Paul Flynn's football previews: Tailteann Cup is as vital as its hurling equivalents

The Tailteann Cup is a vital avenue for the evolution of our developing football counties and should be respected and progressed every bit as much as its hurling counterparts - and my fellow RTÉ analyst Dónal Óg Cusack knows that as well as anyone.

The fledgling second-tier competition has come under fire somewhat this week, with Dónal Óg labelling it "a sort of Gaelic football Grand National for disappointed also-rans" in the Corkman's latest impassioned defence of the small-ball game.

Regardless of what Dónal Óg might have to say about football. The Tailteann Cup – similar to the Ring, Rackard, Meagher, McDonagh competitions in hurling – are really important to offer developing counties the opportunity to compete in a competition that they can win.

But as important as that, is to allow them to evolve as a group and every team needs that, they won't evolve playing in the Sam Maguire and getting beaten convincingly week-in, week-out. So, [Cusack] is well aware of the importance of these competitions to developing counties, both in hurling and in football.

Turning attentions to more agreeable matters on the pitch – or at least as 'agreeable' as an Ulster final can be – I'm going for Armagh to upset Derry in Clones on Sunday.

Derry have been in sensational form, showing a consistency with their innovative gameplan and a win-at-all-costs mentality that's been underpinning it.

Armagh, on the other hand, are progressing with purpose since an experimental league campaign that didn’t end too well.

The questions are, can Armagh’s rejuvenated attack with [Conor] Turbitt and [Rían] O’Neill leading the way punch enough holes in the Derry defence, which is led by Chrissy McKeigue, or will Glass and Rogers dominate the young gun McPartland