The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

mylestheslasher

Context : Cavan have played 3 out 4 All Ireland semi finalists this season. K

celt262

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123590872#Comment_123590872

And got embarrassed by all 3 and one off them twice.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123590872#Comment_123590872

Important context for sure. But we lost to those 3 teams by an absolute cricket score. We weren't truly competitive in any of the games. Other Division 2 sides have managed to be competitive, why weren't we?

rrs

Down will be in Division 3 next year and put up a decent showing in Ulster against Donegal. Played good stuff last weekend against Galway. 2 Division 1 teams.

They improved with each game. Meath have been solid in all the games, bar the second half of Leinster final against Louth. Brennan is an experienced club manager, but its his first year as Meath manager and its fair going beating Dublin Kerry and Galway in championship.

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123590872#Comment_123590872

Kerry showed today that they won without even getting out of second gear against Cavan. Compare the wides last week and their missed chances to today when the pressure was on.

You can keep clutching at straws but I’ll keep saying the same thing: our players deserve better. Look at how Meath are performing now.

They couldn’t beat us for a decade there despite regular meetings but have now moved ahead of us. We’ve a better club game than them, particularly in terms of strength and conditioning. Schools like Oldcastle have had success in Leinster but are littered with Cavan players.

It shouldn’t matter how many Division 1 teams we play. We should be able to at least compete with them but one win a year in championship across 5/6 games isn’t good enough, particularly given the schoolings we are receiving in the majority of games.

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123591316#Comment_123591316

A good few of the current Meath team had success underage. They won a few Leinster Minors and u20 leinster titles in recent years. Won a Minor All Ireland in 21.

Meath were doing nothing underage for years but seem to have better structures in place now. Its a young team outside of Menton and Keoghan ,and should be a force over the next few years.

South of the Bann

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123591316#Comment_123591316

Kerry won by 8 yesterday and 9 against Cavan.

But the key difference between Kerry this weekend and last weekend is they had 9 or 10 goal chances against Cavan.

They only looked like scoring a goal once yesterday and that was in the first half that I can remember.

South of the Bann

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123590057#Comment_123590057

I like Donohoe and Hannon but was dissapointed in their reaction to the Kerry game on the pod.

No serious football county would accept that performance against Kerry or even try to look for positives in it.

Paul Fitz in fairness to him had a more fair assessment of that game.

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123592044#Comment_123592044

The Kerry pundits Spillane, Tomas O Se and JOD said it was a nothing game and kerry took the foot off the gas a bit.

Clifford had a goal chance in the second half but was very casual took it with his right foot. I

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123590939#Comment_123590939

I know leage and championship are different animals, but we've played all 4 All Ireland semi finalists this year (and one team twice) and over those five games we have averaged 18.8 points per game and conceded 30.2 points.

We scored 2 goals in those 5 games and conceded 10 (and whilst Meath and Donegal were clinical, Kerry could have easily added another 5 to that tally). Whilst the Donegal collapse slightly skews the scoring (slightly) we still conceded 3-20 twice and the lowest amount we conceded in those games was 1-24 (and that seemed like a bad day in Omagh- that was the closest we got to anyone in those five games. Sobering stuff.

Funnily enough, the Donegal game is the one that hurts the most. Not just as it was a 19 point trimming but that we were well in that game and had Donegal in a good spot only to cough up 1-2 on turnovers before half time (and still had chances early in the second half). After that…. good night.

South of the Bann

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123594802#Comment_123594802

We might have had Donegal in a good spot close to HT.

But Monaghan had them in 11 points a better spot at HT and still got well bet.

Louth had them close at HT too and got mauled.

I think it's more that Donegal just blitz teams second half.

We are miles literally miles off the fitness and conditioning of Donegal.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123595534#Comment_123595534

I agree. I think Donegal look miles ahead of most teams in terms of physicality, but we do look behind most teams these days. Even back to the Down game (which we played well in) we were really struggling in fitness wise in the last ten minutes.

I wonder if part of it is that we want to make sure the last two years to cement our place in division two that we are less likely blooding new players and keep relying on the core group?

rrs

I heard Faulkner is to go travelling later in the year so won't be available in 26. Gearoid McKiernan was very good in the league. Will he be around next year?

Cavan_King

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123596135#Comment_123596135

Faulkner was due to go last year and they asked him to give it another 12 months.

I think it’s expected more will leave also.

mylestheslasher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123595698#Comment_123595698

Is fitness due to the age profile of our team? It surely has a part to play. I expect a few of the old warriors will call it a day now, the new game is merciless on fitness - especially with the solo and go. In addition, lads coming onto a county panel fresh will have an awful lot of catching up to do to get to the level of Donegal and others. Cavan will do very well to stick in Div2 next year and get into the AI series and I believe that is the truth.

rrs

The age profile would have a part. Size would help top, Donegal have a lot of athletic players over 6f. Moore, Langan, McGee, Thompson, Roarty, Gallen, McFadden, and Michael Murphy.

tayto lover

Where would posters reckon Cavan would be ranked among the 9 Ulster counties?

