Cavan v Tyrone - 5pm, Clones, Sat 6th July

[Cavan19]

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.

That's one of the most pessimistic posts I've ever read. Is this the feeling in Cavan generally?

If it is then the players living in Cavan will surely pick up on this vibe and may be beaten before they take the pitch.

I'm afraid it is we really didn't want Tyrone  .

The bandwagon jumpers will have all gone to ground by now so i can see a small enough Cavan crowd travelling down the road also.

[J70]

Donegal went in against Tyrone this year as definite underdogs after three straight defeats in the previous three seasons. They're not Dublin. They're not unbeatable. Cavan have to give it a go, force them to go long with the kick-outs, put a man back in front of McShane and swarm just like Tyrone do.

[Fuzzman]

For God sake J70, you're spoiling it for them. We're gonna have to go off now and think of a plan C and maybe even D.

Most of the Cavan lads are playing the "cute hoor" role very well and whilst most of us do think they don't have much of a chance, most of us older wans (Yeah most of us now) know that games rarely go as expected.

McShane seems to continue doing well despite most teams putting a man in front of him as well as his own marker. Petey Harte has been scoring heavily in the games he has stayed on the pitch though a lot is from frees. Good to see Mattie scoring a few last weekend and McCurry looks to have got his act together and looks hungry to prove people wrong.
McAliskey will be looking to turn up the heat on the others when he gets his chance and will want to get back where he was.

Richie Donnelly and Frank Burns can also kick points from far out which can be important against packed defences sitting inside their own 40.
Interesting wee article here which was written before the Donegal game
https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaa-statistics-tyrone-s-new-three-pronged-attack-explained-1.3915956

Tyrone began 2019 with just 1-10 from play in their opening three league matches - the joint lowest combined total of any Division One team at that stage of the competition in the past decade. Two of them points were from their goalkeeper.

They went on to win their remaining four league matches - including a win over Dublin in Croke Park - before seeing off Derry and Antrim in reaching Saturday's Ulster semi-final against Donegal. In those six wins Tyrone accumulated 8-63 from play, an average of 1-12 per match.

So what changed? Tyrone decided to deploy midfielder Cathal McShane at full-forward and stick with it, with Mattie Donnelly floating around him. When team captain, Donnelly, decides to go out the field he's replaced inside by Peter Harte. Who otherwise looks to exploit the pockets of space from halfway to the edge of the D, created by Tyrone's inside double threat. And most importantly, they are kicking the ball into them.

Against Dublin in the 2018 final, Tyrone registered 16 wides to Dublin's six. They took on 13 shots from outside of the scoring zone, some from well outside of it, and they scored only one. A team who have perfected their transition game in recent years, Tyrone have struggled to create chances when held up and prevented from streaming through the defensive lines on the counter.

Now though, they have their alternative outlet, in the form of three very different players. It's hard to decipher much from last month's 14 point win over Antrim - by the 41st minute of that encounter Mickey Harte called ashore Harte, Donnelly and McShane in a triple substitution such was his confidence in securing the victory. However, their preliminary round win over Derry did ask more questions of them.

In that match 1-9 of the team's total of 1-19 was the result of a kickpass into one of their inside forwards. And that long ball tactic not only gives them an option to kick beyond a defensive block, it also asks questions of the opposition defence and forces them to protect their last line. All of which leaves space for Tyrone's best weapon - that lightning transition through the hands.
Last year's All-Ireland finalists have been boosted by the likes of Michael Cassidy, Ben McDonnell and Brian Kennedy competing for starting places, Niall Morgan has transformed into a sweeper goalkeeper - but Tyrone's biggest and most needed improvement from last summer has been in their forward line.
McShane has been the biggest success story of all, so far in this year's Championship he's scored 0-13 in two matches, 0-8 from play. He will contest, win and flick down aerial deliveries against any opponent, while he can also kick scores off both feet without hesitation. So far this summer he's scored three with his left, two with his fist and eight with his favoured right boot. This variation allows him to shoot on sight as he can't be marked off one side.

While the rest of the Tyrone attack/team will rotate positions throughout a match, it's rare that McShane will not be the furthest player forward in this new look formation. Against Derry and Antrim, he had two thirds of his touches inside the opposition 21 metre line. And had his hands on the ball inside the 13 metre line on seven occasions.

Making up what's often a two man full forward line, Donnelly joins McShane inside for large chunks of the match. Against Derry he had 22 possessions and was fouled for three tap over frees, while he scored three points against Antrim. And he ended the league campaign with 0-3 against Dublin and 1-4 against Galway.
Donnelly makes his runs from the full-forward position to the wings where his dynamism allows him to secure the ball on a one-on-one out in front, and also isolates defenders allowing him to take them on and create overlaps. A skill he is arguably the best at in the country.

