Official Cavan GAA Thread

[Fishead_Sam]

2. To say I'm looking forward to the game on Saturday evening.  It's a great chance for counties like ourselves to have a night out under the lights.  I wouldn't pass any heed on some of the muppets slaggin' ye for not having played in Croke Park in so long.  I'd rather not be there than be on the receicing end of some of the beatings Mayo got in those last 10 years.  Chances are ye'll be there for 70 mins on Saturday not 35 like some of the Mayo "faithfull" were last September. 

Hopefully we'll have as good a game as the last time we meet in Mullingar, obviously with a different result though.

Anyway, enjoy the game and the craic before and after.

BTW fishead, the Rossies dont post much here because we have our own discussion board.  Ooh, and while I'm at it Balla is about 5 miles east of the border, look at a map ya muppet!

A Jakay whats with the abuse, for one I think you misinterpreted my posting, my reference to the pages in the 40s was a reference to Ros not winning since then much as Mayo & Cavan not winning since the 50s, not meant as an insult just fact.

Ballaghadeeren, its Mayo for football always was always will be, and 5 miles East of the border I always acknowleged that.

You need to take a chill pill, have friends from Cavan & Ros and was delighted both teams in Semis and getting to play in Croker.

No offence towards Roscommon was intended, you just might be a little slower to jump down peoples necks in future

[cavan4ever]

Quote from Cavan4ever

yeah i looked up the TG4 Schedule and the games aren't there.Hopefully it will encourage more people to go cos i know quiet a few lazy fcukers who weren't going to go. 

Were you as eager to get them same lazy fcukers into Breffni or Casement or Navan etc.? If the game was anywhere else other than Croker would you be as eager to get them to go?

Yes   always did and always will

[cavanmaniac]

I wouldn't overstate or understate the 'hype' about us getting to Croker. I don't see it being any problem tbh.

Keogan has been suitably low key about it, not a word from any of the players, no tear-jerker interviews with Jayo, Larry and Dermot about where it went wrong since 1997 and so on. Very understandably, there'll be alot of school trips and kids groups and family days out organised for Saturday evening and if these kids get hyped up about it, so much the better for the future of the game in the county because these are the future players we need to get interested and keep interested.

That aside, most observers of the game and adults know our team's limitations, know it's just a division two semi-final when all's said and done and while everyone is still somewhat relieved to have got to Croker as a monkey to get off our backs, beyond that I don't think there's anybody getting carried away really.

As someone said it's a bonus to be there and hopefully a stepping stone to something better in the years ahead.

[BallyhaiseMan]

Want to wish you all a safe and hopefully enjoyable trip to and from Croker this evening.

[mylestheslasher]

Well that was an anti climax and a half. Clearly many of our players did not play to their capacity, that said we were beaten very easily by a much better team. Ros were fitter, taller, stronger and more athletic than us. They played better football and they tactically out thought us too. We were completely wiped out at midfield. Both McCabe and Brennan seemed to be conceding 4" to their respective men. This was really our downfall as it contributed to other pressures on our team all over the pitch. I am not suprised by this as anyone who was at any of our league games would have seen this already. The question is why have management not tried to do something about this before now? If you are not going to outfield then you need to be breaking ball and crowding midfield & pick up breaks, but we didn't even do that - Or at least not until Ros took their foot of the pedal for a bit of a rest. Add to this that McCabe is just not mobile or athletic enough anymore, he stood watching as his lanky opponent ran around the pitch making up the extra man. Brennan couldn't get into the game at all but was unlucky to get the line. Onto Full Back, suprise suprise - again Forde destroyed and not even in the air. Forde is also a liability near the posts because he seems intent  on jumping into every challenge and fouling. By the time anything was done about this there was 6 points in it - game over. Forde should have got sent off too for persistant fouling. Chesty is not good enough for ctr back. I'll say it again, Gaynor is required now. Cullivan tried hard and did start jumping with the Ros giants in the 2nd half with some success. Flanagan was in and out and the wing back on him did damage going forward. Mckeever tried hard too but there was too much traffic in the Ros back line. Johnstone was our only player that could say he won his battle, maybe also cahill. Fannin very poor as was Gallagher and Pierson (who looks low on confidence to me)
Onto the management.... I can accept that Ros were just the better team but the decisions on the line were bizarre. We don't win a ball in midfield for 20 minutes so we take of jason at corner forward and bring on Pierson??? When we need a goal our prime goal scorer is now on the line for no good reason. We then move Johnstone to half forward even though he was the only threat in the FF line. Gunner is knackered so we take hime of for a rest in the 71st minute - genius!! We bring on our tallest sub for him (galligan) with time up and the game over. Surely Galligan should have gone in around the middle and tried to compete instead of Brennan much earlier. They did make a good call including johnstone I should addd.
Maybe this is our level of ability on and of the line and we should get used to it, I am just hoping that we are keeping some of our cards close to our chest. The most depressing thing is that all the hype did get a reasonable Cavan crowd to the match and after what they seen I doubt to many of them will be back. The other big negative is that there is a clear formula to beating this cavan team, big men around the pitch and drop a man or two into the defence to stop the speedy cavan forwards. Down will have taken note. I think if we want to beat down then major surgery is required. How about something as radical as this, and I am going to assume one player is brought back in to the panel and others get fit....


