Laois Match reaction

Before the first two games good start, confidence were key to our survival

lets mark our block of two games out of four on the good start scale.

4/4 ehhh no.
3/4 still too high.
2/4 hmmm nope 50% is a pass and if this was an exam we've failed.
1/4 seems about right.
0/4 not that bad we did make a start at least.

1/4 yep that’s about right...and would you believe, that is same amount of points we've accumulated out of the four available.

We are now staring down the barrel of a relegation gun.

and

It is all of our own doing, we have no body else to blame but, ourselves.

Half flying Flag

Tactic's 
Again yesterday we didn't get them right. I tweeted that both sides are not getting the best of each other! Management are not getting it spot on and Players are half buying into it.
(It being the tactics and gameplan)


Example of this miscommunication is seen in the first half, with the wind on our backs you keep it tight and make it as difficult as possible for the opposition to score management sets us up defensively but its the players who let Laois in for 2 goals.

Another example, in the Second half, chasing a lead we still play with an extra defender andddd they are a man down! 
I understand that we might want to build from the back play a running game that worked to a certain extent but you also need the options inside to vary the attacks and keep them guessing we had Derek maguire in there on his own, the player who loves an early quick delivery it just didn't make sense and in the end we were really easy to defend against and, there was no chance of us ever creating a goal chance thats two games on the trot now.




Free Taker 
After an amazing rally, we patiently took our time in possession and worked scores. Methodically we had them down to 1 point with 10 to go. At this point the game was in the melting pot and we were building up the pressure and turning up the heat all we need was an ice cold free taker on the pitch to see us through. Like Ronan O'Gara would do for Ireland,come in last 10 and see the team over the line. Responsibility was left at the hands of PK which was completely wrong by management. Basically they hung him out to dry. Made him the scapegoat. 
How?
When AOR took off our free taker on the day Declan Byrne, we played the last 16 mins of the game with no freetaker on the left hand side.
Made us even easier to defend and the Laois defence knew to foul us on that side of the pitch.

To go back to rugby again, when the forward pack works there ass off to win a penalthy and the out half misses the 3 points. It is a blow to the team but it is demoralising for the hardworking forwards. Thats what happened us yesterday. the opposite happened Laois they got a great boost from the misses and when they scored theirs the otherend they were bolstered by it. 

Sure enough, we are really working hard for scores this season without Lenno, White and Ciaran Byrne but we knew this and in fairness Judge, Maguire and Byrne have stepped up but management can make it easier on us by having a freetaker there to finish!

Personal touch 
So the big question is, if Management knew that Decie Byrne was our freetaker on the day already 3 points to his name, taken off?

Second game in a row now too. To me and to everyone else watching it's a personal issue between manager and player because his performances so far have been consistent, he's even taken on the role of freetaker too with ease and he is certainly able to last the full 70 minutes, fitness is not an issue with decie!

So Aidan O'Rourke as manager has to cut out the BS and do whatever it takes to get a win, putting his issues aside.

Likewise with Darren Clarke, he may not fit into AOR's system of hard working forwards but yesterday, we had the extra man we could have allowed for Darren to stay inside and when we needed someone to kick a free most who better than the counties all time top scorer!!!
and, dare I say it, a lad who isn't even on the panel, who can also strike a nice free and really should be still involved but isn't by current managements choice is, Jim McEneaney!!! 


Luckily now, we have a break till the Down game. The lads and management have time to put the differences aside. 
Be honest with each other and clear the lines of communication.

Be objective. focus only on getting Louth football winning again because make no doubts about it, we are now in the middle of relegation dogfight.

With 5 games to go. we can do this. 
We got ourselves in this mess and We'll get ourselves out of it.


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