Armagh v Donegal USFC 14/06/2015

[BennyCake]

Seriously, where are Armagh going to get the scores to beat Donegal? Just cant see it!

Nor me.

[Oraisteach]

Looking forward to the game with a cloud of impending doom hovering over me.  Hoping that Kyrie has undergone a miraculous recovery and is his old self.  Hmmm. . .  Go Cavs

Oops So excited about tonight's basketball game that I posted in the wrong thread.  Well, for some, Armagh vs Donegal may well look like a basketball game. 

[Throw ball]

Seriously, where are Armagh going to get the scores to beat Donegal? Just cant see it!

They kick the ball between the two white posts!

Many may not believe it but Armagh have some very good forwards. When fit Clarke, Campbell, Rafferty, Kernan, Dyas and Forker can all score well. The one thing they do not have, however, is a player who will consistently score heavily.

To be honest as an Armagh man the bigger worry is winning enough ball around the middle third to give the forwards a chance to score. The one hope though is that Tyrone played with only 2 forwards - Cavanagh played around the middle - and they got close to Donegal.

[twohands!!!]

Armagh were constantly in bother with various refs in the league with their tackling, really wouldn't be surprised to see them lose this on the number of frees they give away and McGeeney to complain about it after.

[illdecide]

Make no mistake this game will have everything and I reckon from before the first whistle Armagh will be putting a marker down to Donegal that they're not coming to Armagh to walk all over us. There will be bookings, sending offs, black cards and God only knows what else. When the football finally breaks out there shouldn't be a kick of ball between the two sides (as long as Armagh don't lose a few players to the above cards).
For the first time in a while we have a strong bench and there are scores in our team and I believe Armagh will win this by 1pt but wouldn't rule out a draw. I haven't looked forward to a match as much in a long time and can't wait for next Sunday...

[Orior]

My preference would be along the lines of:

           Geoghan

Mallon  Vernon  Donaghy Murray

J Morgan  C McKeever  M Shields

       Findon  Rafferty

Campbell  Dyas  A Forker

     Clarke  Murnin


If Campbell not fit then McKenna. Only use O'Hanlon and McVerry if others injured or carded. Bring on Harold when Findon runs himself into the ground. Besides Finn Mo I'm not sure of the defence replacements. Bring it on.

[J70]

Make no mistake this game will have everything and I reckon from before the first whistle Armagh will be putting a marker down to Donegal that they're not coming to Armagh to walk all over us. There will be bookings, sending offs, black cards and God only knows what else. When the football finally breaks out there shouldn't be a kick of ball between the two sides (as long as Armagh don't lose a few players to the above cards).
For the first time in a while we have a strong bench and there are scores in our team and I believe Armagh will win this by 1pt but wouldn't rule out a draw. I haven't looked forward to a match as much in a long time and can't wait for next Sunday...

Is this prediction based on McGeeney's statement that Donegal are not that physical?

[twohands!!!]

Make no mistake this game will have everything and I reckon from before the first whistle Armagh will be putting a marker down to Donegal that they're not coming to Armagh to walk all over us. There will be bookings, sending offs, black cards and God only knows what else. When the football finally breaks out there shouldn't be a kick of ball between the two sides (as long as Armagh don't lose a few players to the above cards).
For the first time in a while we have a strong bench and there are scores in our team and I believe Armagh will win this by 1pt but wouldn't rule out a draw. I haven't looked forward to a match as much in a long time and can't wait for next Sunday...

Is this prediction based on McGeeney's statement that Donegal are not that physical?

I think McGeeney was looking at the low number of scoreable frees Donegal generally concede and confusing this defensive discipline with not being physical.

At the moment I think that by far the likeliest outcome is that Armagh's lack of discipline will be a key factor in costing them the game.

