Kildare v Meath

Rex wrote:

naive

This.

I think Ryan underestimated the capabilities of that Meath full forward line, you could see from the get go that McGrillen wasn't up to the task of marking Bray. Foley then thrown on him? WTF? Ollie Lyons is one of the best man markers in the game, yet Ryan deemed him better suited to wing back. The space between the full back line and half back line was criminal at this level. Absolutely no protection afforded to Foley and co.

O'Neill offered nothing around the middle, his few long range points will skew opinion of his performance. Same goes for Callaghan. Anonymous when the going got tough.

Moolick was decent, can't fault his work rate. Terribly wasteful on the ball though, two decent goal chances blasted over in the last ten minutes. He wasn't alone. Hand pass, hand pass, hand pass, blind alley and panic shot.

Seán Hurley looked like a man who was on the Copacabana having a kick around with the lads while sipping a few cocktails.

Fogarty was the only shining light.

Hard questions need to be asked by the local media of Jason Ryan. Don't hold your breath.

Did Ryan really say that Crofter. "Too many players underperforming to make any change" I can't believe he said that. If he did then what use is he. He is making it hard to believe in anything he is doing.

As for the draw, what does it matter now. Unless Ryan has an epiphany in the next few days we are sunk. I'll look for a home game against Cavan. Let them come to us this time.

Rex wrote:

Did Ryan really say that Crofter. "Too many players underperforming to make any change" I can't believe he said that. If he did then what use is he. He is making it hard to believe in anything he is doing.

As for the draw, what does it matter now. Unless Ryan has an epiphany in the next few days we are sunk. I'll look for a home game against Cavan. Let them come to us this time.

Yes he said that Rex - so many were playing poorly and "you only have 6 subs" -
So they basically did nothing and hoped for the best.

Dear God, that's incredible.

I was paraphrasing but have a listen yourself - I'm sure it will be played again or podcasted.

extremely disappointing , we let Meath bully us for 40 minutes, we were very flat, no intensity, no urgency, Meath were the opposite, all pace and serious intent on winning the game, we didn't show up until the game was gone, How we made no changes to the full back line, midfield and in particular the half forward line for 40 minutes is incredible,

Credit to Ollie Lyons who took the fight to them, Fogarty did well, McGrillen battled away, Chalky and Ciaran Fitzpatrick improved things when they came on and we actually looked like a decent team in the last 20 minutes but too little too late.

That was just so depressing. I'd nearly disregard the comeback in the last 20 minutes as Meath had taken the foot of the gas at that stage. The truth is we were 12 points down after 45 minutes and it could have been 20 against a depleted Meath side.
Meath got their tactics spot on today and we didn't seem to cope at all. They had their homework done on our kickouts and we couldn't find a free man at all. One kickout to Niall Kelly when there were 3 Meath men around him summed up our problems.
I was watching Kildare in the warm-up and we seemed to be dropping balls, over-hitting passes and hitting wides. We seemed lethargic and not focused and unfortunately nothing changed when the match started.
I agree with the comments about our defence. Mick Foley has been a great servant for Kildare but it was not right to pick him at full-back. He has been in trouble in all the previous games this year and struggled against a half fit Shane Lennon against Louth. I'd have to say that the previous manager would have made changes much quicker when it was needed. I thought the number one priority this year for Jason Ryan was to implement some sort of defensive system but he has failed miserably in this regard.
I thought Ollie Lyons, Tommy Moolick, Paidi O'Neill (not sure why people are criticising him), Podge Fogarty and Alan Smith were best for Kildare.

Sweet mother of jaysus tonight. Did the players not realise they were in a match or what the fuck was the story??? I mean the players in that panel are good footballers with lots of ability and skill!! Where was the passion and fight ?? Do they not realise what it means to us supporters who follow them morning noon and night. I have always been pretty optimistic overall even in the worst of days like 04-07, the loss to wicklow ....etc. but I am finding it very hard to have much hope after that. meath aren't even a good side and we made them look unstoppable for periods in the game. Full back line found out Big time today, but then again having seen foley and mcgrillen during league they have been poor for most of the year. One positive would be the subs made a difference. Fitzy was solid enough, but the changes were too late in the day. O connor again made some difference and chalky tried his best. Of those who started, Moolick, donlenn, Ollie and leper were best. Brophy loss was huge.

Thought Eoin Doyle was good. We have PKelly, O'Grady to come back. We were never going to beat the Dubs next day. Let's get behind this team . Next Saturday the minors are out. So I for one will be in New bridge to cheer them on .

Ogie wrote:

Every time Kildare have lost a championship game in the last three years, the words gutless and spineless have appeared on this forum. Very, very unfair.

Maybe so Ogie.

Here if you have a spare moment during the week, given your line of work and all that will you give Jason Ryan a tinkle or call round to hawkfield and ask him what exactly was his game plan and tactics going into the Meath game.

