Enda McNulty-Admits Armagh were failures!

[Bensars]

puts to bed any doubt that they underachieved on a massive scale !

http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/mcnulty-armagh-should-have-been-kings-302960.html


By Kieran Shannon
Enda McNulty has claimed the Kerry and Tyrone teams of the noughties were "weaker teams" than the Armagh side he played for and that it is a "disgrace" that the Orchard county won only one All-Ireland when they were "in a position to win nine".

The former Armagh stalwart and now performance coach to the stars won seven Ulster medals from 1999 to 2008 but only the one All-Ireland (in 2002), whereas Kerry and Tyrone would win a combined eight All-Irelands in that decade.

Armagh were a widely admired and influential side during that era, but it is McNulty's contention that contrary to general consensus, they were also the most — rather than the least — talented of the so-called Big Three, and thus the most underachieving.

"That team, without a doubt, was a failure," McNulty said in an interview in the latest edition of the men's magazine Irish Tatler Man.

"We'll go to our grave with that regret. Armagh were in a position to win nine All-Irelands and we won one. You might say to me, 'Enda, that's not very positive.' No, but it's realistic. That team had the leaders, had the skill, the adversity-quotient, the power, the physicality, the defence, the scorers.

"It is a disgrace that team only won one All-Ireland."

Armagh at the time were regularly coming up against the best Tyrone side ever with talents like Peter Canavan, Brian McGuigan and Brian Dooher, as well as an exceptional Kerry side featuring Seamus Moynihan, the Ó Sé brothers and a devastating attack.

But for McNulty, who is now part of Joe Schmidt's Ireland rugby backroom team that delivered the 2014 Six Nations Championship, any side that was as defensively mean as Armagh's, had Paul McGrane in midfield, and an attack with the likes of Oisín McConville, Steven McDonnell, Ronan Clarke, Diarmuid Marsden and the McEntees was even better.

"It's not about the other actors on the stage being better; we didn't do it. As good as Kerry and Tyrone were, we lost to weaker teams. We were good enough on those big days that we lost. We were six points up at one stage against Kerry in the quarter-final in 2006. Against Meath in 1999 (All-Ireland semi-final), we were good enough to win that, so therefore we were good enough. There were days, weeks and months where I found it difficult to get out of bed. After Tyrone in '05 (All-Ireland semi-final), Kerry '06 and Derry '07 (first-round qualifier), I literally struggled to get out of bed."

However, McNulty believes at least some good has come from such disappointments.

"Working now with athletes or teams who experience (similar) lows I can empathise. Those failures become part of your success. If I had won six All-Irelands, maybe I wouldn't have the hunger to learn."

© Irish Examiner Ltd. All rights reserved

[BennyHarp]

He says that they had the leaders but they plainly didn't have the leaders to get them through some of the tightest games they faced in those years. Enda is reminiscing with rose tinted glasses. It tends to happen round Christmas time.

[take_yer_points]

There's a men's version of that magazine in the dentist's waiting room?

[orangeman]

Ok some might say he's right that the team were a failure but I don't agree. They came up against brilliant Tyrone and Kerry sides etc in that era. But for these sides, Armagh could have would have had more trophies.

[rrhf]

Armagh were third best but by god they were good.

[T Fearon]

Armagh Could have had 4 in a row.Catastrophic refereeing decisions favouring Tyrone in 03 and 05 cost us dearly but the defeat to Fermanagh in 04 was simply inexcusable.

[Mario]

Never has a team that won 1 all ireland and set a bigger legacy in gaelic football. Some of the Tyrone games could have went either way, they were definitely unfortunate not to win another all ireland.

[seafoid]

Armagh Could have had 4 in a row.Catastrophic refereeing decisions favouring Tyrone in 03 and 05 cost us dearly but the defeat to Fermanagh in 04 was simply inexcusable.

They should have won at least one more. They were a very good team with lethal forwards.
The next good team to come out of Armagh will learn from their experience and win more. It's hard for counties with a tradition of losing to win effectively once they get going. Tyrone in this regard were very impressive.   

[DennistheMenace]

Derry 93 team  are the ones who should really be looking back with regret, a far superior team to McNulty's Armagh team. No backdoor back then either for a second bite of the cherry.

[Feckitt]

Derry had a better midfield than Armagh, and they also had a superb defence, but it is hard to argue than more than 1 Derry forward would have got on that great Armagh team.

[DennistheMenace]

Derry had a better midfield than Armagh, and they also had a superb defence, but it is hard to argue than more than 1 Derry forward would have got on that great Armagh team.

Wouldn't disagree entirely with that, I also think Armagh were a superb side but had teams on a level par with them if not better, back in early noughties I really believe Derry were the best team for a few years and only have the 1 AI to show for it.

[rrhf]

Derry 93 team  are the ones who should really be looking back with regret, a far superior team to McNulty's Armagh team. No backdoor back then either for a second bite of the cherry.

Armagh were not as good as Tyrone and Kerry during this period.  They were good and pushed Tyrone well.  I would go as far to say that they overachieved. 

[under the bar]

Armagh certainly were fitter, stronger and better drilled.   In terms of individual skill Tyrone were well ahead, with 3  of the 5 best forwards of that era in Canavan, O'Neill and McGuigan.     

[DennistheMenace]

It's a good debate and as a neutral of sorts I'd agree that Tyrone were slighlty better, if Armagh played Tyrone 10 times I'd expect them to win maybe 3 max 4 times aganst Tyrone back then. Really was a great rivalry back then.

[imtommygunn]

As a neutral in 03 there was never a time I believed that Armagh would beat Tyrone in the 03 final. They just weren't as good a team at that stage. There were decisions but I really don't think they mattered that much. Tyrone were just better that day and year.

05 was different. Had McGeeney stayed on the pitch etc etc but in 03 Tyrone were just better.