The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

cavan4sam

they did well to get that far and should have won it when up by 5
but credit to westmeath i think they just about shaded it over the 2 days

Lemlin

Word has it that all of the county team got letters stating that they'll be called if they are wanted when training restarts. Not to assume that they'll be called in.

Seems the right approach after the performances given last year but I wonder how hard it will be to motivate players with the prospect of a first round tie against Donegal.

celt262

Lemlin wrote: »

Word has it that all of the county team got letters stating that they'll be called if they are wanted when training restarts. Not to assume that they'll be called in.

Seems the right approach after the performances given last year but I wonder how hard it will be to motivate players with the prospect of a first round tie against Donegal.

The problem will be getting players to turn up.

Lemlin

celt262 wrote: »

The problem will be getting players to turn up.

The U21 lads seem motivated so hopefully they will turn out. I wouldn't mind seeing a few of the older lads move on to be honest.

The only players I'd be interested in definitely seeing back that are there a few years would Eugene Keating (best player this year in the Championship), John McCutcheon, Michael Brennan, Padraic O'Reilly, Mark McKeever, Ronan Flanagan and Dermot Sheridan.

I honestly wouldn't be bothered if Johnston doesn't bother. About time the rest of the team stopped relying on him.

Lemlin

Good to see some Cavan lads doing well in London:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/inspirational-mulveys-late-burst-drives-fulham-irish-to-first-crown-2907775.html

Fulham Irish are champions of London for the first time after a stunning late, late show against Parnells at Ruislip.

Having led at the interval thanks to a Harry Murphy penalty, Fulham then failed to score for 26 second-half minutes and when Parnells forward David O'Sullivan converted his sixth free of the day, a replay looked on the cards.

However, the inspirational Lorcan Mulvey led a late Fulham surge, scoring off a swift counter-attack, before three injury-time points sealed victory.

Fulham lead 1-3 to 0-4 at half-time. The penalty was awarded after captain Sean Maguire was fouled by Kevin Culhane inside the area, Murphy squeezing home the resulting spot-kick.

Parnells responded after the break, wing-forward O'Sullivan punishing Fulham indiscipline with some accurate free-taking, but their policy of dropping numbers deep into midfield left them short of attacking options.

O'Sullivan looked to have earned Parnells a replay when he fired over an equaliser with four minutes left.

But Fulham summoned a late burst of energy. Mulvey put his side back in front, before Murphy, Fergal McVey and John Ryan sealed senior glory for Fulham in only their fifth year in existence.

Scorers -- Fulham Irish: H Murphy 1-2 (1-0 pen, 0-1f), L Mulvey, F McVey 0-2 each, J Boyce, J Ryan (f) 0-1 each. Parnells: D O'Sullivan 0-6 (6f), F Niblock 0-1.

Fulham Irish -- D Traynor; G O'Hare, C McClean, M Conway; A Savage, S Mulligan, J Boyce; L Mulvey, P Walsh; S Molumby, H Murphy, I Barrett; J Ryan, S Maguire, D Connolly. Subs: F McVey for Molumby (21), N Nicholson for Connolly (43), J Reilly for Maguire (50), G Murphy for O'Hare (52), P McKernan for Walsh (56).

Parnells -- E Byrne; K Culhane, B Kerr, T Quaid; J Niblock, S Bradshaw, N Tuohy; D Donnelly, N Corkery; D McCarthy, D Shallow, D O'Sullivan; E Flaherty, F Niblock, A Mulholland. Subs: E O'Connor for Donnelly (42), R Dempsey for F Niblock (53), A Murray for McCarthy (53).

Lemlin

Rumours abound in the county that Sean Johnston and some other senior players will not be asked back to the panel this year.

I'd like to see him back for championship football but would prefer to see him sit out the league. In too many league matches over the years, I've seen the other players almost afraid to shoot - the easier option being to look for Seanie rather than chance putting it wide.

Him not playing the league may bring on some of the other players.

cournioni

Ulster Junior Football Championship Quarter Final:

Shercock 1-14, Cremartin Shamrocks 2-11 AET

Fantastic game of ball for this time of year in a very damp Breffni Park. Have to do it all again in Clones next week.

Lemlin

I'm hearing reports this morning that six players have been dropped from the panel. Can anyone shed any light on this?

I only heard half the report and heard Johnston, McKeever and James Reilly mentioned.

