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I think overall we're in a bad place this season and I don't see us doing much come championship. Hopefully stay in the division and beat the Farney in a month's time and that might be the height of it. Would love to be proved wrong! But...
We've had a bad league, taken some confidence-sapping hidings and kick-in-the-guts late defeats. Beat a Kildare team who just didn't seem bothered, then scraped by already-relegated Offaly. The Louth game was sobering - a side we've had the measure of recently and it was men against boys.
It feels like we're still playing a style of football from a few years ago pre all the rule changes and haven't adapted to them (bar two-point shooting). We're ponderously handpassing around in attack with lads looking scared to take a shot or make a decision, where a lot of teams kick direct earlier. When we do kick, our main outlet for winning ball is 35-year-old Gearóid McKiernan. Oisín Brady in his post-match interview in the Celt last week talked about us playing zonal defence, whereas the new rules demand more man-to-man marking. As a result we're carved open easily at the back.
We're still likely to stay up, but only from Louth beating Kildare as they technically still have promotion to play for. No way we're going to beat Derry in Derry. They've the best scoring difference in all four divisions of the league and have promotion in their sights. Hard not to see us getting cut to ribbons live on TG4 again this year!
Hopefully McCabe has something up his sleeve for championship or it's going to be a write-off of a season and there could be a few more veterans stepping away at the end of it.
TheBlackDeath (Cavan) - Posts: 88 - 18/03/2026 10:27:37
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Replying To TheBlackDeath: "I think overall we're in a bad place this season and I don't see us doing much come championship. Hopefully stay in the division and beat the Farney in a month's time and that might be the height of it. Would love to be proved wrong! But...
We've had a bad league, taken some confidence-sapping hidings and kick-in-the-guts late defeats. Beat a Kildare team who just didn't seem bothered, then scraped by already-relegated Offaly. The Louth game was sobering - a side we've had the measure of recently and it was men against boys.
It feels like we're still playing a style of football from a few years ago pre all the rule changes and haven't adapted to them (bar two-point shooting). We're ponderously handpassing around in attack with lads looking scared to take a shot or make a decision, where a lot of teams kick direct earlier. When we do kick, our main outlet for winning ball is 35-year-old Gearóid McKiernan. Oisín Brady in his post-match interview in the Celt last week talked about us playing zonal defence, whereas the new rules demand more man-to-man marking. As a result we're carved open easily at the back.
We're still likely to stay up, but only from Louth beating Kildare as they technically still have promotion to play for. No way we're going to beat Derry in Derry. They've the best scoring difference in all four divisions of the league and have promotion in their sights. Hard not to see us getting cut to ribbons live on TG4 again this year!
Hopefully McCabe has something up his sleeve for championship or it's going to be a write-off of a season and there could be a few more veterans stepping away at the end of it." Word in Louth is they are happy to stay in Div2 and will play a lot of lads from down the panel against Kildare. Still, Kildare are so poor they will probably not take the opportunity.
Eddie the Exile (Monaghan) - Posts: 1305 - 18/03/2026 23:28:32
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Replying To TheBlackDeath: "I think overall we're in a bad place this season and I don't see us doing much come championship. Hopefully stay in the division and beat the Farney in a month's time and that might be the height of it. Would love to be proved wrong! But...
We've had a bad league, taken some confidence-sapping hidings and kick-in-the-guts late defeats. Beat a Kildare team who just didn't seem bothered, then scraped by already-relegated Offaly. The Louth game was sobering - a side we've had the measure of recently and it was men against boys.
It feels like we're still playing a style of football from a few years ago pre all the rule changes and haven't adapted to them (bar two-point shooting). We're ponderously handpassing around in attack with lads looking scared to take a shot or make a decision, where a lot of teams kick direct earlier. When we do kick, our main outlet for winning ball is 35-year-old Gearóid McKiernan. Oisín Brady in his post-match interview in the Celt last week talked about us playing zonal defence, whereas the new rules demand more man-to-man marking. As a result we're carved open easily at the back.
We're still likely to stay up, but only from Louth beating Kildare as they technically still have promotion to play for. No way we're going to beat Derry in Derry. They've the best scoring difference in all four divisions of the league and have promotion in their sights. Hard not to see us getting cut to ribbons live on TG4 again this year!
Hopefully McCabe has something up his sleeve for championship or it's going to be a write-off of a season and there could be a few more veterans stepping away at the end of it." Is there anybody close to a return - Cian Reilly, Barry Donnelly, Cormac O'Reilly? Will Faulkner make a return?
opa01 (Cavan) - Posts: 550 - 19/03/2026 07:50:51
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Replying To Eddie the Exile: "Word in Louth is they are happy to stay in Div2 and will play a lot of lads from down the panel against Kildare. Still, Kildare are so poor they will probably not take the opportunity." I don't know why they would be happy to stay in Division 2. When were they last in Division 1? And Division 2 could be a bigger slog next year full of Ulster teams.
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2927 - 19/03/2026 19:24:12
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Replying To FoolsGold: "I don't know why they would be happy to stay in Division 2. When were they last in Division 1? And Division 2 could be a bigger slog next year full of Ulster teams." Eight starters rested by Louth
Eddie the Exile (Monaghan) - Posts: 1305 - 22/03/2026 13:07:53
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Replying To Eddie the Exile: "Eight starters rested by Louth" I don't think all 8 were rested. Some are out with long term injuries. Lynch done the ACL.
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2927 - 22/03/2026 18:30:44
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Typical Cavan. Up and down at Under 20. Go out and beat a strong Tyrone team and then get destroyed by 2-26 to 0-10 to Armagh. Very strange how up and down things are. Hope things can settle.
Cavan67 (Cavan) - Posts: 36 - 02/04/2026 16:00:54
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The lack of fight in the loss to Armagh was the most disappointing thing, a big dip in performance compared to the Tyrone game. That said Armagh looked a better side than Tyrone and had a plan for us which they executed well. A bit like our seniors this year we had lots of possession and worked it all through the hands. We weren't able to tread a decent kick pass into the forwards. Build up too slow. Kick outs weren't working either, Armagh much better at breaking ball. Hopefully the lads and management will learn from this defeat and bounce back
facer4home (Cavan) - Posts: 164 - 05/04/2026 07:40:01
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It was a poor enough Tyrone team by their standards. All bar 1 score came from the same player. Cavan were a bigger team in size too. Armagh were a much slicker team then a Tyrone. 3 or 3 excellent forwards.
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2927 - 05/04/2026 20:04:56
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Anyone know how Cavan are looking as looking to Championship? Have Cavan any players to come back? Game surely will be close. Got to be 50/50 really. Monaghan seemed to have players returning at end of league. The new tactics all to be used. Anyone any team prediction?
Cavan67 (Cavan) - Posts: 36 - 12/04/2026 13:24:51
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any truth in the rumour ryan connolly will be in goals
breffnibhoy (Cavan) - Posts: 37 - 14/04/2026 11:46:12
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Replying To breffnibhoy: "any truth in the rumour ryan connolly will be in goals" Possible. Liam Brady was poor during the league from kickouts. Connolly would need to be reliable at the basics like shot stopping and catching high balls.
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2927 - 14/04/2026 14:11:43
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