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Awful game.
Fermanagh had their chances of goals but either miskicked, took the wrong option or just messed it up.
Armagh deserved winners - but goals aside, they didn't look overly impressive.
Missed a lot of frees. Didnt look fluid, should have scored more points from play given the way Fermanagh just kind of stopped. If I was from Armagh I'd be worried enough.

Jarly Og lucky to stay on the pitch imo.

Jarly Og is one of the least aggressive players on the Armagh squad so I'd be very surprised if there was any intent there. A yellow card was fair in that instance.

Sorry but I hate that "he's not that type of player"


It was high and dangerous what's his personality got to do with it? It was a red all day!

It's only relevant in so far as being useful when trying to gauge whether there was intent to hurt the opponent. I would doubt if there was. In real time it didn't look like a red card to me but I'd have to see it again.

In the bigger scheme it was irrelevant though as Fermanagh were already a beaten docket at that point.

Who, where and when has anyone "bigged up" Down?

I've seen plenty of comments on these threads and in the media. They were shoe ins for last years Tailteann Cup and the division 3 title and tipped by lots of pundits to win both of those finals.

They've definitely improved alright under Laverty but from what I've seen of them they lack players who can kick the ball, it's basically the Kilcoo blueprint being employed at county level. 

Awful game.
Fermanagh had their chances of goals but either miskicked, took the wrong option or just messed it up.
Armagh deserved winners - but goals aside, they didn't look overly impressive.
Missed a lot of frees. Didnt look fluid, should have scored more points from play given the way Fermanagh just kind of stopped. If I was from Armagh I'd be worried enough.

Jarly Og lucky to stay on the pitch imo.

Jarly Og is one of the least aggressive players on the Armagh squad so I'd be very surprised if there was any intent there. A yellow card was fair in that instance.

A fairly underwhelming performance from Armagh. Good for some players to get a bit of match fitness under the belts but for others you really have to wonder what it is they have on McGeeney. Fermanagh threw the towel in fairly early on and with no plan B were bullied into half time at which stage Armagh could see the game out without breaking a sweat. Down will be a much sterner test you'd imagine irrespective of their showing yesterday evening. A similar performance from Armagh won't do.

Armagh done what they needed to, were very clinical before putting the game to bed early once the second goal went in. We got good success early out of pressurising the Fermanagh defence high up the pitch and breaking at speed. After that it was a bit more subdued as we basically just seen the game out since the second half was a non event.

I don't get all of this bigging up of Down, they are about the same level as Fermanagh so that performance today absolutely would be enough. Derry on the other hand would be a different matter.

Very impressive half from Armagh, makes such a difference when we push up and put the opposition defence under pressure and the off the ball running has been excellent. 

Strong Armagh team named, glad to see Rian back starting where he belongs.

Geezer changing all the numbers around does my head in as if Fermanagh will think jarly og burns is going play corner forward and turbitt is going play wing forward.I would like see Rian get a run at midfield as think this a weak area for us, but burns, crealey or mackin could all play middle of the field.

Numbers mean nothing. Basically we will play with one or two men up the pitch (probably Murnin and Turbitt/Conaty), one or two men as designated markers at the back (Burns and McKay) with everybody else moving up and down the pitch. Same as nearly every team nowadays so this thing of lining out teams in 1-6-2-6 simply pre-dates the Jimmy McGuinness tactical revolution. It still bemuses me to see a half back get extra credit for picking off scores when they are often the best placed players on the team to kick points. 

Use of the word 'humble' or 'humbled' is a particular bugbear.

 

Every post match GAA interview must begin with 'sure lookit'.

For GAA pundits, it's deemed essential to insert terms such as pockets of space, backdoor cut, game time, transition in order to appear more sophisticated.   

And for the administrators the use of the term stakeholder is an absolute must.   

