The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

baconsarnie · 02-03-2022 5:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118720689#Comment_118720689

So, they've beaten Fermanagh and Wicklow, lost to Limerick and drawn with Laois. Big swing.

baconsarnie · 02-03-2022 5:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118720314#Comment_118720314

There is never an excuse for that Wicklow performance. Ever. Given what was at stake and who we were playing, there was only one way to approach that game. We went out and were out-performed by Wicklow. That is unforgivable.

Lemlin · 02-03-2022 9:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118720689#Comment_118720689

You have less than ten posts but I can see that glass you’re drinking from is definitely half empty!

Cavan_King · 03-03-2022 1:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118721169#Comment_118721169

How poorly Wicklow have been before and since then only makes it worse. We are the only team they have beaten in the last two years. Complacency is the only reason that performance could have been so poor. Complacency and the fact that Wicklow must have had the game of their lives. I generally watch games 2 or 3 times sometimes if possible but I can't bring myself to watch that game again.

baconsarnie · 03-03-2022 3:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118725140#Comment_118725140

I think any Cavan fan re-watching the Wicklow game would qualify as an elite-level masochist. I think barring one point by Conor Madden there wasn't anything to write home about, and there was a lot of horror-show moments as well. My abiding memory was Wicklow players collapsing all over the field from cramp and exhaustion over the last ten minutes as they had emptied the tank.

Ultimate salt in the wounds was that Paul Fitz said on We Are Cavan that the Wicklow players post-game felt that it wasn't a shock result and that Cavan were rubbish. We had just won Ulster. They haven't won a game since. And we let them beat us.

Right, that's it. One of the mods can ban me if i bring that game up again. Like the Waterford game in 2006 and the Tipp game in 2017 i probably just need to let it go...

mylestheslasher · 03-03-2022 9:10pm

Someone said earlier the ball has to be kicked earlier to get goals but do we have forwards who will win such a ball against their marker, probably a sweeper doubling up and then drive through them for a goal. I dont think our new forward coach ever scored a goal in championship either. Conor Madden is the type of player we need to break out of whatever sort of slumber he is on and start grabbing games by the scruff of the neck.

All that said, if Cavan turn up focused and motivated they will be too good for Sligo. If they go in at 90% Sligo will throw everything at them as Sligo need something after their disappointing loss to Tipp.

mogue77 · 03-03-2022 9:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118727899#Comment_118727899

Remember Connor madden taking on his man and scoring two brilliant goals against Roscommon in the league a few years ago, it’s a pity he isn’t showing that kind of form.

Lemlin · 03-03-2022 11:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118728256#Comment_118728256

Do you not think Clarke will be used at midfield with Galligan missing?

I do think this needs to be treated as a championship game but looking at the GAA rankings on here we are 13th & Sligo 26th so this is a game we have to win.

cavan4sam · 03-03-2022 11:59pm

It's a must win Game, Murphy, Carabine and Hughes the biggest threats, this could be the game for us to score goals because from what I've seen both of Sligos keepers are only average so a good push on kick outs will be vital! I think we'll have too much all over for them but McEntee is a good coach and knows Ulster football so we won't have it all our own way

A big 2 weeks for us 2 wins and we're laughing

Cavan_King · 04-03-2022 11:40am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118729911#Comment_118729911

Killian Brady or Gerry Smith (if fit) are also options at midfield. It might be the type of game that suits Brady as it could be scrappy. I certainly wouldn't be moving Gearoid out of the forward line when we have relied on him so heavily for scores.

baconsarnie · 04-03-2022 12:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118729911#Comment_118729911

For me, it's Clarke to the middle and keep Gearoid on the 40. He's flying there, scoring for fun and asking him to come out to the middle cuts our nose off to spite our face.

Clarke more or less played in the middle against Tryone and Wexford and was our best player in the latter game. Ideally Jason is back and the Gunner, Faulkner and Jason in the full back line works for me.