Alaska1

Lemlin wrote: »

I'm hearing reports this morning that six players have been dropped from the panel. Can anyone shed any light on this?

I only heard half the report and heard Johnston, McKeever and James Reilly mentioned.

Along with the above, Michael Lyng, Cian Mackey, Dermot Sheridan and Gareth 'Nesty' Smith.

Dropping Seanie Johnston the most high profile obviously.

Lemlin

Alaska1 wrote: »

Along with the above, Michael Lyng, Cian Mackey, Dermot Sheridan and Gareth 'Nesty' Smith.

Dropping Seanie Johnston the most high profile obviously.

Where'd you hear this Alaska? A few high profile drops there. That's also seven players and not six.

Alaska1

Lemlin wrote: »

Where'd you hear this Alaska? A few high profile drops there. That's also seven players and not six.

I hear all

Ah no, know a few people here and there in GAA circles, I am sure it will be in the news at some stage today.

Has Seanie Johnston been out of form ? seems a very big call by Val

Lemlin

Alaska1 wrote: »

I hear all

Ah no, know a few people here and there in GAA circles, I am sure it will be in the news at some stage today.

Has Seanie Johnston been out of form ? seems a very big call by Val

Hasn't been playing much championship for Cavan Gaels, his club side. Although he did come on in one game as a blood sub and scored three goals!

Lemlin

Season back on so restarting this thread. Review of the weekend's game:

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/sting-in-tail-for-cavan-as-holly-kicks-14man-derry-to-victory-2982809.html

Derry 0-13 Cavan 0-12

Three members of Derry's championship panel of last summer came off the bench to kick the crucial scores as they came from behind to edge this Dr McKenna Cup clash at Celtic Park.

A young Cavan side had looked set to claim victory when they led by two points with only three minutes to play.

But substitutes Conleith Gilligan (free) and Mark Lynch levelled matters, before Niall Holly stepped up to kick a long-range winner three minutes into added time.

The result was hard on Cavan, who started sharply and led by 0-3 to 0-1 after 10 minutes thanks to two scores from Raymond Galligan and one from Niall McDermott . Derry hit back, with Cailean O'Boyle kicking four frees before late points from Eoghan Brown and Emmett McGuckin gave them a 0-7 to 0-5 interval lead.

Cavan dominated the opening exchanges of the second half with McDermott, Niall Smith and Conor McClarey pointing frees to lead 0-9 to 0-7 after 45 minutes.

Eugene Scullion's second yellow card on 50 minutes gave Cavan an extra man and they surged into a 0-12 to 0-10 with three minutes left.

However, then came Derry's late charge as the substitutes' intervention proved decisive.

Scorers -- Derry: C O'Boyle 0-5f, E Lynn 0-3 (1f), E McGuckin, E Brown, C Gilligan (f), M Lynch (f), N Holly 0-1 each. Cavan: N McDermott 0-4 (3f), R Galligan (f), D Giveny 0-2 each, R Cullivan, G McKiernan, N Smith, E Keating 0-1 each.

Derry -- S Harbinson; B McCallion, E Scullion, M Craig; M Drumm, D McBride, SL McGoldrick; J McCamley, PJ McCloskey; C McKaigue, C O'Boyle, B McGoldrick; E Lynn, E McGuckin, E Brown. Subs: M Bateson for B McGoldrick (h-t), N Holly for PJ McCloskey (37), C McGoldrick for McKaigue (45), M Lynch for Brown (52), C Gilligan for O'Boyle (65). Blood sub: A McAlynn for SL McGoldrick 59.

Cavan -- F Reilly; O Minagh, S McCormack, F Slowey; B Watters, P Reilly, D O'Reilly; G McKiernan D Givney; N Smith, R Cullivan, S Jordan; N McDermott, E Keating, R Galligan. Subs: D Barkey for Minagh (8), D O'Dowd for Slowey (27), C McClarey for Cullivan (h-t), B Fitzpatrick for Galligan (52).

Fairly happy with the starting team, although the one problem I can see is very few players yet to come in who can improve that starting 15. I know Ronan Flanagan is missing but who else, that hasn't been dropped, is available to pick?

KeepTheFaith

I wasn't in attendance but it would appear that Cavan let this game slip away. Kicked 14 wides and were well on top. Inexperience in defence cost them.

