We are miles off the top teams and no psychologist will change that. It's the usual craic in the championship the odd good performance followed by getting embarrassed.
We only have a two or three top class players, go back and read the comments after the first couple of league games by a good few posters here not much has changed since.
I'm not making excuses I'm commenting on some of what I saw yesterday. Did you think the ref did well in the first half? Or that Cavan got many lucky breaks of the ball? Or that Donegal weren't impressive in the second half?
Cavan couldn't live with the pace, power, accuracy and physicality of one of the best teams in Ireland and All Ireland contenders. The first half was reasonably competitive but we went in 7 down. We got some chances while it was still a contest early in the second half but accuracy let us down and then Donegal's running game wore us out, heads dropped and we shipped a beating.
Donegal played at a level in the second half that Cavan don't have in them.
Lad, that's just a load of excuses. We need to look within. Why can we play against the wind and compete for 30 mins and then fall asunder in 2nd half. It's not the ref, unlucky bounces of ball or that Donegal are the most amazing team to grace breffni park.
It’s nothing new either. Mickey Hannon referenced the infamous 2005 Tyrone replay where they beat us by 21 points in the podcast. The year before in the qualifiers we were level with Derry and didn’t score in extra time, I think they beat us by ten in the end. 2010, Cork annihilated us.
In 2014 you had a good team beaten by Roscommon in the qualifiers 16-5 in Breffni. The 2019 Tyrone game.
I’m sure there are other results, those are the ones come to mind, but Cavan seem to be able to ship a beating like no other county & it seems to be an issue creeping across various generations. You could argue we’ve had poor teams some years but even a bad side can be made hard to beat.
That’s not to mention losing games we really should have seen out (Derry 2016, Tipp 2017).
Work certainly needs to start on this and addressing other issues on the field rather than throwing money into a stadium that our county can’t even fill on a good day.
Donegal are a top side. Their pace and power are on a level we rarely play against. Their shooting was immaculate in the second half. They were aided, particularly in the first half, by a referee who clearly gave Donegal every 50/50 decision and treated Murphy like a celebrity - not that it influenced the result but it was frustrating to watch. Every break of the ball seemed to fall away from Cavan and dispossesions on multiple occasions fell back into Donegal hands.
The outnumbered Cavan faithful provided lukewarm support. Which is unsurprising given their inconsistency. It's fascinating to watch the difference in the Donegal supporters and how 15 years of following a consistently competitive and reliable side has affected their morale and how they engage with the team.
I felt sorry for the players. They are good lads and clearly went into that game believing we could get a result. You could feel their hurt and disappointment in that last quarter.
Results in the minor second tier championship and the Ulster Final performance have taken the shine off the minor run and there may be a little bit more trepidation going to play Kerry.
Yesterday's hammering was inflicted on the product of the best years of Cavan underage development in our lifetime. The coming years will be worse. Radical change is required if we want to be truly competitive but there's nothing to suggest the leadership have the vision and that the football people in the county have the will to attempt to forge a new path.
You are right, we are mentally very very weak. I would even go as far to say if Mayo game had gone on 5 mins more we probably would've lost it
I’ve had it thrown in my face re mentioning psychologists on here before when it came to the minors but are all the top teams not working with them?
I’m not sure why it’s such a taboo subject. For a team operating in or around the top level, Cavan capitulate in games. Yesterday was inexcusable. Heads dropped completely & any semblance of effort disappeared.
Surely it’s something needs to be looked at thoroughly before the habit creeps into the next set of players coming through.
Jim McGuinness previously spoke about a mental softness to Cavan and he was certainly proven correct yesterday, not just by our team but our management too.
If it skews stats it's in our favour. I think donegal got 1 x 2 pointer. We got 2 or maybe 3.
The Celt is saying it is one of the worst in living memory. But I think the 2 pointers might skew the stats. I was behind the Town goals, and I don't remember a 2 pointer being scored by either side there. Or even an attempt at a 2 pointer. I could be wrong. The wind is making more games of "two halves", same happened in Clones today. I was slightly grateful for the small Cavan turnout, as I had the road to Cootehill and beyond to myself on the way home😀
"Cavan were well in the game at half-time when they trailed by seven points, although they had given away a goal with a needless error in the final play of the half, but the second-half performance was one of their worst in living memory. Records indicate that Donegal’s 3-26 was the highest score Cavan have ever conceded in championship football."
Absolutely bang on. Nothing at all wrong with Brefini in its current condition. Far better pumping that money into the underage structures and aiming to be at the top table in the 7 - 10 years. The focus on a redevelopment
That goal was one of the most stupid goals I've ever seen conceded. Liam Brady was trying to waste time so he could kick it out of play - ref stopped clock forcing him to kick it out. We win ball and Holla decides he's going to run into the Donegal defence.
Gerry Smith stunk the place out but wasn't subbed, he failed to track runners all day. I'd safely say it cost us 1-4. The 2 lads came on not nearly ready for 30 mins. Where do you even start with kick out strategy, atrocious.
In fairness it was good until right before HT and then turned into a total **** show. The goal conceded after the hooter, when we had possession, was inexcusable. The point before that was also a turnover.
In the second half we risked two players who were clearly not fit. Totally ridiculous stuff. Donegal came out gunning for us and we had no match for it. Hugely disappointing. Any momentum gained from the Mayo game has now been well and truly wiped out. It remains that the only consistent thing about our county team is their inconsistency.
And the county board are worried about throwing tens of millions into a ground which is far from a fortress and where we are outnumbered by opposition supporters.