Reilly
Hannon
Rabitte/Gaynor (as neither would be fit to play out the field)   
Fannin
Forde
McKeever
Brady
Walshe
Mulvey
Cullivan
Lyng
Jason/Pierson
McCabe
Johnstone


   

[anglocelt39]

Fairly disappointing night I'm afraid. Starting with the crowd, 19,000 officially, we could be waiting a while for another day up there, more's the pity. Make no mistake, that was division two stuff we were watching in both games last night.

I think some of the players will be incredibly disappointed, last night was a massive opportunity to cast off the shackles and go for it, too few took the chance. Thought Hannon played really well, Cullivan was quite good, after that you are struggling. And yet, had we got any sort of return from our efforts at shooting scores, we could have been a lot closer.

One thing that would really worry me is that quality of some of the decision making on the sideline. Everybody on this board as well as Stevie Wonder have spotted that (a) Forde is not a full back and (b) is much better for the team when he is out the field. Well I hope the selectors finally learnt that lesson last night, once and for all. We also saw our midfield being wiped out by ordinary teams during the earlier stages of the league, from the 8th to the 35th minute it was repeated last night. Selectors response-sub Jason Reilly in the 27th minute. I'll accept our options were limited with injuries and suspensions.

Bad and all as Down are, not sure if we will take them. Mind you, the mushroom pickers were fairly bloody ordinary as well last night. As I drove home last night I had a disturbing image of a Roscommon full forward line that included Enda Muldoon and Paddy Bradley...........ho hum........

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Well unfortunatley it was a poor game from Cavan who were beaten badly at midfield and couldn't pick up the breaks.....however one thing totally baffled me...

When your 6 points down why do you put your centre forward in a sweeping position in front of your full back line and only leave 2 men in the full forward line against 3 defenders???

[BallyhaiseMan]

Myles
I was disgusted with one thing last night,the selection and Management of Keoghan and Grimley.
Forde was destroyed at full back by the big number 14,although he played ok when he was moved out
Martin Cahill was destroyed at Corner back by Ger Heneghan in the first half,although that had more to do with their Midfield destroying ours.The Ball that came into the number 15 was  awesome.No Cornerback would have played him with that type of service
I thought Michael Brennan had a decent enough game,He covered alot of ground kicked a good score and was prominent enough in open play,But hes not an Intercounty Midfielder(NOT BIG enough)
McCabe got a lesson from Seamus O Neil and also Michael Finneran the huge number 9 i think it was,he was destroyed in all aspects by both.
Yet what did the management do with our Full back and Midfield getting mauled,they brought on FORWARDS  
Ciaran Galligan should have been brought on after 20 minutes,Because Finneran and O Neil  wouldnt have been catching balls with ease over his head.
Gunner got an absolute roasting from Cathal Cregg the Number 12,That doesnt normaly happen.
i thought Chesty had a decent enough game...Probably not a centre half though.
I thought Fanin was also quite good.
Michael Hannon kept Mannion Quiet,and Later Heneghan.
Jonathon Crowe done ok on Mannion when he came on aswell.
Up front
Ronan Flanagan was good in all aspects.
McKeever didnt have his best night although he worked hard.
Ray Cullivan was one of the few outlets who actually won clean ball around the middle,The Management actually moved him to Mark Seamus O Neil near the end,
The 5'11 Cullivan against 6'4 or 6'5 O Neil,That was smart.
Gallagher done nothing last night.
Michael Lyng was good when he came on, as was Pierson.
I also thought Jelly done quite well last night aswell.
Larry Kicked a good score when he came on and had another one that dropped short by a matter of inches.

The Forwards kicked 14 points playing behind a beaten midfield,Id be encouraged by that.
The Backline and Midfield will have to be sorted for the Down match though.

