Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[From the Bunker]

He was well able to score against Mayo...
Anyway I'd say the Mayo squad doesn't have enough depth yet. Vulnerable to injuries, replacements not as good as in other big teams.

I presume you are talking about John Donnellan being able to score against Mayo. Don't remember him being prolific! Maybe you mean some else? He did not score in 1998 (probably because he did not play).

As for dept. Dublin are the only county with dept. Who else has?

You need a bench to win all Irelands. Galway in 87 had Noel Lane. Seamus Darby . That sort of thing. Losers always look back on chances missed. Fellas have off days. I would try the young lads in connacht. Maybe go back door. Whatever it takes.

Noel Lane was a legend, and coming to the end in '87! As for  Seamus Darby. He just got lucky. These examples don't really prove you need a bench!

You don't need a bench to win an AI title. Donegal proved that! You need a system, a couple of key men in key areas, discipline and fitness.

[seafoid]

He was well able to score against Mayo...
Anyway I'd say the Mayo squad doesn't have enough depth yet. Vulnerable to injuries, replacements not as good as in other big teams.

I presume you are talking about John Donnellan being able to score against Mayo. Don't remember him being prolific! Maybe you mean some else? He did not score in 1998 (probably because he did not play).

As for dept. Dublin are the only county with dept. Who else has?

You need a bench to win all Irelands. Galway in 87 had Noel Lane. Seamus Darby . That sort of thing. Losers always look back on chances missed. Fellas have off days. I would try the young lads in connacht. Maybe go back door. Whatever it takes.

Noel Lane was a legend, and coming to the end in '87! As for  Seamus Darby. He just got lucky. These examples don't really prove you need a bench!

You don't need a bench to win an AI title. Donegal proved that! You need a system, a couple of key men in key areas, discipline and fitness.

Mayo had all 4. There is nothing wrong fitness or discipline wise.
I'll come up with more subs if you give me time  . You need the 15 to be on form if you don't need a bench. Mayo were lost with 20 mins to go. No inspiration. They could always get back to a point but the Dubs kept them from leading. The dynamics just didn't work.  Whoever came on just added to the general malaise. I watched enough Galway teams with misfiring forwards on big days I could write a book on it. Even St Joe Cooney had days when the frees would not go over. GAA is a mind thing as well.

Now maybe  this year there will be no injuries but what are Mayo going to do better to nail that last 15 mins or even last 5 mins when players are wondering if they can do it?
A goal from someone just in can do the trick like not much else.

Could Horan go ruthless and drop one of the nailed on forwards and bring in a hot young fella ?   Little bit of competition. Get him to really want it.

[From the Bunker]

He was well able to score against Mayo...
Anyway I'd say the Mayo squad doesn't have enough depth yet. Vulnerable to injuries, replacements not as good as in other big teams.

I presume you are talking about John Donnellan being able to score against Mayo. Don't remember him being prolific! Maybe you mean some else? He did not score in 1998 (probably because he did not play).

As for dept. Dublin are the only county with dept. Who else has?

You need a bench to win all Irelands. Galway in 87 had Noel Lane. Seamus Darby . That sort of thing. Losers always look back on chances missed. Fellas have off days. I would try the young lads in connacht. Maybe go back door. Whatever it takes.

Noel Lane was a legend, and coming to the end in '87! As for  Seamus Darby. He just got lucky. These examples don't really prove you need a bench!

You don't need a bench to win an AI title. Donegal proved that! You need a system, a couple of key men in key areas, discipline and fitness.

Mayo had all 4. There is nothing wrong fitness or discipline wise.
I'll come up with more subs if you give me time  . You need the 15 to be on form if you don't need a bench. Mayo were lost with 20 mins to go. No inspiration. They could always get back to a point but the Dubs kept them from leading. The dynamics just didn't work.  Whoever came on just added to the general malaise. I watched enough Galway teams with misfiring forwards on big days I could write a book on it. Even St Joe Cooney had days when the frees would not go over. GAA is a mind thing as well.

Now maybe  this year there will be no injuries but what are Mayo going to do better to nail that last 15 mins or even last 5 mins when players are wondering if they can do it?
A goal from someone just in can do the trick like not much else.

Could Horan go ruthless and drop one of the nailed on forwards and bring in a hot young fella ?   Little bit of competition. Get him to really want it.

In reality, there are up to 3 positions up for grabs in the forward line! Doherty, Conroy, Coen, Dillon, Varley, Feeney, Freeman, McLoughlin are far from sure of starting. Which only leaves Cillian, Andy and Keith Higgins as certainties (at the moment). So there is your competition. And I've not even mentioned the perspective lads to be added to the squad! Ah anyway the reality is we need to avoid injuries this year. Injuries killed us last year! Look at what injuries did to Donegal last year and the way they were 12 months earlier with a clean bill of health?

