This article analyzes the improbable All-Ireland victory of the Armagh Gaelic Football team, highlighting their resilience, player development, and ability to overcome psychological barriers.
From the outside it was one of the most unlikely All-Ireland triumphs in the history of the game. Generally, there’s a massive victory over a top side - or a trophy of significance to frank the arrival of a side at the top table. Armagh had neither going in to face Kerry in this year’s All-Ireland semi-final. It was the first time they’d got past the quarter-finals in Kieran McGeeney’s 10 years in charge. They’d lost back-to-back Ulster finals in penalty shootouts.
They were dogged by accusations of not being able to get over the line in big games - sitting back rather than pressing on. Neither did they have a settled team. Rarely has a side changed so many players between a provincial championship and an All-Ireland series - and been so successful in doing it. The Armagh side that won the All-Ireland had a different midfielder and entire half back line to the team that lost the Ulster Final. That’s serious structural change at such a late juncture in the season. Two things jump out here. The first is the amount of players Armagh were able to grow that could compete hard at this level from very little underage success. The second is that while they didn’t have a huge win over a big gun, or a major trophy, they had gone agonisingly close in back to back Ulster finals. Performances were there, if results weren’t, but that can become a hard sell after a while. That they bounced back and didn’t let it unduly affect them was perhaps their greatest achievement. This year the walls they had to surmount were clearly psychological more than physical, tactical or a case of any skills deficit. In 2022, Armagh trailed Galway by six points late on in the All-Ireland quarter-final, and only a couple of late goals from high balls forced extra-tim
Gaelic Football Armagh All-Ireland Team Development Psychological Barriers
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