Official Cavan GAA Thread

[cavanmaniac]

Wouldn't disagree with alot of that. If we heed the lessons we should be able to give Down a game on the 13th.

The points you make on use of the ball are interesting. I think that outside the top 3 or 4 teams in the country, the players' ability to kick the ball accurately is absolutely deplorable. That's why Aussies come over and embarrass us by their skill on the ball, among other things. The handpass, and some teams cannot even do that accurately any more, is killing the natural skills of gaelic football.

Jack O'Connor's recent article in Irish Times raised this point and he suggested outlawing any team from making more than two handpasses in a row. Might be tough to police initially but we've done it with the two hops rule, so maybe this would work.

Anyway, one way or the other let's hope we find that 30% you mentioned.

[anglocelt39]

   Re: Official Cavan GAA Thread
« Reply #813 on: April 23, 2007, 07:54:38 PM » 

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Anglo, the last time I checked it was still McCabe who was calling all the shots 



Nice one TB, now I've promised myself I won't be a bitterly cynical again until we have a season as fucked up as last years, which hopefully won't be for a long time, so I will neither agree or disagree on that one.

One topic that really came home to roost last Saturday night, which has been wrecking my head for a long time, was the lack of physique/physical power in the team (stop yawning up the back). I don't get to see any games up there any more so when I attend the odd county game down in the boon docks a few of us are always struck by the appearance of the very odd lad that looks like he at least has the physique of an inter-county footballer. I've had a think about this and have come up with a list of potential panelists that would give us a bit more in this area-Rabbitte, Podge Reilly, Gaynor, Gavin Duffy, Dermot Sheridan, Jonathon Crowe, Mulvey, Walsh, Ciaran Galligan, Cunningham, Alan Clarke.

Now I know people will have questions as to the ability of some of these guys. My point is, that for next  years league campaign, which will be a tester, we should be able to muster up enough players in a panel of 30 to at least give us some spine up the middle. We have to be able to compete with big men on the opposition, have the ability to retain possession, hit if needed, win ball in at full forward etc. etc. We have any number of good ball players who could feed of the efforts of some combination of these blokes. Another point is that some of these players need to be persisted with, worked on. Pierce McKenna was nobodys idea of an inter county footballer when he started out, he was given a chance and we would be glad to have him back right now. I'm not even going to suggest guys like McKenna, T Crowe, P Brady and Tierney for the purpose of this as I don't think it's going to happen at this stage.

One thing that gives me hope is that we started off the year with a good few big men, suspensions and injuries deprived us of a few last weekend, so it's fair to say the management team must be aware of the need in this area

[BallyhaiseMan]

Of Course this years panel is set in stone with just over 2 weeks to go before the Down Game,
But id agree with all those names you've thrown out AnglCelt,and i could add in a few of my own,but well ive done that lots in the past.
we need a bit of size through the team,
a Big Full back
a big Centre Half,
One or maybe two 6'3 plus midfielder/s
plus a targetman.

Meath might be no great shakes,but did anyone of you see the size of the spine of their team,They absolutely dwarfed Monaghan

Darren Fay 6'2 at Full Back
(Caoimhin King at wing back is also 6'2 plus)
Anthony Moyles 6'2 at Centre Back
Mark Ward and Nigel Crawford at midfield both 6'4
Kevin  Reily at Centre Forward 6'3

counting our goalkeeper we had at most 4 players who were 6ft of over starting against Roscommon.

[cavanmaniac]

Yeah all the Riles had to do was bomb high ball in on top of the Monaghan backs and the Farney boys coughed up a goal or a scoring opportunity almost every time.

I can't really offer an opinion as to the coaching development priorities in Cavan or average heights and size of the natives over the generations but assuming we're as likely to produce the same average number of able-bodied, big, physically strong men who play football, as they do in Armagh etc, then surely we must be deliberately implementing a policy at underage of favouring the development of light, skilful smallish lads who look great then, as opposed to retaining a core of physically strong guys who will stand out better when they move up the age ranks? I dunno. I just can't think it's all purely fate that we have no big men on our teams for God knows how long.

Somebody made a great shout on here ages ago about a physically strong, stout and hearty Parnells U21 team who in a final more than put it up to a bunch of stylists, albeit light ones, from Castlerahan, and almost won out. Where did those guys go? Is there nobody on that team worth a run with the county seniors? Perhaps not, and maybe it's too simplistic an argument to assume they're good enough and could do a job just because they're big, but I still think that as an absolute priority the county board has to direct coaches to actively seek out big, strong players and develop them in tandem with the small and skilful lads we seem to produce in droves, as opposed to favouring one type over the other as they seem to be doing at the moment.

