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[But Donaghy telling Jarly Og to recycle a mark that was scoreable]

#1

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by yellowcard - Today at 10:35:16 AM

Armagh fold again on Penalties, Why was Rian O'Neil taken off. Awful way to lose a game. Some Armagh supporters argue that's that a draw! 4 point up with 20 mins to go, Armagh went bck into their shell instead pushing on.

This time Armagh did not fold, good save to win it. Rian couldn't walk at full time, physio was working on him he had run out of gas. Why Oisin doesn't start or come in earlier is a mystery. But Donaghy telling Jarly Og to recycle a mark that was scoreable  points to a mindset that leads to losing games. Twice at least they had the game won and then stopped doing what was working for them. Players running into dead ends and not taking opportunities points to that  same mindset. Something needs to change, if not McGeeney then the back room. They need a change of direction. Some incredible scores yesterday from both teams, fair play Donegal they found a a way.

I've heard that said by some people but the players have to stand up and be counted sometimes also. Jarly Og was in a decent position for a right footed kicker who likes to draw the ball in. It was a 6 out of 10 kick but kicking it backwards was not the correct option in that position at that stage of the game. The Soupy one was the wrong side of the pitch for a player trying to draw the ball in with his right boot and was a lower percentage but it was still worth a shot at goal. They both should have took a few seconds to weigh up their options before kicking it away in a rush. There was no guarantee that we were going to get a better chance to win the game at the point which they called their marks. The mark ultimately taken by Kelly was no probably easier than either of those shots but there is no fault on him for having the courage to go for the shot and he did at least strike through the ball. 

#2

GAA Discussion / Re: Sam Maguire 2024 Group 1 ...

Last post by tbrick18 - Today at 10:34:58 AM

Hard to guage this group now.
Will Galway push on now they have some key players back?
Will Derry improve after the tanking by Donegal or fall apart?
Will Armagh be able to recover from the heartbreak of losing another final to another penalty shoot out?
Will Westmeath be rubbing their hands in anticipation of being all but written off by most.

There's no easy games in this group that's for sure.

#3

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by statto - Today at 10:33:59 AM

That was a great watch, fair play to both teams for a brilliant effort, that could have gone either way. Horrible for Armagh players [and supporters] but that's sport I spose.  Unbelievable that there are posters saying that was a poor quality game!

Can't fathom why 2 Armagh players refused a mark to win the game with time nearly up.

Penalties no way to decide a game, better to keep playing periods of extra time until there's a winner IMO.

Armagh are there or thereabouts, I would say McGeeney has them at near their max on most days out. He mightn't be the best manager about but for sure there a plenty worse. For those of you who want him out and there are plenty on here, who is coming in to replace him that's obviously better?

It is easy to talk the talk but if that translated into the real world there are a couple of guys on this board who would be doing goals for Armagh in a penalty shootout lol

PS Soupy Campbell is one of the most exciting players to watch I have ever seen.

Conaty is a class act too, the directions to recycle came from the side.

Conatys rolling his man for the score in second half was top class.  He doesn't seem the most natural of kickers but has had a very good first proper season. 

#4

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by tbrick18 - Today at 10:31:32 AM

This is getting hard to take at this stage.  It's ok sucking up one near miss on penalties but 4 now in 2 years?  Forgive me as an Armagh supporter for never wanting to see penalties in our games again.  For any  of you neutrals who think it's great entertainment, be careful what you wish for.  A lot said here and elsewhere about penalties being a lottery?  Sorry, that's nonsense. It's down to skill and composure.  If it was a lottery on the law of averages we would have won 1 or 2 out of those 4. 

For me it's hard to escape the notion that we do have a mental block when it comes to seeing out a game, and especially when we are in front.  I've got to the point now where I would rather we were a couple of points behind going into the final minutes where we don't have to think to much about it and just for for it. 4 points up in a game like that where 2 teams set up defensively was a big advantage heading into the last 15.  We just had to match Donegal on the scoreboard but we stopped scoring completely. Just one or two points in that final 15 or 20 minutes would have won it.  Collectively I think there's a lack of nous and smartness in decision making when the pressure is on, and I don't see a go-to player who will demand the ball and do something to get us over the line, whether that is a crucial high catch in the middle, having the confidence to nail an important score, or a driving run to set up somebody. To be fair I thought Nugent showed some of that confidence and attitude but there wasn't enough.

Really feel for the management and players though. It's a tough one to take and will be hard to motivate themselves.  McGeeney has had so many near misses with Armagh and Kildare. He must feel bloody cursed at this point.

I'd agree with with a lot of this.
I feel Armagh are now getting the maximum from these players and I think they now play a structure that suits the players they have, with O'Neill in MF.
However, the crux of the problem is that they are just a little short on quality overall. Otherwise they would have won some of those close games, or some of those penalty shootouts.
No shame in any of that, just the reality of "nearly" being there.

Can still beat anyone, but if trying to beat a top team they'll need to be at the top of their game and for their opponent to be off theirs.

[Did Armagh do anything overly different in the last quarter compared to the rest of the game. Not really. They sat back and defended they whole way through. They gave Donegal the kickout the whole way through. They were patient in attack the whole way through.]

#5

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by statto - Today at 10:30:51 AM

Did Armagh do anything overly different in the last quarter compared to the rest of the game. Not really. They sat back and defended they whole way through. They gave Donegal the kickout the whole way through. They were patient in attack the whole way through.

