Armagh will have to earn promotion back to Division 1 says Kieran McGeeney: ‘We have no God given right to win games’

​​​Armagh begin their quest to earn promotion back to Division 1 with a tricky opening game against Louth on Saturday evening.

The neighbouring counties haven’t met since 2017, but Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney reflected on history before this weekend’s game, and he believes it will be a closely fought encounter.

“They've always given us tough games. Even after we won the All-Ireland, we played them in a charity game and it was a tough game, you'd swear it was a Championship game,” he said of Louth.

“So, we know what's coming; games against Louth will always be like that, even when Armagh are good and Louth are poor, or Louth are good and Armagh are poor, they're always tough games. So, we're going to be expecting the same.

“Ger Brennan is over them, and I know Ger from my playing days with Na Fianna. He's a tough fella, and he has made a good reputation for himself as a manager. He has a great backroom team with David Whyte in from Kildare.

“So, we're looking forward to getting started. We know that it's going to be a tight game, but what's new?”

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‘We’re starting the same as everybody else’

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Having come down to Division 2, Armagh may be seen as a big fish in a small pond, and every opponent they face will likely be on top of their game, as they try and claim a scalp.

But McGeeney says that his side doesn’t have any ‘God given right’ to win their games – they will have to earn their points.

“Everybody loves Armagh sure. Nobody ever wants to beat us,” he joked

“At this stage, any division now in Gaelic football is tough; everything is competitive now. Go down to Division 4 and ask them how competitive it is, and they'll say the same, so this is no different.

“Dublin and Derry, although they won their games last year, they didn't win them handy. Their backs were against the wall in more than one or two games.

“We're starting the same way as everybody else, there are a lot of people hoping to get promoted. Meath, Kildare, Louth, Cavan, Donegal – everybody's favourite – they're all hoping for promotion.

“There is nobody in there who has any God given right to win any game.”

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Great expectations

Having played in Division 1 for three years, reached two All-Ireland quarter-finals and an Ulster final, the level of expectations of what Armagh could – or perhaps should – achieve has certainly grown in recent years, meaning that failing to obtain promotion this year will be seen as a failure.

“What's new?” McGeeney retorted when asked about Armagh being expected to have a strong campaign.

“Armagh is expected to win the All-Ireland every year. Funny enough, nobody has ever told them that we've only won it once.

“It's like anything else, we have realistic expectations, and you do your best. We have a decent team, and we have high expectations of ourselves. You play every game to your best.

“We were very unlucky last year, I think. The case was just that we had too many games where we lost by a point, instead of won by a point, and we ended up on the wrong side of it.

“It was a tough year, and yet we were probably closer to it (winning an All-Ireland) than we have ever been. We were close in every single game, and to again go out on penalties is tough.

“But sport is like that, it's just one of those things. If it was fair nobody would be betting on it.”

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‘I have three great coaches’

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McGeeney’s backroom team was boosted during the off-season with the addition of former Derry footballer and Kilcoo manager Conleith Gilligan, and Geezer is delighted to have him on board.

He joins an impressive group which already contained former Armagh captain Ciaran McKeever and Kerry’s legendary full forward Kieran Donaghy.

“Conleith has been very good, he's a great coach,” said McGeeney.

“I've known Conleith a long time, I have played against him, and we have had loads of conversations away from football too, he has been involved with a lot of clubs. He just loves the sport, he loves the games, like the rest of our coaches.

“Big congrats to Brookie [Ciaran McKeever] and Cullyhanna last weekend. I'm delighted to see him get some recognition for the work that he puts in, because he does the same here.

“I have three great coaches there and they get on like a house on fire. It's great having them, they have a great buzz about them and Conleith is the same as the other two.

“He has very strong opinions, and he loves football, he would talk to you about it 24/7, so he's in good company here.

“It feels like a good set-up, but we will be judged at the end of the year rather than the beginning.”

FIXTURES

Saturday January 27 (6pm)

At The BOX-IT Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Louth

Saturday February 3 (6pm)

At The BOX-IT Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Meath

Sunday February 18 (3.45pm)

At Newtwatch Cullen Park: Kildare v Armagh

Sunday February 25 (3pm)

At The BOX-IT Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Donegal

Saturday March 2 (6pm)

At Brewster Park: Fermanagh v Armagh

Saturday March 16 (5pm)

At The BOX-IT Athletic Grounds: Armagh v Cavan

Saturday March 23 (7pm)

At Páirc Ui Caoimh: Cork v Armagh