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However it worked behind the scenes I do think he'd have been repeating Terry Hyland's error of one year too many if he stayed on. The arse has fallen out of things entirely, and of course we'll never know how he'd have shaken it up in the 12 months ahead, but the robotic inertia of the senior team's play felt like an endurance test or form of torture this year, and he has to carry the can for that. No doubting he gave it his all though, as well as one helluva bright day against the odds.

Early mentions of Malachy O'Rourke to replace Graham. Whatever you think of him as a candidate, it's hard to imagine he won't be in the county board's thoughts.

You think Cavan would be ahead of Donegal, and possibly Tyrone & Armagh and their changes in mgt?

A few will be in for him I'd imagine, yes. Cavan's place in the pecking order is fairly diminished as well but he has club management experience here, not sure about the other counties but maybe there also. Hard to think of any Cavan men with the managerial chops to do the job either.

Interesting the Celt reported a lot of the current panel being in favour of Graham staying and he was veering that way until catching the board on the hop late in the day and stepping down. I find that very hard to credit but they know more than me about it I suppose.

Early mentions of Malachy O'Rourke to replace Graham. Whatever you think of him as a candidate, it's hard to imagine he won't be in the county board's thoughts.

My first post may have come across a tad uncharitable to Graham, who I do think did a solid job overall especially in his first few years. In reality we're going back to square one with a big rebuild on now so how tantalising a prospect that might be to an outside manager is debatable. I think we'll appoint from within again which I prefer in the circumstances but I think one more year under Mickey might be one too many. It's all gone very stale.

Cavan look like having a few wilderness years now. Graham will go, and on the basis of the flat, robotic performances in the championship games that matter, starting with the Tailteann Cup final, it's time he did. In hindsight, losing that final is an even bigger disaster that it even looked initially, psychologically as well as in Sam Maguire eligibility terms - totally blew their chance to undo the horrors of those league relegations that Graham must carry the can for too. The football against Armagh and Down was genuinely nauseating to sit through - repetitive, side shuffling from players totally bound by systems, tactics, patterns, whatever you want to call it, it'd give you a pain in your face. Just no cut and thrust whatsoever.

A few big names look like they've had enough at this stage and that's no surprise; lots of miles done and very little to show for it, bar one shining moment. We still have a few players coming through you'd imagine, how could we not with "the great work being done at all levels in Cavan" (yet we've won next to nothing for 50 years +). I'm not knocking the effort there, btw, just how it's channeled. Clearly a lot of investment is yielding very little return, or not enough considering what's being put in.

Grim times ahead methinks 

My jaw is still on the floor. That was an incredible comeback. Every bit as bad as they were first half - lethargic and standing off, chasing spaces, lurching at shadows in defence, pedestrian and predictable in attack - they were twice as good in the second - tackling with intensity, letting the ball in quickly, shooting decisively, great cutting in them and all guts and glory. It'd make you proud to be from Cavan. Mickey Graham is getting the maximum out of these players and Ulster final appearances should be minimum target for the team in most years I feel.

Donegal will be another kettle of fish. I hope Cavan don't overthink it like they seem to do against big-name opponents, and wait until they're way behind before snapping out of whatever mental straitjacket they seem to start games in these days. I don't expect a victory but another embarrassing tail-between-the-legs exit, like we've seen way too often against Tyrone and Donegal in recent years, would be very demoralising. Hope they go down with their boots on and make Donegal work for it at least.

Cavan claw their way up a few rungs of the ladder and get summarily whack-a-moled right back down by Tyrone...has a depressingly familiar look to it.

Major question marks over that group of players now, some lads out there ought to know, and show, better than that at this stage of their careers. Drawing Tyrone was a wretched, wretched turn of events for this team and manager at this stage but to emerge with literally not one scintilla of anything positive to cling to - there is the nightmare. Graham has some job on his hands now.

One of the main positives about playing Tyrone in a championship match is a vibrant, active thread like this with lots to read to shorten bus journeys.

After that, I'm struggling.

Literally any other team would have been a satisfactory draw for Cavan, but if there's an all Ulster pairing possible, out of the hat she'll come. So deflating and such an anti climax, super 8s would have been a great developer for the team and manager. A typically impotent exit, following the usual script when we play Tyrone, could actually send us backwards a few steps. You'd hope that the bit of steel we've been able to show at times this summer will at least see us emerge with a an enhanced reputation, but as for the result it's a foregone conclusion I'm afraid.

Aaaaand there it is. Typical. You'd obviously remain slightly hopeful in a year we got the Roscommon and Monaghan monkeys off our backs but the potential for a morale crushing experience looms large because Tyrone always seem to just strangle the life out of us. Here's hoping but that's a very deflating draw overall, sickening actually.

I have a terrible feeling that we'll land Tyrone. It's probably just my imagination but it always seems that if there's an Ulster team in the qualifier hat that we'd rather avoid, we surely end up with them. The very last thing this team needs right now is Tyrone in a do-or-die match, another limp display could set our lads back a long way.

Well done and congratulations to Donegal, by far the better and more composed side, and exerted full control from pillar to post - or retook it easily when it mattered.

Cavan looked extremely nervy from the off and were a world away from the team that played in earlier rounds. Very subdued, no fire in the belly until Donegal eased off, seemingly perplexed by the conundrum in front of them and never really went for it with the exception of the sub Murray. No shame losing to Donegal with their match winners all over the park but Cavan didn't seem to have any belief at all. Hopefully it was just the occasion getting to them and they can pick it up to make the super 8s because that would represent a very fine season overall. Very weirdly flat performance but it's a good learning experience and the season need not end on this low note.

I always wonder about Galligan in the goals too, great shot stopper but any time I see Cavan his kick outs are very, very patchy and he seems no better than 50-50 off frees too.

Well done Donegal, good luck for the rest of the season.

Cavan being written off is music to Mickey Graham's ears. He appears for the most part to be a canny operator and will be more than happy in the long grass for this one. He'll have a plan worked out and the players well primed with maybe a surprise or two up his sleeve. I wouldn't stick my neck out enough to claim Cavan will win it but I'd at least go as far as to say that if Donegal are ahead at the final whistle they'll have been made work for it a bit more than some might think.

Almost everyone is saying this will be tight with Donegal to shade it by a few points in the end.

That's hardly writing Cavan off.

I meant more the view from outside both counties, Donegal big favourites and attention mostly on them. Sure I know you Donegal bucks be fierce wily in general. 

Cavan being written off is music to Mickey Graham's ears. He appears for the most part to be a canny operator and will be more than happy in the long grass for this one. He'll have a plan worked out and the players well primed with maybe a surprise or two up his sleeve. I wouldn't stick my neck out enough to claim Cavan will win it but I'd at least go as far as to say that if Donegal are ahead at the final whistle they'll have been made work for it a bit more than some might think.

It's worth remembering that last week was Graham's second ever championship game in senior intercounty management. McGeeney has been hard at it for a decent while without making too much apparent progress and I fully expect him to over-think it for the replay and focus too much on stopping Cavan. I'd say our boys have more scope to improve and continue evolving whereas I'm not sure Armagh have another gear. I can see Cavan taking it by three or four.