Armagh v Cork NFL Division 1 round 1 Sunday 05-02-12

[Keane]

TY

[AFS]

I would expect to see something like:

1 - mcevoy
2 - mallon
3 - vernon
4 - donaghy
5 - mckenna
6 - mckeever
7 - pduffy
8 - lavery
9 - mackin
10 - aforker
11 - o'rourke or dyas
12 - aduffy
13 - campbell
14 - swift
15 - mcverry

Is mcparland ok to start? If so, he should start.

Hopefully, CV can impress at full back and some of the young lads make a good push for a championship starting place

i hate this idea of CV in full back, we tried it for 3 matches in the mc kenna cup and it didnt work, he is far better suited round the middle of th pitch running at players

But Charlie has been playing around MF / half forwards since 2008 and has proved too inconsistant to nail down a position. Barring a couple of stand out performances, he has been disappointing (he is not alone here). When he runs at players he generally loses possession or falls which isn't acceptable at this level. A lot of his attributes are qualities you would look for in a defender, strength, pace for example. I just think it might be worthwhile playing him in defense to see how he copes against the likes of cork & kerry.

Like most Armagh players, Vernon didn't have an outstanding championship, but I thought he put in several very strong displays from midfield in the earlier part of last year and that, taken as a whole, 2011 could probably be considered his best to date in an Armagh jersey. Given this, and that Kieran Toner will be absent for at least the immediate future, I'd be disappointed if Vernon isn't returned to the middle fairly sharpish and allowed to build on any recent progress.

[Orangemac]

Vernon had his best spell at midfield for Armagh in the league last year and surely he is the best bet at midfield this year. He often does the hard work in winning possession but still doesn't know when to release it.

On the subject of Cross surely the question should be how many Armagh players would get into the Cross team?

Think this game is on TG4 this weekend.

[Onlooker]

I was at the McGrath Cup Final in Clonmel yesterday.  Cork won by 7 points and were always going to win, but Tipp would have been a lot nearer, but for some outstanding saves by the Cork goalkeeper, Ken O'Halloran.  He looked like a really good player and will surely push very hard for Alan Quirke's place on the Cork team.

[Captain Obvious]

Armagh need to win all home games to beat the drop.

[eviemonkey]

Cork will probably have an experimental look about their team. Missing a few due to injury, particularly in the forwards and other fringe players are away on Sigerson duty, but Armagh will be missing their Cross' contingent so a hard game to predict what will happen, as tends to be the case in the first round of the League.

With Goulding and Sheehan out for a while, Kerrigan and Colm O'Neill (might miss this game) will be expected to carry the scoring threat in the forwards. Opportunity for Fintan Goold to stake a claim as well. Big talent, but has struggled to fulfill his potential thus far at senior level. Canty is fully-fit for the first time in a while so that is a positive.

[DuffleKing]

Armagh - and other counties with their respective county champions - have been making the same mistake with crossmaglen players for some time now. Good club players don't necessarily make good county players - far from it. In recent years we've loaded up the panel with players who have done well or had a run of form for cross and invariably found them short in the long run. In my view both hanrattys, McKenna, McKeown, p kernan, s kernan, mcnamee + cunningham are good club players operating within at fantastic system at cross but that is their ceiling.

The players we consider certs from cross are exceptional club players. The first list of players probably have ironically had the county chances harmed by their club success in that they don't have the same opportunity to develop through the McKenna cup and NFL preparations as other good club players with county potential. I'm sure some of them are happy with that anyway. As we probably all already know, club players from strongest teams are being punished by the GAA calendar.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Armagh - and other counties with their respective county champions - have been making the same mistake with crossmaglen players for some time now. Good club players don't necessarily make good county players - far from it. In recent years we've loaded up the panel with players who have done well or had a run of form for cross and invariably found them short in the long run. In my view both hanrattys, McKenna, McKeown, p kernan, s kernan, mcnamee + cunningham are good club players operating within at fantastic system at cross but that is their ceiling.

The players we consider certs from cross are exceptional club players. The first list of players probably have ironically had the county chances harmed by their club success in that they don't have the same opportunity to develop through the McKenna cup and NFL preparations as other good club players with county potential. I'm sure some of them are happy with that anyway. As we probably all already know, club players from strongest teams are being punished by the GAA calendar.

The problem of course being that we are unable to expose these players to the rigours of county football for the majority of matches most years.

[hobit hunter]

You could be not far away with that team but i hope there would be a few differences.

I'd hope McEvoy would be in goals.
I'd hope vernon would be at mf with Mackin wing forward - a wing back could have a very handsome day on cv.
I'm assuming dyas is a available after the colleges stint and would be ahead of mo at wing nack.

Concerns:
McKenna shouldn't be played in the full back line - very short on pace for that job.
we have to have better options than Kingham in the middle? he's well short of county standard.
I don't think ryan rafferty is ready yet and we could well end up doing what we've done with grugan.
Aidan Forker is about the same age but i'd class him much further developed for county football than rafferty yet.

What has happened to Grugan, has he simply been dropped?  And can anyone confirm the extent of Toner's absence, is he injured?

[Onion Bag]

Grugan has to get an operation, and should be back in the team mid league

[Keane]

Toner has moved to Australia. Paddy O'Rourke has said he hopes to have him home for the Championship but he's certainly missing the NFL.

Who is this Dyas guy?

[Onion Bag]

Kevin Dyas , he is from the Dromitee club,
he had a spell out in Oz along with marty clarke,

[hobit hunter]

Looks like we're cleaned out at midfield.  When at one stage we had 5 or 6 midfielders all of whom were 80% fit for the job.  And at a time like this we're playing CV in FB? 

If Dyas is in Ireland he should be on the squad - a very talented footballer who under the right guidance could offer a lot to the team

[PAULD123]

I would expect to see something like:

1 - mcevoy
2 - mallon
3 - vernon
4 - donaghy
5 - mckenna
6 - mckeever
7 - pduffy
8 - lavery
9 - mackin
10 - aforker
11 - o'rourke or dyas
12 - aduffy
13 - campbell
14 - swift
15 - mcverry

Is mcparland ok to start? If so, he should start.

Hopefully, CV can impress at full back and some of the young lads make a good push for a championship starting place

Surely BJP will start? POR seems to really like him.

Aiden Forker really impressed me in the McKenna cup match in Newry

[armaghniac]

If Dyas is in Ireland he should be on the squad - a very talented footballer who under the right guidance could offer a lot to the team

He is. He's been playing for UCD, at half forward, I think. Scoring anyway. 

Surely BJP will start? POR seems to really like him

I'd also expect BJP in the team. He does a job.