Lemlin you're right about this being a strong team. You would expect anywhere up to 9/10 of these lads to be starting come Championship time. However for Cavan this year it's all about the League.
They'll be aiming to peak for the League and get to Division 2 and work from there. In terms of players who can come in and improve things I suppose McKeever in the half forward or half back line, Ronan Flanagan likewise and Mickey Brennan. Jack Brady an option corner forward if Galligan disappears (as usual) as the year goes on. Then you have Feargal Flanagan and Michael Brady who are also with the U21s. Out from that you're looking into the can of worms that is bringing back Johnston, Lyng etc..

I don't think we'll get to Division 2, in fact a stay in Division 3 would be a great result at the moment for Cavan IMO.

GAAman

I was at the match and I was very impressed with the cavan display for most of the game. They were taking the shots the derry lads were not, moving the ball around well and at pace too. It was all cavan for a good part if not most of the match. The derry half back line was woeful and at times it looked like they were trying to adapt the donegal style defence of throwing every man into their own box.

At a few points in the game I counted a single derry forward who was NOT behind the half way line. But in all my praises of the cavan team you really gave the game away. It was like watching a boxing match where one guy has another on the ropes, everyone waiting for that knockout punch which never comes, the guy on the ropes gains a bit of composure and gets in enough ropey punches to win the points.

That said I look forward to watching you guys this year

scoopmine

Would like to see Alan Toasty Clarke on the team if not least the panel.

Lemlin

KeepTheFaith wrote: »

I wasn't in attendance but it would appear that Cavan let this game slip away. Kicked 14 wides and were well on top. Inexperience in defence cost them.

Lemlin you're right about this being a strong team. You would expect anywhere up to 9/10 of these lads to be starting come Championship time. However for Cavan this year it's all about the League.
They'll be aiming to peak for the League and get to Division 2 and work from there. In terms of players who can come in and improve things I suppose McKeever in the half forward or half back line, Ronan Flanagan likewise and Mickey Brennan. Jack Brady an option corner forward if Galligan disappears (as usual) as the year goes on. Then you have Feargal Flanagan and Michael Brady who are also with the U21s. Out from that you're looking into the can of worms that is bringing back Johnston, Lyng etc..

I don't think we'll get to Division 2, in fact a stay in Division 3 would be a great result at the moment for Cavan IMO.

Is McKeever not one of the lads who along with Mackey, Lyng, Johnston and Sheridan was dropped?

Jack Brady looks a little light for senior football at the minute. I was pleased to see Niall Smith start. He was the U21s best player in a couple of their games last year, including the final.

It'll be interesting to see how the panel develops but my big worry is that this was about 75% of Cavan's starting panel playing against 25% of Derry's.

Given the teams that are in Division 3, I don't think we'll be pushing for promotion either. A nice run in the qualifiers would be nice. Just even to get through 2 or 3 games.

blackbelt

Lemlin wrote: »

Is McKeever not one of the lads who along with Mackey, Lyng, Johnston and Sheridan was dropped?

Jack Brady looks a little light for senior football at the minute. I was pleased to see Niall Smith start. He was the U21s best player in a couple of their games last year, including the final.

It'll be interesting to see how the panel develops but my big worry is that this was about 75% of Cavan's starting panel playing against 25% of Derry's.

Given the teams that are in Division 3, I don't think we'll be pushing for promotion either. A nice run in the qualifiers would be nice. Just even to get through 2 or 3 games.

Too early to say this time of the year.I think the Cavan players will get use to the tempo of senior intercounty level by the start of the league.After only a week of training, it is not a fair assessment to have concerns about the opposition.Introduction to a gameplan and better physical preparation will need to be applied.

Lemlin

blackbelt wrote: »

Too early to say this time of the year.I think the Cavan players will get use to the tempo of senior intercounty level by the start of the league.After only a week of training, it is not a fair assessment to have concerns about the opposition.Introduction to a gameplan and better physical preparation will need to be applied.

The Cavan seniors and U21s have been training for alot more than a week. Anyone who was knocked out in the first round of the Championship, and qualifiers, was entitled to break the Winter training ban this year AFAIK.

KeepTheFaith

McKeever was initially named to start against Derry but Smith started ahead of him. So unless this was a complete mistake by whomever listed the team on the Cavan website I assume he is involved. I agree it's good to see Smith start. Didn't have a bad game for Cavan last year, he is among the paciest players I have seen. He is light too though.

Cavan have been flat out training since October. They should be in great condition at this stage. Lets hope they can bring some more skill and know how to the field than they have done in recent years.