I would be concerned about how our half back line gave Carlow enough time to pick passes into the inside line. Moynagh and Conroy are too similiar in that regard. Brilliant ball players with an eye for a forward pass but neither are blessed with pace. I would have Fortune in there. I would go for (if fit):

Ray, Jason, Podge, Gunner, Fortune, Conroy, Kiernan, Clarke, Smith, Cian Madden, Gearoid, Martin Reilly, Cormac O'Reilly, Lynch, Caoimhin.

If Martin Reilly isn't fit, then Conor Madden or Oisin Brady to come in.

baconsarnie · 04-03-2022 12:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730418#Comment_118730418

Clarke and Smith in the middle, and then have Gearoid and Conroy come in there as well for kick outs. Conroy is no slouch under a high ball and well able to take a mark. One option would be to play Argue as a half forward where he plays at club level and have him come out to the middle on kick outs as well.

Lemlin · 04-03-2022 12:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730595#Comment_118730595

Are you dropping Gerry Smith or just assuming he isn't fit? I agree Moynagh should be dropped. I think management are chasing getting him back to 2019 levels, when he was an All Star nominee, but I don't think it's going to happen. He was almost two years out of the game.

There's no reason Gearoid couldn't float out to midfield to support kick outs and then move back inside. It's not as if we play a blistering, counter attacking game that wouldn't allow him time to jog back in after the kick out!

baconsarnie · 04-03-2022 1:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730796#Comment_118730796

I didn't list Gerry as I was assuming he wouldn't be fit. I couldn't work out when he was coming off whether it was a knock or muscular. He's had his fair share of the former.

Fit and he starts all day long for me. Moynagh was magnificent in 2019 but it is a massive ask to have him come back to that. He did okay in the first half against Carlow (he won two balls he had no right to win) but it has to be either him or Conroy, but not both. On current form, that's Conroy for me.

Cavan_King · 04-03-2022 3:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118730918#Comment_118730918

I mentioned it earlier in the thread. The treatment of Fortune since we won Ulster mystifies me. I had presumed he was injured through the League last year but then he's thrown on after 29 minutes against Tyrone for Cian Reilly. I always felt Cavan had a fairly settled starting 15 after Ulster and the positions up for grabs were 2 forward positions.

The next two weeks are going to tell us alot about where exactly this Cavan team are.

Lemlin · 04-03-2022 3:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118731299#Comment_118731299

Bizarre in what way? In that they have already played a game against Monaghan? I've seen one or two clubs congratulate players for being part of the panel. Haven't seen any formal squad list.

Cavan_King · 04-03-2022 3:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118731299#Comment_118731299

I know you don't always agree with me seeking the opinion of others but my sources in Mullagh tell me he is a nephew.

rrs · 04-03-2022 10:12pm

The U20s are getting hammered by Westmeath. It's only a warm up tournament but will be the second defeat. The performance last year against Down in Championship was really poor, so Damien Donahoe will be under more scrutinity this year,

tanko · 04-03-2022 10:13pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118733844#Comment_118733844

How did Damien Donohoe get that job anyway, what managerial experience has he up to this?

Lemlin · 04-03-2022 11:37pm

**** me. Cavan U20s beat 3-10 to 7 points in Breffni by Westmeath. How much longer can the county board allow that farce to continue? Absolutely horrendous.

rrs · 04-03-2022 11:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118733988#Comment_118733988

Yes the Minors have been poor for a few years. At schools College level St Pats Cavan haven't pushed from when they won the MacRory Cup in 2015. Some of that management is no longer involved and standards slipped.

But there was probaly too much emphasis put into Pats also.

Cavan are in Division 4 but they need some good under age teams to emerge, because in a few years Gearoid McKiernan, Ray Galligan, won't be around .

baconsarnie · 05-03-2022 12:02pm

How is it possible to only score one point in a half of football unless you’re playing against a gale of a wind?

