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Replying To monaghanmad: "Agree on a lot of points made above. Its very easy to say "this man should have been in, that man should have been in".
What do people want, drop Mc carville, Gallagher, for a bit of the year and play Carolan and a few of the lads that have been tried, tested and failed over the last few years. I seen a lot of lads named above and all have either failed on the county stage, don't have the mentality, or are injured. In essence, bannigan got it right throughout the year, he persisted with the mc carville and Gallagher combo and I Listened to the slating of Gallagher all yr but at the end of the day he was a vital cog that came to the boil come champo.
I can assure you a lot of these so called players that should have been on the panel or team dont stand out with the top lads in cloghan week in week out, what is bannigan supposed to do, drop lads that will inevitably save us come champo to give lads that don't have the skillset, mentality or commitment to play at the highest level. I could name them all again but they are named above in a few posts.
The reason we lost v Louth was strictly down to injuries and injuries alone. Kelly, mc caul, Mohan, beggan, Gallagher, Hamill. 6 starters who would walk onto the team when fully fully fit. How many were Louth, Dublin, Mayo missing ?
At the end of the day we were a point up with 5 minutes to go and ball in hand with mc carville unto a free against us was given. That was the deciding factor, we hold that ball for 2 minutes and work a score and its game over." Andrew Woods is easily 6ft 3+, there is no reason that man shouldn't be playing in the middle of the field. The football ability is oozing out of him. However, its not his fault he is restricted in the forward line. We are getting nowhere near enough out of him considering his ability.
He is a viable option for kickouts and with all the manpower on the line, no one seen it.
ConyersHill04 (Monaghan) - Posts: 100 - 01/07/2026 10:10:41
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Replying To monaghanmad: "Agree on a lot of points made above. Its very easy to say "this man should have been in, that man should have been in".
What do people want, drop Mc carville, Gallagher, for a bit of the year and play Carolan and a few of the lads that have been tried, tested and failed over the last few years. I seen a lot of lads named above and all have either failed on the county stage, don't have the mentality, or are injured. In essence, bannigan got it right throughout the year, he persisted with the mc carville and Gallagher combo and I Listened to the slating of Gallagher all yr but at the end of the day he was a vital cog that came to the boil come champo.
I can assure you a lot of these so called players that should have been on the panel or team dont stand out with the top lads in cloghan week in week out, what is bannigan supposed to do, drop lads that will inevitably save us come champo to give lads that don't have the skillset, mentality or commitment to play at the highest level. I could name them all again but they are named above in a few posts.
The reason we lost v Louth was strictly down to injuries and injuries alone. Kelly, mc caul, Mohan, beggan, Gallagher, Hamill. 6 starters who would walk onto the team when fully fully fit. How many were Louth, Dublin, Mayo missing ?
At the end of the day we were a point up with 5 minutes to go and ball in hand with mc carville unto a free against us was given. That was the deciding factor, we hold that ball for 2 minutes and work a score and its game over." Totally agree with this statement.
I will be honest I was critical of Gallagher but the last 3 games he has stood up and been counted and Sunday there proved how vital he was to that midfield combo. McCarville probably been one of Monaghans best players this season (Jack, O'Hanlon and Beggan also) but agreed, alot of the mentioned players who are not with the squad anymore just do not have the commitment or ability. They are lacking in some way which you cannot be to make this level.
I do believe that more emphasis should be put on a no2 goalkeeper though as this position is so important in todays game. Beggan is human he can become injured as we have saw, so there needs to be a confident no2 to come in and take on the job.
I think if we had McCaul, Beggan and Gallagher there on Sunday we would of cantered home but hindsight is a great thing.
countymonaghan (Monaghan) - Posts: 339 - 01/07/2026 10:13:27
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so glad theres an outcry here for bigger lads. hopefully this chat filters back to the right people
the barry mcbennett thing baffles me. he was essentially monaghans only good footballer in 2024... we are so underwhelming in the middle and more or less always have been...we've been teased a few times with the likes of kearns coming in and then leaving and potential in mohan, leonard, mcphilips & mccaul...thank god for mccarville is all ill say - should be nominated for an all star but probably wont
MalsBalls (Monaghan) - Posts: 287 - 01/07/2026 10:18:55
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Replying To monaghanmad: "Agree on a lot of points made above. Its very easy to say "this man should have been in, that man should have been in".
