Westmeath v Armagh - Cusack Park, Sat 9th June (7:00pm throw in)

[tonto1888]

Why don't you sign up and contribute on that forum instead of talking about it here

[Rufus T Firefly]

Again I haven't mentioned or alluded to any difference in the current and previous armagh fan's forum. Don't let that stop you imagining what it is I'm thinking and reacting to your own imagination. Your reasons are your own I suppose.

I point out that there is a lot of drivel on there. If you disagree with that just say and I will post the examples that back my case.

Separately I point out that some of the content focusses on imagined slights, campaigns, wars, prejudices, vendettas, persecutions etc. Again disagree if you will.

I contend that focussing on these imagined issues can be unhelpful. Disagree if you will?

I have made up my mind on what I've seen. Post something different and I might change my mind. That is how these things work I guess?

Or you could imagine my thoughts and post them?

I contend that your two separate points are very much related. Content focusing on imagined slights, campaigns, wars, prejudices, vendettas, persecutions etc. could be considered by some of the less charitable amongst us to be 'drivel'. Others may refer to it as humour, albeit not that particularly funny. I reckon at least three of us have pointed that 'humour' aspect out, on this thread.

Either way, it's not to be taken too seriously. I guess that's how I see it working! 

And to clarify, I linked it to McGeeney because it was the only plausible reason I could fathom for you raising such an issue on this thread. Happy to accept that I'm wrong, if now that I'm totally baffled at your line of reasoning.

[Rufus T Firefly]

We have slipped into the doldrums again, not quite as bad as pre 75 more like pre 99 but like the recession of 2008 and the following years of austerity, the decline seems to have gone on for ever and difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel. 

We'll have to go some to be as bad as pre 1975. Wasn't it the Indo that listed all the football teams in Ireland in order of merit and we were second last, just above Wexford. I've said it elsewhere, but I always felt our team between 1982 and 1999 always had the ability to deliver one very big punch, on any given day - Dublin in the League quarter-final on Easter Sunday, 1994 was an example -  but there was no consistency that would have brought silverware - therefore we lost three NFL Finals and three Ulster Finals. I could not see this team delivering a blow like that to a top team.

We need a new messiah, a new Gerry O'Neill, a new version of the 2 Brian's as John the Baptists for a new Joe Kernan to breathe life into Armagh football and bring the best players to the field.  McGeeney is turning out to be like Paddy Mo in charge but less laid back.  It has been depressing to have a series of poor managers after Big Joe stayed on too long and no succession plan was in place as the great team ebbed away.

Always felt that Paddy Mo was very unlucky, in that in his three Championship campaigns, he lost by a single point to the eventual Ulster Champions (1989, 1990 and 1991) and the All Ireland Champions (1991).

Joe did indeed stay on too long and then our old issue of petty jealousies and vendettas was allowed to hold sway and thus deny what would have been the dream ticket at that time of a Paul Grimley / Geezer management team.

Others will no doubt come in and point to their subsequent records as undermining totally the notion of a dream ticket, but their presence in 2008 would have retained the great 'all for one' culture that had taken us to the heights in 2002 and in my opinion would have harnessed effectively the resources of our 2004 All Ireland Under 21 Winning Team.

[illdecide]

Has the team been named yet?

Irish News has plenty about Westmeath in today's paper but not much about Armagh

[maddog]

Has the team been named yet?

Irish News has plenty about Westmeath in today's paper but not much about Armagh

is that Armagh TV covering match ?

[illdecide]

Has the team been named yet?

Irish News has plenty about Westmeath in today's paper but not much about Armagh

is that Armagh TV covering match ?

No...They're not allowed to show Championship or League games due to TV rights...Radio or Mullingar

[seafoid]

We have slipped into the doldrums again, not quite as bad as pre 75 more like pre 99 but like the recession of 2008 and the following years of austerity, the decline seems to have gone on for ever and difficult to see any light at the end of the tunnel. 

We'll have to go some to be as bad as pre 1975. Wasn't it the Indo that listed all the football teams in Ireland in order of merit and we were second last, just above Wexford. I've said it elsewhere, but I always felt our team between 1982 and 1999 always had the ability to deliver one very big punch, on any given day - Dublin in the League quarter-final on Easter Sunday, 1994 was an example -  but there was no consistency that would have brought silverware - therefore we lost three NFL Finals and three Ulster Finals. I could not see this team delivering a blow like that to a top team.

We need a new messiah, a new Gerry O'Neill, a new version of the 2 Brian's as John the Baptists for a new Joe Kernan to breathe life into Armagh football and bring the best players to the field.  McGeeney is turning out to be like Paddy Mo in charge but less laid back.  It has been depressing to have a series of poor managers after Big Joe stayed on too long and no succession plan was in place as the great team ebbed away.

