient manager.

This will add to his CV.

[imtommygunn]

Didn't realise he was there. That's good to see.

[Take the Mark]

A couple of upsets (in my eyes) in the U21's with St Brigids and St Pauls both losing. Decent game in Glenravel, in poor conditions where I witnessed the referee give a Cargin mentor the middle finger mid match. Classy!

[Spike]

So what would be an acceptable level of performance against Armagh in next year's cship look like?

I think the bigger question on this board sadly is what is an 'unacceptable level'?

Is a 5, 10, 20, 30 point hiding by Armagh in the Ulster Championship unacceptable?

Is relegation to Div 4 unacceptable?   Is a relegation scrap unacceptable? Is midtable in Div 3 unacceptable?

Is failure to reach the Tailteann Cup semi final unacceptable?  Is failure to win the Tailteann cup unacceptable?

Until you know what the floor is, you cant know what constitutes a good season.  I fear there is no floor.

While i think we have went back in the league as past 2 seasons with 2 mediocre campaigns, with the slate wiped clean and taking it from the 2025 season onwards as a new beginning, surely being in the mix for promotion (while not setting outright promotion as a level) is a reasonable level of acceptable?

As much as I deride the competition, winning the Tailteann is progress and a reasonable level of acceptable?

Staying with Armagh, still being in the game (a few scores away) with 20 minutes to go before the benches are emptied, is a reasonable level of acceptable?

[Hectic]

U21 is an age group that is hard to predict.

Like of Brides and Pauls might have had a run of good minor teams but how many of them have been playing regular football at a good level since minor?

It is also an age group that does see a good number of current minors playing but the difference is often the amount of older lads that are regulars in their senior team.

I guess that is what BS was pointing to last night with Portglenone?

Or just reading report - was it played 13 a side?

[Spike]

Looks that way.   all clubs will have a drop off in numbers in certain years, just looks surprising that a few more minors weren't gathered up to complete a team.