Can we request to get back in to the Tailteann cup so that this group of players have a chance of winning some silverware before they all retire because in 2 to 3 years time we may not even be competitive in the tailteann cup.

breffnibluewhite (Cavan) - Posts: 479 - 23/03/2024 21:23:39    2532941

Another pity full performance…. Who on earth was supposed to be marking Jones…? He must have scored 1-7/8…. It will take a big improvement to have any chance of beating Monaghan….but it can be done

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3027 - 23/03/2024 23:44:57    2532957

veterngaa (Monaghan) - Posts: 651 - 24/03/2024 08:07:06    2532972

As I have pointed out here on numerous occasions… we haven't got any decent forwards to make an impact at this level and it's a long way below the top level…!

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3027 - 24/03/2024 10:17:26    2532993

Where do you even start after that ? The last few performances have been some of the poorest in memory. Not even a bit of bite after last week. My two takeaways from this league are:
1. Division 2 was an extremely poor standard overall.
2. We are not very good.

Is this the poorest collection of forwards we have ever produced? Some of the lads last night up front have had umpteen chances at this stage and always seem to underwhelm. How many chances do you need? We are hanging our hat on Lynch who is a good honest lad but will generally be well marshalled in a big game. I seen a team sheet from 2014 during the week , the difference between then and now really struck me. We had so much power and flair back then from 8 to 15 . Mckiernan, Givney , Mackey, Dunne, Keating, Marty Reilly etc.

At the same time, I don't think this particular team are being overly helped by the sideline. There is no way Fermanagh and Armagh should be beating us out the gate like that.
The lads have been going around like headless chickens for most of the league and that's on the management. They don't seem to know what way to play anymore, everything seems to be of the cuff. No plans in attack or defence and it's really starring to unravel very quickly.

blueskies (Cavan) - Posts: 197 - 24/03/2024 10:26:27    2532996

If lynch gets injured they look in trouble .Stephen O Neill is a forward coach but there doesn't be much of a system in the attack.

Defense is all over the place. The Louth game showed that with 3 goals conceded ,and could have been more.O Rourke made 2 great saves against Meath. Fermanagh got 2 goals last night ,and should have had more.

they will be facing the top teams like Dublin or Kerry after Ulster in the All Ireland series.. can't defend like that against those teams

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2824 - 24/03/2024 11:17:08    2533004

Yes I think we need a plan b in terms of how we defend. We are either too slow or too rash. I would have been interested to get more of a look at Paddy Meade. Cormac McKeogh also had a good game in the McKenna cup. Two lads who are big, athletic and are comfortable on the ball.

Our press on opposition kickouts is not as effective as it could be. We are pushing men up but still leaving a free man. Yesterday we had four lads in front of the keeper who were getting bypassed too easily.

For a long number of years now, our attack has struggled against mass defences. As said above, it looks like we are playing off the cuff. We are lacking strategies to break down a mass defence. I believe the simplest and most effective drill in Gaelic football at the moment is to put 20 men inside one half of the field and get your 15 to try to break them down - give them a score target and a number of balls. Other than that I don't know, god forbid but maybe we need a basketball coach !

For the second year in a row, we have fallen flat towards the end of the league as well as picking up injuries. Are we overtraining in preparation for championship Are we failing to adjust to the split season I'd still be hopeful, we're going for 3 in a row over Monaghan Will be interesting to see Ray's team selection

97Cavans (Cavan) - Posts: 377 - 24/03/2024 13:09:33    2533031

I agree with a lot that has been said.

A few things stood out to me from watching the game.

1). We were very open defensively. When our attacking possession was turned over around the middle of the park/at Fermanagh's 45 meter line our defence was cut to pieces with some long range kick passing and fast transition of the ball into the Fermanagh forward line. Our defence is very open unless structurally set up. (even when set up; Fermanagh broke the line a little too easily on a number of occasions in my opinion)

2). When setting up for the Fermanagh kick out, we seemed too happy to remain pushed up when Fermanagh had won possession. This left an abundance of space for the Fermanagh forwards as our defensive shape wasn't set up properly. Realistically nobody can push up for every kick out all game effectively (intensity required or ever just depending of the phase of play prior to the kick-out if people are out of position)- we don't seem to pick our moments. (it's not very often a team get more than 3-4 turnovers high up the field with the press in a game) I think we would be better off retreating and setting up inside our own 45 if possession is won by the opposing team when the press doesn't work or situationally isnt the right thing to do.

