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Monaghan GAA thread

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I'll be honest , we were well off it for 50 mins and then threw caution to the wind. Mc Caul wrecked havoc. Chances were there and we didn't capitalise. Reoccurring theme with Monaghan even the last play before O Donughe free, lost possession. Frustrating because I feel if we could take a really big scalp it would grow this team. At the mercy of the draw now, knockout football to save the season.

222 (UK) - Posts: 936 - 01/06/2026 09:43:56    2676934

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Replying To monaghanfootballfan:  "Getting wild sick of these new rules and split season.

1)game is basically cricket until mid summer (season basically over for most) you cant have a national sport where wind is the biggest impact.
2)yet to stand at a game this year in good weather, im sure the players aint enjoying it either.
3)Injuries and major injuries at that: hamill, hughes, mc anespie, mc caul. look at kerry suffering, when has ben crealy last kicked a ball. offaly decimated in the league. comer/walshe. canavan brothers? morris last year. con cant stay fit, brian kennedy.this is just off the top of my head, id say the list runs deeper than that. if we cant showcase our best players on the biggest stage there is something fundamentally wrong."
Luke Loughlin missing Westmeath's amazing season.

antok (Monaghan) - Posts: 14 - 01/06/2026 11:51:14    2676971

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Replying To farneygael3:  "What excuse are we on this week GB. Speedy recovery to Bobby hopefully nothing serious"
I wouldn't be blaming GB for that one. If you win the toss, elect to play against the wind, then stand off the opposition on the 2 points arc allowing them shoot for two pointers (7 was it) without laying a hand on them.

That's where the game was lost. We all "loves me county" but these fellas are adults and must shoulder the responsibility accordingly, there's only so much GB et al can do

There are a lot of positives can be taken from the season so far in terms of personnel, with a bit of luck we are well set up going forward, if we leave things as is and ignore personal agendas coming from you know where.

With all the bad luck with injuries this season I feel the next round is like a free hit, just give it a lash, maybe for the full 70, don't care who it is, home game would be nice though

mhunicean_abu (Monaghan) - Posts: 1094 - 01/06/2026 11:58:09    2676979

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Replying To monaghanfootballfan:  "Getting wild sick of these new rules and split season.

1)game is basically cricket until mid summer (season basically over for most) you cant have a national sport where wind is the biggest impact.
2)yet to stand at a game this year in good weather, im sure the players aint enjoying it either.
3)Injuries and major injuries at that: hamill, hughes, mc anespie, mc caul. look at kerry suffering, when has ben crealy last kicked a ball. offaly decimated in the league. comer/walshe. canavan brothers? morris last year. con cant stay fit, brian kennedy.this is just off the top of my head, id say the list runs deeper than that. if we cant showcase our best players on the biggest stage there is something fundamentally wrong."
Good man, I've been saying that for 2 years. Players need time to recover, 3 weeks at least but powers that be want concerts in Croke Park instead of you or I in late summer. Do they want countries to finish the year off playing the 2nd team? Counties that got beat early in provincial games are better off.

Saynothing (Tyrone) - Posts: 2716 - 01/06/2026 12:20:41    2676987

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Replying To antok:  "Luke Loughlin missing Westmeath's amazing season."
Like i say list goes on, dara mc veety cant get fit this year at all. dont ever remember so many bad injuries.

monaghanfootballfan (Monaghan) - Posts: 25 - 01/06/2026 12:27:39    2676991

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The 2x 2 pointers just before half time were a sickener. One needless free and then a shot on the hooter left it a bridge too far.

Eddie the Exile (Monaghan) - Posts: 1344 - 01/06/2026 12:51:36    2676995

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What's our full injury list, and would anyone have any idea on a return date for each (too early to tell for some obviously)

1-Michael Hamil
2-Stephen O'Hanlon
3-Gary Mohan
4-Ryan McAnespie
5-Louis Kelly
6-Bobby McCaul

All starters (or finishers) IMO and im probably missing some?

Are other counties as impacted by injuries as we are?
This is 2 of the last 3 years we have had serious injury affecting us. The above list was a lot lot longer only a few weeks ago.

farneygael (Monaghan) - Posts: 342 - 01/06/2026 18:02:22    2677081

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Replying To Saynothing:  "Good man, I've been saying that for 2 years. Players need time to recover, 3 weeks at least but powers that be want concerts in Croke Park instead of you or I in late summer. Do they want countries to finish the year off playing the 2nd team? Counties that got beat early in provincial games are better off."
Instead of looking at game load, you need to look at training load.

