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Mayo, Dublin and Kerry will be the teams to beat, throw in Galway and Derry for good measure and possibly Tyrone, they are the arguably the 6 best teams in the Country, and will no doubt be in the mix. Neither Roscommon, Cork nor Louth will spring \ny surprises and to be honest, Cavan will be better off winning the Tailteann Cup this year because heaven forbid, if we reach an Ulster Final and meet any of the big teams in the latter stages, I'd be very afraid for them. Ulster will be a very tight battle, Derry the obvious favourites, but I wouldnt be writing off Tyrone or Monaghan either.
cavanblueman (Cavan) - Posts: 636 - 22/03/2023 17:40:00 2465888 Link 0 |
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I can't agree with this. We're better off up and in Sam, and testing ourselves against the best sides. Another year in Tailteann widens the gap further, and we need to be in Sam. If we get to an Ulster final, we'll be 2nd seed minimum, 1st if we win it. So we get drawn against 3th and 4th seeds in the round robin who we'd always feel like we can win. There's games there to be won, and I wouldn't worry about one of the very big teams as we need to test ourselves and be up there. I'm not afraid at all - we always tend to raise our game.
Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 23/03/2023 12:45:04 2465984 Link 1 |
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I be of the opinion that the Taltainn cup is more our level…. We have a decent chance of winning it but absolutely no chance of winning Sam Maguire… If we manage to get to the Ulster final then winning it is all that counts….being a pathway to the All Ireland series would mean nothing if we lost the Final… Getting promoted to Division 2 was vital … now win the league Final and go all out to win the Taltainn cup ( if we fail to make the Ulster Final )…. I would be more than happy with that outcome ( other than winning the Ulster Final )… ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3855 - 23/03/2023 14:47:02 2466028 Link 0 |
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There's 16 teams in Sam, and likely no more than 3 or 4 have an actual chance of winning it. So what? You play with them expose yourself, and get better.
Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 23/03/2023 15:34:39 2466050 Link 0 |
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You might not necessarily get better…. Last year the Taltainn Cup proved very popular and this year's should prove no different… I don't think the losers of the Connaught final will improve a whole lot by getting hammered in 3 Sam Maguire group games… If and when we are good enough we will end up in the Sam Maguire groups….
ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3855 - 23/03/2023 15:56:28 2466061 Link 0 |
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Well they haven't lost the Connacht final yet. But either way, that's a team who played Division 4 this year. We're promoted, so deemed deserved to be up and about there. There's hardly much way we're going to improve more by playing teams who are not good enough to get up from there. Playing better teams is the way to improve, not worse teams. We've lost 2 years already being down there, and need to get amongst the stronger teams and grow from there. We need to be absolutely be pushing to get into Sam, and if we do, no reason we would fear or wouldn't be competitive
Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 23/03/2023 18:43:43 2466102 Link 0 |
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As stated before structure of championship should be the same as ladies competition Cavan should not be competing for sam we will find it difficult enough to win the tailteann cup. Most teams in division 4 have no hope of winning the tailteann cup so they train all year to compete in a competition they have no chance of winning same with senior championship how many teams have a realistic chance of winning it 2 or if you are really optimistic 4 teams have a chance. The problem is most gaa counties have their head stuck in the sand a tailteann cup or intermediate or junior title is beneath them because they remember the good run they had in the sam maguire 70 years ago you could not make it up breffnibluewhite (Cavan) - Posts: 485 - 23/03/2023 21:08:40 2466119 Link 0 |
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We always tend to raise our game? We couldn't beat a poor Donegal side in Ulster last year or Westmeath in Tailteann Final when it mattered. We will give Ulster a good run this year for sure, and I get your point about testing ourselves against the best sides, but lets face it, Kerry, Dublin, Mayo, Galway, Derry, Tyrone are light years ahead of Cavan and all the other teams, so for Cavan or those other teams playing in the All Ireland Series in just a tick box exercise because we dont have a hope in hell of getting anywhere near an All Ireland. Best path is to win a league title this year, hopefully win the Tailteann Cup and then push on next year and look to give a good account of ourselves in Division Two and hopefully get to an Ulster Final. cavanblueman (Cavan) - Posts: 636 - 24/03/2023 09:53:10 2466141 Link 0 |
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I agree totally we should be pushing to get into the Sam Maguire… I'm glad you finally admit that playing down in the lower Divisions lessens your chance of progression in the Championship…… And it's 3 years that got wasted in the lower leagues not 2 thanks to the wisdom of Micky Graham who said he had no interest in league football…. We are up now and hopefully lessons have been learned
ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3855 - 24/03/2023 09:54:15 2466142 Link 1 |
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Can't agree with this either. We got to that final handy enough last year, and if in it this year I'd expect we would again. We just messed up a number of things last year, including our set-up, leaving players marking theirs that were unsuited, while also getting caught with a red card after getting back into the game, then letting Martin walk right through us for that goal. We messed that up, and looking at what Westmeath have done since makes that worse. They were no great shakes and we should have won if we had our heads on straight. I don't think this is beneath us. If we're in it, I want us to win it. But I also want us to get to the top and be in that top 16 as I would consider us better than a fair few of the teams who will make it through currently in Division 2. You improve by playing the best, not by playing those ranked below you who as you say have no hope of even winning the Tailteann. I've a feeling that this split will serve only to widen the gap. The top teams will consistently play each otehr and drive each other one. The opposite will happen lower down. The wider the gap the harder it'll take to bridge. We need to get up and stay up. We're into Div2 next year, so will be up there and need to continue to be. Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 24/03/2023 11:14:46 2466181 Link 0 |
