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Is Gary Mohan better than Kieran Hughes? farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 505 - 19/01/2026 10:49:44 2651813 Link
Replying To sleater: "While second half against Donegal was very poor, overall from the 4 Mckenna cup games, there was a lot more positives than negatives. I didn't see the full Fermanagh game only the highlights but I watched the other 3 games. Negatives - - across all games Monaghan struggled to win primary and secondary possession from kick outs. I'm sure this is not lost on management. - the gap in quality between Beggan and whoever stands in for him is substantial. - options in midfield remain scarce Positives - - the collective defending and attacking was generally (bar the 2nd half of Donegal game) very good. The defending was tactically disciplined and also the team were not giving away too many cheap frees. - Attacking wise there was a decent % conversion of scores and the team was decisive when attacking looking for the quick score rather than passing it around. - Some new players really stood up and look like they will get a sustained chance during the league. D Treanor, T Hughes, F Carolan, Ryan Duffy all impressed. Two years ago in McKenna cup, Monaghan played Fermanagh in Enniskillen in a freezing cold evening. Monaghan laboured unconvincingly to win with at that time a very experimental team. I remember the comments on this forum at the time, that few to none of those players would be part of the team come championship time. A terrible league and injury crises later, meant those same players from that Fermanagh game ended up being the regulars that season. The point is, Monaghan are in a similar situation now. There is a lot of injuries and the Scotstown lads are missing. The Scotstown lads will be back during the league at some point and the injuries we know about will clear up come championship time. But the first few league games will be a serious test for the new lads in the squad. Gary Mohan getting injured on Sigerson duty last week really didn't help matters." Gary got injured at training not sigerson as far as I'm aware. MonaghanMan44life (Monaghan) - Posts: 134 - 19/01/2026 13:02:28 2651875 Link
Replying To farneygael3: "Is Gary Mohan better than Kieran Hughes?" in the current county conversation? i think if kieran made a comeback - id see him more as an impact sub...maybe im wrong but mohan has youth on his side and for me is a guaranteed starter if fit what about barry mcbennett? is that ship sailed?...also bobby mccaul - gabriel spoke so highly of him last year, is he still injured? two good big lads MalsBalls (Monaghan) - Posts: 255 - 19/01/2026 13:34:52 2651882 Link
Replying To farneygael3: "Is Gary Mohan better than Kieran Hughes?" At what? Because at football it's not even up for discussion. MonaghanMan44life (Monaghan) - Posts: 134 - 19/01/2026 14:05:12 2651890 Link
McPhilips is a loss but he was barely used in the championship last year when Mohan wasnt fit after a pretty decent league and cameo v Donegal in Ulster so you can't blame the lad heading off on his travels. seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1932 - 19/01/2026 15:55:08 2651926 Link
Replying To farneygael3: "Is Gary Mohan better than Kieran Hughes?" My eyes are bleeding Gaels1989 (Monaghan) - Posts: 53 - 19/01/2026 16:27:34 2651934 Link
Replying To MonaghanMan44life: "At what? Because at football it's not even up for discussion." He's telling people he is farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 505 - 19/01/2026 18:42:47 2651961 Link
Replying To farneygael3: "He's telling people he is" There's some similarities between the two of them, oceans of football in them but dogged by inconsistency and sometimes failure to perform on the big day when it really matters… mick2007 (Monaghan) - Posts: 637 - 19/01/2026 21:46:12 2651984 Link
Replying To mick2007: "Could anyone tell me the logic behind Rory Beggan playing tonight and again Sunday… and we wonder why we struggle to get a sub keeper to commit to holding tackle bags year in year out.." Post above is from January 2022.... The biggest risk to Monaghan this year is Beggan's kick outs getting figured out or neutralised like St Brigids did in the club semi final. MrPBoylan (Monaghan) - Posts: 293 - 20/01/2026 09:16:46 2652010 Link
Replying To mick2007: "There's some similarities between the two of them, oceans of football in them but dogged by inconsistency and sometimes failure to perform on the big day when it really matters…" Ah I don't know three best years for monaghan were 13 18 and 23 in recent times, Hughes was very good in each campaign. All be it inconsistent in other years. 222 (UK) - Posts: 898 - 20/01/2026 10:27:22 2652026 Link
Replying To MrPBoylan: "Post above is from January 2022.... The biggest risk to Monaghan this year is Beggan's kick outs getting figured out or neutralised like St Brigids did in the club semi final." The biggest risk is also Beggan getting injured as the keeper on the weekend was slightly shakey although probably still young. Is that Kirk lad who came on against us when Beggan got injured a couple of years back still kicking around he was quite good. Forde also I remember from 21 level Jimsam12 (Donegal) - Posts: 23 - 20/01/2026 11:06:41 2652029 Link
Replying To Jimsam12: "The biggest risk is also Beggan getting injured as the keeper on the weekend was slightly shakey although probably still young. Is that Kirk lad who came on against us when Beggan got injured a couple of years back still kicking around he was quite good. Forde also I remember from 21 level" We are missing the terriers around the middle third to win break ball. Seen a comment which I couldn't agree with more that our best player for winning breaks in the last 15 years is in the dug out as a coach. Our midfielders receive heavy criticism but there's only so much they can do if you aren't winning your share of breaks. Rory will be there for the foreseeable and if worst comes to worse it most likely will be Mulligan who played the 2nd half on Saturday who will be the reserve keeper. Whether he's good enough or not he seems to be one of few who are interested in sitting in reserve most likely to no avail. Not 100%, but believe Kirk isn't in goals for his club Magheracloone (potentially emigrated) and Forde is highly unlikely at this stage in his career. ConyersHill04 (Monaghan) - Posts: 34 - 20/01/2026 15:36:10 2652126 Link