[illdecide]

Make no mistake this game will have everything and I reckon from before the first whistle Armagh will be putting a marker down to Donegal that they're not coming to Armagh to walk all over us. There will be bookings, sending offs, black cards and God only knows what else. When the football finally breaks out there shouldn't be a kick of ball between the two sides (as long as Armagh don't lose a few players to the above cards).
For the first time in a while we have a strong bench and there are scores in our team and I believe Armagh will win this by 1pt but wouldn't rule out a draw. I haven't looked forward to a match as much in a long time and can't wait for next Sunday...

Is this prediction based on McGeeney's statement that Donegal are not that physical?

I think McGeeney was looking at the low number of scoreable frees Donegal generally concede and confusing this defensive discipline with not being physical.

At the moment I think that by far the likeliest outcome is that Armagh's lack of discipline will be a key factor in costing them the game.

Maybe it's reverse psychology and Donegal will come down prepared for a fight and will bully us and the ref will send off a few of their players

[Throw ball]

I think some are reading too much into what McGeeney said. He said Dublin and Kerry are more physical than Donegal. Are Donegal people saying that is not true? Besides in most matches I have seen over the last few years the opposition has nearly always been bigger physically than Armagh. Mallon, Murray, Shields, Dyas and Clarke etc. are hardly muscle men. The game may be tough and physical but I would be surprised if it was particularly dirty.

[J70]

Good interview in the Democrat with Rory Kavanagh about the appointment of McGuinness and then a bit about the struggles against Armagh over the years, including how they'd regrouped by last season.

We were capable of these big performances. We never feared Tyrone and always had a decent record against them. But we had a psychological block that was always there with Armagh. It was something then that they could play on: 'We've got Donegal's measure here.'

http://www.donegaldemocrat.ie/sport/gaelic-games/rory-kavanagh-after-crossmaglen-we-didn-t-know-if-we-would-play-football-for-donegal-again-1-6781296

[J70]

I think some are reading too much into what McGeeney said. He said Dublin and Kerry are more physical than Donegal. Are Donegal people saying that is not true? Besides in most matches I have seen over the last few years the opposition has nearly always been bigger physically than Armagh. Mallon, Murray, Shields, Dyas and Clarke etc. are hardly muscle men. The game may be tough and physical but I would be surprised if it was particularly dirty.

I'd never really perceived Kerry or Dublin as having a physical edge on us. We've played both twice over the past four years, and I don't think that was an issue any time, either way.

I presumed McGeeney was saying this to motivate his own players. Perhaps there is a perception, which you voice, that Armagh are a bit inferior in that respect, and he is trying to stop that affecting the players.

As for dirt, it depends what you mean! There'll be plenty of mouthing and bits of pushing and shoving here and there, but that is usually the case anyway.

[ardchieftain]

I think that what Geezer meant was that the southern media perceive Ulster teams, especially Donegal, as being the big bad wolves of Gaelic Football, while Dublin and Kerry get away with far worse. I reckon he was thinking long term rather than this particular game.

Illdecide has pretty much summed up my feelings on the game in his earlier post. Haven't looked forward to a game this much in years, a packed to the rafters Athletic grounds, ulster championship game, sure ye couldn't beat it.

[BluestackBoy]

Really looking forward to this game, a packed ground, a great atmosphere & 2 fully committed teams, what more could you ask for?

As for the game itself, Donegal have the better players, especially up front. Armagh will be looking to Jamie Clarke for a big performance & if Donegal do a mam to man marking job on him, a la Justin McMahon, then it's hard to see where the Armagh scores are going to come from.

As against that home advantage is with the Orchard men & that is always worth a few points. I expect Donegal to play a tight controlled game & to come out 2 or 3 points the better of a low scoring game.

[naka]

Really looking forward to this
Actually think Armagh can beat Donegal
A lot of the posters seem to think our forward line is weak
Actually think at last Armagh have forwards capable of scoring
Hopefully Clarke murnin and Campbell are on the top of their game
Can see those three with forker, dyas and  Kernan in the half forward line