ORIELMAN85 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1077 - 01/06/2026 18:56:41    2677094

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Replying To farneygael:  "What's our full injury list, and would anyone have any idea on a return date for each (too early to tell for some obviously)

1-Michael Hamil
2-Stephen O'Hanlon
3-Gary Mohan
4-Ryan McAnespie
5-Louis Kelly
6-Bobby McCaul

All starters (or finishers) IMO and im probably missing some?

Are other counties as impacted by injuries as we are?
This is 2 of the last 3 years we have had serious injury affecting us. The above list was a lot lot longer only a few weeks ago."
hamill 2027
o hanlon (hamstring) hopefully just felt tight
mohan rumoured dropped or walked ( really hope thats lies)
mc anespie, looked to me he pointing to the groin so hopefully not hamstring. saying that i heard hamstring lol so 2027
kelly achilis would mean seasons over but the fact it's quite id imagine back for the next game
mc caul. hopefully its mcl so 9 months or a miracle grade 1

some list of lads to be missing. few counties in the same boat: kerry tyrone dublin

monaghanfootballfan (Monaghan) - Posts: 25 - 01/06/2026 19:04:52    2677098

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Replying To ORIELMAN85:  "Instead of looking at game load, you need to look at training load."
Bang on the money, when your training to games ratio is about 12 to 1 its time to ask questions… the lazy narrative is too many games in a short period of time… no wonder hamstrings are being pulled with training 5 nights a week….
Best wishes to Bobby mccaul on a speedy recovery, result was really irrelevant yesterday when you see one of our best talents being stretched off…

mick2007 (Monaghan) - Posts: 669 - 01/06/2026 20:07:02    2677115

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Home to Roscommon

Knoxboya (Monaghan) - Posts: 385 - 02/06/2026 08:46:27    2677165

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If we have any ambitions of beating roscommon we need to tighten up at the back.

222 (UK) - Posts: 936 - 02/06/2026 09:11:18    2677175

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Replying To Gantric:  "Absolutely. A team like us who is far from a poor team would have won at our ease."
You lost by 14 points to a Down team fresh off a 30 point demolition.

ConyersHill04 (Monaghan) - Posts: 80 - 02/06/2026 09:17:55    2677178

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Its a 50 50 rossies slight favourites we cant seem to play for more than 20 minutes a game atm when we are electric but rest of the game div 3 standard If it were in the Hyde roscommon be strong favourites. With the way the 2A draw has gone bar tyrone mayo who we cant meet again rest of the ganes are fore gone conclusions and winners here will fancy beating any of those sides so huge amount riding on this game for both as clear path to a quarter final.

seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1995 - 02/06/2026 09:18:54    2677179

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Replying To mick2007:  "Bang on the money, when your training to games ratio is about 12 to 1 its time to ask questions… the lazy narrative is too many games in a short period of time… no wonder hamstrings are being pulled with training 5 nights a week….
Best wishes to Bobby mccaul on a speedy recovery, result was really irrelevant yesterday when you see one of our best talents being stretched off…"
McCaul this year - Hamill last year. Some day our luck will change.

GerryD (Monaghan) - Posts: 341 - 02/06/2026 09:48:29    2677192

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That was such such a frustrating result and performance at the weekend. The first half especially. On one hand, Monaghan were competing well on kickouts, had more possession of the ball in the first half , generating lots of attacks - all good stuff and despite all that 11 points down.

Management I felt got some selection and match ups wrong. O'Toole could have been on McDonald (who is a taller player than Byrne and that mattered in one specific moment). Byrne is quicker and a lower centre of gravity, would he have not been more suited to O'Donoghue? That's second game in a row where matches up were wrong. I know O'Toole got better in the second half but it looks like Byrne who is less experienced gets the "secondary" attacking threat. I still Mooney is a better overall starter than Garland.

Collectively , Monaghan stood off way too much in the first half. That aggression to hunt and harry was missing and the focus on screening just didn't work. Carey, a fine athletic player and very good going forward ,for me is too loose a marker. Same against Derry too. It was noticeable that Wylie definitely helped tighten things up at the back in the second half. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wylie start V Roscommon.

The shooting in first half was lacking conviction. 3 shots hit the post, goal chances missed - one should definitely have been scored. Monaghan were cutting Mayo apart time and time again, but not taking the chances.

