We got out of jail last week. We were second best tonight. People can point to a few missed frees and a couple of missed goal chances. Tyrone left as much behind them.
The opposition press every kickout we have, we sit of the majority of the opposition kickouts in a game. Therefore we by default win less primary possession per match. The net result has been obvious all season. Yet still we persist with it. For a management team that believes in possession being king, we sure do cough up a lot of it needlessly with the restarts strategy.
We were 4 points down when we went down to 14 players and even at that stage we didn't look remotely like changing strategy. Had it remained 15 a side I think they would have beaten us out the gate quite comfortably to be honest. I'm calling a spade a spade on that one.
Chasing a game in the second half and it took until the last 10 minutes to press. The substitutions baffled a bit as well. For all the hype on Ross McQuillan, I've yet to see the lad do anything in a Jersey. He isn't ready for county football.
The last play of the game baffled me, why take a point when 3 down. Just no idea what was going on there.
Either way, I said last year, whatever this Armagh team was going to do, it needed to do this year, or soon. It's not a young team, and plenty of our players are the wrong side of 30. This team is likely going to fall into a what could have been category. Can't fault the effort, but the change in tactics to ultra defensive this season is just not suited in any way at all and yet still it's persisted with. It cost us tonight, and it should have cost us last week.
People saying we have the management for the next 2 games as a minimum. I'm going to suggest that Westmeath give Tyrone their full of it next day out. If they topple them and Galway beat us, then we may not even see another 2 games this year.
I'd fear for this Armagh team. It's aging, and the change of tactics hasn't suited. We aren't winning an All Ireland this year, we likely never were. But the drop off has been stark and seriously concerning.