Armagh v Cavan 29/5/2016

[Throw ball]

Armagh blessed to be only 5 down at half-time, in fairness Cavan got a bit sloppy towards the end of the half. Armagh might feel it's worth their while starting the handbagging and slabbering again now.

Itchy I assume this is a Cavan man?

[armaghniac]

As they said on the radio after the game, Cavan have become increasingly offensive.

[LCohen]

I wasn't that impressed with Cavan. I thought it was a very poor game and Armagh were very poor. I don't think Kieran Mcgeeney's biggest fan could argue that in any way we looked well coached, well managed, mentally robust or even well competent.

Cavan have a big weapons that Armagh don't have the players to counteract. So we needed to post a decent score. We had no gameplan to post such a score. None. Absolutely none. We dropped players back. Cavan knew we would and had a plan. We knew that that they would drop players back but had no plan to cope with this. Typical Mcgeeney though. No ball or quality ball into the 2 corner forwards because we surrendered the middle third. Both corner forwards off before the second half is thrown in. An abject failure by the sideline to identify the problem (for the umpteenth time) and so once again they do they same thing that they do in all games - take off the corner forwards and hope that the actual problem just goes away. When we are dumped out of the qualifiers I hope that some of the broadcasters pick up Geezer as a pundit and we get to hear what geezer's thoughts are about playing against a defensive teams. These thoughts remain under wraps.

Strength and conditioning is a big worry. We are way off the pace. Whatever we are doing is not working and "more of the same" is a recipe for continued failure

We lack intensity and when we rarely attempt to do anything about this we cough up frees. We do not know how to tackle. The focus has to be on how to press the ball and win possession legally.

These are the real issues. Thanks Kieran for your "bread and circuses" short kick out strategy today but where was the progress on the real and ever-present issues?

Failed in the league. Failed in the championship. Without something meaninngful in the qualifiers the whole year is a failure. There is no 5 year plan and there is no upward trajectory

[Beffs]

Cavan reaping major dividends after sticking it out with Terry Hyland.

Armagh have to be brave and stick with McGeeney. He's one of the highest rated managers nationally and the pieces of the jigsaw need time to be put in place.

No, he's not. Loved and adored for what he achieved as a player, yes. Hyped up beyond belief, by the national media, who buy into his cult of personality, yes. Feared and admired for his legendary intensity and drive? Ok, then.

Rated nationally for what he has achieved as a manager? I doubt it.

What has he achieved exactly? What has he won? What big scalps has he taken? What other big name manager has he taken on and beaten? What silverware has he won? What big games has he won in Croke Park? What new talent has he taken on and nurtured and developed? What old timer has he invigorated, due to finding a new way to use him? What new tactical systems has he thought up?

Zero, zero, zero, zero, zero and zero.

[SkillfulBill]

Cavan reaping major dividends after sticking it out with Terry Hyland.

Armagh have to be brave and stick with McGeeney. He's one of the highest rated managers nationally and the pieces of the jigsaw need time to be put in place.

Who rates him highly ? Two championship skeelpings and a drop into Div 3. I am a Tyrone man and I am even concerned for the future of our neighbours under McGeeney. He is totally cluesless and motivated by other things other than the good of Armagh. Well done to Cavan yous can only beat whats in front of you.

[LCohen]

Cavan reaping major dividends after sticking it out with Terry Hyland.

Armagh have to be brave and stick with McGeeney. He's one of the highest rated managers nationally and the pieces of the jigsaw need time to be put in place.

No, he's not. Loved and adored for what he achieved as a player, yes. Hyped up beyond belief, by the national media, who buy into his cult of personality, yes. Feared and admired for his legendary intensity and drive? Ok, then.

Rated nationally for what he has achieved as a manager? I doubt it.

What has he achieved exactly? What has he won? What big scalps has he taken? What other big name manager has he taken on and beaten? What silverware has he won? What big games has he won in Croke Park? What new talent has he taken on and nurtured and developed? What old timer has he invigorated due to finding a new way to use him? What new tactical systems has he thought up?

Zero, zero, zero, zero, zero and zero.

There are good reasons why Geezer should not have been given the Armagh job but that time has been and gone and the decision was made.

Our season is not yet dead but when it does eventually expire then surely we have to make a decision. A successful run in the qualifiers (i.e. victories over Divsion 1 and 2 sides) might extend Geezer's tenure but in their absence then we have to look at the degree of progress.

The league campaign was a failure and specific failures can be laid at Geezer's door. Today was shocking. Maybe the result was not a shock but the performance fell below any standard that longterm fans (good times and bad) would accept

[SkillfulBill]

Time for Oisin McConville ?

