That's a fair post Jon Smith.

Nobody would argue that Terry's era has brought a lot more professionalism to the setup. Nobody will ever forget the nightmare years circa 2009-2011. Appalling. And we have Terry to thank for bringing that horror show to an end.

Yet, we still have so much to learn. We got where we are today by copying a template and playing to a system which is not characterised by flair and creativity, but more on stifling and choking the life out of the opposition. It makes the game a dour spectacle. And last year the system deployed by Terry Hyland reached its full climax, ultimately we became so defensive and negative we neglected the most fundamental aspect of Gaelic Football i.e scoring. I'll never forget the sight of players turning away from the posts when well positioned. That was a seminal moment and I suspected players would soon walk. You just could not enjoy that as a supporter or player. And its not exclusive to GAA either, paralysis by analysis is an imported concept and players have walked away from other sports due to the robotic like instructions coming from management. Anyway, trying to avoid going off on a tangent...

This year the football is somewhat different. But I said before the biggest problem Cavan would encounter going forward would be getting old habits out of the players.

Best of luck to the lads tomorrow. Be nice to earn a win in Navan to set us up for Monaghan.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1071 - 04/04/2015 17:30:18    1710468

Fredflint... It is not an attack on the team but rather on how they are been asked to play... If you can honestly say that you enjoy watching football been played this way then fair play to you but I dont and will keep up my objections to it.....wheather you like it or not...

Sean66 (Cavan) - Posts: 440 - 04/04/2015 17:58:42    1710482

Lads and lasses i hope to see plenty of you in navan tomorrow, i doubt the winner will go up but sure who knows.
I think we will win and perhaps with a bit to spare.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 04/04/2015 19:06:50    1710511

Jonsmith I agree with most of what you said but disagree on one point. Mackey is definitely the heart beat of the team. Last week was evidence of that. I know we have won games without him but he is pure class.

Fed up with all the negativity on this forum and lads using one half of a game to validate an argument and ignore the rest of the game or only focus on losses rather than wins.

doratheexplorer (Cavan) - Posts: 1467 - 04/04/2015 20:29:29    1710561

Best of luck to the lads tomorrow,, conditions should be perfect for the team .

goonie (Cavan) - Posts: 308 - 04/04/2015 20:40:34    1710567

Did Kinglarry say in his post that Niall Mc Dermott is injured...? Might have missread it but he would be a big loss as a ball winner and free taker..!! The wrather will be fine so lets get quick ball to our forwards and see what they can do...this will be like a Championship game and tell us a lot in the lead up to the Monaghan game... Good luck boys

Sean66 (Cavan) - Posts: 440 - 04/04/2015 21:05:14    1710585

Here here dora. However you should do as the great sceptical does and completely ignore their negative Gripes. Their obviously auld cranks or glory boys from the old days of fancy dan cavan teams. Let's support the lads tomorrow regardless of outcome they have put us back on the map.

sceptical (Cavan) - Posts: 544 - 04/04/2015 21:06:26    1710586

TheGremlin

Why do you hate Meath so much?

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/04/2015 21:10:41    1710590

luckyduck

Ok lets say Meath get 2-10 ,do you see Cavan scoring 0-17 to win the game or vice versa? I don't...

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 04/04/2015 21:14:31    1710592

If Meath get 2.10 I'd expect Cavan to hit 4.5. Since Meath are such a wondrous all out attack team they should be wide open at the back

fredflint (Cavan) - Posts: 1483 - 04/04/2015 21:22:47    1710597

Excellent post Jonsmith . Would agree wholeheartedly with that .

