Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[muppet]

           Clarke
Barrett Cafferkey Higgins K.
Vaughan O'Malley McLoughlin
McG SOS
Killer Ronaldo Diller
Thriller Moran B. Pillar

Andy, Trevor & Trevor could play their way back in but need to be flying in training. Big Tom, hard to know, might benefit from having to fight for his place. Conroy can cover 3 & 6 depending on what we are playing.

Tom Cunniffe could come into the reckoning and not sure what Barry Moran's status is. I'd like to see one or both Kilcullens in the squad but don't know what happened there.

No more half forwards in the half back line please! Didn't work last year, not going to work this year.

[AbbeySider]

           Clarke
Barrett Cafferkey Higgins K.
Vaughan O'Malley McLoughlin
McG SOS
Killer Ronaldo Diller
Thriller Moran B. Pillar

...

No more half forwards in the half back line please! Didn't work last year, not going to work this year.

Thats a fair team Muppet, Ronaldo at CF could work. And maybe O Malley has something to offer at CB but im not sure he is much of a stopper as he looks dodge on the back foot with forwards running at him. 

[REDCOL]

Championship Panel seems to be well known at this stage, all the players involved in Croke Park plus BJ Padden, Neil Douglas, Shane Nally & Alan Feeney . Mickey Sweeney, Ger Mc Donagh, Lee Keegan & Barry Kelly gone. What are peoples thoughts, especially on BJ back.

[small white mayoman]

Championship Panel seems to be well known at this stage, all the players involved in Croke Park plus BJ Padden, Neil Douglas, Shane Nally & Alan Feeney . Mickey Sweeney, Ger Mc Donagh, Lee Keegan & Barry Kelly gone. What are peoples thoughts, especially on BJ back.

is bj back in the panel didn't realise that . did he have to take part in a trial match to prove himself or was he just brought back ?

[Barney]

Much happier to be at our homebase here where we can bitch amongst ourselves, not have supporters of other teams tell us how crap we are (despite the fact that we get results that they could only dream of) and have ourselves written up as delusional Sam seekers who do nothing but tell the country that we are going to win the All Ireland this year and every year. Lazy analysis taken from lazy journalists.

Last Sunday was a disaster and is a serious blow to the lads. A Connacht championship is still realistic but I do think that Galway are in the driving seat now. I fully expect that we will beat Sligo. But if we do win Connacht how are the lads going to react. Sit back, with feet of clay and worry about what might happen or what we really desire and what they really should want - dust themselves down, confront their fears, let their football do the talking, give it a good shot and if they win they win.

Anyway my championship team:

Clarke

Barrett
Cafferkey
Higgins

Vaughan
Cunniffe
Gardiner

McGarrity
Seamie O'Se

Dillon
Aidan O'Se
Pat Harte

Aidan Kilcoyne
Barry Moran
Enda Varley

I think that we need a consistent freetaker and the Killer should be taken aside and told this is what we need him for. Of course he has the ability to contribute from play but he should be told that his primary task is to kick all reasonable frees within 50 yards of goal. Focus his training on this. It is a 5/6 point contribution per game. Crucial to any team. Look back on the Dubin game - they knew they could get away with fouling us without being punished. All teams know this. It is an easy thing to correct.

The downside is that we have too many fellas on my team that have played little football this year but I think many of the returnees are amongst the best in the county.

[moysider]

Do you not think Kevin McLoughlin has done enough to make the team Barney?

[Zulu]

Much happier to be at our homebase here where we can bitch amongst ourselves, not have supporters of other teams tell us how crap we are (despite the fact that we get results that they could only dream of) and have ourselves written up as delusional Sam seekers who do nothing but tell the country that we are going to win the All Ireland this year and every year. Lazy analysis taken from lazy journalists.

Is that not a cheap shot? I can only speak for myself but I don't think I have ever said anything that I didn't feel to be true and I've tried top rationalize my opinions and defend them reasonably. I think most other non-Mayo posters did the same. It isn't a good sign of a county if you feel the need to block out the rest of the world and dismiss the views of others as those of jealous outsiders. There are real problems in Mayo football and you are not producing footballers of the necessary quality, hard questions need to be asked and though I have a lot of respect for the majority of the Mayo lads who post here if ye'd prefer to lock yourselves away behind your boarders and blame manager after manager then you might find the search for Sam go on for much longer.

I'm not suggesting, by the way, that posters like myself have the answer or anything but the opinions of those coming at the problem from a different perspective can often highlight issues that people closer to the coalface fail to see sometimes.

