Messages

I would be amazed if anyone from Down turned down an invitation - infact, i would be surprised if there wasn't a couple who invited themselves.

The mood around armagh seems a bit depressing ahead of the down game. No reports from the kildare or westmeath friendly games? My guess of what the Armagh line up will be would be something like:

Hearty
Mallon Donaghy Martin
AKernan McKeever Dyas
Mackin Toner
Vernon MoRourke PDuffy
JClarke McDonnell Mallon

Subs in contention - Moriarty / ADuffy / Lavery / Padden / TKernan

The Down team would probably be a bit easier to predict:

McVeigh
Rafferty Gordon McArdle
Rooney McKernan Garvey
King Fitzpatrick
Hughes Poland Maginn
McComiskey Coulter MClarke

Subs in contention - McCartan / Colgan / JClarke

Of course. Sorry

Who are the 3 county players with the Harps - Vernon, Swift & ? Is Martin Grimley still manager?

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...

Where would you play him? If he has had a very good season so far why has he still not nailed down a position (he has been moved to the half forwards at various times during the league).

It was good to see aaron Kernan back in the half backs - a quality defender. Toner was also impressice at full back and used the ball well. I think if A Mallon and PMcKeown were both in the full back line it would leave Armagh with a lack of physique / height in there.

Possible team for Down:

Hearty
Mallon  Toner  Donaghy
Kernan  McKeever  Dyas
Lavery  Mackin
BMallon Padden  ADuffy
JClarke McDonnell  MORourke

Defense looks solid but loads of problems in m/f and attack. Mackin is clearly not good enough for midfield but with Toner at fb we are clearly lacking options. Vernon continues to disappoint and perhaps he would make an option at full back. Not consistant enough for mf and not enough football in him for a forward. Big question marks surround padden / duffy / o'rourke with other options being p duffy / grugan / swift. RClarke would make a massive difference - but will he be fit?

[Morrison and McDonnell helping Leitrim and Louth]

You have to give credit to Justin McNulty for getting Laois promoted. I don't think that Laois were obvious promotion candidates from Div 2, so the management team probably helped.  Well done.

Is his loss from Armagh backroom team why the tactics have been so haphazard this year! McNulty at Laois, Mcgeeney and O'Rourke at Kildare, Grimley at Meath, Morrison and McDonnell helping Leitrim and Louth last year and Armagh cannot get an Armagh man to manage them. No reflection on POR but we have enough Armagh men to find an Armagh manager!

i would have paddy o'r before these two

I have always been a fan of stephen Kernan, he certainly offers a lot more than most of our current forwards. My team for the down game would be

Mc Evoy
Moriarity, Donaghy, Mallon
Dyas, Mc Keever, A Kernan
Vernon, Toner
Swift, S Kernan, Duffy
Stevie, R Clarke, J Clarke

If R Clarke not fit, would pull in billie Joe to collect lose ball around the middle and play a 2 man FF line of stevie & Jamie

I would have Hearty in for McEvoy, think his kickouts are better and hes better under the high ball imo.  What about trying Padden in full forward in the next league games, think he played there in the past for Mayo and he's capable of winning ball.

I think Billy Joe also played in the full back line, half back line, midfield, half forward line and full forward line before mayo eventually found a position for him.

I have always been a fan of stephen Kernan, he certainly offers a lot more than most of our current forwards. My team for the down game would be

Mc Evoy
Moriarity, Donaghy, Mallon
Dyas, Mc Keever, A Kernan
Vernon, Toner
Swift, S Kernan, Duffy
Stevie, R Clarke, J Clarke

If R Clarke not fit, would pull in billie Joe to collect lose ball around the middle and play a 2 man FF line of stevie & Jamie

I would have Hearty in for McEvoy, think his kickouts are better and hes better under the high ball imo.  What about trying Padden in full forward in the next league games, think he played there in the past for Mayo and he's capable of winning ball.

A very disappointing performance. The performances of some of the senior players was alarming. It is hard to see any of these lads being involved in the senior championship against down this summer.

James Morgan and Jamie Clarke are both missing - very disappointing that Cross will not release them (at least I am presuming they wouldn't release them). Fairly typical though

No Tasker in the Armagh team - that's a surprise condidering his form for Cullyhanna last year. What's wrong with Tony Donnelly - did he not captain this team at minor level?

This is a very young u21 team but considering the quality of management and players i am confident they will do very well this year.

Time to look forward to next year.

1 - hearty or mcevoy
2 - a mallon
3 - b donaghy
4 - p mckeown
5 - p duffy
6 - c mckeever
7 - k dyas
8 - j lavery
9 - k toner
10 - a murnin
11 - r clarke
12 - g swift
13 - j clarke
14 - s mcdonnell
15 - s forker

Best wishes to Kevin Nugent and his family and clubmates. I hope his recovery goes well and we are watching him in an Armagh jersey in the very near future.

[Ulster)]

I think for the next few years you could split Ulster into 3 categories:

Top three - (Monaghan / Armagh / Ulster) These teams will be winning Ulster titles and playing football to least August

Middle three - (Antrim / Donegal / Down) These teams are progressing and will probably reach an Ulster final in the next few years without winning anything

Bottom three - (Cavan / Fermanagh / Derry) Perhaps a bit harsh to include Cavan here as they have young talent coming through. But all 3 are fairly dire and lacking talent / motivation / discipline / fight

is this a select ?

Sorry I've always struggled to recognise them................... tyrone