2020 league

The Sideline Eye

The Sideline Eye

Active Member
Coming up on our Podcast Results Show tomorrow, released at 12pm!

The Hurlers destroy Monaghan by 21 points

The footballers and Ladies suffer their first defeats of the league

Hurling Captain Nathan Curry interview!
 
portadownarmaghfan

portadownarmaghfan

Well-Known Member
As Sean, The Dark Destroyer Wallace would say, I am hoping that Saturday evening was simply a bad day at the office.
The reality is that we're probably not as good as we thought we were after the Cavan game, nor as bad as some people think we are after Laois. Surely a more clear view will emerge after next week's game, pressure is on, needing a win against a decent Kildare team. Hopefully a vocal home support and the hurt of Saturday evening can be used to see us through. A lot of bruised bodies and bruised egos will no doubt be raring to go to put things right.
 
B

Bert

Active Member
A really disappointing result & performance on Saturday following a fine outing against Cavan.

I think most of our failings have been noted on here since Saturday evening.

A point worth noting is that after donegal ran dublin's defence ragged in the 2014 championship (scoring 3-14), Jim gavin altered dublin's tactics the following year. Defenders were largely kept in their positions thereafter (barring jack mccaffrey) and the scoring duties left to their forwards. This gave them defensive stability and put an emphasis on their forwards to take responsibility. I know we are not dublin of 2014 but perhaps our management could learn from how dublin developed their tactics. Against Cavan, I noticed our half back line (McCabe, comiskey, forker) regularly venture deep into Cavan's defence. Very often, this resulted in possession being spilled and just occupying our forwards space. Why not just get them to stay in the half back line and be ready to block up our defence.

Interesting that both kildare (5/6) and armagh (11/10) remain strong favourites to get promotion after the opening 2 rounds of league matches. This will change after Saturday's match when one will be very concerned about relegation

Saturday's match odds - 5/6 armagh, 7/1 draw, 5/4 kildare.
 
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topoftheleft

Member
Like most followers I’m concerned how the opposition seem to be able to wander through the middle of our defence unchallenged, but I think we have an equal problem at the other end of the field. The number of wides we rack up on a regular basis, surely must be a concern. Obviously against Cavan we had a day when everything went over the bar , but we don’t have many of them .Against Tyrone in the McKenna Cup, they didn’t play any better than us, they were just more clinical with chances .The problems we have at either end of the field have been there for years now and if the management are working on them ,I’m afraid l can’t see any improvement .
 
Big Jim

Big Jim

Well-Known Member
topoftheleft said:
Like most followers I’m concerned how the opposition seem to be able to wander through the middle of our defence unchallenged, but I think we have an equal problem at the other end of the field. The number of wides we rack up on a regular basis, surely must be a concern. Obviously against Cavan we had a day when everything went over the bar , but we don’t have many of them .Against Tyrone in the McKenna Cup, they didn’t play any better than us, they were just more clinical with chances .The problems we have at either end of the field have been there for years now and if the management are working on them ,I’m afraid l can’t see any improvement .
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But there are differences if you look. Yes Saturday was woeful, but not the end of the world. We've been here before too often, but we're not top 5 or 10. Certainly 15. Expecting that much better really is taking my tinted glasses too far. Getting exercised about how Geezer is going nowhere with these players suggests that they are world beaters and another manager would take them to an all Ireland title. That is pure fantasy and even I, tinted glasses and all will admit that. Not that I don't wish it, just know it's not realistic at the minute. Watching Dublin v Kerry shows how far we are away, regardless of the talent we have and that's nothing to do with management. I don't care what anyone says, not one of those lads on Saturday evening decided they better do what Geezer said because if I don't we might win. I smell bull...............

Seeing as you quoted McKenna cup and tyrone, in the final them'uns looked good against Monaghan. On Sunday past................... It happens. Even to teams we believe to be the best. Last Saturday, Kerry held Dublin in Croke Park. Sunday the struggled past Galway by a point. Surely that means Galway are almost as good now as Dublin and Kerry.

