Official Cavan GAA Thread

[Celt_Man]

Heard Meath won by two... only remember a few positions... Fintan Reilly in goals, pauirc reilly full back... McCutcheon and McCormack were in the half back, Galligan and Muvley in the middle (that'll work alright!!)... Keating in the half forward line was injured early on, Tierney replaced him... Gibney apparently had a serious game at full forward and Paddy Gumley was in the corner, Jayo might have been in the other corner.... Heard Ward in the middle of the field had it his own way for most of the game for Meath

[cavan4ever]

It's a pity we wont get to see givney in mckenna cup.

[boojangles]

It's a pity we wont get to see givney in mckenna cup.

Why?what college is he with? Hopefully he turns out to be the find of the season.
Happy and sucessful new year to all Cavan men.Lets hope for some progress this year and dare I say at least an Ulster Final appearance at Underage.Our Minors are on the handier side of the draw with Down the big worry

[anglocelt39]

Happy new year lads and hope for some sort of improvement/success at any level in 09. Hear there is a chronic absence of goalkeeping talent at minor level this year which has some people close to the panel a bit worried.

Sorry to be a bore about this Givney lad but isn't he 19, playing junior football and didn't feature in any minor panels (not that the last part is any harm necessarily). If there's finally any sense he'll be given time if he's good enough.

[cavan4ever]

Happy new year lads and hope for some sort of improvement/success at any level in 09. Hear there is a chronic absence of goalkeeping talent at minor level this year which has some people close to the panel a bit worried.

Sorry to be a bore about this Givney lad but isn't he 19, playing junior football and didn't feature in any minor panels (not that the last part is any harm necessarily). If there's finally any sense he'll be given time if he's good enough.

He was on minor panel but never played in championship.  I heard he was in athlone and then i heard he was in sligo so dunno what college he is in.

[CC1]

Happy new year lads and hope for some sort of improvement/success at any level in 09. Hear there is a chronic absence of goalkeeping talent at minor level this year which has some people close to the panel a bit worried.

Sorry to be a bore about this Givney lad but isn't he 19, playing junior football and didn't feature in any minor panels (not that the last part is any harm necessarily). If there's finally any sense he'll be given time if he's good enough.

Happy new year to all!

Not so sure there is an absense of goalkeeping talent at minor level, I know two lads over this part of the country that could make it in goal for the minors easily even though they're only 17, Gilsenan from Bailieboro and Ward from Shercock. Two serious keepers, although I think the latter of the two doesn't seem to be all that interested. None the less, if the minors had either in goal, I wouldn't be all that worried.

Givney is definately good enough, he is one of the best players I've seen play against Shercock at club level for some time now. That is including a number of county players like Larry Reilly, Martin Reilly, Fannin, Hannon, McCutcheon etc. etc. I have no doubt that if he keeps the form he had in last years championship up, he will be a star for Cavan, never mind make the team or the squad. Hard to say if we should play him just yet, but he could easily play for Cavan this year without any problems.

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Happy new year to all. Was that Givney wearing 24 tonight? If it was I think he needs a bit more time although of course it was only his first start. Wasn't sure who the other corner back-guessing Enda McCormack? Boojangles, you might advise. Galligan surprised me with his workrate at midfield. Jason & Pearson looked fresh and up for it with the latter kicking one savage score in the second half. Still nobody to kick a placed ball and watching Pearson and McKeever trying is a little embaressing. But to keep the worst for last I thought Podge Reilly was terrible and to add that to his performaces last year I think he'll be lucky to make the panel never mind the team. His decision making was dreadful and he's often 10 metres off his man, who in this case was one of the best on show. We still need a full-back badly and whatever the story is with Rabbitte, I think he'll be back on the panel shortly.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Absolutely dire performance tonight losing 3-13 to 0-12. Supposedly players were doing their own programmes for the last month,It didnt show as some of the players werent fit to walk.

1.Eoin Elliot,Kickouts were ok, was all over the place for the first goal,Not as good an option as Colm Anderson. 4

2.Michael Brides,didnt do much wrong,lacking in speed,but made some crucial blocks and interceptions. 6

3.Pauric Reily, Not his best day, Shaun Snowy O Neil scored 3 goals on him,Despite all his good qualities,Podge just doesnt have the speed off the mark to keep up with really quick forwards. 4

4.Enda McCormack,started off sluggishly,but came into the game after,done the simple things right,and was solid after. 6

5.John McCutcheon,went off with a blood injury??? missed a good part of the game and never really impacted the game when he returned,Decent. 6

6.Rory Dunne, wasnt within 10 yards of his man all night,i said if before i dont think he has the ability for IC level,Not terribely fast or strong and not a high fielding type.Just not up to it.  4

7.Mark McKeever, wasnt at the races,lucky not to have gotten a yellow in the first half for a deliberate trip. 4

8.Ciaran Galligan,One of the bright spots tonight,while his opposite number Charlie Vernon played alot of football,Galligan caught some great ball,won his own breaks and drove at the Queens defense.If he could play like this all year,It would be one half of our midfield problems solved. 7.5

9.Lorcan Mulvey,i thought he was yellow-carded,but apparently he was not,Replaced by Adrian Taite early in the first half,Might have been injured???.Didnt do much while he was on. 4

10.Eddie Reily,wasnt on long enough to have an opinion on him as he got yellow carded early.