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123599011#Comment_123599011

My ranking would be

Donegal

Tyrone

Armagh

Derry

Monaghan

Cavan

Down

Fermanagh

Antrim

Down might have a better age profile but they are back in division three and haven't beaten anyone of note in a long time. Unless you're counting beating us in the Tailtean Cup. For the last few years I would have placed us there or there abouts, but looking up. I would say we are going to do well just to hold that position for the next few years.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123599031#Comment_123599031

Just looking at laoiseman's football ranking table on the main forum and he has Cavan ranked as 14 in all of Ireland but in Ulster there are only 2 counties ranked lower, Fermanagh and Antrim, so he has them at 7th of the 9 Ulster counties.

South of the Bann

I know Down got relegated to division 3 but weree very unlucky in doing so.

A couple of points here or there and they couldve been promoted.

They had no signature win this year but ran Galway very close and Donegal relatively close.

We're the better team v Monaghan for large parts.

Having said that if they were in our group they'd probably have had the same results maybe done worse would they have heat Mayo it's hard to know.

I was very impressed with their fitness levels v Monaghan and Galway however played a lovely brand of football and have adapted to the rules well.

rrs

Down had 2 Ulster U20 winning teams so have potential . Murdock an excellent young player,22. They played some good stuff in the league, but threw away a few games like Roscommon in the Hyde. Unlucky not to get a draw against Cavan. A late Pat Havern effort looked over.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123599049#Comment_123599049

Whilst I would respect the work (and a decent system too) that laoiseman puts in, it is skewed to recency bias. I doubt even the most optimistic Down supporter would rank them over Derry. And any table that places Monaghan over Armagh is bonkers if you ask me. On what metric are Cork a better team than Louth. Mayo didn't make it out of the group stages but are the 6th best team in Ireland??

Based on the last few years of league, championship and also direct head to heads, I would have us currently ahead of Down on all metrics. Relegation to division three might be a blip and our progression curves might be in different directions based on age profiles but I still think we are a better team.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123599571#Comment_123599571

It was a good tight game, but I felt we were slightly the better team on the night. For what it was worth, Down had a clear wide signalled as a point so it ended up being a fair result.

I didn't think Down got a lot out of Murdock against Cavan, looked a bit lost as a forward- looked brilliant any of the times I saw him out about the middle. Quality player though.

tayto lover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123600166#Comment_123600166

I queried some of his positions awhile back. He explained that he uses the formula and sticks rigidly by it.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123600301#Comment_123600301

He has his formula and that's grand but some people take it as the gospel of GAA. It is based on most recent results and doesn't take into account longer term evidence. Derry were back to back Ulster winners two years ago and seen as genuine All Ireland contenders. When was the last time you could say that about Down? When was their last big win?

Beat Fermanagh by 2 this year and Antrim by 4 last year. Granted they did beat Donegal in 2023, but that was a Donegal side in absolute free-fall under Paddy Carr). I have a few Down friends and they're as pessimistic as we are, so if you asked them who are a better team I don't think they're logging onto boards and saying "we are the 10th best team in Ireland". Derry had a far tougher group and notwithstanding a poor league showing, ran Armagh close, drew with Galway (should have won) and almost beat Dublin.

Should anyone reference the most holy of holy trophies, the pinnacle of any county's aspirations (the sainted Tailteann Cup) whilst Down no doubt still have the bunting up in Newry from 2024, I think Derry beating Dublin in the division one leage final might have more significance.

Although I wouldn't admit it in public, Monaghan's All Ireland form has been incredible in the All Ireland series(strike me down for saying it), but to rank tham above last year's All Ireland winners and a team incredibly unlucky not to have at least a one Ulster title in the last few years to me is madness.

Anyways- to your original point @tayto lover where are Cavan? Where we've been for the last few years. Sadly only just ahead of Down and as opposed to narrowing the gap to the likes of Monaghan and Derry, that gap has widened.

rrs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123600179#Comment_123600179

Better team in the first half. Down improved in the second half. Gearoid McKiernan was very good in that gane and in a few of the league wins. Cavan would have struggled to stay up without him. Whether he plays next year.

baconsarnie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123600603#Comment_123600603

Gearoid was outstanding that day. He made a full length diving block on the Down keeper about 2 minutes in that a lad ten years younger would have been proud of. Won some lovely high ball and kicked some monster points. Badly missed for the championship games, would love to see him back.

TheGadfly

He did. I was there, sitting beside some passionate Down support. It got heated enough. A great evenings entertainment. Met Gearoid on the field at the end. Pictures with the kids. Huge respect for the man. He's an absolute legend. What a servant, and so much more to give if he stays on. We all sincerely hope he does. He's kicked some outrageous scores over the years.

rrs

He possibly came back this year with the new rules in mind, and no real stand out teams in Division 2. Next year Tyrone and Derry will be there. Derry had a poor year but would expect them to be better next year. Paddy Tally was appointed very late. Other teams like Meath have pushed on and Cork to a lesser extent . Ger Brennan has left Louth but they have some good young talent from the U20s. it will be a step up for Offaly, but they have the experience of Mickey Harte. Maybe Kildare winning a Tailtean will push them on.

Cavan_King

Can anyone explain to me what exactly is going on with Kill & Mountnugent?