Down v Armagh. June 4th

[seafoid]

Tbf the black card is useless it really is

MC geeney  though has to go, clueless.

He should have gone last year

[tonto1888]

Down could and should have won by double figures.  Armagh abysmal.   The so-called best forward line in Ulster scores 1 point in 40 second-half mins?   Armagh still haven't won an Ulster championship match under McGeeney is that right?

Who was the Armagh forward who looked as if he'd been training on cheeseburgers?

Really? Armagh could and probably should ah e been 4/5 up at half time

Should've been ahead by 4/5 despite being out-played for  most  of the half?  Or should've been by lumping more  hail-marys into the  box? Down handed Armagh their arses on a plate for 70 of the 80 mins played.   2 goals put a respectable shine on a rout.

I don't disagree Down were the better team but Armagh should have been 4/5 points up at half time. Vernon had a bad miss. Grisham had a bad enough miss and then Murnin's which hit the post.
As I've already said, I wish down well in the next round but they will need improvements if they want to have a chance

[PAULD123]

Armagh certainly are a free scoring side. I didn't think we would survive that one point onslaught in the first 35 minutes of the second half

I enjoyed making the comment but it was a low blow and I apologise for it. Match could have gone either way.

[Smokin Joe]

I wonder if there is even one Armagh supporter who would still think that Geezer is the right man to be managing Armagh.

Just because he was an inspirational leader on the pitch shouldn't give him free rein to manage the team for as long as he wishes.

[LCohen]

Only a miracle in the qualifiers saves McGeeney.

On the field the players looked clueless. No game intelligence. No tactical variation or ability to react to changing circumstances. Going for goals was mental. Made worse by Soupy taking an age to then take a point from the ground. It was clear the players had lost the grip of the situation. What was the line doing? Who are the leaders in the team? Asleep at the wheel today.

Down has the wit to drop 11 men back as soon as they got a second half lead. We played into it. No early ball even though Murnin had been winning them. 1 score from play in the second half from 20 attacking possessions. Is the early ball really a primitive tactic that offers less chance of a score? This endless recycling eats up the clock when you are trying to get back in the game.

We look slow. What were we training for?
What tackle drills are doing?

We had no fight. Running in for handbags isn't fight.

All in all a disgrace

[Ethan Tremblay]

Well done Down, some really classy players in that team and although they won't be going much further in Ulster they pulled in together for a much deserved home victory. 

Onto the match,

Liked how the ref let a lot of things go but got some decisions wrong and lost the run of it at the end.  Though Down had several soft frees in the first half and the majority of their scores came as a result.   

Armagh were too slow to make changes, some players were not at the races at all.  Campbell and Grugan are great players but you could tell they were not going to produce the goods.  It would be hard to take off those players who can create something out of nothing but they were not at it at all.  Grugan had a viable shot off his unfavourable right foot and neglected to take it which summed up the second half for Armagh. 

Mooneys direct running was great to watch and player him off half back was a good decision, think he is a natural forward.

The Armagh hype brigade were at it again and put the team up for an almighty fall today.  Although the lost with the stroke of a ball, 3 second half scores is as poor a return as you can get from any inter county team!

[RadioGAAGAA]

I don't think there is much fear of saying the pick of those two teams wouldn't win an Ulster Championship....


[sure if I'm wrong, I'll be delighted.]

[Throw ball]

Reading through the comments I am getting worried as I find myself agreeing with Itchy - Armagh appear to have no leaders, or at best very few. This made the substitution to Vernon a mistake in my opinion. He struggled early on - I understand he missed quite a bit of training with injury - but he is a leader and will take responsibility.
The reason Armagh did not get out of division 3 has nothing to do with the forwards. Despite today I believe they are very good. Brolly is almost right about Campbell. He is a very very good player but has been dreadfully out of form the last while.
As for Down. They did their job today but they met Armagh on a day they were useless and still only won by 2. I wouldn't get too excited.
As for changing manager. Would any decent one want the job?

[Applesisapples]

A poor down team struggled to beat an even worse Armagh team. I am perplexed by the views on here that Down won by a distance. Armagh missed enough to have won the game. It's a blessing that we are not facing Monaghan. Mickey Harte had to leave the match early as he was pissing himself laughing at both teams attempts to play football.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah in my view vernon should not have been taken off. He was starting to go at down and could have troubled them a bit. He could have been taken off later if he was tiring.

As a neutral i just couldn't believe how bad armagh were. They have to be better than that. They were second best but could have won that game had a few of their players stood up and went for points.

Down aren't brilliant these days but can be pleased with that. A few players really stood up and they can be proud of that. They are not world beaters and will struggle next day but they stood up when jt counted.

[illdecide]

I missed the game today as i'd signed up for an event and didn't realise at the time it was on the same day as the match and TBH i'm glad i did now, I haven't missed many games over the years TBH and i will go to the qualifer game.
I'm kinda glad for E Burns to some degree as he has taken some flak which was unfair as he was thrown in at the deep end and inherited a poor enough team and tried to turn them around (i'm sure you Down men would agree with that) and before you jump down my throat if you're poor then what does that make us (Armagh)?

I'll always give a manager plenty of time to prove himself even when others are calling for his head but i do believe Kieran has had that time and more and after the qualifers is over should do the decent thing and resign, Armagh should really be doing better with the players they have and for me are a middle of Div 2 team if they had the right man on board. Can't comment on todays game as i missed it but judging by everyone's opinion on S Campbell poor display i think he's a good player alright but there were rumours all week that he was injured and wasn't playing i dunno if that was just bullsh1t or had something in it considering he had a poor game (your opinion) in saying all that he hasn't been at his best this year from the games i have seen.

[ONeill]

Christmas, birthday and the day Armagh are bate. In that order.

[seafoid]

Kildare recovered from McGeeney. Armagh will too

[Itchy]

Reading through the comments I am getting worried as I find myself agreeing with Itchy - Armagh appear to have no leaders, or at best very few. This made the substitution to Vernon a mistake in my opinion. He struggled early on - I understand he missed quite a bit of training with injury - but he is a leader and will take responsibility.
The reason Armagh did not get out of division 3 has nothing to do with the forwards. Despite today I believe they are very good. Brolly is almost right about Campbell. He is a very very good player but has been dreadfully out of form the last while.
As for Down. They did their job today but they met Armagh on a day they were useless and still only won by 2. I wouldn't get too excited.
As for changing manager. Would any decent one want the job?

It was only a matter of time until you saw the light.

[Targetman]

Kildare recovered from McGeeney. Armagh will too

He hasn't gone away you know!! Nor will he if he's on the dough that's been mentioned!