Ulster Championship 2024

Wide ball said:

Team I'd like to see is
B Hughes
P Burns
A McKay
B McCambridge
C O'Neill
A Forker
J og Burns
B Crealy
S McPartlan (won't happen)
S Campbell
R O'Neill
J Duffy/R McQuillan
C Turbitt
O O'Neill
R Grugan (free role to go out and play make)

When all players are fit I'd have James Morgan back in the team instead of burns in cornerback. Morgan and mccambridge are the teams 2 best man markers and with teams showing they can break mass defences down more now I think we need some more man markers, team is harsh on Conaty especially as he has been excellent, I think tiernan Kelly worth a shout too as he has massive potential is a kick out option and can kick a score. This team has kick passers in forker, grugan and Rian, has height in the 2 oneills and the midfield also OG burns and Duffy, and has pace with Campbell, Turbitt, og burns,

Click to expand...

Harsh on McGrane, Conaty and McElroy who were probably our best players in the league.

I’d say Hughes, McGrane, McKay, McCabe, Forker, Grugan, Soupy, Murnin, Conaty and maybe Turbo are nailed on starters for the first round anyway if fit.

Would definitely like to see the 2 O’Neills start against Fermanagh, the more game time they get before the serious stuff the better.

Could name 10 different teams to be honest and none of us might get it right. Serious strength in depth.

I would love to see this team but will never happen to be honest

1. Ethan Rafferty
2. Barry McCambridge
3. Aaron McKay
4. Aidan Forker
5. Joe McElroy
6. Greg McCabe
7. Jarlath Og Burns
8. Ciaran Mackin
9. Ben Crealey
10. Rory Grugan
11. Rian O’Neill
12. Conor O’Neill
13. Andrew Murnin
14. Oisin O’Neill
15. Oisin Conaty

6 subs to come, in order =

Stefan Campbell
Conor Turbitt
Peter McGrane
Jason Duffy
Conaire Mackin
Ross McQuillian

Just feel Ethan offers more if fit but also very happy to have Blaine so happy either way.
Feel we need to start our best players and stop trying to come back into games. Get the game over with a Good scoreboard and then bring on subs to see it out. Not always chasing like Sunday.

Is Ethan back playing after the broken leg. Is it even realistic to expect him to be match fit at this stage. Here's hoping he is. Management could mix it up between the 2 of them and therefore keep the opposition guessing.

John said:

Is Ethan back playing after the broken leg. Is it even realistic to expect him to be match fit at this stage. Here's hoping he is. Management could mix it up between the 2 of them and therefore keep the opposition guessing.

Click to expand...

Must be a month or so since mcgeeney said he was back in training pushing for a spot.

He’d be better used as an impact sub similar to soupy than the fly goalkeeper role. Or even bring him in as goalkeeper in the last 20 minutes and really change the flow of the game. Some analyst had said they thought our forwards seemed to have more space during the league with a traditional keeper staying out of their way. That train of thought has gone to hell after the league final anyway, may as well see if adding him in can make something happen.

BananaMan said:

Fermanagh Tickets available for Season Ticket holders in the John Vesey Stand which presumably is the covered stand?

The atmosphere coming out of it would need to be a whole lot better than the league game a few weeks ago. Jaysus it was grim.

Click to expand...

Front part of stand is Uncovered, tickets selling as CU for example which is Section C Uncovered, back part of stand is covered & selling as CC, Section C, Covered. Front part of stand looks to go from Rows A - F, possibly G, back section Rows A - J at a guess.

John said:

Is Ethan back playing after the broken leg. Is it even realistic to expect him to be match fit at this stage. Here's hoping he is. Management could mix it up between the 2 of them and therefore keep the opposition guessing.

Click to expand...

He was back running and kicking a few weeks back according to McGeeney.

Definitely would see Blaine as number 1, barely put a foot wrong all year so far. Ethan would be a serious man to bring off the bench.

Ard Mhacha 13 said:

Front part of stand is Uncovered, tickets selling as CU for example which is Section C Uncovered, back part of stand is covered & selling as CC, Section C, Covered. Front part of stand looks to go from Rows A - F, possibly G, back section Rows A - J at a guess.

Click to expand...

Those seats in Brewster would cut the arse off ye. I’d rather stand in the terracing.

Although with this weather we’re having... hmm, I think I’ll bring the fishing chair.

Uptheorchard said:

Ethan starts simple as that. Offers so much more out the field can push him up to midfield for kickouts like Derry did. Can get scores and assists plus can kick over the oppositions press which is crucial and something we can’t do with Blaine. Harsh but it’s that’s management.

