Official Cavan GAA Thread

[The Konica]

One other point. It is mid-July and no cavan player has kicked a championship ball yet. i think that is bollix and it certainly doesn't help county players or others trying to force there way onto the panel. Sharpness and that competitive in my opininon come from constantly playing - not training over and over again playing challenge matches with the county.

I spoke with Sean Cavanagh two weeks ago and he was looking forward to playing for club in the championship that weekend. Today he won a Ulster final. If playing for his club is ok in Tyrone then it should be ok here.

Name dropper!


(Agree with the rest of it tho!)

Sorry, I was talking to this big tall lad from Tyrone who is a decent footballer. Has a hot wife. That sound better

Perhaps not to Sean Cavanagh!

[The Konica]

Glad to see some heated debate going on here lads. Been recovering from an op over the last few days so have had plenty of time for thinking

My gut feeling say's someone like Ciaran Brady could be our man but then again, I have never had a conversation with him or worked under him so I am only guessing. I think the only people that can fairly judge candidates are the one who do the interviewing process but I just hope they identify what they need beforehand and then try to find the man that fits the most boxes. Whatever boxes he doesn't tick then you would hope a backroom team could be found that would be strong in areas the manager is lacking.

TC was found out big time and I honestly don't think he cared about us by the end of his reign. He drove down to Cork by himself in his Car so he knew what was coming. However the one defence I will give him, and in particular for his first year, his backroom team was quite poor and they certainly didnt bring to the table what Carr lacked.

O'Rourke is an interesting proposition as is Canavan but again i reiterate good players dont make good managers. However I know the former done well at Sigreson level while I am pretty sure Canavan has led a school to success in Ulster. Correct me if I am wrong but McElkennon and Harte started out at that level?? I think if we were going for a figure like that I woudl prefer if he had played in Ulster in recent years and is familiar with the the province rather than a novice coming in from Kildare or somewhere like that! Then again, not having the traditional respect for other Ulster teams might be a positive - I don't know.

If i was picking a part if the new management team, Anthony Forde woudl be a selector and Paul McCorry would be the trainer.

Anyway I disagree with peoplee saying we have no talent. That is bullshit. We have struggled to perform consistently though and deserve to be considered one of the worst teams in the country at present. However, the right manager to introduce a fresh mental attitude and we would not be long climbing the ladder IF the players bought into it.

That's an odd decision! You'd think he'd get someone else to drive the car if it had to go down and he'd go with the team?
Of course they were never going to win anyway.

The backroom point is very valid - especially when you look at Monaghan today.
Banty had two men who were former Cavan managers (albeit very unsuccessful) alongside him - that's a hell of a brains trust to be able to draw on!
Who had Carr?
 

[The Konica]

So was it just Carr and Lynch this year? or was it Carr, Lynch, Reilly and Hyland?


I think Cavan need to follow the Monaghan model exactly to get things rolling again!
Bad day today, but they're light years ahead of Cavan!

[The Konica]

That would work, though McEniff is with Louth this year. You'd probably have to pay well for that kind of expertise too.

Still need a good Main Man though!

[The Konica]

Actually, Peter McDonnell former Armagh manager would be a good man for the job.

He had a rough outing with Armagh, but I think he was dealt a raw deal there and would be keen to have a good run. Decent man by all accounts too.

There's also John Rafferty who was with Armagh previously too, along with Kernan.

[beer baron]

Glad to see some heated debate going on here lads. Been recovering from an op over the last few days so have had plenty of time for thinking

My gut feeling say's someone like Ciaran Brady could be our man but then again, I have never had a conversation with him or worked under him so I am only guessing. I think the only people that can fairly judge candidates are the one who do the interviewing process but I just hope they identify what they need beforehand and then try to find the man that fits the most boxes. Whatever boxes he doesn't tick then you would hope a backroom team could be found that would be strong in areas the manager is lacking.

TC was found out big time and I honestly don't think he cared about us by the end of his reign. He drove down to Cork by himself in his Car so he knew what was coming. However the one defence I will give him, and in particular for his first year, his backroom team was quite poor and they certainly didnt bring to the table what Carr lacked.

O'Rourke is an interesting proposition as is Canavan but again i reiterate good players dont make good managers. However I know the former done well at Sigreson level while I am pretty sure Canavan has led a school to success in Ulster. Correct me if I am wrong but McElkennon and Harte started out at that level?? I think if we were going for a figure like that I woudl prefer if he had played in Ulster in recent years and is familiar with the the province rather than a novice coming in from Kildare or somewhere like that! Then again, not having the traditional respect for other Ulster teams might be a positive - I don't know.

If i was picking a part if the new management team, Anthony Forde woudl be a selector and Paul McCorry would be the trainer.

Anyway I disagree with peoplee saying we have no talent. That is bullshit. We have struggled to perform consistently though and deserve to be considered one of the worst teams in the country at present. However, the right manager to introduce a fresh mental attitude and we would not be long climbing the ladder IF the players bought into it.

