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Monaghan GAA thread

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Replying To 222:  "I agree to disagree. Every county has been hurt by injuries to date. Making a qf given our resources is a decent but I just find given we are always competing, it's frustrating when we don't break the glass ceiling. Last year and today, we crumbled. Beggan was a loss today but they had 14. It's hard to put your finger on it, I want us to push on but maybe your right we need everyone fit to get there. I do feel size wise and power, louth were superior. It's been a good year but we lost 3 games that was there for the taking regardless of injuries. thanks to the lads for all their hard work but a familiar ending."
Not really louth mayo and dublin all avoiding injuries and kerry are back to full strength suggests why they are the 4 semi finalists so all counties are not losing players to injury whereas monaghan lost 4 midfielders through injury plus Darren Hughes to retirement

Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 177 - 28/06/2026 19:36:57    2682591

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Replying To 222:  "I agree to disagree. Every county has been hurt by injuries to date. Making a qf given our resources is a decent but I just find given we are always competing, it's frustrating when we don't break the glass ceiling. Last year and today, we crumbled. Beggan was a loss today but they had 14. It's hard to put your finger on it, I want us to push on but maybe your right we need everyone fit to get there. I do feel size wise and power, louth were superior. It's been a good year but we lost 3 games that was there for the taking regardless of injuries. thanks to the lads for all their hard work but a familiar ending."
With the game as it is under the current rules, you're immediately under pressure if you don't have power and athleticism around the middle, big men who can win ball and drive the game on. Beggan is so good that he'll often mask any deficiencies in that area, but then you'll always be under bother from the opposition kickout still.

But I do think that with a full pick that we actually have a number of options in that area now, they had mostly just fallen off by this point. Hopefully we can have everyone available and committing for next year, and hope to get back to this stage and have another go. I think we have the personnel if all available, it's the tactics that have let us down imo. Despite not being good today and all the lads missing, we were still ahead down the stretch and ultimately didn't get over the line. That's down to coaching imo

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 962 - 28/06/2026 19:37:32    2682592

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Replying To seanie08:  "I think there is truth in that. You can't fault the lads spirit but reality is you need the big men for croke park. We had Gary mohan fully fit in 2023 kicking 4 pts from play when we made semi final. We needed him today but he hasn't been fit since. We needed Bobby mccaul but the young man has had zero luck with injuries. Anyone who read his interview in recent days would appreciate how hard his gaa journey has been. Can we develop and entice likes of mcphilips etc back next year as all needed. Monaghan are a proud outfit who never lie down but you find your level in croke park and given the resources we have had this year that level was a quarter final no disgrace in that."
We would be rightly stocked for midfield options and middle third ball winners if we could have McCarville, Gallagher, Mohan, Kelly, McCaul and McPhillips all in the mix. With the current rules, it's important to have that kind of presence in the middle third and we were sorely lacking there today - especially evident without the experience of Beggan.

It's a crushing defeat today, but I think our older players still have a decent bit of football in them (no lads hanging on in their late 30s like has often been the case), and we have alot of young talent coming through. Hope we can regroup later in the year and plan a right crack at 2027

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 962 - 28/06/2026 19:42:58    2682595

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Replying To Farneyarmy2013:  "Fair play to Jamie Mooney today. An absolutely massive ask for a young man at 20 years of age. We won 60% of our own kickouts today. In the Galway game they won less even with giants out the pitch.

We have become used to Beggan threading the needle landing it on boys chests. Put 80% of other keepers in for Monaghan today exact same result as we don't have anyone to win high ball in the middle apart from Mc carville.

Jamie can hold is head high. Be better days in a Monaghan jersey for him."
I think the question has to be asked , why was young Mooney in goals for today , Managment made a big call ,and it back fired , Mulligan has been number 2 all year and when his chance came to be no1 it wasn't given to him , and if the Managment didn't think he was cable of replacing Beggan why has he been no 2 all year,Monaghan look way of the boil today ,could this decision not to play Mulligan have caused a rift

rw (Monaghan) - Posts: 11 - 28/06/2026 20:03:19    2682606

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Replying To farneygael3:  "Gabriel on the radio saying if we had Rory we would have won. No, we had 15 v 14 for 92% of the game and lost by 3."
He didnt say that did he? V unfair on mooney who was thrown in the deep end for his senior debut today. The kid had Ltd options to kick to and did as well as ant teenager could with a weeks notice playing with lads he never had before. Mulligan should have played today win lose or draw that was a bad decision for both keepers

seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 2018 - 28/06/2026 20:14:51    2682615

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Last year v donegal in q final we got wiped in midfield with Rory this year we got wiped v louth without Rory now we were missing 4 midfielders through injury and other reasons for monaghan going forward we need these type of players especially in croke Park to give us a fighting chance when we go there again our no 8 9 10 12 need to be 6 ft 3 plus. all 4 teams this year and last year has them we will be there again but there needs to be a serious mindset change for how we approach when the stakes are higher cant blame mcbennett mcphilips Mohan for opting out they weren't getting game time this is a must in croker not a luxury big rangy players is whats needed and play them and let them get up to speed but our bigger players gets maybe 50 minutes and are hooked off they need at least 4 to 6 matches in div 2 to get find there feet mindset change needed in monaghan big time

Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 177 - 28/06/2026 20:26:58    2682620

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Replying To rw:  "I think the question has to be asked , why was young Mooney in goals for today , Managment made a big call ,and it back fired , Mulligan has been number 2 all year and when his chance came to be no1 it wasn't given to him , and if the Managment didn't think he was cable of replacing Beggan why has he been no 2 all year,Monaghan look way of the boil today ,could this decision not to play Mulligan have caused a rift"
Very strange decision, mulligan would have been there for all beggans plays during training and would certainly have known how players moved for different types of kickouts.