11.Anton Reily,done ok,played his part in some of cavan best moves,definetely deserves another chance.Got yellow carded. 6

12.James Clarke,How this guy gets selected time and time again,i dont know,He offered nothing and touched the ball about 3 times the entire game and gave it away before being replaced by Declan McKiernan, 4

13.Gerard Pierson.Looked sharp,good from frees and kicked a lovely score near the end. 7

14.David Givney.He looked slow to be honest,was a decent targetman,but got disposesed and blocked down too easily,although he definetely deserves another chance. 5.5

15.Paddy Gumley,kicked one terrific score in the first half,but wasnt much of a factor throughout. 5

subs,
Paul Brady,Gunner was solid if not spectacular.
Dane O Dowd,Gave the ball away far too much when he was on,dont think he will cut it at this level,
Adrian Taite,Cuchullains player,wasnt much of a factor throughout,dont think he is up to it at this level, 5
Jason Reily,replaced Eddie, looked sharp when he came on kicking a few frees and a good score from play. 7
Declan McKiernan,the Killeshandra man,didnt get too long to impress.
Joshua Hayes,Cootehill defender only got on for the last few minutes.

Fitness levels were very low,Only about 3 or 4 good passages from play throughout the whole game.
Not too many of these players will figure come the national league.

[cavan4ever]

This competion is a waste of time.  If you cant pick near enough your best team what is the point of playing it.  1-3 new players would be enough to have in the team at any time.

[Babe Ruth 47]

Was at the game last nite, albeit missing the first 15mins but agree with most of the comments from Ballyhaise Man. Very surprised by Galligan, was very solid. Delighted to see Pearson back, looking a bit like his old self. The full back position is a problem, which I would argue that it had an impact in Elliotts indecisiveness, although I do agree that Anderson is a better keeper.
With regard to the full back issue, it just goes to show what a farce the provincal club team thingy was. As far as I could see and hear, Eoin Smith was one of the most consistent performers. I seen him in Kingscourt roast Eugene Keating who was at FF. I heard from one of the other lads involved  in the panels that he was consistently good and he felt  Smith was guaranted a place on the panel. The fact that there is no natural full back on the panel makes the decision to leave him out all the more curious. Podge is a fine footballer but way to restricted at FB. Personally i think Rabbitte, while being good is way over rated. He showed against Ballinderry how slow he was of the mark, and had the turning circle of a bus.

On a different note, does the new yellow card system essentially mean you have up to 15 substitutes? That would fairly suit Tyrone, Kerry and the likes

[cavan4ever]

Was at the game last nite, albeit missing the first 15mins but agree with most of the comments from Ballyhaise Man. Very surprised by Galligan, was very solid. Delighted to see Pearson back, looking a bit like his old self. The full back position is a problem, which I would argue that it had an impact in Elliotts indecisiveness, although I do agree that Anderson is a better keeper.
With regard to the full back issue, it just goes to show what a farce the provincal club team thingy was. As far as I could see and hear, Eoin Smith was one of the most consistent performers. I seen him in Kingscourt roast Eugene Keating who was at FF. I heard from one of the other lads involved  in the panels that he was consistently good and he felt  Smith was guaranted a place on the panel. The fact that there is no natural full back on the panel makes the decision to leave him out all the more curious. Podge is a fine footballer but way to restricted at FB. Personally i think Rabbitte, while being good is way over rated. He showed against Ballinderry how slow he was of the mark, and had the turning circle of a bus.

On a different note, does the new yellow card system essentially mean you have up to 15 substitutes? That would fairly suit Tyrone, Kerry and the likes

Not sure about that i though that 5 was the max and then you started to loose players.  It's a bit crazy it you can keep replacing players.

[cavan4sam]

Was at the game last nite, albeit missing the first 15mins but agree with most of the comments from Ballyhaise Man. Very surprised by Galligan, was very solid. Delighted to see Pearson back, looking a bit like his old self. The full back position is a problem, which I would argue that it had an impact in Elliotts indecisiveness, although I do agree that Anderson is a better keeper.
With regard to the full back issue, it just goes to show what a farce the provincal club team thingy was. As far as I could see and hear, Eoin Smith was one of the most consistent performers. I seen him in Kingscourt roast Eugene Keating who was at FF. I heard from one of the other lads involved  in the panels that he was consistently good and he felt  Smith was guaranted a place on the panel. The fact that there is no natural full back on the panel makes the decision to leave him out all the more curious. Podge is a fine footballer but way to restricted at FB. Personally i think Rabbitte, while being good is way over rated. He showed against Ballinderry how slow he was of the mark, and had the turning circle of a bus.

