Meath manager Seamus McEnaney.

There may be trouble ahead for Royal County

What is it about the visit of Louth to Páirc Táilteann that gets the pulse racing? For many years Meath would have welcomed their neighbours safe in the knowledge that they were unlikely to be overly worried, but the events of the last few years have changed all that. Next Sunday Louth will travel to Navan looking to battle for their NFL Div 2 status. They must win to survive, but for Meath the situation is a little more complicated. A Meath loss will leave Seamus McEnaney praying for other results to go his way. For Meath to survive a loss to Louth they will need Westmeath to lose at home to Derry and Monaghan to lose against Tyrone in Omagh. All those equations can be put to bed with a Meath win, but on recent performances the probability of a win in Navan appears more remote than the possibility of wins for Derry and Tyrone. However, such has been the unpredictability of NFL Div 2 that it would not be too surprising if both Westmeath and Monaghan earned shock wins in Mullingar and Omagh. Both counties have had their fair share of shocks with Westmeath stunning Galway and Monaghan edging out Kildare, but on form it does appear that they are unlikely to have much success. Wins for Tyrone and Derry would ease the relegation worries for Meath, but would not placate the disappointment that has resurfaced following a string of disappointing results and even worse performances. The results have been shocking with four losses on the trot leaving Meath tied with tree other teams at the foot of the table, but apart from the performance in the loss to Kildare it has been the displays of the Meath team that have stunned supporters and questioned the advancement of Meath football. In recent games against Galway, Derry and Tyrone, Meath have got progressively worse. The team has gone from a swift, sharp attacking unit with a solid rearguard and steady midfield to a side that looks bereft of ideas, clumsy in possession, clueless without the ball and lacking in shape, hunger and desire. The manager has explained that the commitment and effort in training is as good as it has ever been in his short reign. He has no problems with the spirit in the camp and expects this current slump to turn around. He has adopted a Roberto Mancini approach to management by deflecting the blame for defeat onto himself. "It is my responsibility and the management's responsibility to take the best out of the players. We are very conscious that we haven't succeeded in doing that in the last two games. We wouldn't be hiding from that. I expect we will turn that around in the next two weeks for the Louth game," McEnaney said after the Tyrone game. It is honourable of the manager to accept the blame for not getting the best out of his players, but he must now find a solution or risk facing the biggest low in Meath football with a drop to Div 3. Meath need to go back to basics, do what they do best. The defence needs to be based on hard work, commitment to the tackle and a willingness to put their necks on the line. In an age of blanket attack and defence, Meath need to develop a gameplan and stick to it. Too often in recent games the Meath defensive plan appears to have been ad hoc. Paddy Gilsenan, Stephen Bray and Graham Reilly have done as much work at the back as they have done up front and that has led to a lack of attacking options when Meath do manage to break. Sticking with a two-man forward division is not working for Meath. Management might point to a 17.5 point scoring return in the first three games, but since then Meath have dipped rapidly with only one or two forwards managing to score from play per game. Against Tyrone, Meath managed just two points from play. Getting back to basics will reap benefits. Gilsenan is one of the best ball-winning corner-forwards in the country. Cian Ward has an outstanding turn of pace and potency that is under-utilised when he is left isolated as an attacker and flanked by three defenders. Bray has proven this year that he is back to his best and that makes him in the top six most dangerous attackers in the country while Graham Reilly has the potential to be just as good. By flooding their defence Meath invite trouble and that might prove costly against Louth. The Wee county have improved with each game in the league and they will come to Navan full of confidence following their thrilling draw away to Derry in the last round. Louth have drawn with Derry and Galway which is better than Meath managed. They only lost by six to Tyrone, while Meath slumped to a 10-point loss. Louth kicked 17 points against Kildare, Meath managed 11. Peter Fitzpaterick's side were hammered by Monaghan, but Meath were flattered by their margin of victory over the Farney county. All results point to a close contest. Revenge is still on the minds of the Louth players following the 2010 Leinster SFC final and last year's humiliating All-Ireland SFC qualifier loss in Cavan. If Louth bring their A game and Meath remain at the level they are at then there may be trouble ahead for McEnaney and his side.