RTÉ GAA analyst Peter Canavan has warned against writing off Division 1's great survivors Monaghan as the Farney County prepare for the crux of their league campaign.
After an eye-catching opening win over Dublin at Croke Park, Vinny Corey’s side have suffered heavy defeats to Kerry, Derry and, most recently, Roscommon to slump to the bottom of the table.
With Galway visiting Clones on Sunday, Canavan said that there is life yet in the survival charge of a team that has produced some real Houdini acts in what is now a 10-year stay in the top division.
"They looked electric that night down in Croke Park," Canavan told the RTÉ GAA podcast of that round one win over Dublin.
"Since that they’ve gone off the boil surprisingly. They have a lot of younger players playing, maybe it’s not that surprising, but the fact that they played so well against Dublin, Vinny would have been wanting his troops to carry on in that vein of form.
"But the thing about Monaghan, you daren’t write them off.
"I think they will be bitterly disappointed, not the fact that they just lost against Roscommon last week, they were well and truly beaten. It was 1-16 to seven points, that was a hammering.
"That’s very unlike Monaghan in the National League. No matter who they play against they’re always competitive.
"I’d be amazed if there’s not a sting in the tail here from them."
Monaghan’s survival instincts have been blunted by a string of high-profile absentees.
Goalkeeper Rory Beggan is competing in the NFL international combine in Indianapolis this week, Conor McManus is yet to taste action in 2024 while Kieran Hughes and Fintan Kelly have retired.
Karl Gallagher has headed to AFL club Adelaide, key defender Conor Boyle is taking a year out while 2023 All-Star Conor McCarthy has been out since picking up an injury in the McKenna Cup.
It’s a long list of players MIA, but for Canavan it’s the loss of Beggan that is being most keenly felt.
"His presence at the back is reassuring in itself and they’ve conceded a few from high balls in.
"Without a doubt he’s a massive loss both in attack and in defence."
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