Official Cavan GAA Thread

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Just as the weather looks set to pick up there's that silver lining most of us were looking for.............

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/northern_ireland/gaelic_games/7516416.stm

Now for the annoying months of speculation.

[mylestheslasher]

Praise the lord

[BallyhaiseMan]

THERE IS A GOD AFTERALL!!!!!!!!   

[Denn Forever]

Another last minute goal and we're out.  At least we are consistant!

Couldn't make to the game but got a report from someone who was there.  He said that the 1st half performance was bad and it was a miracle that we were only 4 point down.  2nd half was much better except of those last 30 seconds.  What was the difference?  Were Kildare that much better in the 1st half or did Cavan under perform?  If you look at from outside you'd say they must have got some Bolloxin from the manager?  So question is, was it the manager or did the players say, f**k it, lets get into them.

Who did perform?  My source was impressed by Mackey but was very unimpressed by the full back line?  Are there any good full backs in the county?  The Denn full back is a converted wing half back.  Are there any dedicated full backs out there.

Again a last minute goal.  Was there a clock at Newbridge?  Could the player have known that it was the last minute? If they did would they have as Lawrence said He could have been dragged, tripped, shoulderd, boxed, or f**king headbutted and  we would've won the game by a point but instead moses took hold and the defence opened up. .  When Martin McHugh was manager he told the players they should keep an eye on the clock in order that they could act accordingly.

Maybe the Management team should have a big clock giving the time and indicating how much injury time is to be played and much injury time has gone.  This should be easy enough to do.  Ask Mullaghhoran or Belturbet where the go their scoreboard.

I'll stop now as I am getting more and more disillusioned.

[mylestheslasher]

I heard that McKeever was a disgrace at the game and showed zero workrate and leadership. I am told that when the Kildare player ran half the field our captain just stopped and watched him go. I hope he enjoyed his session last weekend anyway. Keoghan is a muppet, no doubt, but some of these players also need to be cut loose by the new manager. Boozing the w'end before a championship match is disgraceful behaviour no matter who is in charge. I heard that Hannon was good, Johnstone was good in 2nd half and Walsh totally changed the game when he came on. What a joke that he never got a kick all year until every midfielder had left or been injured. Enough on Keoghans stupidity - whats for the future. I'd say a few managers will be available before the championship is over so best sit tight and see what happens.

[Hollow Man]

Things need to change from the very bottom up.

Cavan is a football-mad county, and we have always afforded our county footballers huge respect and placed them on a plateau because of their ability. However, many of the current crop haven't EARNED this respect. They take all the benefits that come from being a Cavan footballer, yet they don't earn them, and don't deserve them. I think that's the problem, and I don't know how it can be fixed.

I was in Newbridge and the manner in which we lost was devastating. I was on the terrace in a bad spot with a stupid fence restricting my view, but I thought Martin Cahill did well, and Johnston. McCabe was very poor by his standards, and McKeever and Watters were just awful.

I think Mackey has had quite a good championship, he was impressive at times, as was Johnston. We were dire in the first half and should have been seven or eight down but the second half performance was very good. We were six down two minutes before half time and from there until the point where Kildare got the goal Cavan turned it around to go two ahead, which was impressive.

Dermot Sheridan got a bit of a run around at times but showed great heart and aggression - he's definitely one that we can build around.

Walsh did turn the game by getting in Killian Brennan's face and spoiling things - as far as I know he was injured for ages and that's why he didn't feature before now.

It was a massive ask of Keating to play midfield, he wasn't up to it yesterday but judging by his body language he's a confident player and he's one to watch out for.

With the other clown now gone (some cracking stories doing the rounds from the after party), I think we need a disciplinarian, preferably an outsider who doesn't know that McKeever can never be dropped etc.

We can look to build the team around the likes of Padraig Reilly, Hannon, Fannin (remember him?), Cahill, Cullivan, Sheridan, Lyng, Gunner and Johnston and cut out some of the dead wood. I think McCabe might be hanging up his boots which is a pity because I'd like to see him at full-forward for a good long spell, I think he could link very well with Johnston.

All in all, a terrible season. Keogan's championship record as manager with Cavan is now as follows

Minors - Played 4, won 1 (v Antrim)
Under 21s - Played 2, won 0
Seniors - Played 6, won 1 (v Antrim)

So, aside from Antrim, Donal Keogan has failed to win a championship match in ten attempts. Pathetic.

