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I think anyone following armagh know that the depth of players commiting to the team at present hasn't been seen for the past 20odd years. There are quality players currently sitting on the bench we would have been building teams around 10 years ago, certainly a conundrum mcgeeney never had when he started.

In terms of success, ulster would certainly be a realistic possibility with the draw, and failing to win that would been seen as a failure to capitalise on all the elements aligning (a good team, good draw, and previous final experience).

This is a nonsense and part of the populist narrative in the county over the last couple of years.
We have a large panel of players of a very similar and good standard. A lot of players are interchangeable.

McGeeney demands an extremely high level or work and when they're all hitting that together it makes the team formidible. He's getting a tune out of lads at that level through conditioning and effort that I wouldn't have though possible watching them play club football.

However, Armagh don't have the number of high quality players that most of the division one teams have. Forker, Grugan and Murnin are the exceptions to that - they'd make any team in my view. This is why Rian is such a disappointment as he has exceptional ability but doesn't back it up with the work on and off the pitch the others do.

Beyond that group, everyone is replaceable by similar but that group is smaller than most top counties.

If Armagh are to win Ulster or All Ireland titles it will be a collective effort and a result of team ethic and approach tactically.

Would agree.  We can only really judge the quality of the players we have by how they perform in the bigger pressure championship games so for me if we're talking quality forwards, they need to be showing it on Ulster final day, All-Ireland quarter final etc.  A pressure free kick, a key score at a critical time, a goal. Something to show that they can impact a fairly big game against decent opposition. I can't say too many Armagh forwards have shown that in recent years.  They may have another chance this year so let's see.

Gakpo doesn't grab the eye as much as the others as he's not just as dynamic.  But his figures aren't bad for someone who hasn't started much this season.  Has a decent amount of goals and assists. e.g. more than Diaz.  He's ok as a 3r or 4th choice forward. He's probably not an impact sub.  Better off playing him from the start and bring a Diaz or Nunes on for impact when the spaces open up.

Blew that one.  Man u were so poor that second half it seemed to lull Liverpool into a false sense of security.Age old lesson of football, when you have a team on the ropes, finish them.  Hopefully it will sharpen minds for the league game.

They both had 11 shots on target. United missed prob better chances than Liverpool. 2 from McTominay and 2 from Rashford also hojlund should've got on the end of a bruno cross. 2 deflected goals for Liverpool.

Should have been well over before then.

[It could be a sliding door moment in the two clubs' fortunes.]

Sometimes adversity, or desperation brings out the best in a team.
Conceding two deflected goals, a patchwork defence, eventually with Bruno standing in at centre half. Maguire, Antony, Diallo and Maguire the unlikely heroes off the bench.

Liverpool looked electric for a while around when they plundered the two goals, but they were flat for long parts too.

It could be a sliding door moment in the two clubs' fortunes.
When Klopp goes, the underinvestment from Liverpool's tightwad owners will likely be laid bare.
A rebuild is needed anyway with Salah and Van Dijk nearing the exit.
In the 11 years since Ferguson retired and Utd imploded, Liverpool have only plundered a single league title, and when the Klopp fog clears, that shouldn't be viewed as hectic by any standard.

On the other hand, the INEOS regime at Utd have changed course and started to assemble a back office of people with a successful track record in running clubs, unlike the Goldman Sachs banker types which the Glazers had running the show.

Dear oh.

Blew that one.  Man u were so poor that second half it seemed to lull Liverpool into a false sense of security.Age old lesson of football, when you have a team on the ropes, finish them.  Hopefully it will sharpen minds for the league game.

With Edwards back and Hughes coming in it looks like a strong support structure is there for the new manager. Edwards and Hughes know each other well so they should work well together.The new manager can concentrate on the coaching side, but also give his opinion and green light on target signings.  So although there are big shoes to fill, the new manager has every chance of succeeding, with the support in place and a strong squad and a brilliantly run academy system.

Should have won that game, but could have lost it too. It was funny to watch how the normally unflustered De Bruyne lost it when subbed. Looked like he had been dragged through a hedge backwards.City couldn't handle the heat in the second half.  Jota would have nailed at least one of those chances put on a plate for Diaz. Diaz had to take one of them.  He was brilliant otherwise.   The draw isn't the worst result.  City and Arsenal drawing the best result for Liverpool?

Been a sense of inevitability that City would rein them in and its happened earlier than expected

Should have waited a minute Brendan.

Wow. Won't be for lack of trying anyway. This team never gives up.

It's all very uplifting, but let's face it, Liverpool need some of those injuries to clear up pretty sharpish. They've got a tough schedule coming up, starting with Forest away. You can't be expecting young teenagers to be carrying the team against a Premier league team fighting for it's life, never mind City next weekend (don't really give a f**k about Prague - he can play 11 kids then for all I care!).

So hopefully at least Salah, Nunez and Szobozlai make it back in the coming days.

Absolutely.  The signs are they will be back soon.Those 3 would make a huge difference.

Remarkable levels of resilience and focus in the club right now.  It's been there since the start of the season.  Reminds me a bit of the Monty Python sketch, and the two knights swordfighting!  No matter what's been thrown at them they say fcuk it and carry on. Footballers and teams sometimes find excuses and take the easy way out.  This lot seem to be on a mission. Mightn't mean they'll win anything more this season but it won't be due to lack of effort and guile.

Brilliant levels of resilience and drive to pull out a win, with a patched up side and packed with youngsters.  Endo, Kelleher, VVD, and Diaz all stood up when needed.  Brilliant stuff.  Chelsea as a club is the polar opposite of Liverpool.

I'd say it's impressive.  A team cobbled together last minute, bunch of young lads thrown in. Normally a recipe for dropped points or at best a narrow win.  To blow any premier league team away in the second half under those circumstances would give any team a lift imo. 

Impressive, uplifting performance with so many players out. 

[But I'm bored of supporters complaining about being top of the league, with it in their own hands to win, and basically giving up.]

There's some in here going full 'Sky' and, probably hoping beyond anything else that it'll be a 2 or 3 horse race going to the wire.
The reality of it (and it would bore the knickers off you) is that City will win again with a bit to spare.
As someone mentioned above, only for Liverpool, they'd be going for 7 titles in the row, 7! FFP is a goodin'

Liverpool won 12 or so titles in a small period of time. Was it a bore then or was that ok?

Teams have periods of dominance

You're a contrarian by nature, and happy enough by the sounds of it with how City have managed to dominate, when 99% of non-City fans would have an issue with it, that's OK

I suppose I'm just highlighting the fact that teams can dominate, depending on who you support people will complain about the dominance, then when other teams win people forget about that and so on..

If that's me being a contrarian, I can live with that.

But I'm bored of supporters complaining about being top of the league, with it in their own hands to win, and basically giving up.

Makes no sense, Liverpool won the league by a country mile over City not too far back and now they'll be lucky to stay up going by some of the comments here !

So, City aside, it's a league of bottlers. Or, maybe, just maybe these teams are giving it everything they have, are playing within their means and don't have squad depth to see it out against a state owned club not playing within their means...?

They are giving it everything they have and the other team is just better? leicester city won it, rich owner, Utd won it, a rich club, Bayern win most years another rich club, Madrid or Barca win, more rich clubs, I could go on, lots of countries have one or two teams that win the league the most.

The odd team (leicester city) win it but by and large the rich clubs win.

Liverpool and the rest just need to put the big boy pants on and roll the sleeves and get on with it, I'd rather be top than in 6th

There's a difference between supporters downplaying their chances, and how the team sees their chances.  I'd expect that Klopp and the Liverpool players will be going for it.

 

Any chance of FFP sanctions soon?