'At this age you don't want to create robots' - Minor manager Morgan looks to season ahead

Let's imagine, for a moment, you're the manager of an inter-county football team. Your job is to put a squad together and get the troops ready for the start of the championship. Straightforward enough you might think but as Stephen Morgan knows only too well it's more complicated than that. Much more.

Morgan is the manager of the Meath minor team for 2023 and he knows that these days a lot of factors are involved in running a team. In the past it was about selecting the best group of players, getting them fit and putting them out there. Now there is as much science involved as football skills; as much technology as talent.

There is all sorts of balancing acts involved and one of them relates to the contentious issue of player burn-out. Talented players at college-going age level are often in huge demand, torn between duties at college, club and inter-county levels. The demands on the age group below them, at minor level, might be less onerous but Morgan insists they still need to be carefully monitored.

"The demands of college football wouldn't affect us but all our lads would be playing senior and junior football in their secondary schools and we would monitor their loading to a very high degree every week. We would wind down their training sessions in line with what they are doing with their schools," he says.

"I feel schools football is very important for the lads. They treat their schools like their club, there's a good comraderie in schools football. There are five coaches in our backroom team and we all take it on ourselves to look after the lads. We're in touch with the schools on a regular basis."

With his own Curragh-based electrical company to run Morgan is not short of things to do but he's driven to try and do his bit for Meath football.

He was in charge of the county u-16s last season and now he is at the helm of the minor management team that also includes selectors Justin Carry-Lynch, Timmy O'Regan, Fintan O'Brien and team co-ordinator John Leonard. The team captain is Eamon Armstrong who has played under-age soccer for Ireland.

They are backed up by a plethora of experts such as S&C coach (Barry Horgan) and nutritionist (David Tobin). "It's important they get proper education on how the players look after their bodies," he adds. He also feels minor football should stay at u-17 level pointing out that this year three of the 30 players are doing their leaving. A year older all the players would be sitting the exam.

From a group of 65 players who were looked at last year a panel of 30 players has been put together for this year but, right now, that's a moving feast. Some players who sparkle in schools competitions could be added while others may drop out for one reason or another.

The big focus is Wednesday 5th April when Meath take on Westmeath in the Leinster MFC. Until then the squad will continue their preparations with a series of regular training sessions and challenge games. With no development league format in Leinster Morgan & Co have to rely on challenge games and already they have played a number of them against teams like Roscommon, Down, Mayo and Monaghan.

The score was, Morgan suggests, irrevalent to an extent in these games. What is important is that the players enjoy themselves and play fun-filled, attacking football. There's no parking the bus.

"At this age you don't want to create robots, we are not bound by any system. The lads play front-foot football, they play with their heads up and move the ball from D to D as quick as they can.

"I wouldn't impose any blanket defence systems or anything like that on lads at this age. You just need to develop strong, athletic, bilateral footballers, who are adaptable, capable of playing any brand of football when they go up to senior club football or with their college teams."

Morgan certainly knows a thing or two about getting the best out of a group of players. He was manager of the Curraha team that won the Meath JFC in 2015 and progressed to the All-Ireland JFC semi-final where they were beaten by the powerful Kerry side Templenoe. He was also at the helm as the 'Ha claimed the IFC in 2017 and subsequently made it to the knock-out phase of the SFC. Glory days.

Now he wants to use whatever experience he has garnered over the years to get the best out of this group of players but it won't be straightforward - or easy. That's part of the challenge.

The Meath MFC panel - Andrew Gormley (Gaeil Colmcille), Ben Corkery (Clann na nGael), Billy Smyth (Skryne), Cian Commons (Seneschalstown), Ciaran O'Hare (Rathkenny), Cormac Liggan (Dunsany), David Donnelly (Bective), Jamie McCormack (Dunboyne), John Gormley (Gaeil Colmcille), John Harkin (Dunboyne), Liam Jennings (Blackhall Gaels), Michael McIvor (St Vincent's), Noaise Maguire (St Colmcille's), Oisin O'Neill (Dunderry), Oisin Yore (Carnaross), Oliver Maloney (Walterstown), Padraig Walsh (Trim), Patrick White (Ratoath), Rory Crawley (Oldcastle), Sean McNulty (Dunboyne), Tom Lenehan (Skryne), Eamon Armstrong (Duleek/Bellewstown), Pat Crawley (Oldcastle), Jamie Norris (Seneschalstown), Conor Black (St Pat's), Tom Sheridan (Oldcastle), Cillian Yore (St Ultan's), Sean McLoughlin (Dunderry), Manny Magno (Slane), Braydon Colfer (Slane), Cian Duggan (Dunboyne). Management team - Stephen Morgan; coaches/selectors - Justin Carry Lynch (Gaeil Colmcille), Timmy O'Regan (Donaghmore/Ashbourne), Fintan O'Brien (St Mary's); Goalkeeping coach - Timmy Reddy (Gaeil Colmcille); Team Coordinator - John Leonard.