[trim blue]

Although we already knew it Saturday proved what a millstone we were carrying all year with our patched up midfields. There was a difference of night and day in how we played before and after Walsh came on and in saying that it wasn't like he was doing anything special. The difference was he was a midfielder in the first place who was strong, athletic and relatively quick who was getting in Brennans face, literally, and not allowing him to stand back and measure passes into king Johnny. He also plays with confidence and is obviously unfazed by anyone he's up against which is half the battle. Now while Walsh has been injured a lot he wasn't exactly Keoghans favourite either and so he is far from blameless in my eyes. As for the rest, McKeever did nothing and was way off his man a lot but when switched to CHB Flanagan played that position very well. Thought the Full backline did good enough as in the first half Kildare dropped in a lot of high stuff which they dealt with ok and in the second they got on a lot more ball. Would agree with previous poster that Sheridan and Cahill really put the effort in alongside Hannon. The real problem for me in the first half was midfield and the half backs, none of who played well. McCabe's distribution was uncharacteristically poor but his effort and free kicks stood out. We had no right to be only 4 points down at half time. Eddie scored a couple of really good points and as always his effort was faultless, he just lacks that bit of composure. Mackey scored one great point but when he operates as a conventional half forward he's too much of a liability in my book, he cant win his own ball unless its handed to him on a plate and on at least three occasions on Saturday he gave away the ball with dreadful foot passes, having said that I thought he put in the effort and in the first half he tracked his man the whole way back to the 21 yard line to prevent a score which unfortunately wasn't repeated in the 71st minute by some of the others. Now I know we are no world beaters but considering the mess Keoghan made of things and the lack of a midfield this year there are enough good players around for any new manager to look at things and feel he can make improvements if, and its a big if, we get someone like Coleman who laid down the law and had the players respect. Hope McCabe hangs on for another year and would love to see Lyng back fit and rarin to go along with Rabbitte and Eamon Reilly, I'm afraid that we may forget about Pierson which saddens me as he is one of the most naturally gifted footballers we have produced in years but only Eamon Coleman was able to bring the best out of him, maybe Eamons great friend Dessie Dolan could repeat the trick?

[Lawrence of Knockbride]

Good summarisation Trim Blue. But to say the half-back line didn't play well is a huge understatement. I think we all agree we have a decent panel of players there and so many more scattered around the county who, for one reason or another aren't involved. Think Rabbitte, Jordan, Gaynor, Pierson, Lyng, Crowe to name a few. It's all been said before but our players really do need to be ready to commit to the panel from November/December until (hopefully) August the following year if we're to make any progress. And that includes squad players to borrow a soccer phrase. The likes of Rory Donohoe and............well Rory Donohoe have proven that they don't have the commitment so thanks, but no thanks. We need lads in for the long haul. Of course a respected and respectful manager will increase the chances of this happening by not calling lads into the panel in late April at the expense of others. Am I being too simplistic?

[cavanmaniac]

I've discussed Cavan football with any number of outsiders and insiders in the past few weeks and if one more person tells me that "Cavan haven't the players" I'll swing for someone.

I accept that at full tilt we probably wouldn't be All-Ireland material but anyone that thinks we haven't the resources to be at least as good as Fermanagh - although they have better men in key positions than we have, like fullback and midfield - they want to have a word with themselves. Too many people thought and believed the same about our players in 1994 when McHugh took over, only McHugh himself refused to accept it, came in, raised the bar in every area, everyone signed up and gave it a lash and with a bit of luck we might have been in an All-Ireland final if not winning the thing. A rising tide can lift all boats and very, very quickly change the landscape along with  resetting the horizons.

Make no mistake, we're at as low an ebb now as we were back in those dark, depressing days. A cursory glance over the last ten pages of this thread will tell you as much. Once again, we're the grand old aristocrats of Ulster without a pot to piss in, never mind a crown.

The right appointment now is absolutely crucial. The trouble-makers and dressing room dictators that dined out perennially on 1997 and thought it gave them licence to boss the managers around will be largely gone after this season. There's a crop of fairly talented young players there, and more coming, that have to be disillusioned with the crap way things are run and if the right man is brought in they can be turned around, inspired and invigorated just like 1994, and become good players for Cavan and win another Ulster within three years.

If the county board make another dodgy, thoughtless appointment - i.e. just slot another man in there with no recourse to the type of man he needs to be to sort out Cavan's particular problems - then I seriously doubt I will bother going to a game next year. And I won't be the only one, while the supporters clubs will find there'll be nobody putting their hand in their pocket at fundraisers either, because why would we continue to dumbly bankroll a county board so hopelessly out of touch with what its duties are and so lacking in smarts when it comes to analysing the core problem and applying the solution most likely to rectify it.

