Gavin Devlin going back to Louth as underage football development coordinator, now that is a good move and Louth progressing.
There isn’t a choosing of coaches for development squads. At this stage, help is that short, it’s whoever puts their hand up to go in, hence you then see a correlation between a coach from a club and the number of lads from that club on the squad.
They had some bad losses for a few good years in Ulster ,and were a yo yo team in the league. McGeeney has shaken up the backroom team in recent years with the addition of Donaghy and Conleith Gilligan this year,look a more solid team.
Rafferty got praise for the his attacking role as a keeper, but he was really poor as the basics. Blaine Hughes is a good shot stopper, and has given their team less panic moments by not leaving the nets on every attack
Even if he wins the All Ireland and was "available" in the next five years, I wouldn't touch him with a barge pole. As pointed out by Cavan King, I can't forget his role in the whole Johnston fiasco. He's also an ego maniac, and whilst the Armagh players might buy into it, he's there a long time and still hasn't won anything.
Aside from that, barring McHugh outside managers don't work for us and rarely work full stop. Interesting out of the All Ireland qualifiers to my mind only Louth, Clare, Roscommon and Derry had outside managers.
Fair play to Armagh in getting to the All Ireland final but as you said, lots of people wanted him gone a fair while. I had a friend from Armagh who wanted him sacked since the summer of 2019 :)
Here is what I wonder, when we pick coaches for our underage development squads are we picking "names" or lads in the clique or are they genuinely going out trying to get the best coaches that they can get in the county who understand the game (those are not necessarily former county players). I dont know the answer to that question myself. I did hear an interview on wearecavan a year ago with Mick Flynn after his U16s won the All Ireland last year and I thought he was fantastic. Has Mick Flynn ever been involved with boys/mens football coaching?
Yep and for that reason he shouldn't be let near Cavan, not that he'd want to come near us anyway.
I don’t think people would turn their nose up but he’s not well liked after his role in the Johnston debacle. In fairness, but for the players, the Armagh supporters wanted him gone long ago.
Who in Cavan would turn their nose up at him?
He's done well with Armagh no doubt.
But he's not a likeable figure. Look at his post match interview yesterday. It's all about him, his critics etc. He's an egomaniac.
It takes something really special in a coach to stay at a job that long and still have the ears of the dressing room and be able to build a panel of players to keep coming back for more after setbacks.
To think there's so many in Cavan would turn down their noses at Geezer is depressing.
I heard on a podcast Armagh are one of the few counties where they rarely lose players from a panel, even fringe players. Jarly Og Burns was going to opt out at the start of the year but commited. He has been coming on from the subs and making an impact. Campbell would start on most teams.
McGeeney is there a long time and has them all commited.
The ladies game is growing hugely. Even in Cavan, a lot of clubs have only started their ladies team in the last decade. I do wonder when I see this underage success if other counties are still a bit behind in their growth.
Armagh have no Ulster but are in an All Ireland final. It’s hard to believe now we beat them in a 2019 Ulster semi final but since then we drifted down to Division 4 and they operated in Division One for a number of seasons.
Paul Fitz mentioned on the WAC podcast that 14 players they had from 2016 or 2017 have seen playing time this year so it’s not like they’ve had huge turnover since 2019.
We also beat Galway in 2016 in a key promotion game and they could now be in their second final.
Well for one the a load of thesenior panel pulled out due to row over unpaid expenses. Before that they were in senior championship and in top 10 in country for few years on the bwvk of not a lot of underage success. It's a shame the good underage teams haven't the experienced seniors there to guide them.
Well done to the U16 girls who won so well today, 10 points to spare over Mayo
Dominating the U16s as we speak. It's an interesting question. I'm sure there's not the same focus and money spent on underage ladies football but still, to be consistently at the top level they clearly are doing something right that other counties aren't. Are there lessons to be learned for the boys side of the house?
I'd like to know why they are doing better at Senior level. They have been winning lots at underage for the years but aren't improving at Senior.
I wouldn't know too much about it, but the ladies schools team have done well recently. Loreto. There is probably a lot of players going there.
True but my point is they are clearly bringing through a lot of very talented footballers. How?
Good achievements. They do it differently in the ladies games ,with All Ireland titles at u14 and u16. I don't think would work in the men's game, because players would be blown up before they reach Minor level
Interesting to look at underage girls football at the moment. Cavan this year, quite incredibly, will have contested the "A" All Ireland finals at U14 (they lost this narrowly), U16 (playing Mayo this weekend) and U18 (trashed Kildare in the semi final last night by 19 points, now face Kerry).
What are we doing with the girls that we are not doing with the boys??
A long way off, but I see the Cavan Senior and Intermediate Champions play the Down winners on November 10th in Newry.
Sunday 10th Nov 2024
Why are they playing him then? Is he not taking the place of a lad has trained all year and have they not big numbers given their population?
Hopefully his League endeavours are over in the next game!!
I know it's oy league football and the real fun starts in a few weeks and I may be biased but Ramor are playing some clinical attacking football night and day to what we seen in the last couple of years.
McEvoy is a generational talent but from what I've heard he may be back stateside for the main event.
It’s hard to read too much into the League sometimes. Drumlane had some of their better players away so they may be aiming to peak in the championship. If you’re in Division 3 and aren’t going to get promoted, there’s not a lot to play for.
Shercock have gone from Senior until two years ago to now being in the relegation shake up for Div 3.
I still think the League should be top/bottom automatically promoted/relegated to give an incentive to teams and then the 2nd promotion/relegation places should be play offs.
Drumlane looked a good side when they won Junior and unlucky to lose the Ulster Junior final. They died push on since and near the bottom in Division 3. A lot of the teams in Division 2 lack consistency bar Killygarry, who would be a good senior team
Maghera seem to be back fulfilling fixtures so I’m not sure how that is going to work.
Re the intermediate, it’s so competitive I feel because there’s such a drop off in quality between it and even the lower level senior teams - as shown by how often the intermediate champs don’t last long at senior or the relegated club from senior bounces back up.
I remember watching one of the intermediate semi finals last year, think it was Killinkere vs Denn, and thinking how low quality it was. It was certainly very forgettable because I’m not even sure of the two teams!
I would have thought Cootehill would be lining up to give it a rattle as they’d a lot of good juvenile teams coming through but they conceded a League game last night I see.
Next year's Ulster and Leinster Senior Football Finals will be a double-header in Croke Park.
Arva gave Gowna a hammering last night. They will be the team to beat in Intermediate. Cuchulainns will be in the reckoning too. Did the Michael Muldoon and Ryan Tobin transfers go through from Maghera?
He is an amaglamation.
Sarcasm (online or in real life) might not be everyone's cup of tae, but I prefer it to pomposity any day.
Interestingly, I often find people who use the phrase "sarcasm is the lowest form of wit" tend not to know it's origin or indeed the full quote. I'm not suggesting that is the case in this instance given the all-pervasive knowledge of this poster, so I am taking this in the context of Wilde and, therefore, many thanks for the compliment Cavan King.
You're too kind. Thank you.
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