Ulster Championship 2023

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armaghtimmy

Well-Known Member
Talk of putting Rafferty into Midfield is crazy. Not because he wouldn't have the talent, but he wouldn't have nowhere near the fitness. The man has stood between the sticks in training and games every night for the last 18 months, what makes you think he could suddenly play the most key position when it comes to mobility and getting around the pitch. Fanciful stuff. He's doing a good job were he is, leave him there. Blaine wasn't the best under the high ball due to his stature, and now we have someone who is, no pleasing everyone!!!!
 
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POINTMAN

Well-Known Member
armaghtimmy said:
Talk of putting Rafferty into Midfield is crazy. Not because he wouldn't have the talent, but he wouldn't have nowhere near the fitness. The man has stood between the sticks in training and games every night for the last 18 months, what makes you think he could suddenly play the most key position when it comes to mobility and getting around the pitch. Fanciful stuff. He's doing a good job were he is, leave him there. Blaine wasn't the best under the high ball due to his stature, and now we have someone who is, no pleasing everyone!!!!
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Just a small point - but Ethan under the high ball cost us on Sunday.
However, I really rate him and believe he could do a job for us around the middle. And he has not been "stood between the sticks" but playing largely outfield.
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
armaghtimmy said:
Talk of putting Rafferty into Midfield is crazy. Not because he wouldn't have the talent, but he wouldn't have nowhere near the fitness. The man has stood between the sticks in training and games every night for the last 18 months, what makes you think he could suddenly play the most key position when it comes to mobility and getting around the pitch. Fanciful stuff. He's doing a good job were he is, leave him there. Blaine wasn't the best under the high ball due to his stature, and now we have someone who is, no pleasing everyone!!!!
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Murphys law that Blaine probably wouldn’t have came for that ball in the first place and the goal wouldn't have went in. Not a criticism of anyone btw.
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
POINTMAN said:
Just a small point - but Ethan under the high ball cost us on Sunday.
However, I really rate him and believe he could do a job for us around the middle. And he has not been "stood between the sticks" but playing largely outfield.
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Rafferty probably covers as much ground as anyone!
 
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KilleavyGael

Active Member
POINTMAN said:
Just a small point - but Ethan under the high ball cost us on Sunday.
However, I really rate him and believe he could do a job for us around the middle. And he has not been "stood between the sticks" but playing largely outfield.
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Was talking to a GK from my club about this. The issue isn't handling, he is probably the best man under a high ball in the county and he is not a weakness under a high ball. The problem is the decision to come so far out to attack a ball that landed on the 13m line. Theres not a natural GK in the country whod have gone for that, but he does it because hes thinking like an outfielder.

As I said above, he will continue to do this mad shit and McGeeney will continue to accept it because of what he gives as an extra attacking option.

I also said previously somewhere on here that the better teams will plan for this when facing Armagh and calculate that there's at least a goal a game to be got by exploiting this gap in Ethans skillset.
 
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Wide ball

Well-Known Member
For me Ethan's positives far outweigh his negatives and I think he has been brilliant as a GK but if that had of been blaine Hughes he would of been getting alot more grief imo, I think that Rafferty should continue in nets because he is vital to how we play out from the back and his passing from deep is top notch,
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
KilleavyGael said:
Was talking to a GK from my club about this. The issue isn't handling, he is probably the best man under a high ball in the county and he is not a weakness under a high ball. The problem is the decision to come so far out to attack a ball that landed on the 13m line. Theres not a natural GK in the country whod have gone for that, but he does it because hes thinking like an outfielder.

As I said above, he will continue to do this mad shit and McGeeney will continue to accept it because of what he gives as an extra attacking option.

I also said previously somewhere on here that the better teams will plan for this when facing Armagh and calculate that there's at least a goal a game to be got by exploiting this gap in Ethans skillset.
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he was caught in 2 minds, defenders as much at fault there fir letting Rogers get his fist to it.

If you’re gonna go, then go hard and clean out ball, Armagh and Derry men that are in the way, or else stay on the line. Worst thing you can do is change your mind half way.