3) I agree the forward play hasn't been up to scratch. I do think this is partially due to the way we line up and play. very easy to blame the inside forwards but I think some of the problem lies further out the field. I honestly don't think we have players that excel at kick passing the ball in the side- The Midfield, half back and half forward lines lined up against Fermanagh were all very strong runners of the ball, but the quality of ball going to the inside forward line was either very poor or just didn't happen at all. I think it leaves us very one dimensional in attack, it's a running game we play and it allows teams to play a blanket defence effectively due to the slow transition in our attack. The inside forwards are living off scraps. Paddy Lynch is a very good forward but most of his scoring in the league has been from frees due to the poor service. I've thought for a number of years now that playing as an inside forward for the team has been a thankless task.

I'd love to see some change in our style of play being implemented focusing on faster ball transition, but unfortunately from all the football I've watched so far this year it seems to be a similar style of play to the past few years. (yes we managed to get out of division 4 and 3, but I don't recall us putting up many big scores with this style of play even playing some of the weaker counties)

We will have our work cut out for us against Monaghan, if they are disciplined in defence and don't give us many score-able frees and we continue with our current attacking strategy I don't fancy our chances.

BigEZ (Cavan) - Posts: 28 - 24/03/2024 17:58:25    2533215

Yeah Martin Reilly was a good kick passer. Cian Mackey going back a few years too. A game like last night Gearoid McKiernan would have chipped 3/4 points against a mass defence. Not many players capable of scoring from 40 yards on the team

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2824 - 24/03/2024 18:30:15    2533241

Faulkner, Gerry Smith, Gunner & McLoughlin missing are big boots to fill. I don't think we would have shipped the amount of scores if we had them on field.

facer4home (Cavan) - Posts: 159 - 24/03/2024 22:40:56    2533375

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5193 - 25/03/2024 10:05:46    2533447

stoneygrey (Monaghan) - Posts: 217 - 25/03/2024 10:43:51    2533464

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5193 - 25/03/2024 15:07:12    2533613

FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2824 - 25/03/2024 16:22:28    2533647

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3027 - 25/03/2024 17:48:55    2533685

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5193 - 25/03/2024 20:17:17    2533732

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3027 - 25/03/2024 21:47:39    2533763

5allirelands (Cavan) - Posts: 90 - 26/03/2024 16:20:04    2533928

A few things about yesterday's game before the usual suspects get carried away with themselves ( not a peep out of them before the game) .. Monaghan were completely hopeless on the day and posed very little threat and really look like a team on the downward spiral… We didn't get a score from play in the first half and Paddy Lynch put over his frees expertly + a 45 against the wind… I thought the referee gave us a lot of very soft frees throughout the game which never seemed to happen before.. We pushed up as best we could on Beggan but he still got all but one kick out away and that led to a vital goal… We persisted with a brave tactic and it paid off.. As the saying goes goals win games and we got 3 .. and we should have had 2 more… The spine of the team were great .. Gunner , Carolan , Faulkner, Smith and Lynch… I don't know how Osin Brady reappeared after ht.. he was terrible the first half getting robbed several times… he did kick a nice point on the restart but also had some aimless shots when players were in a better position… Ciaran Brady was quiet mostly but he denied Monaghan a certain goal in the first period when the ball came back off the post after O Rourke saved the initial attempt… He got into it more in the second half.. Overall the first half was as poor a game of football as I have ever seen as regards quality… we improved greatly in the second half but we won't be up against such weak opposition again this summer… The win means another game ( at least )against good quality opponents before we enter the group games and more importantly it shortens the period without games before that phase… We may get a couple of players back for the next game but unfortunately there's no chance of McVeety making an appearance anytime soon..

ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3027 - 08/04/2024 10:31:57    2536489

Super performance from Cavan when it counted yesterday. When the pressure came on, goals were needed. Really came out on top in the forwards in the second half. Delighted for players and management. Stood tall!

Sets the team up well for Tyrone now. Terrible record against the Red Hands over the years, a last win in Championship been in 1983. Can anyone confirm where the Tyrone game will be? It was mentioned on Sunday Game that the game will be in Omagh, but if memory serves correctly, after Cavan winning a preliminary match away, the winner of preliminary game, is at home next day? Can anyone confirm this?

Breffini1967 (Cavan) - Posts: 18 - 08/04/2024 13:12:58    2536577