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Galway have a very week half back line and a very iffy full back line, I can see this being badly exposed against Kerry. Think the Kerry midfield will dominate too.

Ros are 3/1 against Tyrone which looks attractive
The aim of the competition is to go further than the Super 8 .
Odds in order are Dubs, Kerry, Galway, Donegal , Tyrone, Monaghan, Kildare and Roscommon
It will be interesting to see how the qualifiers  get on
for Kildare and Ros getting to the super 8 is already an achievement.
Tyrone and Monaghan would presumably be hoping for a semifinal.

Are Galway hoping for a semi final? You'd imagine they'd have to be having failed to make one for the past 16 years.

Charlie Redmond believes that Dublin playing their league games at Croke Park is good for 'clubs and counties all over the country'.

The Hill 16 legend has had his say on the debate about Jim Gavin's team's familiarity with GAA HQ giving them an unfair advantage over their opponents.

He argues that the money raised from Dublin's Croke Park outings benefits the wider GAA community.

"Dublin will be the team in the Super 8s without a home game," the 1995 All-Ireland winner writes in his Sunday World column today.

"Your home ground is the one where the county board maintains the pitch, tries to improve the facilities for players and supporters, where all the county's inter-county teams can train if they want to.

"None of that applies to Croke Park. All of the above applies to Parnell Park.

"Dublin choose to play their league matches in Croke Park to get extra money for everyone. The Allianz League receipts are divided by 32.

"Most of their championship games are fixed for Croker so that the thousands of people who want to see them and their opponents play can do so in comfort.

"And so that clubs and counties all over the country can get grants from GAA HQ to improve their own pitches, clubhouses and coaching programmes."





I wonder if Charlie could say this with a straight face when being asked.

Have Roscommon ever beaten Tyrone in anything. Can't see that changing soon.

Unfortunately Tyrone didn'tmanage to get out of Ulster any time Ros had a good team. Tyrone won their first Ulster in Football  in 1956. Ros had 2 Sams by then
Football didn't actually start in 03.

It certainly seems to have ended for Galway post 2003.

Quiet enough on here in terms of analysis and bits of insight from yesterday
Watched the game back again (it's on YouTube)
What's everyone's thoughts on Hampsey in midfield, wouldnt have anticipated that last week?
Think Richie Donnelly growing into his role at 14. Morgan fully justified his return to the starting 15. There have been a few positional and tactical tweeks through the qualifiers, and we are on an upward incline in terms of performance. Can't help but think Lee Brennan injured at the worst possible time.
We must improve to go further but I genuinely think we are better placed than this time 12months ago, with considerably less hype and expectations.

Hampsey did fine there but I think he's better served back in the full back line with the likes of McClure or McNulty starting. Richie Donnelly did well again, sometimes I feel he lacks the place required to win the ball out in front but he's a nice ball player and played a few intelligent passes and will always put a good shift in.


McShane as usual mixed the good with the ridiculous, he will give you a very good shift and never hides but his decision making is erratic so say the least. The management team really need to take him one side and work on this if they're not already.

I'd like to see just the one change next week, I'd start McClure in midfield and leave out young McKernan. I think McKernan has been excellent in his first season but I'd like to see him coming into the game later on and injecting some energy. Roscommon and very weak around the middle of the pitch and McClure is a good fielder.

It's difficult to critically appraise yesterday's performance, we looked well on the face of it but how much of that was to do with Cork. We pressed the kickouts very well and should be doing the same against Roscommon with their keeper a real weak link.

Bradley looked sharp and it gives us an extra kick off the bench along with Ronan O'Neill looking sharper and more confident in recent weeks.

Petey Harte far more involved as well after a quiet season to date. If we replicate our 2nd half performance tomorrow we should win very comfortably.

Hampsey isn't the answer in midfield I don't think but how you call for McClure to start after his performances this year I don't get. He's completely out of form. In fairness u got the call right about frank going to centre back. I thought mckerrnan more than justified his starting berth. It's probably to late in the year to try mcnamme at midfield but he's being brilliant for agyharn there. Ronan oneill showing his worth as well but he has to accept a subs role

McClure is a natural midfielder though and I think we'll have some dangerous forwards to mark in the Super 8s so can't afford to have Hampsey there.

If you look at the other options for midfield, who would you go for? We're not exactly crawling with in form midfielders to partner Colm Cavanagh.

3 Ulster, 2 Connacht, 2 Leinster, and 1 Munster. Sin é

And everyone says Ulster football is finished.

Just shows the critical lens Ulster gets in comparison to the other provinces.

I dunno if any will be in the semis.
There is an elite and it isn't 8 strong.

Probably a better chance than the Connacht sides though.

17 years since a Connacht side outside Mayo reached an All Ireland semi final and there's no Mayo this year.

