I predict a disaster year for Monaghan

[ExiledGael]

What about the 'sparrow-legged' one? Can't recall his name, Mc something or other. He scored heavily a few years back.

[charlie linkbox]

What about the 'sparrow-legged' one? Can't recall his name, Mc something or other. He scored heavily a few years back.

Hughie McElroy you're thinking of EG, and a good spot at that. He would indeed be worthy of consideration for the team. Very accurate from frees and has been known to contribute in open play too. One to ponder alright.........

[Maguire01]

Did Hugh not make a very late appearance in the Kerry game last year? He was pretty regular for our short-lived spell in Division 1 as far as i recall - he's a decent player.

In other news, the team announced for Sunday's game v Antrim is a lot stronger:

Padraig McBennett, Dessie Mone, Colm Flanagan, Dermot McArdle, Damien Freeman, Gary McQuaid, John Paul Mone, Eoin Lennon, Paul Finlay, Owen Duffy, Rory Woods, Conor McManus, AN Other, Vincent Corey, Tomas Freeman.

[Seany]

Just thought I'd bring this thread up again to remind you of how I called it back in january.  All the signs were there right back then.  ANd so it has come to pass.  monaghan are finished.

[Maximus Marillius]

come on....everybody together...give Seany a big clap....of trap . Wait until the seasons over....sunday could have done Monaghan a maasive favour early enough in the championship to do some thing about it.

[Our Nail Loney]

What about the qualifiers Seany?? Sure that was where Monaghan gained some momentum last year

[INDIANA]

monaghan need a new manager he's there too long. they can get back on track with a new impetus. he's great at getting rid of everyone off his management team bar himself. JOe Brolly called Kildare joyless under Mc Geeney, i'd call monaghan the same. it's not a happy camp, fermanagh are enjoying their football you can see it in their play. for monaghan they looked like they had the weight of the world on their shoulders. It's a game of football at the end of the day, banty and mc geeney and these characters are too intense. need to not lose sight of the fact that is a game of football.

[GrandMasterFlash]

I take your point about Banty Indiana but I'm not sure if I agree about the over intensity point you make. Mickey Harte is one of the most intense men in the game, not playing challenge games, media bans etc. and he's won 2 AI's this decade..

[INDIANA]

yeah but tyrone look they enjoy going training. monaghan don't . just look at the pictures of the 2 teams coming out of the tunnel fermanagh couldn't wait to get out there, there was a noticeable spring in their step. monaghan looked like they were coming out to face a firing squad. you can overtrain for things as well, and monaghan looked totally flat. that's a managament issue and there isn't any point in banty looking at anyone bar himself because i can't see monaghan getting a run in the qualifiers. they look like the best thing would be to have the rest of the year off and come back fresh next year with a new man at the helm. i personally feel to get to the last 8 they needed to at least make the ulster final.

[Maguire01]

All the signs are there.  Played beyond their ability last year, men who played well are now becoming famous and perhaps have forgotten the work it took last year, fatigue is setting in and the attitude mightn't be there for another tilt at the title.  Monaghan are poised for a disaster and when they finally do crash out of everything, I would ask someone to dig out this post and reflect on how I predicted it right at the start.  QUB last Sunday was just the start.  brace yourselves.  Monaghan are going DOWN!

Okay then, let's drag out that first post.

Firstly, is it possible to play beyond your ability? You can play to your ability or potential, but not beyond!

This year wasn't quite the disaster you predicted - but then again, if you based a lot of this on game against Queen's (Sigerson Cup holders at the time, if i'm not mistaken?) in December in the McKenna Cup, that's hardly surprising.

Monaghan were predicted by many to finish mid-table in the league - the fact that we just missed out on promotion from a tough division says a lot, despite the disappointment at the end. Monaghan definitely didn't go DOWN, as you put it.  Add to this the fact that Monaghan would have been hot favourites for Sunday's match at the start of the year, but those odds shortened considerably after Fermanagh's league run. Sunday's result may have been a surprise to some, but it was a shock to no one.

To be fair, you may have a point with the attitude - there didn't seem to be the passion or hunger in the team on Sunday and this suprised me greatly.

At the end of the day, Derry looked dead in the water after our semi-final last year, but they bounced back for a great run - here's hoping Monaghan can do the same. A good team doesn't turn bad overnight and i don't believe for a minute that Monaghan are 'finished'.

[his holiness nb]

Maybe going out in the first game will work to their advantage. gives them plenty of time to "freshen up" before the play offs.

[Seany]

I'm not trying to be smart or anything because Iactually like Monaghan and would love to see them do well, but we have all seen this pattern before - an ordinary team plays above itself for a year and suddenly great predictions are being made about the following year which fail to take into consideration their own weariness, the fact that they just aren't as good as people think and the fact thet everyone is ready for them now and complacency is not a factor.

I don't think they'll go well in the back door either.

[billy the kid]

What monaghan need now is to regroup and try to rediscover their bite from last year and they have the time to do that with a 4/5 week break.  If they then get  a 'kind' draw in the qualifiers to boost confidence and iron out a few of their many problems from Sunday.  Alternatively a draw against a so called big gun in the 1st round could be just what Monaghan need to rediscover that Intensity that defined them last year and act as a springboard for the rest of the season.  What Monaghan def dont want is a draw against another mid teir team as it would again be hard to lift themselves for it with no big scalp on offer and confidence probably fagile after sunday.  

I def dont think Monaghan are finished yet but a defeat in the first round of the qualifiers would be a serious blow and would probably spell the end for Banty and a few of the older players.  Some of the fringe players will probably be having a long think about things at the minute also with Banty sticking with the majority of the team that he used last year for most of the league and championship to date no matter how they were playing.  (did players not already leave the panel because they werent getting a chance?)
The re-introduction of woods, a man who was playing very poorly and looked to be carrying even more weight than last year, implys Banty doesnt have much confidence in his subs and would have been very hard to stomach for anyone on that bench.  Also thought JP mone was getting it very tight on the edge of the square and could have offered something in the mid-field area where they were struggling badly.

Monaghan were outplayed, out fought and out thought on Sunday and it didnt suprise me, but they are capable of a reasonable run in the qualifiers if they get their act together but I really cant see them reaching the latter rounds like last year as i dont think the quality is there and neither is the element of suprise. Also there are many reports of lost hunger and discontent to deal with.

The worst thing about Sunday for monaghan wasnt the loss but the way they lost - very badly. What they do next could define this Monaghan team.  Either a team with heart and Balls who should be taken seriously or a team of 1 season wonders who were happy enough with 1 season of 'relative' success that ultimately produced nothing more than a few pats on the back.  Its anybodys guess what way it will go and no doubt we will have our answer later in the summer but well before the end of the summer I think.  

[thebandit]

I suspect that some of it has to do with the type of training that they are doing. They are doing a lot of power intensive stuff, which may be hard to sustain in terms of actually being beneficial.

[Seany]

Great post Billy the Kid.  Perfect.  Just what I am thinking.