Best of luck to the lads today . Really looking forward to this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 05/04/2015 09:40:35    1710632

Best of luck boys, give it everything and let's see where it takes us!

kildare blue (Cavan) - Posts: 578 - 05/04/2015 09:54:34    1710636

Best of luck today lads will be there cheering you on proud to be a cavan supporter

asitis (Cavan) - Posts: 233 - 05/04/2015 12:04:31    1710686

Best of luck to Terry and all the lads. Its like the build up to an Ulster final - the excitement. I really think we can do it and with the Sun at our backs and a big Cavan support Div. 1 beckons. So let "everyone" get behind the lads and show them that we are still a Proud Football county. Come on the Breffni Boys !!

BreffniDub (None) - Posts: 377 - 05/04/2015 12:14:57    1710688

I will be happy with a good team performance, hard work, good and timely use of the bench. This will be a tough one but we have the players to do it and with Cian Mackey returnin to form things are lookin up. Good luck today to panel and manager, we are proud of you.

shannon414 (Cavan) - Posts: 228 - 05/04/2015 12:56:47    1710694

Well that was painfully hard to watch, And people on this says we are making progress.

goonie (Cavan) - Posts: 308 - 05/04/2015 17:53:16    1710810

goonie

I agree very poor game(from both sides),I thought Cavans build up play was very slow and lateral,I think in general Meath had better passages of play,but we had some awful wides to say the least.

ziggy320001 (Meath) - Posts: 2432 - 05/04/2015 18:01:28    1710820

Sickened. What a way to wreck your evening. We could have won that game pulling up. Chance after chance missed. I felt today told us a lot.

Firstly, anyone who thinks this Cavan team is ready for division 1 is simply delusional. Period. We have a lot to learn and it's going to take time. Today we panicked under pressure and crumbled. That is not something you associate with Cavan over the last few years, usually our resolve is good. 3 points clear mid way through the second half. The hallmark of a good team i.e. the Dublins and Kerrys of this world is that they would have drove on and rammed the game home. We didn't. We still do not know how to close a game out.

Secondly, we didn't take our chances. Simple scoring opportunities put wide. Goal chances going a begging. Division 1 teams would punish us severely, you have to be clinical. Again, that'll take time to learn.

Thirdly, what was the idea of not marking the spare man for Meath's kickouts? Paddy O'Rourke on several occasions picked out a spare man in the middle of the field.

We had the winning of that game, but the margins for error get smaller and smaller the higher standard you play at, and while Meath are no great shakes, at least we know the level we are at now i.e. Mid-table division 2 team.

Overall I think we had a somewhat decent league campaign. If you'd have offered survival on points difference going down to the last game of the league I'd have taken it. Its all about consolidation and not running before you can walk. Division 2 next year is a nightmare with 5 Ulster teams. We'd be doing well to get out of it too with Derry, Armagh and Tyrone all involved. It is an achievement to stay in division 2 in itself, so well done to everyone for that. Progress. And who knows how the Down/Kildare games would have panned out had we kept our discipline? Again, thats another lesson to be learned. I feel that this league will have benefited the team to a great extent.

Shocking too when you consider that Meath are consistently the second best team in Leinster this past while. Just shows you have bad Leinster football has become. Four Leinster teams relegated today.

Ned_Stormcrow (Cavan) - Posts: 1071 - 05/04/2015 18:01:33    1710821

you have to wonder. 10000 people in the ground can see that this ridiculous slow build up doesn't work and plays into the oppositions hands. yet no one on the line has picked it up yet? a better team would wipe the floor with us.

blueskies (Cavan) - Posts: 194 - 05/04/2015 18:01:48    1710822

Hard luck to the lads today . We had the chances to win it but were not clinical enough to take them . We're a little thread bare at the moment as well which is a slight worry going into the Championship . We need some options up front - I'm a little disappointed Tom Hayes didn't get on sooner and when he did come on we didn't get him on the ball which is important for a young player - Mackey could have played him in a few times but hogged it a bit .

Anyway that's the campaign over now and overall we can't be too disappointed . Well done to all involved on a job well done . Enjoy New York - it's well deserved - and I hope they all come back with a clean bill of health which is the most important thing .

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 05/04/2015 18:43:33    1710874