Qualifiers Round 1 2012

Thomas Clarke wrote:I don't know Boxty. I picked Roscommon over Galway, but I just sense a bit of, what shall we call it, 'Donegal of old' about them. Talented, but fond of the good life, short on grit, and high on false dawns. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that the Armagh will have too much energy and work rate for them.

Certain "discontentment" mutterings coming across the river....They will either explode or implode....The old Frankie Dolan issue..

I've gone for the "implode" option...

Boxtyeater wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:I don't know Boxty. I picked Roscommon over Galway, but I just sense a bit of, what shall we call it, 'Donegal of old' about them. Talented, but fond of the good life, short on grit, and high on false dawns. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that the Armagh will have too much energy and work rate for them.

Certain "discontentment" mutterings coming across the river....They will either explode or implode....The old Frankie Dolan issue..

I've gone for the "implode" option...

I think Armagh are an average enough bunch, Boxty, but they are an average enough bunch with heart. On that basis alone, I'm expecting an Orchard victory.

personally i am looking forward to the result of the Derry v Longford game. Derry couldnt possibly play as badly again, though a colleague of mine was speaking to Conal Sheridan (Derry Trainer) during the week and he didnt paint a very positive picture at all.

Longford on the other hand have to lift themselves of the floor following a disappointing exit to Wexford in the Leinster championship. Both managers have a job on their hands today so it should be an interesting contest

Result from London -

London 2-09 Antrim 2-11

bocerty wrote:personally i am looking forward to the result of the Derry v Longford game. Derry couldnt possibly play as badly again, though a colleague of mine was speaking to Conal Sheridan (Derry Trainer) during the week and he didnt paint a very positive picture at all.

Longford on the other hand have to lift themselves of the floor following a disappointing exit to Wexford in the Leinster championship. Both managers have a job on their hands today so it should be an interesting contest

Is it on telly by any chance?

bald eagle wrote:Result from London -

London 2-09 Antrim 2-11

Phew!!!!!! Parouisa in a lather of sweat by now.

bald eagle wrote:

bocerty wrote:personally i am looking forward to the result of the Derry v Longford game. Derry couldnt possibly play as badly again, though a colleague of mine was speaking to Conal Sheridan (Derry Trainer) during the week and he didnt paint a very positive picture at all.

Longford on the other hand have to lift themselves of the floor following a disappointing exit to Wexford in the Leinster championship. Both managers have a job on their hands today so it should be an interesting contest

Is it on telly by any chance?

Can't see it BE, a game involving Derry could only be shown after the 9pm watershed!!!!

bald eagle wrote:Result from London -

London 2-09 Antrim 2-11

Have London improved or have Antrim regressed?

London have some fine players on their books now and will be disappointed not to have got at least a draw, a combination of both i think Boc.

Had to be Longford for me. BE must be tearing his hair out .... no wait ....

Disappointed to see Derry go out. For a week or so after the Armagh game last year, the future under Brennan looked bright. Since then, they've lost every championship match they've played. Twice to Donegal, once to Kildare, and now an emerging Longford side. It was a tough schedule for a manager trying to build a new team but that's the luck of the draw. It's not going to comfort too many Derry people now. Hard luck to Derry - I will continue to look out for them in the championqships to come. It's a good county.

Thomas Clarke wrote:

Boxtyeater wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:I don't know Boxty. I picked Roscommon over Galway, but I just sense a bit of, what shall we call it, 'Donegal of old' about them. Talented, but fond of the good life, short on grit, and high on false dawns. I hope I'm wrong, but I fear that the Armagh will have too much energy and work rate for them.

Certain "discontentment" mutterings coming across the river....They will either explode or implode....The old Frankie Dolan issue..

I've gone for the "implode" option...

I think Armagh are an average enough bunch, Boxty, but they are an average enough bunch with heart. On that basis alone, I'm expecting an Orchard victory.

You're initial optimism for the sheep-stealers was well placed, Boxty. Good call!

After the last 3 years Armagh aren't even average. I am still quite shocked that Roscommon won, but fair play to them. Armagh against Tyrone were giving away free's like they were going out of fashion, today I think 0-9 of Roscommon's scores were frees.

The only good thing to come out of this is the fact that Paddy will be getting his P45 tomorrow. Dosen't matter if people think he is a good manager or not, he was never the right man for the Armagh job he could never get the team to play consistently and I don't think Armagh are as bad as they played today but they are nothing to shout about either.