Thoughts?

[DUBSFORSAM1]

Have to agree the lack of size amongst the Cavan players on Sat was shocking...I felt sorry for McCabe with competing against 2 6'4 players in midfield for every kickout...
Mark Ward for Meath was a poor footballer but he won ball and just laid it off...Caavan have good players if they could get the ball...

The other aspect that has to be looked at is your forward line....why the fu*k when your 6 points down do you bring McKeever back to sweep in front of your full backline and then a full forward out to centre forward leaving 3 defenders against 2 forwards inside...especially and you then don't hit McKeever with kickouts!!!!

[cavan4ever]

The other aspect that has to be looked at is your forward line....why the fu*k when your 6 points down do you bring McKeever back to sweep in front of your full backline and then a full forward out to centre forward leaving 3 defenders against 2 forwards inside...especially and you then don't hit McKeever with kickouts!!!!

Thats the way cavan have been playing all year!! Its the game plan    and hopefully it will be the last we see of it.  Whatever about bringing one of the full forward line out around half forward/midfield at least his man might follow him and leave the room in side.

[mylestheslasher]

Yeah all the Riles had to do was bomb high ball in on top of the Monaghan backs and the Farney boys coughed up a goal or a scoring opportunity almost every time.

I can't really offer an opinion as to the coaching development priorities in Cavan or average heights and size of the natives over the generations but assuming we're as likely to produce the same average number of able-bodied, big, physically strong men who play football, as they do in Armagh etc, then surely we must be deliberately implementing a policy at underage of favouring the development of light, skilful smallish lads who look great then, as opposed to retaining a core of physically strong guys who will stand out better when they move up the age ranks? I dunno. I just can't think it's all purely fate that we have no big men on our teams for God knows how long.

Somebody made a great shout on here ages ago about a physically strong, stout and hearty Parnells U21 team who in a final more than put it up to a bunch of stylists, albeit light ones, from Castlerahan, and almost won out. Where did those guys go? Is there nobody on that team worth a run with the county seniors? Perhaps not, and maybe it's too simplistic an argument to assume they're good enough and could do a job just because they're big, but I still think that as an absolute priority the county board has to direct coaches to actively seek out big, strong players and develop them in tandem with the small and skilful lads we seem to produce in droves, as opposed to favouring one type over the other as they seem to be doing at the moment.

Thoughts?

Of that Parnells team I can tell you that At least from Killeshandra there was Declan McKiernan, Thomas Reilly and Daragh Tighe that are on the county minors this year. The first two of them are big lads at minor but obviously not senior size yet. There was also Cormac Geoghan than was on the U21s, he is from cornafaen - heard he didn't do that well with them. There are some good prospects there and I'd rate McKiernan as a good footballer who is definetely not afraid to give a dig or two, but thos guys are 3 years away from the seniors I reckon.

[DUBSFORSAM1]

The other aspect that has to be looked at is your forward line....why the fu*k when your 6 points down do you bring McKeever back to sweep in front of your full backline and then a full forward out to centre forward leaving 3 defenders against 2 forwards inside...especially and you then don't hit McKeever with kickouts!!!!

Thats the way cavan have been playing all year!! Its the game plan    and hopefully it will be the last we see of it.  Whatever about bringing one of the full forward line out around half forward/midfield at least his man might follow him and leave the room in side.

Why not instead play someone like McCabe in full forward who can actually win 50-50 ball and create chances rather than pulling forwards out to midfield - let the midfielders win teh ball themselves and have someone to kick it to...

[Hollow Man]

Somebody made a great shout on here ages ago about a physically strong, stout and hearty Parnells U21 team who in a final more than put it up to a bunch of stylists, albeit light ones, from Castlerahan, and almost won out.

So we should fill our county team with big lads who already proved that they're not as good as the lighter fellas? You're panicking here!!!

I saw that final and Castlerahan we're ten times better. It was played in December on a brutal pitch - championships are played in summer on good pitches.

Cavan will be alright - we've already made good progress. Meath are in the league final and were lucky to draw with us. Wexford are a damn good team and we drew with them too.

Last week, we were missing Mulvey, Sean Brady, Walsh, you may as well say Paul Brady, Rabbitt. We had maybe 30% at midfield, yet our forwards racked up 14 points and kicked 16 wides.

We had a brutal first half but we won the second don't forget.