Yeah i think you're right about Canavan,i seem to remember him on the sideline anyway for an Ulster final virginia school were involved in and were beaten,the likes of Conor smith were on that team.

[Dougal]

canavan might be fit to get us out of the mess were in,well put us on the right track in 2 or 3 years at least.but would he take the job?

id definately like to see someone like grimley or mceniff come in to help out behind the scenes.

PIU,i dont buy this bullshit of "we dont have the players",either.theres no doubt in my mind that we have the players to be better than we currently are,how much better,i dont know.

konica,i think it was you that said you have the ability to pull jesica alba.the way i look at ability is,if you've done it before,you can do it again.so unless i you've pulled someone as goodlooking as J.A. then id say you dont have the ability.very few,if any of the county team,played aswell in the championship this year,as they have done on occasions in the past.we never see 8 or 10 players playing as well as they can in the same game.this year it was rare to see 2 players playing well.whether the mentality can be changed,i dont know,but i think mentality is our biggest problem.

[The Konica]

Whoa ... hang on. Let's stop the Canavan talk, I'd almost bet my life he'll not take another county other than Tyrone.
He's over Errigal Ciaran at the minute too I think, but I don't see him taking Cavan if you offered sun moon and stars.
Sorry, but don't see it happening.

[The Konica]

canavan might be fit to get us out of the mess were in,well put us on the right track in 2 or 3 years at least.but would he take the job?

id definately like to see someone like grimley or mceniff come in to help out behind the scenes.

PIU,i dont buy this bullshit of "we dont have the players",either.theres no doubt in my mind that we have the players to be better than we currently are,how much better,i dont know.

konica,i think it was you that said you have the ability to pull jesica alba.the way i look at ability is,if you've done it before,you can do it again.so unless i you've pulled someone as goodlooking as J.A. then id say you dont have the ability.very few,if any of the county team,played aswell in the championship this year,as they have done on occasions in the past.we never see 8 or 10 players playing as well as they can in the same game.this year it was rare to see 2 players playing well.whether the mentality can be changed,i dont know,but i think mentality is our biggest problem.

There is enough there in Cavan to do something with - but it would take 3 years minimum.
You need a man to come in with a 3 year plan and let him get on with it.

Players didn't perform because they didn't believe in the Manager.
I now see why they scored nothing against Cork - they saw manager had no faith driving down himself ready for a fast get away!

[boojangles]

Its all been said before- the 64 million dollar question. What is wrong with Cavan football.
Since I'v first started posting on here I'm sure I have mentioned in detail what I feel is wrong and in some cases what needs to be done.
But in brief I feel the following will have to happen before Cavan can be successful at any level on a consistent basis.

- Standard of coaches in every club has to improve.
It is slowly improving judging by the number of coaches who took Foundation and Level One courses this year( as CeltMan and myself can testify to)
But we are still a long way of Tyrone and even Monaghan. Ordinary GAA people in Cavan have to quit looking round them and expecting somebody else to do the work with the future of the GAA in Cavan. Everybody will have to make sacrifices, not just the 24 who travelled down to Cork.

-More resources have to be put into the Primary schools in terms of coaching and games development. We all know this has also improved but I don't think it is enough.

-Cavan GAA needs to market itself alot better
I know too well from working with my own clubs underage set-up, clubs are not attracting the right talent near as much as they used to. Soccer and Rugby are a massive threat to the future of the GAA in this county. For far too long Gaelic football has had a monopoly on 75% of young kids choosing sport in Cavan. Well those days are over and the sooner everybody realises it the better.

-Cavan Senior team need a Senior manager who will get everybody wanting to play and die for the blue jersey. When we get that man we need him to treat everybody as equal and if players are not happy with that then show them the door. He will have to be totally his own man and make sure that he is the only ego involved in the set-up.
Cavan is too small of a county in terms of population and resources for us to have at least 6 or 7 of the best players in the county NOT playing for us.

-There needs to be more educating and mentoring of young players
from U-16 up to U-21 level to try and keep lads on the straight and narrow,not just in terms of GAA but in life in general. This county has seen far too many outstanding prospects go down the other road.
Something I noticed that Cavan Gaels have tried at the moment is designating U-8 and U-10 players with a mentor from the club Minor team. Why not do the same with our best talent coming through at U-16 or Minor level. Whether its former or current players I don't know but somebody that these young lads can look up to and can call upon when they need advice etc.

-The Junior team should be given proper attention for at least a few months and not just from 2 weeks before the first game. Some people may think the Leinster competition is sponsored by Disney but it is giving lads an opportunity to play at a higher level than club and can be a stepping stone for players towards Inter-County football.

-Scouting at all levels needs to be done
We need to put in place a proper scouting system whereby all clubs and divisions are covered on a regular basis. Whether its selectors or the manager or a group of 10 or 12 people who know a footballer I don't know, but the previous management team did not cover enough club games and that has to change.
The same should be done for our U-21 and Minor teams.

