Armagh v Longford - Athletic Grounds Sat 2 Mar at 7pm (Live on Setanta)

[naka]

A kernan, mc cooey, Stephen finnegan, Jamie Clarke, dyas and stefsn Campbell all start
Donaghy is centre half back
Mc evoy
Mc cooey, Donnelly finnegan
Kernan donaghy mc keever
Lavery toner
Dyas Campbell forker
Clarke rafferty Mallon

Gavin mc par land , anto Duffy  injured as is Paul mc keown
Hanratty t kernan , harold moriarity loughran and mc kenna are on the bench

[T Fearon]

You've omitted my club mate Brian Mallon! Good team,half back line should protect full backs.Pity Mc Parland isn't fit!

[Orior]

You've omitted my club mate Brian Mallon! Good team,half back line should protect full backs.Pity Mc Parland isn't fit!

McParland is not fit? I just thought he was dropped for only scoring 3 goals last week!

[yellowcard]

We have overloaded on putting our best players in the half back line. Aaron Kernan and McKeever will presumably be given license to attack since preventing them doing so would negate the best part of their games. Therefore you would have to worry about the full back line receiving adequate protection again. I don't know if Longford are good enough to exploit us but its still a worry. What is wrong with Morgan/McKeown?

[Captain Obvious]

A kernan, mc cooey, Stephen finnegan, Jamie Clarke, dyas and stefsn Campbell all start
Donaghy is centre half back
Mc evoy
Mc cooey, Donnelly finnegan
Kernan donaghy mc keever
Lavery toner
Dyas Campbell forker
Clarke rafferty Mallon

Gavin mc par land , anto Duffy  injured as is Paul mc keown
Hanratty t kernan , harold moriarity loughran and mc kenna are on the bench

A team that should be good enough to beat Longford at home.

[mackers]

Negative stuff first: we're still playing two midfielders in our full back line so that has to be a concern.  The other member of the full back line got the run around in a McKenna Cup match. I have grave concerns about our midfield pairing particularly their lack of mobility.
On the bright side the half back line is as strong a line as we have sent out in a competitive match in a long time and I'm really looking forward to seeing how they perform.  Paul Grimley is also to be commended for taking the long term view with regard to releasing the under 21 players to allow them to concentrate on the upcoming under 21 match.  It's a pity the opposite were true last year, we should have had an extended run in last year's under 21 championship which would have lifted the gloom hanging over Armagh football.
This does leave gaps in our forward line but hopefully those lined out will take their opportunity (particularly Dyas and Stefan Forker).  With Jamie Clarke in our FF line our chances of winning increase significantly. 

[Shamrock Shore]

Longford team for tomorrow:

1.DAMIEN SHERIDAN, 2.DERMOT BRADY, 3.BARRY GILLERAN, 4.PETER FOY, 5.MICHAEL QUINN, 6.KEVIN DIFFLEY, 7.SHANE MULLIGAN, 8.JOHN KEEGAN, 9.MICHAEL BRADY, 10.BERNARD McELVANEY, 11.DONAL McELLIGOTT, 12.PADRAIG McCORMACK, 13.FRANCIS McGEE, 14.ROBBIE SMYTH, 15.SEAN McCORMACK

[Armamike]

I don't really get the optimism around our half back line. All three are very good footballers and good going forward but we've had plenty of holes in our half back line over the years with Ciaran McKeever and Aaron Kernan there. Aaron isn't great defensively and Ciaran McKeever has never been a major presence at CHB imo and looks more comfortable on the wing (that may be sacrilige to some).   I don't know why we haven't been able to get a system of play in place the past few years where there's cover for the back line with players filtering back and covering for the likes of Aaron and the other wing backs to get forward.

[mackers]

I don't really get the optimism around our half back line. All three are very good footballers and good going forward but we've had plenty of holes in our half back line over the years with Ciaran McKeever and Aaron Kernan there. Aaron isn't great defensively and Ciaran McKeever has never been a major presence at CHB imo and looks more comfortable on the wing (that may be sacrilige to some).   I don't know why we haven't been able to get a system of play in place the past few years where there's cover for the back line with players filtering back and covering for the likes of Aaron and the other wing backs to get forward.

I suppose it's all down to opinions.  There have always been question marks with AK's defensive flaws but he more than makes up for it in the quality of link play and foot passing and he is a major asset to an Armagh team.  I would have thought that there would be less question marks over McKeever's defensive quality although I would agree with you that he is more suited to wing back than CHB. Taking Ciaran out of the CHB slot may help his game and allow him to take the game to the opposition in the manner he is capable of (e.g. leading the Armagh coimeback last Saturday). Brendan Donaghy is an excellent defender.  Over the last few years many Armagh posters would have argued that a footballer of his quality was wasted in the full back line.  Tomorrow night is the first time in long enough that this theory can be put to the test.  McKeever and Donaghy have easily been the best defenders Armagh have had over the last 7 years with AK recognised as one of the best attacking wing backs in Ireland over the same period. 
That's the reasoning behind my optimism anyway.

[Armamike]

Mackers - i was just picking up on a general perception among supporters that we've a strong half back line. Our half back line from around about 2006 onwards has been badly exposed at times - and Ciaran and Aaron have been 2 of the mainstays (with Finian Moriarity and Paul Duffy competing for the other spot).  I can remember back to 2006 when Kerry just ran at the half back line at will.  We've never really got the balance between defence and attack since around 2005.  Will be good to see Brendan play in that position. He showed a lot of promise in the half backs a couple of years (though at wing half back) but got shunted back to FB to plug a gap there.  Hopefully he will add a bit of power and obstruction to the half backs as defensively our half backs just haven't been great at getting the tackles in and being physically strong enough to hold off attacks. That's just my opinion anyway.     

[lawnseed]

mal mackin is a big miss on this squad toner simply doesnt cover enough ground. armagh will struggle imo

[Armaghgeddon]

Is Swift coming back?

[Shamrock Shore]

Armagh city buzzing (not). In the Armagh City Hotel sampling the local coffee.

[theticklemister]

Any links??

[Oraisteach]

Shore, if you're ensconced in the city hotel sipping a coffee, I'm sure it's not rockin-and-rollin. Would the Starbucks! in Edgeworthstown be a reincarnation of CBGBs?  If you head out the door and turn right into more loyal locales, waving your Longford jersey of course, you might find more action.  Ah, you're probably better off "istigh ag ol" before heading out the ring road to the match.  When you're at it, say hello to my former neighbours around the Athletic Grounds.  Hope it's a good game too after such a long trek.  You're undoubtedly a true fan.  BTW, if you want to do an act of devotion, you could clip a bit of grass from St. Patrick's College where Barry Devlin went to school, I believe.