Will Monaghan shake of their deamons in 2009 ?. Can Monaghan fulfi'll the promise that has been clearly evident for all to see over the past few years but has yet to be delivered?. Or will those deamons once again resurrect themselves and dash the hopes of all good farney followers ?.

squidword (Louth) - Posts: 2897 - 21/04/2009 13:53:53    264025

There a bit of the top 3 tyrone,kerry,galway but there the next best.

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 21/04/2009 14:32:39    264080

Think their over rated a very one dimensional.
Good at stopping opposition laying but not great with the ball themselves.

denzel (None) - Posts: 452 - 21/04/2009 15:15:28    264131

denzel
County: All

Good at stopping opposition laying but not great with the ball themselves.

This post could be taken the wrong way!

Wests_Awake (Galway) - Posts: 877 - 21/04/2009 15:32:14    264164

Whatever the x-factor is.....

6-1 to win Ulster, big strong team with lads that can take scores, could be hard to beat!!

sean og (Armagh) - Posts: 1072 - 21/04/2009 15:46:42    264178

Joe Brolly wasnt overly impressed with their cynicism last night on drivetime sport.

thykingdomcome (Kerry) - Posts: 1206 - 21/04/2009 15:47:45    264180

This is our penultimate season. We will need a bit of luck and really need to beat a big team in Croke Park. If we can do that and earn some belief then who knows. On the other hand, its not beyond the realms of possibility that we will lose to Derry on June and get dumped out early in the back door.

Brolly (Monaghan) - Posts: 4472 - 21/04/2009 15:47:52    264181

Lets hope so squidword!!!!

I know a lot of people don't regard league performances relevant when it comes to championship but I feel victory for us on sunday could be key in deciding how the rest of our season goes. There is no substitute for winning to instill confidence in a team and with an exciting first round match in ulster against, what i consider, a quality derry team, victory over cork on sunday would do us the world of good going into that match.

The other side of it is that it has to be realised that cork are probably the 3rd best team in the country and although i can see us beating them again on sunday, a good performance against them should not be considered diaappointing, even if the result doesn't go our way.

Lets just hope that come the business end of the season we can avoid kerry for as long as possible, or completely!!!!!!!

offtheshoulder (Monaghan) - Posts: 9 - 21/04/2009 16:02:34    264197

A good team but lack all round forward power to win Sam. Championship very different from league.

lochgarmanabu (Wexford) - Posts: 1022 - 21/04/2009 16:03:08    264199

Feck Sam, I'd take an Ulster this year! No point in talking about the All-Ireland when you can't win your province.

Plus, to win Sam you'll likely have to come up against Kerry. There's one scalp we've a big problem with.

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 21/04/2009 16:27:35    264229

Think people have read too much into that Kerry game 2 years ago

trimmer (Meath) - Posts: 537 - 21/04/2009 16:28:17    264230

Think they may have already peaked in past couple of years. Think All Ireland beyond them and will be doing well to win Ulster. But credit were credit is due vastly improved team and have put us out in 2007 and 2008 so can't knock them.

supporter (Donegal) - Posts: 205 - 21/04/2009 16:31:49    264231

i think thats a bit of lazy analysis denzel, they have good forwards aswell as good backs, most teams would love to have finley or freeman in there. im suprised hanratty doesn't get more game time tho, he seems to make an impact everytime he comes off the bench, any monaghan lads shed some light?

would be great for football to see a team like monaghan win.

jaffacake (Meath) - Posts: 720 - 21/04/2009 16:33:50    264236

Monaghan forwards have been very consistant and scores spread around the team... Tommy freeman has had a poor league by his standards, Paul finlay is a class act and would make nearly any team in the country, conor mcmanus if played in the forwards can kick two or three points a game, Rory woods can cause all sorts of problems for any back that marks him, Gollogly normally chips in with a point or two in a game, and a newcomer Mark Downey has been very impressive and normally scores a couple of points a game... Hanratty can't get playing and Raymie Ronaghan has come of the bench and got a couple of goals and is a big mobile man, Paul McGuigan and damien freeman can also play in the forwards, So the Myth that monaghan are only a one man team is nonsense. But it enevitalble that that your best player will get the most scores. it happens with most teams, Dublin= alan Brogan, Kerry= Cooper Derry= Bradley Galway= Meehan and so on... Monaghan weakness is the middle of the field has solid back and good forwards,, So everyone beware monaghan has a depth to their squad that was never there before....

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1948 - 21/04/2009 16:36:48    264244

We've certainly strengthened the squad a good bit in the last year which is great to see. Fellas who previously had no competition for their place can't get a look in, you've young lads like McManus, Hughes and Downey who've pushed others off the team and so everyone has to work extra hard to secure their place, no-one's really safe. Banty said 29 players were used during the league, that's great use of the panel, and they all got a few appearances too. A couple of years agao you could name the first fifteen without thinking and the same couple of subs would be brought on. Now you don't know who'll be in the match day panel such is the competition.

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 21/04/2009 16:55:45    264280

Hanratty is always looking over his back to see if his opponent is coming maybe when the ground is hard in the summer he could make an impact again..... He's been very poor in all the games in the league which he has featured always seems to make the wrong decision when he is on the ball and loses it hasn't been scoring... Also his confidence must be rock bottom as he has got serious abuse from the monaghan supporters when thing are going wrong for him. against kildare and armagh he came on as a sub and was taken off again... So until he gets a some confidence back and a we bit of steel he will never make at inter county level.. Fantastic club footballer though

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1948 - 21/04/2009 17:05:13    264294

Monaghan are a big, strong side, who are well-organised and won't be easily beaten by anyone throughout the summer. The defence is aggressive and the midfield powerful and hard-working. Up front they are reliant on Freeman, but no more than Glaway are on Meehan or Derry on Bradley.

Banty has been very bullish about them recently, firstly throwing down the gauntlet to the team for the previous Cork match (saying it was time they beat Cork in a competitive game), and they responded with a very convincing win. If Monaghan can beat Cork again on Sunday I would have them as definite all-ireland contenders, although I'd add to that that this may be their last chance, as it is hard to keep knocking on the door year after year without success.

For me, the all-ireland will be won by Tyrone, Kerry, Cork, Dublin or, with a lot of luck, Monaghan. I can't see anyone outside of those 5 being good enough.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 21/04/2009 17:25:02    264322

Cork this weekend will be a different proposition than the Cork we beat in Scotstown a few weeks ago. They were missing a good few big players that day, and they'll be full-strength for this one as far as I know. A win would be a big boost ahead of the Derry game, but it'll be tough.

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 21/04/2009 18:07:48    264406

Monaghan have lost the element of surprise and now people expect them to do well. They are a very good team but have yet to deliver and Banty will begin to tinker if they do not rise to expectations. I thought Joe Brolly was very unfair on Monaghan in his interview last night and it may have been sour grapes on his part. Monaghan need a plan B to fall back on when things are not going right and Banty has a few options on the bench. I expect a big showing against Cork on Sunday and if they get it they will trouble anyone in the Championship !!

Cavan_Slasher (Cavan) - Posts: 10253 - 21/04/2009 19:27:56    264475

Haven't heard what Brolly said on Drivetime sport yet, but I find it a bit strange as over the last couple of years he was generally praising the Monaghan team and had good things to say about them. Maybe he didn't rate us much then and is now getting the digs in ahead of the championship. I suppose we should be flattered really! ;-)

He had a dig at them in his Gaelic Life column a few weeks back aswell. His cousin won't be best pleased with him!

mid-mon man (Monaghan) - Posts: 1680 - 21/04/2009 20:05:09    264505