stoneygrey (Monaghan) - Posts: 256 - 28/06/2026 20:29:07    2682624

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Replying To stoneygrey:  "Gutted, a change similar to that in casement yrs ago, a bonded team changed at the last minute. Very strange how this could happen"
I presume you are talking about the D Hughes debacle, it is an interesting point you raise though
Everyone is asking whether we would have won with Began which is really irrelevant since he was out. Would we have had a better chance with Mulligan is a fair question too, he was with the group throughout the season and surely must have been up to speed with a kick out strategy that every team must practice with the sub keeper. Did they never consider a game without Began.
We are allowed to critique the management on discisions like this as supporters. Mooney's style was unfamiliar to the team, time and time again he was quick to put the ball on the tee, only to see our lads with their backs turned and had to wait until they were ready. He then was forced to kick long to an area we were weak
It was a gamble to play Mooney and it didn't work through no fault of his at all, it was obvious that not enough time was invested in him to overcome one of Louth's main assets, which is their ability to win primary possession
He can be our future keeper for sure though

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1098 - 28/06/2026 20:34:15    2682628

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Replying To rw:  "I think the question has to be asked , why was young Mooney in goals for today , Managment made a big call ,and it back fired , Mulligan has been number 2 all year and when his chance came to be no1 it wasn't given to him , and if the Managment didn't think he was cable of replacing Beggan why has he been no 2 all year,Monaghan look way of the boil today ,could this decision not to play Mulligan have caused a rift"
Young Mooney done ok after the horror show that was the u20 final for him. Will probably see similar to when O Gormam walked after Hughes was in goal v Armagh is the only thing. Banty cited height for making that call, I would say Mooney was brought in for his kick outs today

farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 734 - 28/06/2026 20:37:31    2682631

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Replying To farneygael3:  "Gabriel on the radio saying if we had Rory we would have won. No, we had 15 v 14 for 92% of the game and lost by 3."
Not surprised with that remark he's been at it all year talking about player not there than focusing on the players available to him.

Bad day in Croke Park for both Monaghan,Galway both with big opportunities to win and got deserved defeats.

Drax_the_destroyer (UK) - Posts: 919 - 28/06/2026 21:11:53    2682654

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I don't think mooney cost us the game. We had a couple of goal chances in the first half to really put some day light between the teams and a few point chances late on to put louth on the back foot. Didn't take them, you have to take your chances at this stage. Ultimately that's what cost us.

222 (UK) - Posts: 950 - 28/06/2026 21:33:41    2682667

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Replying To farneygael3:  "Young Mooney done ok after the horror show that was the u20 final for him. Will probably see similar to when O Gormam walked after Hughes was in goal v Armagh is the only thing. Banty cited height for making that call, I would say Mooney was brought in for his kick outs today"
Ok Fair point ,But why was he not there all year and only drafted in after Beggan got injured last week? Mooneys ability isn't the question here , the question is why was he not no2 after the 20s finished if the Managment as it seems now had no faith in Mulligan ? I still thing the Managment and more so the kick out straightest has questions to answers , there was always a possibility that as Beggan gets older the chances of him getting injured increases ,

rw (Monaghan) - Posts: 11 - 28/06/2026 21:42:48    2682676

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Replying To farneygael3:  "Gabriel on the radio saying if we had Rory we would have won. No, we had 15 v 14 for 92% of the game and lost by 3."
I'm tired Listening too 2 years of excuses at this stage from GB….

mick2007 (Monaghan) - Posts: 675 - 28/06/2026 21:50:09    2682680

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Replying To rw:  "Ok Fair point ,But why was he not there all year and only drafted in after Beggan got injured last week? Mooneys ability isn't the question here , the question is why was he not no2 after the 20s finished if the Managment as it seems now had no faith in Mulligan ? I still thing the Managment and more so the kick out straightest has questions to answers , there was always a possibility that as Beggan gets older the chances of him getting injured increases ,"
Men on this forum tonight showing they stay on the barstool too long before games. If anybody watched a warm up since the 20's finished you would have seen Mooney has been involved with the panel since then. Not as if they pulled him off shamrock park Tuesday night to play!

Monaghanmad123 (Monaghan) - Posts: 2 - 28/06/2026 22:04:48    2682691

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Replying To mick2007:  "I'm tired Listening too 2 years of excuses at this stage from GB…."
Think there's proper questions to be asked about this situation at this stage tbh. For too long we've seemed to be winging it in games, having long periods of poor performance before getting back into it usually thanks to individual brilliance. Rarely have been able to control a game, tactically found wanting regularly.

While today was an awful hard defeat to take, I think we've got a right good squad now when everyone is back - a good balanced age profile imo with some very talented young lads coming through, a wide range of lads who can score, a handful of big men around the middle who can win possession (the absences today really hurt us). I'd say the weakest area of the team currently is defensively as we don't seem to have those tight man markers who can keep scores down - but the new rules favour high scoring games and every team concedes plenty, so this hasn't really hindered us as much as it used to. I guess what I'm getting at is, I don't want this group to be wasted and the some of the later years from lads like Rory, Jack etc. to be wasted, as there's something that could be done with this group if they're set up proper and with the right direction.

patk (Monaghan) - Posts: 962 - 28/06/2026 22:15:12    2682693

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Hard luck today. Important to be humble after a win. Plenty of Ros folk acknowledged your win v us but many of ye weren't great winners. Best of luck going forward.

moros (Roscommon) - Posts: 1451 - 28/06/2026 22:15:17    2682694

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