Armagh management :Paddy O'Rourke!!!

[BerfArmagh]

Martin mc quillan is starting to grow on me

[MrTaylor]

Martin mc quillan is starting to grow on me

They say Clearasil is very effective for that.

[PatDaly]

McGrath is an egoist with an abysmal record in charge of the Down seniors in the modern era. Sure they had to practically frog march him out the door. Maybe alright for the underage teams he shouldn't be let near a county senior team again. A passionate Down man, he's never shown anything other than contempt for Armagh. I for one would certainly reconsider attending any Armagh game with that man in charge.

What a stupid comment to make! Anyone with any knowledge of football knows that Pete McGrath is one of the most successful managers in GAA ever. He's the man that took the Down job when no-one else wanted it and led Down to 2 Sam Maguire titles within the next 4 years. The parallels with the current Armagh situation should not be lost on anyone. After 1994 when the Down team of that era started to age it wouldn't have made any difference who was in charge. McGrath had already got the most out of them. Armagh should pull out all the stops to get McGrath. He showed Brian McAlinden how to win an Ulster U21 title only 5 months ago and people on this board are calling for McAlinden to be the next Armagh manager. Get real!

[Donagh]

He's a Down p***k living on past glories, we don't want him. As I said, alright for one of our underage teams, maybe the U16 or U14 development squads but with only two McKenna cups from '94-'02 to show for himself at senior level he'd be better off in Carlow or Kilkenny. 

[puskas]

He had it but he lost it. Nice guy for sure, respect for 91 and 94 etc but he's from Down. End of. Next?

[mountainboii]

He showed Brian McAlinden how to win an Ulster U21 title only 5 months ago and people on this board are calling for McAlinden to be the next Armagh manager. Get real!

So he had planned to be a point down heading into injury time in the knowledge that his team would grab a goal with the last kick of the game? Interesting.

[gorm agus bui]

Its not as if you are are overloaded with candidates capable of doing any county job to be casting aspersions on a winner.
football in the top level in Armagh is a very recent but shortlived experience for you shower
Jeez I hate new money!! No class

[PatDaly]

He showed Brian McAlinden how to win an Ulster U21 title only 5 months ago and people on this board are calling for McAlinden to be the next Armagh manager. Get real!

So he had planned to be a point down heading into injury time in the knowledge that his team would grab a goal with the last kick of the game? Interesting.

Of course this wasn't the way McGrath planned it out 5 months ago in Casement but Down were still able to get the result. Some managers are lucky and you need that wee bit of luck in sport to win. Contrast Brian McAlinden's Armagh team of 2000 who very unlucky against Kerry and lost the match by one of the last kicks in the game with Pete McGrath's Down team of 1994 and 1991 who got all the breaks (Dublin had a penalty saved, Meath if given 2 more minutes would have won the game). Brian McAlinden has been a great servant for Armagh but unfortunately he's an unlucky manager. McGrath in addition to having a great football brain also has that lucky touch. How many more All-Irelands would Armagh have if we had that wee bit of luck?

[The GAA]

Have to agree with Donagh on wee Pete. Not a f*ckin chance - or any down man for that matter.
On top of him being a down man, he hasn't got the credentials for the modern game. Not even in his own county - where they are preoccupied with the past - was he considered good enough any more.

An Armagh man can and will do the job.

[irunthev]

I mentioned Malachy O'Rourke a few pages back and no one commented, either in favour or against. Has as much or more  experience as AOR in terms of management at college level and also has a Dublin SFC under his belt with UCD. Any comment?

[Aaron Boone]

Pete McGrath interested according to RTE Sport.

Confusion reigns overall.

[stew]

Pete McGrath interested according to RTE Sport.

Confusion reigns overall.

I think McGrath was a good manager, how good he is now is debatable but I think he could still do a good job for a county team, that said he will never ever manage Armagh, it doesnt bear thinking about.

[BroJolly]

I heard at the weekend that the only name that has actually been put forward for the job is Niel Smith?

Any truth in that?

[Orior]

After all the shenanighans in the county, I think it has to be an outsider.

Is the current squad good enough to win the AI in 2010?

Maybe we need a "development" manager until Geezer becomes available.

Pete McGrath will do rightly. As Pat Daly said, Aidan O'R would be a good side-kick.

Then Geezer and Aidan in 2 years time.

[PatDaly]

McGrath is an egoist with an abysmal record in charge of the Down seniors in the modern era. Sure they had to practically frog march him out the door. Maybe alright for the underage teams he shouldn't be let near a county senior team again. A passionate Down man, he's never shown anything other than contempt for Armagh. I for one would certainly reconsider attending any Armagh game with that man in charge.

What a stupid comment to make! Anyone with any knowledge of football knows that Pete McGrath is one of the most successful managers in GAA ever. He's the man that took the Down job when no-one else wanted it and led Down to 2 Sam Maguire titles within the next 4 years. The parallels with the current Armagh situation should not be lost on anyone. After 1994 when the Down team of that era started to age it wouldn't have made any difference who was in charge. McGrath had already got the most out of them. Armagh should pull out all the stops to get McGrath. He showed Brian McAlinden how to win an Ulster U21 title only 5 months ago and people on this board are calling for McAlinden to be the next Armagh manager. Get real!

   So by your own logic the Cork U-21 Manager in turn showed McGrath how to win in the last minute.

My point is that McGrath is usually a lucky manager and its the wee things that make all the difference in sport between winning and losing. As a reminder the following summary of success and experience is what Armagh will be missing out on if they pass up this opportunity to appoint McGrath as the new manager.

Part of the backroom team that helped guide St Colman's to two All-Ireland Colleges titles in 1986 and 1988, McGrath was also involved with Hogan Cup successes in 1993 and 1998 with the Newry secondary school.

He guided Down to only their second ever All-Ireland minor football title in 1987 and was appointed manager of the Down senior team in 1989. He enjoyed outstanding success in the early 90s, helping Down to memorable All-Ireland victories in 1991 and 1994 before finally stepping down as manager of the Mourne men after the 2002 championship.

But he's not good enough to manage Armagh