And also ask him does he believe these tactics will bring Kildare forward and is he the man to do so. Because I for think he is out of his depth and should never have got the gig in the first place.

Absolutely fucked up of the local media tickling the belly of Kildare managers. Even when McGeeney was manager there were no hard questions asked particularly of the SJ saga that split the county.

Taibi wrote:

This.

I think Ryan underestimated the capabilities of that Meath full forward line, you could see from the get go that McGrillen wasn't up to the task of marking Bray. Foley then thrown on him? WTF? Ollie Lyons is one of the best man markers in the game, yet Ryan deemed him better suited to wing back. The space between the full back line and half back line was criminal at this level. Absolutely no protection afforded to Foley and co.

O'Neill offered nothing around the middle, his few long range points will skew opinion of his performance. Same goes for Callaghan. Anonymous when the going got tough.

Moolick was decent, can't fault his work rate. Terribly wasteful on the ball though, two decent goal chances blasted over in the last ten minutes. He wasn't alone. Hand pass, hand pass, hand pass, blind alley and panic shot.

Seán Hurley looked like a man who was on the Copacabana having a kick around with the lads while sipping a few cocktails.

Fogarty was the only shining light.

Hard questions need to be asked by the local media of Jason Ryan. Don't hold your breath.

Hard to disagree with any of this only Moolick. Thought he was poor and offered nothing around the middle. He picked the ball off the ground cleanly twice and despite kicking a 50 meter shot to nothing wide he felt it was worth another go just minutes later from the same distance with yet again the same outcome. His strength and size might make him stand out at club level but he simply hasn't got the athleticism to be an intercounty midfielder and never will have it. Shane O'Rourke hasn't played at this level in 2 years and cleaned out our midfield pretty much single handed.

Yes he worked hard and tried hard but that should be a given for anyone who trains as often as these guys, it should be par for the course. Sadly we need a little more from players than just honesty.

Perhaps if we had an operational half forward line or a full forward line that made themselves available once the going got hot Moolick wouldn't have needed to carry so much into foreign territory? Took some wrong kicking options and had half chances of a couple of goals but at least he was working like a dog from start to finish. A few more doing so and we might not have had to claw our way back from 12 pts down. There were so many things wrong today it seems strange to pick on a young lad who clearly was giving everything. Who would you replace him with anyway? Lynch has been inconsistent throughout his Kildare career, Flynn seems to have gone so far backwards he didn't make the subs and Hurley has just had two absolute nightmares in Croker. Chalky certainly doesn't offer much of an option if you want your midfielders scoring points for fun. I think in a team playing with a good structure and with all lines doing tier jobs to a reasonable degree Moolick has a big role to play.
Certainly wouldn't be the first name on my list to be looking over their shoulder for the next day.

Totally agree Crofter. Moolick is a good player and ran himself into the ground today. Should also mention that Fergal Conway gave it everything. The main problems as you allude to were that McNally and Hurley had nightmares and the fullback line was destroyed.

But here's the news - Dublin have moved to another level and the way things stand, a Kildare/Meath best-of wouldn't beat them. And there's no sign of the situation improving until we get our shit together tactically and mentally. Is Ryan the man to do that? I wasn't convinced when he was appointed and I have even less faith now.

I think if we get an away draw to anyone other than Carlow, we're out. Home advantage may even not be enough. And a Division 2 dogfight next year. Not exactly the rosiest of situations, frankly.

Maybe I'm being overly harsh on Moolick. The frustration is just unbelievable.

I cannot understand how Eoghan Flats, Chalky, Tom O'Connor, Fitzpatrick and Smith were not introduced earlier.

I have seen intermediate and junior club teams in Kildare set up better than we were today. It beggars belief. It is simply not going to work, regardless of Peter Kelly and others coming back. Any full backline left that exposed will be cut to pieces. We need to cut our cloth to suit and Ryan has 2 weeks to do so. If he doesn't accept that what he is trying to implement is incorrect he needs to go.

Shades of 2012 when an average Meath team were much hungrier than us. I knew the game was up after 10 mins and fully expected the futile fight back in the second half. I didn't think we could be as lethargic and clueless as we were against Tyrone last year in the first half but it suggests the fault lies not with the managers as much as the players.
Surely there has to be more leadership among the players and a willingness to meet the challenge head on and not just amble through the first half?
Paidi and Moolick may have made mistakes today but they did score and keep trying right to the end.
Sorry to say but I cant see any future for Foley and Hurley on todays performance.
I often criticised the last manager for being so quick to take of O'Connor but Ryan was incredibly slow in bringing him on today when we stated to get on top and we desperately needed a goal to keep the momentum going.
Have absolutely no faith that we can make an impression in the qualifiers or that Ryan has what it takes to sort out the defense. Sad day for Kildare football but at least it means we wont get hammered by Dublin next day.