You got to feel for young McCaul. The lad is a precocious talent and you'd hope that time is on his side to recover. He need only speak to McCarron who spent his early twenties riddled with long term injury to see that you can come back stronger. Tough to also lose O'Hanlon and then McAnespie to injury. Monaghan have had no luck this year with injuries. Maguire and Carolan are good young lads. Monaghan need to tighten up at the back and start bringing that energy in a full game performance. They will believe they can beat Roscommon.

sleater (Monaghan) - Posts: 204 - 02/06/2026 09:56:46    2677199

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Replying To sleater:  "That was such such a frustrating result and performance at the weekend. The first half especially. On one hand, Monaghan were competing well on kickouts, had more possession of the ball in the first half , generating lots of attacks - all good stuff and despite all that 11 points down.

Management I felt got some selection and match ups wrong. O'Toole could have been on McDonald (who is a taller player than Byrne and that mattered in one specific moment). Byrne is quicker and a lower centre of gravity, would he have not been more suited to O'Donoghue? That's second game in a row where matches up were wrong. I know O'Toole got better in the second half but it looks like Byrne who is less experienced gets the "secondary" attacking threat. I still Mooney is a better overall starter than Garland.

Collectively , Monaghan stood off way too much in the first half. That aggression to hunt and harry was missing and the focus on screening just didn't work. Carey, a fine athletic player and very good going forward ,for me is too loose a marker. Same against Derry too. It was noticeable that Wylie definitely helped tighten things up at the back in the second half. I wouldn't be surprised to see Wylie start V Roscommon.

The shooting in first half was lacking conviction. 3 shots hit the post, goal chances missed - one should definitely have been scored. Monaghan were cutting Mayo apart time and time again, but not taking the chances.

You got to feel for young McCaul. The lad is a precocious talent and you'd hope that time is on his side to recover. He need only speak to McCarron who spent his early twenties riddled with long term injury to see that you can come back stronger. Tough to also lose O'Hanlon and then McAnespie to injury. Monaghan have had no luck this year with injuries. Maguire and Carolan are good young lads. Monaghan need to tighten up at the back and start bringing that energy in a full game performance. They will believe they can beat Roscommon."
Don't want to sound too negative but we are very slow to make switches definitely. Kobe McDonald's goal highlighted the height difference between himself and Byrne. I know we are limited but even trying switches mid game to see will they work seemed off the table, I thought Jack starting was a positive but you'd have to question now is our bench flat with the only kick possibly being Stephen Mooney with the way injuries have went.

Midfield will also have to improve drastically, they got cleaned out on Sunday. Regarding training load and injuries, It's something you'd definitely be questioning, are these players struggling to meet physical demands of Div.1/Top 8 Championship intensity and tempo? 2024 and this year would suggest that its possible.

ConyersHill04 (Monaghan) - Posts: 80 - 02/06/2026 11:04:35    2677234

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The best possible draw was Cavan, the next best draw was Roscommon. As shown v Tyrone, they are a Provincial team only. Monaghan by 4

farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 689 - 02/06/2026 12:27:22    2677281

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Replying To ConyersHill04:  "Don't want to sound too negative but we are very slow to make switches definitely. Kobe McDonald's goal highlighted the height difference between himself and Byrne. I know we are limited but even trying switches mid game to see will they work seemed off the table, I thought Jack starting was a positive but you'd have to question now is our bench flat with the only kick possibly being Stephen Mooney with the way injuries have went.

Midfield will also have to improve drastically, they got cleaned out on Sunday. Regarding training load and injuries, It's something you'd definitely be questioning, are these players struggling to meet physical demands of Div.1/Top 8 Championship intensity and tempo? 2024 and this year would suggest that its possible."
What is the latest on Stephen O'Hanlon? Is it hamstrings trouble? . Would like to see Tom Doherty brought in and that other lad Mccarey, wouldn't do any harm as Max maguire has fitted in great so far.Roscommon is going to be very tough, was surprised Tyrone beat them.We need the same intensity as the second half of the last 3 games for 70 minutes. Midfield is a big worry. It's non existent

stoneygrey (Monaghan) - Posts: 252 - 02/06/2026 12:52:52    2677291

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Replying To farneygael3:  "The best possible draw was Cavan, the next best draw was Roscommon. As shown v Tyrone, they are a Provincial team only. Monaghan by 4"
I wish I had your confidence..
We have won 2 games all year, Roscommon have beaten Mayo twice, Galway, Donegal & Armagh in the calendar year.

MonaghanMan44life (Monaghan) - Posts: 216 - 02/06/2026 13:00:57    2677296

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