When Donnelly comes out, which he seems to have free license to do, Harte goes in. The latter is Tyrone's top scorer so far this year in league and championship (including frees) but has yet to score from play this summer. Albeit he has spent most of his time out rather than in.

He had only 11 touches from play against Derry, yet made much more of an impact against Antrim where he created the opening goal for Tiernan McCann with a defence splitting run. In Tyrone's league win over Monaghan in particular, when he scored 1-6 (1-2 from play), Harte also showed how he can rip through a stretched backline wary of the long ball in behind.

The versatile attacker is capable of starting and finishing a counter attack due to his athleticism, ball carrying ability and the timing of his runs. He is also one of the main conductors between running that traditional transition game, and triggering Tyrone's new long kick option. Harte kicked long to Donnelly and McShane on five occasions between the Derry and Antrim wins.

Counting the kicks for only as long as Harte, Donnelly and McShane were on the pitch against Derry and Antrim, Richard Donnelly tops the list of 13 kickers with 10 long passes to his inside players. He has been thriving in his new role out around the middle, and in a team of players who have spent their footballing lives looking to carry rather than kick he appears to be the main player relied upon to get his head up and feed the talent.

The other is Frank Burns, of late he has filled the sweeper centre back role so often held by Mattie Donnelly, and he has also bombed on and kicked in eight kick passes.

Them passes can be long and high to McShane, out wide or in the corner to Donnelly - the two big men inside can win the ball and hold it whatever way it comes into them. They can keep it short too with Harte and runners aplenty ready to exploit the space. Essentially, Mickey Harte looks to have found a way to make three of his most unorthodox players thrive in a fluid yet structured system.

[Itchy]

Funny enough I reckon Faulkner will handle Mcshane fairly well. It's the likes of Peter Harte and your strong runners in half back line that will trouble us. The mental toughness or lack of it will have a major bearing on this game. But based on the Mickey Graham factor I give Cavan a chance.

[Itchy]

There's a Mickey Graham factor?

Why are you stalking this thread, shouldn't you be on the "shit dual counties with no home stadium thread"
But yeh, Mickey Graham won Leinster with a half parish from longford against a super club from Dublin so he does bring something else to the table.

[Main Street]

Donegal went in against Tyrone this year as definite underdogs after three straight defeats in the previous three seasons. They're not Dublin. They're not unbeatable. Cavan have to give it a go, force them to go long with the kick-outs, put a man back in front of McShane and swarm just like Tyrone do.

Cavan are not Donegal

[skeog]

Hope someone has lent Joe Brolly a fiver for the car parking in Clones.

[weareros]

Hope someone has lent Joe Brolly a fiver for the car parking in Clones.

If not, he should learn to haggle and barter a bit, Bangladesh style.

[Itchy]

Stalking the thread with my first post on it....

Aye, the Mickey Graham factor, I'm sure Harte is shitting it. Heavens above!!

Never said he would be nor should he be. Just mentioned that Graham has brought something more to cavan than was there last year and also pointed out your obsession with threads on cavan over the years, I expect out of boredom as your own county normally have laid down many weeks before now despite all the population you have which ye fail to harness year after year.

[Cavan19]

Maybe change the name to Tetchy.

[Main Street]

Maybe change the name to Tetchy.

Not bad HS.

Whatever he is, he's an out and out bollix who hasn't a gram of cop on.

[Cavan19]

Maybe change the name to Tetchy.

Not bad HS.

Whatever he is, he's an out and out bollix who hasn't a gram of cop on.

Schools out for the summer lads.

[Itchy]

Maybe change the name to Tetchy.

Not bad HS.

Whatever he is, he's an out and out bollix who hasn't a gram of cop on.

Crying again like a little bitch main street. You will always be in our shadow,  get used to it.

Population of Antrim 600k, even allowing for unionists and take away 50% that's still  3 times more than Cavan. So tell us why you can't harvest that huge number? If only Ulsters were handed out for wearing Celtic jerseys and painting kerbs.


Now what are you two even doing on this thread?

[Angelo]

Draw, ye heard it here 1st

Must be finished on the day which includes penalties if required. Now imagine reaching the last 8 in that manner?

Can we speculate who the 5 would be?

Harte, Mcshane, M Donnelly, Brennan, Morgan?

Depends on who finishes I guess but I would say:

Harte
Sludden
Morgan
McCurry
McAliskey

I'd have a bit of a worry on letting the bigger lads take penalties.

[giveballaghback]

So Tyrone are another racing cert? Just like Mayo were against The Rossies, or Tyrone were against Donegal, or Galway were against Ros or Monaghan against cavan and how many more favourites have fallen this year.
Cavan will be ready for this, the hype is gone now after the Ulster final, Graham will have them up and running Sunday and they will have learned from that Donegal game.
I expect a close game.