The League won't be easy.. Tough start away to Wexford and as we know all too well, if you lose the first game the pressure is on straight away.

Torlac

anyone at the game against Donegal?

Pete_Cavan

Good performance from the lads but it was against a Donegal team that started with only one starter from last years team. McKiernan was very good at midfield and Givney wasnt bad either. A strong midfield should give us a platform to build on going into the league. We will struggle to get out of Div 3 but another win on Wednesday should give the lads some confidence.

Backs were very good in the second half, some strong tackling and won a few turnovers which we were not doing last year. Podge had a good game, picked up plenty of ball in the half back line (although he didnt really have to mark his man as he was dropping back) and Waters looked better when out the field. Full back line wont be good enough for league, nevermind championship.

Forwards were decent but worrying that we notched up another 14 wides yesterday. We missed four scorable chances in a row early in the second half before the penalty came. Lots of work from Niall Smith and Stephen Jordan as wing forwards. Keating, who will be very important to us this year, worked hard also. Ray Galligan played well, great catch before winning the penalty, hopefully he will show some consistancy but we could do with him on the pitch either way because having a long range free taker is a big advantage. Nice cameo from McKeever who looked in good shape when he came on.

Lemlin

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

Good performance from the lads but it was against a Donegal team that started with only one starter from last years team. McKiernan was very good at midfield and Givney wasnt bad either. A strong midfield should give us a platform to build on going into the league. We will struggle to get out of Div 3 but another win on Wednesday should give the lads some confidence.

Backs were very good in the second half, some strong tackling and won a few turnovers which we were not doing last year. Podge had a good game, picked up plenty of ball in the half back line (although he didnt really have to mark his man as he was dropping back) and Waters looked better when out the field. Full back line wont be good enough for league, nevermind championship.

Forwards were decent but worrying that we notched up another 14 wides yesterday. We missed four scorable chances in a row early in the second half before the penalty came. Lots of work from Niall Smith and Stephen Jordan as wing forwards. Keating, who will be very important to us this year, worked hard also. Ray Galligan played well, great catch before winning the penalty, hopefully he will show some consistancy but we could do with him on the pitch either way because having a long range free taker is a big advantage. Nice cameo from McKeever who looked in good shape when he came on.

I have to say one good point that was made to me since the game. Donegal started with very few of their regular team but they did use the blanket 13 man defence in the second half. To be honest, when playing against that sort of tactic, its more against the tactics you are playing than against the team and Cavan performed well.

Good to see a few lads fit to kick scores from out the pitch. 1-14 is a high score against Donegal and I have to say it was good to attend a Cavan match where every time a forward got the ball they were looking to pass to Johnston.

I'd prefer the lads kick wides than get the ball into the forward line and mess about with it until they lose it. Its also better to put it wide than into the opposing 'keepers hands.

All in all, pleased so far but I don't rate the McKenna Cup much. After all, we got to last year's final and look how the season went after that. Morale looks good though and we'll see how the team are really shaping up come the League. Wexford away is a very tough start.

Lemlin

Another win last night. Was anyone at the game? The starting team looked more experimental than the team in the two previous matches.

Dixon1983

So i've been reading this board for years, but have never posted.

Well here's my two cents on this scenario....

Some of the posters here who are taking about going back to the club and playing well and getting called back into the panel are a little naive.

Not If Sean Johnston scored 3 -15 a game all year long would Val be calling him back into the panel. That is the reality of the situation. So when Anglocelt says Sean has effectively ruled himself off the panel he's wrong. Sean was effectively ruled off the panel by Val & Terry for this year and FOR FUTURE YEARS. Its Just that with his appeal on his transfer getting quashed and reporters getting wind of the story (Croke park leaks like the titanic), Sean got asked a few questions and i guess he decided that nows the time to let everybody know that he's not on the panel, nor will be on the panel. (and thats how it works, a reporter rings you up when you're driving your car, or visiting your sick grandad, or down the supermarket, or out on the pitch training some young lads, and asks you question after question after question, then uses about a third of what you say to form a story.)

So after yesterdays interview guys can stop going on about "If and when" he gets called back in the spring. Not going to happen. Was NEVER going to happen. He could be playing like an all star in the morning but its going against what Val and Terry are trying to do. They're entitled to their opinions. they can tell him he's not going to play for cavan again, thats their pejorative. I guess Sean has done with that interview for Val and Terry what they didn't have the balls to do themselves.. Remember the Declan woods story about "how could anyone be dropped from the panel when there is no panel..." complete propaganda from the county management team. Lets say nothing and Johnston will make the first move. He fell for the trick in my opinion.

