The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120733314#Comment_120733314

Things in general went downhill after the Down league game in Breffni.

The only positives after that were the second half of the league final and the TC win against a poor enough Offaly side.

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120734592#Comment_120734592

second half of League final was decent but Fermanagh were probably fortunate enough to be League final. Late goals against Down and Antrim and beating Cavan who had been promoted.

Fermanagh were very poor in the Tailtean Cup. Drawing at home to Wexford and losing at home to Laois.

Westmeath showed in the All Ireland series they're a good team. Didn't find any momentum in the League

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120732943#Comment_120732943

Ah now, there’s a big difference between Meath and Armagh. I’ve seen plenty of Meath and we are light years ahead of them in terms of conditioning - other than a few teams on the Dublin border like Ratoath & Dunboyne, S&C in their clubs is very poor.

The last time Meath beat us competitively was 2015 and over most of the last two decades we have had the same Indian sign over them.

I wasn’t confident of us beating Down but I didn’t think we would limp out like we did either. Did Mickey skip media duties after? No interview on Saturday Game anyway.

Speaking to a friend today from Armagh and he described the last 3 years as “lost” for Cavan.

WAC I think it was said we lost two years under McGleenan but he took more points than Mickey in Div 1 and got us back there after relegation.

Mickey has won one Ulster game in 3 years now and can’t even win a second rate competition.

Laverty has kept his team interested by using 34 of them across Tailteann Cup & allowing those not in match day squads back to their clubs. Mickey, on the other hand, played Laois, London & Offaly, in a round robin where you only had to win one game effectively, and didn’t even give one of the sub keepers a minute.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737428#Comment_120737428

We might be years ahead of them in terms of conditioning but that only gets you so far and the way the team have been performing i wouldn't be confident of beating anyone except division 4 teams.

When was the last time that Down beat us before last weekend anyway it must be a good few years ago?

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745252#Comment_120745252

Up until Saturday, Down were one of the Ulster teams I would have been confident about beating. Beat them this year, last year, 2020 and then three times in 2018 alone. Granted for the 2020 and 2018 wins, we could / should have lost any of those games. The 2018 game in Brewster was a game Down threw away as opposed to one we won. Similarly the league game earlier in the year, from memory Ray Galligan was man of the match.

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745701#Comment_120745701

Cavan have had the upper hand over Down for a while, but this Cavan team is in decline. Down won Ulster U20 Championships in 21 and this year. Kilcoo won an All Ireland Club last year. Its probaly the first time in a long time where a lot of the Kilcoo players are commiting to the County panel,with a Kilcoo man over the team.

Last year Down were in disarray with James McCartan leaving and then being persuaded back to stay on for the championship. A few players were giving interviews about not wanting to be involved in the Tailtean Cup. Conor Laverty has them united

I

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120745252#Comment_120745252

Meath lost to Offaly in the Leinster Championship. That’s an Offaly team that couldn’t beat Wexford then and lost to us by 16 points.

As poor as we’ve been, I honestly think we could account for any team left in the Tailteann bar the one that beat us - that is why the draw was unfortunate and why I said that last week.

I don’t know if you blame the players or the manager, but if we had played a little less risk averse, Down were there for the taking, despite them looking a much better team Saturday.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737428#Comment_120737428

Interesting to see WAC reference this post but Fitzy failed to actually tackle the crux of the matter.

He doesn’t have the thickest of skins and seemed to take it as a criticism of their description of the McGleenan years. It wasn’t though.

I agree the McGleenan years were “lost” because the team lost their momentum. A lot of players stepped away due to the manager.

However, my real point was that those 2 years under Mattie could be seen as an improvement of the last 3 under Graham shows just how bad things have been.

Thanks for 2019 & 2020 Mickey but the honeymoon is over. Time to let somebody else have a go.

They didn’t mention Oisin Mc in their list of potential replacements for Graham either.

Hammar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120747568#Comment_120747568

I heard stories of arguments with strength and conditioning coaches over workload in training the Wednesday before the Tipp game in which we collapsed in the second half under McGleenan and two hour running sessions with no ball ,2 weeks before the Donegal Ulster Championship, whether there is any truth to them who knows.

