What strikes me about the game at the minute is the lack of movement of FF lines. I know there’s sweeping systems but without movement how can you break that. Fast transition and quick ball will do it but when the defence is packed how do forwards expect to win a ball if they are standing there. We used to play a 2 man FF line and a third MF. That meant the corner back 9 times out of 10 swept in front of us. This is 30 years ago. The way we broke that is one of the FFs, generally me, made a run with no intention of getting the ball. That run was past the sweeper, who generally went a few steps. That’s all it took, engage him for a few yards to leave space for the ball into the space I’ve left. I actually don’t know if players have the awareness to do that. It seems to me that every run made is just to get the ball as opposed to leave the space for someone else to get the ball, or am I missing something?
Ulster Championship 2024
- Thread starter ragingbull
- Start date
I agree with alot of this we have won a tight game which is good (even though we should be beating down easier) but the thing that always sticks in my mind is that in these tight games we get ourselves in a winning position to the easily let the opposition get a score or a silly foul for a free, Monaghan and Galway 2 years ago punished us but we got away with it the other day and against galway last year and Donegal in the league this year. I'd like to see when we get our noses ahead in the end of a game to put pressure on the opposition rather than sit back and invite them onto us or give away needless frees. That is a simple change that I think would do wonders.
Cahair O’Kane: The real Rian O’Neill standing up a sign that Armagh are finally getting it right
When Kieran McGeeney took over, Armagh had neither the ingredients nor the recipe for success. They finally look to have both.
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Armagh's Rian O'Neill and Down's Miceal Rooney in action during the Ulster GAA Senior Football Championship Semi- Final between Armagh and Down at St Tiernach's Park, Clones on 04-27-2024. Pic Philip Walsh
By Cahair O'Kane
April 30, 2024 at 1:00AM BST
IT is by going back to the dying moments of normal time in last year’s Ulster final that you are best able to see the change in Armagh since then.
A point down two minutes into the five added on, Rory Grugan comes down the right wing.
On the wrong side, on his weaker foot, his rash shot drops way short and is gathered by Odhran Lynch.
That could well have been the game gone there and then, but Derry gifted them an equaliser when Jarly Óg Burns read Padraig Cassidy’s loose handpass out of defence.
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Brendan Rogers was black carded for his foul on Burns. Rian O’Neill taps over the free.Ninety seconds left. One more play. Odhran Lynch is forced long.
Rian O’Neill gets the run on Conor Glass. Flying through the air, he wins the kickout.
The roar that went up from the Armagh people at that moment was a roar that said ‘we have it’.
But they didn’t have it.
Rory Grugan called the mark off Ethan Rafferty’s pass. But the distance always looked a big ask for the Ballymacnab man.
He couldn’t win. If he hadn’t taken the shot, he’d have been hounded for it.
In extra-time, they twice led by two points late on. But the indiscipline that has pockmarked their big moments reared its head again.
James Morgan fouled Shane McGuigan twice in the last four minutes.
On the second one, Rian O’Neill ploughed in to Shane McGuigan after the whistle.
The referee added 20 metres and a free in the middle of the field became an equaliser.
Saturday’s win over Down was an ugly spectacle.
But it had to be that way.
Conor Laverty’s entire gameplan was built around testing Armagh’s patience and discipline.
As well rehearsed as they were, Down couldn’t disguise that they hadn’t the kickers to shoot from outside.
Down wanted Armagh to be impatient, to get drawn out, so their runners could penetrate those spaces in behind.
On the couple of rare occasions they managed it, they scored goals. They needed goals.
But Armagh stayed cool, stayed disciplined, and backed themselves to have the quality to see it out.
They deserve far more credit for that win that they’ve been given.
Level moving into stoppage time, Armagh kept the ball for three minutes and 15 seconds before Jason Duffy’s winner.
No mad stuff. Worked it to the right man in the right place.
Their defensive discipline has improved greatly.
Armagh haven’t conceded more than four points from frees in any league or championship game this season.
