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Was Gooch as good as Canavan?

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Peter Canavan was a freak absolutely unstoppable never seen anything like him until Gooch arrived on The seen, I hear some posters say Sean or Stephen O Neill were Tyrone's greatest player no chance Canavan is the greatest forward with Gooch to ever play the game and I don't care if your opinion is different to mine I'm right as always. Another thing about Peter even doh he was small he was one hardy little Nordy. clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/04/2017 20:10:46 1975704 Link
Both truly fantastic players. I am glad to have watched them both. In my own humble opinion I believe if you switched Canavan for Cooper Kerry would have been as successful yet if you switched Cooper for Canavan Tyrone would not have been the same team. I believe Canavan possessed a dogged never say die attitude that no player has matched. However Cooper deserves extra points for his ability to change his game from a corner forward and become a fantastic playmaking No.11 in his later years. A dead heat. Two legends of the game. hombrelobo (Donegal) - Posts: 2 - 04/04/2017 20:21:25 1975712 Link
This is a debate for another day.Both superb footballers who we were very lucky to see grace football pitches. ifindoubt (Donegal) - Posts: 133 - 04/04/2017 20:38:50 1975720 Link
IMO Canavan was good but not in the Gooch's league........not by a longshot. dingle2 (Kerry) - Posts: 278 - 04/04/2017 20:58:06 1975734 Link
Anyone who thinks one was miles better than the other needs their head examined MichaelO (Tyrone) - Posts: 820 - 04/04/2017 21:15:58 1975744 Link
Replying To dingle2: "IMO Canavan was good but not in the Gooch's league........not by a longshot." Total nonsense. Both were in the same bracket of skill and class. Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 04/04/2017 21:36:04 1975752 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "Gooch is in the top 10 of all time. Probably closer to the top (who btw id have matt Connor at 1) but certainly in top 10 along with Maurice Fitzgerald, Graham Geraghty, martin O'Connell and others. For me cannavan doesn't make the top 10." As good as Martin O'Connell was, I would have Paul Curran on in front of him if given the choice, yet Martin made the team of the Millennium, which reminds me, DJ Carey didn't make the hurling 15, hmmmm. realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 04/04/2017 21:56:13 1975762 Link
Replying To clondalkindub: "Peter Canavan was a freak absolutely unstoppable never seen anything like him until Gooch arrived on The seen, I hear some posters say Sean or Stephen O Neill were Tyrone's greatest player no chance Canavan is the greatest forward with Gooch to ever play the game and I don't care if your opinion is different to mine I'm right as always. Another thing about Peter even doh he was small he was one hardy little Nordy." Funny that, john mac thought he was a lightweight royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 04/04/2017 22:09:27 1975771 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "Funny that, john mac thought he was a lightweight" Eamon Heery thought that of John. clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/04/2017 22:18:39 1975776 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "Gooch is in the top 10 of all time. Probably closer to the top (who btw id have matt Connor at 1) but certainly in top 10 along with Maurice Fitzgerald, Graham Geraghty, martin O'Connell and others. For me cannavan doesn't make the top 10." That's insane! Canavan was unmarkable at his best. In fact in the mid 1990s he was probably better than when he won his All Ireland's. 10 points I think in 1995 AI Final. Look at some of the clips from back then. He was also one of the best free takers and much better at carrying the ball and beating multiple players than Gooch. He also excelled at International Rules, a game neither Gooch nor that other cerebral forward, Padraic Joyce could do as well at. As for GG in Top 10, no way. Here's 20 better since 1990 - Maurice Fitz, Canavan, Gooch, Joyce, Stephen O'Neill, Stephen McDonald, Brogan, Tompkins, Ciaran McDonald, Declan O'Sullivan, Mickey Linden, James McCartan, Michael Murphy. Conor McManus, Diarmid Connolly, Michael Donnellan, Galvin, McConville, Mike Frank Russell, Alan Brogan! DonegalAtlantic (Donegal) - Posts: 111 - 04/04/2017 22:20:34 1975777 Link
I'd say both were up there with the best.just as some think ring was best ever hurler others say shelflin or whelehan...it depends on the type of player you like as a personal choice. In my opinion Matt Connor canavan and the gooch were the. 3 best I ever seen but others may pick other players.like Maurice Fitz. Padraig Joyce mickey sheehy Spillane Declan Browne Bernard Flynn colm o rourke. Matty forde Michael Donnellan. Ja fallon. Ciaran McDonald. Diarmuid Connolly. Declan. Sullivan. Tony mc tague. Larry Tompkins. Conor McManus. All them have given much pleasure to us all.....enjoy them while they are playing and give us great memory's when they are retired kavvie (Clare) - Posts: 505 - 04/04/2017 22:25:11 1975781 Link
