Official Cavan GAA Thread

[put-it-up]

Shambles off the field, shambles on it.....We really are at an all-time low and the resurrection doesn't look like coming anytime soon.

I mean losing to a college..Despite the absentees due to colleges and that, a county team with any respect shouldn't be losing to a college. A couple of players getting game-time at the moment would have to be questioned. Durkin, McCabe?? They were hardly stand out performers for their clubs during the summer. McCabe is nowhere near the player he used to be unfortunately and it's about time Cavan stopped giving lads who were 'good minors' chance after chance.

Worried about the game this weekend, think we could be in for a bit of hiding from Tyrone by the looks of things. I know it's a makeshift team but there seems to be a lack of any  form of gameplan at the moment and its gives the impression that Cavan are simply throwing out teams to fulfill these fixtures. Boy's have been given chances and from what I'm hearing very few are taking them and that's been disappointing.

Hopefully the  game on Wed gives the whole set up a good shake and they start moving forward and get a bit of fight and pride back into the blue jersey.

PS. Boo and Drung, how about you two hook up behind the main stand and settle this like men.....with an old fashioned arm-wrestle!

[Drung]

Yes, your statement that the board should have done something which they literally COULDN'T do was totally wrong and showed your ignorance of the rules.
I'm not insulting you, I'm voicing my opinion here.
I'm not an expert on the rules, never claimed to be. I just pointed out that you didn't know anything about what you were talking about and were short-sighted enough to actually level criticism based on this ill-informed view.

[sheelinside]

hi guys, long time reading this page without getting involved. greetings to all, i feel like i sort iof know ye boys by now!!
and thanks for all the contributions- a good way of keeping up to speed


the co. board is very badly organised re club games. always has been.

how can a competition which needs a max of 16 fixtures start around end march/april and not be finished around october or nov at the latest?
from playing, i recall massive massive portions of the summer spent playing meaningless challenges against teams from meath, westmeath and longford, often going 6 or 7 weekends with no competitive games- from around mid- may onwards.
and then having to slog it out in 3 inches of mud in nov and december. madness.

and highly frustrating when trying to plan anything. 

i remember watching galways video a year till sunday, and being absolutley stunned when they played senior club championship games in the weekends between all ireand semi amd the final. and yet we here postpone league games for 3 weeks prior to ulster first round. 

while i mostly understand and side with boojangles points in the little arguement above, i do think drung raises a most important issue=
   the co. board are democratically elected, and there is no point moaning here. if we feel that strongly about it, do something about it. get involved

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Shambles off the field, shambles on it.....We really are at an all-time low and the resurrection doesn't look like coming anytime soon.

I mean losing to a college..Despite the absentees due to colleges and that, a county team with any respect shouldn't be losing to a college. A couple of players getting game-time at the moment would have to be questioned. Durkin, McCabe?? They were hardly stand out performers for their clubs during the summer. McCabe is nowhere near the player he used to be unfortunately and it's about time Cavan stopped giving lads who were 'good minors' chance after chance.

Worried about the game this weekend, think we could be in for a bit of hiding from Tyrone by the looks of things. I know it's a makeshift team but there seems to be a lack of any  form of gameplan at the moment and its gives the impression that Cavan are simply throwing out teams to fulfill these fixtures. Boy's have been given chances and from what I'm hearing very few are taking them and that's been disappointing.

Hopefully the  game on Wed gives the whole set up a good shake and they start moving forward and get a bit of fight and pride back into the blue jersey.

PS. Boo and Drung, how about you two hook up behind the main stand and settle this like men.....with an old fashioned arm-wrestle!

Put-it-up, Durkan was one of our better players the other night and his withdrawal along with Nesty's took the wind out of our sail big-time. I'd only seen him briefly for Ballinagh but he'd be a good addition to the panel in a position where we have slim pickings.

[CavanCola]

Shambles off the field, shambles on it.....We really are at an all-time low and the resurrection doesn't look like coming anytime soon.