Beggan is the best kicking goalkeeper but at the fundamentals he is just average. Even with his forays up the pitch, while he has the ability to kick long range points with that right foot piston, he is quite slow and cumbersome in possession and got caught out yesterday not for the first time. You would have to question the judgement of a pundit who gave him MOTM yesterday after conceding 3 goals. That must be a first for a goalkeeper. I thought Paddy Lynch deserved it but Faulkner was very good too. 

Well dunno where that came from but up Cavan. Beggan mom, what are they smoking in BBC?

Ridiculous decision, they were dying to give it to Beggan simply due to the fact that he got an NFL trial.

Some mental gymnastics being employed on this thread when it comes to 'peaking'. It seems that whenever a team wins a few games that it was down to them specifically targeting those games above all others. And when they lose it was down to them timing their 'peak'. All done with the benefit of hindsight or no inside knowledge of their training programmes.

These top county teams are so meticulously prepared now that I don't believe any side has any significant advantage over each other in terms of fitness or S & C programmes. Most of these lads now maintain a very good general level of conditioning all year round. If there are smaller advantages they will be found tactically or in other areas. But the primary advantage will still remain the quality of player available, nothing to do with peaks.       

Yep.
When Dublin beat Derry in celtic park Derry and Mickey Harte had bottled it, and feared Dublin. When they  trounced Tyrone, they were the real deal.
Everything they done was calculated and fluid. They were the masters of the game and everyone else were to be also rans.
They didn't beat Derry and suddenly it was all about the players that were not playing, but nobody will  identify   the players to be replaced.
Dublin will only improve and Derry were playing at their limit.
As in all matters the narrative must suit the bias.

I see Colm Boyle saying that today as well. Derry couldn't beat the dubs at 70%. The week before he tipped the dubs to win comfortably and now he's quoting the players missing. Dublin's biggest fans in the media are often the former Mayo players. I think by bigging up the Dubs it helps build up their team who could never beat them

Found his article.
He didnt name the players to be replaced on this team of titans operating at 70% that Derry couldn't beat at 100%.

Probably all the better for Mickey Harte.

'My only worry for Derry is that they were at their absolute peak and Dublin were maybe at 70%. And Dublin will raise the bar again come the Championship, I'm sure of that.'

How can he know that Derry were at their absolute peak, has he the inside track to their preparations? I'd say practically every county will improve come championship time. Derry haven't even gone on their foreign training camp yet, will they not learn things and improve their preparation there.   

And if Dublin were operating at only 70% as he suggests then they may as well just hand them Sam now.

Some mental gymnastics being employed on this thread when it comes to 'peaking'. It seems that whenever a team wins a few games that it was down to them specifically targeting those games above all others. And when they lose it was down to them timing their 'peak'. All done with the benefit of hindsight or no inside knowledge of their training programmes.

These top county teams are so meticulously prepared now that I don't believe any side has any significant advantage over each other in terms of fitness or S & C programmes. Most of these lads now maintain a very good general level of conditioning all year round. If there are smaller advantages they will be found tactically or in other areas. But the primary advantage will still remain the quality of player available, nothing to do with peaks.       

My own take on the ranking for the ulster championship (based on form and the draw).

1 - Derry - out and out team to beat regardless of the draw. 
2 - Armagh - draw lends to an 'easier' route to the final. 
3 - Donegal - seem to be a resurgence in them, should give Derry a game with a fully fit team.
4 - Down - Should get over Antrim with no fuss, and may catch Armagh on the hop to make it to a final.
5 - Tyrone - should get over the line in their first game, likely to get beat by Derry/Donegal. 
6 - Monaghan - expect them to beat Cavan and give Tyrone a game, but fall short at this point.   
7 - Fermanagh - expect Armagh to beat them, but it will be a grind for the most of it.
8 - Cavan - no real expectations on Cavan, exit at the first hurdle. 
9 - Antrim - Down seem to be showing promise, so expect Antrim to go out at their hands handy enough. 

Derry v Armagh a likely final. 

