All Ireland Semi Final: The Dubs v Cavan, 1730 Saturday 5 December 2020

[Captain Obvious]

Well Mickey has some fuel to use coming into this game, siege mentality and all that.. be interested in knowing how he went about his team talks, considering, bar the Antrim game, they were underdogs he's really managed to find the right formula to beat the teams so far, whos not to say he hasn't got it right going into this game...

Be more concerned that the players will have enough time to get over the hysteria of winning and sort out any niggles, otherwise they will be drained mentally and physically in the last quarter of the game..

As for wanting the game out of Croke, do players really want that? I know supporters of Cavan and the ABD's want 'neutral' grounds but if your county (Tipp in football, Cavan so many years) haven't played there then you are really giving up a rite of passage of all GAA players.

Having managed a team to Croke Park and seeing the players and club members around us, there can be no other feeling for a GAA man/woman

Cavan have played in Croke Park a few times in the last 5/6 years. 2 x Div 2 finals, 1 x Div 3 final and 2 x championship games versus London and Kerry. Although a fair few of the lads wont have, a decent amount will have.

Anyway, I expect we will be down from the high and ready to give Dublin a shot. I think the players will be up for it.

Cavan played U21 All-Ireland final in Croke Park also McKiernan and few others was on that team. Plenty Tipperary players have played in Croke Park also from the league, Minor 2011 and the All-Ireland quarter and semi final in 2016.

With no supporters this was one year to play All-Ireland semi finals out of Croke Park however the grey haired men in suits weren't going to budge even if Tipperary and Cavan requested it

[Milltown Row2]

Whether they all did or not, I'd say if you ask GAA players where would they like to be playing their All Ireland senior semi final, regardless of the year we have, they'll mostly say Croke Park.

Dublin won't have  the advantage of having the blue army on Hill 16, the pitch dimensions on on most county grounds around the country are the same, if you can't be up for playing at Croke park then forget about turning up..

Saying that, I do understand that Dublin have that advantage but that's because they are based in Dublin..

There was no crying about Dublin playing games in Croke park in late 80's and 90's and 2000's

[dublin7]

Whether they all did or not, I'd say if you ask GAA players where would they like to be playing their All Ireland senior semi final, regardless of the year we have, they'll mostly say Croke Park.

Dublin won't have  the advantage of having the blue army on Hill 16, the pitch dimensions on on most county grounds around the country are the same, if you can't be up for playing at Croke park then forget about turning up..

Saying that, I do understand that Dublin have that advantage but that's because they are based in Dublin..

There was no crying about Dublin playing games in Croke park in late 80's and 90's and 2000's

I'd be more worried for the players with all the publicity over switching the game from Croker and calls for Cavan to demand the game be moved. Can't be easy for the players with people coming up to the them complaining about playing the dubs in croker and how it isn't fair and they'd have a better chance if the game was on elsewhere. Its bound to be a distraction

[yellowcard]

The difference in Croke Park with no fans and Croke Park with 60k fans is day and night. I really don't think it will be that big of a deal in terms of players handling the occasion. The bigger dimension of the pitch and the travel & logistics in getting there is another matter and that is where Dublin may gain an edge if they even needed one to begin with.

The extra week will do Cavan no harm just to come back down to earth after the euphoria of last weekend. If they had to play again this Sunday they might have great difficulty in getting back up for another game so soon. Last Sunday will have been their All Ireland final in many respects. If Donegal had beaten Cavan last weekend most people would be viewing next weekends game as an All Ireland decider and that is the way Cavan have to approach the game. They have beaten a side that many consider to be number 3 in the country after Dublin & Kerry. And deservedly beat them. That must give them massive confidence going into next weekends encounter and I am sure that Mickey Graham will have a plan. His Mullinaghta side beat a red hot fancied Kilmacud side in a provincial club decider a few years back which would have been a similar sized task to what Cavan will face next weekend.

[Itchy]

The difference in Croke Park with no fans and Croke Park with 60k fans is day and night. I really don't think it will be that big of a deal in terms of players handling the occasion. The bigger dimension of the pitch and the travel & logistics in getting there is another matter and that is where Dublin may gain an edge if they even needed one to begin with.

The extra week will do Cavan no harm just to come back down to earth after the euphoria of last weekend. If they had to play again this Sunday they might have great difficulty in getting back up for another game so soon. Last Sunday will have been their All Ireland final in many respects. If Donegal had beaten Cavan last weekend most people would be viewing next weekends game as an All Ireland decider and that is the way Cavan have to approach the game. They have beaten a side that many consider to be number 3 in the country after Dublin & Kerry. And deservedly beat them. That must give them massive confidence going into next weekends encounter and I am sure that Mickey Graham will have a plan. His Mullinaghta side beat a red hot fancied Kilmacud side in a provincial club decider a few years back which would have been a similar sized task to what Cavan will face next weekend.

Jaysus, I dont know what the hell we are going to do this weekend with no match. They should organise a challenge game.

[Captain Obvious]

The difference in Croke Park with no fans and Croke Park with 60k fans is day and night. I really don't think it will be that big of a deal in terms of players handling the occasion. The bigger dimension of the pitch and the travel & logistics in getting there is another matter and that is where Dublin may gain an edge if they even needed one to begin with.

