Ulster club championship

[Armagh18]

We will win more than we will lose through the way we play. This group may not have the physical approach that we had when I played,  which was a huge factor in Autumn football, but they are technically better footballers. As was said above if Ballybay don't get the lucky penalty early on the game may pan out differently. If we didn't lose our regular goalkeeper during the week before the game the game may pan out differently, if Rian O Neill is not carrying an injury(which he was) the game may pan out differently, but all of the above didn't on out that way. The reality is Ballybay played better than us and we have to learn from this.

There is an extraordinary external expectation on every Cross team that wins a county championship nevermind an internal pressure, albeit not from the club men this year. Every year we win,  irrespective of how bad or good we are, people expect us to win Ulster at least irrespective of how strong we are. Our jersey only pulls us so far. Our history can't kick points. Give us 2-3 years of domination in Armagh and then maybe you could argue that point but not at this stage. This is a young team in transition. Let's see where we are in 2-3 years time focusing on kicking the ball and not playing sweepers....

Yeah pretty much spot on there, even playing poorly overall the other night some of the point scoring and forward play from Cross was great to watch.

Do you think ye will get the bolded? Teams like Killeavy keep knocking the door and coming up short when the pressure is on and outside of them  and Clann Eireann I don't see anyone else remotely close to consistently competing at the top. 

[Brick Tamlin]

We will win more than we will lose through the way we play. This group may not have the physical approach that we had when I played,  which was a huge factor in Autumn football, but they are technically better footballers. As was said above if Ballybay don't get the lucky penalty early on the game may pan out differently. If we didn't lose our regular goalkeeper during the week before the game the game may pan out differently, if Rian O Neill is not carrying an injury(which he was) the game may pan out differently, but all of the above didn't on out that way. The reality is Ballybay played better than us and we have to learn from this.

There is an extraordinary external expectation on every Cross team that wins a county championship nevermind an internal pressure, albeit not from the club men this year. Every year we win,  irrespective of how bad or good we are, people expect us to win Ulster at least irrespective of how strong we are. Our jersey only pulls us so far. Our history can't kick points. Give us 2-3 years of domination in Armagh and then maybe you could argue that point but not at this stage. This is a young team in transition. Let's see where we are in 2-3 years time focusing on kicking the ball and not playing sweepers....

Problem is BCB, you havent the same quality coming through to replace Kernan, Morgan and Hughes in your defence and thats where most of your problems lie and will continue to lie. Your goalkeeping situation isnt solved yet either and its been an issue for a while. After the above names retire i dont think you can rely on the 2 O'Neills an McConville to carry the whole thing so im not so sure about domination like it was before.

[brokencrossbar1]

We will win more than we will lose through the way we play. This group may not have the physical approach that we had when I played,  which was a huge factor in Autumn football, but they are technically better footballers. As was said above if Ballybay don't get the lucky penalty early on the game may pan out differently. If we didn't lose our regular goalkeeper during the week before the game the game may pan out differently, if Rian O Neill is not carrying an injury(which he was) the game may pan out differently, but all of the above didn't on out that way. The reality is Ballybay played better than us and we have to learn from this.

There is an extraordinary external expectation on every Cross team that wins a county championship nevermind an internal pressure, albeit not from the club men this year. Every year we win,  irrespective of how bad or good we are, people expect us to win Ulster at least irrespective of how strong we are. Our jersey only pulls us so far. Our history can't kick points. Give us 2-3 years of domination in Armagh and then maybe you could argue that point but not at this stage. This is a young team in transition. Let's see where we are in 2-3 years time focusing on kicking the ball and not playing sweepers....

Problem is BCB, you havent the same quality coming through to replace Kernan, Morgan and Hughes in your defence and thats where most of your problems lie and will continue to lie. Your goalkeeping situation isnt solved yet either and its been an issue for a while. After the above names retire i dont think you can rely on the 2 O'Neills an McConville to carry the whole thing so im not so sure about domination like it was before.

There's plenty of quality coming at underage. Aaron Kernan is a generational talent so will be very hard to replace but there is enough left in Hughes and Morgan for the next few years. As for the goalkeeping situation that may change again next year,  who knows. I don't expect us to be winning championships in Armagh without contest but we will still be the team to beat. CE and Killeavey probably have the talent to win it but talent only goes so far. Clan naGael are coming too and have a great underage team that will supplement the current team but we also have a strong team at that age to negate that advantage a bit. A first 15 built around Morgan, Hughes, 2 O Neill's, Cian Callum Cumiskey and Steven Morris along with the younger lads of Finnegan, Fitzie, Tomas Og Duffy will be hard to beat. I know the quality under 18 so I'm confident enough.