On a different note, does the new yellow card system essentially mean you have up to 15 substitutes? That would fairly suit Tyrone, Kerry and the likes

Not sure about that i though that 5 was the max and then you started to loose players.  It's a bit crazy it you can keep replacing players.

As far as I'm aware you now have a maximum of 6 substitutes. That was all Cavan had a t their disposal last night anyway and used them all.

[boojangles]

Wasnt at the game last night Im dosed with a flu but heard the run-down.It doesnt surprise me to be honest.I really hate to be negative already in the year,but already Im hearing bad reports from the set-up.I know one man that has walked away from the panel already.
He said that on the first few nights training,the management showed up with a weights programme done out on sheets,there was only 15 of these sheets,when the lad I was speaking too asked about getting one of the programmes he was told he would be given one shortly.The same happened when the panel was given their Diet Plans.15 sheets were given out.This was for a panel of 34.
When enquiring again about the weights and diet sheets he was told basically that this wasnt a closed panel and that some lads may be brought back into the panel later on that havent been in so far.I dont think thats the type of talk that a lad who has committed to a Winter of hard training wants to hear.
I know of another well known player who hasnt played for Cavan in 2years, who has been told that he will be back in on the panel as soon as he sorts out his injury problems.This man has to have an operation and hasnt played proper football in over a year but has already been told he will be back on the panel.Somethings not right there.
I can understand that happening to the likes of Brian McGuigan or Colm Cooper or players who have done it all and won it all with their counties but for it to be happening in Cavan is plain crazy.
Babe Ruth made the point about Eoin Smith of Killygarry not making the panel and I totally agree with him.He is the closest thing to a Full-Back we have and surely he could be brought in and worked on.No offence to Padraig Reilly,he is a great footballer but he showed up to the trials not fit to walk yet still starts last night.Eoin Smith had the better of Eugene Keating at one of the regional games in Kingscourt and showed well after that so why not give him a try? We have tried every other option and they havent worked.
I could name 5 players who made the County Panel who were only picked for one reason and thats because of their reputation.Again as Babe Ruth says,it goes to show that the Regional games amounted to nothing because some lads were picked regardless how they played.
I hope it all works out and Im proved to be only nit-picking but that stuff wouldnt go on in Club football what I mentioned at the start of my post.
So much for starting off fresh.

[anglocelt39]

Boojangles, happy new year. No doubt there are a few lads out there disappointed after the regional games etc. etc. However surely the fact that the team that started last night against Queens contained 4 or 5 relatively new faces suggests that some heed was paid to the trial games. We all wanted a new manager and we've got one, with not too bad a record either. One of the downsides of change is that he will have to get to know players for himself, rather than on the basis of reputations, gossip etc. that will take time. So whether we like it or not we will have to allow him time and form our (preliminary) conclusions after a few league games, rather than on the basis of the McKenna cup which is now a glorified challenge set of games to allow colleges to warm up for the Sigerson, or so it seems to me.

You're teasing us all with this fella who hasn't played for Cavan for two years etc. So let me get the speculation going, from East Cavan rural club with a long history of injury problems, totally uneducated guess on my part but have to start somewhere? If it is the lad i'm thinking of, telling him he has his place on the panel once he gets his injuries sorted out is a VERY conditional sort of assurance.

Thanks as always to yourself, BHM etc. for keeping us up to date, hope ye are posting updates well into August this year.

[boojangles]

Dont get me wrong Im not naive enough to judge a man or a set-up on its 1st month but what Im saying is that some of the things Iv heard are not good,which definitely surprised me.That kind of detail in terms of weights or diets wouldnt go on in any top county,I can guarantee you it wouldnt even go on in Monaghan.
As regards the new lads that started last night I would say that only Enda McCormick made it on the back of the regional/trial games.
Gumley and Givney both had exceptional championships,Ciaran Galligan(who has been there before) to a lesser extent.
My main point about the regional games was that we had a man show very well at a very big problem area for us in the Regional/Trial games and he wasnt even brought in.Doesnt make any sense to me.
As regards the well known player.Its a man I would love to see back in a Cavan jersey but I really feel that he will need about 6 months to get himself right and alot of club games and even then I cant see him being right for Inter County.He has had alot of disciplinary problems in the past which is another thing to take into account unfortunately.I may as well spell it out at this stage.