Armagh v Kerry

[illdecide]

I really can't see a shoot-out here as both teams won't risk it. Kerry will start favourites and rightly so, if Armagh can hang in there and don't let it get away from them then they have a chance. I just want Armagh to have a go (at the right time and not when you're 6pts behind). If i have to travel back home having lost by 2-3pts playing full defensive football and not taking the shackles off I'll be well pissed off. I know if you open up too much Kerry will tear you a new ass but there has to be a happy medium somewhere between defensive and attacking.

I do believe from my eye test that there is not much separating the 4 teams left for SAM, Kerry will always be fav's if Dublin are gone and that's life. The other 3 can all beat each other on any given day, I've said it for 2-3 years now but if Galway can get their strongest team out fit and firing they will be hard to stop

[tbrick18]

I think this game will play out a lot like the Derry game.
Kerry will concede kickouts as their midfield are not great, so if I was Armagh I'd def push up on Kerry kickouts and force them long where Armagh have the advantage.
Tally has them coached to play the defensive game as well as anyone, and while they have the better fowards of the 2, they get frustrated against that walled defence and make mistakes.
If Armagh can keep it as a borefest, they could sneak it. If Kerry get ahead by a few points by the last 15 Armagh will have to push up and leave the back door open a little.

I think it'll be a very physical game with plenty of off the ball antics - who is the ref? A fussy ref issuing black cards could well swing the game.

I think Kerry will win, but a 1 point victory for Armagh wouldn't be a surprise either.

Odds on penalties? 

[Captain Scarlet]

Is skutterball an evolution of puke football?!

In Jacko Kerry have a man who really doesn't care about the outside noise, so he is more than happy to dig and be dour. Geezer probably will start that way, but he surely knows at some point they need to go for it.

Like if they fall into the same flow as other years then the doubts are planted before the 70 minutes are up and game over.

[Milltown Row2]

Armagh in a semi final with Dublin out of the way will play tight, as the chance for All ireland glory is better now, they'll have plenty behind the ball, be tight for 65 minutes with Kerry one or two points ahead, its what Armagh do in the last 5 or normal and injury time that will decide the outcome..

Kerry by 2 points
Donegal by 3 points

[tonto1888]

I think this game will play out a lot like the Derry game.
Kerry will concede kickouts as their midfield are not great, so if I was Armagh I'd def push up on Kerry kickouts and force them long where Armagh have the advantage.
Tally has them coached to play the defensive game as well as anyone, and while they have the better fowards of the 2, they get frustrated against that walled defence and make mistakes.
If Armagh can keep it as a borefest, they could sneak it. If Kerry get ahead by a few points by the last 15 Armagh will have to push up and leave the back door open a little.

I think it'll be a very physical game with plenty of off the ball antics - who is the ref? A fussy ref issuing black cards could well swing the game.

I think Kerry will win, but a 1 point victory for Armagh wouldn't be a surprise either.

Odds on penalties? 

read somewhere it's Gough

[David McKeown]

I think Armagh have the ability to win but wont have the confidence/tactics to win.  Until the league final Armagh mixed up their game between a low block and pressuring in packs.  It was very effective I felt.  In the league final and against Down, Donegal, Galway and Roscommon they seemed to revert to low block exclusively and relied upon the counter attack.  I think against the bigger teams that can only take you so far.  So i expect a close game but I think Armagh will come up short.  Hope I am wrong

[illdecide]

In all my years I've never seen a more low key All Ireland semi final in my life, very little talk or buzz around the town and I'm not aware of how many tickets have been purchased but Croke Park will probably be just over half full which is crap for atmosphere

[Orior]

In all my years I've never seen a more low key All Ireland semi final in my life, very little talk or buzz around the town and I'm not aware of how many tickets have been purchased but Croke Park will probably be just over half full which is crap for atmosphere

I think its a downside of the compressed season.

[Armagh18]

732 and 733 upper Hogan available.