Difference was they were turned over a number of times in the Donegal half. Mackin following a loose pass that skidded away from him, McCabe in the corner, Campbell (off the ground that wasn't). They had a couple of shots drop short and a couple of wides.

Was a period of Donegal dominance not to be expected? They also got a couple of outrageous scores. They are two evenly matched teams after all.

Rian O'Neill broke one in first half which think Murnin got a score of I would agree that didn't press the kickouts nearly enough. 

[their money]

#6

General discussion / Re: Premier League 2023-2024

Last post by Look-Up! - Today at 10:29:53 AM

The Theatre of wet dreams....

I'll get me coat.

But it reeks of owners who've bled the club dry and not one bean of their money will ever be spent on Manchester United.

How can you say that, just the £2.1bn in player acquisitions since they bought the club

And not one bean of it from the Glazers.

That was all revenue generated by Man Utd PLC.

True, but as owners they could have used the cash reserves to pay themselves dividends so it is their money. I dont disagree that they have been shocking owners but it is a case of spending money badly rather than not spending it.

Its the risks of being a plc as United was, there are benefits in terms of access to cash to invest and grow but you are vulnerable to an unwanted owner coming in.

That's the exact point they were paying themselves the dividends at the same time. So instead of redeveloping the stadium and training facilities alongside investing in the playing squad, they choose one.

The money has been invested badly in the playing squad but that comes from not having top quality football people making those calls, you had Ed Woodward with his finance background and no discernible footballing decision making structure.

But they dont care as long as the club keeps making money for them. 

Do you think anything has changed with Ratcliffe coming onboard?

I'm not sure how it has. Spending money hasn't been the problem, if anything they spent too much. So ok, spend less plus restructure your budgets to address more capital investment, which is even less again for squad expenditure. That may not go down well with fans if the reality on the field is less glamourous.

Dividends is a sore issue but Glazers still control 50% so have voting rights on dividends? So they'll still want them and Ratcliffe is an investor so he'll quite happily go along with any dividends to be got. They keep attaching the moniker of billionaire to him, as if he's going to be putting his own money in. I can't see why he will, if he only own 25%, that would be stupid. So any investment will be by way of leverage, same as the Glazers? So essentially being a billionaire is of little consequence.

So what else is he bringing? He's an employee, in control of operations. A lot of the gripes before this was not having football men in charge. Could you call him a football man really? Ok, he might get a good director of football in, or he might not. At least that's how I see it.

#7

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by mup - Today at 10:29:22 AM

Some Dubs can't wait to have a pop off McGeeney when he loses. It all stems from his time in Kildare when his team put it up to the Dubs. I'd take him back in Kildare in a heartbeat.

I think Armagh would be mad to get rid of him.

[Collectively I think there's a lack of nous and smartness in decision making when the pressure is on, and I don't see a go-to player who will demand the ball and do something to get us over the line,]

#8

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by AustinPowers - Today at 10:28:03 AM

This is getting hard to take at this stage.  It's ok sucking up one near miss on penalties but 4 now in 2 years?  Forgive me as an Armagh supporter for never wanting to see penalties in our games again.  For any  of you neutrals who think it's great entertainment, be careful what you wish for.  A lot said here and elsewhere about penalties being a lottery?  Sorry, that's nonsense. It's down to skill and composure.  If it was a lottery on the law of averages we would have won 1 or 2 out of those 4. 

For me it's hard to escape the notion that we do have a mental block when it comes to seeing out a game, and especially when we are in front.  I've got to the point now where I would rather we were a couple of points behind going into the final minutes where we don't have to think to much about it and just for for it. 4 points up in a game like that where 2 teams set up defensively was a big advantage heading into the last 15.  We just had to match Donegal on the scoreboard but we stopped scoring completely. Just one or two points in that final 15 or 20 minutes would have won it.  Collectively I think there's a lack of nous and smartness in decision making when the pressure is on, and I don't see a go-to player who will demand the ball and do something to get us over the line, whether that is a crucial high catch in the middle, having the confidence to nail an important score, or a driving run to set up somebody. To be fair I thought Nugent showed some of that confidence and attitude but there wasn't enough.

Really feel for the management and players though. It's a tough one to take and will be hard to motivate themselves.  McGeeney has had so many near misses with Armagh and Kildare. He must feel bloody cursed at this point.

Yeah , I'd have to agree  with this.

#9

GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Senior football cha...

Last post by statto - Today at 10:27:04 AM

Some of the comparisons between last years final and this years uncanny, chance to win it in injury time both games with marks, Armagh 2 up in extra time and then subsequently losing on penalties.  Some of the score taking from both sides was top class in first half particular.

Soupy had missed a mark previously in the second half from a similar position but decided to kick the ball back, think Jarly og should definetely  had a go at the posts. It was Kellys first real touch the mark at end which probably didn't help. Congratulations to Donegal. 

#10

General discussion / Re: Holidays

Last post by Milltown Row2 - Today at 10:25:23 AM

I need to hire a car in Malaga in July. Been looking at a few options and got some recommendations for the companies to use but I was wondering are you better taking the higher cost options to cover for the issues with scratches etc. I have heard of some nightmares on returning the car.
It works our €268 without the extra cover and €1200 on your card or €412 with the higher cover level.

Go over that car with a fine toothcomb and take pictures of any scratches that are there before taking it..

Been a while since I've hired a car think the last ones were Sixt and it was ok, some bullshit with trying to upsale you on the day, but They are all at it.