STEPHEN Sheridan may be unsure of his own inter-county future with Armagh – but has given emphatic backing to his manager Kieran McGeeney to remain in charge next season.
After frank discussions about Armagh's year with club delegates, the clubs in Armagh will vote on Monday night whether to retain the managerial services of the 2002 All-Ireland captain.
It is understood ‘Geezer’ is prepared to give the Orchard County another year - which will bring him up to 10 years in the role - having assisted former boss Paul Grimley in 2014 before taking sole charge the following season.
Forkhill clubman Sheridan didn’t play many minutes last season – but it hasn’t coloured his opinion that McGeeney is the right man to lead the team in 2024.
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“I think it’s important to show that we back Kieran as much as he backs us,” Sheridan said.
“For Armagh to move forward, it’s important that the guidance that Kieran provides is retained.”
Over the past two seasons, Armagh have suffered a few agonising near-misses that included three penalty shoot-out losses.
They lost a nerve-shredding shoot-out to Galway in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-finals at Croke Park and experienced the same fate in this season’s Ulster final and All-Ireland quarter-final to Derry and Monaghan, respectively.
“Some people think we’re not getting over the line because of management,” Sheridan said. “We’re not getting over the line because, as players, we probably made wrong decisions going down the stretch in games.
“You can’t blame management on those defeats. The harsh reality is, the onus is on us because management have done everything to allow us to compete – and we have absolutely competed in the biggest games over the last two years.
“We are there when the games are in the melting pot. And it’s up to us as players to see it out. I think management has definitely brought us forward in that we now realise we’re a team that can compete with the top teams. I think that was the big learning of last season.
“We weren’t losing by seven or eight points – we were getting beaten by a kick of a ball.
“We had opportunities that we didn’t take in big games – and we were in a position that Monaghan would like to have been in during our All-Ireland quarter-final, and that comes down to players.”
Given the age profile of a number of Armagh's key players, Sheridan feels a managerial change would have the potential to hurt the team's Championship prospects in 2024.
“Some of our best performers are in that 30-club bracket – Andy Murnin, Aidan Forker, Rory Grugan and ‘Soupy’ Campbell.
“It’s important we have continuity to get the best out of those players. Kieran is an Armagh man through and through and he would go to the ends of the earth for his players. He’s done that for myself from a personal and sporting perspective and he’s done it for other players. That bond between players and manager is very important.”
One of the main criticisms levelled at Armagh in 2023 was that they were too conservative and didn't play to their attacking strengths.
While Sheridan acknowledged the team's transition between defence and attack was "slow" at times, the issue wasn't as black and white as a lot of the GAA punditry painted.
“Those conversations frustrate me as a player because not once in any training session has a member of the management team said: ‘We’re going to be more defensive here.’
“I’ve watched the All-Ireland final back and the amount of times the commentary has mentioned that Cormac Costello is the only Dublin forward in the attacking half of the field. In the modern game, you defend in numbers and you attack in numbers.
“Now, our transition was slow at times throughout the year. That wasn’t management; they were pushing us hard in training, when we turn the ball over, we get our attack off in 16 seconds. I would love people to come and watch our training sessions because when we get the ball, we attack, it’s first-touch forward, move the ball. And I think that is the frustrating thing because we played a wee bit within ourselves at times in games.”
Sheridan was introduced to the Armagh seniors under former boss Paddy O’Rourke – but it was McGeeney who invested heavily in the Forkhill midfielder.
He enjoyed some memorable days wearing the orange jersey, notably the 2017 season when they reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Sheridan, though, never disguised his disappointment at not playing more in 2023.
“Don’t get me wrong, when team selection is announced on a Wednesday or a Thursday night before a game, there is nobody more disappointed that me if I’m not selected to play. But Kieran wants Armagh to succeed and if he thinks I’m not at my peak to help Armagh get over the line, I’ll row in behind that because I know he has Armagh at the forefront of his mind.
“I don’t know the numbers off-hand but there are not too many players in Armagh that haven’t been given a chance under Kieran. If he thinks somebody wants to play for Armagh, he will have them there. And if it’s not for you, it’s not for you. But Kieran has got a group of players that want to play for him and I feel he’s the best man for the job.”
On his own inter-county future, Sheridan said: “I’d rather see Kieran’s future get sorted out with Armagh before I decide mine, and then we’ll see what happens after that.”