Nothing at all on lower decks. 713-717 canal end available

[tbrick18]

In all my years I've never seen a more low key All Ireland semi final in my life, very little talk or buzz around the town and I'm not aware of how many tickets have been purchased but Croke Park will probably be just over half full which is crap for atmosphere

I'd have thought Armagh would have been chomping at the bit for tickets for this game.
I know for the last 2 years it was very difficult to get tickets for the AISFs that Derry were in given but given how long it had been since we got that far that's understandable.
I dont understand apathy in Armagh for an AISF though.
Maybe its the Kerry factor - where they dont really travel in numbers until a final.

[Armagh18]

In all my years I've never seen a more low key All Ireland semi final in my life, very little talk or buzz around the town and I'm not aware of how many tickets have been purchased but Croke Park will probably be just over half full which is crap for atmosphere

I'd have thought Armagh would have been chomping at the bit for tickets for this game.
I know for the last 2 years it was very difficult to get tickets for the AISFs that Derry were in given but given how long it had been since we got that far that's understandable.
I dont understand apathy in Armagh for an AISF though.
Maybe its the Kerry factor - where they dont really travel in numbers until a final.

Theres not that many people in Armagh altogether. Take out the other breed of orangemen and theres only so many that can go. Anyone I know that has the slightest  interest in football is heading bar people on holidays.

[marty34]

Armagh supporters should outnumber the opposition by 5 to 1 in reality.

Especially for a semi-final.

It's only 1 - 2 hours down the road.  Bus, car and train networks really good also.

[blanketattack]

Kerry are approaching this game against Armagh with all the wariness of an unknown opponent but with the confidence of experiencing and winning in a variety of Croke Park scenarios over the last couple of years.

Beat a variety of opposition including all the big guns and some medium guns - Dublin, Derry (x2), Galway, Mayo, Tyrone.

Win a borefest against 15 players in defence (v Derry 24).
Win a classic (v Dublin & Galway 22)
Win easy (2-18 to 0-12 v Tyrone in 23).
Win an arm wrestle (v Dublin 22, v Derry 23).
Win from behind (v Galway 22, v Derry 23)
Win with the 2 Cliffords and O'Shea kept quiet, win with David Clifford on fire.

There is no fear factor for Kerry in Croke Park.
Kerry no longer are reliant on Clifford and O'Shea to bail them out scoring wise.
Kerry's underrated midfielders both scored v Derry and were a match against a much more vaunted pairing.
Kerry have yet to get out of 2nd gear in this year's Championship. Derry were a big step up compared to what they faced prior and Kerry stepped up.
Armagh are a bigger step up again. Have much more scoring threats, have more of a goal threat, have long range shooters but if Kerry can raise their game again and keep parity on the goals front then presuming Kerry get a bigger return than the 0-2 from play they got from the 2 Cliffords, O'Shea and O'Sullivan, Kerry should sneak home, even if it takes ET.

[illdecide]

A lot of people are on holiday TBF, a lot of people are also struggling for cash based on the number of games recently.

[armaghniac]

In all my years I've never seen a more low key All Ireland semi final in my life, very little talk or buzz around the town and I'm not aware of how many tickets have been purchased but Croke Park will probably be just over half full which is crap for atmosphere

I'd have thought Armagh would have been chomping at the bit for tickets for this game.
I know for the last 2 years it was very difficult to get tickets for the AISFs that Derry were in given but given how long it had been since we got that far that's understandable.
I dont understand apathy in Armagh for an AISF though.
Maybe its the Kerry factor - where they dont really travel in numbers until a final.

There is a a certain unreality about attendances. Croke park is a very large stadium, it is never difficult to get tickets for a semi final where Dublin are not involved and it wasn't difficult last year when Derry were there either. If 20% of the population of the counties go then the stadium is just over half full. In reality, all the interested people in a county cannot go, people work, at this time of year many people are abroad, even in an ultra football family granny doesn't go and perhaps she looks after young children. Twenty years ago Armagh got a lot support from places like Monaghan or Lout, people whose father was from Armagh or whatever, but Monaghan had their own semi final last year and Louth have had their own recent visit to Croke Park.
In 1982, Armagh v Kerry was watched by 17,523, I'd say we'll get 3 times that.