AIQF 2017 Tír Eoghain vs Ard Macha, Sat. August 5th @4pm

[RedHand88]

Does mccarron miss the semi final? Hearing mixed reports.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Does mccarron miss the semi final? Hearing mixed reports.

No, so far as I'm aware, but a repeat in the Semi (2 more yellows) would see him miss the final.

[Taylor]

Expected a bit of a challenge but ended up being easier than I thought.
Armagh changed the tactics from the Kildare game which seems crazy. Suppose that's what you get for 50k.

While we ran up a big score line we were very sloppy and missed a lot. Won't do against the dubs. They are s proven team. We still haven't been tested this year. Mc Carron was excellent. CC won't get much easier intercounty games. Bradley's movement superb. Sean is playing out time and don't think he will last the full game v Dublin

[Throw ball]

My point Lcohen is that Armagh have been training to play a certain way. That changes against Tyrone. Dublin have been preparing to face Tyrone all year just as Tyrone have been training to face them. Armagh are physically not on the same level as either.  It is true that creating width helps beat the blanket but Tyrone suffocate the centre area. Shots from wide areas are more difficult to take. If you get ahead early and draw them out then the width will create more space in attack. Dublin are usually ahead. They may find it much more difficult against Tyrone.

To confuse width in the attack with taking shots from out wide misses the point entirely

The problem is that Tyrone do not play 1 or 2 sweepers. It was interesting to see how they had 11 or 12 players covering the scoring zone. If you have players wide you still some how have to get the ball from there to the scoring zone. There is also the possibility that they will let players stay wide as they are confident they cannot score from there. Even if they mark them they could have 10 players in the scoring zone defending.  Armagh players in general did not have the upper body strength to break tackles either.

[tonto1888]

Men against boys yesterday...it was always going to be a tall order for armagh to even make a game of it. Still the manner of the defeat is extremely disappointing. Tyrone are some outfit and I would love to see them beat Dublin. Can't wait for the game. Not a lot to say about Armagh that hasn't been said. Some positives to be taken from the season as a whole but we have a lot of work to do to be a team that regularly makes the quarter finals. I do believe however we have a set of players who can achieve that in a few years time.
I thought the knee McCann took to the head looked like an accident...I'm sure Harte will be annoyed with McCarron as he now misses the semi final?
One tiny complaint about the ref! Ball was hopped in the first half when Armagh were taking too long to take a feee yet he allowed Morgan the time to stroll up the pitch to take a few? Winds me up!!
Anyway goodluck to Tyrone in the semi final

Grimley's wasn't a free. It was a mark. He has 5 seconds and must take it himself. Ref was right

I did wonder about that. Cheers for clearing it up. I'd say the one were he hopped the ball after Donaghu caught the kick out was baffling

Standing inside the D when the ball was kicked

In that case he was inconsistent on occasions

[LCohen]

Men against boys yesterday...it was always going to be a tall order for armagh to even make a game of it. Still the manner of the defeat is extremely disappointing. Tyrone are some outfit and I would love to see them beat Dublin. Can't wait for the game. Not a lot to say about Armagh that hasn't been said. Some positives to be taken from the season as a whole but we have a lot of work to do to be a team that regularly makes the quarter finals. I do believe however we have a set of players who can achieve that in a few years time.
I thought the knee McCann took to the head looked like an accident...I'm sure Harte will be annoyed with McCarron as he now misses the semi final?
One tiny complaint about the ref! Ball was hopped in the first half when Armagh were taking too long to take a feee yet he allowed Morgan the time to stroll up the pitch to take a few? Winds me up!!
Anyway goodluck to Tyrone in the semi final

Grimley's wasn't a free. It was a mark. He has 5 seconds and must take it himself. Ref was right

I did wonder about that. Cheers for clearing it up. I'd say the one were he hopped the ball after Donaghu caught the kick out was baffling

Standing inside the D when the ball was kicked

In that case he was inconsistent on occasions

Can't think of any myself but will take your word for it

[Throw ball]