[Tubberman]

In fairness, the All-Ireland medal in the arse pocket also had an impact on Donegal's performances last year I think

[IolarCoisCuain]

+1. One of the best quality players in county over the years. Previous poster went on about maturity but what s that about?

The maturity im talking about is realising that he needs to match hard work with his undoubted talent to fullfill his potential.I remember hearing stories about Tom having a bit of a questionable attitude towards training when he was making his way onto the senior team.However this is all in the past and i wish Tom all the best if we get him playing like he can he will be a serious asset for us.

There are always stories. I heard them too. But what I heard from lads that played with him in college, was that he could not explain his dip in form. I didn t hear the questionable attitude thing. I d factor in the mess that these lads encountered as they moved from underage to senior.  There was a few casualties in the Johnno years. Boyle was nearly lost and Conroy lost important years which I believe has damaged him.
I remember Horan giving Parsons a run in his first year as manager in either an FBD or League game. Thought he did well and was surprised he was cut.

Tom Parsons started three games in Horan's first year - against Armagh, in that memorable thrashing from Dublin, and Monaghan. Horan had a good long look at him at the time, in fairness to him. And we'd all wish him well. He certainly had the cut of a footballer  about him.

Here's a man who featured in 2011 who hasn't been heard of since: Aidan Campbell. Is there any word of that man?

[sans pessimism]

+1. One of the best quality players in county over the years. Previous poster went on about maturity but what s that about?

The maturity im talking about is realising that he needs to match hard work with his undoubted talent to fullfill his potential.I remember hearing stories about Tom having a bit of a questionable attitude towards training when he was making his way onto the senior team.However this is all in the past and i wish Tom all the best if we get him playing like he can he will be a serious asset for us.

There are always stories. I heard them too. But what I heard from lads that played with him in college, was that he could not explain his dip in form. I didn t hear the questionable attitude thing. I d factor in the mess that these lads encountered as they moved from underage to senior.  There was a few casualties in the Johnno years. Boyle was nearly lost and Conroy lost important years which I believe has damaged him.
I remember Horan giving Parsons a run in his first year as manager in either an FBD or League game. Thought he did well and was surprised he was cut.

Tom Parsons started three games in Horan's first year - against Armagh, in that memorable thrashing from Dublin, and Monaghan. Horan had a good long look at him at the time, in fairness to him. And we'd all wish him well. He certainly had the cut of a footballer  about him.

Here's a man who featured in 2011 who hasn't been heard of since: Aidan Campbell. Is there any word of that man?

Aidan suffered a serious knee injury minutes before throw-in vs Ballintubber in C/ship last October.A long recovery is ahead according to himself, in a heart wrenching article in the Mayo News some time ago

[moysider]

He was well able to score against Mayo...
Anyway I'd say the Mayo squad doesn't have enough depth yet. Vulnerable to injuries, replacements not as good as in other big teams.

I presume you are talking about John Donnellan being able to score against Mayo. Don't remember him being prolific! Maybe you mean some else? He did not score in 1998 (probably because he did not play).

As for dept. Dublin are the only county with dept. Who else has?

You need a bench to win all Irelands. Galway in 87 had Noel Lane. Seamus Darby . That sort of thing. Losers always look back on chances missed. Fellas have off days. I would try the young lads in connacht. Maybe go back door. Whatever it takes.

Noel Lane was a legend, and coming to the end in '87! As for  Seamus Darby. He just got lucky. These examples don't really prove you need a bench!

You don't need a bench to win an AI title. Donegal proved that! You need a system, a couple of key men in key areas, discipline and fitness.

Mayo had all 4. There is nothing wrong fitness or discipline wise.
I'll come up with more subs if you give me time  . You need the 15 to be on form if you don't need a bench. Mayo were lost with 20 mins to go. No inspiration. They could always get back to a point but the Dubs kept them from leading. The dynamics just didn't work.  Whoever came on just added to the general malaise. I watched enough Galway teams with misfiring forwards on big days I could write a book on it. Even St Joe Cooney had days when the frees would not go over. GAA is a mind thing as well.

Now maybe  this year there will be no injuries but what are Mayo going to do better to nail that last 15 mins or even last 5 mins when players are wondering if they can do it?
A goal from someone just in can do the trick like not much else.

Could Horan go ruthless and drop one of the nailed on forwards and bring in a hot young fella ?   Little bit of competition. Get him to really want it.

I'm mostly with you on this Seafóid.

