Quote from: screenexile on May 07, 2024, 05:02:43 PMQuote from: yellowcard on May 07, 2024, 04:35:37 PMQuote from: screenexile on May 07, 2024, 02:11:22 PMOn the actual game I think it'll be a snoozefest much like Tyrone Donegal/Armagh Down. Armagh will have to play the same way they did against Down and hope that the forwards they have will play better than Donegal's. I think they just about have the better players but there will be vey little in it.
Bookies with a 1pt handicap aren't usually too far wrong!
This is what Donegal would love us to do. Play the game on their terms and reduce it to an arm wrestle that ends up as another game of nerves in the last 5 minutes since they are the masters at this type of game. If we are looking for a template then go back to the 2022 championship when we played them twice.
The first time we sat back and engaged in a defensive arm wrestle that ended in a comprehensive defeat. We drew them again in the qualifiers and went more front foot, high energy, gung ho type game and we inflicted a heavy defeat on them. The latter is the template for beating them on Sunday. Press all of their kick outs since they have an untested goalkeeper or even if Patton is fit to play he will not be in top shape. Kick plenty of ball inside as I think they are weak at defending one on one in their full back line. Plus we have the ball winning personnel to cause them trouble. If we play a hard running game of containment it plays to the strengths of Donegal and reduces the game to a long range point kicking contest and a game of nerve.
I could be absolutely wrong of course and I hope that Armagh play direct man to man and do inflict a heavy defeat on Donegal. If only that the game seemed to have moved on a bit to a more man to man style recently and Donegal have taken it right back to basics so I hope that style is beaten.
I just think that if Armagh had to play negatively against a very poor Down team they'll be primed for the same approach against a better version of it!
Down didn't have players who were capable of kicking points outside 30 metres, the difference is that Donegal do have those players.
It doesn't have to be man to man, those days are long gone. But we need to leave at least 3 forwards up the pitch and leave us with a kicking option on the counter attack and press their kick outs to take them out of their comfort zone. Anything else is to ply Donegal on their own terms.