Men against boys yesterday...it was always going to be a tall order for armagh to even make a game of it. Still the manner of the defeat is extremely disappointing. Tyrone are some outfit and I would love to see them beat Dublin. Can't wait for the game. Not a lot to say about Armagh that hasn't been said. Some positives to be taken from the season as a whole but we have a lot of work to do to be a team that regularly makes the quarter finals. I do believe however we have a set of players who can achieve that in a few years time.
I thought the knee McCann took to the head looked like an accident...I'm sure Harte will be annoyed with McCarron as he now misses the semi final?
One tiny complaint about the ref! Ball was hopped in the first half when Armagh were taking too long to take a feee yet he allowed Morgan the time to stroll up the pitch to take a few? Winds me up!!
Anyway goodluck to Tyrone in the semi final

Grimley's wasn't a free. It was a mark. He has 5 seconds and must take it himself. Ref was right

I did wonder about that. Cheers for clearing it up. I'd say the one were he hopped the ball after Donaghu caught the kick out was baffling

Standing inside the D when the ball was kicked

I think the ball has to travel 13m.  Tyrone players took at least 2 kickouts inside the D  in the second half and no free was given.
As for the Grimley free I thought it was borderline  weither he took too long or not. Free was only given after he had kicked the ball.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

In other news, that Mayo muppet David Brady predicted "an Armagh win - Tyrone haven't been tested in Ulster, and Armagh have the momentum..."  Why are clowns such as that afforded the oxygen to spout such drivel?

[tonto1888]

Men against boys yesterday...it was always going to be a tall order for armagh to even make a game of it. Still the manner of the defeat is extremely disappointing. Tyrone are some outfit and I would love to see them beat Dublin. Can't wait for the game. Not a lot to say about Armagh that hasn't been said. Some positives to be taken from the season as a whole but we have a lot of work to do to be a team that regularly makes the quarter finals. I do believe however we have a set of players who can achieve that in a few years time.
I thought the knee McCann took to the head looked like an accident...I'm sure Harte will be annoyed with McCarron as he now misses the semi final?
One tiny complaint about the ref! Ball was hopped in the first half when Armagh were taking too long to take a feee yet he allowed Morgan the time to stroll up the pitch to take a few? Winds me up!!
Anyway goodluck to Tyrone in the semi final

Grimley's wasn't a free. It was a mark. He has 5 seconds and must take it himself. Ref was right

I did wonder about that. Cheers for clearing it up. I'd say the one were he hopped the ball after Donaghu caught the kick out was baffling

Standing inside the D when the ball was kicked

In that case he was inconsistent on occasions

Can't think of any myself but will take your word for it

I was inline with it. There were a couple of instances were Tyrone players caught the ball f the kick out inside the d. Another Armagh one also. It looked like he ref was saying the ball hadnt gone over the 21

[RedHand88]

In other news, that Mayo muppet David Brady predicted "an Armagh win - Tyrone haven't been tested in Ulster, and Armagh have the momentum..."  Why are clowns such as that afforded the oxygen to spout such drivel?

Haha I actually forgot about that. Thanks for giving me the laugh.

[LCohen]

My point Lcohen is that Armagh have been training to play a certain way. That changes against Tyrone. Dublin have been preparing to face Tyrone all year just as Tyrone have been training to face them. Armagh are physically not on the same level as either.  It is true that creating width helps beat the blanket but Tyrone suffocate the centre area. Shots from wide areas are more difficult to take. If you get ahead early and draw them out then the width will create more space in attack. Dublin are usually ahead. They may find it much more difficult against Tyrone.

To confuse width in the attack with taking shots from out wide misses the point entirely

The problem is that Tyrone do not play 1 or 2 sweepers. It was interesting to see how they had 11 or 12 players covering the scoring zone. If you have players wide you still some how have to get the ball from there to the scoring zone. There is also the possibility that they will let players stay wide as they are confident they cannot score from there. Even if they mark them they could have 10 players in the scoring zone defending.  Armagh players in general did not have the upper body strength to break tackles either.

Tyrone are difficult to play against. The opportunities are slim but I would rather spend time on opportunities than excuses.

