Armagh Vs Dorty Dubs

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I dont know Uladh, he would be MF for us all the time now(and really dominate 90% of the games he plays in), whereas he'd been playing CHB for a right while.  I'd still like to see him in the HB line as he is an awesome sight in full flight, but we don't need another HB who loves bombing forward at the expense of actual defending.  I cant see any other position for him at the minute other than in the HF line, although most of his time would be spent in MF anyway, but I reckon he'll move into MF proper in a year or two.

Think that's pretty spot on Benny. He's always impressed me at midfield. Excellent at breaking forward but i don't think a half back line of Vernon, McKeever and Kernan is what we need. I think he should start at least 2 of the last 3 games.

[Sandy Hill]

Whats the story with parking near the ground?
The missus is hitting the third trimester, dont want any long hikes! 

Come off the M1 and head for Castleblayney, turn right in Culloville and it's only a couple of miles into Cross. Drive on into Cross and beside the rear entrance to the pitch there is a youth club who usually allow parking for a few euros. Less than 100 yards to the pitch but go early.

[illdecide]

how did shannon fare up the last day against roscommon?

Doubt there be 2 many changes to be honest after the emphaic win over roscommon.  Would be harsh dropping swift after the last day heard he was excellent though mcgrane's experience could be telling.  Another option could be swift at ff with clarke a doubt.

would like to see vernon get a run in half forward line, in second half couldnt see him starting. 

Would be very worried about finn mo at corner back against pacey cornr forwards will give away frees and that recipe for disaster with vaughan playing. 

Ill admit i'm not Finn Mo's biggest fan but did he not hold Thomas Freeman scoreless from play? and if so thats an achievement as Freeman is a class act...It should be a cracker of a game and i'd say C Whelan will start for Dublin but McGrane can handle him alright...

[Orior]

To all Dubs - the match starts at 2pm 

[Uladh]

Clocks go forward sat night too!

Moriarty has been a bit of a mixed bag thus far. he was excellent against freeman, which shows he has the potential but i have to say he was poor against Cavan & westmeath and awful against roscommon. with mallon and mcnulty (according to today's irish news) apparently injured there are limited options in the full back line so i expect there to be no changes in defence.

I'd say Whelan will come in at midfield, alan brogan at 11 and griffin at 6 from that dublin team that's named. the last three league games are traditionally the ones that teams start to pull together their championship lineups.

[mackers]

Sunday will be a huge test for the new look team. I see the stats in the Irish News this morning about us racking up big scores (distorted by our last outing I know) but more worryingly conceding a lot. How times have changed! Couple of concerns I have would be how our full back line holds up against a sharp Dublin forward line. Francie could be on before half time. Also, I hope the new, more disciplined Ciaran McKeever doesn't get sucked into the verbals and crap that will no doubt happen on Sunday. Him vs. Vaughan has sendings off written all over it. He has been our best back by a street so far but he's not worth a sh1te to us in the stand for the remainder of the league.
Uladh said earlier in the thread about the match not suiting SK and he has a point, but it'll be no more intense that any championship game in the summer so now's the time for him to step up to the plate. He has shown what he can do given time and space but that'll be at a premium on Sunday and it'll be interesting to see how he gets on. Irish News has it in today's paper that Clarke is fit so the only probable change will be McGrane in for Swift (who is unlucky to miss out). A few Harps boys seem to think Charlie Vernon will not start, I'd like to see him play as much of the last three games as possible, ultimately Courtney's spot will be his.

[bennydorano]

Thought in the first half against Roscommon our FB was exposed on numerous ocassions, without Andy Mallon it always looks dodgy.  I hope Bellew starts but you could possibly see Toner at FB and Nippy in MF with McGrane with F Mo making way.  It would be a big ask of Shannon in a high pressure game when he's more naturally a HB.  Team I'd like to see:
 
             McKinney
Shannon?   Bellew/Toner   Donaghy   
McKeever  O'Rourke  Kernan

        Toner/Nippy        McGrane

SK(Vernon if ready)    O'Rourke  Courtney

McDonnell    Clarke    Kernan

[Uladh]

Good enough assessment there mackers. i'd disagree with the point about McKeever though. he can be the best defender in the country on his day but we need to see more days of focus and discipline like the one he produced against monaghan. if i'm going to be harsh i'll say that everyone (bar moriarty) was good against roscommon and that wasn't difficult! McKeever had a decent game against Monaghan but a poor game against westmeath. Maybe i'm applying too high a standard to him but he can be that good so i suppose we have to. O'Rourke has been comfortably armagh's best defender to date.

the goals they've conceded were disappointing. two to high balls, which arguably wouldn't happen if francie was in situ and one to a concentration lapse from ak. armagh of old gave up goals very rarely and thats a habit i'd like to see them retain!

[Uladh]

At the start of the league i'd have liked toner at full back but the more i see him at midfield i think he's the perfect foil for McGrane. he's very john toal like in his work rate, tackling and ball winning. that allows McGrane to concentrate on his game and hopefully pushing forward. It'd be a difficult game for shannon to try and prove himself as an intercounty corner back but i suppose McDonnell has to find these things out now rather than in the last ten minutes of a high pressure championship match in june.

Mallon is a miss but it's also a comfort blanket to know he'll come back in for the big games and McDonnell can go about finding out about the rest without having to leave mallon out.

[Gnevin]

To all Dubs - the match starts at 2pm 

No worries sure as soon as we hit the border will we all dive like lunatics !

[Uladh]

As opposed to what you normally do?

[full back]

To all Dubs - the match starts at 2pm 

No worries sure as soon as we hit the border will we all dive like lunatics !

Tyrone wannabe

[his holiness nb]

Uladh as far as I know Griffin is still in Australia.
Will be lucky to catch a game at the end of the league.

[Throw ball]

Sunday is a big match for Armagh but I believe it is more important for the years ahead if certain players are played this week to give them a true test of their worth. By this I mean keeping our full back line will give us an idea as to who may be there for the long haul. There is no use playing a half fit Francie for example and learning nothing about Shannon or Moriarity or Donaghy. Let them play and you may learn more. The same with Stephen Kernan. I believe he has the ability but would like to see how he will cope with a rougher, tighter game. I also think we need to look at Swift again even if for only 30 minutes to see if the last game was a blip or a sign of a player who now knows the manager trusts him and is freer to show his ability. It may prove more beneficial in the long run to play these players and lose, but learn alot than to bring in others and win.

On a different note I believe that some of the problems in our full back line stem from our new approach. The half forwards are holding further up the field and scoring more. Consequently are half back line is further up the field and this is leaving our full back line more exposed. We may conceed more in future unless we can find a happy medium between the blanket defence and going man for man. On the positive we should score more too!

[Onion Bag]

Any mention of an Armagh Team Yet?