Young Leitrim team needs time to develop admits manager Poacher

Steven Poacher believes that a young Leitrim team can reach higher standards ahead of next Sunday’s visit of Kildare to Ballinamore’s Pairc Sheain Ui Eslin but it will take time and immense dedication to the game to get to the required level needed to compete at the highest level.

In aftermath of last Saturday’s 3-20 to 0-6 loss to Laois, the Leitrim manager admits that his team are up against it when the Lilywhites come to town, Kildare top of the division after two games and seemingly already headed back to Division 2.

“Let's call it a spade a spade - Kildare are a Division 1 team and that's the bottom line,” said the Leitrim manager when asked about how the Leitrim players can pick themselves up after the demoralising loss to Laois, “They're a top 12 team in this country. Kildare should be contesting Leinster titles. 

“Kildare should be in the last eight of the Sam Maguire, Kildare should be looking at winning provincial titles. That's where Kildare are at and that's the reality and I've said that for a long time. I think Brian Flanagan maybe this year has come in and maybe he's going to start obviously changing that mindset and changing that perception in Kildare football because Kildare football has some fantastic footballers.”

It means that Leitrim, who lost to Kildare in last year’s Tailteann Cup group stages on a 1-16 to 0-12 scoreline, are expecting a difficult afternoon: “They're coming here next Sunday and we’re under no illusions, It's going to be very, very difficult. They've got a fantastic array of talent. Offensive threat everywhere. Pace, power, athleticism. That's what we're trying to get to but it takes time. It takes time and young lads have got to understand as well to be an inter-county footballer at this level.”

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Understanding that is key to the development of this young Leitrim squad: “You need to make sacrifices. You need to commit. You need to be dedicated to your S&C, dedicated to your recovery, dedicated to your conditioning, everything. The psychological side of the game, the mental side, everything. You need to be throwing your heart and soul and that's where inter-county football is at and if we want to get to those levels, that's what we have to do.”