Have Roscommon ever beaten Tyrone in anything. Can't see that changing soon.

Careful now, some of these lads are very sensitive about this.

He first Roscommon goal cane from a misplaced fist pass by vernon. We had goal chances second half which we spurned. 3 off the top of my head. I didn't see a problem with he penalty, can someone clear that up for me?
It was a great match. We were on the wrong side of the result but Roscommon were deserved winner in my opinion. A pleasure to have been there

The footblock rule is a bit iffy.

You can understand the need for it as it could result in some nasty injuries.

The Armagh defender who blocked the ball with his foot in the first half was a good distance back from the player who took the shot so there was certainly no call for a penalty there.

As Grugan was approaching in on goal, the referee deemed that it was dangerous play. It was harsh but you could understand why it was given as he was much closer to the player taking the shot than the Armagh player in the first half. I do think it was on the soft side.

Please don't be indulging that buck.

This will be my final post on the matter.

You're using a lot of ifs there.

What are the stats for chance conversion? Armagh missed a lot of chances in the latter stages too, including a penalty and a free that was waved wide when it looked over. Roscommon finished the game stronger and deserved their win but it was a competitive game with two evenly matched sides. Armagh seemed to be the more depleted of the two sides and I think that was the main difference.

When Murnin went out the field, Shields caused wreck inside and he's a natural wing back.

I used one if about McInerney. The same player did a very good marking job on Comer in the Connacht final don't forget. Murnin influence faded once McInereny was moved onto him. It was debatable if it was penalty at all as Roscommon didn't get one for the same so called foot block and anyway Armagh scored a goal within 1 minute after that penalty miss. That free looked wide to me they were never going to keep up their strike rate of the 1st half. Roscommon should have put that game to bed must earlier but they still won by 6 points the difference between the sides is Roscommon are top 8 side now and Armagh hope to reach that level however i think they are capable of reaching that level if they keep improving. And BTW my views are coming as neutral baggio.

I wouldn't agree at all, Armagh butchered a lot of chances and I think the first Roscommon goal came completely against the run of play.

The game was in the melting pot with a few minutes to go and Roscommon finished stronger and got their victory and capitalised on Armagh pushing for sores in the last few minutes and leaving themselves exposed. I didn't think there was too much between the sides other than Roscommon being that bit fresher. Armagh had a number of goal openings at the start of the second half which I think you must have forgotten about.

Please don't be indulging that buck.

I don't think I've come across a more entitled, sensitive set of supporters as ye lads before.

Getting your knickers in a twist for saying that a game between two sides which was in the melting pot until injury time was evenly matched.

Getting your knickers in a twist when I make some observations supported by a body of empirical evidence.

And I'm painted as some sort of bogey man as a result of making pragmatic appraisals supported by facts?

Odd.

Paterson was with his club until half way through the league as they made the AI final. He featured a lot last year.

Quick question. Do you think Patterson would have made the Roscommon 26 yesterday if the Stack brothers and the Lennon brothers were fit or if Sean Mullooly,Cian Connolly didn't go traveling this summer?

I think Armagh were equally as wasteful, Roscommon's first goal was also a sucker punch which came pretty much against the run of play. There didn't seem to be much between the teams other than Roscommon had a bit more in the tank and I'd put that down to the injury problems and withdrawals Armagh have been hit with this year, Roscommon might have a few injuries and withdrawals themselves but nothing to the extent that Armagh have had. If Armagh had the likes of Ben Crealey and Ethan Rafferty fit yesterday you'd really have fancied them to have cleaned Roscommon out in the middle of the field and allowed them to leave Murnin closer to goal where he was destroying their full back in the first half.

It was 0-8 to 0-10 when Roscommon scored their goal and the goal was coming as they were creating and looking for goals. Armagh at that stage had their best patch in the game and scored 0-10 from 11 attempts equally as wasteful?  Galway have a better midfield than Armagh and with Compton in Roscommon's midfield they more than broke even against them 1st half in the Connacht final. If McInerney marked Murnin all game he wouldn't have got as much joy as he did so McStay got his match ups wrong there something he can't afford to repeat against Tyrone next.

You're using a lot of ifs there.

What are the stats for chance conversion? Armagh missed a lot of chances in the latter stages too, including a penalty and a free that was waved wide when it looked over. Roscommon finished the game stronger and deserved their win but it was a competitive game with two evenly matched sides. Armagh seemed to be the more depleted of the two sides and I think that was the main difference.

When Murnin went out the field, Shields caused wreck inside and he's a natural wing back.

The free was a good foot wide. The penalty shouldnt have been a penalty. Murnin went out the field because he was been roasted by McInerney when he was swithed back on him.

The free certainly looked well inside the posts.

