I think a few of the cavan forwards are better than they showed last night and there are a few more on the panel that can take their scores too but I agree we don't have a prolific stand-out forward and under-21 level. or maybe that is due to the style we play whereby more importance is placed on retaining possesion than shooting for scores. However we are building momentum and results are improving year-on-year. I think you can safely say that we will be competitive in ulster at senior level in the years to come but then again so will a lot of teams , whether we win it or not will largely depend on small decisions and possibly luck. it will be decided by fine margins.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 10/04/2014 18:48:32    1573523

Nevin odonnel shud be playin was d star 3 yrs ago n cud be d answer to yer supposed attack poblems.Alot of tlk bout nt havin gud enough forward line to win AI bt it starts from d back and IMO d dubs will find it difficult to break ur defensive syetum down. Cav rossie final heres hoping anyway.

Piratehooker (Leitrim) - Posts: 197 - 10/04/2014 20:24:33    1573564

Cavan are playing in Division 2 of the national football league next year. They reached the All-Ireland quarter final last year. They have 4 under 21s in a row. Things do look good for them. It will take about three or four years before the oldest of the players in the first team that won ulster under 21 reach their prime. In this respect Cavan are making very healthy progress.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 10/04/2014 21:14:10    1573591

In my own opinion Cavan has come on leaps and bounds, it all started with the underage structure that was put in place, a change that had to happen, and its paying off at senior level at the minute and i think it will lead to an all Ireland win in the very near future,when the style of football Cavan plays is perfected, it wont be as some calls it the black death,, as for the u21 semi-final against Dublin i can see Cavan giving Dublin a upset,,credit to Donegal last night they put it up to us, but it was the never give up attitude and belief that is installed in Cavan players that got the win. The future is blue!! Cavan ABU!!

goonie (Cavan) - Posts: 308 - 10/04/2014 21:15:06    1573592

While success at underage does not guarantee success at Senior it is an impressive run that Cavan are on. Given a quarter of my DNA is Cavan I would be delighted to see them progress.

Naysayer (Antrim) - Posts: 2071 - 10/04/2014 21:19:25    1573597

These Cavan boys will defo dominate in next 2 to 3 years. As a Monaghan man, that is scary!!! I have lots of vasuline for my ear for when they win all round them and the slagging starts!!

theborderfox (Monaghan) - Posts: 138 - 10/04/2014 21:44:07    1573608

has any of the Cavan players appeared in all 4 u21 Ulster final wins?

Gael85 (Dublin) - Posts: 1433 - 10/04/2014 22:00:23    1573623

I just don't see the Cavan teams being overly stacked with brilliant individual players, particularly up front. I think they will do well in a few years time but by no means will they become top dogs in Ulster

geoff (Tyrone) - Posts: 377 - 11/04/2014 08:13:44    1573624

I dont think Cavan will do much at senior level, they dont have the know-how. Its all well and good winning a few trophies with young lads against lads, but the professionalism required to win all irelands at senior level is not easily achieved.. What I mean is the tactical awareness, conditioning required etc.

Game2Halves (Tyrone) - Posts: 265 - 11/04/2014 08:47:58    1573628

Gael85
County: Dublin
Posts: 840

1573623
has any of the Cavan players appeared in all 4 u21 Ulster final wins?


don't think so. there are one or two who have played 3

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5012 - 11/04/2014 08:53:42    1573630

open to correction here ...but I think 3 have played 3 ..(Conor Moynagh, Jack Brady,Killian Clarke)

as for Cavans future...I think Ulster will happen that is clear and possibly more than once. Folks on here say u21 doesnt map to senior....and thats true for 1 x U21 team....but 5 ulster finals in a row and 4 wins? History indicates that consecutive u21s in any province leads to senior provincial success ( I defy anyone to show me an example otherwise)
Also if you keep beating say Tyrone underage consecutively for 5 years.....where does that lead to ?

as for AI...I dont think so ....Like Donegal at some point Cavan will have to come out a little more and begin to score. But may not have the necessary marquee forward(s) needed to win All Irelands which Donegal had.