Always felt that Paddy Mo was very unlucky, in that in his three Championship campaigns, he lost by a single point to the eventual Ulster Champions (1989, 1990 and 1991) and the All Ireland Champions (1991).

Joe did indeed stay on too long and then our old issue of petty jealousies and vendettas was allowed to hold sway and thus deny what would have been the dream ticket at that time of a Paul Grimley / Geezer management team.

Others will no doubt come in and point to their subsequent records as undermining totally the notion of a dream ticket, but their presence in 2008 would have retained the great 'all for one' culture that had taken us to the heights in 2002 and in my opinion would have harnessed effectively the resources of our 2004 All Ireland Under 21 Winning Team.

It's the mediocre years that make the winning, when it eventually comes along, so worthwhile.

[Croí na hÉireann]

Has the team been named yet?

Irish News has plenty about Westmeath in today's paper but not much about Armagh

What are ye saying about us up there? Plenty to say about where it's all gone wrong this year alright...

[illdecide]

Has the team been named yet?

Irish News has plenty about Westmeath in today's paper but not much about Armagh

What are ye saying about us up there? Plenty to say about where it's all gone wrong this year alright...

Last year's feisty affair will have no bearing on Armagh clash says Westmeath boss Colin Kelly

Westmeath boss Colin Kelly, formerly of Louth, says Armagh will be a tough nut to crack in Mullingar
     
BRENDAN CROSSAN
08 June, 2018 01:00
Topics
All-Ireland SFC Qualifiers Armagh Colin Kelly Westmeath

Kieran McGeeney will be hoping for a similar outcome as last year's All-Ireland Qualifier win over Westmeath

WESTMEATH manager Colin Kelly insists last summer's feisty All-Ireland Qualifier affair with Armagh will have no bearing on tomorrow night's sequel in Mullingar – and says his squad currently resembles a "casualty ward".

Westmeath and Armagh will both try to pick up the pieces via the back door after hugely disappointing provincial defeats to Laois and Fermanagh, respectively.

In last season's Round Two clash, Westmeath paid the ultimate price for some woeful finishing in the closing stages as the Orchard men went on to reach the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Westmeath's five-point defeat last July proved Tom Cribben's last game in charge, with Kelly taking the reins in 2018 after guiding Louth to back-to-back NFL promotions.

Twelve of the Westmeath side that suffered a 10-point hammering to Laois less than a fortnight ago were part of last year's panel.

Tempers were frayed from the early stages of last July's Qualifier with Jamie Clarke and James Morgan black-carded for Armagh in the while defender Gregory McCabe was sent off in the 54th minute.

And there was some tension between a small section of opposing fans in the main stand in Cusack Park as last year's game reached a climax.

Noel Mulligan, John Heslin, Frank Boyle, James Dolan and Killian Daly all missed gilt-edged chances to put Armagh away while Blaine Hughes made a fantastic save to deny Heslin a 53rd minute goal.

"History can't affect the result on Saturday night – I'd be a firm believer in that," said Kelly, who also watched his side lose to Armagh in Division Three in February.

"What we've done in the past can't shape the future. Both teams will prepare as best they can and we'll put our best foot forward on Saturday, give it a lash and see where we end up."

Jamie Gnoud, Sam Duncan, Mark McCallion, John Egan, Ger Egan, Alan Stone, Noel Mulligan, Kieran Martin, Callum McCormack, Stephen Gallagher, John Heslin and Bidou Sayeh featured against Armagh last summer and were part of this year's panel that suffered a 4-13 to 1-12 defeat to a resurgent Laois in Tullamore on May 26.

Kelly's men were undone by Paul Kingston who hit three second-half goals to puncture Westmeath's Leinster challenge.

"We've had to pick ourselves up. There was a lot of soul-searching and looking at ourselves and trying to pick up the pieces. It's as simple as that really," said Kelly.

The new Westmeath boss would probably have liked an extra couple of weeks to prepare for the All-Ireland Qualifiers, given the list of injuries the squad has had to absorb.

"The two-week turnaround is good if you've a fit squad. It's well documented in Westmeath, with guys not available and injuries - it's like a casualty ward in the local hospital, to be honest.

"But the boys are working as hard as they can. There was severe disappointment over the result against Laois because there was an expectation and it will probably take more time to pick up the pieces. But we have to and that's where we're at.

"Our physio and doc have been in over-drive between various injuries. We had to take three lads out of the Laois game with injuries..."

