Ulster Senior Football Championship 2020

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GAAMAD

Active Member
I thought Jamie Clarke put in a shift on Saturday. Although maybe not where we would prefer to see him play, his tracking back and helping the defense out was great to see. Also clipped over a few scores
 
O

OneofTwo

Member
There is a large element of yesterday is down to just not being good enough. Thay
armaghtimmy said:
Gar is 100% correct, as I said the day after the Derry game on here, Donaghy was fit and ready to come on v Roscommon and start each of the 3 games from then onwards.

It is almost certain he is retiring and for him not to be given a few minutes when the game was clearly gone was poor form in my opinion, regardless of whether we could have made a greater impact by starting/coming on sooner. He has been nothing but loyal to Armagh for 14 years. A very sour ending.
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I couldn't agree more.

People that level back saying there is no room for sentiment in County football will have very short memories given the send offs other players have been afforded. Knowing how Donaghy has gone about his business for Armagh and indeed Clonmore, I have no doubt he will slip away quietly drawing no attention to the fact he is gone but if this is indeed the case I feel we will have done a fantastic servant an awful disservice. There are right and wrong ways to do things, especially in an amateur game.

Retirement aside, I am 100% convinced a fit Brendan Donaghy would have been an asset at the weekend given how Armagh sat deep and invited physical contact. It would have suited him down to the ground but if your granny had balls and all that jazz...
 
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B

Bo Darville

Active Member
KilleavyGael said:
Guys if anyone here is seriously suggesting that Brendy Donaghy would have made a difference yesterday, yous need to get your heads examined.

Brendy Donaghy in his prime wouldn’t have saved us yesterday. That’s a team a few levels up from us across the board. Tactically, technically and physically. If they didn’t do us with skill, their system would have won it for them and if that failed they were big enough to just bully us.

For me we are just under par for the year. Great to get to division 1, just a slight pity we didn’t go it more convincingly and great to beat Derry, just a pity we couldn’t show up yesterday.

We’ve the talent to bloody a few noses in div 1 but we’ll need to be a bit cuter. I think that those on here calling for a shake up in terms of the coaching staff are correct.
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I don’t think anyone has said Donaghy would have won us the game. That’s not the point.

The point is if Donaghy was fit and available is he a better option than some of the lads that started. I would argue that he is. Which begs the question why has our manager not played him?

We conceded 1-22, 1-12 in the opening 35 minutes. Every single Donegal forward scored. Yet not one single defender was brought on from the bench.

I just had a look back at the league, Donaghy played 3 full games. In the games he played we conceded 37. In the other 4 we conceded 66. On average we conceded 4 points less when he played.

That’s not a stat that surprises me in any way. Anyone who follows Armagh knows that when Donaghy plays we are better defensively. And so the question remains, why not play him?
 
Big Jim

Big Jim

Well-Known Member
I wan't gonna comment on Brendan as I think what's in my head has been covered, but........ I love his style and don't care if he was the best or worst defender we ever had, nor even if playing would or wouldn't have changed the result - we'll never ever know for sure, but he was another of our most reliable, committed and dedicated players and if it was his swansong then why not fulfil it on the field for the last 10 minutes even? I'd just love to know why he didn't get a chance - at all. If he was being ignored, going by the gentleman on here that maybe knows him best, then it sounds like he wouldn't have stuck around to be belittled, so was there something else?? Unless you're on the inside, there again is absolutely no way of ever knowing.

One thing I'll point out though and this is not an excuse, more an observation of a pattern. Aaron Kernan sat out several games on the line before he left - maybe one of our best ever defenders, certainly of the modern times. Andy Mallon played little in his last season, if the talk is true, as his own decision - maybe one of our best ever defenders, certainly of the modern times. Nippy Swift was constantly used as the fall guy and first to be replaced in every game until he finally threw the head up in Mullingar and walked away........no in fact he ran as quickly as he could! I'm sure each of you could add to the list.

Surely if this is a conscious decision by Geezer he would remember his own day, called ashore in Croke Park when he was vital. Who will ever forget seeing the emotion in his eyes up on the big screen that day? Saying it happens isn't saying that's the way it should be, but it seems it's the way it is and has been. Mind you I also remember hearing the same comment about top level rugby players and I'm sure I remember similar about David Beckham and Wayne Rooney etc. We've seen it in Kerry and Cork and with Matty Forde in Wexford. I know them'uns have done it too, just escapes me who with.

That aside, it still doesn't make it right, but demonstrates how we (as a GAA family) treat those who generate the income revenue streams. Sad, but a reflection on all of us as we put up with it.
 
Armagh_paul

Armagh_paul

Well-Known Member
Did anyone agree with Sheridan coming off on 29 minutes? He is the only one I remember going forward although an unfair free given against him.
 
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cast no shadow

Member
Serious problems with underage structures and development - the lack of complex skills demonstrated by our senior team clearly indicate this. The academy thing is a joke, elitism, job for the boys, etc. The fact our county ignores club football for 17-19 years old speak volumes (this is f****ing disgrace by the way as community based organisation we have a responsibility for the well being of our young people). I firmly believe the reason for this is because the development coaches think that at this stage they have their elects players So it is not in their interest to run a competition. I have no have raised this on numerous occasions with my club about this.

We need to be creative ambitious and brave.
The status quo is not working, after the Roscommon game 2 years ago I said the whole thing some players included should have been moved on.

This Armagh team is not young by the way so this team in transition thing is a smoke screen.

Lastly how many full time coaches do we have in this county?
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
cast no shadow said:
Serious problems with underage structures and development - the lack of complex skills demonstrated by our senior team clearly indicate this. The academy thing is a joke, elitism, job for the boys, etc. The fact our county ignores club football for 17-19 years old speak volumes (this is f****ing disgrace by the way as community based organisation we have a responsibility for the well being of our young people). I firmly believe the reason for this is because the development coaches think that at this stage they have their elects players So it is not in their interest to run a competition. I have no have raised this on numerous occasions with my club about this.

We need to be creative ambitious and brave.
The status quo is not working, after the Roscommon game 2 years ago I said the whole thing some players included should have been moved on.

This Armagh team is not young by the way so this team in transition thing is a smoke screen.

Lastly how many full time coaches do we have in this county?
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Totally agree with you. Especially the bolded. The amount of lads that will be lost is crazy
 
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Armaghball

Well-Known Member
JoeH said:
Is this the first year of the u19/U20 age group? We're any games played anywhere in the country at that age group?
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Don’t know about anywhere else but here the U19 was meant to be ran off at the end of the year almost as an after thought. Then nothing was played at that age with lockdown. Absolutely ridiculous to expect lads to be ready for senior football at 17.
 
JoeH

JoeH

Well-Known Member
Armaghball said:
Don’t know about anywhere else but here the U19 was meant to be ran off at the end of the year almost as an after thought. Then nothing was played at that age with lockdown. Absolutely ridiculous to expect lads to be ready for senior football at 17.
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So nothing was played then due to lock down

So when the club split season comes when will everything be scheduled
It looks like u17 and u19 is here to stay so along with the adult leagues it's going to have to be played either alongside adult competitions or before or after adult competitions start or finish.
So what's the opinion now?
 
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