DD10 (Cavan) - Posts: 130 - 11/04/2014 09:27:02    1573639

1-3 after 59 minutes. Seriously catch a grip folks. There wasn't one player I would have picked out the last night. To progress cavan are going to need to find a few forwards able to win ball create a bit of space and score. The corner forward created problems for Donegal the last night but had little to show for it. What summed things up for me was number 4's attempt at goal in the last few mins, with no real pressure ended up hiting the corner flag.

johnnos bulls (None) - Posts: 527 - 11/04/2014 10:11:12    1573659

u-21 does not guarantee success at senior level. It sets a bedrock but Cavan would still have a long way to go to be up competing in All Ireland quarters, semi's, finals etc on a regular basis.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 11/04/2014 10:26:32    1573672

Is it the system that's winning Cavan these titles or the players? It's the system for me it's very hard for a team to prepare for Cavan anti football approach in the space of a week at under 21 level, they suffocate teams same at senior level. Cavan have a conveyor belt of players who know to adapt to their system and it's no coincidence that bringing a Tyrone man in as head of coaching has meant the introduction of the defensive screen, teams that operate with a defensive screen lack quality footballers to win player an attacking game. The true tests will comes when they have to chase a game and have to open up, do they have the players to do it? The answer I believe is no. Down and Galway are the prime examples of success at under 21 doesn't translate to senior.

shaggylegend (Monaghan) - Posts: 1928 - 11/04/2014 10:29:41    1573675

The fact that this thread is being taken very seriously shows the huge strides Cavan have made since 2011, absolutely amazing work has been done. The days of moral victories are long gone and Cavan football is on the rise again, almost back at the top table where they rightly belong!

Feck the begrudgers!

GallantJohnJoe (Cavan) - Posts: 329 - 11/04/2014 10:34:56    1573677

GallantJohnJoe
County: Cavan
Cavan football is on the rise again, almost back at the top table where they rightly belong!

No team "BELONGS" anywhere. The work must be put in and in fairness Cavan are doing that along with Roscommon at underage levels. But to say ye are almost back at the top table is exaggerated to sat the least.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11232 - 11/04/2014 10:42:50    1573687

Piratehooker can you tell me, if they have given up on sending people to school in Leitrim? Not going to school to make the quick buck is only a short term success if you take my advice :-)

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 11/04/2014 10:46:18    1573690

No team "BELONGS" anywhere. The work must be put in and in fairness Cavan are doing that along with Roscommon at underage levels. But to say ye are almost back at the top table is exaggerated to sat the least.

Cavan has 40 Gaelic football clubs, 2 rugby clubs and no semi-professional soccer clubs. Hurling is very scarce too. It is an absolutely gaelic-football crazy county. Last year in Tullamore, Cavan supporters easily outnumbered the combined support of the other 3 participants in the u21 semis (Cork, Galway, Kildare). I wouldn't be surprised if the same happened in Portlaoise on April 19th. My point is, Gaelic football is the dominant force in the county. Our performances at all grades throughout the past few decades have been dismal for such a passionate county. In my view, our current successes should be the norm and things should never be allowed to get so bad again.

By the way, most dinner tables seat 6-8, I don't think Cavan are a million miles away from being in the top8 teams in the country.

GallantJohnJoe (Cavan) - Posts: 329 - 11/04/2014 11:00:44    1573700

amazing the unity of response from Monaghan posters.....

in reply to Galway and Down examples of u21 not translating...... show me 4 in a row provincial in either case?
or are you saying that Galway last year not translating?

the fact that Monaghan are Ulster champions proves that Cavan will win one or more
(well done on your 1 point win over Cavan last year in the semi)

DD10 (Cavan) - Posts: 130 - 11/04/2014 11:05:05    1573704

GallantJoe & Cavan folk, just a question to put to you.
Cavan have now won 4 u21s in a row.

At the moment the u21s and Senior team are playing football I guess not the easiest on the eye.
So you have a current bunch of players buying into this system but my point is...will this actually adversely affect what will come through in the future?
I for 1 think these systems just try and turn guys into systematic robots taking the enjoyment out of it. But do you think keeping with this system which may bring u21 provincial success and get your senior team competitive in the Ulster Championship will have the effect of getting young lads in Cavan dreaming of playing for the county?

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 11/04/2014 11:13:58    1573708