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No doubt we messed up v Westmeath. I mention that in my post above. Donegal a different story for me though. We were with them right up to the end of the game until they got 2 fortuitous enough goals. Could have led that game well after a far better 1st half only for the crossbar. And wasn't this teams who played Division 1 and 4 that season? I don't agree they were poor. They were still able to push a very good Derry team to extra time in the final remember. It's fallen apart for them since that with management issues, but Donegal in Ulster then were always strong and we were well within that game. And yes, I agree those sides are all ahead. So let's do something about that. Get up, and play them, learn and start competing. We're hardly going to catch them by playing Division 4 teams in Tailteann again... Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 24/03/2023 11:21:03 2466184 Link 0 |
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Well of course it does now they have linked it. When did I ever say it doesn't? My meaning was long term down there, but we're not as we've got back up quickly after those ridiculous relegation scenarios. I also meant 2 years in terms of All Ireland series, not just League. 2021 was straight knockout (and a joke year when all is taken into account), and 2022 was first of split championship. This year will most likely see us in Tailteann again unless we get to the final. Those 2 years are what I mean - 2022 and 2023. 2024 should see us get into Sam on league place, all going well by staying up there next year. Should indeed learn lessons. The split season means you need to be right for League as it now leads right into championship when it didn't used to. You can't try and much as you used to either. We need to get fitness into certain players next 2 weeks, as that quarter final is now weeks away and need to get them ready. Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 24/03/2023 11:34:56 2466189 Link 0 |
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Totally agree with all that…. There are still far too many teams (16) in the group stages for the Sam Maguire…. as you say just ticking a box but in truth just cannon fodder for the big boys …. There are some counties who haven't a snowballs chance in hell of winning the Tailteann Cup but for years these same counties voted against change when in truth a 3rd level of competition would make more sense….
ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3855 - 24/03/2023 11:51:05 2466198 Link 0 |
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You said the only way to improve is to be playing against the better teams and that means competing in Div 1or 2 so yes we did waste 3 years not 2…( thanks to Mickey Graham ).You have no hope come Championship if operating at that level which has been proven in the last 2 years and we will shortly find out v Armagh ( probably ) if it hinders us again….
ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3855 - 24/03/2023 11:59:34 2466201 Link 0 |
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It was a terrible Ulster final all said and done. Both teams playing the same style. Armagh beat Donegal by 10 pts in the Qualifiers.
FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2877 - 24/03/2023 12:03:27 2466205 Link 0 |
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No doubt it was a poor final, they still nearly won it though against a very tough team. Just saying they were hardly a poor team then, despite how it's gone for them since that
Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 24/03/2023 12:28:46 2466225 Link 0 |
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In Championship I'm on about. That 2021 season was a joke all told anyway with geographic League and straight knockout. Point is we're up now and need to stay there and compete there. Can't be going back down now seeing how the tiered championship is.
Loughduff Lad (Cavan) - Posts: 2466 - 24/03/2023 12:30:45 2466227 Link 0 |
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They were a good team I think the defeat by Cavan in 2020 knocked them back a bit. They were excellent in the Ulster championship leading up to that final. Michael Murphy played in a lot of Ulster finals with Donegal but lost more then he won. 13,15 ,17,20 and 22 final defeats. FoolsGold (Cavan) - Posts: 2877 - 24/03/2023 12:45:09 2466230 Link 0 |
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I know you are on about the Championship but in order to play against quality opposition you need to be in the top 2 divisions… you can't just depend on Championship… My point is Mickey Graham stated he had no interest in the league but when you play regularly against weak opponents then you are ill prepared for games against stronger opponents come Championship which was proven in the last 2 years…. He got it wrong.. simple.. 2 years wasted and we will see what happens this year..
ForeverBlue2 (Cavan) - Posts: 3855 - 24/03/2023 13:53:03 2466269 Link 0 |
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Cavan could play against the big teams time and time again, and in my view, the result will always be the same. As I said before, Jim Gavin could manage Cavan at the moment and maybe change them a little bit, but we still wouldn't compete against the big teams. That all starts with the proper underage structures and proper coaching. If you look at any of the top underage teams, they are a long away ahead of Cavan, in fact, Cavan underage teams play the exact same away as the seniors, slow, lethargic build up play, sometimes lacking the basics and working hard to get scores, but most of the top underage teams play like their seniors teams and make it look easy. cavanblueman (Cavan) - Posts: 636 - 24/03/2023 15:47:08 2466303 Link 0 |