Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

Agreed. Anyone talking about possession doesn't get how the Armagh and Galway systems work. They are counter-attacking teams. They draw bodies in, crowd them out, get a turnover and break up the field into space. The opposition are regularly going to have more possession in games. In fact, Id argue the fact that galway had more possession shows that they changed their style a bit and played into Armagh's hands. I see 9 pundits out of 9 picked galway to win in one paper - did this sort of thing have an effect on how they approached the game?

Galway's conservative approach stopped them from getting up the field at pace, which in turn was the reason why guys had to take on those longer shots under pressure that they subsequently missed. Short kickout after short kickout, when galway were bossing the skies on the armagh kickout underlines this further. This was the way to attack armagh from a galway perspective, but they shied away from it. I have heard a lot of galway fans lionising joyce post-match and blaming the players, but his decisions on the sideline created the situation on the field. The same fans lament finnerty going off, but they dont stop to consider who came on for him - heaney! Good player in his own right, but a goto inside forward he isnt. When you consider those hail-mary points that conroy kicked on top of their misses, it really underlines how galway were struggling to get normal scores. This was happening because they were too conservative, and that ethos came from the sideline. Armagh moved the ball more quickly and with more purpose when they attacked - that was really the only difference between the two teams.

Any team who gets into a defensive formation, with extra bodies playing zonally around their goals is setting up to crowd out and counter attack the opposition. That is how a counter attack works.

Armagh had 15 players defending inside their 45 for the entire game. When people criticise Galway for being conservative there was very little space to attack into. You can't just kick ball into a blanket defence. The defence will come away with it 9 times out of 10. The only time there was space was when Galway turned them over and then you could see they tried to move the ball very quickly. Sometimes they got scores from this but on a couple other occasions they messed up their transition. Like when they got the ball up to Silke and he probably could have taken the score himself but he turned back to give it back to Walsh who blazed his shot wide.

But this is a basic thing. How on earth do teams not prepare for the scenario where player A, B or C is injured?

Surely there should have been a free taker on the bench ready to come on if Finnerty was injured or tired? In the whole of Galway, there's only one consistent free-taker? Bizarre. And it's not just Galway that has this problem. Typical GAA team preparation for games, ah shur we only have one free-taker and if he gets injured, we'll just wing it. Simple stuff that eludes the average inter county manager.

Mayo are as bad, no left footed free taker.

They did but context is everything, that will be forgotten in years to come though. Can you honestly see Armagh dominating? Everything fell right for them after Ulster this year. The chances of that happening again is remote.

In Ulster -

Beat Fermanagh by 11

Beat Down by 1

Lost to Donegal on penalties

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Group Stage -

Beat Westmeath by 5

Beat Derry by 11

Drew with Galway

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QF - Beat Roscommon by 6

SF - Beat Kerry by 2 AET

F - beat Galway by 1

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I suppose you can say that if Galway did not inexplicably throw away that drawn group game, which Galway dominated. - Armagh would not have topped the group stage and got that nice QF draw v Roscommon.

Who knows who Galway would have met after that as the permutations would be different? And Armagh would have faced a prelim QF.

The home-coming in Tuam was streamed on the county council Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Galwaycounty

The lads look utterly devastated. I could hardly sleep last night so I can only imagine what it is like for them.

Those 3 or 4 breaks after the Armagh goal where we had extra numbers on the counter and panicked were decisive. You have to be finishing those at the top level to be the best and we just didn't have the stones to convert. Armagh also did well to ensure McDaid, McHugh, Silke and Tierney were nullified almost entirely in the first 45 minutes. We weren't prepared, oddly enough, to provide the support runners needed to break down that blanket. It was really poor man management from PJ, Scan and Co, being brutally honest.

Conroy, Maher and D'Arcy died with their boots on out there. They absolutely emptied themselves and should hold their heads high.

Absolutely devastated to lose that and would genuinely feel that was my lowest coming out of Croker in my 30+ years. Plenty of deserved sniggering messages but at the end of the day we led to our own demise.