[mylestheslasher]

Ballyhaiseman,

I'd agree that they forwards did ok considering the amount of possesion we lost in the middle. However, Ros only allowed us into the game when they were far enough in front, anytime we looked like mounting a come back (like when Cahill blasted over instead of under the bar) they upped the gears and put us back in our box. I mean they were cantering for most of the 2nd half. Fannins use of the ball when he got it was atrocious I thought - he looked very nervous. Down will beat us easy if we don't sort midfield, Full back and get an option (i.e. big man) at Full forward.

As for Ros, with that midfield pairing they will beat Sligo easily and will run galway/Mayo tight in the connaught final. I think they could be dark horses this year - but it is hard to know how good they are and how bad we are.

[anglocelt39]

On the subject of tactics etc. How many balls did James Reilly kick out in the first half, nearly dropping them on a sixpence to the same spot where McCabe competed and was beaten-quite a few. A few bits of variety could have eased the midfield slaughtering. Having said that, the one time he tried it late on in the match it backfired and cost us a point. The lad can be a bit dopey by times.

Simple fact is that we are two to three players short of being a good inter county side, however sideline decisions were of absolutely no help to our cause last night.

[Blue06]

Disappointing performance alright, would agree with most of whats been said re where our problems were and the decisions (or rather lack of them) on the line.  The tactic of taking the corner forward off when you are being destroyed in midfield is no longer even practised in Junior B football. 

This has been the first glitch (although it has been coming since the Sligo match) for the new mgt team so lets see how both they and the team respond for Down in 3 weeks.  As some have said before our minimum target for the year has been achieved in promotion, but what do we expect in the championship?  IMO if we win 2 championship matches UC or Qualifiers we will be doing well.

With everyone available this would be my team at the moment for the Down match.

1. James Reilly     (although work needs to be done to vary the kick outs)
2. Martin Cahill - has been our best defender so far in the league, Heneghan got a couple of scores off him last night but the FB line were under serious pressure
3. Michael Hannon Rabbitte has had no match practice so won't be ready in time
4. Ronan Flannagan IMO a better defender than forward
5. Anthony Forde his best position
6. Mark McKeever - With Lyngs return to the 40 I'd bring him back to the HB line
7. Jonathon Crowe - Will bring strenght to this line
8. Lorcan Mulvey - Hopefully will keep his head improve on some good passages of play shown earlier in the year
9. Nicholas Walsh - Job to spoil oppositions dangerman
10. Dermot McCabe - Interchanging with Cullivan
11. Michael Lyng - Class act
12. Paul Brady - I'd have him drop back and play alongside McKeever
13. Seanie Johnston - Must be played on the inside line, none of this nonesense of him in HF line
14. Ray Cullivan - Interchanging with Mccabe
15. Sean Brady - Has great potential, lets hope it now starts to come through. I' d have him dropping back into the HF line

I'd play it 3 4 3 2 2 with Johnston inside with either McCabe/Cullivan.
We need to turn the midfield into a scrap like we did 2 years ago. 

If Down play with a 2 man FF line I'd have Flannagan follow the roamer.

I have no confidence in Eamon Reilly, Brennan, Gallagher or Galligan.
Subs that could be used Peirson, Fannin,Jason, Larry, and either Marin Reilly or Mackay.

I know a lot of ifing and hoping there but shure lets talk about it. We are good at that. 

[cavanmaniac]

Well the chickens came home to roost last night as I feared might happen, it's a good thing Ros weren't going for the jugular once they had the game wrapped up or it could have been worse.

The positives:

We never gave up despite being a beaten docket from a long way out.
0-14 while getting decimated at midfield isn't bad going and shows where the real strength of the team is. We have the forwards that can hurt teams.
The future of the team like Johnstone and Lyng look at home on the biggest stage.
You learn more from a defeat than a victory and now we must hope that the silver lining is surgery at full back and midfield. Winning against weak teams has papered over our problems so far, now the elephants in the room will have to be dealt with.
Hannon is far and away our best defender.
McKeever continues to work hard and is a vital player for us.
Mulvey, Walsh, Sean Brady, Rabbitte will make a difference when they come back.