Now, he can either decide at 27 years of age, and after having surgery on his groin, ankle, and elbow in the last 4 years, and after finally shaking off those injuries, that he is no longer up to intercounty football, he can accept Val and terrys decision to end his intercounty career.
And thats what Val is doing, ending his Intercounty career. When Val goes, Terry will look for the reigns and probably take over, and he is as complicit in all of this, anyone thinking that there is any great difference in the management structure now that terry is a selector and not co-manager is mistaken, its still the same starsky and hutch one two of last year.

If McGeeney called any of you in the morning and asked would you join his panel, after Val telling you to F*** **F what would you do?

I say fair play to Johnston. Cavan told him playing Intercounty football wasn't an option anymore, and McGeeney said, well actually Sean, it is!!! (Mcgeeney being a man who transferred club himself realises life goes on afterwards. Will he be remembered forever as the man who captained Armagh to an All Ireland, or the man who left Mullaghbawn after winning an ulster club title.)

Seans problem is he probably doesn't help himself from a PR perspective. The interview in the independent makes him seem like he doesn't care about Cavan football. anyone who knows sean, and i'm sure there are people reading this board who do, know that this is simply not true. If Val and Terry hadn't dropped him then he'd be in there training with the rest of the cavan panel, training as hard as the rest of them. For god sake, he seems to wind some guys up on here that he gets vilified for not caring, for kissing his jersey after a point, for not singing the national anthem with gusto. He just annoys some guys no matter what. whatever, life is too short.

Val had a crap set up last year. u21s that joined the panel couldn't wait to get the hell away from it. the way some people go on they seem to make out like this was all Seans fault! Longford were up by 14 points in the championship at one stage. NOT CORK, or KERRY, or DUBLIN, but LONGFORD. Lets blame the corner forward surrounded by 10 defenders for that one too.
Lets look at the Johnston was a negative influence argument. I actually believe he probably was. I believe he was pissed off like hell! And i believe seannie is not the type of character who can hide his displeasure. If you were putting in the hours these guys were putting in, and had been putting in for the last number of years, and seeing standards dropping all the time from consecutive Management teams i'd say a fair few of you would feel a little cantankerous too.
Val knew he had messed up so he's gone around trying to fix the situation this year. He seems to have a good set up. Morrisson should be useful! The S&C boys are the same guys behind dublin hurlers. However Val had a problem, A big problem, and one of his own making. Unless your senior players buy into what you're doing you're wasting your time. Val made his impression last year on a group of lads... knew they had judged him and decided to get rid of them. Its classic 101 management. Like everything Val knows, he probably read it in a book!

(Side Note: He'd want to have a good read of Kevin Cassidys autobiography because jim McGuinness hasn't wrote a book!)

What pisses me off is that some people write here about how lads don't work hard etc etc so thats why they got the boot, "I'd rather we had a group of lads committed to the jersey willing to work hard for each other" As if Dermot Sheridan, Martin Cahill, Eoin McGuigan, Alan Clarke, Micheal Lyng & Sean Johnston didn't work hard, all gone since March of last year!!!! Most of you probably know one if not two of these guys.

Are they ALL Primadonnas?


Maybe Cavan will do something this year. Wouldn't it be great if they did. At the end of the day we're all Cavan people here on this board.

Maybe Val has called it correctly, maybe he has done the right thing. Time will tell.

But people jumping to conclusions, saying Johnston says he only got a 10 second phone call, he hasn't said the reason why he was dropped, it mustn't reflect well on him....

Let me tell you this, the reason these guys were dropped doesn't reflect well on management. Thats why you have the "we're going with something new" line being pushed, because its easier than explaining the mistakes they made last year.
Even is Johnston didn't play that well last year, No one played better!
Lyng WAS told he was too old by management. Michael Brennan who is 33 years of age is on the panel. Micheal Lyng is still only26.

Thats it in a nutshell

GERRYMAC65

Still not sure about Seannie,or one or two others,the Kildare move is pie in the sky.

Dixon1983

GERRYMAC65 wrote: »

Still not sure about Seannie,or one or two others,the Kildare move is pie in the sky.

Kildare posters are saying its in the bag but im not so sure he will leave the gaels that easy especially as he working in the town.

