NFL BUild UP: LOuth MOnaghan Preview

LOUTH Vs MONAGHAN 
Clones 2:30pm Sunday
 
The Under 21 game midweek was a nice distraction from the perils of Division 2. Where we’ve gone from good (first half v Armagh) to Bad (Armagh Draw and Laois loss) to Worse (Down humiliation)

And that’s it...I’ve drawn a line under those three performances and we are now officially moving on...

I don’t even care about relegation anymore...it is about getting our house in order and getting this group of players back on track for the sake of our championship because we can go no lower than last Saturday night.

We simply just have to take it game by game, half by half, minute by minute whatever it takes to get our confidence back. Confidence can come from the strangest places and Clones is as strange as place as I’ve been over the years.

It’s the perfect opportunity if you ask me, playing the current Ulster champions in their home patch. I don’t even think we will win and I am the eternal optimistic Louth fan. But like I said earlier this is not about 2 points or relegation it is about gaining confidence. So why not go out and have a go against a team we are expected to lose to and give them a really good rattle.

I’ll compare to when you are underage and you have to mark or be marked a player much older than you, nobody expects anything from you but when you do anything and I mean anything! The most mundane thing of getting a ball in front of your marker or breaking the ball, you are lauded for it!

That’s the scenario in Clones tomorrow (Sunday) we’re the raw young lad with nothing expected of us. Start from there and the confidence will grow and after that stranger things have happened...


Interesting Fact:
Stefan White won both Louth and Monaghan senior championship with the green and yellow of the Castleblayney Faughs and Clans. 

There will be 2 Paddy Keenan's on the pitch in Clones Sunday.
Alas, we haven't genetically morphed a dolly the Sheep version of the Louth player but Monaghan have a new player this year and his name is Padraic Keenan. Good player he is too!  Baaa baaaa



Things to expect:
-A Conor McManus dive, shameful habit he has.
-Our Under 21 contingent rested (hopefully).
-Derek Maguire goal and Louth’s first of the year
- Stealth-like long range free taking exhibition between Beggan and White and maybe Decie out of the hands 

 
Eternal optimist Warning:
I don't know why I do this to myself butttttttttttt


If we beat Monaghan we will join them on 3 points.

Then, all we need is the top 3 (Donegal,Down and Laois) to win 
which, is not out of the question 
and it would leave Galway and Meath below us 
and we'd also join Armagh on 3!

with Galway then to come at home,a nice bonding trip to Donegal away and then Meath at home last day.....we could stay up.....we can do this!!!!