[illdecide]

Armagh midfielder Ben Crealey ruled out of Westmeath clash

Ben Crealey has been ruled out of tomorrow evening's round one Qualifier in Mullingar
     
Andy Watters
08 June, 2018 01:00
Topics
Armagh Ben Crealey Kieran McGeeney Niall Grimley Stephen Sheridan Westmeath

Stephen Sheridan could return for tomorrow's clash with Westmeath

ARMAGH midfielder Ben Crealey has been ruled out of tomorrow evening's All-Ireland Qualifier against Westmeath in Mullingar.

The Maghery clubman – who started at wing half-forward in the Orchardmen's Ulster Championship quarter-final loss to Fermanagh – had been in contention to return to centrefield for the must-win clash at Cusack Park.

But The Irish News has learned that he could now be out for up to six weeks after pulling his hamstring just days after the Queen's University Sigerson Cup star had broken his thumb in training.

It is understood that Crealey had been prepared to play through the pain of that injury, but the hamstring tear means his season could be over unless Armagh put together another prolonged run in the Qualifiers.

Crealey's absence has exacerbated the loss of Madden's Niall Grimley, who partnered Charlie Vernon in midfield against the Ernemen, but was red-carded early in the second half for striking out at Seamus Quigley.

With Crealey injured and Grimley suspended, fit-again Stephen Sheridan is expected to return to the side to partner Charlie Vernon in midfield which will be a crucial area tomorrow given the undoubted quality of Westmeath's John Heslin.

Meanwhile, former Armagh manager Paul Grimley, has called for the Armagh fans to rally around manager Kieran McGeeney and his players ahead of tomorrow's crucial game.

Last year's the Orchardmen produced a strong finish to beat the midlanders in round two of the Qualifiers and Grimley – who handed over the reins to McGeeney after the 2014 season – expects them to rediscover the form and confidence that deserted them in the lacklustre loss in Brewster Park three weeks' ago.

"You expect to feel the wrath when the team disappoints and there'll be nobody more disappointed than Kieran, the management team and the players," said Grimley, part of the management team for Armagh's All-Ireland title in 2002.

"But the disappointment has to be kept in check because in Armagh we have all sorts of innuendos about why players don't want to play for the county.

"If players don't want to play for the county, for whatever reason, that's their choice, they're allowed to do it, and what you've got to do as a manager is get up and get on with it and that's what McGeeney has done.

"He has scouted the county, he has taken in a lot of new players and the supporters would need to realise that and get behind him.

"There isn't a better management team in Armagh at present.

"A lot of names have been floated about Kieran is in there, he's doing the job, the players have total respect for him and are totally behind him.

"Everybody else needs to get behind him.

"Whatever issues exist, people should stand up and solve them. Clubs in Armagh can't go sniping behind the manager's back – if they have something to say, the place to say it is at county board meetings.

"If they request the manager to be present, I have no Kieran would be more than willing to meet them. Face-to-face these problems can be taken care off."

[Croí na hÉireann]

Thanks illdecide, augers well when the hand wringing starts before the match. Heslin won't be playing, can't even train.

[maddog]

Has the team been named yet?

Irish News has plenty about Westmeath in today's paper but not much about Armagh

is that Armagh TV covering match ?

No...They're not allowed to show Championship or League games due to TV rights...Radio or Mullingar

Mullingar not gonna work from Brum this weekend. But if we are still in the draw come Monday then always next week.

[seafoid]

Thanks illdecide, augers well when the hand wringing starts before the match. Heslin won't be playing, can't even train.

Just looking at that photo reminds me of when I was a kid and Westmeath were the epitome of uselessness. You wouldn't know the names of any players. Getting beaten by 25 points was normal.  It was almost like rhey werent a GAA county. Things have thankfully moved on. That day they beat Meath was pure class.

[Captain Obvious]

Had big doubts before however with no Heslin for Westmeath I'm quietly confident Armagh will win this game now.

[smelmoth]

Had big doubts before however with no Heslin for Westmeath I'm quietly confident Armagh will win this game now.

If Heslin really isn't capable of playing then no doubt then a player of his calibre will be missed. But I think a star player can very often be nullified by double marking or specific tactics. Westmeath are missing a host of players and this will inhibit them more.

You could same the same about us and Clarke or Campbell. I'm not arguing that they are not missed but it is accumulated talent that is missing that weakens a side rather than the individual star.

I think we can and will win this comfortably. There are armagh fans who would rather have a quick and painless death rather than a slow march to an annihilation in the super 8s or by a division 1 team before the super 8s. I disagree. We need games. We need to improve. I would hope to get through this and avoid Monaghan. We need to build a game plan and confidence in that game plan