Forget about last years game v Armagh. Donegal had one week to prepare for Armagh and probably underestimated them and it nearly cost them but in reality they got a lucky goal and the gap was wider than the scoreline.
If we look at the tie on this years merits the teams are closer together. Armagh had a confidence building league and a year more getting used to Kieran Mc Geeney so they are certainly in a better place. Donegal have had a bruising encounter with Tyrone and are a well known team so Mc Geeney will have studied them and will have a game plan for every eventuality. This added to Armagh playing at home will really balance the scales. Donegal haven't had a chance to look at Armagh yet and league form is no indicator with this tie as both teams were playing at very different levels.
I don't think it will be as dirty a game as last year or the Tyrone v Donegal game. Mc Geeney had Kildare very physically tuned but they played hard and fair, not dirty. It's in Armagh's DNA to be a bit nasty but with the spotlight on the discipline for this game I think neither side will want to lose a player early on. It will be tough and very hard hitting but I don't think the dirty game that most are talking about will materialise.
If Donegal get a good start and get 3 - 4 points up then I think we will win but if Armagh get that kind of lead up they will make it very hard to eat into and will probably shut up shop. Donegal have the better players overall so I'm hoping for a win, I'd take a one point win any day in Armagh!!

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1677 - 26/05/2015 11:58:11    1728506

Its very much in their DNA to be nasty!

Its very much in Donegals DNA to be every bit as nasty, take the halo off!

redhanddefender (Tyrone) - Posts: 913 - 26/05/2015 12:26:10    1728521

Tir Conaill Abu
County: Donegal
Posts: 1100

It's in Armagh's DNA to be a bit nasty

And it was in Donegals DNA to be mentally weak before Jim McGuinness took over and changed that. See how broad generalisations work both ways. I would support Donegal if Armagh are out of the championship, its amazing how blinkered and cocky people can get when their county is doing well - theres such a thing as a bad winner as well as a bad loser

FairShoulder (Armagh) - Posts: 333 - 26/05/2015 12:36:21    1728532

No offence lads and ofcourse you are right, Donegal can be as nasty as anyone and imo you need that bit of nastiness to be successful. Nice guys don't win much and before Jim Mc Guinness brought that ruthlessness to more or less the same bunch of players we won nothing!! Armagh have always had that edge to their game and take that as a compliment. When yous added the talent to that in the 00's it brought you great success and possibly could have won another All Ireland.
Believe me that I'm not cocky at all about Donegal and remember well the period before our recent successes.

Tir Conaill Abu (Donegal) - Posts: 1677 - 26/05/2015 13:07:26    1728559

DNA and nastiness. Interesting. Surly it is not a learned behavior? In any event, I think that you are as nasty as your last game, so we should all think about that before the next game. I was at the athletic grounds for 2 games last year, league and mckenna v armagh, and there was no nastiness in either game. Im looking forward to it. We should expect it to be intense, and we can all live with that. But I hope that there is some responsible media reporting too. Is very easy to change perceptions by headlining a game with nasty as opposed to competitive. We have seen this before, and unless something warrants scrutiny we should all lay off the players.

Donegalman (None) - Posts: 3846 - 26/05/2015 13:24:56    1728570

As a neutral this is the match i've been looking forward to most. Should be a cracker.

supermon (Monaghan) - Posts: 1073 - 26/05/2015 13:39:45    1728582

cavan97
County: Cavan
Posts: 196

1728458 I think people are underestimating this Armagh team. Donegal will have their fill of it. Armagh will probably try to intimidate Donegal but the Tir Chonnail men should come through this one.........just

I don't think anybody is underestimating them, they are being widely tipped to give Donegal one of their tightest matches this season.

I just think considering Donegal are Ulster Champions and All Ireland runners up, they will have enough experience to overcome this significant challenge.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 26/05/2015 13:49:52    1728592

Mes and he did same against Meath in 12 let graham Reilly run free for most of the game from midfield and he scored 5 points and was fouled for 3 others within tap over distance, then took off Johnny Doyle who was been marked by a unknown in keoghan at the time, now granted Donal never let him score but the psychology boast that had to Meath was unreal. Kildare spent the warm up running into yellow foam, they didn't even practice shooting while Meath were taking shot after shot at goal, and it showed in game. Mcgeeney imho is the most overrated manager of them all, physically he will get a team right, but in real time he is a total novice. Donegal to win at their leisure.

royaldunne (Meath) - Posts: 19449 - 26/05/2015 13:54:24    1728597

Donegal need to win this one by 6 or 7 points to prove they are worthy AI Contenders. Armagh have one scoring forward and an average midfield.

sportsfan14 (USA) - Posts: 281 - 26/05/2015 14:25:57    1728619

Some craic on this thread regarding armagh. When it comes to ulster games there is always harder hitting and with the rivalries things can spill over. Last year when armagh played roscommon and meath outside of ulster , armagh won comfortably without any the 'nastiness'. Armagh have been tarnished by the media and as a results everyone labels armagh as the big bad wolf.

Donegal are probably the biggest most physical team you will play so yes of course armagh will try and match this and hopefully bring a real intensity. Alot of people havent a clue about the armagh team regarding players is so i do find it funny when people say armagh cant play fooball. Last year some of the play by armagh was very easy on the eye with tomas o se picking up on this on rte talking about the forward play.

