'I want to see Armagh be ruthless' says former player Johnny Murtagh ahead of quarter-final meeting with Kerry

The Orchard County come into the game as slight favourites, owing their better form, their status as reigning All-Ireland champions, and with Kerry coming into the game with some injury concerns.

Kieran McGeeney’s men took down the Kingdom en route to winning Sam Maguire last year, and Murtagh feels as though the team will take confidence from that result.

“I really want to see Armagh's hunger,” he said.

“They've had a couple of weeks break, they should be coming back fresh. Kerry have a good few injuries, they've been on the road now a good few weeks after the loss they had against Meath to put them into second place.

“I believe it's Armagh's to lose. They're the All-Ireland champions, they have to wear that tag very, very well. I hope they stick their chest out against Kerry again, like they did last year.

“They saw last year when it was a far stronger Kerry team, that they were fit to deal with the pressure. They were fit to do what they had to do and get the job done in the All-Ireland Semi-final.

“I want to see Armagh be ruthless, absolutely ultra-ruthless. The way Kerry would do to you on the opposite end, that if you get a chance, you're putting them into the ground."

Armagh – who had 14 different players get on the scoresheet against Galway last week – have been praised for having dangermen all over the field, and Murtagh feels as though winning Sam last year has ‘taken the weight off’ the shoulders of some of the team’s star players.

“I believe the fellas are in a really good place and I think winning the All-Ireland last year has taken the weight of the world off a few players and they're playing the football of their lives.

“Oisin Conaty has been up a whole new gear compared to last year. Ross McQuillan has been excellent all year, he looks like he's really enjoying his football and as for Rory Grugan, the man's like Benjamin Button. The older he gets the better he's getting.

“He's one of these players I've been talking about that I think the weight of the world has come off him in winning that All-Ireland because the football he has been playing all year.”

Whilst most punters see the game coming down to the wire, Murtagh, who won an U21 All-Ireland title with Armagh in 2004, believes that the Orchard men have the potential to win in ‘comfortable’ fashion.

“I don't want to jinx them,” he said.

“But I'm very, very confident in Armagh and I think if we play to what I know the boys can do, I think Armagh are going to be comfortable this weekend, to be brutally honest about it.

“I'd take a one-point win but I'm hoping the lads really show up really hungry. I want to see them hold that All-Ireland tag and own it and be ruthless. I think they'll do that.

“I think there's enough professionalism within the gang and especially from Geezer and the boys. I think they'll push on and I do fancy Armagh comfortably at the weekend.”