Donegal in the league final, Fermanagh and Down in the championship have each scored just two frees against them.
There’s part of you feels it’s too early to judge because they haven’t faced a single Division One side yet. And that’s true.
It will only be then you can start to be definitive in saying that they’ve changed.
But this is Kieran McGeeney’s tenth season in charge of Armagh.
Saturday’s win was his 40th championship game as manager.
It was just the third time in those 40 games that he’s started an unchanged team from the previous game.
They named their team just after 9.30pm on Thursday, early in comparison to almost everyone else. And they stuck with that fifteen, same as they had against Fermanagh.
There’s an element of positive psychology built into doing that.
It says to the world: Here we are. This is our team. We’ve nothing to hide. You know it. We know you know it. But it’s up to you to beat it.
For pretty much his entire career to date, Rian O’Neill has been encouraged to live in a state of wanderlust.
Too good to stay inside, too good not to throw inside the odd time. A wee bit at full-forward, a bit at centre-half, out to midfield for the odd kickout and the throw-ins. Everywhere and nowhere.
While he had produced moments of brilliance, there was so much more in him.
In the last two games, I think we’re finally seeing the real Rian O’Neill.
He’s been the best player on the pitch against both Fermanagh and Down.
It feels as though he’s benefitting hugely from being given an orthodox midfield position.
No more handing him the 14 jersey and letting on he’s a bit of this, a bit of that, trying to bamboozle the opposition analysts with what his role is.
The number eight on his back has been reflected in how and where he’s been playing the game for the last few weeks.
O’Neill at midfield is so hard for opposition defences to bottle up. He’s so good at coming on to the ball at pace, and he has that Michael Murphy kind of presence in possession, where he never looks ruffled or off-balance when he’s taking a shot.
Again, it says to the world, this man’s a midfielder, he’s damn good at it, it’s up to you how you deal with it.
Moving Aidan Forker permanently out again to the half-back line and having O’Neill at midfield is a lot of why Armagh’s attacking play, particularly on the break, has been slicker and more effective.
They’re the heads-up footballers that Armagh need and want on the ball.
Against the system Down employed at the weekend, they were the two best able to penetrate it.
Speaking at the Ulster Championship launch last month, Forker credited Conleith Gilligan’s introduction to the backroom in that respect.
He isn’t the only one benefitting from this Newfoundland of consistency.
Ben Crealey beside him has taken hold of the spot beside him in the last six weeks, giving Armagh a recognisable midfield pairing after years of chopping and changing in that area.
Blaine Hughes has done really well in goals.
His role is much more orthodox than Ethan Rafferty but as a team, Armagh had become far too reliant on their goalkeeper in an attacking sense. Hughes will keep his place unless something goes badly wrong.
An injury-free Paddy Burns has quickly established himself as their go-to man marker again.
Ciaran Mackin is an ideal six. Fast, strong, brave, a nose for danger.
Rory Grugan is playing outstanding stuff at 11.
Conor Turbitt’s role in the team is more settled, although he hasn’t quite come good on it yet.
But O’Neill dipping in and out of full-forward for years took away from Turbitt, forced him to live on scraps around the periphery.
They’ve gotten it right tactically on the line in their two games, in very different ways.
They suffocated Fermanagh with the high press and didn’t allow Down to bait them out of their shape.
Their high press against Derry in last year’s Ulster final was the most effective version of it any team has employed against the Oak Leafers in recent years.
Armagh can play it both ways.
When Kieran McGeeney took over, Armagh had neither the ingredients nor the recipe for success.
They finally look to have both.
Yes - they brought on subs and 3 of them scored to win the game.
But game management needs more than merely changing some personnel. We need to adapt and change tactics accordingly and introduce increased urgency and greater speed if attack when needed.
We got past Down on Sunday - but only by a point, and they missed frees and an easy mark. If we are going to heat any of the big boys, we need improvement on the line too.
Too many supporters have a blind spot with regards to Geezer. His record of no trophies hangs over him - he has to beat some big boys and win a trophy. I hope he can do it on Sunday week.
