Has this Arma Team found their level?

[JMohan]

B Tierney,
J McNulty, E McNulty, F Bellew,
A O'Rourke, K McGeeney, A McCann,
P McGrane, J Toal,
P McKeever, J McEntee, O McConville,
S McDonnell, R Clarke, D Marsden.
Subs: B O'Hagan for McEntee, T McEntee for McKeever.

That was the 2002 vintage - Highly likely the 13 and 14 will be all that remains in 2009.

And possibly just the number 14

[In the Onion Bag]

Have to agree with Mohan U& O'Neill here.  The pedigree that has been bred into Arma over the past 10y surely will not be wasted.

A couple of youthful changes here and there and Bobs your uncle, back to AI glory yet again.

[Down Gael]

Has this Armagh team found their level ?

Not yet, they still have a lot further to fall. Oisin has gone, quite a few of the old guard will follow him. They dont have ready made replacements, some of those guys are probably irreplaceable. Their manager had the benefit of basically using Big Joes team for this year, he doesnt seem to have any faith in the new breed at all. What will he do without the likes of Bellew and McGrane? So no Armagh havent found their level yet, not til they reach Division 4 

[JMohan]

Actually of all the older players I think Bellew is well able for another year.
If you (can) ignore the goal he had a pretty steady day I thought

[INDIANA]

Yes , until they find some forwards and inject some pace into the team.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

Given that Armagh are likely to do better than any other Ulster team this year, our level isn't too bad yet.

For the past decade Armagh have been a good team, they were never a great one. I believe they have over-achieved rather than underachieved given their limitations. While i supported them today and hate to see an Ulster team being beaten in Croker, it will perhaps inject some sense of reality and humility into the boastful arrogant Armagh posters on this forum who are always so quick to denigrate others and celebrate their misfortunes.

I see at least as much boasting and arrogance from Down posters on this forum. The only difference is that Down people boast about thing that ahppened a generation or more ago.

We should have won a second All Ireland. In 2004, I firmly believe we were the best team in the country. In 2005, we were better than Kerry and as good as Tyrone, we just won the wrong match. Since then we've been a steady downward curve but have done well to pick another 2 Ulster titles. We aren't genuine All Ireland contenders and may not be again for a while. But we'll always have the memories.

[ONeill]

If Tyrone lose on Saturday, Ulster football will have a sort of 70s/80s look about it. So far, the closest an Ulster team has gotten to winning was the 3-point defeat of Monaghan.

[Mike Sheehy]

I see at least as much boasting and arrogance from Down posters on this forum. The only difference is that Down people boast about thing that ahppened a generation or more ago.

We should have won a second All Ireland. In 2004, I firmly believe we were the best team in the country. In 2005, we were better than Kerry and as good as Tyrone, we just won the wrong match. Since then we've been a steady downward curve but have done well to pick another 2 Ulster titles. We aren't genuine All Ireland contenders and may not be again for a while. But we'll always have the memories.

ffs, you didn't even reach the AI semi Finals in 2004  ..honestly, do lads really believe this stuff..are ye that delusional ?

Look, you were lucky enough to win the AI that you did win so I wouldnt get into this type of speculation. In this parallel universe of  "would've,could've,should've" revisionism Eoin Brosnan might have scored with that late attempt and you might end up with no AI at all.

[nrico2006]

Armagh will be back next year for definite.  They have good players coming through and have bled a few the past year or two.  Can't understand why the manager didn't put on McKenna earlier than the 70th minute - what was he going to achieve in a minute or two.  He is a great runner and the kind of player they needed on Saturday.

[Rufus T Firefly]

I see at least as much boasting and arrogance from Down posters on this forum. The only difference is that Down people boast about thing that ahppened a generation or more ago.

We should have won a second All Ireland. In 2004, I firmly believe we were the best team in the country. In 2005, we were better than Kerry and as good as Tyrone, we just won the wrong match. Since then we've been a steady downward curve but have done well to pick another 2 Ulster titles. We aren't genuine All Ireland contenders and may not be again for a while. But we'll always have the memories.

ffs, you didn't even reach the AI semi Finals in 2004  ..honestly, do lads really believe this stuff..are ye that delusional ?