Cavan_King · 05-03-2022 1:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118733854#Comment_118733854

Donohoe managed Drumalee, Killinkere & was a coach with Mullahoran. He was run out of Drumalee - which actually resulted in Mickey Brennan upping sticks and heading back to Meath. He got Killinkere to an intermediate final one year and relegated the year after. Then he changed to coaching Mullahoran.

I thought giving him the U20 job was to keep him on the county board’s side re his media influence and profile. Others have said it’s because he’s cheaper.

Whatever the reason, it’s hard to believe that the county board passed over Daragh McCarthy for this, particularly given I understand McCarthy works with young people in his day job.

rrs · 05-03-2022 2:10pm

He didn't have the credentials for the job. You would see in a lot of Counties the U20/21 manager being a future Senior manager. I don’t think that was ever going to be the case with Damien Donohoe.

Thunderbirds · 05-03-2022 2:36pm

I think the biggest issue with Donohoe as u20 manager is his favouritism towards Mullahoran lads. Players who couldn't make their club team last year getting picked ahead of far more talented players.

rrs · 05-03-2022 6:50pm

Cavan have made a few strange appointments at U20 level since the days of Terry Hyland and Peter Reilly. Kevin Downes was there 1 year and they were hammered by Donegal 2-20 to 10.

John Brady took over the U20s after previous controversy when he was Minor manager, with a lot of the backroom team leaving. Darragh McCarthy is a very good manager and would probaly be getting more from this Cavan team. The S/C issue is a strange one when Cavan are one of the few Counties with a full time S/C coach,

Cavan_King · 05-03-2022 7:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118736536#Comment_118736536

The favouritism towards Killinkere and Mullahoran, to an even worse extent, is difficult to listen to in the podcast at times.

My main issue with Donohoe is from listening to the podcast I think he can be a poor judge of player. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy We Are Cavan but I still would feel he and Fitzpatrick paint players as above their level at times. Paul also has a clear bias towards anyone shows even a passing interest in handball - Stephen Smith being a classic example.

Its unfortunate because the U20 lads are working hard - they trained 3 times this week, including a night in Athlone - but, unlike the minors who have a superb management team IMO, the county board haven’t given them the one basic thing they should have: a manager who gets the best out of them.

Lemlin · 05-03-2022 7:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118736433#Comment_118736433

Exactly. These jobs should be going to the best club managers in the county and Donohoe isn’t that.

If the squad is known to be a weak bunch, then why not appoint a manager that gets the best out of limited resources like Kevin McDonnell? He was available at the time and the man got Denn to two senior finals for gods sake!

As others have said, at least the minors have Seanie Smith who is an excellent manager from what I’ve seen of him.

mylestheslasher · 05-03-2022 7:22pm

If there were any brains in the county board theyd be asking Terry Hyland to get involved in our underage again. Maybe U20 next year.

I dont know anything about Damien Donohoe as a manager, seems like a sound fella on the podcast. However if he is light in experience then the fault lies squarely with those who put him in there. If he were an inexperienced fella with potential why not ask him in as a no2 to someone else like Hyland or McCarthy?

rrs · 05-03-2022 8:13pm

Donegal pulled away in that Minor game after Cavan had a player sent off before half time. https://www.donegaldaily.com/2019/05/19/donegal-minors-reach-ulster-semi-final-after-impressive-display-against-cavan/

Ryan Brady and Cormac Brady were impressive for Gowna last year in the Championship. Not sure why they haven't featured

cavan4sam · 05-03-2022 8:30pm

Has Finbar Reilly any involvement in any of the underage teams, I'd have thought he'd have been a good manager at minor or under 20!

Lemlin · 05-03-2022 8:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118737660#Comment_118737660

Hyland was part of Donohoe’s back room team as an advisor on the ticket I thought?

I know Terry has said he wanted a while out. I’m not sure he’d want to go from managing two senior intercounty teams back to U20.