I have a little more faith in the present chairman who I don't think presided over the Keogan debacle and who impressed me with some quotes I read somewhere which suggested he had his eye on the bigger picture. It's his first big test and time to deliver.

As the man said, goodbye 2008 and good riddance.

[anglocelt39]

agree with a lot of what has been said but we have a long way to go out of this mess before we get to the level that Fermanagh are currently at. They have been knocking at the door for a number of years now, having been in a semi in Croker a few years ago and now this year. How have they managed it, Well no nonsence management that wouldn't take shite from prima donnas like the Gallaghers for starters. No problem there. What they have that we haven't is a group of players that know what it is to win things i.e. 10 of last Sunday's panel have McRory Cup medals with St Michaels, I could stand corrected there. We at present have a bunch of lads who know how to lose matches in the last minute at Minor, Under 21 and Senior level. That won't be changed overnight.

[cavanmaniac]

Can't disagree with you there ac39, but McHugh got to an U21 final with a bunch of guys who had done nothing at minor so you'd hope that if the scene in general got a bit of a lift, there'd be a trampoline effect at all levels.

You're right that Fermanagh are a bit ahead of us though, a few other counties have been quietly getting on with business and progressing while we've been largely faffing about for the past decade.

[mylestheslasher]

Keoghans rant after resigning from Hoganstand. I'm sorry Donal, but you were there 2 years and if there were players that didn't give it there all you should have got rid. Thats what you are there to do...

Keogan blasts players' 'lack of commitment'
22 July 2008


Outgoing Cavan boss Donal Keogan has hit out at the attitudes of some of the players in the Breffni squad in the wake of his departure.

The Denn clubman has cited a "lack of commitment" among a number of the Cavan players as the reason for his resignation and why the team are out of the All-Ireland Championship again in the first round of the qualifiers this year.

Keogan revealed that his decision to exit his post after two years in charge as Cavan manager had been made in his mind after the Breffni County's poor League campaign which saw them relegated from Division Two.

"I had my mind made up about three months ago," admitted Keogan. "I was fed up with the players' attitude. They just didn't want success badly enough and that's why we're out of the Championship. A lot of the players wanted the trappings of an inter-county footballer, but they weren't prepared to put the effort in and work.

"A lot of the Cavan players, though not all of them, have serious attitude problems. The ability in the squad is unquestionable, but they don't want it enough. It doesn't hurt them enough when they lose.

"After we beat Antrim in the Ulster Championship, about 90 per cent of our fellas exchanged shirts. What does that say about the Cavan jersey? They didn't have enough pride in it."

Keogan added: "The problem with some of these fellas is they know it all. I don't know what happens to some players in this county after they leave minor level."

While neighbouring counties Fermanagh and Monaghan have been prospering over the past two years, Cavan have been in decline and having spoken to the man he succeeded about the team's issues, Keogan still believed he could iron out the problems in Cavan because he was a native of the county.

"When you look at how well Fermanagh are doing and the Monaghan boys getting to the All-Ireland quarter-finals last year, you would think our boys would grasp the opportunity and go for it - put the work in and get the reward at the end of it, but it wasn't the case."

Keogan added: "I talked to Marty McElkennon who I replaced as Cavan manager and he told me about the team, but I thought I could do a better job because I was a Cavan man. I'm bitterly disappointed with the way it went."

[Denn Forever]

Looking at the main board, Paul Galvin has succeeded at the DRA, will Ballinagh now appeal?

[cavanmaniac]

Well Keogan might not be in a great position to be talking like that but in one way, I'm happy he has done so. That's the first time any Cavan manager has lifted the lid even slightly on the shite that goes on in the dressingroom and now that it's out there, it might put some pressure on the stray players to either put up or shut up, as well as focus the mind of the new manager coming in.

Maybe some good can come of this awful, awful year.

[Hollow Man]

Keogan hit the nai on the head with one thing there:

A lot of the players wanted the trappings of an inter-county footballer, but they weren't prepared to put the effort in and work.

This is what I was getting at yesterday when I posted this:

we have always afforded our county footballers huge respect and placed them on a plateau because of their ability. However, many of the current crop haven't EARNED this respect. They take all the benefits that come from being a Cavan footballer, yet they don't earn them, and don't deserve them.

I have no sympathy for the man, he's a buffoon but I agree with him in this case.