WHEN CLARE MEET Meath in the qualifiers on Saturday, two of the longest-serving inter-county managers will face-off on the sideline.
Clare manager Colm Collins with Meath manager Andy McEntee in 2019. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Between them, Andy McEntee and Colm Collins have 14 years of senior inter-county management put down.
Whatever about Collins, who mulled over his future in the past couple of winters, defeat is almost certain to spell the end of McEntee’s six-year tenure in Meath.
McEntee’s future looked uncertain last October when the executive of the county board voted against him staying on for 2022. He ultimately received the backing to remain in place after the proposal to remove him received just 36% of the vote from county board delegates, well shy of the 60% required.
It wasn’t quite an emphatic vote of confidence in him. Results on the field this season haven’t done much to dispel the notion that a change of voice might do Meath no harm.
Given how the league went for the Royals, few expected them to put up much of a fight against Dublin in the Leinster semi-final. Yet the lack of physical edge, the absence of any appetite for the battle, were further signs that Meath’s best days under McEntee have come and gone.
Dublin had the game iced by half-time when they brought in a 15-point lead into the break.
In his post-game briefing, the Meath boss seemed exasperated, rather than angry, at the result.
“Disappointed. The same sort of performance as last year and similar result.”
A year earlier, Meath went in 11 points down at half-time after a dismal opening 35 minutes. They managed to summon something in the second-half and fought back to within three as the game entered stoppage-time. Dublin played keep-ball and eventually won by six.
In hindsight, it was an early warning sign of Dublin’s poor form in 2021 rather than an indication that Meath were getting closer to the old enemy.
This time around there was no inspired resurgence after the interval.
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McEntee with Dublin manager Dessie Farrell after the recent Leinster semi-final. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
It must be said that Meath made real strides under the former All-Ireland winning club manager.
He brought in highly-rated coach Colm Nally and they always tried to play a progressive style. Talents like Donal Keogan, Cillian O’Sullivan and Bryan Menton played the best football of their careers under McEntee.
Keogan was given the freedom to bomb forward from the half-back line and did man-marking jobs on key opponents. O’Sullivan became the Meath’s hard-running playmaker on the half-forward line. Menton physical power and aerial ability saw him thrive at centre-field.
They reached the Super 8s in 2019 and played in Division 1 in 2020.
The problem was every time they seemed to gain momentum, Dublin came along and beat them to a pulp.
They met the Sky Blues in successive Leinster finals in 2019 and 2020, and in semi-finals the past two seasons. Meath lost those games by an accumulative 56 points, so it’s no surprise there’s mental scarring there.
“We have suffered at Dublin’s hands for the last, not just my tenure but before that, and there has been a lot of guys there for a lot of those defeats, so I guess it is a possibility,” admitted McEntee.
His tenure peaked in 2019. Meath finished top of Division 2 after winning six games to achieve promotion to the top flight for the first time in 13 years.
They narrowly lost the league final to Donegal in Croke Park. A heavy 1-17 to 0-4 Leinster final defeat threatened to derail Meath’s season, but they recovered to beat Clare in a round 4 qualifier in Portlaoise.
That win over Saturday’s opponents might have been the high-point of McEntee’s reign. It sealed their path into the last eight of the All-Ireland series for the first time since 2010.
More importantly, it guaranteed a place in the Super 8s where Meath were handed three high-profile fixtures in the business end of the championship. They were placed into a group of death alongside Kerry, Mayo and Donegal, though never lost a game by double-digits against three genuine All-Ireland contenders.
They gave credible performances in all three games, even if they finished the group stage without a point.
Cillian O’Sullivan has been a leading figure for Meath under McEntee. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Meath had already been relegated from Division 1 when Covid struck the following March and the county season was put on hold. When they returned to league action in October, they pushed Dublin to the pin of their collar in Parnell Park.
Dublin won by four points but there was plenty of reason for McEntee to be optimistic.
The way they troubled Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs, the physicality they brought, and the performances of youngsters Shane Walsh, Jordan Morris and Cathal Hickey indicated things were looking good for the Royals.
The lack of a second chance meant their season ended over the past two seasons when they came up against Dublin in Leinster.
In 2020 they suffered a 3-21 to 0-9 pasting to the Dubs in the Leinster final. The margin was six points last year, but they were denied the opportunity to build in the qualifiers.
Earlier in the year, they missed out on a return to Division 1 after losing a play-off to Kildare.
Are these the final days for McEntee in charge of Meath? Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
A wave of optimism swept over Meath football at the tail-end of 2021. The ladies were crowned All-Ireland champions and the men’s minor team lifted their third Leinster title in four years.
The appointment of former Australian Super Rugby strength and conditioning coach Barry Horgan as general manager to oversee the physical development of underage squads was another sign the county were getting their house in order.
However, Meath stuttered in the league this year. Taking 45 minutes to score against Galway was a bad start. They didn’t win a game in Division 2 until round 5, before a fortunate late draw with Offaly and wins over Cork and Clare pulled them clear of the relegation battle.
Given the off-season boardroom drama and the fact his latest three-year term ends at the end of this season, it’s likely McEntee is in the twilight of his time as Meath manager.
However, taking out the heavy losses to Dublin, the criticism of his tenure appears to be harsh.
“Guys have a decision to make now, how much we want this,” he said after the Dublin game. “We have a big challenge to get guys back.”
Many will fancy Clare, playing at home, to advance to the last 12 on Saturday.