What do people want, drop Mc carville, Gallagher, for a bit of the year and play Carolan and a few of the lads that have been tried, tested and failed over the last few years. I seen a lot of lads named above and all have either failed on the county stage, don't have the mentality, or are injured. In essence, bannigan got it right throughout the year, he persisted with the mc carville and Gallagher combo and I Listened to the slating of Gallagher all yr but at the end of the day he was a vital cog that came to the boil come champo.
I can assure you a lot of these so called players that should have been on the panel or team dont stand out with the top lads in cloghan week in week out, what is bannigan supposed to do, drop lads that will inevitably save us come champo to give lads that don't have the skillset, mentality or commitment to play at the highest level. I could name them all again but they are named above in a few posts.
The reason we lost v Louth was strictly down to injuries and injuries alone. Kelly, mc caul, Mohan, beggan, Gallagher, Hamill. 6 starters who would walk onto the team when fully fully fit. How many were Louth, Dublin, Mayo missing ?
At the end of the day we were a point up with 5 minutes to go and ball in hand with mc carville unto a free against us was given. That was the deciding factor, we hold that ball for 2 minutes and work a score and its game over." Ah here sum excuses louths two best backs are out for your dermot Campbell and Peter Lynch tadhg McDonnell came on with a broken finger.better team won if we had 15 we would of bet yous by 10 points
Lolou37 (Louth) - Posts: 44 - 01/07/2026 10:24:32
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Replying To monaghanmad: "Agree on a lot of points made above. Its very easy to say "this man should have been in, that man should have been in".
What do people want, drop Mc carville, Gallagher, for a bit of the year and play Carolan and a few of the lads that have been tried, tested and failed over the last few years. I seen a lot of lads named above and all have either failed on the county stage, don't have the mentality, or are injured. In essence, bannigan got it right throughout the year, he persisted with the mc carville and Gallagher combo and I Listened to the slating of Gallagher all yr but at the end of the day he was a vital cog that came to the boil come champo.
I can assure you a lot of these so called players that should have been on the panel or team dont stand out with the top lads in cloghan week in week out, what is bannigan supposed to do, drop lads that will inevitably save us come champo to give lads that don't have the skillset, mentality or commitment to play at the highest level. I could name them all again but they are named above in a few posts.
The reason we lost v Louth was strictly down to injuries and injuries alone. Kelly, mc caul, Mohan, beggan, Gallagher, Hamill. 6 starters who would walk onto the team when fully fully fit. How many were Louth, Dublin, Mayo missing ?
At the end of the day we were a point up with 5 minutes to go and ball in hand with mc carville unto a free against us was given. That was the deciding factor, we hold that ball for 2 minutes and work a score and its game over." 15 v 14 in our favour for 92% of the game and you want to blame it on a free given against us?
farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 741 - 01/07/2026 10:28:06
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A few days on now dust has settled the disappointment is almost worse. Going back to my childhood i vaguely recall 85 but aside from 07 v kerry when we still buckled in last 10 minutes I dont ever remember a monaghan side performing in croke park when it really mattered. Last year and this there were v clear paths to an all ireland final and on both days second half v donegal and last sunday team just didnt perform. Same as 13 15 18. We are a great side when chasing a lead and backs against the wall stuff but when any level of expectation like 6 minutes in on Sunday louth down to 14 we usually just dont do it in croke for whatever reason belief tradition etc happy to get the usual patronising BS about punching above our weight. Dick clerkin made a great pt on podcast this week . Gavin Devlin who was involved in those tyrone victories in the 10s with mickey harte over us would have drilled into the louth players monaghan werent a croke park team and would buckle if louth went at us which proved to be the case on sunday. Before people use beggan as an excuse remember beggan was there for last year and all other defeats its a collective failing across generations and different managers.
seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 2021 - 01/07/2026 10:58:15
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Replying To ConyersHill04: " Replying To Eddie the Exile: "We can give it the usual '<i>it was great to be in Croke Park</i>' shtick, but we shouldn't. Because it wasn't.