They keep men back. Mainly in the centre and they get more back when we get the ball. We carry the ball to midfield and then hit it to a narrow attack and get out numbered. Never going to work. Put men wide. If Tyrone let them operate man on man then hit up the wide channel early. More chance of securing the initial ball and less Tyrone men back when we try to work something.

On the other hand if they do double up out wide it eeks out a little more space in the centre.

We settled for being told what to do and accept what was coming to us

[sam03/05]

David Brady is a useless pundit - some of the stuff he comes out with is tragic
Last year he was in the middle of telling us how Jim McGuiness was training the Mayo team (day before AI final) only to change his mind live on air as he got a text message.
All he ever says is "As the man says..." - muppet

[RedHand88]

David Brady is a useless pundit - some of the stuff he comes out with is tragic
Last year he was in the middle of telling us how Jim McGuiness was training the Mayo team (day before AI final) only to change his mind live on air as he got a text message.
All he ever says is "As the man says..." - muppet

"If you look at the quality in the Ulster championship, I don't think Tyrone are in the top three [in Ireland]," Brady said.

"I honestly don't and they [Armagh] can seriously give them a challenge. Tyrone, the win over Donegal is probably put into reflection now. That is wasn't as good as you would have made out. It is a big game for Tyrone. Your form and and confidence is dictated by your quarter-final. I think Armagh have an excellent opportunity.
"When teams are successful going through the back door, there was a unity about Armagh and a purpose. You could see them afterwards that they were really embracing each other and I think they can really challenge Tyrone. McGeeney knows Ulster football, Tyrone football, inside out and Mickey Harte vice-versa."

[stew]

Just in. Long day. Have read nothing.

Bad day for the super 8 concept. Where are they going to get 8?

Hugely disappointed in our performance. We deployed tactics that were guaranteed to never work. We give in before throw in. Absolute cowardice.

I read all week about the influence of 02. Where was it?

We voluntarily decided to concede possession from all Tyrone kick outs. Was that 02?

We watched this go spectacularly wrong. We did nothing about it. What were the 02 boys saying or doing about it? Giving up? Giving in? Games are unwinnable and that justifies giving up?

We allow McCrory to take McParland for a tour of HQ and do nothing to pass him on. Mickey Harte dictates our tactics. This apparently is something we should settle for??

Mickey Harte's dearest wish was that we would abandon our game plan, retreat to defence, leave one of front, in the central channel, right in the line of their sweeper . We gave Mickey all his christmasses, birthdays and probably the horn at once.

The set up was inexcusable. The failure to respond a disgrace

Stick to our guns. Got beat with our own game plan and actually give it a go and at least there would be some pride. There was no pride in that

Tremendous post.

McGeeney bottled it, stifled our best and let Harte dictate our gameplan, I have never seen anything like it.

Tyrone were magnificent, they knew they had our number before a ball was kicked and they destroyed us as soon as she was thrown in, nothing fixes this except a complete overhaul from the youngest levels up, we need to be limiting touches at practices, we need to modernise training practices and we need to ge the f**k out od division three, no excuses, no bullshit about the referees, we need to get promoted, promoted again and we need a new leader at the helm, McGeeney is a donkey, we need a thoroughbred and we need him now!

[omagh_gael]

As far as I am aware the rule is kick out should travel 13m. Donaghy caught his very close to the 13m line and in no way was 13m away from Hughes. I had an excellent view of it. Some Tyrone kick out were taken inside the Semi circle but (the ones I seen up close) were at the very edge of the circle and, obviously, deemed by Gough to have travelled the required distance.

Just seen the brief highlights on the GAA Facebook page. Jaysus, Mulgrew fairly took the second goal well. Loved the dumb hand pass and the side footed finish on both goals were superb. All this from a lad who is only 19!

Couple more points, Connal McCann and McGreary both will be under extreme pressure to hold their place. For a big man Connal needs to dominate more in the air and he missed a lot of shots, especially two pretty handy ones on the Hogan stand side in the first half. You could see from his reaction that those misses would put big pressure on his position. McGreary just didn't get going at all, I thought.