CAVAN manager Mickey Graham has lamented that a lot of footballers no longer dream of playing for their county unlike his own era when all he wanted to do was wear the Breffni blue jersey.
And after suffering a 13-point defeat at the hands of Armagh in their opening NFL Division Two tie last weekend, he says it could get worse for Cavan football before it gets better.
Saturday’s humiliating loss highlighted that a county like Cavan will struggle to compete without their best players putting their shoulder to the wheel.
After reaching last summer’s Ulster final, the senior squad has had to absorb the loss of Killian Clarke, Conor Moynagh, Dara McVeety, Michael Argue and Cian Mackey.
“There are lots of other counties in the same boat but it’s society the way it is now,” said Graham.
“It’s the way young people are. Gaelic football maybe isn’t as appealing as it was 10 or 15 years ago, where it meant everything. As a young fella growing up all I ever wanted to do was play for Cavan and the players that I played with were the same.
“But now there are so many distractions and playing inter-county football is no longer the be-all and end-all for some people.
“Sometimes you’re better off without those boys because they’re going through the motions and if you’re trying to build a successful team to compete at the highest level you need consistency year after year.
“But the way it has gone now lads are coming in for a year or two and then stepping away and coming back. Basically, they’re not giving themselves a chance; they’re only half-hearted so you’re better off with lads who want to do it.”
Benjamin Kelly, Paddy Meade and Stephen Smith were among the new faces in Cavan’s line-up last Saturday night while Graham is also working with a layer of players who are only in their second year at senior inter-county level.
Graham will be looking for a response from his players when they host Westmeath on Saturday night, who edged out Clare in their opener on Sunday.
Despite the disappointment of the loss of a clutch of key players for the 2020 season, Graham added: “Somebody has to take up the mantle, you just can’t turn around and say leave it for somebody else. It is my job to do that and I’ll do it the best I can. It might get worse before it gets better. People just have to be realistic that this is a work-in-progress.
“In a small county like Cavan you need your best players playing. Simple as. But it is what it is. We can feel sorry for ourselves and make excuses, but we’re not. The players we have are dedicated. We just have to park it up and move on because we don’t have those players.”
Cavan will be touted as relegation candidates in 2020 and could find themselves competing in tier two if they don’t make significant improvements over the coming weeks.
“There is a huge focus on League football now because there is tier one and tier two and everyone wants to consolidate their position,” Graham said.
“If you asked any manager now what’s their goal for the National League it would be to consolidate. I don’t think too many are talking about promotion, they’re more worried about relegation. It puts extra pressure on players as well.”
