Laochra Gael TG4 (New Series)

[TheGreatest]

When you're talking about the best footballers we've produced in Tyrone in the last 50 years, a few stand out for having that bit extra:

Frank McGuigan
Peter Canavan
Sean Cavanagh

Stevie O'Neill was something above the average also, on a par I suppose with Mulligan and Doher, though slightly below your 3. Big Donaghy stood out also, maybe it was that game I seen him at Casement that sticks with me.

Definitely agree with that, he was my favorite footballer in the 00s. Points from any angle.

[trailer]

When you're talking about the best footballers we've produced in Tyrone in the last 50 years, a few stand out for having that bit extra:

Frank McGuigan
Peter Canavan
Sean Cavanagh

Stevie O'Neill was something above the average also, on a par I suppose with Mulligan and Doher, though slightly below your 3. Big Donaghy stood out also, maybe it was that game I seen him at Casement that sticks with me.

Stevie O'Neill was on fire for 2-3 years and yes in those 2-3 he was easily the best forward around. But it was only 2-3 years. Canavan, Cavanagh did it consistently over their careers, taking all the abuse coming physical and verbal.

[nrico2006]

When you're talking about the best footballers we've produced in Tyrone in the last 50 years, a few stand out for having that bit extra:

Frank McGuigan
Peter Canavan
Sean Cavanagh

Stevie O'Neill was something above the average also, on a par I suppose with Mulligan and Doher, though slightly below your 3. Big Donaghy stood out also, maybe it was that game I seen him at Casement that sticks with me.

Stevie O'Neill was on fire for 2-3 years and yes in those 2-3 he was easily the best forward around. But it was only 2-3 years. Canavan, Cavanagh did it consistently over their careers, taking all the abuse coming physical and verbal.

O'Neill just had seriously bad luck with injuries.  Was great to see him in 05 in full flight without anything holding him back.

[trailer]

When you're talking about the best footballers we've produced in Tyrone in the last 50 years, a few stand out for having that bit extra:

Frank McGuigan
Peter Canavan
Sean Cavanagh

Stevie O'Neill was something above the average also, on a par I suppose with Mulligan and Doher, though slightly below your 3. Big Donaghy stood out also, maybe it was that game I seen him at Casement that sticks with me.

Stevie O'Neill was on fire for 2-3 years and yes in those 2-3 he was easily the best forward around. But it was only 2-3 years. Canavan, Cavanagh did it consistently over their careers, taking all the abuse coming physical and verbal.

O'Neill just had seriously bad luck with injuries.  Was great to see him in 05 in full flight without anything holding him back.

Injuries maybe but in 03 he wasn't picked. He came on and had a great 10-15 mins. But he didn't start. He had only a very limited role in 08, a half time sub. He was a serious baller but not in the same discussion as Cavanagh or Canavan. 

[Angelo]

Shock, horror but I agree with Trailer here.

O'Neill was a fantastic footballer but injuries seems to impact him badly, he very much struck me as a confidence player too but that might also have been injury related.

We had a lot of key men miss a lot of football in that era when you consider the problems O'Neill, McGinley and McGuigan had, not to forget Cormac only had about 3 or 4 years of senior football.

[redzone]

Was Oneill not studying in England at that time so he prob missed a lot of training early in the year. Of that forward line only really mcginley he would have replaced,butvhe was playing the roving role very well.

[Fear Bun Na Sceilpe]

Dooher de man.

[bannside]

Stevie O Neill could do things with a ball only Cansvsn himself could match. Two geniuses with half a dozen others worthy of very special merit. Some team when you think of it! That was a very special decade for football when Croker was sold out a lot more than it is these days.

[imtommygunn]

Those were my thoughts too. If you took Cavanagh out you'd have a lot less but you could say the same about O'Neill, Canavan, Ricey, Gormley, Dooher etc. There were a number of positions up for grabs but some serious operators there too who you'd have on any team.

[BennyCake]

Stevie O Neill could do things with a ball only Cansvsn himself could match. Two geniuses with half a dozen others worthy of very special merit. Some team when you think of it! That was a very special decade for football when Croker was sold out a lot more than it is these days.

O'Neill did score some outrageous points. The type of score from an acute angle, or outside of the boot that would really lift the team and the fans. Stevie McDonnell could do it, as could Maurice Fitzgerald.

You just don't see risk taking like that anymore. It's all controlled play, 15 minutes of working the ball into a scoring zone before someone taps it over from 14 yards. Is it any wonder Croke Park is rarely sold out?

[imtommygunn]

Games have become like an exercise in project management. It's about game management and keeping possession until you have derisked everything as much as possible. As Jim says - it's all about the process.

[bannside]

25 years ago when I was flat out getting level one and then level two coaching cert, an old fella at my local bar who knew I was into football came out with a statement.

To rapturous acclaim Tully, a real character that could keep the whole place amused by himself - claimed us "modern day" coaches were doing "sweet F All" except coaching football clean outa the game!

There's no doubt Tully was 100% right. Will we ever see decades like the 90s and noughties again?

[imtommygunn]

The club games last summer were much more enjoyable than a lot of the county games you'd see.

[nrico2006]

When you're talking about the best footballers we've produced in Tyrone in the last 50 years, a few stand out for having that bit extra:

Frank McGuigan
Peter Canavan
Sean Cavanagh

Stevie O'Neill was something above the average also, on a par I suppose with Mulligan and Doher, though slightly below your 3. Big Donaghy stood out also, maybe it was that game I seen him at Casement that sticks with me.

Stevie O'Neill was on fire for 2-3 years and yes in those 2-3 he was easily the best forward around. But it was only 2-3 years. Canavan, Cavanagh did it consistently over their careers, taking all the abuse coming physical and verbal.

O'Neill just had seriously bad luck with injuries.  Was great to see him in 05 in full flight without anything holding him back.

Injuries maybe but in 03 he wasn't picked. He came on and had a great 10-15 mins. But he didn't start. He had only a very limited role in 08, a half time sub. He was a serious baller but not in the same discussion as Cavanagh or Canavan.

He was in England in 2003 doing his PGCE, he already had an All Star two years earlier and would have obviously been starting if he was available more. He still settled that game with those two scores though.

[6th sam]

When you're talking about the best footballers we've produced in Tyrone in the last 50 years, a few stand out for having that bit extra:

Frank McGuigan
Peter Canavan
Sean Cavanagh

Stevie O'Neill was something above the average also, on a par I suppose with Mulligan and Doher, though slightly below your 3. Big Donaghy stood out also, maybe it was that game I seen him at Casement that sticks with me.

Stevie O'Neill was on fire for 2-3 years and yes in those 2-3 he was easily the best forward around. But it was only 2-3 years. Canavan, Cavanagh did it consistently over their careers, taking all the abuse coming physical and verbal.

O'Neill just had seriously bad luck with injuries.  Was great to see him in 05 in full flight without anything holding him back.

Injuries maybe but in 03 he wasn't picked. He came on and had a great 10-15 mins. But he didn't start. He had only a very limited role in 08, a half time sub. He was a serious baller but not in the same discussion as Cavanagh or Canavan.

He was in England in 2003 doing his PGCE, he already had an All Star two years earlier and would have obviously been starting if he was available more. He still settled that game with those two scores though.

O'neill was a delightful footballer. Unique talent .
Cavanagh was very effective, brilliant athlete brilliant drive , a bit of a one trick pony ( using his athleticism to take men on, and accurate striker of the ball) .
As a neutral: O'neill better footballer , Cavanagh more effective overall  , but Canavan probably best and most effective footballer I've seen