Problems much more deep rooted than Gormley

Distracted since Sunday about Antrim's tame performance which cost them a chance to escape from the bowels of Division 4 football.
Another year condemned to playing London, Kilkenny and even the 'mighty' Waterford who blew away what looked like certain promotion for the Saffrons is hardly an appetising prospect.
Already there is some discontent among the natives about Antrim boss Jody Gormley who only a couple of weeks ago some saw as being the Messiah of Antrim football.
Well I have to admit to being no fan of Gormley, last year Antrim played some of the most negative football I have seen for long many a day against Derry in the Ulster championship at Casement Park.
They seemed interested from the start only in keeping the margin of the defeat down and made little effort other than a brief flurry before half time to try and go and win the game.
The Antrim defenders were out in front of their markers, great says you shows ambition, the only problem was that they were faced back towards their own goal staring hopefully into the eyes of their opponent hoping for a clue about where they intended to make their run.
I honestly don't know is it possible to tell something about the flight of the ball by looking straight into someone's eyes, maybe you can be trained to catch the reflection of the ball in there, but it seemed all about stopping the man running rather than getting their own hands on the leather.
I thought to paraphrase Spillane, puke football at its worst and I said at the time there is no future in that.
However, I don't subscribe to the notion that Gormley is to blame for where Antrim football is at the moment. I wish the only problem was to find a new manager who would take us to the promised land but we are not even anywhere near it.
Much more needs to be done in the coaching of our youngsters, only a few progressive clubs are really working at it, that's why St Galls and Cargin are so far ahead of the pack and why Gorts have become a force to be reckoned with.
Our biggest weakness however is in the colleges.
When I was a young footballer Belfast boasted two good college teams, St Malachy's and St Mary's. Under Derry star Phil Stuart St Malachy's reached successive Rannafast finals, won the MacRory Cup and lost the Hogan Cup to three goals in the last eight minutes while St Mary's too were knocking on the door to success until the mid '70s.
Today St Malachy's is a soccer and basketball school, St Mary's are still in competition but not at the races and I think the fact that we have had no success at Corn na n-Og, Rannafast or MacCrory Cups is a big factor why there are so few Antrim lads on either of the Queen's or UUJ Sigerson sides.
Many of the top county footballers in the country cut their teeth in these schools, colleges and university competitions, it gives them experience of a different level of football, of pressure games, the type of game which Antrim flaked in on Sunday.
The days when dedicated teachers in these schools are going to promote the games unsupported are over.
If we are to progress in Antrim the county board and the clubs are going to have to find a way to develop our young players in the schools, and not just in the two big grammar schools, but throughout the secondary level if we are to be able to compete again at the top level.
That's a big project which will take a lot of time and commitment but it beats waiting on a manager to take us out of Division 4.