Hard to believe Daryl Flynn wasn't on the bench today considering he came on as a sub against Louth. I don't think Chalky or Hugh Lynch are up to the required standard even though Chalky did okay when he came on today. Moolick did okay but he's got to cut down on the wild shooting. A couple of efforts today brought back memories of the Under-21 semi final against Galway last year. You've got to learn from your mistakes.

Ryan has shown great faith in players who didn't quite make it under the previous management like Keith Cribbin and Cathal McNally at the expense of more obvious options like Eoghan O'Flaherty. It worked okay against Louth but I thought we had too many inexperienced players out there today.

anyone see the 2 incidents on Paddy Brophy ? ?

A Meath man beside me said K Reilly punched him in the face, way off the ball, while Podge was lining up a free (awarded for a kick on Brophy).

Soon after he fell over a ball down near Hill 16 & a defender piled down on top of him, I thought he used his knees but from the Hogan I could not be certain. His back seemed to sieze up and he did not move even as the play paased close to him...............

Hate to say it but I said our full back line was week link last week.we made no changes it was well into 2 half when we made a move to late 11p down . The manager and his crew have to take the blame for this as well as some players . Ps how long would jim Gavin look at our full back line 50 min or 10 ???

You know, to be fair, I think Murof has a point about the lethargy of the team. I suspect I'm not alone in being pretty fucking tired of the mental fragility of Kildare sides. I have to admit this is one area Meath have put us to shame over the years.

We frequently appear incapable of performing when it's actually expected of us. Top teams deal with being favourites and don't allow external factors to influence their concentration and focus. Also-rans under perform and whine about the weight of expectation.

Another area we need to improve in, along with approximately a dozen others.

HauntedGraffiti wrote:

You know, to be fair, I think Murof has a point about the lethargy of the team. I suspect I'm not alone in being pretty fucking tired of the mental fragility of Kildare sides. I have to admit this is one area Meath have put us to shame over the years.

We frequently appear incapable of performing when it's actually expected of us. Top teams deal with being favourites and don't allow external factors to influence their concentration and focus. Also-rans under perform and whine about the weight of expectation.

Another area we need to improve in, along with approximately a dozen others.

If the weight of expectation of playing the worst Meath team in many decades in a Leinster semi final got to any one of the 20 players that took to the field for Kildare today well then they all need to give up football and start on the Prozac.

Was at the game and have now looked at it again as recorded.   We played our best football only after Meath had won the match and taken off their best players.  Full back line, Midfield and Half forward line wiped out for the first 45 minutes, game over. How Ollie Lyons did not go on Bray I will never know. 

Why have a county championship in Kildare at all if no player from the previous 2 S.F.C. winners ( Sarsfields in 2012 and Moorefield in 2013 ) are not considered good enough to start on the county team.  

That said I think Meath will be a lot closer to Dublin then most people think and if we avoid Tyrone in the next round we will win.

kelf wrote:

anyone see the 2 incidents on Paddy Brophy ? ?

A Meath man beside me said K Reilly punched him in the face, way off the ball, while Podge was lining up a  free (awarded for a kick on Brophy).

Soon after he fell over a ball down near Hill 16 & a  defender piled down on top of him, I thought he used his knees but from the Hogan I could not be certain. His back seemed to sieze up and he did not move even as the play paased close to him...............

I seen Paddy holding his face at one stage and I looked at the match again as I had it recorded he definitely went down on his back! Agree with most of the comments all thought Moolick ran himself into the ground and played well enough and don't think he deserves the criticism hes getting on this by some of the poster all though he shouldn't have took so many pot shots at one stage Leper was running beside him and he should have just fisted it to him and Leper would have hit it over, he attempted it and it went wide and maybe if someone else was on the end of the goal chances we might have got them, he got in them positions by non stop running so fair balls to him. We played shit today but could have won Smith had two goal chances and so did Moolich. I agree about Hurley he didn't try at all today and didn't play well against Louth the last day I wouldn't start him. I really don't wanna be too harsh on players but two players that McGeeney didn't rate were playing today both played class against Louth but today I don't think there good enough all though Cribbo played well enough. Out of the qualifier draw id rather Tyrone or Down if were good enough to stay in the championship we will if were not we wont.

So so disappointed today. For some reason I feel almost as empty as I did after the Down semi final..which was the most empty I've ever felt after a match. Just what do we have to do? We were always known as a team with good defenders and now that we've some decent forwards coming through we've no defence!

They say football is a religion in this county..well I'm seriously considering becoming an athirst...

You just know it'll be Tyrone. We still owe Down for 2010 but we'd need a complete change in defensive tactics to beat either Tyrone or Down.
Likelihood is we need to beat at least one of those two either in Rd 2 or Rd 3 the way the draw is structured.

Maybe it'll be Cavan and it'll be 2008?? again. A Phoenix-like rise from the ashes. Terribly disappointed today.