Armagh’s obsession with O’Neill is borderline unhealthy.
Rian O’Neill looks set to miss Armagh’s next game in the Ulster championship but provided they get through it unscathed, it could be a blessing in disguise.
O’Neill missed the last game of the league against Tyrone were he could only sit and watch as his county were relegated from Division One, and his injury didn’t heal in team for the championship opener against Antrim.
However that victory over Antrim could prove to be significant because it was the first time in years that the Orchard County went into a provincial match, and all of the pressure wasn’t on the O’Neill.
The Crossmaglen star has been carrying the weight of his county’s expectations for the last few years, and he wears it very well, never hides on the pitch, and is always there to step up and be counted.
His incredible free kick against Galway last year in the All-Ireland quarter final best typifies that, as he managed to score an unbelievably difficult point, whilst under the most enormous pressure available to a Gaelic footballer.
That doesn’t mean he isn’t human though, and watching other players like Conor Turbitt step up against Antrim, kick a few points and win Man of the Match, will do the team a lot of good.
Much like how Matthew Tierney has stepped up for Galway in the absence of Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, the opportunity to fill that leadership void and be the star will now present itself for other Armagh players.
Every time you go to an Armagh game, the match programme has O’Neill’s face plastered on it, every match-day graphic on social media includes an image of him, and whenever they unveil a new jersey – yup, it’s that man again.
Even in the programme for the last game of the league against Tyrone, when the entire country knew that he was out injured through injury, they still had him on the cover, and in the social media post.
Former Armagh star Oisin McConville has already said that his nephew isn’t believed to be in the picture for their next game against Cavan, so they will have to prepare as a team without him for the third time in a row.
This might help them move away from this unhealthy obsession that they have with their star forward, and then when he is reintroduced, he will hopefully be fresh and rearing to go.
Related links:
- Glimpses of 2022 Armagh make a return as they easily defeat Antrim
- Sean Cavanagh is completely baffled by Armagh’s decision to”park the bus”
- Armagh’s plan to ditch ‘Kevin Keegan’s entertainers’ tag against Kerry doesn’t pay off
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