The 2024 All Ireland Senior Football Championship (Sam Maguire Cup)

Even though Galway had injuries they finished the game stronger than Armagh. IMO they had run Armagh into the ground. What stood for Arnagh were they were clinical tgey took there scores from tge few chances they had late in the game.

Liam Silke pass a ball to Walsh tgat he shoukd have put over the bar to even the game after the goal. The chance went and Armagh went straight down and scored. They did similar with a goal chance later in the game they took there point.

I think after the goal Galway wasted about 6-8 chances. Armagh nearly scored all of there chances. Being clinical will usually win games

You told us that there were a number of teams better than Armagh this season, and that did not quite work out.

I think it is very hard to win two in a row, teams now see you coming and your hunger is a fraction less. Armagh in 2002 encouraged/outraged Tyrone, and their win in 2024 will encourage Donegal and Derry. Add that to Galway, Mayo, Kerry and Dublin and it is a period of unusual unpredictability. If a team meets one of these others in a quarter final, then they need to be good for 3 games.

However, while there is no doubt that any winning team needs a few breaks, it is a false narrative that everything went well for Armagh in a unique combination. In the final they did not play especially well, several of their players are capable of better than they played that day. While Galway did not score from frees, Armagh did not either.

All I can give you is my opinion a d it was the opinion of a couple more neutrals that were at the game Sunday that I was talking to in Dublin.

Armaghwere trying to conserve energy for the last 20 minutes. They used a couple long balls over the top to try to free runners after turnovers when they got no joy from.that theyused there running game to get a few scores. However thry never over committed going forward. They played it extremely cute but that is the way you win games.

Donegal missed a couple of handy ones late on against Galway, much poorer shooting than in the Ulster final. Part of the reason is of course the work rate of the Galway defence, who got a goal and defended their lead. So a semi final where a team failed to get to extra time is a measure of Galway success, whereas somehow the same thing happening in the final is Armagh luck.

We live close to Croke Park and I'd say its the best atmosphere we've seen for a game, before and after.

Also your point on kicking is well made - kicking under pressure is very very difficult, I think its much harder than people think.

The good weather helped the atmosphere and you could see all the colour as nobody was wearing coats. Good music before the match too and it got everyone singing.

I must have watched a different game to you. Armagh had 15 behind the ball for long periods of the game. I wouldn't call that an attacking team. Dublin in contrast don't generally do that. So I'd take the Dublin approach any day.

Unfortunately coaches across the country will take a look at the Kerry or Dublin approach or the Armagh approach and decide to follow Armagh's one.

15 players behind the ball will become a common tactic if this continues.

I realise these are extremely difficult days for you, but unfortunately it is what it is. If I could offer a degree of comfort, it would be that the next 12 months will just fly by and before you know it, these days and weeks will become a bad and distant memory.

I have another party to go to this evening, which seems rather inappropriate, given what you are going through, but I promise that you will remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Please stay strong.

Jesus it must be hard to live with Dublin in your head all the time. It’s well known and accepted that the massed defence was an Ulster innovation (and a useful if pragmatic one), building on what some successful teams in previous decades had developed. The more patient style of possession football became an approach to counter that, developed by Dublin mainly, but used by many teams., albeit some such as your own side have perhaps overdone things due to an overreliance on one or two players and a lack of fitness

Equally that style puts an emphasis on the goalkeepers role as first playmaker, reducing the reliance on punting the ball down the middle and hoping a big lad can catch it. That said fielding isn’t gone, it’s just less important, not in itself a bad thing. Indeed Dublins midfield can match most for that, while having in Fenton a player who may be the best to ever play that position, certainly top 3.

in reality football is greatly evolved in the last 30 years, some good some bad. At its best it’s arguably more skillful and diverse than ever. There is however a need for the rules to keep pace (a proper tackle is needed for example) but that’s true of most sports, with both soccer and rugby also seeing significant rule changes in that period

Sundays game, and indeed the semi finals were great examples of that evolution, with some good football based on understanding space and transition between defence and attack, backed with the athletic ability to sustain that. While it had flaws the skills and execution are dramatically ahead of what was played in the 70’s and 80’s, with a much more complete game on display that emphasises 15 skillful players

That's a bit over the top. Armagh have been knocking around close to the top table the past few years. I know it was only a league match, but I recall them beating Dublin quite emphatically couple of years ago - it was the first time that I had noticed one Rian O'Neill. He gave Davy Byrne some lesson in football. And they were in a couple of quarter finals - knocked out on penos. This is not a flash in the pan. With Dublin and Kerry knocked out, it was left open for the likes of Galway, Armagh, Donegal, Derry etc. to seize the opportunity. If any of those counties won it, by your reckoning, it would be a flash in the pan. So basically, if any team other than Dublin or Kerry win the All-Ireland, is it a flash in the pan for them too.

You mention about Armagh constantly slowing things down - backwards and sideways passes. Did you watch the game on Sunday. It was the other way around. It's well documented at this stage about Galway's slow play on Sunday, and how frustrating it was to watch. On the other hand, it was Armagh who broke up the field with some form of speed and ambition. See the break that Stefan Campbell made from the sideline, directly towards goal and passed it across for the goal. Galway did not show that ambition once on Sunday. Armagh can mix it up well. They have high-fielders like O'Neill and Turbitt, and they all seem really comfortable on the ball.

I don't see this as a flash in the pan at all. I think they have been promising something for the past 4 years, and this year they delivered. If they don't win an All-Ireland again for a number of years, it doesn't make this a lucky All-Ireland for them.

Armagh play with quite a bit of variety compared to most teams. They kick long appropriately and have a few tactical innovations.

They've been very consistent over the past few seasons so I wouldn't say they are a flash in the pan.

At the same time I wouldn't say they're a great team who'll dominate for a few years

I sure wish Mayo could be a flash in the pan some year :(