Oisín McConville believes that Armagh will be at the top table for the foreseeable future after their breakthrough League campaign this year.
Although it’s their second season back in the top flight, last year’s campaign, which was truncated due to the pandemic, wasn’t a truly accurate guide as to where many teams stood but victories over Dublin, Tyrone and Kildare, a draw with Monaghan and competitive showings in defeat against Mayo and Kerry have seen Armagh comfortably survive in Division One.
And, with one game remaining against Donegal on Sunday, they could land in the final yet for the first time since 2005, when McConville was part of the side that won the county’s only Division One League title.
He said: “I think Armagh now are really, really competitive. I don’t think there will be anyone who can go out and think they’ll steamroller Armagh.
“Players, management, supporters, anyone who has any affiliation to Armagh, that’s a nice place to be in considering where we have been since probably ’07, ’08. It feels as if it’s sustainable now as well, and that makes a difference.”
McConville, who manages the Armagh under-20 side, says the adaptability of their game is what enthuses him the most.
“The biggest thing for me was I know Armagh can play how they played against Dublin. I know Armagh can come out and play that way any time. But I wasn’t sure if they could play the way they played against Tyrone.
“Now I know Tyrone might have been a little bit off it but there was very little room to manoeuvre that day in the Athletic Grounds, and Armagh managed to do that.
“That was something that they hadn’t been able to do in the past, and that’s why Armagh’s record in Ulster had been so bad. Having the ability to play football two different ways, and to pass those two challenges initially was a real sign that this was sustainable, it’s here to stay.
“That’s the biggest thing for me, that there seems to be something building and there’s a bit of stuff in the background that would encourage you or make you believe it isn’t a false dawn.”
There’s an added layer of intrigue to Sunday’s tie with Donegal as they meet again in the Ulster Championship four weeks later. That latter tie will take place in Ballybofey, however, while Armagh must travel to Letterkenny this weekend.
McConville added: “There is a little bit of an undercurrent because the game is in Letterkenny and it is not in Letterkenny by chance, it is in Letterkenny because Donegal did not want Armagh to have the opportunity to play in Ballybofey before the Championship and if you are Donegal you can understand that, it seems a normal enough move.
“I get the feeling with Armagh, even though we have progressed, I still don’t think we are at the stage as to where we can pick and choose what games we want to win.
“For Armagh to push on this weekend and possibly make the League final would still be the way to go but the only caveat to that is that I notice there are a few niggly injuries in the squad so I don’t know if another game is exactly what they need.
“But I don’t think we are at the stage, as much as we have improved, that we can pick and choose what games we choose to win. Obviously, Donegal still need some sort of result in order to definitely be safe so that brings its own spice to it.
“It all depends on how Armagh are looking and how the camp is in so far as injuries but I think we should be going down trying to win.”