On the game itself i feel the biggest thing between the teams and you will probably notice this that armagh lack free takers especially from further out the field whereas murphy will do this for donegal. That is why donegal probably will win. With a veciferous home crowd it will be a cauldron and id love it if we win to shut everyone up on here :)

sumleftboot (Armagh) - Posts: 24 - 26/05/2015 17:21:27    1728744

This will be donegals biggest challenge in ulster this year, make no mistake about that... Not Tyrone, not Monaghan, Armagh in Armagh on geezers first championship match...... This would be 50/50 at best and I for one will be delighted to get out of their with a 1 point victory.......... And as an Armagh poster has already posted, I would love it if we can beat them because by Christ they gave us some beatens down through the years......

ben1977 (Donegal) - Posts: 364 - 26/05/2015 18:07:32    1728774

My sentiments exactly ben.
This will be a battle and a half. Even though we beat Armagh (luckily) in 2007 and just edged past them last year in the QF, I still feel we owe them for all the betaings we took off them on the early 00's.

That said, I'd agree with you - a one point win without any injuries/suspensions would be just fine!

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9746 - 26/05/2015 18:19:21    1728782

Like Tyrone and Cavan before them, I'll have fierce sympathy for the loser of Armagh v Donegal. 4 qualifier rounds are too many. Qualifier rounds 3 and 4 are unnecessarily bloating the championship.

If the GAA were to make even the smallest change, I would suggest scrapping rounds 3 and 4 and bring in a Round of 16 in it's place.

Back on the topic of the match, Armagh gave Donegal a good rattle last year. I think we could see an upset here in this one.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 8769 - 26/05/2015 18:54:30    1728794

sumleftboot
County: Armagh
Posts: 21

1728744 Some craic on this thread regarding armagh. When it comes to ulster games there is always harder hitting and with the rivalries things can spill over. Last year when armagh played roscommon and meath outside of ulster , armagh won comfortably without any the 'nastiness'. Armagh have been tarnished by the media and as a results everyone labels armagh as the big bad wolf.

Donegal are probably the biggest most physical team you will play so yes of course armagh will try and match this and hopefully bring a real intensity. Alot of people havent a clue about the armagh team regarding players is so i do find it funny when people say armagh cant play fooball. Last year some of the play by armagh was very easy on the eye with tomas o se picking up on this on rte talking about the forward play.

I don't recall anybody saying Armagh couldn't play football, did you actually hear or read somebody in particular that stated that?

I don't know about Nastiness, but Armagh certainly bring a level of physicality that not very many others bring. Ciaran McKeever in particular is known to hit hard, but he is also highly respected for his skill and craft as a defender. Physicality is not to be mistaken for being a dirty team, Physicality in my view is a team who are strong and tackle hard and with Intent to win the ball. There are a host of other teams that also bring a high level of physicality, and most are Ulster's big guns like Monaghan, Donegal and Tyrone.

Having watched almost all of Armagh's games last season, I got a decent look at their setup. I also watched the Division 3 final against Fermanagh, a game in which Fermanagh really Impressed me. But Armagh were structurally far stronger and well drilled in covering zones, and they dispatched Fermanagh with relative ease in the end.

GaryMc82 (Derry) - Posts: 3026 - 26/05/2015 20:35:42    1728838

Donegal just too good for Armagh. Better in every area.

seadog54 (Meath) - Posts: 2214 - 26/05/2015 20:51:06    1728845

The carryover from the Donegal/Tyrone game could be the big unknown factor in this game.

The referee for this game is going to come under huge scrutiny & if decides that he is not going to allow things get out of hand, then there could be a lot of early cards of every hue.

This will probably help Donegal as they have more firepower up front but it will all depend on how the early cards go.

Discipline early in the game will be key to the result.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 27/05/2015 13:37:55    1729064

Muckross, were you at the Kilcar Naomh Mhuire match at the weekend?
Has Mark McHugh's form improved?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9746 - 27/05/2015 14:34:45    1729106

Lockjaw,

I wasn't at the game, it was on Sat evening & I was working.

Mark's form continues to be a worry both at club level & county. He seems to have lost an edge that he had & word is that the spell in America hasn't helped.

I suspect that the main problem is mental, frustration never seems far away, & that a session or two with Jim would help!!!

A very talented footballer but I can't help but feel that he is not enjoying his football as he did.

MuckrossHead (Donegal) - Posts: 5028 - 27/05/2015 14:40:42    1729112

Yeah I know what you mean. The football is there but he cuts a frustrated figure at times giving out to officials, opponents and team mates alike.
Hopefully he'll rediscover the grá for it and his form improves. At his best he is still an extremely useful player.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9746 - 27/05/2015 14:47:07    1729118

legendzxix
County: Kerry
Posts: 4268

Have to agree Legend, I can see an upset here, although I really dislike Armagh winning against anyone, I think they will put it up to Donegal big time. McGeeney apparently has taken his team down to Kildare for some behind doors training. I can see them being super hungry for this battle,, it will be an exciting encounter.

cacsmckilly (Tyrone) - Posts: 1294 - 27/05/2015 15:15:07    1729131