[Truth hurts]

Will you continue with an in house manager or will ye go for an outsider. I thought you were very naive especially when you got the black card.

[brokencrossbar1]

Will you continue with an in house manager or will ye go for an outsider. I thought you were very naive especially when you got the black card.

Who knows?  SK is there for now and would suspect he will have the opportunity to build on the county win but you never know. I think it would be a huge step for an outside manager to come into the club.

[Truth hurts]

Will you continue with an in house manager or will ye go for an outsider. I thought you were very naive especially when you got the black card.

Who knows?  SK is there for now and would suspect he will have the opportunity to build on the county win but you never know. I think it would be a huge step for an outside manager to come into the club.

What clubman would be next in line? Johnny Murtagh most likely or would you go back to one of the old guard.

SK deserves another year but I think  he needs a defensive man in with him to try to shore up the defence. you can still playing a kicking game but one you come into Ulster club its very tactical nowadays. Armagh club football is not very tactical.

[armaghniac]

Will you continue with an in house manager or will ye go for an outsider. I thought you were very naive especially when you got the black card.

Who knows?  SK is there for now and would suspect he will have the opportunity to build on the county win but you never know. I think it would be a huge step for an outside manager to come into the club.

What clubman would be next in line? Johnny Murtagh most likely or would you go back to one of the old guard.

SK deserves another year but I think  he needs a defensive man in with him to try to shore up the defence. you can still playing a kicking game but one you come into Ulster club its very tactical nowadays. Armagh club football is not very tactical.

In many ways Cross are like the county team, good going forward but not solid in defence. With a bit of organisation the county team managed to get a defensive structure good enough to provide a platform for the forwards to try and outscore the opposition. One aspect of this is discipline, quite a few games were lost after a man was sent off or black carded. And as noted before, Armagh style tackling does not find favour with refs from outside the county.

[Cavan19]

Why have Ballybay got players from Cavan one of them is a teacher as far as i know in Cootehill and definitely doesn't live or have any connection with Ballybay other than got an address to get the transfer over the line,  the other i'm not sure about but have asked around and doesn't seem to have any connections either. Both have played for Cavan at all levels.

[general_lee]

Why have Ballybay got players from Cavan one of them is a teacher as far as i know in Cootehill and definitely doesn't live or have any connection with Ballybay other than got an address to get the transfer over the line,  the other i'm not sure about but have asked around and doesn't seem to have any connections either. Both have played for Cavan at all levels.

Who are they?

[mrdeeds]

Why have Ballybay got players from Cavan one of them is a teacher as far as i know in Cootehill and definitely doesn't live or have any connection with Ballybay other than got an address to get the transfer over the line,  the other i'm not sure about but have asked around and doesn't seem to have any connections either. Both have played for Cavan at all levels.

Who are they?

Michael Hannon and Ciaran Galligan.

[Cavan19]

Why have Ballybay got players from Cavan one of them is a teacher as far as i know in Cootehill and definitely doesn't live or have any connection with Ballybay other than got an address to get the transfer over the line,  the other i'm not sure about but have asked around and doesn't seem to have any connections either. Both have played for Cavan at all levels.

Who are they?

Michael Hannon and Ciaran Galligan.

It's a strange setup and they have been with them for some time now apparently and must have left there own clubs when they were in their prime.  Any other outsiders with Ballybay is it a club policy to poach from other clubs?

[rodney trotter]

I think both players had disputes with people within their clubs.. Hannon played with Drumgoon and Galligan played for Dring.. Their clubs would be near the Monaghan border so maybe it was best transfering outside the County then to another Cavan club

Hannon is probably the same age as Paul Finlay or maybe older. Galligan is around 37.
They hav been with  ballybay around 5 years

[Cavan19]

I think both players had disputes with people within their clubs.. Hannon played with Drumgoon and Galligan played for Dring.. Their clubs would be near the Monaghan border so maybe it was best transfering outside the County then to another Cavan club

Hannon is probably the same age as Paul Finlay or maybe older. Galligan is around 37.
They hav been with  ballybay around 5 years

Maybe so, would love to know why Ballybay though there would be closer clubs that Ballybay to both of them. Anyway sorry for taking thread off topic.

[rodney trotter]

They might have wanted to play at Senior level and compete for a senior championship.

Hannon still going well at his age. He was always very fit. Galligan also

[onefaircounty]

People aren't seriously suggesting that Cross don't flood bodies back? Do people actually watch them?

They do stay true to a kicking game mind you, and have great ball winners up front to allow this. They move the ball very fast and that's why they are able to out score most tea. Brilliant forwards help too.

But if anyone really thinks Cross don't bring men back, sweepers etc, they're living in a different world.