McGleenan however had to deal with a lot of turnover of players and the blooding of a number of new players including a new midfield pairing in Bryan Magee and Sean McCormack , Conor Bradley and Enda Flanagan also got their debuts I believe.

It's unfair that they are making out that McGleenan's two years were an absolute disaster.I wouldn't say it was a huge success either. There were good performances and some poor ones.

There's obviously some serious agendas with the WAC crowd.

rrs

McGleenan spell wasn't great but it was either him or Banty as alternatives. A lot of other candidates had turned Cavan down. Paul Curran, Anthony Cunningham. A bit surprising at the time as Cavan had a settled team and were going to be playing Division 1 in 2017.

The job would look less attractive now.

tanko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120746686#Comment_120746686

If my auntie had and all that. We got Down at home with a two week break to prepare and still couldn’t take them. The exact same failings which were there against Westmeath in the final last year cost us against Down, slow ponderous build up play giving the opposition time to set up in defence and getting ripped open up the middle by fast counter attacking play. I dont know how the Cavan subs stay on the panel, no matter how rubbish some of the starting fifteen play they’re never taken off, how was McKiernan left on the whole game against Down, barely touched the ball, Gerry Smith clearly unfit the same.

baconsarnie

Based on 2019/ 2020 (and despite the Wicklow game), I was all on for management staying put last year. Division four was just about getting back out and the performance against Donegal had me thinking we were on the right track (we had a cut, played great stuff in spells, had a defensive shape and got some unlucky calls). I was on the fence after the dismal "performance" against Westmeath.

Felt that that early league performances showed we had turned a corner, but I was sure after the Armagh game that the management needs to change (and even more so after the Down game). Here's most people's list of grievances: zero intensity in big games, no defensive shape at all over the last two years, picking players for big games who clearly aren't fit, naming McKiernan at full forward and no plan to utliise him, no strategy on opposition kick out, stagnant risk averse tactics in key games. All of that falls on management.

Not sure who is out there either on the county scene or otherwise. McConville? It was close to impossible not to qualify out of the group stage in the Tailteann yet he managed to do that with Wicklow- in the handiest group as well. Great on a podcast, not a great manager for me.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120748404#Comment_120748404

Wasn't McGlennan a bit hostile to local media? I seem to remember that. Anyways, water under the bridge but I thought he was a total cod as a manager. Never had a clue what he was trying to do with that team. And some of his substitutions were a joke. I remember him saying he was going to be a "proactive" manager. He used to sub lads minutes into the game. He did it once to Conor Madden when he came on as a sub in front of a bumper crowd in Breffni against the Dubs. Brings on a young forward as a sub and subs him immediately for not showing for a ball. Like i said, a complete cod. Getting promoted from division 2 that year was no great shakes, it was an unusually poor league.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120750023#Comment_120750023

I know a big problem with McGleenan was him basically telling about 30 players every game that they were in line to play and then some wouldn’t even make the panel.

The CB were ready to stick with him iirc though so I’ve no doubt they’ll go to stick with Graham and it’ll be left up to him if he wants to walk.

The whole lot has gone stale. A new voice is clearly needed. Graham hasn’t evolved with the last few years - he is too risk averse for the modern counter attacking game.

Re McConville, I can only take his word for it, as I wouldn’t know the Wicklow panel, but he said on The GAA Social that they were missing a huge amount of players due to injury.

rrs

Wicklow must be paying McConville some money. He was on big money with Inniskeen which is only 10 minutes from Crossmaglen

He said on one of the many podcasts he was on before he took the Wicklow job he wouldn't like to manage another Ulster County.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120727769#Comment_120727769

I was thinking about the injuries this year and whilst it's not an excuse for the Armagh or Down "performances" either we have been incredibly unlucky this year or something isn't right with the training programmes. There's always going to be bad luck and clearly some of the injuries lads got reflect that but think about the whole year the mantra was "lads are a couple of weeks away, lads chomping at the bit" and yet we were down to the bare bones for Saturday.

