Monaghan GAA Thread

SecretsOfEarth wrote: »

In the last few years in particular, the phrase "punching above their weight" has often been applied to Monaghan performances. While I know it can seem patronising in many situations (depending on the context and, crucially, the person using it!), I think it truly is a point that should be noted. I just wonder what Monaghan fans think of the phrase.

For me, the phrase does seem patronising and insulting at first. It would illicit a response of "Hang on, do you think we shouldn't be at this level, that we are pretenders?" which is perfectly understandable. However, it really is a genuine point to be taken into account when assessing Monaghan's fantastic progress in this decade.

Much is made of resources and population when referencing All Ireland contenders. It's impossible to enter a thread on Boards in the last few years without drawn-out arguments over the resource advantages of certain counties, mainly Dublin. Monaghan, a county whose population I wasn't fully aware of until recently, have defied this unspoken expectation in GAA recently. While I knew that Monaghan had a relatively small population, I wasn't aware of the scale of it. In a recent article, it mentioned Carlow, Longford and Leitrim as the counties with smaller populations than Monaghan. Not one of these counties is within reaching distance of an appearance in the Super 8s, let alone a Semi Final place. Therefore, Monaghan's achievements (past and present) are all the more impressive. Which county has done so much with such a small population in the modern era?

It also serves to remind other counties of their "luck" in having a large player and resource base for example. Two traditionally strong football counties, Cork and Meath, come to mind. Their demise has been disappointing in recent years. Natural decline is expected over time as player quality and team success fluctuates over time. With that said, much of the disarray (particularly in Cork) seems to exist at an organisational and structural level. A county rich in tradition and population alike should have no problem getting the basics right, a fact accentuated by Monaghan. Monaghan have been able to thrive on comparatively less.

Overall, I think "punching above their weight" can be viewed as a positive, despite the condescending, negative connotations associated with it recently. Monaghan get on with what they have, squeeze the best out of their players and forget the excuses. I am not trying to tempt fate or over-hype anyone here, merely acknowledging achievement and giving my thoughts on it. Onwards and upwards!

(Apologies for the lengthy post, it was written in good spirit - you are all perfectly entitled to ignore my ramblings!)

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Happy with Armagh. We need a big game to get us up to speed this year...or bust.

FrancieBrady wrote: »

With the resources we have, we just couldn't keep it going. This was coming.
A long break will do no harm in the long run imo. Sorry to see Malachy go but didn't expect him to stay either. He knows new blood is needed.