I thought the goal just after the hooter went deflated us and give them an enormous lift and energy going in at halftime because we were well in the game at that stage and should have put out the ball after the hooter, couple of misses in the beginning of second half and the heads dropped , i also thought the referee was a bit harsh on us they got away with a 3rd man tackle and got a score from it blew us up for over carrying a few times when they got away with it twice , same ref fecked us in the league a few years ago v Kerry.
That was a reality check today but we where playing serious All Ireland contenders today and we are nowhere near that level.
I'd love to know what is up wihh McEvoy as it seems he gets the ball and passes it back a lot. That is not what got him on this team is it confidence or instructions.
On a side note when Donegal hit form midway through the second half very few teams could cope with it. Murphys two pointer as good a score you will ever see..
If anyone wants to know why people don't go to watch our county team, why pundits don't give us credit well that's why. A pathetic gutless display. No clue on kickouts again. Fellas left on who were embarrassingly bad. A total sh*t show.
That was horrendously bad in the second half, We competed admirably in the first half against the wind, and were well in the game until they got their first goal but the second half performance was shocking.
The second half plans seemed to be put a half fit Paddy Lynch on and start taking /2 point shots, Donegal had him surrounded by 3 men everytime he went outside the arc.
James Smith competed admirably but he wasn’t anywhere close to be being fit.
Mc Veety I thought was outstanding throughout, Holla put in a serious shift , and I thought the full back line did well especially Niall Carolan,until the Cavan structures completely collapsed and allowed Donegal to run through us in numbers in the second half..
I though Evan Crowe performed well, he was always an outlet, but he isn’t a midfielder, he does many things very well, tackling ,winning dirty ball etc, but he’s not terribly comfortable carrying the ball and isn’t a threat going forward, I’d much prefer him in at Full Back.
We got obliterated on breaks from both ours and Donegals kick outs, can any of you lads remember a game which we have lost so many breaks, I don’t blame Liam Brady for it either , We have zero ideas and zero tactics for winning breaking ball at midfield, we always seem to be outnumbered… Brady made a couple of outstanding saves as well.
We had a few lads whom couldn’t compete with Donegal’s speed , we have that deficiency unfortunately against the top 6-8 teams which was evident against Tyrone too...
I just don’t know where we are going ,to be honest lads…can’t see us getting anything from Tyrone, we might sneak into a preliminary quarter final,but the first top team we meet, I fear will be another repeat of today.
On another note, I don’t claim to be a diehard ,I’ve been at 5 of the 7 league games and 2/3 championship games this year ,but Jesus lads, we were outnumber by about 4 or 5-1 by Donegal , it seemed to me today, I’ve never seen such a small Cavan crowd for a home championship game which was surprising.
Depressing stuff.
Hung on with a poxy goal in 1st half , Donegal woke up after HT and scored at will, Murphy should have been black carded b4 ht but ref bottled it, not that it would have mattered, abysmal from Cavan
Jesus 19 points ?? Looks like only having a week off didn't effect Donegal. Hope Cavan can rise again for Tyrone but after today it will be very difficult. Heard a bit of the first half on the radio and Cavan seemed to be doing well enough and would have the benefit of the wind in the second but it seemingly didn't help.
Louth went mad after winning Leinster for the first time since 1957. Cup being brought everywhere. I always say that the table never lies though and as I said in the main thread I would have fancied the two teams in the Ulster final to beat the two in the Leinster Final.
No, we don’t as I’ve explained above. The Leinster champs Louth lost to the 7th placed team in Ulster yesterday. Shocking stuff.
It really makes a mockery of the group seeding that Down are on four points from beating Clare & Louth and Meath on three from drawing with the Rossies and beating Cork.
Thanks - That's what I was thinking. Essentially, Tyrone beating Donegal last week ended up working out well for us. If they hadn't, us Tyrone and Mayo could have finished up on 2 each with score difference coming into play.
I can't see a Jim McGuiness team losing two games in the group so I would still have us in the driving seat for a preliminary quarter final .
I knew full well Mayo would win that game. What's interesting is that 4 teams who played last weekend, 3 lost and 1 drew this weekend. So recovery time seems to be having an effect. So let's hope the same happens Donegal today.
If Mayo were to beat Donegal we are in trouble, otherwise I think we’re still okay. The group will probably have 4 teams on 2 points after today.
Once Donegal win next week, no matter what our result, we’ve Mayo on the head to head and there’d only be us and them on 2 points if we lost (which we most likely will as it’s Tyrone).
I really thought Tyrone were going to come back today when Morgan kicked the two pointer and they had it back to one.
Cavan now has to get something from the Donegal game tomorrow. At least a point or they are in trouble because they never seem to trouble Tyrone.
Tyrone finding new ways of batin Cavan
Where does this leave us? I understand it that we will have Mayo on head to head so once they don't beat Donegal we would be ok.
Nothing ever comes easy for us.
Absolutely. Lazy punditry whereas Spillane was on point. Could do with him back on the Sunday game.
Looks like Tyrone are going to lose to Mayo. Any potential comeback ruined by that Morgan error.
Things would have been a lot easier for us if Tyrone had won.
Well that sounds like bs from Clerkin after McGuinness was so raging he kept them back for an hours in the dressing room in Ballybofey reading them the riot act. He absolutely cares about Tyrone and his home record
In the same podcast ,Pat Spillane gave an analysis of Donegal which was bang on the money in fairness to him. He said they are are not scoring goals and finishing games very poorly and he provided examples of same. It's worth a listen.
Inot sure how many of those lads on the bench would be fit to start or even play but it will keep McGuinness thinking. If they were all fit and we bring the intensity which is obviously crucial we could have a good chance.
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