Communication and Co-operation between the County Board and clubs has to improve
The County Board, Minor Board and Bord Peil na nOg should be in place as a facilitator for clubs to help them and improve them when possible. That in no way means bending over backwards so clubs can dictate to the Board but everybody should be singing of the same hymn sheet, not the other way around.

The standard of refereeing in Cavan has to improve
This doesn't need any explanation. There are men still refereeing at Senior level in this county who should have been told nicely where to go 15 years ago.

AND FINALLY
Send a bus of about 25 of the Best ladies footballer in this county down to Kerry around the 3rd Sunday in September to mingle with the Donaghys and the Coopers and the O Se's and insist they don't come back until they are all pregnant

[Celt_Man]

Its all been said before- the 64 million dollar question. What is wrong with Cavan football.
Since I'v first started posting on here I'm sure I have mentioned in detail what I feel is wrong and in some cases what needs to be done.
But in brief I feel the following will have to happen before Cavan can be successful at any level on a consistent basis.

- Standard of coaches in every club has to improve.
It is slowly improving judging by the number of coaches who took Foundation and Level One courses this year( as CeltMan and myself can testify to)
But we are still a long way of Tyrone and even Monaghan. Ordinary GAA people in Cavan have to quit looking round them and expecting somebody else to do the work with the future of the GAA in Cavan. Everybody will have to make sacrifices, not just the 24 who travelled down to Cork.

-More resources have to be put into the Primary schools in terms of coaching and games development. We all know this has also improved but I don't think it is enough.

-Cavan GAA needs to market itself alot better
I know too well from working with my own clubs underage set-up, clubs are not attracting the right talent near as much as they used to. Soccer and Rugby are a massive threat to the future of the GAA in this county. For far too long Gaelic football has had a monopoly on 75% of young kids choosing sport in Cavan. Well those days are over and the sooner everybody realises it the better.

-Cavan Senior team need a Senior manager who will get everybody wanting to play and die for the blue jersey. When we get that man we need him to treat everybody as equal and if players are not happy with that then show them the door. He will have to be totally his own man and make sure that he is the only ego involved in the set-up.
Cavan is too small of a county in terms of population and resources for us to have at least 6 or 7 of the best players in the county NOT playing for us.

-There needs to be more educating and mentoring of young players
from U-16 up to U-21 level to try and keep lads on the straight and narrow,not just in terms of GAA but in life in general. This county has seen far too many outstanding prospects go down the other road.
Something I noticed that Cavan Gaels have tried at the moment is designating U-8 and U-10 players with a mentor from the club Minor team. Why not do the same with our best talent coming through at U-16 or Minor level. Whether its former or current players I don't know but somebody that these young lads can look up to and can call upon when they need advice etc.

-The Junior team should be given proper attention for at least a few months and not just from 2 weeks before the first game. Some people may think the Leinster competition is sponsored by Disney but it is giving lads an opportunity to play at a higher level than club and can be a stepping stone for players towards Inter-County football.

-Scouting at all levels needs to be done
We need to put in place a proper scouting system whereby all clubs and divisions are covered on a regular basis. Whether its selectors or the manager or a group of 10 or 12 people who know a footballer I don't know, but the previous management team did not cover enough club games and that has to change.
The same should be done for our U-21 and Minor teams.

Communication and Co-operation between the County Board and clubs has to improve
The County Board, Minor Board and Bord Peil na nOg should be in place as a facilitator for clubs to help them and improve them when possible. That in no way means bending over backwards so clubs can dictate to the Board but everybody should be singing of the same hymn sheet, not the other way around.

The standard of refereeing in Cavan has to improve
This doesn't need any explanation. There are men still refereeing at Senior level in this county who should have been told nicely where to go 15 years ago.

AND FINALLY
Send a bus of about 25 of the Best ladies footballer in this county down to Kerry around the 3rd Sunday in September to mingle with the Donaghys and the Coopers and the O Se's and insist they don't come back until they are all pregnant

I haven't post my thoughts on the whole thing because I haven't the heart to air all my feelings just yet but Boojangles that was some post!! Agree with everything in there especially the last point!! 
Also if any of those ladies miss that bus send them over my way - footballing ability mightn't be great but at least they would enjoy themselves and the young fellas would be able to talk a good game!!!

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Ditto Celt Man. That trip to Cork took a lot out of me with respect to the county team. Boojangles, are you sure that was the brief version?

[boojangles]

Ditto Celt Man. That trip to Cork took a lot out of me with respect to the county team. Boojangles, are you sure that was the brief version?

Believe me Lawrence, I could have spent a day typing.Cavan football is a very complex thing.

[put-it-up]

Fair play BooJ! Jesus I thought it was going to turn into a biography for a minute

[Swadman]

AND FINALLY
Send a bus of about 25 of the Best ladies footballer in this county down to Kerry around the 3rd Sunday in September to mingle with the Donaghys and the Coopers and the O Se's and insist they don't come back until they are all pregnant

Drastic measures Bo ........ but maybe we would get some quality BIG fellas as a result. We would still have to wait 20 years and I cant's wait that long.
Good points on underage/minor. We have got to bend over backwards to keep them interested and motivated.