Look, you were lucky enough to win the AI that you did win so I wouldnt get into this type of speculation. In this parallel universe of  "would've,could've,should've" revisionism Eoin Brosnan might have scored with that late attempt and you might end up with no AI at all.

Agree with you to an extent Mike - would've, could've, should've means diddley squat unfortunately. For Armagh - including us the supporters - there is a belief that we left one or two All Irelands behind and given we won the solitary one with our greatest ever team, that is a matter of serious regret. 2004 would be seen as one that got away. However it is done and dusted and the records cannot be changed. I would say though that Jack 0'Se said the exact same thing in his column in the Sunday Times last year, i.e. that the Fermanagh shock cost Armagh that years All Ireland. I assume you would make the same charge of self delusion at the great man?

As I said - it's a moot point anyway. It's long gone and one for us to look back on with regret. 

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

ffs, you didn't even reach the AI semi Finals in 2004    ..honestly, do lads really believe this stuff..are ye that delusional ?

Its hardly delusional. Armagh let a decent but limited Fermanagh team catch them on the hop in a q/final. Tyrone, for entirely understandable reasons weren't going well that year and Kerry had failed against Ulster sides in the previous two years and would do so again the following year, not beating Armagh or Tyrone until 2006 by which time Armagh had begun their decline. I honestly don't believe, taking the 04 Ulster final performance into acount, had Armagh produced what they were capable of, that any team could have lived with them. Its hardly delusion, its just a hypothetical view about a question we'll never have the answer to. But it is a discussion board after all so nothing wrong with a bit of discussion.

In this parallel universe of  "would've,could've,should've" revisionism Eoin Brosnan might have scored with that late attempt and you might end up with no AI at all.

And had Barry O'Hagan not dropped a shot into the goalkeepers hands in 2000 we might have ended up with more than 2. Nobody knows. And outside Armagh, I suppose nobody cares.

[corn02]

Armagh were not good enough to win this year

They have got it wrong with the style - they lack pace enough to win.
I think they are very close though - just two positions needed changing - 2 faster wing backs are needed - and drop one of the two O'Rourkes - they are both carrying weight in the ar*e.

Armagh have enough good forwards to beat anyone - they lack speed enough - tho the new corner back and MAllon added that.
Bringing McNulty on was a BAD mistake - what kind of a message does that give out?

So 09 .... Peter ... here's the instructions

- Get two faster wing backs
- Move Aaron to the half foward line
- Drop one or both O'Rourkes
- Loose the Mullaghbawn bias
- Inject some speed into the team

Any more help wanted just ask

So which one of the ORourkes pissed on your children on Christman morning?

[armaghniac]

But it is a discussion board after all so nothing wrong with a bit of discussion.

Exactly, if you just say x beat y, no further comment possible,  then this would not be a busy board.

[full back]

Armagh were not good enough to win this year

They have got it wrong with the style - they lack pace enough to win.
I think they are very close though - just two positions needed changing - 2 faster wing backs are needed - and drop one of the two O'Rourkes - they are both carrying weight in the ar*e.

Armagh have enough good forwards to beat anyone - they lack speed enough - tho the new corner back and MAllon added that.
Bringing McNulty on was a BAD mistake - what kind of a message does that give out?

So 09 .... Peter ... here's the instructions

- Get two faster wing backs
- Move Aaron to the half foward line
- Drop one or both O'Rourkes
- Loose the Mullaghbawn bias
- Inject some speed into the team

Any more help wanted just ask

So which one of the ORourkes pissed on your children on Christman morning?

Mohan didnt know the difference between Dromintee & Mullaghbawn so I wouldnt pay any heed to his rants

[orangeman]

I think Wexford's experience in Croke Park this year stood to them. Armagh just didn't seem to have the legs for the big pitch.

One thing that was disappointing was Paul Mc Grane punching a couple of players near the end - this is not how it was supposed to have ended for such a great servant for Armagh but that's football.