Armagh vs Galway Athletic Grounds 03.04.2011

[Stevie Nicks]

Hopefully an april fool and proper team announced tonight!!

[Joxer]

Hopefully an april fool and proper team announced tonight!!

Took the words right out of my mouth!

[Aghdavoyle]

Harsh a critic though i may be of POR, I don't think you have any need to concern yourself lads. You are not going to lose on Sunday. I don't think you realise how poor Galway are. They probably played one of their best games against us and still got torn apart. Their only strength is moving quick ball through their HF line to running forwards. They will not be able to do that against your half backs who will have no problem tackling.

As for the changes to the forward line I am suprised too. Can only repeat your comments - Why wait till now to look at Murtagh & Watters? I assume the move of Vernon is, as another poster said, just paper and effectively he will play centre pitch pushing forward. You have been concerned about lack of points from HF line, Vernon would at least help correct that, so it may not be as silly a move as some have suggested.

Actually this is probably a very good experimental side from O'Rourke. It is most likely to answer the question - What if our real championship team gets injuries, who can we put in? I actually think it is a useful team for assessing the squad, I am pretty sure even POR doesn't think this is your BEST team.

But like I said you will not lose to Galway, he could field the entire Crossmaglen team and you'd still beat Galway

Could you spare us your constant amateur hour analysis of Armagh football please.
It's embarrassing how poorly informed you are and even more embarrassing how hard you try to appear informed.

[naka]

Can't see this team starting, why try murtagh now when he has been on the panel all season same with watters,whilst I hate to say this POR and DM are setting themselves up for a lot of criticism if Armagh beaten and this team starts.
What is the point of bringing the cross boys on when  mc keown,kernan, mckenna and cunningham are not on the subs bench,how are we going to get a system, the  team should have been gearing towards may but we are further away than ever, my pick
Hearty
Mallon donaghy morisrity/mckeown
Dyas mc keever Duffy
Toner Vernon
T kernan swift mc kenna (coming in as a third midfielder)
Clarke mc donnell  A kernanas (the spare man in defence)

looking at this side again from the point of view of watching a lot of club games, my rationale behind ak  as a spare man in defence is that i genuinely believe he his the best ball carrier we have, also when watching the cross games he seems to be the guy giving the talks in the huddle therefore has leadership qualities, coupled with his passin ability and overall game intelligence i think he could be a marty clarke type player, getting the ball from deeep and spraying the passes into the forward line ,  with regard to Mc Kenna I am lukewarm on him but we have to see can he cut the mustard, if I recall he played 2 mins against wexford and that is about all in a serious county game over these past few years, we need to see if he can step up and with one game against Cork to go what chances does he have( same for mc keown,T kernan, cunningham and hanratty because friendlys coming up to the championship are not a true indicator),
I genuinely think that with two serious games  in the league left that POR if he plays his team has left himself open to a serious amount of criticism and deservedly so in my eyes , Down aren`t experimenting, Tyrone aren`t ,why are we ? 

[PAULD123]

Harsh a critic though i may be of POR, I don't think you have any need to concern yourself lads...

Could you spare us your constant amateur hour analysis of Armagh football please.
It's embarrassing how poorly informed you are and even more embarrassing how hard you try to appear informed.

How else do you learn if you don't ask questions and join in discussions? I am interested in all county teams not just my own and only by asking people who know more than me I will learn. I don't think I tried to seem informed at all. I simply agreed with other people that it seems a strange team selection. Are you implying the people I agreed with are badly informed? Exactly what did I state as appearing informed? - That I think Vernon would improve your point scoring ability in your half forward line!! Well, if I am so badly informed then, are you saying I am wrong. Vernon won't help score points from HF? I doubt many would disagree with me.

So come on then, by all means criticise my comments, it is an open forum but at least be adult enough to explain exactly what I said incorrect in my comment and not just childishly castigate me with no explanation. If you have anything other than general nastiness to say then by all means say it. I promised Mackers not to start bitchy comments on this thread and I didn't start one. I honestly just have joined in a discussion on football and the county team. Your comment has no merit except to be bitchy and personal. If you have anything constructive to say then I will happily listen and learn, but there is no excuse for personal rudeness

[PAULD123]

... I genuinely think that with two serious games  in the league left that POR if he plays his team has left himself open to a serious amount of criticism and deservedly so in my eyes , Down aren`t experimenting, Tyrone aren`t ,why are we ?

Naka, don't you think that with Armagh virtually safe in the league that this is the right time for a bit of experimenting? Tyrone aren't doing it much, that's true but then they are still in a real fight to get promoted. But Down are and have been. Maginn has been played in a new role, the management have experimented with a couple of different styles for the troublesome midfield area (although while starting the same No.8 & No.9 on the pitch), Laverty, McPolin and McCartan all started games in this league when other more established players were available. Admittedly it's more tweaks than big changes but wee James has certainly opted to play one or two players in every game that we would not expect to see start in the championship.

I think it has made us a stronger squad but possibly our best 15 have probably not played together this season. Do you think it would be better for Armagh to simply play the strongest team every game? I think both approaches have their merits.