In the interest of fairness they also scored a goal following a brutal refereeing decision against Aaron McKay and got a point from another bad decision when Duffy was incorrectly blown up for lifting the ball off the ground.
winsamsoon
Well-Known Member
We all gave up advocating the log ball as we realized it just was never going to happen.
Wood that really work though? I think you’re barking up the wrong tree….even when it’s kicked it doesn’t stick….you should just leaf it now before everyone else twigs on….
Diarmi
Well-Known Member
LOL, that old chestnut....
Diarmi
Well-Known Member
I think many people thought we would beat Down easily on the basis of the score line last year and that includes many pundits. The reality is we scored 4 goals and that can skew the narrative of the game. Had we beaten them 0.22 - 0.12 I think there may have had more grounds for predicting an easy win. Goals win games except when they don't.....
pablo
Well-Known Member
This is getting sappy.
But he did get to the root of the problem
Enough of these puns….yew are taking them to a new level…..let’s get back to the thorny issue of beating Donegal….
ShiftYa
Well-Known Member
Hard to envision how we’ll win this final. Stylistically Donegal is our worst matchup, they’re almost certain to pack the defence like Down did only with better defenders.
They’re also most likely the best conditioned team in Ireland at this stage of the year and with the 2 weeks break will have full fuel tanks unlike their game vs Tyrone, their running game from their kickouts and counter attacks will threaten our goal.
Have to suspect given the range advance they have on kickouts they’ll aggressively press out kickouts, it’ll be much more aggressive than anything we faced in the league so plan A,B &C will be needed. How we defend their kick outs, either drop off to neutralise the long ball or press to chase turnovers could be deciding of the game.
However what gives me hope is we have depth of forwards, Donegal we’re God awful in front of goal v Tyrone and had no one to come on to make an impact, with McBreaty being brought back on after his poor showing. If we can cycle the forwards correctly and up the shooting % who knows.
They’re also most likely the best conditioned team in Ireland at this stage of the year and with the 2 weeks break will have full fuel tanks unlike their game vs Tyrone, their running game from their kickouts and counter attacks will threaten our goal.
Have to suspect given the range advance they have on kickouts they’ll aggressively press out kickouts, it’ll be much more aggressive than anything we faced in the league so plan A,B &C will be needed. How we defend their kick outs, either drop off to neutralise the long ball or press to chase turnovers could be deciding of the game.
However what gives me hope is we have depth of forwards, Donegal we’re God awful in front of goal v Tyrone and had no one to come on to make an impact, with McBreaty being brought back on after his poor showing. If we can cycle the forwards correctly and up the shooting % who knows.
Armaghniac
Well-Known Member
Ulster winners play Clare Tyrone & Cork
Ulster runners up play Connacht champs, Derry & Westmeath
maybe a good plan to win Ulster?
Ulster runners up play Connacht champs, Derry & Westmeath
maybe a good plan to win Ulster?
ragingbull
Well-Known Member
It's not like kerry to get a easy group
ragingbull
Well-Known Member
The Derry game better be at athletic grounds
Armaghniac
Well-Known Member
ragingbull
Well-Known Member
If Armagh win ulster final they play Tyrone at Athletic first game
ragingbull
Well-Known Member
Group One
Galway/Mayo winners
Donegal/Armagh losers
Derry
Westmeath
Group Two
Dublin/Louth winners
Galway/Mayo losers
Roscommon
Cavan
Group Three
Donegal/Armagh winners
Clare/Kerry losers
Tyrone
Cork
Group Four
Kerry/Clare winners
Dublin/Louth losers
Monaghan
Meath
Galway/Mayo winners
Donegal/Armagh losers
Derry
Westmeath
Group Two
Dublin/Louth winners
Galway/Mayo losers
Roscommon
Cavan
Group Three
Donegal/Armagh winners
Clare/Kerry losers
Tyrone
Cork
Group Four
Kerry/Clare winners
Dublin/Louth losers
Monaghan
Meath