Derry's only downfall in my eyes would be injuries to key players(Mc Guigan, Rodgers or Glass) or taking their eye off the ball. 

For Armagh to win, they would need to get over the mental hurdle of caving under the pressure of big games that has haunted them this past 3 years. 

I'd agree with most of that but on what basis are Down the 4th best in Ulster? Beating up Tailteann Cup teams does not make them a better side than both Monaghan and Tyrone. Down for me are the 7th best team in Ulster. 

Is there something to be said for both teams holding their cards close to their chest for the Championship and playing fairly shite on purpose??!!

I think there's an element of that with Armagh. I refuse to believe we've been fielding our strongest team available in the league.

Would Armagh fans be shocked if in 2 weeks time, we seen 2x ONeills, Kelly, Grimley, Duffy and Nugent start?

There will undoubtedly be some changes. McPartland was handed his debut last year in the Ulster championship having not featured in the League. So I think we will try a few different things out against and Fermanagh and hopefully Down.   

I think Rian and Duffy will definitely start. I'd definitely start Oisin O'Neill midfield and Nugent at his best starts also. But since we have seen so little of Kelly, Nugent and Grimley we don't actually know what sort of form they are producing in training.

I'm hoping it was part of a Geezer masterplan to use the 2023 gameplan in the League final and then unleash the new marauding Armagh come championship time.

Donegal deserved to win but Armagh were awful. Falling back in to all the old habits I thought they had moved away from this year (Louth match excepted).

The manner of the defeat against a Donegal who will get much better is hard to take. I'd no longer be confident of an Ulster final let alone hoping for something more. 

having saw down Fermanagh and antrim they should be making it with bit to spare.

In fairness I was maybe a little raw after the match but I am not as confident as I was before yesterday

Not saying you are one of them, but Armagh fans have unrealistic expectations for this crop of players. The team is in a better place than it was but there's  still a way to go to get to Derry's level. Is McGeeney the man, I'm not sure but I don't think there is a queue for the job.  Rian O'Neill I understand has had issues outside of the game and is being eased back in. Talking of unrealistic expectations though the fans have placed too much on his shoulders and indeed Oisin's before him. Maybe just let them play football they both are class acts on their day. It was strange I'd say that the best club team in the county didn't have one starter.

this is it in a nutshell. Our fans think we are a top 4/5 team when in reality we are far from it

How exactly are we far from a top 4/5 team. We've proven against Galway and Derry in the last 2 seasons that we are on a par with those 2 sides. Arguably should have beaten Derry last season and beat Galway in the group game. Last Sunday was undoubtedly a blow and would make you reevaluate whether we have learned anything from other recent close defeats. I think we are outside the top 3 at the minute but that can easily change on the basis of one result. Our season will be defined by the Ulster championship this year as I don't think many are realistically expecting us to win the All Ireland.

In my view it would be nice to see us just throw off the shackles and give it a go. Irrespective of whether we actually win anything if we can produce football like the 2022 back door campaign I'd be more than satisfied with that. Plus it actually suits our best players to take this approach anyway as the reality is that we've been losing tight games playing the cautious, cagey stuff anyway.   

your laast paragragh sums it up. If we played to our capabilites and threw off the shackles then we could reach the AISF. As it is, despite recent QF results we arent close. We dont play good football. We cannot close out games or win big games at CP. We dont have a midfield and we lack that real top quality forward who can guarantee you at least 5/6 points in the big big games a la Clifford or McGuigan

I couldn't argue with any of that but if we opened up and kicked the ball inside more regularly to 2 inside forwards I think we would be closer. And if not then at least we would have something to get behind. We have enough good kickers of the ball to play this style and make us less predictable. 

Clifford is a generational player so we don't need to have one of those as long as we have enough other good forwards which I firmly believe that we do. The obsession with risk free football and making every game an arm wrestle might help make us competitive but it won't actually help us win anything.