The Wee County’s qualification for the provincial decider and subsequent performance in the four-point defeat at Croke Park has many analysts taking the view that Louth are the second best team in Leinster right now, but Brennan feels it’s too soon to make such sweeping statements about his squad.
“One swallow never made a summer and at the moment that performance (against Dublin) was one swallow,” he said, speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash. “Really we need to start competing in the All-Ireland series and the latter stages of the championships.
“Looking at the teams that Louth have bet in the championship since 2018, we’ve only bet London, Carlow, Westmeath, Offaly, Wexford and Kildare. Outside of those six counties Louth haven’t bet anyone else, so now is a wonderful opportunity to go out and compete against Meath, the old enemy for Louth, and try to get one over them.
“But ultimately the lads are going to have to back up the performance during the Leinster campaign and some of the National League performances, and they’re going to have to be very consistent and professional in how they perform in the next few games, obviously starting off with Meath.
“If we can come out of the group stage and get to the knockouts of the All-Ireland series, then that is absolutely black and white progress.
“But tradition and history dictates that Meath have all the cards in their hands going into the match, just given that it’s been nearly 50 years since have bet Meath in the championship, and Louth haven’t managed to take any bigger scalps of the more traditional teams, so we have an opportunity to do that now over the next three games.”
Saturday’s clash is seem as a pivotal one for both counties as the other two contenders in group 4 are Kerry and Monaghan who both operated in Division 1 of the National League this year.
Meath will go into the game more rested, having had challenge matches against Cavan and Roscommon, preceded by a training camp in Portugal, and their manager Colm O’Rourke is talking up his side’s chances of progressing to the knockout stages.
“We would be very disappointed if we don’t get out of this group and I suppose we would be looking to win at least one game,” he said.
“We are very optimistic that the team is improving, that we’re in a healthy place, the players are in good form and that we should be able to qualify.”