The extra week will do Cavan no harm just to come back down to earth after the euphoria of last weekend. If they had to play again this Sunday they might have great difficulty in getting back up for another game so soon. Last Sunday will have been their All Ireland final in many respects. If Donegal had beaten Cavan last weekend most people would be viewing next weekends game as an All Ireland decider and that is the way Cavan have to approach the game. They have beaten a side that many consider to be number 3 in the country after Dublin & Kerry. And deservedly beat them. That must give them massive confidence going into next weekends encounter and I am sure that Mickey Graham will have a plan. His Mullinaghta side beat a red hot fancied Kilmacud side in a provincial club decider a few years back which would have been a similar sized task to what Cavan will face next weekend.

Odd so many consider that for a side that hasn't reached All-Ireland semi final since 2014.

[Rossfan]

Probably as a result of them batin Tyrone?

[Angelo]

The difference in Croke Park with no fans and Croke Park with 60k fans is day and night. I really don't think it will be that big of a deal in terms of players handling the occasion. The bigger dimension of the pitch and the travel & logistics in getting there is another matter and that is where Dublin may gain an edge if they even needed one to begin with.

The extra week will do Cavan no harm just to come back down to earth after the euphoria of last weekend. If they had to play again this Sunday they might have great difficulty in getting back up for another game so soon. Last Sunday will have been their All Ireland final in many respects. If Donegal had beaten Cavan last weekend most people would be viewing next weekends game as an All Ireland decider and that is the way Cavan have to approach the game. They have beaten a side that many consider to be number 3 in the country after Dublin & Kerry. And deservedly beat them. That must give them massive confidence going into next weekends encounter and I am sure that Mickey Graham will have a plan. His Mullinaghta side beat a red hot fancied Kilmacud side in a provincial club decider a few years back which would have been a similar sized task to what Cavan will face next weekend.

Odd so many consider that for a side that hasn't reached All-Ireland semi final since 2014.

They were off the back of two very good performances. There's a vacuum there after Dublin that you could make a case for any of 6/7 counties.

Kerry, Mayo, Tyrone, Donegal, Monaghan, Galway. You might have a favourite if these teams meet but it wouldn't be a huge shock whoever comes out in a match between them. They are all more than capable of beating each other. The thing about it is I actually think football is a fairly healthy state with regard to competitiveness outside of Dublin.

The problem is there are only 4 or 5 teams probably capable of sticking with Dublin for 50 minutes and none of those have been capable of beating them. Every other team outside that grouping are a sacrificial lamb who Dublin can beat by whatever margin they feel like.

[Captain Obvious]

Donegal had plenty of good and impressive results in Ulster in recent years however they didn't build on those results in the All Ireland series. A team would need to be reaching a few All Ireland semi finals in last 5 years to be considered a top 3 team.

[BennyCake]

If Dublin win the AI this year, they should be barred from the next 5 championship. Not allowed to meet or train together.

Yes it's a mad idea, but even if the GAA ploughed millions into other counties, like those with cities/large towns like Limerick, Antrim, Louth, Waterford, Laois, Sligo etc. Even ploughing millions into top 12 counties to build centres of excellences etc, it could be years before we'd see improvement or those counties anywhere near challenging. The AI championship will be dead as a dodo by then.

[Hoof Hearted]

If Dublin win the AI this year, they should be barred from the next 5 championship. Not allowed to meet or train together.

Yes it's a mad idea, but even if the GAA ploughed millions into other counties, like those with cities/large towns like Limerick, Antrim, Louth, Waterford, Laois, Sligo etc. Even ploughing millions into top 12 counties to build centres of excellences etc, it could be years before we'd see improvement or those counties anywhere near challenging. The AI championship will be dead as a dodo by then.

Surely when not if

[BennyCake]

If Dublin win the AI this year, they should be barred from the next 5 championship. Not allowed to meet or train together.

Yes it's a mad idea, but even if the GAA ploughed millions into other counties, like those with cities/large towns like Limerick, Antrim, Louth, Waterford, Laois, Sligo etc. Even ploughing millions into top 12 counties to build centres of excellences etc, it could be years before we'd see improvement or those counties anywhere near challenging. The AI championship will be dead as a dodo by then.

Surely when not if

When Dublin are kicked out or the championship dies?

[Armagh18]

Some amount of yaps on this board. Yes Dublin have all the advantages, the money, the population and whatever the f**k else you want to cry about. But at the end of the day it's 15 on 15 and the c***ts are human, cut them and they bleed the same as you or me.

Most teams are bate before they play them, every team in Leinster has shite the bed for years now. The teams that get near them lately (Mayo and Kerry) push up and get tore into them. I guarantee you Cavan will be a whole lot closer to the Dubs than people think because if they can bring the same intensity they did to the Donegal game they'll cause Dublin problems, to be honest they probably don't have the quality of Kerry/Mayo, but they absolutely will no fear Dublin and give them no respect.

I know if I was playing county football instead of crying about how unfair it all is, the scalp of the best team we've ever seen would be some motivation.

Anyway the very best of luck to Cavan, would be absolutely magical for them to do it.

[Milltown Row2]

+1

[Rossfan]

The 2 lads toeing the official line