Ethan
McCambridge (Morgan if fit)
McKay
Forker
Oneill
McCabe
McQuillan (need pace from defence like other top teams have)
Mackin
Grimley (best of what we have)
Duffy
Rian
Soupy
Grugan
Murnin
Conarty

Harsh on Turbit but he can be impact sub and Conarty has been excellent.

Geezer will never pick this team tho, but it would give us the best chance to beat the top teams instead of picking safe but ultimately players that aren’t good enugh to win at the top end!
Be brave or go home! Look at how brave Derry were at the weekend and how they pressed Dublins kickouts, was unbelievable!

Osin Oneill, Turbitt Jarly Og, Nuggent, etc then excellent options from the bench to change the game if needed.

Click to expand...

Like the look of that team bar the goalkeeper, think Blaine is better all round and can come out the field if needs be although not to the same extent. Kickouts are much much better than Ethan imo.

I get what you’re saying with McQuillan there and I think he has a lot of the tools to play that attacking half back role but maybe hasn’t just nailed down a spot yet for whatever reason, hopefully he can this year because as you say he brings a lot of pace. Would also keep McGrane in for the same reason he brings pace from defence as well.

No way Ethan should start.
Hughes has been very good and should walk if Ethan was even considered- Ethan is no way near match fit or match ready.

POINTMAN said:

No way Ethan should start.
Hughes has been very good and should walk if Ethan was even considered- Ethan is no way near match fit or match ready.

Click to expand...

Hughes, McGrane, McElroy, McCabe and Conaty all stood out during the league and have their place on merit, no reason they shouldnt start against Fermanagh if fit imo although I’m sure theres plenty of other lads pushing hard in training and putting hands up to start which we obviously can’t see

Armaghball said:

Hughes, McGrane, McElroy, McCabe and Conaty all stood out during the league and have their place on merit, no reason they shouldnt start against Fermanagh if fit imo although I’m sure theres plenty of other lads pushing hard in training and putting hands up to start which we obviously can’t see

Click to expand...

They all did great in the league and give us great options but I still think we go with our strongest team for championship because at the end of the day the team that started the other day won't win us an Ulster, for me we go with the best players and although we can't play 6 scoring forwards I think we should have at least 3 and although McElroy has been fantastic and proved me and many others wrong I'd still sooner have Duffy as he does the donkey work but can also score and a kick out option, McCabe is a good player also but forker has been very good at number 6 this year besides the final and forker is one of our better players who can pick out a pass, I think we need to go strong and stick with the team to get some consistency unless for a really bad game or injury, we have great depth but maybe our depth is a weakness as we don't ever seem to pick the same team going back a couple years so maybe consistency is what we need to do, I do feel midfield is an issue ATM but I think we have plenty of options just not being used by management so pick 2 that can compete whoever the 2 out of Mackin, Crealy, Grimley, mcpartlan or even jarly og (did brilliant second half against Derry last year in mf) and whatever 2 is picked stick with them

Armaghball said:

Could name 10 different teams to be honest and none of us might get it right. Serious strength in depth.

Click to expand...

Sorry I don’t get the strength in depth assertion.
We have a lot of players of a similar standard but only one / two standout players who if curtailed means we will struggle .
We can give most people a game but I don’t fancy us against any of the top 6 and Roscommon / Monaghan / Donegal would be 50/50.

I don't see anyone who didn't play consistently in the league starting against Fermanagh, especially those returning from injury. Ethan Rafferty hasn't played a minute and to just drop him in cold, would be a massive risk, when we don't really need to take it. I don't know what the status of James Morgan is and while he's our best defender, it would be a lot to ask him to start. There were so many players in the league that I wanted to see get some sustained game time, but they didn't, so I don't see them starting against Fermanagh - Grimley, McQuillan and Oisin O'Neill. I get the feeling that this season is win or bust for McGeeney and if he wants to get over the line in Ulster, he needs to have the team playing at it's best and having the players he thinks will get us over the line playing regularly and you do that in the league. I don't see how you can then expect players who aren't up to speed to come in cold and carry the team forward and give it that extra couple of percent. Or maybe they see Fermanagh and Down as being the perfect games to get players who've been out, up to speed?

PatMustard said:

Those seats in Brewster would cut the arse off ye. I’d rather stand in the terracing.

Although with this weather we’re having... hmm, I think I’ll bring the fishing chair.

Click to expand...

You’ll fit right in…. Those Fermanagh men will have fishing rods, duck calls and keep nets with them.