Positives still far outweigh his negatives though.
 
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KilleavyGael

Active Member
Armaghball said:
he was caught in 2 minds, defenders as much at fault there fir letting Rogers get his fist to it.

If you’re gonna go, then go hard and clean out ball, Armagh and Derry men that are in the way, or else stay on the line. Worst thing you can do is change your mind half way.

Positives still far outweigh his negatives though.
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I would say your correct for a ball dropping in and around the goals or the square,but if the ball is landing out on the 13 the keeper has no business being there. Have you ever seen someone fist a goal from the 13m line that bounces and trickles into the net?
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
KilleavyGael said:
I would say your correct for a ball dropping in and around the goals or the square,but if the ball is landing out on the 13 the keeper has no business being there. Have you ever seen someone fist a goal from the 13m line that bounces and trickles into the net?
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Agreed, shouldn’t have been trying but once he decided to go then he had to fully go.

It went up a serious height and probably caught in the breeze so wasn’t exactly simple to deal with in fairness. Maybe he thought it was going to drop closer to goal.

A mistake from Ethan, every player on the field made some on Sunday, but unfortunately when keepers make them obviously it usually has a bigger impact.
 
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armaghtimmy

Well-Known Member
POINTMAN said:
Just a small point - but Ethan under the high ball cost us on Sunday.
However, I really rate him and believe he could do a job for us around the middle. And he has not been "stood between the sticks" but playing largely outfield.
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If you really think he would have the fitness to play midfield then wel agree to disagree. I have no doubt he would be the first to admit that himself. He offers something different from where he currently plays, no need to change that. Very different playing outfield and tracking runners and doing donkey work off the ball to what he currently does with the odd foray into shooting range.

He got it wrong on Sunday with the goal, but who's to say if another keeper had of been in Derry wouldn't have bombed long balls in on top.... If and buts.... Keeper is least of our issues at present. Andy and Turbo will no doubt be more frustrated than most but that's how Derry set up. Watching from behind one goal, they had nowhere to make runs into, and if they did get on the ball it was out round the 45 or beyond because they had to weave through 13 red jerseys to get space. To beat a team like Derry you need overlapping corner backs who can comfortably take a score as thy are usually the ones who end up on the end of attacks with half a yard of space, or a core of long range kickers confident (and also have the belief from the line that they wont be hauled off for having a go from 45 yards) in their ability to ping shots over from distance.
 
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Armamike

Active Member
KilleavyGael said:
Was talking to a GK from my club about this. The issue isn't handling, he is probably the best man under a high ball in the county and he is not a weakness under a high ball. The problem is the decision to come so far out to attack a ball that landed on the 13m line. Theres not a natural GK in the country whod have gone for that, but he does it because hes thinking like an outfielder.

As I said above, he will continue to do this mad shit and McGeeney will continue to accept it because of what he gives as an extra attacking option.

I also said previously somewhere on here that the better teams will plan for this when facing Armagh and calculate that there's at least a goal a game to be got by exploiting this gap in Ethans skillset.
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I think Ethan is generally very good under the high ball. Put it this way, I wouldn't get too nervous when the ball is kicked high into our square. On this occasion he obviously was too far out but I'm guessing he may have been affected by the way the ball moved in the wind. When it was kicked I thought it was heading closer to goals but it seemed to drop a bit shorter. Very unlucky that it still managed to hit the net from there.
 
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huggy2002

Active Member
Cahir O'kane writing in Irish news today has a great article, he details all the fine margins that happened in the match, he said Armagh are still in a good place and said in his view they are on a par with Derry going into the Riund Robin games.
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
huggy2002 said:
Cahir O'kane writing in Irish news today has a great article, he details all the fine margins that happened in the match, he said Armagh are still in a good place and said in his view they are on a par with Derry going into the Riund Robin games.
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Must give it a read. Without a doubt we’re every bit as good as Derry, level after 90 minutes of football and but for a fluke of a goal I think we would have won that game by a couple of points.
 
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