The penalty I will give you but it also came form a great goal chance that blowitup seems to forgotten about. As long as Murnin was playing inside he was causing wreck, he went out the field and Shields went inside and he caused wreck. If Armagh had more of their middle third players fit or available I think it would really have allowed them to focus on these obvious weaknesses of Roscommon.

Roscommon also got a number of extremely soft frees they converted, including one ridiculous one in the first half, when Cathal Cregg elbowed Mark Shields in the face.

Either way I think the game being in the melting pot with a few minutes left was a very fair reflection of the contest up until then and Roscommon had more in the tank down the straight and that swung it for them.

3 Ulster, 2 Connacht, 2 Leinster, and 1 Munster. Sin é

And everyone says Ulster football is finished.

Just shows the critical lens Ulster gets in comparison to the other provinces.

Paterson was with his club until half way through the league as they made the AI final. He featured a lot last year.

Quick question. Do you think Patterson would have made the Roscommon 26 yesterday if the Stack brothers and the Lennon brothers were fit or if Sean Mullooly,Cian Connolly didn't go traveling this summer?

I think Armagh were equally as wasteful, Roscommon's first goal was also a sucker punch which came pretty much against the run of play. There didn't seem to be much between the teams other than Roscommon had a bit more in the tank and I'd put that down to the injury problems and withdrawals Armagh have been hit with this year, Roscommon might have a few injuries and withdrawals themselves but nothing to the extent that Armagh have had. If Armagh had the likes of Ben Crealey and Ethan Rafferty fit yesterday you'd really have fancied them to have cleaned Roscommon out in the middle of the field and allowed them to leave Murnin closer to goal where he was destroying their full back in the first half.

It was 0-8 to 0-10 when Roscommon scored their goal and the goal was coming as they were creating and looking for goals. Armagh at that stage had their best patch in the game and scored 0-10 from 11 attempts equally as wasteful?  Galway have a better midfield than Armagh and with Compton in Roscommon's midfield they more than broke even against them 1st half in the Connacht final. If McInerney marked Murnin all game he wouldn't have got as much joy as he did so McStay got his match ups wrong there something he can't afford to repeat against Tyrone next.

You're using a lot of ifs there.

What are the stats for chance conversion? Armagh missed a lot of chances in the latter stages too, including a penalty and a free that was waved wide when it looked over. Roscommon finished the game stronger and deserved their win but it was a competitive game with two evenly matched sides. Armagh seemed to be the more depleted of the two sides and I think that was the main difference.

When Murnin went out the field, Shields caused wreck inside and he's a natural wing back.

A lot depends on Kerry imo. They have been struggling under Dub hegemony.

Not trust your own lads?

If they are good enough they will win.
And when our lads are good they can be very good.
I don't mind as long as they are going in the right direction.
I'd be happy with a Sam down the road.

Very low standards given your critical obsession with Tyrone.

Tyrone is a source of endless laughs.
It deserves its own TV show.

You're scared out of your wits to put some expectations towards your own county. You can't keep using Tyrone as a vessel of escapism.

Quiet enough on here in terms of analysis and bits of insight from yesterday
Watched the game back again (it's on YouTube)
What's everyone's thoughts on Hampsey in midfield, wouldnt have anticipated that last week?
Think Richie Donnelly growing into his role at 14. Morgan fully justified his return to the starting 15. There have been a few positional and tactical tweeks through the qualifiers, and we are on an upward incline in terms of performance. Can't help but think Lee Brennan injured at the worst possible time.
We must improve to go further but I genuinely think we are better placed than this time 12months ago, with considerably less hype and expectations.

Hampsey did fine there but I think he's better served back in the full back line with the likes of McClure or McNulty starting. Richie Donnelly did well again, sometimes I feel he lacks the place required to win the ball out in front but he's a nice ball player and played a few intelligent passes and will always put a good shift in.


McShane as usual mixed the good with the ridiculous, he will give you a very good shift and never hides but his decision making is erratic so say the least. The management team really need to take him one side and work on this if they're not already.

I'd like to see just the one change next week, I'd start McClure in midfield and leave out young McKernan. I think McKernan has been excellent in his first season but I'd like to see him coming into the game later on and injecting some energy. Roscommon and very weak around the middle of the pitch and McClure is a good fielder.

It's difficult to critically appraise yesterday's performance, we looked well on the face of it but how much of that was to do with Cork. We pressed the kickouts very well and should be doing the same against Roscommon with their keeper a real weak link.

Bradley looked sharp and it gives us an extra kick off the bench along with Ronan O'Neill looking sharper and more confident in recent weeks.

Petey Harte far more involved as well after a quiet season to date. If we replicate our 2nd half performance tomorrow we should win very comfortably.