[naka]

... I genuinely think that with two serious games  in the league left that POR if he plays his team has left himself open to a serious amount of criticism and deservedly so in my eyes , Down aren`t experimenting, Tyrone aren`t ,why are we ?

wee James has certainly opted to play one or two players in every game that we would not expect to see start in the championship.

I think it has made us a stronger squad but possibly our best 15 have probably not played together this season. Do you think it would be better for Armagh to simply play the strongest team every game? I think both approaches have their merits.

too late in the day for this, watters/murtagh have been there since January yet this is the first time they start, we all know what Mal Mackin brings to the party ffs he played in newry against Down in 2006  ,  if we are to be experimenting try the Cross lads ( mckeown , cunningham,hanratty and mc kenna have never had a chance)not guys who could have played in any of the preceding 5 games, I have followed Armagh for over 30 years and I still can`t fathom what POR is doing with this team, at least with Joe we knew what out tactics were like them or not, same with mc donnell and with the two Brians but we are chopping and changing every week.
just a point has watters had any game time this year and if it is minimal waht makes POR think he can play such a pivotal role in the team now.

[BerfArmagh]

I actually thought this team selection was an April Fools joke, what the hell is POR doing. Looking from the outside it looks like there is absolutely no direction or consistency to either team selection, a choice of formation or a methodology or common approach in our play.

Also the current managements ability to see how a game is unfolding and making necessary tactical changes or substitutions is very concerning

There seems to be this idea that the 2 Clarkes will come back and we'll be amazing. Jamie will definitely improve our scoring options. But if we continue with the appalling quality of ball into our forwards which has been evident all year, then he ain'nt gonna do much.

Ronan Clarke even if he got back from injury next week, will hardly be match fit come the down game

Lets call a few spades here...

• 
  Malachy Mackin is not good enough to be an inter county mid fielder (I do think though he can offer something as an impact player or as a grafter in the HF line)
  Murtagh & Watters will be no where near the starting 15 come the Down game, we've seen them. SO why are they starting such an important game
  lets see what some of the cross lads can contribute.
  Considering we are a month and a half away from the down match, should'nt O Rourke know what his best 15 players are and where he is going to play them

I'm getting more concerned by the day with the current setup

[fitzroyalty]

I have a feeling that with nothing other than pride to play for Galway will have been targeting this game as one they can win.

With that in mind I cannot understand the reasoning behind this selection from Nos 8-15. I am assuming Mackin will switch with Vernon but that aside it leaves the other two selections of Murtagh and Watters.

I don't think Watters has touched the ball more than a handful of times from the cameos I have seen him make so far this year, so to throw him in at no 11 is slightly baffling.

Murtagh is capable of grabbing a score, from being launched on as a sub, not sure how he'll get on from the start. I would have instead thought Brian Mallon for all his faults to have kept his place in the FF line, him and Clarke could have linked up well.

Hope the team wins and proves us all wrong, though like others I'm becoming increasingly concerned.

[mackers]

You're not on your own.
Why swap Vernon & Mackin?
Why wait until the Cross players are back to try Colm Watters at CHF?
Why is David McKenna not even on the panel?
Thought that AK would struggle to come back into the HB line, but are there 15 better players in Armagh?
More questions than answers for me...........not the place to be at this time of the year.

Wouldn't be too concerned about the Vernon/ Mackin situation, reckon it's only a paper change. We've been playing with three midfielders for a while now, with Vernon of three often drifting out towards the wing.

Those other questions are valid enough, and really illustrate just how unsettled things are, especially in the front six, only two games out from the Championship.

The most interesting thing is the ditching of the sweeper once again. Open to correction here, but I can't see any of those forwards dropping back to fulfil that role. Though, I wouldn't be surprised to see something mad like Vernon ending up back there.

It'll be interesting to see what way that pans out alright. One alternative may be to use Toner as the defensive screen and have Swift and Mackin give Vernon a pull out in MF. Toner, however, has fetched a lot of ball for us in the midfield to date and I would disagree with this move.
The management have heaped a lot of pressure onto Colm Watters as his inclusion ahead of a few other notables is the main talking point. I really hope he proves himself on Sunday but, as others have said, if POR believes in his ability why leave him to now?

[drici]

10. Charlie Vernon

On TG4 now until 22:40.

[Orangemac]

Vernon and Toner along with Dyas and the continuing maturing of McKeevers performances have been the highlights of Armaghs league performances to date so it is hard to believe they will not start there v Down.

Although tactics or lack of them has been a problem we could all pick at least 12 of the 15 that will start v Down (assuming R Clarke will not be fit to start). The diifficult child that is the HF line is still the problem so better trying out a few players now than against Down in May.

I would imagine James McCartan and Mickey Harte do not know their starting 15 for the Championship.

I genuinely feel we have the nucleus of a decent team and all around the right age. If we could sort out the HF line we would not be too far away. The worry would be the line and it's impact during games.

[armaghniac]

After a good start, Armagh totally lost their way when Galway scored a penalty. Armagh 0-07 Galway 1-09 HT.

[Milltown Row2]

Is there a strong breeze at the match? Big difference on these games

[fan2011]

any links to the game?