Agree. Sean Cavanagh was a superior player to Canavan. Id have joyce ahead of him too personally. Whoever said joyce didn't do anything after 2001 is off their heads - what did canavan do prior to 2003? It is a foolish way to judge the thing.
I think canavan, while a classy player, benefits from a lot of rose-tinted memories, because he soldiered on so diligently in the 90s etc and then finally getting the prize. Plus he is a likeable guy with a very dry wit, and we hear a lot of him in the media, where he is very fair in his analysis. All positive stuff which can make people like him more, and then rate him higher. He has become a bit of a mythical figure, and nobody can seem to remember a poor game he played at this stage. But if you compared the range of skills he had with say Conor McManus, McManus would be ahead of him I believe.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15570 - 11/05/2016 14:51:25 1854059



Not sure what age you are but you have not got a clue. What did he do before 2003? AI final 95 and semi 96? As massive fan of Cavanagh and put him up their as one of my favourite ever I can safely say he wans't in the same league as Canavan. I won't comment on where I would put them in respect of joyce as I am clearly non neutral but I will comment regarding the Cavanagh point

redhanddefender (Tyrone) - Posts: 913 - 11/05/2016 15:15:09    1854066

canavan has become a bit of a mythical figure, and nobody can seem to remember a poor game he played at this stage.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15570 - 11/05/2016 14:51:25
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Between 1993-96, I'd genuinely say that Canavan didn't play a poor game. I saw just about every game he played for Tyrone in that period, plus a fair number of his club games, and he was simply unstoppable.

In 1996 he was injured against Meath, and it was about 3-4 years before he began to get close to being back to the player he had been. He never quite made it all the way back, and the Canavan that we saw in the noughties, brilliant though he still was, was quite a bit removed from what he had been in his mid-90s prime.

As for the Sean Cavanagh point, everyone has their opinions, but I don't know a single person in Tyrone who rates Cavanagh (a colossal player too) as having been better than Peter Canavan.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts: 1002 - 11/05/2016 15:18:32    1854069

After 03 he won another all Ireland in 05 scoring a great goal, but he was an old player by then with multiple injuries Joyce was still young after 01 and wasn't near the player he was from 98 to 01. Listen it's all opinions and Sean is a great player but Canavan was special.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts: 9926 - 11/05/2016 15:19:07    1854071

Agree. Sean Cavanagh was a superior player to Canavan. Id have joyce ahead of him too personally. Whoever said joyce didn't do anything after 2001 is off their heads - what did canavan do prior to 2003? It is a foolish way to judge the thing.
I think canavan, while a classy player, benefits from a lot of rose-tinted memories, because he soldiered on so diligently in the 90s etc and then finally getting the prize. Plus he is a likeable guy with a very dry wit, and we hear a lot of him in the media, where he is very fair in his analysis. All positive stuff which can make people like him more, and then rate him higher. He has become a bit of a mythical figure, and nobody can seem to remember a poor game he played at this stage. But if you compared the range of skills he had with say Conor McManus, McManus would be ahead of him I believe.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15570 - 11

Oh good lord - this must be a joke ?

Canavan's best years were before 2003. He was untouchable in the mid-90s. His performance in the 95 final was nothing but awesome.

Whatever about who is better between the Gooch and himself , to question what he done before 03 is crazy IMO.

He destroyed us in 94 and left everyone else in their wake.

TheRightStuff (Donegal) - Posts: 1688 - 11/05/2016 15:48:53    1854088

For pure skill and brilliance, the best players I've seen were/are Maurice Fitzgerald, Frank McGuigan, PTG, Paul Curran, Mickey Linden, Padraic Joyce, Gooch, Matty Forde, Stephen O'Neill, and Diarmuid Connolly. James O'Donoghue, and Michael Meehan are/were fairly outrageous talents too. All of these lads could do anything, beautiful players to watch.

Graham Geraghty, Ronan Clarke, Bernard Brogan, Alan Brogan, Mike Frank Russell, Seamus Moynihan, Brian Dooher, Sean Cavanagh, Declan O'Sullivan, to name a few of many others are all not far behind.

But above them all stands one true all-time great, Aido The Magnificent, or ATM to the Mayo faithful

Capitalist (Dublin) - Posts: 47 - 11/05/2016 16:01:16    1854097

As for the Sean Cavanagh point, everyone has their opinions, but I don't know a single person in Tyrone who rates Cavanagh (a colossal player too) as having been better than Peter Canavan.

Thomas Clarke (Tyrone) - Posts:867 - 11/05/2016 15:18:32


Oh I know that. . .and their minds will never be changed.
It's just my opinion, and I understand that it's not the feeling of the majority but I can't remember another player in modern times winning (by some distance that year) Footballer of the Year while being played out of position (some might say Lacey ). The McManus foul a couple of years ago showed Cavanagh's other side, but pluck him out of any Tyrone team he has played on and I don't think they would have won an All-Ireland. Take him out of the current Tyrone team and the talk of All-Ireland challengers will die quickly, 13 years after his debut.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5251 - 11/05/2016 16:01:33    1854098

I hate these questions,they were/are both great.It often comes down to who you do prefer..

ziggy32001 (Meath) - Posts: 8354 - 11/05/2016 16:17:02    1854104

Agree. Sean Cavanagh was a superior player to Canavan. Id have joyce ahead of him too personally. Whoever said joyce didn't do anything after 2001 is off their heads - what did canavan do prior to 2003? It is a foolish way to judge the thing.
I think canavan, while a classy player, benefits from a lot of rose-tinted memories, because he soldiered on so diligently in the 90s etc and then finally getting the prize. Plus he is a likeable guy with a very dry wit, and we hear a lot of him in the media, where he is very fair in his analysis. All positive stuff which can make people like him more, and then rate him higher. He has become a bit of a mythical figure, and nobody can seem to remember a poor game he played at this stage. But if you compared the range of skills he had with say Conor McManus, McManus would be ahead of him I believe.

