Armagh Fans ...give the minors time

[Armaghtothebone]

Wanted to post this in a seperate thread from the Armagh v Dublin thread.

Many Orchard fans in a knee jerk reaction to Saturday are talking about the All Ireland Minors  from last year.

Too small
Too light
Too young

For Gods sake let them play a year or 2 at U21 first.

Look how many of the 92 Minors were at their best in...2002

Give the lads time to mature, and who knows?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Its on TG4 now lads.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Had somebody followed your advice with Ronan Clarke there'd have been no All Ireland in 2002.

The stars from last year's side will all be turning 20 in 2011, if they're good enough and want to be involved I see no reason why they shouldn't be part of the senior squad.

[Armaghtothebone]

Had somebody followed your advice with Ronan Clarke there'd have been no All Ireland in 2002.

The stars from last year's side will all be turning 20 in 2011, if they're good enough and want to be involved I see no reason why they shouldn't be part of the senior squad.

Fair enough, but Clarke was introduced into an exceptional front line.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is dont be heaping pressure on the lads.

[ardchieftain]

Ronan Clarke.

If you're good enough, you're old enough.

Obviously having the physique to play with the big boys is vital.

Some of the minors have been brought onto the panel already which is encouraging. Bring more in i say, let them train with the established lads and see if they can hack it

[under the bar]

Armagh Fans ...give the minors time 

reminds me of a Magners ad! 

[David McKeown]

If so phew of that minor team were going to be used at senior and even U-21 level this year would it not have been a good idea to have an u-19 or u-20 development squad?

[mountainboii]

If so phew of that minor team were going to be used at senior and even U-21 level this year would it not have been a good idea to have an u-19 or u-20 development squad?

It seems someone has already thought of that.

http://www.armagh-gaa.com/My-Armagh/Teams,-Squads---Coaching.aspx - Post Minor (U20)

[under the bar]

Did the consideration of dumping the Minor & u21 chamionship and replacing with one u19 or u20 competition instead ever get as far as congress for consideration?

[mackers]

Had somebody followed your advice with Ronan Clarke there'd have been no All Ireland in 2002.

The stars from last year's side will all be turning 20 in 2011, if they're good enough and want to be involved I see no reason why they shouldn't be part of the senior squad.

Fair enough, but Clarke was introduced into an exceptional front line.
I suppose what I'm trying to say is dont be heaping pressure on the lads.

Don't think anybody would be putting pressure on the lads at all. The senior team is crying out for forward talent. The best attacking display I have seen from any Armagh team in 30 odd years of following them was the first half of the AIQF match against Kildare last year. Let's see how those lads would get on with the step up.

Let's see a forward line along the lines of-

Grugan    Ronan Clarke/Stevie      Swift

J Clarke   Ronan Clarke/Stevie      Tasker/McVerry

It would help the learning curve of the younger lads to be playing alongside Stevie and Ronan Clarke (if fit). Gavin McParland could be threw in there too, give them a taste of it, see how they get on.  I wouldn't be throwing Stefan Forker out of the mix either.

[eireogatron]

i dont know whether to laugh or cry when people mention Ronan Clarke as proof that all these minors should be blooded.

How many other fresh minors were in that team or even squad?? eh..... NONE!! Marsden, McConville, McEntee, McKeever, McDonnell - all these players were around for a long time before 2002 and without this unit around him who knows what Clarke would have done in 02.

Look at the brilliant Down minors of the past 10-15 years, what have they done?? They won the AI in 2005 and look what a powerhouse of AI football they've become. Underage AI success guarantees nothing. Down 1999 & 2005, Derry 2002 to name 2 sides, what have they acheived with teams that have the same pedigree of underage as us?

Look at the Tyrone underage, they won it in 2001,04 & 08 but the bulk of their key players still come from the 1998 team because they have grown into men - even that great side with McGinley, O'Neill, McGuigan, Mulligan, McConnell etc took 5 years to win Ulster/AI at senior level

Going back to Clarke, he was an exceptional player who had the physical atrributes to make the step up but you're kidding yourself if this means we have another group who can come in and do the same thing. He's been lauded as the best full forward we've ever produced and when fit in the top 2/3 forwards in the country.

If anything - to a rational mind - Clarke is not only the exception to the rule, he's the exception that PROVES the rule.

I'm not saying dont start to bring them in in dribs and drabs, and get them experience (which has been happening this season with a few coming on the panel) but some people expect them to come in and be world beaters straight away! This will not happen I'm afraid so we're just going to have to be patient!

[armaghniac]

Quite apart from his direct contribution, keeping Stevie on board provides invaluable experience. You could have himself and Ronan, very experienced, Swift and J Clarke, now somewhat experienced, and then a newcomer or two.

My concern would be that the team style of play will not be influenced by a young newcomer and it has seemed invulnerable to change. It is like one of those groupthink experiments where they gradually change the personnel, but the pattern remains after all of the original people who established it had gone! So it is not just a question of bringing in a player or two.

[eireogatron]

well, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I think bringing minors in en masse is crazy, the entire history of successful GAA teams would appear to side with me.

[armaghniac]

well, we'll just have to agree to disagree.

eireogatron, if it is me that you are disagreeing with, I don't think we do disagree. When I say that it is not just a question of bringing in a player or two, I don't mean bring in a shed load of minors, I mean develop new tactics, coach existing players as well as bringing in a couple of minors.

[StGallsGAA]

I mean develop new tactics, coach existing players as well as bringing in a couple of minors.

I'll bet not too many managers have thought of that one.