The Official Cavan GAA Discussion thread.

You would wonder what sort of vision do they have off where our Senior team will be in a few years time or do they even care.

So ahead of another local derby and the most important one to those of us east Cavan folk. The team does not seem too inspiring to be frank. Hopefully if James Smith does start at full forward they might think of kicking the ball high into him, as generally thats what you are supposed to do starting a big man in there.

Not sure on starting Beenie at full back and keeping him inside his own half either and he can really travel with the ball. Personally I'd start him at 6, and have himself and Carlon running the ball from deep and leave McVeety at centre half forward in a play making role.

Hopefully we see more attacking intent, faster tempo and more creativity going forward.

Its a must win tomorrow really need to get some momentum going.

Atrocious. An absolute shambles. Embarassing. The third goal summed it up - the Meath player fumbled the ball twice yet the backs couldn’t get it, then the forward takes a shot that was rolling along the ground and our keeper manages to let it through his hands. Comical.

It’s on Galligan, bringing on O’Donnell and the u12 carry on that followed then.

A pitiful performance by all concerned, relegation is a certainty as far as I can see.

Faulkner was spitting feathers when he came off, as bad as things are & they are bad, this season is the last for Oisin Kieran, and surely a few from Faulkner, Gerry smith, holla, gunner, mcloughlin, gmck, mc veety, killian Clarke could well walk.

If we think things are bad with these , wait until we see what’s coming behind these lads.
We will see it alright from division 4.

Its grand though we will have lovely seating the far side of Brefini.

None of this unfortunately can be rectified in a year or even 3 years. It's a bit like climate change, we all knew this was coming but we probably didn't realise how quickly it would come. I cannot see how we avoid the drop and I cannot see us coming back up for a long time.

Has Cavan a Div 3 team with a Div 4 manager?

Spot on. Part of a voluntary board is often managing staff, including the performance of staff. Time for someone on the county board to start putting in targets for all employees, and regardless of who they are. If they're not met, time to move people on- even if it means a financial hit. We're genuinely starting into an abyss now.

If anyone can see a plan out there in the first two games, good luck to you.

It's almost as if the Monaghan and Meath had time to review the "game enhancements" and in both games we only heard about them before throw in. We are open at the back and ponderous in attack. That's two local derbies where we've been taken apart and we have shown the structure and intensity of a challenge game. I absolutely cannot understand this.

This is like Kildare last year or Down a few years ago. I'm not naturally pessimistic, but I think we've got the look of a doomed team that is going to get beaten by everyone. I really hope I am wrong and that there's a kick in us, but after Sunday I really can't see how.

I don't think we have the personnel on the sideline to develop a style of play within the new rules. If you see how we played in the last couple of games its basically the same as last year. Except we are keeping Beenie and Carolan back, two men who can run the ball and gain ground.

Slow build up play with two men inside begging to receive the ball in space, McEvoy and Lovett have pace that will hurt teams but again so risk adverse pissing about hand passing is preferred option.

Its not just us though, theres plenty of county management teams waiting for Armagh, Dublin, Galway, Donegal or Kerry to come up with a tactical approach so they can copy them next year.

Look there is still hope, Louth, Down, Westmeath and Cork are all beatable but on reality I don't think we have a game plan and also think the management team do not have to he ability to come up with one to get the best out of who is available.

The policy of leaning into the older players rarely leads to success. Whereas blooding youth and culling the panel seems to be the secret sauce of a healthy setup. You read about the great managers making the brave calls on selection and the tough phone calls to keep things fresh. This is the complete opposite.

It demonstrates a lack of confidence. Not in the players but in his own ability. To mentor a crop of debutants through the league, and retire a couple of his old teammates. And be able to stand by those decisions in the face of doubt and criticism while his unique vision *eye roll* takes shape. That type of confidence usually comes with the bitter experience. But my gut tells me that it'll be another case of chopping and changing the old faces until he bows out and we're back travelling to places like Portlaoise and Ennis. I never liked the appointment and I think you're right in saying the CB went with a low cost option. A weak attempt to mimic what Monaghan done with Vinny Corey.

Don't think much has changed with the u-20 setup this year either! I heard they wanted to let him go after last year but then did a last minute u-turn.

I listened to the WAC this week and wish I hadn't as only made me more annoyed about the development in Cavan- apparently a fully funded role put up by Kingspan for a development/Academy coach in Finbar O'Reilly wasn't allowed to happen. Mind boggles at how Cavan football being ran at moment.

What sort of twine is McCabe getting as GDM with the co board ?

I can’t find it mentioned in the convention report.

It’s no wonder our county team is staring into the abyss with the shambles that is our county board.

We have a board that’s afraid of the GDO—a man who’s double-jobbing and prioritising another county over ours. This is the same person who drove all the school coaches out while he remains in place. When will someone finally say enough is enough?

Take the job advertised to oversee all underage teams. Only one person applied: Finbarr O’Reilly. He was ready to switch careers and fully commit. His track record is incredible. And yet—he was deemed "not suitable" simply because there wasn’t another candidate to compare him against. Or, more likely, because the GDO didn’t want another strong voice in the room, especially someone with a proven track record in underage development.

It’s a disgrace.

As I’ve said before, Health and Wellbeing, Scór, the stadium—they’re never priorities. It’s all about football and winning, and always will be. End of.

Just look at our underage development squads. It’s a complete mess. Compare the current situation to the days of Peter Donnelly. Now it’s just a wraparound service run by a few parents, with gym sessions declining compared to 15 months ago.

Wake up, county board. Do your job. People don’t want musical chairs at the top table or fantasy projects. They want real action.