Sunday was an abject failure in management, not just on the day, within the game, but going back a long time before. When the air thins and the margins tighten, you then see the accumulated weaknesses for what they really are. Sunday was that.
At 8:40am on Monday 21st, Peter Dooley and Gavin Devlin started planning for playing Monaghan in CP without Rory Beggan. Kickout strategy, loading midfield, packing the short spaces, McDonnell deep for any long options. It took until Thursday night for Monaghan to accept that reality. One short training game later and a decision was made that may have the effect of damaging the careers of two young goalkeepers, not just one. A decision of such recklessness that it is scarcely believable. Were any of the senior management setup in the Athletic grounds in April?
I said all last week that Dara McDonnell at 6 was key and a solution was needed. Did anyone watch the Louth Dublin and Armagh games and if so WTF were they looking at?? Woods had to drop in but not a bit of it. The red card was a get-out-of-jail moment and that was passed up too. Just go 14-14 and bring Hanratty on even if only to block on kickouts. Gallagher out was an obvious issue (it took 15 minutes to take him of after the injury v Westmeath BTW), but the lack of cover was the real long term problem. A year after the Donegal meltdown we are back to square one. Too many viable midfield options have walked away - you have to ask why. The hairy fella, ill-disciplined and all as he was, was needed in a crisis. No sign. Two more major midfield options not on the panel at all in 2026. A panel like Monaghan just cannot pass up on these lads. Stephen Mooney too was superb when he came in- should have started, probably instead of the un-droppable man. Harsh but the truth.
Even with all that said, Monaghan still led with 4 to go, before all sorts of panic broke out. It showed what could have been but wasn't. The control needed was absent on the pitch and on the line. An unforgivable meltdown.
I've truly admired what this setup has done for Monaghan football, they steadied the ship when we were looking very bleak after Vinnie's departure. I do think however that the time is up now. Two big opportunities missed in Croke Park, we cannot waste any more with this generation of players. The ruthlessness to win when it matters is missing and that's what's needed now. Simple question, would Monaghan have won if Devlin was running the show on Sunday? Go from there"</div>Couldn't disagree with any of this. Very fair assessment.
Can someone tell me how our starting line up was so widely known on the eve/morning of the game? Louth were prepared for a game without Beggan as you said but surely we could keep news from the squad a bit more tight lipped?" Our starting line up was well known from a very disgruntled latton man enjoying himself the night before the game
Monaghanmad123 (Monaghan) - Posts: 4 - 01/07/2026 11:01:05
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Replying To ORIELMAN85: "Nonsense lad." Very easy to say that and not back it up with a solution facts are we got hammered in midfield in a q final 2 years running with both keepers because of no backup in midfield louth 80% possession Sunday donegal scored 1 10 without reply last year all boils down to 1 thing
Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 193 - 01/07/2026 11:02:00
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Replying To countymonaghan: "Any context to this? Is he not injured? What has happened him?" Very hard to give context on here but bit of a maverick at times. Iv mentioned this before about the current management and the previous which included the current. its repeated that lads dont have it in them for county. i will give some quick examples of lads that should be about the panel with apparent bad attitude or not fit for county that for me could be better managed:
kevin loughran
2 o mcdonnells from clontibret
wilson
mohan
mc phillips
mc nulty
sean jones
mulligan
conor forde
mc bennett
irwin
Rory Woods id say wasnt too easy handled, padraig donaghy wasnt the easiest either. We all speak glowingly of Kieran hughes. Malachy had to manage a situation there at times.
Good management will get a tune out of a player and get a team rowing in the right direction. gallagher with mc faul, mc geeney with o neill.
Iv seen players have 1 bad game and then poof gone. what exaclty is being said? Iv spoke to happier lads in bantys time. hughes, Boyle and duffy retired early, mc nulty and mc phillips went travelling. found this all very strange.
