Official Cavan GAA Thread

[cavan4ever]

The biggest disappointment is that for the first time in about 3-4 years Cavan people actually travelled in numbers,with expectations might I add. It might be another 3-4 years before we see the same again.And who could blame them?

Anyone who was at majority of league games would have know well not to have to high expectations.  That standard of that performance was very similar to several league games.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Lawrence
Im the biggest Cullivan fan on here,
But hes not big enough for Midfield at IC Level.
Wing Forward as an extra option for kickouts is where he should be tried.
Ive seen Eugene Keating do well at midfield at minor,
Yet he was poor against Kildare there last year,even if he was thrown in at the deep end.
The Place for Walsh is full forward where he can use his strength and jumping ability to knock the ball down to Jelly and co and win posession.
He doesnt have the legs to get around the field.

Team i would like to see the next day is

1.James Reily
2.Michael Hannon
3.Eoin Smith
4.Martin Cahill/Keith Fannin
5.John McCutcheon
6.Dermot Sheridan(This is his best position in my opinion,He was very good here at Minor level)
7.Paul Brady
8.David Givney
9.Ciaran Galligan
10.Ronan Flanagan
11.Cian Mackey
12.Ray Cullivan
13.Martin Reily
14.Nicholas Walsh
15.Seanie Johnson

with Flanagan dropping into back line as , Mackey dropping deep aswell,Leaving hopefully  Walsh and Jelly inside with Martin Reily and Cullivan a bit deeper to get up in support up in support. If Whoever we play starts to crowd out Jelly,Then Mackey and Flanagan will have to carry it forward.

[cavan4ever]

What age is Mossy Corr from Denn now, ive being impressed with his fielding and power any time ive seen him and i think its players like him that we needed around midfield to get breaks.

[tierworker blue]

My first time online since the game...shocking stuff, and another kick in the goolies for being a Cavan supporter (I know I say through thick and thin, but christ...)
It's all been said over the last few pages, so there's no need for me to rehash the gory details. The problems on the day were so blindingly obvious to us all, yet the sideline folk seemed oblivious, and that worries me. I was particularly worried by the way the team came back out on the pitch after half time...in threes and fours, jogging / strolling in an obviously half arsed manner...zero fire in the bellies. Surely after playing a rubbish half of football, yet only going in 1 point down, it should've led to a half time dressing room awakening / bollocking / motivation with the lads re-energised and mad to tear Antrim apart. The way they sauntered back to the pitch was like they were tipping out for a challenge match. It did'nt bode well for a game that at that stage, was there to be turned around.
As many of y'all have said (and I agree...) the next match will tell a lot. Many's the team has got a beating, yet made a fist of it in the back door. Hopefully we can get another outing or two and find more positives from the season.

[BallyhaiseMan]

What age is Mossy Corr from Denn now, ive being impressed with his fielding and power any time ive seen him and i think its players like him that we needed around midfield to get breaks.

hes not very old
I agree that he should be around the panel, Hes had Power Pace and great fielding ability.
There are a number of lads like Corr,
two others being Gary Fernacombe of Drumalee and our own Barry Kelly who i believe should be around the scene come the start of next year.
both of these players have great engines and speed to get up and down the field and are good defenders aswell.
The Fact is, we know there are a number of lads like Trevor Crowe etc who refuse to play county football,but there are a number of lads better than whats on the panel now,that need to be brought in.

[trim blue]

Thought we would win but I felt going into this that Cavan being favourites, however slight, was going to be a factor and rather than produce complacency it seemed to induce nerves. It doesn't explain everything by any means as Antrim were terrific and tactically we got it wrong but nerves can make a team like Cavan -who are no world beaters or have no stock of underage or senior success to draw on -fumble balls, feel lethargic, lose composure and we saw plenty of all of this in the way we didn't against Fermanagh. Maybe I'm clutching at straws but we have to find some green shoots from somewhere. At least now TC knows exactly whats involved in being Cavan manager and the full extent of the problems he faces, what he and the players can or want to do about it is the million dollar question. On Saturday night I felt that I wouldn't go to see them again but now a few days later I'm thinking that its good we have a game in a couple of weeks and another chance to at least salvage some pride. We came back before after the Tyrone mauling and beat Donegal and Meath albeit with a lot more experience in the side, we also can't forget that they played way better against Fermanagh so its in them to improve on Saturday night. So what do you reckon lads will TC go with the psycholgy of giving the same team a chance to redeem themselves and rebuild confidence or go with a few changes?

[trim blue]

Sorry lads didn't see those posts with proposed changes before my last post...