Replying To clondalkindub: "Eamon Heery thought that of John." Met Eamonn the other week and he still looks like a little boy making his confirmation, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth hahaha,, what a character, and player!! realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 04/04/2017 22:28:19 1975782 Link
Replying To sam1884: "Gooch was one of the all time greats, but do people think he was the best forward of his generation?!...I would still have choosen Peter Canavan over him." Yep Gooch was a good player n an equally good team 4 all ireland medals fair enough but against mayo n cork .... Canavann and to my mind Michael Murphy were the reasons tyrone n donegal won their all irelands n 03 05 08 and 2012 respectively Kerry n 04 06 07 wud have won those all irelands w/o Gooch Imo Still a very classy player rossy15 (Roscommon) - Posts: 619 - 04/04/2017 22:43:09 1975795 Link
Gooch was very good...comparing him to this player and that player is impossible...people seem to have forgotten Johnny Crowley, Mike Frank Russell..Aidan O'Mahony...the Hassetts, Spillanes, O'Shea's, Pa Laide and I am forgetting a multitude of players here I know...other counties have had their stars and won very little..the ones that did win Bernard Flynn, Robbie O'Malley, Trevor Giles...havent touched on Dublin, Galway, Donegal, Cork..etc...exceptionally good player was Gooch but I wouldnt even start comparing..impossible..every player has his traits, unfortunately you need many more around you to be sucessful... Fairplayalways (Offaly) - Posts: 1034 - 04/04/2017 22:50:47 1975797 Link
Replying To royaldunne: "Yep could give it but couldn't take it. Typical of that Tyrone team. Cannavan was a good player but a great one?? Its like comparing westlife to David bowie, in comparison to Gooch." You have NEVER had ANYTHING positive to say about ANY Ulster team or player so your 'opinion' counts for very little. Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 04/04/2017 23:00:47 1975804 Link
Replying To seanie_boy: "So a Meath man tells us Geraghty is in top 10 but not Canavan. I guess no bias there lol." He's just a balloon of the highest order. Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9706 - 04/04/2017 23:02:27 1975806 Link
Replying To Fairplayalways: "Gooch was very good...comparing him to this player and that player is impossible...people seem to have forgotten Johnny Crowley, Mike Frank Russell..Aidan O'Mahony...the Hassetts, Spillanes, O'Shea's, Pa Laide and I am forgetting a multitude of players here I know...other counties have had their stars and won very little..the ones that did win Bernard Flynn, Robbie O'Malley, Trevor Giles...havent touched on Dublin, Galway, Donegal, Cork..etc...exceptionally good player was Gooch but I wouldnt even start comparing..impossible..every player has his traits, unfortunately you need many more around you to be sucessful..." We remember them all But we don't think any of them came near Gooch or Canavan. clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 04/04/2017 23:16:37 1975814 Link
Replying To DonegalAtlantic: "That's insane! Canavan was unmarkable at his best. In fact in the mid 1990s he was probably better than when he won his All Ireland's. 10 points I think in 1995 AI Final. Look at some of the clips from back then. He was also one of the best free takers and much better at carrying the ball and beating multiple players than Gooch. He also excelled at International Rules, a game neither Gooch nor that other cerebral forward, Padraic Joyce could do as well at. As for GG in Top 10, no way. Here's 20 better since 1990 - Maurice Fitz, Canavan, Gooch, Joyce, Stephen O'Neill, Stephen McDonald, Brogan, Tompkins, Ciaran McDonald, Declan O'Sullivan, Mickey Linden, James McCartan, Michael Murphy. Conor McManus, Diarmid Connolly, Michael Donnellan, Galvin, McConville, Mike Frank Russell, Alan Brogan!" You forgot Paul Flynn. Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 05/04/2017 00:12:04 1975833 Link
Replying To rossy15: "Yep Gooch was a good player n an equally good team 4 all ireland medals fair enough but against mayo n cork .... Canavann and to my mind Michael Murphy were the reasons tyrone n donegal won their all irelands n 03 05 08 and 2012 respectively Kerry n 04 06 07 wud have won those all irelands w/o Gooch Imo Still a very classy player" Peter Canaan was retired in 2008. Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 05/04/2017 00:12:58 1975834 Link
Canavan was better. El_Torro (Tyrone) - Posts: 155 - 05/04/2017 01:21:25 1975839 Link