I would imagine next year will be a damp squib with boys waiting out the last year of this term if nothing changes.
monaghanfootballfan (Monaghan) - Posts: 40 - 01/07/2026 11:25:09
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I can feel the pain ye are going trough from here. It's the absolute killer about championship, you lose and your out, done until after Christmas. Even if you had a mickey mouse league game to focus on it would be better than reliving what went wrong over and over.
But it will pass and when it does you will have some great memories of 2026. I think the Derry match was one of the best games I have ever seen as a neutral.
2027 is another year.
Cbar (Mayo) - Posts: 383 - 01/07/2026 11:41:15
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Replying To seanie08: "A few days on now dust has settled the disappointment is almost worse. Going back to my childhood i vaguely recall 85 but aside from 07 v kerry when we still buckled in last 10 minutes I dont ever remember a monaghan side performing in croke park when it really mattered. Last year and this there were v clear paths to an all ireland final and on both days second half v donegal and last sunday team just didnt perform. Same as 13 15 18. We are a great side when chasing a lead and backs against the wall stuff but when any level of expectation like 6 minutes in on Sunday louth down to 14 we usually just dont do it in croke for whatever reason belief tradition etc happy to get the usual patronising BS about punching above our weight. Dick clerkin made a great pt on podcast this week . Gavin Devlin who was involved in those tyrone victories in the 10s with mickey harte over us would have drilled into the louth players monaghan werent a croke park team and would buckle if louth went at us which proved to be the case on sunday. Before people use beggan as an excuse remember beggan was there for last year and all other defeats its a collective failing across generations and different managers." You make a very good point, croke park is a real graveyard for monaghan football. I'm not entirely sure why but it has to be a generational thing of having little success there or tradition. I think we have won 3 games and a penalty shoot out there since the 1930s re championship. Even before louth squeezed us in the last 5 minutes Sunday, the chances we missed were unforgiveable and they would have been clipped over in clones no doubt. It seemed the weight of expectation got to us again in HQ. Might not seem like much but louth winning a leinster there and taking out dublin was definitely worth two points. I think the one thing most posters agree here is we need size and power going forward. Sean Jones and Mc Philips need to be back in the panel. It was a decent year but we left an anglo celt behind us and a SF. Both games were there for us.
222 (UK) - Posts: 952 - 01/07/2026 11:57:46
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Replying To Lolou37: "Ah here sum excuses louths two best backs are out for your dermot Campbell and Peter Lynch tadhg McDonnell came on with a broken finger.better team won if we had 15 we would of bet yous by 10 points" No one is arguing the better team won and congrats and best of luck to you. I honestly don't think you would have bet us by as much with 15 men, I actually think with 15 men we would've controlled the game better. Monaghan have been where you are, we beat Armagh in 2023 in a quarter and we marginally weren't even the better team, its about hunger, resilience and the want on the day and you showed what we had in 23.
Those are 3 men ok, maybe starters but no where near the talent we were missing, its not an excuse. We were missing the best goalie in the country, a lad that played in Australia and a 20 yr old next best thing, on top of 3 other decent players who are probably at the level of the lads you named above. For a small county like ours we cant afford to be missing them.