[trim blue]

My team
Miller
Cahill Sheridan Hannon
McCutcheon Gunner Fannin (not tight enough for the corner and could be great going forward from LHB)

Galligan Walsh

Cullivan Flanagan Mackey
Pierson Givney Jelly

Its a gamble leaving Reilly out for the frees but when it doesn't put them over he doesn't offer enough in open play for me, Pierson can take them further out

[BallyhaiseMan]

One problem we have if we dont play Martin Reily is,None of the rest of our players are competant kicking off the ground.
Martin Reily is a bit like Finbar Reily of Lacken in that some days he cant miss and some days he will kick a lot wide.
Declan McKiernan is around the panel and is a great long distance free taker from the hands,but hes only average kicking off the ground.
Raymond Galligan of Lacken is our long term answer to that problem in my opinion.
Big Man who can win ball,score and is a very good free taker.

[trim blue]

Fair point BM, Finbar Reilly is a good example and I think Martin Reilly will be in and out of the side the same way that Finbar was as long as he shows that inconsistancy, sure even Carolan was dropped in 97 because of his lack of contribution in open play and he was one of the most consistant freetakers in the country, mind you it gave him a good kick up the arse at the time!

[BallyhaiseMan]

To be fair while Martin Reily lost ball in contact and ran into blind alleys on Saturday  he also chased back and put in tackles on the marauding Antrim half backs, Loughrey and Scullion when some of his teammates either werent willing to track back or just were not fit to stay with speed half backs . He also kicked one tremendous point from play.
While he was nowhere near his best,He was one of Cavans better performers on saturday,although thats not saying much.

[boojangles]

Would agree with a few points BH Man.Kelly from your own club is a fine footballer with a great engine,but IMO too casual and probably wouldnt enjoy the commitment needed for IC Football,in saying that he's as good as some lads in there. Gary Ferncombe is as good a footballer as anybody at the moment in Cavan,but TBH Im glad he's not in there.He made his mind up at the start of the year that it wasnt for him,and he will be based in England from September so thats him ruled out.
Your point about Declan McKiernan being a good free taker,I dont agree with.Iv seen him a few times this year and Id say he misses more than he scores.He wouldnt add near enough from play to be near IC Level IMO.Raymond Galligan is a better free taker and when on his game would be an addition but he is far too slow for IC level,and for a big man he doesnt enjoy the physical side of the game.
I would agree that our whole Full Back line needs a revamp and its about time Ted Smith got his chance.We cannot possibly start with the same FB line the next day,and we also need to get a Centre Half Back,maybe Sheridan or Paul Brady who would be my choice.
I agree that we need to get a big man on the square who can win his own ball,which should also free up Jelly more.Givney done well on Saturday but maybe Walsh could be tried.Some how I dont see TC trying Walsh in there tho.
Midfield is also a problem area and we definitely need a few more men around the centre,maybe operating from Wing Forward.
When you actually go through the whole team,its hard to be optimistic because we have problems in so many key areas.
I was very disappointed in Millers kick outs also-especially when we were being cleaned out from the start.He never seems to vary his kicks or try a few short ones.But direction should have been coming from the line after 20 minutes instead of standing watching our own kickouts coming straight back at us and doing nothing.
The next game is vital to even restore a bit of pride,but in the grand scheme of things does it really matter. I will be there to support my county but after Saturday it just feels like we have taken two steps back.I know TC is there for a 3 year term but to see the lack of fight in some players,its hard to know if it can get much better.Maybe we just cant cut it at Senior level.
On a side note-Can anybody ever remember Cavan at any level win a game refereed by John Bannon? Im in no way saying he bet us but I really detest the man as a referee and as soon as I seen him in the middle,I knew the omens were bad.

[cavan4ever]

I was very disappointed in Millers kick outs also-especially when we were being cleaned out from the start.He never seems to vary his kicks or try a few short ones.But direction should have been coming from the line after 20 minutes instead of standing watching our own kickouts coming straight back at us and doing nothing.

He doesnt vary his kickouts ? Maybe be should have tried to launch a few to our giants of half forwards Mackey, Flanagan or Brady.  He always gets some short ones going but that doesnt work the whole game.

[cavanmaniac]

The next game is vital to even restore a bit of pride,but in the grand scheme of things does it really matter.

I think the answer is in the first part of the question there boojangles. I firmly believe the next game is absolutely pivotal. If we don't win it and show a bit of pride and gumption like we did in the league match v Down, it will completely colour if not taint the rest of Tommy Carr's reign and given that it's only at its first stage, that would be pretty disastrous. We need to finish this season at least playing decently and looking like we're on some sort of upward curve. If we finish it out playing as abysmally as last Saturday, it'd be very hard to pick things up again next year or start it in any sort of a positive way.  

[put-it-up]

i actually just thought, did i read ages ago in a newspaper that Jelly was planning to go to the States for the summer?if so is he going to miss the qualifers do you know?