Cavan's Seanie Johnston says Monaghan are a blueprint for success
Wednesday 7 November 2018 10:31, UK
Cavan's Seanie Johnston says that Monaghan are a blueprint for how a smaller county can mix it with the best.
Cavan are preparing for life back in Division 1 of the National Football League. The Breffni County have been competitive throughout springtime in recent years, but have failed to back it up in the heat of the championship.
Veteran forward Johnston, who is yet to decide if he will return next year, remains optimistic but feels there are challenges that they first need to overcome.
"Last year we got back to Division 1 which is a bonus," reflects the former Kildare star. "We're going to find out a lot more about yourself in the next couple of months.
"I think the league top four this year were the All-Ireland semi-finalists. There is a link there between league and championship."
"Have to be honest about it, there seems to be a top three in Ulster in terms of Monaghan, Tyrone and Donegal and then there's the rest and we would like to see ourselves as the best of the rest at the minute whether we're at number four or number five but you have to be trying to push into that bracket and challenge those top three teams.
"I think all counties that are in that bracket, that aren't ultimately dining at the top table, need all of their players playing first of all. That's something that wasn't there in Cavan last year, there was probably maybe 10 or 12 players that would have been on the Cavan panel if they were able to commit for whatever reason.
"If we use Monaghan as an example, I don't think there is one player that should be on the Monaghan panel that isn't on it.
"I think to be successful or to even look at being successful you need to have all your players playing."
Cavan have looked on while their Ulster neighbours bear the fruits of a golden generation, claiming Ulster titles and competing in the latter stages of the All-Ireland Championship. Johnston feels the Farney are a blueprint to how a small county can mix it with the big guns.
"You have to applaud when you see a county maxing out their potential," he said.
"It's not about the population they have. They just have excellent footballers and they have a panel of 30 that is able to compete with any team in the country bar maybe the one that is ahead of everyone else.
"They were a kick of the ball away from an All-Ireland final so they are in the top two, three teams in the country.
"We are obviously neighbours to them. It's up to us to try and up our game and get to our standards and get to the level they are at."
For Cavan, it's about capitalising on the underage success from earlier this decade, and transferring it to the senior grade.
"We haven't even got an Ulster (senior) final spot out of it (underage success). There was four U21 titles in a row, they were in four finals in a row and a lot of really good lads who are still really pushing every year they come back and trying to get better and stronger."
Mickey Graham has taken the reins of the senior side following the departure of Mattie McGleenan, aiming to bring the county, so long starved of success, back to the top table. Graham has Johnston's full backing.
"He's a club-mate of mine. I played with him for a long time, know a lot of stuff about him, very good fella," Johnston said.
"He's very enthusiastic where he's coming from, he managed the club a few years ago and he moved on to Longford and has won the last three Longford championships with Mullinalaghta.
"He's young and he's coming with a lot of new ideas and I'm sure he's going to try and introduce as much youth as possible. I think he probably has a three or four year term so he's going to try and use that to build his own team and get his own structures in place.
"I think he was definitely the best candidate for the job and hopefully it'll go very well for him."
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