Sport

Armagh & Down must address issues that are stalling progress

Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney has been getting it in the ear from Joe Brolly, among others, over the last few days  
Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney has been getting it in the ear from Joe Brolly, among others, over the last few days   Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney has been getting it in the ear from Joe Brolly, among others, over the last few days  

AN EIGHT-POINT margin in an Ulster Championship match is emphatic in any man’s language.

Cavan have received a fair bit of praise, particularly for their counter-attacking and levels of organisation. In truth, Terry Hyland’s team won without really being under pressure and they never really looked like losing this match.

From an Armagh perspective, it is hard to find too many faults in forward Stefan Campbell’s performance. He kicked eight points and he won the penalty, even though it was a soft enough award. Without his efforts, a bleak enough outcome for Armagh could have been much worse.

Cavan, however, have some real quality. Big men all over the field who can kick points, break tackles and also secure primary possession. Terry Hyland played Cian Mackey at midfield and, despite an indifferent league campaign where he rarely featured, his experience and skill made him one of the stand-out players for the Blues last Sunday. To give Hyland credit, Cavan had a purpose to their play and they were fundamentally better all over the field in terms of preparation and tactics.

Kieran McGeeney’s team looked lethargic and are a pale shadow of an Armagh one would expect to see in the first round of the Championship. McGeeney has come in for some fierce criticism from all sections of the media. Television, print and social media have carried opinion after opinion on him as a manager, coach and person.

At this time more than any other, punditry has become particularly personal and has morphed into a furious animal at times. The unwritten commandment ‘to stand by your peers’ is something which has been lost, in much the same way as some of the best skills in the game of football have also been lost.

Joe Brolly, as an entertainer, has few equals. One minute, Tyrone are the subject of his ire. The next, it might be the Cavanagh brothers or Marty Morrissey. McGeeney could draw the conclusion that, inevitably, it was his time to stare down the barrel of Brolly’s scattergun.

That’s not to say Joe doesn’t make some very valid points. It is fair to state there is no love lost between Crossmaglen and this current Armagh set-up. Unless a Crossmaglen man (with influence) is managing, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Because of their domination of club football in the county, they have almost created a state within a state. Cross play to a different tune, one which is deemed a lot more successful and self-fulfilling.

Additionally, like in so many other counties, the club’s county players operate in isolation of their club. On a few occasions when I helped out with Carrickcruppen of Armagh last year, I noted that county players do not play club league matches at any time during the year.

The question then becomes how does club football improve in the county if the best players are not playing regularly? The aspiring county player or developing player simply has no-one to pit his abilities against.

As a result, the consensus among Armagh supporters is one of frustration with the county set-up before a ball has even been kicked. Therefore, when a result like last Sunday’s against Cavan occurs, the knives are quickly out. For the time being, Kieran McGeeney will have to ride out the storm.

THIS weekend’s game will provoke similar emotions within Down, should Monaghan provide the Mourne county with another reality check.

I have experienced some pretty depressing days with Down. However, I have seldom experienced morale in the county as low before their Championship has started as what it is currently. The best players have opted off the Down panel. Unlike Cavan, Tyrone and Donegal, Down and the other Ulster counties are paying the price for significant underinvestment in underage coaching. 

In saying that, I would always have contended Down are capable of beating anyone on their day. The swagger and confidence associated with a Down player may well be a nostalgic throwback. However, history would give Down fans a glimmer of hope.

It’s 1994 and Down go into Celtic Park against the reigning All-Ireland champions Derry. In 1993, the ‘Massacre at the Marshes’ against the same opposition created a clamour for significant change in the playing panel and management of Down’s senior football set-up. Regardless of the objections of a number of senior players, the management remained in place for the 1994 season.

Under the leadership of DJ Kane, on and off the field, what transpired was one of the greatest Down All-Ireland titles of their five. The players took ownership and personal pride in their responsibility to themselves and fans, including those who went before them. The rest, as they say, is history.

How relevant is this to the present, you may ask? Well, Down football is in a similar place to 1993 in terms of morale and sense of despondency. They have not been given a hope or a prayer. Maybe they are not blessed with the same quality and type of player, but their responsibility to themselves and the Down fans hasn’t changed.

Monaghan will inevitably have one eye on Tyrone and Donegal down the line. The Farney men have everything to lose. Perhaps though, the facts and bare-faced reality will prevail. Malachy O’Rourke has proved himself capable of making the most out of his teams. Fermanagh and Monaghan are prime examples. He has created an enthusiasm for the county team within the county - something which both Armagh and Down cannot currently do.

From personal knowledge of both the Armagh and Down county leagues, the answer lies in the relative mediocrity of the club football. A concept that both county boards and management have ignored to date stands to sense. If you improve the standard of club football, the county team will ultimately benefit. 

For now though, it’s about the short-term. My heart says Down could win, even going as far to say that a decent performance would be enough to lift spirits. This game is Monaghan’s to lose. We can be nostalgic about it and invoke the spirit of ’94, but the reality is maybe that’s been the problem in Down’s mentality for too long.

We have looked back more than we should, instead of concentrating fully on the future. After all, that’s what great teams do - they create the history.