Replying To mick2007: "There's some similarities between the two of them, oceans of football in them but dogged by inconsistency and sometimes failure to perform on the big day when it really matters…" Slightly harsh on both. Kieran probably burnt his bridge with Malachy in the early games of the 2018 championship and then came on and nearly won you the All ireland semi-final. Supremely talented but definitely sad he didn't achieve more in his time with Monaghan. Hopefully Gary doesn't develop a habit of being injured at crucial times for Monaghan. Because as he displayed in the club championship this year sporadically, he's top class when he's on form. ConyersHill04 (Monaghan) - Posts: 34 - 20/01/2026 15:41:14 2652129 Link
I think it's unfair that most say Kieran will be remembered for being an inconsistent player over his career. farneygael3 (Monaghan) - Posts: 505 - 20/01/2026 16:33:33 2652143 Link
Replying To farneygael3: "I think it's unfair that most say Kieran will be remembered for being an inconsistent player over his career." I'll remember him for being a force of nature that Donegal couldn't handle in an Ulster final, that Dublin couldn't handle in a league semi. At club he was the man Kilcoo couldn't handle in an Ulster final and a monster that dominated the county final on a few occasions. Gary Mohan is missing a few club and county medals. Jjoniel79 (Monaghan) - Posts: 256 - 20/01/2026 21:47:22 2652214 Link
Replying To mick2007: "There's some similarities between the two of them, oceans of football in them but dogged by inconsistency and sometimes failure to perform on the big day when it really matters…" Can you tell me the man of the match in the 2013 ulster final that we won? Gaels1989 (Monaghan) - Posts: 53 - 20/01/2026 22:20:22 2652218 Link
Replying To Gaels1989: "Can you tell me the man of the match in the 2013 ulster final that we won?" K Hughes definitely the best individual player after mcmanus from 2013 team he played on the edge & could sometimes get sent off in the big games, but man of the match ulster championship final 2013. In 2018 changed the game against tyrone in croke park nearly won us the game. Such nonsense being talk here comparing Mohan to K Hughes. The man was man of the match in several county finals. He mark mcmanus out of the county final one year still score 1 04 from full back. Probably man of the match in 2015 against cross until he got sent off that was the big moment of that game in extra time. The point at the death against kilcoo,also the points he scored against trillack & Glen of that year were unbelievable individual scores. He came on for 20 mins against Armagh in all ireland quarter final and scored 2 pentalies & he was half injured in all of that time. The points he scored in this year ulster club especially the points against Kilcoo in the final were unbelievable. The game in omagh when o toole scored the goal K Hughes changed that game he was only man fit to catch a kickout when Tyrone put on the press in the last 10 mins. He doesn't get the credit he deserves maybe down to the games he was sent off in. AlanD (Monaghan) - Posts: 25 - 21/01/2026 15:46:01 2652345 Link
Replying To AlanD: "K Hughes definitely the best individual player after mcmanus from 2013 team he played on the edge & could sometimes get sent off in the big games, but man of the match ulster championship final 2013. In 2018 changed the game against tyrone in croke park nearly won us the game. Such nonsense being talk here comparing Mohan to K Hughes. The man was man of the match in several county finals. He mark mcmanus out of the county final one year still score 1 04 from full back. Probably man of the match in 2015 against cross until he got sent off that was the big moment of that game in extra time. The point at the death against kilcoo,also the points he scored against trillack & Glen of that year were unbelievable individual scores. He came on for 20 mins against Armagh in all ireland quarter final and scored 2 pentalies & he was half injured in all of that time. The points he scored in this year ulster club especially the points against Kilcoo in the final were unbelievable. The game in omagh when o toole scored the goal K Hughes changed that game he was only man fit to catch a kickout when Tyrone put on the press in the last 10 mins. He doesn't get the credit he deserves maybe down to the games he was sent off in." Was going to post something similar. I just dont understand why people would compare Mohan to Hughes who was a superb footballer with bags of ability to play any position on the field and was very unlucky with injuries over the years. He still would walk onto the county side as he remains one of the best club footballers in monaghan. That second half last year in croke park v donegal was crying out for a player like him to come on stem the tide get on some ball and be a kick out option for Beggan when he had none. Mohan to be fair to him is a good footballer and is v badly needed by monaghan in midfield this year but hes a different player to Hughes. seanie08 (Monaghan) - Posts: 1932 - 21/01/2026 19:06:25 2652393 Link
It a nonsense topic really comparing the two lads different eras different positions the two lads are great monaghan servants and monaghan were and are lucky to have them ,we're not blessed with tall athletic players in monaghan so we should enjoy both instead of comparing them Farneyblueandwhite (Monaghan) - Posts: 114 - 21/01/2026 20:22:20 2652404 Link
Replying To Gaels1989: "Can you tell me the man of the match in the 2013 ulster final that we won?" That's along time ago . It's now 11 years ago since Monaghan won the Ulster championship despite all the chat about how great a team Monaghan was this last decade . Bernardo (Monaghan) - Posts: 613 - 22/01/2026 03:57:55 2652430 Link