Congratulations to Armagh finally. They've been able to edge out results against us since 2022 and if fairness it takes a damn good team to overcome their penalty shootout woes. Their supporters bring fantastic life wherever they go and they deserve to celebrate that for months to come.

You don't seem to be be grasping my point.

The point is Armagh got an AI against the grain.

I am not saying that this Armagh win be forgotten. I am saying it will be forgotten HOW they did it. Big difference. And the context of how the games were won, will be forgotten in time. And how the opponents would have/and should have won those matches normally, I believe the opponents helped Armagh. Again, just an opinion.

You have to admit that Armagh got plenty of luck, in a good few matches. The Galway group game keeper error, how often does that happen?, Kerry keeper error how often does that happen?

Drawing Rosscomon in the QF when they could have much harder draws. Roscommon getting a man sent off early. Still only winning by a few points at the final whistle.

Galway kicking it away in the final? Has Walsh had a worse game? How often does that happen?

To be honest I think it is a "one off" for Armagh they will do well to be as lucky again. Logically I think Galway have a better chance of Sam than Armagh have in the coming years. Given the style of play etc. Just my opinion.

The 2002 Armagh side was a miles better side than this Armagh team (IMO) and they only won one. So IMO I would be shocked if this Armagh side won another one. They will dine out on this, and that will be that.

The fact you said Armagh did it "the hard way" proves my point. Why did they make it look so hard?

Agreed had a great match both v Dublin and Aramgh, but all the replays of the end of the Final in future will show him losing the ball. Bit unfair on him considering the season he has had.

You're 100% right!

Havent heard anyone else say this, but the in the QF, SF and final, Armagh made star forward lines look like off-form Junior B's.

Just 7 days after the Rossie's forwards shot the lights out against Tyrone, Armagh made them look toothless in attack. The did the very same to Kerry and yesterday to Galway.

Thats certainly no coincidence.

They suffocate your attack and prompt the forwards to shoot from low % positions.

Just look at the positions Galway were shooting from yesterday. In reality they relied on Conroy and Maher's Hail Mary boomers from the 45 to keep them in it.

Galway's luck ran out yesterday too. They got the rub of the green against Sligo, to win the Connacht final, to hold out for the group game draw with Armagh and then Conroy's goal against Donegal.

Enough has been said about Walsh, but as a neutral, I felt bad for him. If the management hadn't the bottle to take him off, their leaders on the pitch should have made the call to take the dead ball kicks off him. Crazy stuff!

Armagh the better team - and after their heartbreak the last few years - hard earned!

Hugely disappointing. Armagh did deserve it. They were brave and some of their scores were well taken. Credit to them. They kept believing and going

How did this cein Darcy not start ?he was brilliant. McDaid was quiet I thought for what he can do. Tierney non existent. Although well marked and probably not his position. I don't know how many times he passed the ball back out. I've visions of Ja Fallon kicking points from out there.

They need to find a couple of more forwards like finnerty. I thought the 6 backs, Conroy Maher, Darcy died with their boots on. Walsh tried all day, injury must be affecting his free taking.

I don't know about that. If shane Walsh was on his game with comer and finnerty fully fit, we would have won. Comer didn't look fit at all and shouldve been hauled off at half time, when was the last time you seen him bottled up the corner. I hope pj learns some hard lessons from this, if lads aren't 100% fit leave them off. Mcgeeney made sure that all his players were 100% fit and if under performing were hauled off

I know that and agree with you but I still feel finishers are required inside that can loop around and move around a bit. I suppose I'm grasping at straws as I would hate for it to be the end of comer and Walsh, greats servants through lean years

Easy to say away from the heat of the moment, but the ball should never have been passed to him anyway. Was taking the thrust of the attack away from the danger zone and McDaid would be taking the ball looping around onto his weaker left foot. Similar to the earlier chance when Silke elected to pass back the ball back out to Walsh instead of continuing through on goal.