Question is, who is next for the Armagh job? Then again who wants it!

The way things are going GF, I think Geezer could be a free agent for next season! Kildare's name has already been dragged through the mud, and now they have lost to a Meath team who were in complete disarray. Kildare will now have to win Sam to ensure they don't go what, 6 years without a meaningful trophy? McGeeney is in trouble.

Jamie Clarke gave one of the performances of the season in the first half against Roscommon. However, in the absence of Stevie McDonnell, Armagh simply do not have enough up front. Clarke's impressive 1-3 from play in the opening 35 minutes was in stark contrast to only 3 points from play scored by the rest of the Armagh players. Clarke's failure to score in the second half sums it up and Armagh find themselves in a position that Paddy O'Rourke was familiar with during his Down tenure, having only one genuine scoring threat.

O'Rourke will most likely be ushered out now. His tenure was not exactly a complete failure and while Armagh were inconsistent, they showed character, and occasionally looked excellent. They had a tough draw in Ulster and had they been in Down's position they may well have made an Ulster final. Going out in the first round is a difficult pill to swallow. Stevie McDonnell is an irreplaceable player and his loss was a massive blow. In a game where Armagh lost by only two points, one would imagine that Stevie would have had some say on the scoresheet. To what extent O'Rourke can be blamed for their failure this year is debatable. They were very good against Tyrone , and against Down last year they had probably their finest hour for a few years. They have not been terrible, showing flashes of brilliance one day and the exact opposite the next, like today.

Right now though, the ease with which Roscommon took Clarke out of the game and completely nullified Armagh's scoring threat would suggest that Armagh need forwards. Maybe Billy Joe Padden can give Conor Mortimer a call, see if he can make it up to get a run out for Craobh Rua in the Armagh Hurling Championship next year.

Kildare are a team that are dying, this does seem to be their final year as they won't be able to keep up the dedication they have shown the last few years for much longer. However, if you were McGeeney would you really want the Armagh job? If we got somewhere close to what he has done with Kildare Armagh would be a threat again as they do have the natural forwards. One big problem though is that Armagh do not have leadership, while Clarke can play great during games there are times you wouldn't realise he was playing.

To allow Jamie to play his game I think the gameplan has to be based around him, and it can't be just the one gameplan. Today the gameplan was so obvious, it was so one dimensional that Roscommon sussed it out at half time. Three years have been wasted, and now we need someone that can get Armagh playing like a team. Im not so sure McGeeney will want the job and the only other person I think is capable of improving county football is McEntee but his only interest for now is going for the three in a row with Cross.

Boxtyeater wrote:

Thomas Clarke wrote:I agree totally. I doubt that any of them will make the quarter finals. Armagh the best of what is there.

The Sheepstealers will be "hard bet" in the Hyde...That'll be a good game..

All week we're hearing of rumblings from the camp which encouraged me to tip Armagh.
I should have stuck with my initial opinion. But of course as we well know, you can never trust the Rossies.

Cant, see tomorrows draw throwing up anything to make the neutral salivate.
A cavan kildare tie would at least generate a bit of side interest.

Round three however is shaping up nicely on the assumption that the away teams
Pervail in the majority of round 2 fixtures.

Roscommon or Longford at home could pose problems for some.....

OMAR wrote:Cant, see tomorrows draw throwing up anything to make the neutral salivate.
A cavan kildare tie would at least generate a bit of side interest.

Round three however is shaping up nicely on the assumption that the away teams
Pervail in the majority of round 2 fixtures.

Side interest indeed. While the actual game would see us on the end of a hiding. The best we could hope for would be to bring back Gaynor or Mad Eddie and let them loose on Jelly if he featured.

Jonsmith wrote:

OMAR wrote:Cant, see tomorrows draw throwing up anything to make the neutral salivate.
A cavan kildare tie would at least generate a bit of side interest.

Round three however is shaping up nicely on the assumption that the away teams
Pervail in the majority of round 2 fixtures.

Side interest indeed. While the actual game would see us on the end of a hiding. The best we could hope for would be to bring back Gaynor or Mad Eddie and let them loose on Jelly if he featured.

Bernard morris

OMAR wrote:A cavan kildare tie would at least generate a bit of side interest.

OMAR pulls rabbits out of a hat again .....