Kieran McGeeney blasts ‘conspiracy theorists’

Kieran McGeeney has labelled the GAA chiefs who introduced the 26-man registered panels as “conspiracy theorists”.

The new rule was passed at annual congress in February in order to call a halt to managers naming ‘dummy’ teams by forcing them to submit match-day panels at 9am on Thursdays, with no additions allowed except for a change of goalkeeper. Failure to comply results in concession of the match.

McGeeney was unhappy the restrictions meant he only had 24 fit Armagh players available for Saturday’s All-Ireland SFC first-round qualifier against Wicklow, with captain Ciaran McKeever and Aaron Findon both sustaining injuries in the build-up to the game.

“It’s one of the problems I have with these new rules, I mean, people think there is a conspiracy theory with us managers, but we were down two players for the Donegal game and we’re down two again, with both Aaron and Ciaran. We had to name on Wednesday night, but then we went through Thursday and they weren’t fit and then get to Saturday morning and they still weren’t fit,” said McGeeney.

“But, sure, if it settles the heads of the conspiracy theorists up in Croke Park, then it’s a must, because, we [the managers] sit at home wondering what ways can we really mess their heads on a Wednesday.”

McGeeney expects both McKeever and Findon to be fit for the Round 2B clash against Galway on Saturday week in the Athletic Grounds.

When running the rule over Armagh’s backdoor opponents, he described Galway as “on their day, one of the best attacking sides in the country”.

Armagh defeated Meath and Tyrone, via the back door, en route to the All-Ireland quarter-finals last year, but McGeeney admits the calibre of teams in their section necessitates caution.

“Obviously you’d like that [to make the quarter-finals], but then you look at the teams in the draw for the second round and you just say, ‘we’ll just take it one step at a time’.”