Over the last 6 months we've had the following out for prolonged periods: Gearoid, McVeery, Martin Reilly, the Gunner, Jason, Gerry Smith, James Smith, Paddy Lynch, Conor Madden, Conor Brady, Oisin Brady, Cian Reilly, Conor Smith, Jack McKenna, David Brady. The last four on that list are on the fringes of the team but tidy squad players, but you could argue that the other names are starters when fit (or in the case of Martin, definite impact sub). It's mad that you think that we probably never lined out our strongest 15 once this year (i thought the team named versus Armagh was close to it, but we all know that there was at least four players not near fit that day).

Would i be right in thinking that only Ray, Killian Clarke, the Holla and the two Maddens as being the only players who didn't miss games due to injury this year?

rrs

A few of those players were playing on heavy pictures in January and February when they could have been rotated. Cavan played 3 McKenna Cup games, Antrim on a Sunday,Armagh Wednesday and Tyrone on Saturday night. McVeety played all 3 which was needless.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120754661#Comment_120754661

Very good point. I remember thinking at the time it was ridiculous that players like Gerry Smith & McVeety who cover a lot of ground played all those games. Smith subsequently missed the first game of the League iirc.

You’d also wonder how much of the continuance of these injuries is due to rushing lads back and not having faith in the squad players.

Cavan_King

Watching Antrim today, you’d actually wonder if we’d beat them had we made the semis. They moved the ball at pace, ran off the shoulder and had a big man in on the square that they weren’t afraid to utilise. Everything Cavan weren’t basically.

rrs

Antrim were the better team in the first half. Jordan Morris goal in the second half knocked them back and Meath then went 8 up but they came well and with a bit of composure could have got a draw at the end

Down were ruthless, 8 goals and missed 3 or 4 other chances. Probaly didn't need to keep going for goal

tanko

Jordan Morris is handy enough but you’d think Down will be too strong for Meath.

tayto lover

Cavan need to change their style of play and also change the mindset of a lot of their players who believe their great when they're not.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764261#Comment_120764261

I’m just wondering what players are you talking about and what are you basing the opinion on?

I agree re the style of play but I think that’s more set by the management than the players.

rrs

WAC tweeting does Down's win and performance change the view on Cavan's year? Talk about clutching at straws

They'll have a podcast saying how unlucky Cavan were now

Bummer1234

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764010#Comment_120764010

Was up in croker yesterday, Antrim where good in the first half, Played a good possession game and had options and took there chances, Meath didn't use there space in the first half like they did in the second half, In the second half Meath ran at them more and Antrims big men gassed out

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766151#Comment_120766151

Clutching at the biggest of straws...Laois where just shocking...The goals against them they where so open and just ball watching....Id say Ray who was there with RTE was raging not to be playing them again.

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766151#Comment_120766151

Jeez they are scraping the barrel now.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120764667#Comment_120764667

100% need to change tactics and style. I've never heard anyone suggesting that this panel of players isn't anything but humble and decent.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120766151#Comment_120766151

I think it's called clickbait. Social media is all about generating interaction and that is usually done by trying to generate a meaningless "debate". I've read the tweet and it's clearly there for a reaction and it has gotten some. Clearly no one thinks that Down hockeying Laois somehow absolves Cavan of that "performance".

Anyone who listens to WAC know that they're not singing the praises of the recent performances and Paul Fitz more or less said that the Armagh game signaled the end of a lot of the panel and possibly management.

rrs

I decided to listen to the WAC patreon from the Down defeat. Damien Donahoe was annoyed Cavan didn't have another opportunity at the Tailtean Cup next year. Cavan had 2 attempt at it and didn't win it. It wouldn't even mean much winning it at the 3rd go.

Cavan are playing 2 next year, playing Donegal, Armagh, Kildare will be prepartion for the All Ireland round robin. That's if they don't end up being relegated

Hammar

Whom are the potential options do you lads reckon, if we are looking for a new Manager.

Internally we are looking at:

Michael McDermott will certainly be nominated by clubs in my opinion.

Jason O Reilly perhaps??

Dermot McCabe can't go flor it, as he's the full time Games Development Manager and those in that position aren't allowed manage a Senior IC team from what I gather, although maybe im wrong about that??

Any other internal candidates?