Plus, I always think losing by two goals eg 2-8 to 2-8 actually isn't as bad as losing say 0-14 to 0-8 if you get my drift (sounds stupid I know). We know our best team now I think - Mulvey and McCabe at the middle, Hannon full back, Cullivan full forward in place of Gallagher with Pierson in the corner. Lyng centre half. Forde centre back.

Bob's your uncle.

[cavanmaniac]

So we should fill our county team with big lads who already proved that they're not as good as the lighter fellas? You're panicking here!!!

That's a slightly disingenuous interpretation of my post as a whole don'cha think? I take your point but we're going nowhere without size and I'm just wondering are we discarding good big players because of some misguided total football notion that we'll prosper with nice, inoffensive sunshine footballers like Mackey...

[mylestheslasher]

Somebody made a great shout on here ages ago about a physically strong, stout and hearty Parnells U21 team who in a final more than put it up to a bunch of stylists, albeit light ones, from Castlerahan, and almost won out.

So we should fill our county team with big lads who already proved that they're not as good as the lighter fellas? You're panicking here!!!

I saw that final and Castlerahan we're ten times better. It was played in December on a brutal pitch - championships are played in summer on good pitches.

Cavan will be alright - we've already made good progress. Meath are in the league final and were lucky to draw with us. Wexford are a damn good team and we drew with them too.

Last week, we were missing Mulvey, Sean Brady, Walsh, you may as well say Paul Brady, Rabbitt. We had maybe 30% at midfield, yet our forwards racked up 14 points and kicked 16 wides.

We had a brutal first half but we won the second don't forget.

Plus, I always think losing by two goals eg 2-8 to 2-8 actually isn't as bad as losing say 0-14 to 0-8 if you get my drift (sounds stupid I know). We know our best team now I think - Mulvey and McCabe at the middle, Hannon full back, Cullivan full forward in place of Gallagher with Pierson in the corner. Lyng centre half. Forde centre back.

Bob's your uncle.

Was at that U21 final myself and don't know how you reckon Castlerahan were the better team. It was fairly even I thought and Parnells could have nicked it. As for Mackey, well he was total rubbish that day and it was hard to believe he was on the senior county panel.

[BallyhaiseMan]

We didn't perform on the day,'' says Keogan from Hoganstand
26 April 2007


Speaking after the game on Saturday 21st April in Croke Park, Cavan team-manager Donal Keogan said he was disappointed with the result. "We just didn't perform on the night, and many of our key players struggled in the Croke Park arena.

"They were physically stronger around the middle of the field and we struggled in this vital area for long periods of the game. It meant that our defence was put under a lot of pressure, and with top forwards such as Heneghan, Kenny and Mannion the scores were bound to come.

"On the night the better side won, and deservedly so. We know we can and have played better, and the players themselves are very disappointed with the outcome of the game.

"We now face Down in the Ulster SFC in the coming weeks and that game now becomes our main focus. We know we have a big task ahead of us, considering that Down defeated us last season in the championship and are renowned as a championship side. We don't underestimate the challenge ahead, but we have the chance to turn our season around if we can get a win over Down in Kingspan/Breffni Park, Cavan on May 13th.''

Keogan added that they hope to have a number of players such as Lorcan Mulvey and Nicholas Walsh back for the Down game, while Michael Lyng and Larry Reilly will great strengthen their options in the forward division.

He added: "The Cavan side have done well this season in gaining promotion to Division 2 of the NFL next season. The disappointment of the Roscommon defeat will be quickly forgotten if we can overcome Down on the 13th of May, and get a positive start to the championship campaign. The management have every confidence and belief in the players, and a great effort by management and players will be forthcoming in the coming weeks to achieve that result,'' he concluded.

[trim blue]

Well that result today puts things in perspective for us, or as they say in Spinal Tap - too much f**king perspective. 

[BallyhaiseMan]

was O Neil playing? or even if he was, was he anywere near fit,Hes huge for them.
Didnt bother my arse going into Breffini,anyone go?

[mylestheslasher]

Didn't go but seen a bit on the highlights on TG4. O Neill came on as a sub before half time. The one thing that has struck me about Meath this year is the amount of goals they get and how often they prove the difference in games. I think Cavans return on goals this year has been very poor. None against Meath, Sligo, Wicklow or Wexford (I'm leaving out Antrima and Waterford for obvious reasons). We also haven't looked like getting them when in the past we always had a reputation as a team that would score goals. Where has it gone wrong this year? Is it as simple as our goal scorer supreme, jason, slowing up a bit.

Ballyhaiseman - another narrow defeat at the w'end. Are county men allowed play in these games.