THIS ONE’S GOING to be a battle.
1. Are Donegal still a Croke Park team?
Former Dublin star Jason Sherlock raised an interesting point during the week. He suggested that Armagh know that their own tactics work at Croke Park but do Donegal? He’s got a point. Armagh’s counter attacking system proved very effective against Meath. But it’s two years since Donegal reigned at Croke Park and a lot has happened since. They were hammered at Croker by Mayo last year and beaten by Monaghan there earlier this year. Nobody’s suggesting they don’t still have the legs and the tactical acumen to squeeze the life out of Armagh. But they’ve still got to prove they can do it.
2. Armagh can’t afford to be so wasteful
Against Meath last weekend, Armagh kicked six point attempts short in the first-half alone. Several more arrived in the second-half which Meath ‘keeper Paddy O’Rourke happily gobbled up. Meath couldn’t take advantage in scoring terms from the possessions but any side giving Donegal 10 or so free restarts is asking for trouble. Generally, there is probably still a question mark about the scoring potential of Armagh’s attack. Jamie Clarke is a special talent but delivering on a really big stage, like this, would frank his greatness.
3. Will Donegal concede the midfield?
Whatever happens against Donegal, Armagh can rest assured that their midfield is nailed down for the foreseeable future. Stephen Harold and Aaron Findon have emerged as a reliable and dynamic young partnership. The thing is, Donegal may happily let them reign at Croke Park. A little like Tyrone in the past, Donegal are often content to concede primary aerial possession, knowing their buttressed defence will soon gather possession anyway. From there, they can commit men to attack in line with a system they have finely tuned. It means Harold and Findon will have to use the ball cleverly and intelligently.
4. It’s good to talk but silence may yet be golden
If Armagh win then their media ban will be hailed a managerial master stroke, every bit as epic as the psychological ploys pulled by Ger Loughnane, Joe Kernan and Liam Griffin down the years. They are actually still talking to selected media. But, for the most part, they have gone out of their way to ignore the country, if that makes sense. Twice they have agreed to press conferences and pulled out. On Thursday, they withdrew coach Peter McDonnell and Ciaran McKeever from an event just hours beforehand.
5. The past, present and future
Donegal won’t need any reminding that they slipped up at this stage last year, badly. Mayo beat them out the Croke Park gates, hammering Donegal by 4-17 to 1-10. That will provide natural motivation for Donegal to succeed this time as will the fact that they are clearly on a roll now. They will want to capitalise on a fully fit, fulling firing team. Most significant is the sense that this could be Donegal’s last hurrah under Jim McGuinness. Every game could be their last as many suspect he will step down when the Championship is over.