If only things were that simple.

When Armagh win the begrudgers sit quietly in the corner. When they lose they come out in force preaching "I told you all so!"

Funny lot, Armagh supporters!
 
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topoftheleft

Member
Don’t see how having the opinion that Armagh are wide open at the back and kick a concerning amount of wides , makes me a begrudger . I would like to see an improvement in these areas and thus make us a better side .Never suggested that an improvement in these areas would make us All Ireland contenders, but it would be a move in the right direction.
 
Big Jim

Big Jim

Well-Known Member
topoftheleft said:
Don’t see how having the opinion that Armagh are wide open at the back and kick a concerning amount of wides , makes me a begrudger . I would like to see an improvement in these areas and thus make us a better side .Never suggested that an improvement in these areas would make us All Ireland contenders, but it would be a move in the right direction.
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I'm sorry, I didn't say you were a begrudger. I didn't say you suggested improvement makes us All Ireland contenders. I quoted your post because like many others you said that there are no differences in how we play and set up now and we we did previously - "The problems we have at either end of the field have been there for years now and if the management are working on them ,I’m afraid l can’t see any improvement" and I didn't agree with that. I said "But there are differences if you look." The rest of the post is generic. If you feel it was aimed at you and you alone, then if the cap fits, I won't take it off of you. That's something that obviously hit a nerve with you. My point about begrudgers stands. Only you know if you sit quietly when they win and preach when they lose. I don't need to go checking all of your posts.

I fully respect your concerns about the problems, but to say it's simply the same isn't true. Many of the players from even five years ago are no longer there because of either retirement, disillusionment or whatever conspiracy theory some wish to use. Do we really believe that the lads that are there, well educated and from differing social backgrounds are that easily brainwashed into being simple robots. Sorry that I will not accept. To name two, Aidan Forker, a teacher, known as a confident individual, really turns into a yes man. Rian O'Neill, again an extremely talented confident individual will simply do what he's told because he wants to play in an Orange jersey? Not a mission. They're there because they believe in what they're doing and there's a possibility it might just click.

I feel I say this every year, but in 2002 we had a reasonably rocky league campaign. I can never ever remember a year when we demolished all before us in the league.

Please don't take anything I say personally. It's not intended that way. I may disagree with a line you say, but I'll never disagree with your right to differ. Please don't disagree with mine.
 
portadownarmaghfan

portadownarmaghfan

Well-Known Member
Big Jim said:
I'm sorry, I didn't say you were a begrudger. I didn't say you suggested improvement makes us All Ireland contenders. I quoted your post because like many others you said that there are no differences in how we play and set up now and we we did previously - "The problems we have at either end of the field have been there for years now and if the management are working on them ,I’m afraid l can’t see any improvement" and I didn't agree with that. I said "But there are differences if you look." The rest of the post is generic. If you feel it was aimed at you and you alone, then if the cap fits, I won't take it off of you. That's something that obviously hit a nerve with you. My point about begrudgers stands. Only you know if you sit quietly when they win and preach when they lose. I don't need to go checking all of your posts.

I fully respect your concerns about the problems, but to say it's simply the same isn't true. Many of the players from even five years ago are no longer there because of either retirement, disillusionment or whatever conspiracy theory some wish to use. Do we really believe that the lads that are there, well educated and from differing social backgrounds are that easily brainwashed into being simple robots. Sorry that I will not accept. To name two, Aidan Forker, a teacher, known as a confident individual, really turns into a yes man. Rian O'Neill, again an extremely talented confident individual will simply do what he's told because he wants to play in an Orange jersey? Not a mission. They're there because they believe in what they're doing and there's a possibility it might just click.

I feel I say this every year, but in 2002 we had a reasonably rocky league campaign. I can never ever remember a year when we demolished all before us in the league.

Please don't take anything I say personally. It's not intended that way. I may disagree with a line you say, but I'll never disagree with your right to differ. Please don't disagree with mine.
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I agree with your right to disagree and disagree with anyone who says that disagreement is unhealthy. Agreed?
 
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