My team based on what I have seen in the league below.
Generally speaking we have two out and out defenders who you wouldn't want crossing the half way line (no offense to the lads) and two inside that you want to stay as close to goal as possible. The other 10 are fluid and should all be able to attack, run, and defend when it is required, with a few fielders in there as options for the long kick out. So based on that, my formation is a 2-10-2 in effect. I think the best chance we have is getting both o'neill's on the pitch for as long as possible and if games against Fermanagh and Down aren't that ideal opportunity, lets face it nothing will be.


Blaine- Rafferty wont be up to speed and causes a bit on panic at the back at times

Burns- The two lads wont mind me saying anything north of half way is nose bleed stuff
Mc Kay

McGrane- has earned it
Connaire Mac- one of the most improved anytime he his played, looks fitter than before and is a big unit
Ciaran Mac- workhorse
Forker- Sneaks in, based on ability to take a score and leadership over form, needs to up it
Grugan- Nothing much needs said
O Oneill- As above
R Oneill- As above
C Oneill- Very calm on the ball and comfortable covering anywhere on the pitch
Jarly Og- Another who is lucky to get in but has more of a scoring threat than Crealey
Conaty- Can carry the ball at pace and could be a key player on the transition if the long direct ball isn't on

Murnin
Turbo


Subs, could make a case for any of them to start;
Crealey
Mc Cambridge
Duffy
McCabe
Soupy
McIlroy
TK

Maybe a bit further back
Cian
Grimley
McQullian
McMullan
Nugent
Morgan?

Naka said:

Sorry I don’t get the strength in depth assertion.
We have a lot of players of a similar standard but only one / two standout players who if curtailed means we will struggle .
We can give most people a game but I don’t fancy us against any of the top 6 and Roscommon / Monaghan / Donegal would be 50/50.

Click to expand...

Yeah that's part of the issue for me, we have lots of players that are steady division 2 players, very few players that can stand out in division 1
The ones that can stand out for me is the 2 O'Neills maybe grugan. Forker and Campbell behind these at decent division 1 players. We have about 25 players all about the same level and interchangeable, I think jarly og burns, mcquillan and Kelly had/have a high ceiling if they meet potential,

Naka said:

Sorry I don’t get the strength in depth assertion.
We have a lot of players of a similar standard but only one / two standout players who if curtailed means we will struggle .
We can give most people a game but I don’t fancy us against any of the top 6 and Roscommon / Monaghan / Donegal would be 50/50.

Click to expand...

The strength in depth assertion is that if we had 5 or 6 injured "starters" there would be no significant drop-off.
You are proving the point here by saying we have a lot of similar standard players....that is the depth.
Teams with no strength in depth drop off the edge of a cliff when they lose the best 5 or 6 because those replacing them are at a much lower level.

Of all the problems we have, replacing injured players like for like isn't one of them.

Your point, which has merit, is one of the overall quality of the squad, which is a different topic.

BananaMan said:

The strength in depth assertion is that if we had 5 or 6 injured "starters" there would be no significant drop-off.
You are proving the point here by saying we have a lot of similar standard players....that is the depth.
Teams with no strength in depth drop off the edge of a cliff when they lose the best 5 or 6 because those replacing them are at a much lower level.

Of all the problems we have, replacing injured players like for like isn't one of them.

Your point, which has merit, is one of the overall quality of the squad, which is a different topic.

Click to expand...

I see strength in depth as an assertion we are a top team with an equivalent level on the bench /squad.
The last two years have shown we are around 8/10 with a squad of players at that level .
We have won one major game in that time against Galway , all others we ultimately lost .
Think we are both in agreement .
Reality is I am still fecked off at the cowardice on Sunday with the team picked .

Forker in everyone of the teams I’ve seen. Given that almost all of these are teams people would like to see rather than the one that they think management will choose the obvious question is - does Forker’s form merit selection?

We all know what an on form Aidan Forker brings to the team. A lot of that I think is missing from current form though.

The core of the team won’t change. But maybe there could be a few curve ball selections/omissions on the horizon. It happened last year and the year before.

I think P Burns and McGrane should be nailed on. A fit McCambrige will put pressure on them. Not sure how far off Morgan is.
McKay is not in top form but difficult to see Huggins of Connaire Mackin displacing him. McCabe is critical to the team. I see him more in the role that Forker has been playing. Fitness and form amongst J Burns, C O’Neill, McElroy and maybe McQuillan for the 2 wing back slots. Ross is still unproven at this level. Great athlete but end product counts at this level.
As I mentioned before the midfield balance needs looked at. If Rian comes into the team I would not be surprised if it is as an orthodox midfielder.
It’s possible that some of the midfield options (Grimley and McPartlan) come in to freshen things up at wing forward. Game time for Soupy but maybe not starting. Grugan starts all day long. The front 3 should stay as it is.