Lemlin

Dixon1983 wrote: »

So i've been reading this board for years, but have never posted.

Well here's my two cents on this scenario....

Some of the posters here who are taking about going back to the club and playing well and getting called back into the panel are a little naive.

Not If Sean Johnston scored 3 -15 a game all year long would Val be calling him back into the panel. That is the reality of the situation. So when Anglocelt says Sean has effectively ruled himself off the panel he's wrong. Sean was effectively ruled off the panel by Val & Terry for this year and FOR FUTURE YEARS. Its Just that with his appeal on his transfer getting quashed and reporters getting wind of the story (Croke park leaks like the titanic), Sean got asked a few questions and i guess he decided that nows the time to let everybody know that he's not on the panel, nor will be on the panel. (and thats how it works, a reporter rings you up when you're driving your car, or visiting your sick grandad, or down the supermarket, or out on the pitch training some young lads, and asks you question after question after question, then uses about a third of what you say to form a story.)

So after yesterdays interview guys can stop going on about "If and when" he gets called back in the spring. Not going to happen. Was NEVER going to happen. He could be playing like an all star in the morning but its going against what Val and Terry are trying to do. They're entitled to their opinions. they can tell him he's not going to play for cavan again, thats their pejorative. I guess Sean has done with that interview for Val and Terry what they didn't have the balls to do themselves.. Remember the Declan woods story about "how could anyone be dropped from the panel when there is no panel..." complete propaganda from the county management team. Lets say nothing and Johnston will make the first move. He fell for the trick in my opinion.

Now, he can either decide at 27 years of age, and after having surgery on his groin, ankle, and elbow in the last 4 years, and after finally shaking off those injuries, that he is no longer up to intercounty football, he can accept Val and terrys decision to end his intercounty career.
And thats what Val is doing, ending his Intercounty career. When Val goes, Terry will look for the reigns and probably take over, and he is as complicit in all of this, anyone thinking that there is any great difference in the management structure now that terry is a selector and not co-manager is mistaken, its still the same starsky and hutch one two of last year.

If McGeeney called any of you in the morning and asked would you join his panel, after Val telling you to F*** **F what would you do?

I say fair play to Johnston. Cavan told him playing Intercounty football wasn't an option anymore, and McGeeney said, well actually Sean, it is!!! (Mcgeeney being a man who transferred club himself realises life goes on afterwards. Will he be remembered forever as the man who captained Armagh to an All Ireland, or the man who left Mullaghbawn after winning an ulster club title.)

Seans problem is he probably doesn't help himself from a PR perspective. The interview in the independent makes him seem like he doesn't care about Cavan football. anyone who knows sean, and i'm sure there are people reading this board who do, know that this is simply not true. If Val and Terry hadn't dropped him then he'd be in there training with the rest of the cavan panel, training as hard as the rest of them. For god sake, he seems to wind some guys up on here that he gets vilified for not caring, for kissing his jersey after a point, for not singing the national anthem with gusto. He just annoys some guys no matter what. whatever, life is too short.

Val had a crap set up last year. u21s that joined the panel couldn't wait to get the hell away from it. the way some people go on they seem to make out like this was all Seans fault! Longford were up by 14 points in the championship at one stage. NOT CORK, or KERRY, or DUBLIN, but LONGFORD. Lets blame the corner forward surrounded by 10 defenders for that one too.
Lets look at the Johnston was a negative influence argument. I actually believe he probably was. I believe he was pissed off like hell! And i believe seannie is not the type of character who can hide his displeasure. If you were putting in the hours these guys were putting in, and had been putting in for the last number of years, and seeing standards dropping all the time from consecutive Management teams i'd say a fair few of you would feel a little cantankerous too.
Val knew he had messed up so he's gone around trying to fix the situation this year. He seems to have a good set up. Morrisson should be useful! The S&C boys are the same guys behind dublin hurlers. However Val had a problem, A big problem, and one of his own making. Unless your senior players buy into what you're doing you're wasting your time. Val made his impression last year on a group of lads... knew they had judged him and decided to get rid of them. Its classic 101 management. Like everything Val knows, he probably read it in a book!

(Side Note: He'd want to have a good read of Kevin Cassidys autobiography because jim McGuinness hasn't wrote a book!)

