If you where the new manager of a small county................

Right, its January the first and you have just taken over a small footballing county, moral is low adn there standing in the Gaa is lower, there is 30 lads there at training and they have not won a championship match in 4 years and even then it was against a small county too!!!! there playing division 4 football.

they have some good players but never seem to win much, moral is low, confidence is lower and now you have the chance to do something about it...............


how would you go about training them? what would your first speach be? what tactics would you deploy? what would you focus on in training?

rich dublin wrote:Right, its January the first and you have just taken over a small footballing county, moral is low adn there standing in the Gaa is lower, there is 30 lads there at training and they have not won a championship match in 4 years and even then it was against a small county too!!!! there playing division 4 football.

they have some good players but never seem to win much, moral is low, confidence is lower and now you have the chance to do something about it...............


how would you go about training them? what would your first speach be? what tactics would you deploy? what would you focus on in training?

Jaysus Rich - good one!! But it has to be easier than picking a team for the Fantasy game!

This is a good GAA speech though ...

1st of all I would take the whole team out somewhere on a team building exericse weekend get them to know each other a bit better, would prefer it if they didnt date afterwards.

Regular training sessions, as well as a couple of hours in the gym each week to build up their physicallity, not only that but exercise releases chemicals into the body and that makes some people feel good afterwards. So hopefully this will help build up their confidence a little.

Next thing I would do is get them to play team that I know they can beat, maybe club teams so they can build up momentum. Worked for Northern Ireland soccer team a few years ago...they went so many games without scoring a single goal and then that Sanchez fella stepped in, got the team playing against weaker countries...now they are on the verge of WC qualification.

Would be a lot stricter with them in training. Its is obvious to say that if you dont take control of the team then they just wont listen to you and it makes it even harder to regain their attention.

its easier than running it anyway thats for sure


if it was me my first speach would be this.............

Right lads, we are at the bottom, cant go much lower.. for the last few years this county has been the butt of all the other counties jokes....... ( pause look around at each and everyone of them in there eyes) who is at fault for this? the county board? the clubs? the former manager? the supporters? history? or is it time to forget the past?( said in a low tone) is it time to draw a line in the sand? is it time for the people in this room to take the reponsability on there own shoulders? is it time for each and everyone of us here to realise that winning a football game is not about anything other than are own attitude? ( tone getting slightly higher) is it now time for each of us to look in side are selfs and say enough is a fucking nuff? ( volume increase alittle again) is it now time for us all to look the person beside us in the eye and say from this day on i have your back, i will go that extra mile to help you out? i think now is that time......

( pause, look around the room again look in each players eyes) ( speak louder now) lads we have an oppurtunity to do something huge this year, we can not only win the league but we can do something great in the championship, but, it will take each person here to give everything they have and im not just talking about on the field, no we will eat right, live right..... ( louder) we will now take responsability for our own team, we will be disiplined both on and of the field, this is our team, our team-mates, no longer will we be pushed around ( louder) no longer will we be the joke around the place ( louder) NO FROM NOW ON WE ARE GOING TO LOOK, ACT AND BE CHAMPIONS.........

( pause look around at each player slowly) ( lower the sound) lads, it is up to us i see it in you all, the quality is there, the skilll is there the bloody team is there, from tonight on the passion ( louder) the fight ( louder) the will to win( louder) and the determanation, the ambision, disipline and the fucking desire to be the best will be here ( calm the voice down again) lads look at the person beside you, look at him ask your self is this now the time to make a stand, together????

( pause look around the room one more time) well lads? what do you say?

I assume the appointment would have been made a bit after their championship exit the previous year, so the first step for me would be well before January. All players start off on a clean slate and I would attend as many of their club championship as you can, see if there's much young talent rising through the ranks, and pick the players who are performing well rather than on reputation like they might have been before. There may be a bit of deadwood in the panel, so as I say everything starts on a level footing and you can judge them all on their performances. Perhaps hold trials around November time(forget about the training ban here!), or just start off with a large training squad and cut it down coming up to the league.

As for the training, I'd poach McElkennon off Banty and he'd fairly whip them into shape!

I would tell them they were fat and useless.

After every training I'd take them all to McDonalds or Supermacs. I'd tell them to eat a massive Full Irish every morning too.

Also, if Coronation Street or Eastenders was on at the same time of training, I'd let whoever wanted to miss it.

If they come to training, I'd be strict. We'd do drills to help them improve their soloing and foot pick up. Then shooting practise from 10 yards. Than a game across the pitch as opposed to length ways so they wouldn't get too tired.