The negatives:

Without spoilers like Mulvey, Walsh around the middle to bite and bollock our way to some sort of respectability or parity, we are an absolute joke at midfield. It'll be too easy to beat us and Down are quite well resourced there.
The deployment of our middle eight for the breaking ball is nothing short of horrendous. Time and time again the ball drops into an area exclusively staffed by opposition players with time to build and attack and pick out forwards. This used to be our forte, we now resemble a junior team such is our haplessness at this vital art.
McCabe is not cut out for the highest level any more. Seamie O'Neill had him in his back pocket last night. It was sad to see McCabe bullied out of it by a young fella.
Forde is not even the first cousin of an intercounty fullback, he'll better plug holes out around the half-back line.
We are crippled in the physical stakes by sheer lack of size. It looks like our underage policy of developing light, skilful talent is killing us at senior level. Policy revision required.
There was an apparent lack of brains on the sideline. This is to be expected from Keogan who is essentially a tourist in intercounty management, but you'd rely on Grimley to steer him in the right direction. Taking off Jayo when the problems were elsewhere smacked of panic and worse, rank stupidity. As did bringing Johnston out the field when he was hurting Roscommon inside when the ball did eventually make its way in.
Rory Gallagher is a f**king impostor in the Cavan jersey. Feeble, indecisive and worst of all, doesn't have the balls or the gumption to take his shot when well placed, preferring instead to pass the buck. Get him off the team now and get a real footballer in there with a bit of guts. A shocking non-peformance from a player once feared all over Ulster. Dreadful.

At dark times like this, I remind myself of the objectives back in January. Get promoted and avoid Tommy Morphine Cup ignominy, give Down a game and maybe win a qualifier or two. No reason to revise.

And on Gaynor...he won't be back, trust me on that one. 

[trim blue]

Although the Wexford game left me completely dissillusioned the Croker effect let my heart rule my head to the extent that I thought we might pull one out of the bag last night. We can but t**ker with the team now for the C'ship with the hope that it will lead to improvement because whats really needed are players that are bigger and more powerful and we just don't have them at the moment. While that was the main reason for our defeat last night I thought our precision when it came to passing and linking was pitiful. A number of times when we got it back to four points we had good possession around the 40 and gave it away cheaply without being under too much pressure. So to the tinkering, in Rabbittes absence Hannon should be FB, Fannin drop back to CB, Forde to CHB and Chesty to lose out, Crowe/Brennan should complete the HB line with Gunner (uncharacteristically poor last night and his man ran riot in the first half). Mulvey/Walsh to partner McCabe, Walsh if fit will have to be given a serious chance there now. Despite one good point I was not impressed with Flanagan last night but would probably give him another chance ahead of Cunningham, McKeever too was not as prominent as usual but should stay CHF, Gallagher should only be a sub if Lyng gets fit, Cullivan was our best player last night, probably best as a HF but would like to see him again at FF with Lyng putting good ball into him, Gallaghers balls in to him last night were hopeless. For me its Jelly and Pierson inside with Jayo and Larry coming in for 20 mins.There, I'm getting giddy with excitement all over again..

[cavan4ever]

Very poor performance and only three weeks to try and patch things up.  I never though Walsh would be missed as much.  There are to many nice guys on the team and we need a couple of lads to get under the skins of the opposition and try and put them off there game.  Ciarain Galligan was carrying an injury last week and maybe that was why he wasn't introduced earlier but then why bring him on with time up.  Mccabe did try his best but their midfield was that tall he hadnt a hope of winning ball and couldn't even break it. I though brennan was very poor.  Gallagher should be told he isn't required anymore i though that he was going to be one of our main scoring forwards this year but as was said previous he is afraid to shoot.  In the first half miller did kick several kickouts cullivans way but Roscommon got cute to this and their midfield moved over towards him, why didn't mcCAbe and brennan go to the other side of the field is a mystery.  Fannin was brutal i though and i expected more from him at wing back which is more his natural position.  Flanagan kicked several chances wide as did johnston but at least he won the ball that went into him which is a positive.  I think its time to get rid of the two man full forward line aswell.

[Ryano]

Hard luck on the result lads. Not wishing to rub your nose in it but i was surprised at how poorly ye played. Thought that after going unbeaten we were in for a rough ride. I would agree with comments on the management too, some very strange decisions taken by them. There was no way you were going to win but i thought they could have made a better job of damage limitation. Your midfield was completely out of it so why ye kept dropping kick outs on top of them was beyond me. Short kick outs and play the wings might have been a better idea. But the one that really puzzled me was moving Johnston from the corner out to the HF line. He had his marker (Seanie Mac) beaten up a stick and was getting to any ball that was dropped within 10 yards of him. Mac was booked and i thought he was well on his way to getting a second yellow before ye changed Johnston. Mac was actually sent off on the same man last year up in Breffni park in the Murphy cup. Hard luck again lads, hope ye get back on track for the championship.