Someone once told me Terry’s greatest strength was getting the right support team around him.

Lemlin · 05-03-2022 8:43pm

Just checked and here it is:

https://www.anglocelt.ie/2020/12/29/donohoe-aiming-high-with-u20s/

“Terry Hyland is in as an advisor overall, he will be on the end of the phone and will be available to give us a dig-out when he’s available

Cavan_King · 05-03-2022 9:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118737932#Comment_118737932

He did a J Mac podcast there. He seems to be back involved with St Pats. A large part of the podcast was re how they thought they had a strong squad this year but went out in the QFs.

Cavan_King · 05-03-2022 9:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118737715#Comment_118737715

Were those lads you spoke to from West Cavan by any chance? They might have been delighted to have training sessions down in Templeport but I don’t think the lads from Cuchulainns or Virginia were!

I know of one young lad was getting up at 6 to go to Dublin for work, getting home by 6 that evening after a day of physical labour and then having to race past Breffni, pretty much the mid point in the county, to get down to the far side of Cavan for training.

And at the same time Damo was talking on the pod about how Covid bringing about more remote training would lead to improved conditions for players.

Bleating Lamb · 05-03-2022 9:39pm

Leitrim man here wondering how ye reckon Cavan will do in Markievicz Park tomorrow?…..Sligo seem to have found some good young players this year so should give ye a fair game.

Cavan_King · 05-03-2022 10:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118738219#Comment_118738219

We’ll have it tough. Game could easily go either way and we are missing Thomas Galligan and up to 3 other important starters: Killian Clarke, Gerry Smith & Jason McLoughlin all in doubt.

Thunderbirds · 06-03-2022 12:40am

It was Gary Farrelly got Denn to two finals.

Lemlin · 06-03-2022 9:54am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118738979#Comment_118738979

No it wasn’t.

https://www.hoganstand.com/county/cavan/article/index/114582

From that article:

Team manager, Kevin McDonnell, trainer Gary Farrelly and selectors, Cathal Reilly and Thomas Smith all contributed to the club's great achievement. Their style of management seemed to suit the players who responded to their approach with confidence and commitment.

One of the Denn lads told me himself how good McDonnell was. I believe he also got Castlerahan to a senior final did he? He got Lavey to two semi finals and won a junior with Laragh I think also.

baconsarnie · 06-03-2022 10:04am

Is Donohoe good enough at u20 level. Much like a player starting out, he will need to be judged on games. Early yet. As noted, he is missing his best two players.

but our run of underage failures suggests a structural issue beyond one manager. Fans putting this all on a manager with a few games is akin to a manager hooking a corner forward in the middle of a tanking.

what is definitely needed is someone to do a review with a mind to getting us back to where we were developing very competitive and successful underage teams. Hyland would ideal for that if he couldn’t be coaxed out of retirement for full time management. I think some people are only realising how much Terry did for this county. He should have had one more year at least after 2016 but that’s another day’s argument.

the idea that Donohoe got the gig so that We Are Cavan wouldn’t go hard on the County Board is laughable. Local media (not just WAC or the Celt) never go hard on their local sports. It’s not in their interest. For one, it means you lose access to players and management fairly quickly. Plus, it’s Cavan, and you’re either going to run into someone you know the day after you write or say something.

Lemlin · 06-03-2022 11:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118739585#Comment_118739585

It depends whether people have faith in, and to that extent respect for, the manager to be honest. I don’t think people would be questioning a more successful individual. It’s also his second year and last year went terribly so it’s not as if he’s a newcomer to the role.

I believe Terry went because he didn’t have the support of all the players which was unfortunate. He had built something good and we lost two years under McGleenan.

Finbarr Reilly was involved in 2017 with Cavan and he spoke on his JMac interview re seeing it as a wasted year because they never nailed down a consistent and exact style of play. It seemed to change week to week.