I mean losing to a college..Despite the absentees due to colleges and that, a county team with any respect shouldn't be losing to a college. A couple of players getting game-time at the moment would have to be questioned. Durkin, McCabe?? They were hardly stand out performers for their clubs during the summer. McCabe is nowhere near the player he used to be unfortunately and it's about time Cavan stopped giving lads who were 'good minors' chance after chance.

Worried about the game this weekend, think we could be in for a bit of hiding from Tyrone by the looks of things. I know it's a makeshift team but there seems to be a lack of any  form of gameplan at the moment and its gives the impression that Cavan are simply throwing out teams to fulfill these fixtures. Boy's have been given chances and from what I'm hearing very few are taking them and that's been disappointing.

Hopefully the  game on Wed gives the whole set up a good shake and they start moving forward and get a bit of fight and pride back into the blue jersey.

PS. Boo and Drung, how about you two hook up behind the main stand and settle this like men.....with an old fashioned arm-wrestle!

Put-it-up, Durkan was one of our better players the other night and his withdrawal along with Nesty's took the wind out of our sail big-time. I'd only seen him briefly for Ballinagh but he'd be a good addition to the panel in a position where we have slim pickings.

I think John McCabe has the talent for intercounty football. Put it up, you mention that he is living of his minor reputation. Right, he was a minor for 2 years and I think he was captain in his second year. (Was he Junior player of the year in 06?.. Maybe he is living of this reputation as well ). We have had talented minors over the past 10 years and many have drifted into obscurity. It time to dredge this talent and see if they can make it at senior level. Its a big step up from Junior football for McCabe and it not entirely his fault that he hasn't played competitive football since the start of last July. Carr must see something in these players attitude and commitment that warrants them to start in these matchs. Give me 30 level headed committed players that are willing to give 100% to training and the Cavan Jersey. I have watched him play a couple of times in the Junior championship with the Munchies. He has a good eye for Goal when he gets the chance and has  pulled games out of the bag for the Munchies when they looked dead and buried. If he could work on his fitness and speed I think he has a lot to offer Cavan at senior level.   

[BallyhaiseMan]

Welcome to the board Sheelinside. Good first post,id agree with virtually all of that.
id agree with Cavan Cola about John McCabe,you dont lose that ability that we know he undoubtedly has,Its juts a case i feel of conditioning and speed work,that he needs to be going through 12 months a year to be up to ithe pace at IC level.How did Donal Thomas get on the last two games? worthy of inclusion in National Leage panel???

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

I agree to some extent Cavan Cola. As embaressing as Wednesday night was, this is the place to give these lads a try. However McCabe has started two games now and was very poor in both as were a couple of others. Some players just can't make that step up and players need to take their chance when given it. Of course if Carr had to watch games last summer or proceed with his intended development squads then he may have found this out earlier so I don't agree that he saw anything as there's a chance he's never seen hm play before.
Donal Thomas was stuck full-forward the whole game. He fumbled the first few balls that came in but then won a few afterwards but the were low into his chest. I don't think he has the making of a full-forward at IC level.

[CavanCola]

I agree to some extent Cavan Cola. As embaressing as Wednesday night was, this is the place to give these lads a try. However McCabe has started two games now and was very poor in both as were a couple of others. Some players just can't make that step up and players need to take their chance when given it. Of course if Carr had to watch games last summer or proceed with his intended development squads then he may have found this out earlier so I don't agree that he saw anything as there's a chance he's never seen hm play before.
Donal Thomas was stuck full-forward the whole game. He fumbled the first few balls that came in but then won a few afterwards but the were low into his chest. I don't think he has the making of a full-forward at IC level.

This is where I think good use of the Cavan junior team is required. Get a bunch of 30 lads together and get them up and running with the proper strength and conditioning over a 12 month period and then introduce them to the 1st team as they progress. Dumping them into a couple of games in January may not be the long term solution to bringing new talent into the squad. It may prove a demoralising exercise if guys don't perform after coming out of rut.

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

I wouldn't disagree with that. Were many of the newcomers involved in the Junior set-up over the last few years? I'm thinking McCabe,Lynch,Declan Reilly,McGuigan etc. cos I think they have been found to be out of their depth to different extents.