Ye all know I wanted Horan to be bold a year ago ( mostly I was ridiculed for tearing up a team and blah blah blah) - eventually he took the muzzle off higgins and let him bite but he did not go far enough.
Mayo is unfortunately a conservative county by nature, as referenda have shown but that is not a positive for a manager chasing something that years of conservative management has failed to nail. For a lot of Mayo folk the most important thing is that the local boy is not dropped. Maybe it is the same everywhere.
Horan dropped a lad from the panel a week after he scored 3 goals in a senior championship match - after going on about picking form players in the past. The player at the time was told he was a victim of the boards directive to trim the panel. He was the only one trimmed. At that time our remaining forwards in the panel resembled casualties from Gallipoli.
And we did have a bench. Mostly its name was Richie Feeney and he was very effective but was not used in a game that was teed up for him last 20.The AI final. That decision is up there with not having Pat Fallon on the bench for the 96 final.
2 impact subs and 2/3 fresh legs/injury subs is enough. The Freeman substitution was affectively a panic decision and limited our options. Freeman had more to offer and Conroy would have been more effective with the game stretched later. 

[joemamas]

+1. One of the best quality players in county over the years. Previous poster went on about maturity but what s that about?

The maturity im talking about is realising that he needs to match hard work with his undoubted talent to fullfill his potential.I remember hearing stories about Tom having a bit of a questionable attitude towards training when he was making his way onto the senior team.However this is all in the past and i wish Tom all the best if we get him playing like he can he will be a serious asset for us.

There are always stories. I heard them too. But what I heard from lads that played with him in college, was that he could not explain his dip in form. I didn t hear the questionable attitude thing. I d factor in the mess that these lads encountered as they moved from underage to senior.  There was a few casualties in the Johnno years. Boyle was nearly lost and Conroy lost important years which I believe has damaged him.
I remember Horan giving Parsons a run in his first year as manager in either an FBD or League game. Thought he did well and was surprised he was cut.

Tom Parsons started three games in Horan's first year - against Armagh, in that memorable thrashing from Dublin, and Monaghan. Horan had a good long look at him at the time, in fairness to him. And we'd all wish him well. He certainly had the cut of a footballer  about him.

Here's a man who featured in 2011 who hasn't been heard of since: Aidan Campbell. Is there any word of that man?

JOM in my mind put Parsons back years. Maybe he was another victim of too much too soon, lack of maturity etc. Dont forget that JOM started Tom at full forward in an all-ireland Q/final v Meath, FFS.
Maybe his time has come and gone, on the other hand he is still best natural fielder we have and is probably no more than 25 or 26.

[muppet]

To be fair to Horan he has already played some of last year's minor. Diarmuid O'Connor, Stephen Coen and Conor Loftus have all been involved. This knocks any non-footballing arguments against selecting last year's minors on the head

While Coen will have serious competition for a place in the backs (we have current 3/4 All-Stars who play there) the other 2 are competing in a more open contest. But I would still love to see some of the goal poachers from last year given a run.

[macdanger2]

For a lot of Mayo folk the most important thing is that the local boy is not dropped. Maybe it is the same everywhere.

Horan dropped a lad from the panel a week after he scored 3 goals in a senior championship match - after going on about picking form players in the past. The player at the time was told he was a victim of the boards directive to trim the panel.

Are you calling yourself out here moy??!! 

[moysider]

For a lot of Mayo folk the most important thing is that the local boy is not dropped. Maybe it is the same everywhere.

Horan dropped a lad from the panel a week after he scored 3 goals in a senior championship match - after going on about picking form players in the past. The player at the time was told he was a victim of the boards directive to trim the panel.

Are you calling yourself out here moy??!! 

You could be forgiven for thinking that.

I m hearing a Mayo player - it upsets some peoples sensibilities to mention his name because of where he is from - scored 10 from 11 points for Sligo IT today.

[mayoman dan]

I m hearing a Mayo player - it upsets some peoples sensibilities to mention his name because of where he is from - scored 10 from 11 points for Sligo IT today.
[/quote]

The same player is heading for the states instead of croke park for the summer.Its an awful shame hes just what we need

[Blowitupref]

I m hearing a Mayo player - it upsets some peoples sensibilities to mention his name because of where he is from - scored 10 from 11 points for Sligo IT today.

The same player is heading for the states instead of croke park for the summer.Its an awful shame hes just what we need
[/quote]
Would that explain why he decided not to return?

[Farrandeelin]

It could well have been a factor. It's disappointing I suppose. But a fella is entitled to travel, he's young in fairness. Hopefully he will have other opportunities to shine in Croke Park in the future.

[moysider]

I don t expect much disappointment or fuss about this. Same player was flying last year and left out and few questioned the decision at the time.