Official Cavan GAA Thread

[lynchbhoy]

well done on a great year lads and despite being disappointed with sunday's result, the second half was no mere moral victory.
Went some way to make up for 97 imo where only the great B Morris took the game to kerry throughout the entire 70 mins.

Some of the lads on sunday made bad mistakes, esp looking to try difficult passes and others not making the same runs as they would have done or not making them hard enough because they might have lacked deep self confidence as they may have been marking the best man marker in the country.
put these down to experience and more time as a unit under hyland, these lads will get better and do the simple things (well) next time out in croker.
also with improvement Hyland wont have to adopt as negative/defensive a strategy.
dont kill me, but this is similar to harte and tyrone pre-2003.
they were ultra (puke football labelled) defensive, but as they imrpoved, they threw off a lot of those defensive shackles.

I wish you lads well, as Cavan on Sunday gave me a lot of pride about all that is good in Gaelic football if not gaelic games.
With a huge gra for Cavan (maybe I shouldnt have after being married to a Cavan lady for well over a decade) since befriending many Cavan lads in my college days , I was delighted to see Hylands heroes bring the pride back to Cavan.

Dont knock players in the squad. They gave their all and despite some that might have movie star looks and like the craic, this bunch dont seem to be the big headed eejits that often peppered prev Cavan squads with potential.

Hope you get out of Div three and continue the Cavan revolution next season (apart from when you play Derry)!

mylesthestlasher yer still a b***x 

[tommysmith]

This could be the team to win Ulster in 2014


1. O'Mara
2. McLoughlin
3. Dunne
4. Clarke
5. McEnroe
6. Moynagh
7. McVeety
8. Argue
9. McKiernan
10. Mackey
11.McDermott
12. F Flanagan
13. Brady
14. Tierney
15. Dunne

Gilsenan
Givney
Keating
G Smith
T Hayes
T Corr
Madden
A Clarke
R Flanagan
E Reilly

[orangeman]

This could be the team to win Ulster in 2014


1. O'Mara
2. McLoughlin
3. Dunne
4. Clarke
5. McEnroe
6. Moynagh
7. McVeety
8. Argue
9. McKiernan
10. Mackey
11.McDermott
12. F Flanagan
13. Brady
14. Tierney
15. Dunne

Gilsenan
GivneyKeating
G Smith
T Hayes
T Corr
Madden
A Clarke
R Flanagan
E Reilly

Why no Givney ?

Cos Mc Kiernan will be back ?


You rate Mc Kiernan a lot higher than Givney I assume.

[Westside]

I'm not convinced by Kevin Tierney, doesn't look to impose himself on games enough. Don't see how Alan Clarke has done anything to warrant being dropped for next year, was one of our best performers. I think Conor Moynagh will be on this Senior team in a few years but it's early for him yet. And Paul O'Connor has a much better claim to a place on the bench than Conor Madden I would think.

One thing that could really throw a spanner in the works for our League Promotion chances next year is the black card. It's going to change the nature of the game dramatically, I think in general we have been fairly honest in the tackle this year but there have been a few occasions where we've been guilty of cynical fouling. But the big thing is how we will exploit it. Personally I think it means that pace will become an even bigger factor in the game. We've all seen a pacy player bust through a defence at some point and get hauled down, now that won't just be a yellow but will have a significant impact on the game. I'm sure Terry and the lads have been coming up with a plan about how to best adapt to the new rule both defensively and offensively.

Orangeman I think most people would rate McKiernan higher. Simply a better quality player. Not that it's any insult to say he's not as good as McKiernan, not many are!

[tommysmith]

This could be the team to win Ulster in 2014


1. O'Mara
2. McLoughlin
3. Dunne
4. Clarke
5. McEnroe
6. Moynagh
7. McVeety
8. Argue
9. McKiernan
10. Mackey
11.McDermott
12. F Flanagan
13. Brady
14. Tierney
15. Dunne

Gilsenan
GivneyKeating
G Smith
T Hayes
T Corr
Madden
A Clarke
R Flanagan
E Reilly

Why no Givney ?

Cos Mc Kiernan will be back ?


You rate Mc Kiernan a lot higher than Givney I assume.

Without a doubt Mc Kiernan is the best midfielder in Cavan, in fairness Givney would be on the team but not at midfield.