TheMaster (Mayo) - Posts:15570 - 11/05/2016 14:51:25 1854059

JESUS WEPT!!

Liamwalkinstown (Dublin) - Posts: 8166 - 11/05/2016 16:31:50    1854112

Therightstuff
He will go down as one of the greats either way, 3 different players of massive importance to their respective successful teams!

KerryKillers (Dublin) - Posts: 711 - 11/05/2016 16:35:53    1854117

None of them hold a candle up to Charlie Redmond!!!!

JayP (Dublin) - Posts: 1772 - 11/05/2016 16:47:53    1854125

Sean Cavanagh has been some servant to Tyrone.Brilliant midfielder,great aerial prowess,huge reserves of stamina and,as proved when moved to full-forward,quite adept in the art of scoring points.
Peter Canavan was one of the greatest forwards i've seen.I was standing on the hill in '95 as a young lad when he nearly beat Dublin on his own( Tyrone were robbed of a replay as it was a correct legitimate pick-up).He had pace,two good feet(especially his right foot),great brain,best exemplified with his calm left-footed goal into the corner of the Kerry net in '05 final : most forwards would have tried to bury it,but Canavan had the wit,ingenuity,courage and awareness to score one of the great final goals.No panic,and like all the greats,Canavan seemed to find space where there was none and always seemed to have sufficiant time on the ball to get his shot off.I don't remember him being blocked down or dispossessed too often.
Both men were leaders of Tyrone at various times.Men that Micky Harte knew wouldn't let him or the county down.They always turned up and delivered.The bigger the game,the more they stood out.I think the Cavan poster is not far wrong in his opinion ; if i had a choice of either player playing for Dublin over the years i would find it hard to choose.Maybe depending on where Dublin were weaker at the time.Two giants of modern football that will be talked about for generations to come.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/05/2016 16:57:28    1854131

Canavan provided excellent leadership and was hard as nails. He was exactly the kind of man you wanted on your side if a match was in the melting pot. A leader and a great, great footballer.

However, the Gooch has utterly sublime skill and incredible vision. He's one of the most naturally gifted footballers I've ever watched.

Gooch edges it for me, simply because in his prime he was thrilling to watch and it was so exciting to see him get on the ball, but both are all-time greats.

ZeitChrist (UK) - Posts: 154 - 11/05/2016 18:31:21    1854164

Check out Peter playing for his club on YouTube and then make your decision !!!

therapy (Tyrone) - Posts: 24 - 11/05/2016 18:52:34    1854175

In response to opening post,i cannot seperate The Gooch and Peter Canavan.The two best forwards of the last 20 years.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 11/05/2016 19:04:50    1854178

Just wondering posters whose the greatest forward Gooch or Canavan? For me their the 2 stand out forwards I've seen and I'll always say Gooch was the greatest but Canavan was unbelievable as well , what makes one better than the other?? Probably done a million times before but Dublin beatable or unbeatable gets very boring.

clondalkindub (Dublin) - Posts:7411 - 11/05/2016 12:39:08 1853960


I'll take it you never seen Liam McBarron play then?

gotmilk (Fermanagh) - Posts: 4971 - 11/05/2016 19:28:20    1854185

It's silly trying to compare players of different eras. We should just be glad that we got to see them playing. Just one comment on Canavan and forwards of yester year, they played at a time when forwards were given no protection from refs. I'm surprised that a lot of them were not cripples in their later years in life.

neverright (Roscommon) - Posts: 1648 - 11/05/2016 19:41:08    1854188

Ya I agree I don't really see the point in comparing players/teams from a different era.
we should just admire for how they were/are.

Canavan absolutely sensational in his day and Gooch the best player I have witnessed and count myself lucky to have watched him play club football also.
How both Tyrone and Kerry would love to have both of those players now in their prime.

woops (Kerry) - Posts: 2073 - 11/05/2016 20:27:55    1854204

for me Canavan ( and I'm an Armagh man) - did ever one man drag a team to an-ireland final and was massive in that final of 1995, what people forget is that Peter played for 10yrs in an average team, scoring some great scores........ Cooper was always in a good or great side.... how good would Cooper be in the present Armagh side or the louth team or any other average team.....Cooper was good but he was always in a winning side

cuchulainn35 (Armagh) - Posts: 1688 - 11/05/2016 20:46:27    1854207

Both supremely talented footballers, probably the two best I have seen. Wee Peter had that little bit of edge that I liked in a footballer. Peter always seemed to have a bigger impact on the team. There is no better example than the 03 final. He was not even close to being fit but every time he came on he lifted the crowd and the Tyrone players unfortunately for us. I hated him because he was so good and that 05 semi final free showed his temperament which still sickens me to this day!

ArmaghinWarwick (Armagh) - Posts: 26 - 12/05/2016 08:12:35    1854232

2 great players, pointless comparing.

AthCliath (Dublin) - Posts: 4347 - 12/05/2016 08:30:16    1854236