What pisses me off is that some people write here about how lads don't work hard etc etc so thats why they got the boot, "I'd rather we had a group of lads committed to the jersey willing to work hard for each other" As if Dermot Sheridan, Martin Cahill, Eoin McGuigan, Alan Clarke, Micheal Lyng & Sean Johnston didn't work hard, all gone since March of last year!!!! Most of you probably know one if not two of these guys.

Are they ALL Primadonnas?


Maybe Cavan will do something this year. Wouldn't it be great if they did. At the end of the day we're all Cavan people here on this board.

Maybe Val has called it correctly, maybe he has done the right thing. Time will tell.

But people jumping to conclusions, saying Johnston says he only got a 10 second phone call, he hasn't said the reason why he was dropped, it mustn't reflect well on him....

Let me tell you this, the reason these guys were dropped doesn't reflect well on management. Thats why you have the "we're going with something new" line being pushed, because its easier than explaining the mistakes they made last year.
Even is Johnston didn't play that well last year, No one played better!
Lyng WAS told he was too old by management. Michael Brennan who is 33 years of age is on the panel. Micheal Lyng is still only26.

Thats it in a nutshell

I'd disagree re a number of your points.

1. In regard to Johnston not playing well and nobody playing better - there were actually a few players who played well for Cavan in the mess that was last year's championship. Eugene Keating was the stand out performer and was by far Cavan's best forward. Gearoid McKiernan played well in the league in the games he was involved in. Niall McDermott also performed well for both U21s and seniors. James McEnroe was another player who performed well.
2. You listed a number of players not involved since last March. That is incorrect. Micheal Lyng played in the Championship. Dermot Sheridan and Johnston did also. That would have been after March. In regard to comments about "having a group of lads who work hard for the jersey". I'm not sure if its me who said this. I may have. I'd stand by it however. I saw a list of six lads (not the same as the list you named) who were told they weren't in the Cavan panel back late last year. I know none of the lads personally. However, I can confirm that I did see two of them in pubs in Cavan town after the atrocious Longford performance. One was sitting at the bar in the Black Horse with a group of the U21s surrounding him like he was the 'big fella' and to be honest I could see from there he was a bad influence and I was delighted to see him dropped. The other was sitting in another pub down the town with a big smiley head on him. Now I'm not asking these lads to give their life and soul, they're not professionals but I've a clubmate who played when Cavan lost by 21 points to Tyrone in 2005. He didn't leave the house for anything other than work for a month after it because he was so disgusted. Lads need to care. They should hurt when the team loses.
3. I don't think anyone is blaming Sean Johnston for the Longford loss. Val and Terry have taken plenty of stick. In fact, I've never seen Johnston blamed by anyone.
4. I don't think Terry would hold a grudge like you say. Eugene Keating was dropped from the U21s two years ago by Terry but he was in with the senior panel last year because he had trained and worked hard. I think people are correct to say that Seanie should play to the best of his ability and put pressure on the management to select him. Other players have been dropped by management in their county and been in disputes, I can't remember any who actually transferred because of it though. Seanie is setting a precedent by doing that and that's why its getting so much attention.

In all honesty, I've always said I'd prefer if he didn't play in the league anyway. It'll be refreshing to see a Cavan team play where the ball goes into the forwards and they try to kick a score - rather than fannying about, looking to pass it to Seanie and losing it. Cavan's dependence on Seanie Johnston has been a problem for a long time now. Back in the early 2000s, we had a devastating forward line. I remember Pat Spillane praising Cavan at the 2001 Ulster final as one of the only teams in Ireland who had six forwards capable of kicking scores. We need to get back to that and I'm happy to see a forward line of McDermott, Galligan and Keating playing well.

Lemlin

Big game against Wexford this weekend. Alot of pressure on Val and the selectors with the Johnston scenario still hanging over the panel.

The starting 15 is announced on Thursday and it'll be very interesting.

I'm hoping the forwards stay largely the same, particularly the full forward line of McDermott, Keating and Galligan. They've shown in the McKenna Cup that they can do damage.

Another U21 victory at the weekend. The Hastings Cup was won against Longford. Drawn match at the end with 2-8 a piece but Cavan ended up winning 2-14 to 2-10 after extra time.

Tom Joad

I think Val and the team will use the Johnston saga as a motivational tool. Really important that Cavan get off to a good start against Wexford especially given that its a young team. A win at the weekend could set us up for a very good league.

Interesting to see that some bookies have Cavan as favourites for relegation - probably to do with the Johnston saga. Might be worth a punt on them to win the division.