Then, like I say, McDonalds or Supermacs, and wash that down with a few pints.

If someone's twenty first or someone was having a party the night before a game, I'd tell them to go and get locked and enjoy the party, don't worry about the game.

I think I'd make a good manager, you know.

Loyal2TheRoyal wrote:I would tell them they were fat and useless.

After every training I'd take them all to McDonalds or Supermacs. I'd tell them to eat a massive Full Irish every morning too.

Also, if Coronation Street or Eastenders was on at the same time of training, I'd let whoever wanted to miss it.

If they come to training, I'd be strict. We'd do drills to help them improve their soloing and foot pick up. Then shooting practise from 10 yards. Than a game across the pitch as opposed to length ways so they wouldn't get too tired.

Then, like I say, McDonalds or Supermacs, and wash that down with a few pints.

If someone's twenty first or someone was having a party the night before a game, I'd tell them to go and get locked and enjoy the party, don't worry about the game.

I think I'd make a good manager, you know.

Jeeze Loyal - I didn't realise you were the current Meath manager!!!

After My great speach, pumping up the players and having them all motivated i would then turn my attentions to training, first and foremost, FITNESS, under my command no player will turn up to training with out being in a physically fit condition ( injured players are obviously exempt) the fitness of any of the players is there responsability, therefore we will do a * bleep test* rate the players, give them a fitness workout sheet which will be personally fitted to each players individual needs, they would have to complete all the work work thenselves in there own time.

At training we would work on the skills of the game, intense drills based on tight sections where the players will be subjected to hard hitting hand-passing games to improve there ability to hold on to and controll the ball in close contact.

also intense ckick passing games desined to increase each players ability to pass acuratly under pressure.

defensive drills for all the panel along with scoring drills and forward tactical drills.

work done on organising a game plan around our own kick-out, where the whole team knows what the Keeper will do depending on the signal he gives.

these are the basics that i will instill in the team through-out the league, the will be judged every two weeks on there fitness, which will be improving everytime because of the work they will be doing on there own, while everything they do in training will be with a ball even the running will be done with a ball in hand so there controll over the ball will be increasing with each passing week..................................

thats for the league

As a player on Rich's team I would tell him to shove his bleep'ing bleep test up his bleep'in bleep. I'm only here for the free gear and the trip to Mosney at the end of the year.
Now bleep off and pass me that cheese burger.

I breathalise the players every evening before training. I would bring them up the mountains and spend 2 hours with them running up and down the mountains(The more rain the better). Anybody with a negative attitude get rid of them in front of everybody at training. A strong but fair stance and shows the players where you stand.

also as an extra team building exercise i would give each player an envolope each month with a task they must do which will benifit the team, they may be things like bringing music for the team bus to calling one of the younger players up just to say hi, all sorts of little things which will unite the team slowly but surely so by the end of are hard league champaigne we are top of the league unbeaten, feeling good flying, there fit, healthy, happy playing football for there county for the first time in years, there skills will have improved no-end under my careful watch, slowly i see them starting to believe in eachother. when they move from one drill to another, no longer do they walk they sprint,
training starts at 8, there on the pitch warming up at 7.45, this team is four weeks from championship, there flying..............................................................................................................


time for a challenge........................................... we pick Kerry!!!!!

I'd put together a little blue book meself ........

When i read this thread first i thought someone was on to me, anyhow you aren't and i'm happy again!!!!

Jayo, i'd say you have more than just a wee blue book stored away in 'the collection'!!!

bald eagle wrote:When i read this thread first i thought someone was on to me, anyhow you aren't and i'm happy again!!!!

Well - our resident detectives - it's quite obvious we have been given a clue here - and nobody picked up on it.

We appear to have some level of intercounty boss in our midst ....

rich dublin wrote:Right, its January the first and you have just taken over a small footballing county, moral is low adn there standing in the Gaa is lower, there is 30 lads there at training and they have not won a championship match in 4 years and even then it was against a small county too!!!! there playing division 4 football.

they have some good players but never seem to win much, moral is low, confidence is lower and now you have the chance to do something about it...............


how would you go about training them? what would your first speach be? what tactics would you deploy? what would you focus on in training?

Hey Rich, is this necessary on the main board and the Rossies a mere 10 days away?
You could have sent a PM or some other message. You want me to explain in public the methods we're using to overturn the Sheepstealers - come on.
I'll drop you a line Monday week with the full programme.
Yours in being secretive,
Mickey Moran.