[BallyhaiseMan]

I wouldn't disagree with that. Were many of the newcomers involved in the Junior set-up over the last few years? I'm thinking McCabe,Lynch,Declan Reilly,McGuigan etc. cos I think they have been found to be out of their depth to different extents.

Thats not Killian Lynch brother of the trainer Martin is it?? 
Hes a good enough club footballer,but he doesnt have  anything close to the size or strength for IC level,at least not yet
id have at least 3 of his clubmates ahead of him for any county team at this junction in time.

As we've discussed before,The consensus is that John McCabe should be a shoe-in for the Cavan Junior Panel,but will hardly make the senior set up until he improves physically..
The likes of Declan Reily and Eoin McGuigan would be better off getting game time early in the National League,when they are surrounded by better players in the likes of Flanagan,Sheridan,McCutcheon,Lyng,Jelly,Mackey and co and have a chance to express themselves.
Id be hoping the likes of the aforementioned two,Mossy Corr,Durkan etc dont just get dropped after Saturday nights game.

[Dougal]

john mccabe wasnt up to standard in his last two games,maybe with time he'll improve,but it'll take alot of work.ive only seen durkin play 2 or 3 times,and he was useless in all of them,but he looked alot better on wed night.mcguigans a good player,i dont think midfield is the place for him though.

we have great underage talent and have had for some time,but we cant seem to bring them as far as senior,once their done u21 they seem to stay at that level.wheres the problem?is it the coaching thats the problem?

[Celt_Man]

Shambles off the field, shambles on it.....We really are at an all-time low and the resurrection doesn't look like coming anytime soon.

I mean losing to a college..Despite the absentees due to colleges and that, a county team with any respect shouldn't be losing to a college.

Ahh wouldn't go that far, sure Armagh were beaten by UUJ at the weekend there and sure weren't Queens in the final last year.  The colleges whole season starting from about last September is gearing up to peak in the next month or so, so it's no shame in a college beating a inter-county team who have only started back training and especially with so many debutants on it.... 

That said, I did hear that the performance was pretty poor

[Denn Forever]

The performance in the first half was ok as has been said before.  Cavan were wasteful in front of goal and every time St Marys went forward they seemed to score.

Taking off Smith at half time seemed to mess things up.

And a college team has been going since late September so they should be sharper.  How many of the St Marys team were IC players?  A college team would be a good IC team.  Look at DCU last year.  From Cavan they had Cullivan, Flanagan, Johnson and Barry Tierney. 

It was a godawful night and a team (Cavan) that had a very new look.  Lets take the positives and go from there.

[mylestheslasher]

Tthe McKenna Cup format is to blame...

http://www.herald.ie/opinion/columnists/frank-roche/carr-expresses-anger-as-colleges-call-shots-in-cup-2027134.html

Carr expresses anger as colleges call shots in cup

By Frank Roche
Friday January 22 2010

TOM CARR has slammed the current format of the pre-season provincial cups as a "disaster", claiming that third-level colleges have taken over the competitions.

The under-pressure boss saw his Cavan charges crash out of the McKenna Cup on Wednesday night, beaten by St Mary's College following Sunday's earlier defeat to Donegal.

squeezed

But he's furious at how inter-county teams are being squeezed because colleges have first call on their players, and believes county managers would be better off playing challenge matches instead.

"It has got to a ridiculous stage," Carr maintained. "There is a close season now between November and December, and then we come back on January 1 and you find that half your team are with their colleges. In effect, the preparation period for inter-county teams is getting smaller and smaller."

Cavan have been deprived "ten or 11" college-tied players, mostly forwards, and Carr doesn't have the depth of talent to absorb those losses.

OPINION

"It is only a few years ago that I was asked my opinion would I mind if the colleges entered these competitions, and I said that it was fine," he recalled.

"Then it was a case of if you were not using some of your players, could they play with the colleges? And that was fine.

"Now they are telling the counties what players they can have. They have actually taken over the competition."

- Frank Roche

[Dougal]

u21s have any games this weekend??