Official Cavan GAA Thread

[anglocelt39]

Wasn't at the game so won't try to comment. Thanks for the reports.

Two points from Clerkins interview with Hannon on Saturday stood out to me:
1. Number of players we've used in the past 10 years;
2. Hannons reckoning that you need to be about 22/23 to cope physically at championship level.

On point one, just a few names of lads that have played in defence only for the County in the last three years alone-Dunne Mcenroe, Barkey Tighe Carroll Minagh O'Dowd Flanagan by 2 McCormack Waters Damian Reilly Maloney Derham Meehan Podge McKeever Sheridan Clarke Mccutcheon McGuigan Corr. This amount of chopping and changing is absolutely F!"£"£ing insane folks and I'm sure there's a few I've missed out on. Sorry from yesterday throw in Clarke and McLoughlin. How can you develop a defensive system or setup if the lads playing don't know if Ant and Dec will be lining out either side of them next week.

Part of the chopping and changing has to be due to the amount of management changes. So stop that merry go round. Give Terry, Forde and a backup team at least three years and make sure everybody knows that. Set them serious objectives to be division 2 by end year 3 and winning 3/4 championship games per year (Ulster plus qualifiers). From there get them to assemble a group of 45/50 lads to work with based on honest one to one communication as to what's expected from players and what they can expect in return.

Trawl the county for a dozen or so lads that are 25 year old plus and get them in based on them having an honest assessment of their roles in a panel. Do some extra work in lads that have not come through the development squads route. There are players out there, they might respond to a stable, well run outfit.

I know it's early days for the new management team and they have done outstanding work at underage level but I would be a small bit concerned at one or two selection decisions yesterday. I'm delighted to hear that Clarke and McLouglin played well but would worry that they could get destroyed by a seasoned inter county player at a later stage. Last time I remember two outstanding championship debuts by 19 year olds was Lyng and Gaynor in 2004, could be at their peak now........Jasus it's time we learnt that lesson-John Tierney, Paddy Brady, Pierson, Mackey, Hannon etc. etc. etc. Put in too soon and burned out.

The futures bright I'm sure the management team can manage it well. Next 5 or 6 weeks will be tricky I'd say blokes like Keating, Givney and a few others could be targets for tempting offers Stateside, hope they stick around.

Apologies for rambling on I'll sign off for a while and will post a report if any qualifier fixtures in the deep south

[tommysmith]

I dont think any lads will get burnt out playing for Cavan for at least 3-4 years.

[anglocelt39]

I dont think any lads will get burnt out playing for Cavan for at least 3-4 years.

It wasn't playing for Cavan that would have burned any of those lads out. It might have been playing for Cavan underage and senior, playing for Club underage and senior and playing colleges, getting injured coming back too early etc. Glad to clear that up for you.

[tommysmith]

I dont think any lads will get burnt out playing for Cavan for at least 3-4 years.

It wasn't playing for Cavan that would have burned any of those lads out. It might have been playing for Cavan underage and senior, playing for Club underage and senior and playing colleges, getting injured coming back too early etc. Glad to clear that up for you.

Sure we are no different than any other county and it would be worse in counties where lads are playing both hurling and football.  The lads you named three of them picked up bad injuries and the other two would still be there if they were good enough.

[gortnaleck]

Any chance someone would give a report on the minor game
Also I saw where Ben Kiernan did not start. Was that a surprise. Last thing,where could I
watch a video of the senior game.

[Westside]

The minor game was very disappointing. Donegal looked much stronger than us physically and we never recovered from the goal where Donegal's huge full forward shrugged off Conor Smith and hammered home. Ben Kiernan came on in the second half and changed the game for Cavan, he made at least 2 excellent long range pin point point passes which led directly to scores, got a sweet point from the left wing and made 2/3 great turnovers. All in the space of about 20 minutes.
Very disappointing that they lost. Let's hope we don't fall back into the trend of having promising teams who fail to deliver.

[BallyhaiseMan]

We aren't going to win every provincial title at Minor and under 21, so i wouldn't fret too much over it.
It was disappointing yes,but there are a number of those players that are going to contribute to the under 21's next year;
Conor Smith(whom despite the slip up for the goal,is an outstanding defender), He was giving away too much height to the full forward,the Donegal number 8,so there should have been a change in marking arrangements)
Gerard Smith at wing back looks like a class act
Michael Argue and Liam Buchanon around the centre field area,
Ben Kiernan and Conor Madden up front all look very promising and really stood out for me.
The work is being done from under 14 up,and we will pick up Ulster titles and hopefully an odd All Ireland every so often,i am sure of that.

[Westside]

Anyone know if Martin Dunne was actually out injured for the game on Sunday or was he just not selected for the panel?

[mylestheslasher]

Anyone know if Martin Dunne was actually out injured for the game on Sunday or was he just not selected for the panel?

Don't know for certain but that is what I was told. There is a twit on hoganstand (i know but i can't help reading the idiots over there) called gaelsutd that has declared he was not injured. Mind you this guy has made so many wrong statements as fact that i'd totally disregard everything he says.

I see on the same site Keating and McKeever have promised the lads are going back training this week and are going to give the qualifiers a good rattle. I think the 5/6 weeks might stand to some of them, especially the fitness of one or two of them and hopefully a good draw and we might get a day or two out yet this year.

[tommysmith]

I think the 5/6 weeks might stand to some of them, especially the fitness of one or two of them and hopefully a good draw and we might get a day or two out yet this year.

And that would be progess and what most right minded people would  be happy with at start of year.

[Westside]

Yes that's what I'm going on too. Gaelsutd simply posts to tell blatant lies pulled out of his arse (Keating transferring to the Gaels, multiple lies about SJ etc) but it did get me wondering. I would assume he must have been injured.

Good to see the lads showing some enthusiasm about the qualifiers. I just hope we don't get some of the big guns and get a hammering. But a chance for this team to go out and play ball without worrying about breaking through a blanket defence would be great. I would be hugely disappointed with a big change in personnel like last year. 2/3 changes is enough.

[tommysmith]

Yeah i think two changes would be enough.

[mylestheslasher]

Anyone know was ronan Flanagan injured. I thought he had a poor game and looked very flat but he has always been a great player for us so I assumed it was injury or sickness or the like.

[tommysmith]

Anyone know was ronan Flanagan injured. I thought he had a poor game and looked very flat but he has always been a great player for us so I assumed it was injury or sickness or the like.

He is out of his depth, afraid to shoot and when he gets the ball he never runs at goal always goes sideways or backways.

That might seem harsh on the lad but i have watched him  the last few years after someone else said it to me and the above is true.

[mylestheslasher]

Anyone know was ronan Flanagan injured. I thought he had a poor game and looked very flat but he has always been a great player for us so I assumed it was injury or sickness or the like.

He is out of his depth, afraid to shoot and when he gets the ball he never runs at goal always goes sideways or backways.

That might seem harsh on the lad but i have watched him  the last few years after someone else said it to me and the above is true.

I think it is bit harsh tommy mainly because he is a back in my book and due to his versatility ends up playing all over the place.