[tommysmith]

I'm not convinced by Kevin Tierney, doesn't look to impose himself on games enough. Don't see how Alan Clarke has done anything to warrant being dropped for next year, was one of our best performers. I think Conor Moynagh will be on this Senior team in a few years but it's early for him yet. And Paul O'Connor has a much better claim to a place on the bench than Conor Madden I would think.

Clarke had a good enough year but for a lad that has been an extra defender/free man all year i think we could do with someone who can be involved in the game a bit more in that position.

There are a few lads there who would have a claim along with O'Connor be intersting to see how they get on in club championship.

What you think of Tom Hayes?

[Westside]

I think Clarke is ultimately a bit limited in ability but watching him this year he has been just what the team needed. Tough, honest, and a real leader. My abiding memories of him this year will be winning that ball cleanly against an onrushing Fermanagh attacker when everyone in the stand was screaming for him to take him out, going for that hospital ball against London and racing out with possession with the London player left in a heap behind him and hammering Declan O'Sullivan with shoulders in the Kerry game when he was trying to bully some of the younger lads off the ball.

Looking at the bench against Kerry it was hard to see who we could bring in up front. Tierney was there sure and Jack can play inside but I think we need more options and Enda O'Reilly and Paul O'Connor have earned their right to a chance on the Senior Squad. I think they'll get it too.

I haven't seen all that much of Hayes but I did see him against Armagh in the first round and I thought he was outstanding. The best player on the field that day. His size will count against him eventually but he won so much possession that he had no right to win and he has that bit of quality in his strike too. Very early days yet though.

[tommysmith]

I think Clarke is ultimately a bit limited in ability but watching him this year he has been just what the team needed. Tough, honest, and a real leader. My abiding memories of him this year will be winning that ball cleanly against an onrushing Fermanagh attacker when everyone in the stand was screaming for him to take him out, going for that hospital ball against London and racing out with possession with the London player left in a heap behind him and hammering Declan O'Sullivan with shoulders in the Kerry game when he was trying to bully some of the younger lads off the ball.

Looking at the bench against Kerry it was hard to see who we could bring in up front. Tierney was there sure and Jack can play inside but I think we need more options and Enda O'Reilly and Paul O'Connor have earned their right to a chance on the Senior Squad. I think they'll get it too.

I haven't seen all that much of Hayes but I did see him against Armagh in the first round and I thought he was outstanding. The best player on the field that day. His size will count against him eventually but he won so much possession that he had no right to win and he has that bit of quality in his strike too. Very early days yet though.

Clarke did his job well this year but to improve as a team i think someone is needed who can give a bit on an overlap going forward, maybe he is told to stay back but in the modern game attacking defenders are needed.  He may not be dropped but i think Terry should be looking to get better ball players in the half back line.  Then again if we are at full strength we have the forwards to do enough damage.   

Hayes is a player in the same sort of mould as Mickey Graham and will go straight at the goal when he gets the ball.  I'd say he is a nightmare to mark as when he doesn't win the ball he busts a gut to try and force the defender into a mistake or win it back.  Size may be a problem but he is as strong as an ox.

[rodney trotter]

Tom Hayes has to prove himself at U-21 level as does Greg McGovern and any other Minor player with some potential from this years team. Not all good Minors make Senior players.
He is a very good player, but any decent Minor over the last 8/9 years was talked up a bit much. Ray Cullivan was suppose to be winning All Stars within the next 5 years after Minor....
Hopefully Hayes can prove himself at U21 and see what happens after that.

[tommysmith]

Tom Hayes has to prove himself at U-21 level as does Greg McGovern and any other Minor player with some potential from this years team.

More obvious than anything else.

[rodney trotter]

Tom Hayes has to prove himself at U-21 level as does Greg McGovern and any other Minor player with some potential from this years team.

More obvious than anything else.

Surprised you didn't mention that bit then

[tommysmith]

I never seen Ray Cullivan do f**k all either, where did the hype about him come from.

[Westside]

I still think Cullivan has something to offer the senior setup. In fairness tommy he showed as much as Mackey or Rory Dunne did.

[rodney trotter]

He was very good under age , Played with Ireland u17's 2 years in row. He was the Captain the Second year, Barry Watters would have been on that panel too. Won a Sigerson with DCU .
He never made an impact at Senior, bar  under Keoghan.

[rodney trotter]

He is playing well this year with Lavey so maybe he might get a call up again next year. He left the panel twice in the past, so hopefully he would have a change of attitude if he was ever called back.