But there might yet be a sting Meath’s tail.
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Defeat to Clare could spell the end of McEntee's reign in Meath
WHEN CLARE MEET Meath in the qualifiers on Saturday, two of the longest-serving inter-county managers will face-off on the sideline.
Between them, Andy McEntee and Colm Collins have 14 years of senior inter-county management put down.
Whatever about Collins, who mulled over his future in the past couple of winters, defeat is almost certain to spell the end of McEntee’s six-year tenure in Meath.
McEntee’s future looked uncertain last October when the executive of the county board voted against him staying on for 2022. He ultimately received the backing to remain in place after the proposal to remove him received just 36% of the vote from county board delegates, well shy of the 60% required.
It wasn’t quite an emphatic vote of confidence in him. Results on the field this season haven’t done much to dispel the notion that a change of voice might do Meath no harm.
Given how the league went for the Royals, few expected them to put up much of a fight against Dublin in the Leinster semi-final. Yet the lack of physical edge, the absence of any appetite for the battle, were further signs that Meath’s best days under McEntee have come and gone.
Dublin had the game iced by half-time when they brought in a 15-point lead into the break.
In his post-game briefing, the Meath boss seemed exasperated, rather than angry, at the result.
“Disappointed. The same sort of performance as last year and similar result.”
A year earlier, Meath went in 11 points down at half-time after a dismal opening 35 minutes. They managed to summon something in the second-half and fought back to within three as the game entered stoppage-time. Dublin played keep-ball and eventually won by six.
In hindsight, it was an early warning sign of Dublin’s poor form in 2021 rather than an indication that Meath were getting closer to the old enemy.
This time around there was no inspired resurgence after the interval.
It must be said that Meath made real strides under the former All-Ireland winning club manager.
He brought in highly-rated coach Colm Nally and they always tried to play a progressive style. Talents like Donal Keogan, Cillian O’Sullivan and Bryan Menton played the best football of their careers under McEntee.
Keogan was given the freedom to bomb forward from the half-back line and did man-marking jobs on key opponents. O’Sullivan became the Meath’s hard-running playmaker on the half-forward line. Menton physical power and aerial ability saw him thrive at centre-field.
They reached the Super 8s in 2019 and played in Division 1 in 2020.
The problem was every time they seemed to gain momentum, Dublin came along and beat them to a pulp.
They met the Sky Blues in successive Leinster finals in 2019 and 2020, and in semi-finals the past two seasons. Meath lost those games by an accumulative 56 points, so it’s no surprise there’s mental scarring there.
“We have suffered at Dublin’s hands for the last, not just my tenure but before that, and there has been a lot of guys there for a lot of those defeats, so I guess it is a possibility,” admitted McEntee.
His tenure peaked in 2019. Meath finished top of Division 2 after winning six games to achieve promotion to the top flight for the first time in 13 years.
They narrowly lost the league final to Donegal in Croke Park. A heavy 1-17 to 0-4 Leinster final defeat threatened to derail Meath’s season, but they recovered to beat Clare in a round 4 qualifier in Portlaoise.
That win over Saturday’s opponents might have been the high-point of McEntee’s reign. It sealed their path into the last eight of the All-Ireland series for the first time since 2010.
More importantly, it guaranteed a place in the Super 8s where Meath were handed three high-profile fixtures in the business end of the championship. They were placed into a group of death alongside Kerry, Mayo and Donegal, though never lost a game by double-digits against three genuine All-Ireland contenders.
They gave credible performances in all three games, even if they finished the group stage without a point.
Meath had already been relegated from Division 1 when Covid struck the following March and the county season was put on hold. When they returned to league action in October, they pushed Dublin to the pin of their collar in Parnell Park.
Dublin won by four points but there was plenty of reason for McEntee to be optimistic.
The way they troubled Stephen Cluxton’s kick-outs, the physicality they brought, and the performances of youngsters Shane Walsh, Jordan Morris and Cathal Hickey indicated things were looking good for the Royals.
The lack of a second chance meant their season ended over the past two seasons when they came up against Dublin in Leinster.
In 2020 they suffered a 3-21 to 0-9 pasting to the Dubs in the Leinster final. The margin was six points last year, but they were denied the opportunity to build in the qualifiers.
Earlier in the year, they missed out on a return to Division 1 after losing a play-off to Kildare.
A wave of optimism swept over Meath football at the tail-end of 2021. The ladies were crowned All-Ireland champions and the men’s minor team lifted their third Leinster title in four years.
The appointment of former Australian Super Rugby strength and conditioning coach Barry Horgan as general manager to oversee the physical development of underage squads was another sign the county were getting their house in order.
However, Meath stuttered in the league this year. Taking 45 minutes to score against Galway was a bad start. They didn’t win a game in Division 2 until round 5, before a fortunate late draw with Offaly and wins over Cork and Clare pulled them clear of the relegation battle.
Given the off-season boardroom drama and the fact his latest three-year term ends at the end of this season, it’s likely McEntee is in the twilight of his time as Meath manager.
However, taking out the heavy losses to Dublin, the criticism of his tenure appears to be harsh.
“Guys have a decision to make now, how much we want this,” he said after the Dublin game. “We have a big challenge to get guys back.”
Many will fancy Clare, playing at home, to advance to the last 12 on Saturday.
But there might yet be a sting Meath’s tail.
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Andy McEntee Royal appointment Meath