Donohoe getting that role has led to changes on the podcast. They stopped talking about refereeing performances, for example, and rarely comment on them negatively.

mylestheslasher · 06-03-2022 12:57pm

No excuses with weather today, a perfect day for football

baconsarnie · 06-03-2022 2:44pm

You’re assuming the few of us here can he trusted to agree in what we see!!! 😀

baconsarnie · 06-03-2022 2:46pm

Interesting starting 15 named. James Smith in the bench, Argue and Clarke lister in the middle. Finnegan stays in the corner, Jason back at half back. Gerry Smith listed, Cormac O Reilly, Cian Madden & Lynch on the bench.

Niall Murray and Stephen Smith listed to start

baconsarnie · 06-03-2022 2:54pm

More changes to the changes....

James Smith & Mc Kenna to start in the middle. Clarke and Gerry Smith don’t start. Lynch, Madden Jr and Caoimhin at fulll forward.

Thunderbirds · 06-03-2022 3:18pm

That article is completely wrong. Gary was manager. Kevin helped a few times. And no he didn't get Castlerahan to any finals. Michael Reilly did to two.

Lemlin · 06-03-2022 5:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118740812#Comment_118740812

I’ll trust the member of the Denn panel from then that told me McDonnell was the manager. The article was also with the club chairman so I’d be surprised if it’s wrong.

A lot of luck today that Sligo were stupid enough to get a red card early in the second half. The quest for 70 consecutive minutes of good football continues.

We pulled the game out of the fire today. Free taking was poor.

Hammar · 06-03-2022 5:12pm

Followed it on twitter,as I had other commitments,6-2 then 8-5 down, I think we were all a bit worried,but fair play, outscored Sligo 1-8 to 0-2 in last 15 minutes.

You do feel we are going to absolutely annihilate someone before this league campaign is over... I expected us to be winning each game by 8-10 points,but it hasn't turned out that way...

Another 6 points from Gearoid today, is there another player in the country whom is more important to his county team,than he is to us right now??

baconsarnie · 06-03-2022 5:32pm

We rode our luck today, but we were the better team. There was a tight wind in the first half and Sligo bizarrely set out to contain us. They weren’t 4 points better than us and I wasn’t that alarmed by having to over turn that score line. Carrabine aside I thought Sligo were poor.

We got some luck (goal and red card) and we weren’t great but a win is a win.

Gunner was man of the match for me. He’s not going to get headlines but he turned over the ball again and again and one of his shoulders may have caused a shockwave picked up on the Richter scale. Podge wasn’t far behind & great to see Jason back and play well (first half especially).

I think that was Oisin Kiernan’s best game since 2020. Kicked two brilliant scores, ran the ball well and also kicked some great passes inside.

Paddy Lynch looked lively in the second half and won lots of his ball. Nice point from Caoimhin too. I thought Finnegan did well apart from one time he ran into traffic and got turned over. Kelly did well coming on- didn’t look out of place and good sign for the depth of the panel. I thought Argue did okay but that black card was completely senseless.

Nice to see Gerry Smith come on and show no major concerns after the Carlow game. Kicked a fine score. And big Gearoid, what can you say?

Barring the Gunner & Faulkner our tackling was awful again. And we went to sleep at the end of the first half at our own kick outs which led to two Sligo scores. If we had have been 4-2 down at half time we would have walked all over them.

baconsarnie · 06-03-2022 5:37pm

I didn’t think it was too bad- we missed 3 frees in the first half I think? The wind was deceptively strong in the first half.

Sligo kicked 6 points with a strong wind behind them in the first half. I think only 2/3 from play. Our pressure in their kickers was very good it has to be said.

i was in the card carrying “let it into f*ck” section of the stand. Some “fans” going absolutely ballistic that we weren’t kicking it long against the wind! If we hadn’t have coughed up cheap frees and went asleep at our kick outs we could have limited Sligo to a handful of scores in the first half. It wasn’t pretty but it was fairly composed in spells.

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