[LCohen]

Time for Oisin McConville ?

Oisin and John McEntee are available. Tony McEntee is tied up with Mayo this year (earning valuable experience in Inter county football actually playing football) and Gareth O'Neill is tied up with Crossmaglen for a few years. Tony and some of the others above would appear to have more to offer than the current incumbents unless a 2014 rags to riches transformation can be magicked up

[ashman]

Armagh were awful

Cavan ok but sloppy and lacked ruthlessness.

That might be not bad thing as they will have to improve to bate Tyrone .

Think they will be a quarter final team via back door . 

[Catch and Kick]

Last year v Donegal was shocking. Big mistake was moving ball slowly and laterally. No change in that today. In contrast Cavan counter attacked at blistering pace.
Biggest issue I saw today was the damage done by dropping Paddy Morrisson after selecting him and playing an outfield player ion goal to play as a sweeper!
That was foisted on the team in the last few days.
It was clear from looking at the game that the team did not buy into it and were totally confused as to what their roles were.
Shocking man management and an insult to a goalie who was named to start.
The rot set in from there.

[cavanmaniac]

Armagh blessed to be only 5 down at half-time, in fairness Cavan got a bit sloppy towards the end of the half. Armagh might feel it's worth their while starting the handbagging and slabbering again now.

Itchy I assume this is a Cavan man?

I was alluding to an off-the-ball incident where the crowd was enflamed by McKiernan ending up on his back, before he slotted a point shortly afterwards and ran across the field to celebrate in the Armagh lad's face. You might well interpret that differently to me but McKiernan to my mind prefers to get on with his business and is not a player to instigate the mouth, unless provoked. Vernon too was doing a bit of grappling around the square and there were a few incidents of runners being blocked and Seanie was getting buffeted around before the ref elected to move the free closer to goal.

I'll be honest enough to say that Cavan started a bit of this messing after the break too, to run the clock down - Reilly blocked Donaghy I think and got a slap in the face for his troubles, Cavan lads were delaying frees etc. - but the above comment was written at half-time.

[BennyCake]

Armagh blessed to be only 5 down at half-time, in fairness Cavan got a bit sloppy towards the end of the half. Armagh might feel it's worth their while starting the handbagging and slabbering again now.

Itchy I assume this is a Cavan man?

I was alluding to an off-the-ball incident where the crowd was enflamed by McKiernan ending up on his back, before he slotted a point shortly afterwards and ran across the field to celebrate in the Armagh lad's face. You might well interpret that differently to me but McKiernan to my mind prefers to get on with his business and is not a player to instigate the mouth, unless provoked. Vernon too was doing a bit of grappling around the square and there were a few incidents of runners being blocked and Seanie was getting buffeted around before the ref elected to move the free closer to goal.

I'll be honest enough to say that Cavan started a bit of this messing after the break too, to run the clock down - Reilly blocked Donaghy I think and got a slap in the face for his troubles, Cavan lads were delaying frees etc. - but the above comment was written at half-time.

Think that was Tony K who shouldered McKiernan in the back. Very dirty and very dangerous. Could have seriously injured the fella. I hope the CCCCCCC look at it because that deserves a ban.

[cavanmaniac]

I called it handbagging and slabbering. Wind your neck in mate.

[tonto1888]

I called it handbagging and slabbering. Wind your neck in mate.

True tho it was Kernan. The Cavan lad picked the wrong player to celebrate in front of. Cavan well worth their win and I'd like to see you go on and win Ulster. The one thing I didn't like was the antics of the keeper before and after the penalty. I know it's coming into the game a lot but I wish it wouldn't. Personally I blame Tyrone 

[Throw ball]

I called it handbagging and slabbering. Wind your neck in mate.

True tho it was Kernan. The Cavan lad picked the wrong player to celebrate in front of. Cavan well worth their win and I'd like to see you go on and win Ulster. The one thing I didn't like was the antics of the keeper before and after the penalty. I know it's coming into the game a lot but I wish it wouldn't. Personally I blame Tyrone 

To be honest I saw McKiernan on the ground but did not see incident - was told it was Kernan though. Did see Clarke take Campbell out of play with a foot trip in first half though. I will echo the bit about the penalty though. Drives me mad this and it is definitely not just Cavan. It could also be noted that there was none of that crap when Cavan were taking their penalty. Anyway bar a couple Armagh have no one capable of being physical with anyone. The majority were well behaved though even Forker and Findon avoided bookings!

Anyway I was more annoyed with the standard theory that Armagh are this hard, dirty team which many suggest. They aren't even any good at that anymore.

Best of luck to Cavan in the next game. I will be cheering them on!