Armagh football manager, Kieran McGeeney.
By John Harrington
Armagh manager, Kieran McGeeney, says the Orchard County are expecting a huge challenge from Galway in the All-Ireland SFC Final.
The two teams met already this year in the All-Ireland SFC group phase, a match that ended in a draw, and McGeeney is good friends with Galway manager, Padraic Joyce.
He’s impressed by the consistency, defensive organisation, and physicality of Joyce’s team and knows his players will have to bring their ‘A’ game if they’re to get the better of the Connacht side.
“I've known Joyce a long, long time. I played with him and against him. I've had loads of chats with him over the years including this year," said McGeeney at Armagh's All-Ireland Final media event on Monday.
“Galway are big and strong and very aggressive in the tackle. They're probably one of best defensive teams in the four leagues throughout the last couple of years. He's been able to sustain that level of consistency, this is their second All-Ireland Final in three years.
“I think we know what we're coming against. A very professional, organised, big team. We know we're going to have to be at our very best to do anything.”
It’s taken McGeeney 10 years to bring Armagh to what’s only their fifth ever All-Ireland Final appearance and in doing so he’s silenced some doubters.
16 delegates voted against his ratification for a 10th season at a county board meeting last August (46 voted for his ratification), but McGeeney denied that was a challenging period for him.
“I wouldn’t call it difficult,” he said. “It was actually probably one of those moments that the vote reinforced. Whatever it was, 70 to 80 per cent of the clubs voted for me. So, if anything, it was a good start to the year. As the year went on, I think that percentage went down!
“I’ve been around football a long, long time. Seen all of those things come and go.
“In terms of this year, I think I’m right in saying we have lost one game by a point, that was the league final. So to me, it’s been a fantastic year. The last team who has got close to doing anything like these boys have done…yes, we got beaten on penalties in the Ulster final, but it’s perspective.
"Everybody says you can’t close out tight games but Donegal and Monaghan end up in a penalty shoot-out and they can close out tight games? They can’t. They were just better at penalties than we were. So I don’t buy into that narrative.
“For me, these fellas have been phenomenal. To go through this year and have one defeat by a single point is phenomenal.”