monaghanmad (Monaghan) - Posts: 515 - 01/07/2026 12:08:20
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Replying To veterngaa: "I think Mohans conduct off the field was questionable" The only thing I can be sure off when I take a spin up North to a Monaghan match is a new story why Gary Mohan is not on the panel. Interestingly Gabriel Brannigan did name drop him as a missing injured player in a post match interview so the door may still be open
TheHunter (Monaghan) - Posts: 27 - 01/07/2026 12:09:50
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Big weekend for club football
JUNIOR
Scotstown Cs vs Seans Scotstown by 5
Toome vs Oram Toome by 5
Drumhowan vs Kileevan Drumhowan by 12+
Blackhill vs Aghabog Aghabog by 3
Rockorry vs Currin Currin by 6+
INTERMEDIATE
Eire og vs Ballybay Ballybay by 5+
Donaghmoyne vs Clones Donaghmoyne by 8
Aughnamullen vs Doohamlet Aughnamullen by 7
Kilanny vs Tyholland Killanny by 8
Emyvale vs Harps Harps by 2
SENIOR
Blayney vs Truagh Blayney by 3
Latton vs Cremartin Latton by 8
Maraghcloone vs Scotstown Scotstown by 2
Corduff vs Iniskeen Iniskeen by 3
Carrick vs Clontibret Clontibret by 2
Farneyarmy2013 (Monaghan) - Posts: 8 - 01/07/2026 12:17:22
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Attitude needs to change in cloghan look at louth 5 years and still rising were 21 years huffing and puffing in monaghan its a case in monaghan of the land where everyone is blind the man with 1 eye is king and am referring to our midfield we go to croke every year with 1 and half midfielders because of # injury # 1 midfielder lost should not define our season get them in and get them up to speed starting this week with club matches player when our dissapears then it's put up here he is not committed he is not committed because he is not getting playing stop the rot now
Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 193 - 01/07/2026 12:34:00
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There are some comments about Monaghan remaining in Div 2 to continuously blood players, but we must aim to get back and stay in Div 1. There is no better place to blood new players then Div 1. If we go up and down every 1-2 years, so be it. I know rules have changed but an interesting fact is that only one county in the past 30-40 years has won an All Ireland while not playing in the top tier division for any year in the preivous 3 years to the win, that was Armagh in 2002.
To win big championship games, you need a bit luck and decisions to go your way. If you look back to Derry game, if Monaghan hadn't turned it around from a disasterous second half and pushed game to extra time with McCarrons wonder point, would we have gone on a run to the quarter finals ? absolutely not, as morale would have been on the floor. We would have limpted into All Ireland series with zero confidence and It would have most likely spelled end of current managmeent team too. Thare are fine fine margins from being villians to heros and vica versa.
Same for Louth, they were beaten by a poor Dublin side in Leinster championship by 10 points but completely turned it around with a fantastic win over Dublin then in All-Ireland series and the help of a bit of luck against Aramgh, along with a never say die attitude.
Even Dublin themselves look like All Ireland contenders now with Brennan back on the line. Its all very unpredictable and puditary is absolutely crazy at times. If a team is beaten by a point, its pointed out how the winning team were so far superior in every way, but in fact, it was probably a decison went against them or a rub of the green. Such is sport!
SouthMonMan (Monaghan) - Posts: 182 - 01/07/2026 12:46:18
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Replying To SouthMonMan: "There are some comments about Monaghan remaining in Div 2 to continuously blood players, but we must aim to get back and stay in Div 1. There is no better place to blood new players then Div 1. If we go up and down every 1-2 years, so be it. I know rules have changed but an interesting fact is that only one county in the past 30-40 years has won an All Ireland while not playing in the top tier division for any year in the preivous 3 years to the win, that was Armagh in 2002.
To win big championship games, you need a bit luck and decisions to go your way. If you look back to Derry game, if Monaghan hadn't turned it around from a disasterous second half and pushed game to extra time with McCarrons wonder point, would we have gone on a run to the quarter finals ? absolutely not, as morale would have been on the floor. We would have limpted into All Ireland series with zero confidence and It would have most likely spelled end of current managmeent team too. Thare are fine fine margins from being villians to heros and vica versa.
Same for Louth, they were beaten by a poor Dublin side in Leinster championship by 10 points but completely turned it around with a fantastic win over Dublin then in All-Ireland series and the help of a bit of luck against Aramgh, along with a never say die attitude.
Even Dublin themselves look like All Ireland contenders now with Brennan back on the line. Its all very unpredictable and puditary is absolutely crazy at times. If a team is beaten by a point, its pointed out how the winning team were so far superior in every way, but in fact, it was probably a decison went against them or a rub of the green. Such is sport!" And what have we won or achieved after been in div 1 for 10 years losing your midfield battle by 80% or conceding 1 10 without reply last year is not unlucky its lack.of vision ,vision to build a team that's fit to take on top top teams a team that are ready to go to another level that is not achievable with 1 or 2 fielders injuries happen management and cloghan is supposed to ammend these issues from a long way off and it's not happening no options no fielders
Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 193 - 01/07/2026 14:38:46
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