Messages

Regal - I dont know how Vernon continues to disappoint - he has had a very good season so far. For you to pick an Armagh team without him in it suggests you know next to nothing about football I am afraid...

Ethan it sounds like you are trying to do a bit of stirring here....digging up some dirt so to speak. I dont have any for you.

You would like to think that there would be some boys to come into the setup and that the team that lost heavily the other night would not be the one that will play out the league campaign...all in all it was still a dismal result.

All is not yet lost though for the Harps. It is a matter of having a good structure in place, fellas who believe they can achieve something and will give it their all. I saw a year or two ago how Ballymacnab - with a young and quite physically small team were able to run away with division two. A good season in the division is very achievable even in a so called period of transition. In the same way as one swallow does not make a summer then one very bad result does not a season make!!

"There also seems to be some justification to my opinion now."

Haha - well done you...you are a bright lad after all.

Thats some score alright...really bad - the Ogs are not that good so the Harps must have been really bad...did not make the match but got one or two texts about it....hardly believed the score I was hearing could be correct. It must have been a poor enough team fielded. Any reports on who was playing, who did the damage for the Ogs etc etc?

"I think cullyhanna are a poor enough side. Think they lack pace right throughout IMO. Cross on their day would destroy them"

You would think this must be a wind up. If not its a bit arrogant.

Clans are no great shakes at all and have not been for years. You would get a harder match against Pats than Clans these days IMO.

"Despite the fact that the Harps got to the final once 2 years ago I still wouldn't have had them down as contenders"

Who would have thunk it eh.....

Armagh have players from AI Club champions Crossmaglen to call on soon. They also have some other very talented players in the team already. The team is full of players who have contested finals and won them. Having high expectations for that team is not unrealistic at all. Anything less would be underselling ourselves.

BC - Despite the great success of Cross this year I still think they are a more vulnerable team that in some years gone by. They are still a superb team mind you as evidenced by the recent AI win. However there is a feeling that a team could get some joy playing against that full back line for instance. They looked a bit shaky with the high ball raining down on them in various c'ship games and a forward line with power and pace could give them trouble. You can look at the display of that big forward in the AI final for evidence of this. Anyway dont think I am taking away from the team because I am not. They are entitled to all the plaudits that come their way.

Understood Winsamson....having a healthier level of competition in Armagh football will be to everyones benefit anyway.

I still believe that many teams in Armagh were defeated before they started when playing Cross...then again when you looked at the opposing levels of artillery at hand it was a reasonable enough thought...bit like Grenada saying they were going to defeat America in a war....

BC - Cross will still take all the beating....in answer to your question tho, this team is not as intimidating as some of the other teams....you would feel you would have more of a chance against this current team...although there are good young players there now I feel it will be almost impossible to replace the 2 Mac's, Oisin, Francie and Donaldson. That was a very strong core of players - a few of which were exceptional. You have obviosuly unearthed a gem in Jamie Clarke though who looks a top player.

Winsamson - I know that it is never the 'done thing' to say you really did not believe that you could win a game but there were probably sometimes when you played Cross when you knew that it would be almost impossible for you to win. For example in that c'ship game a few years ago were they gave Clans a serious drubbing, you did not really believe that you were going to win that game did you? If you did you were being very gallant albeit terribly unrealistic. Clans surely have not beaten Cross in a meaningful game in years?

"The usual suspects will fancy themselves of toppling them, Ogs, Dromintee, Clans etc"

I think you might want to add Harps to this list who in the past number of years have certainly given the c'ship a better rattle and given Cross a better rattle than Clans have....no hard feelings like

Looking good Rufus....gola will need to get the old grecian out though when he gets home...lol

You did say roughly the same thing DuffleKing - the rest is just being pedantic....

Well done Crossmaglen.....I watched some amount of professional sport over that weekend and by far the most enjoyable was the 'amateur' game between Cross and Crokes. Seriously it was great - high intensity, competitve, agressive and no little skill on show....well done to all involved.

JP's a wild man for sure...very lucky to not get sent off against Granemore - got yella for a heavy tackle on Benny Rafferty then hit a guy a box in face in front of linesmen - dunno how he got away with that one...am surprised Clans fellas stood and watched - thats not the best....it never matters how tough a fella is on football field when the free for all starts - anyone can fell you and you may not even know a thing about it...Clans should have evened the score I think...