[Barney]

Zulu speaking for myself I have no problem with constructive criticism but cliched and misinformed analysis as is rampant in the GAA is a pain in the arse after some of the defeatas we have had to rationalise ourselves.

Moysider I like McLoughlin, but I think he is not yet ready. He is still too light. I am not a huge Gardiner fan but think at this point he is probably a better option in what would be a very inexperienced half-back line. I take it you agree with the rest of the team?

[Farrandeelin]

Barney, on McLoughlin - I doubt he will ever change. That's how all the rest of his family members are etc. All lean and thin. About your team, I suppose Cafferkey will now have to do at full-back as there is nobody else that seems good enough. I agree with you that Parsons has to be dropped. I would also slot in Trevor Howley at no 5 instead of Vaughan. Not a Gardiner fan myself either and I wouldn't have him in it.

[moysider]

Zulu speaking for myself I have no problem with constructive criticism but cliched and misinformed analysis as is rampant in the GAA is a pain in the arse after some of the defeatas we have had to rationalise ourselves.

Moysider I like McLoughlin, but I think he is not yet ready. He is still too light. I am not a huge Gardiner fan but think at this point he is probably a better option in what would be a very inexperienced half-back line. I take it you agree with the rest of the team?

I might disagree with a couple but that s the way it goes. I think it s all very welll picking teams but I dont think our problems can be addressed by just selection. Peter Canavan picked out Kevin McLoughlin as the only Mayo player that impressed him. No fear of reputations and took the game to Cork. We have few enough players like that. I dont think we should be dropping one our most impressive players so far this year. 

[RedandGreenSniper]

I might disagree with a couple but that s the way it goes. I think it s all very welll picking teams but I dont think our problems can be addressed by just selection. Peter Canavan picked out Kevin McLoughlin as the only Mayo player that impressed him. No fear of reputations and took the game to Cork. We have few enough players like that. I dont think we should be dropping one our most impressive players so far this year.

Can't agree Moysider that Kevin McLoughlin was one of our most impresive players thus far - the league final aside he struggled for form. But, ability wise, he has it. Physicality is a problem but I'd still have him in the team.

Good to see some suggesting Aidan O'Shea at centre-half forward - his best position by some distance. Barry Moran looked good at full forward today for Mitchels too.

I'd go with this team

Clarke
Barrett Cafferkey K Higgins
Cunniffe Vaughan McLoughlin
S O'Shea McGarrity
A Moran A O'Shea A Dillon
C Mortimer B Moran A Kilcoyne

Now, in that team, Cunniffe is lucky to make it, just ahead of Gardiner while Trevor Howley won't be far away, but not at centre-half back. In attack Andy is lucky to be in and Killer still has to show us what sort of form he is in. Varley had a very good league and I would be tempted to maybe pick him ahead of the Mort but he did come up trumps in the league final when others went missing. I think the key with the team there is a strong spine in terms of size. Vaughan would have to prove himself though and, being honest I don't see that team being close to what O'Mahony will pick. Cunniffe will be centre-back and Trevor Mortimer will make that team too and O'Shea will be left at 14, maybe with Moran beside him. Ah well, we can always dream that the right team will be picked . . .

[moysider]

Just back in from the pub and full. But remind me, why is Cuniffe in the equation?

[RedandGreenSniper]

Just back in from the pub and full. But remind me, why is Cuniffe in the equation?

Jesus, I didn't think Johnno would be safe with you in front of a keyboard and full with porter Moysider!

Cunniffe, to my mind, is one of the best wing-backs we have but he's been used, mistakingly, at centre-half back. He doesn't have the presence or the smarts for that position. On the wing he is a real danger to have for attacking and would be, marginally, ahead of Gardiner for me.

But, mark my words, I've a scary feeling O'Mahony will plonk him in centre-half back.

[AbbeySider]

What has Vaughan done wrong in peoples eyes ?

I thought he was one of our best and most consistent during the league?

[moysider]

I might disagree with a couple but that s the way it goes. I think it s all very welll picking teams but I dont think our problems can be addressed by just selection. Peter Canavan picked out Kevin McLoughlin as the only Mayo player that impressed him. No fear of reputations and took the game to Cork. We have few enough players like that. I dont think we should be dropping one our most impressive players so far this year.

Can't agree Moysider that Kevin McLoughlin was one of our most impresive players thus far - the league final aside he struggled for form. But, ability wise, he has it. Physicality is a problem but I'd still have him in the team.

Good to see some suggesting Aidan O'Shea at centre-half forward - his best position by some distance. Barry Moran looked good at full forward today for Mitchels too.

I'd go with this team

Clarke
Barrett Cafferkey K Higgins
Cunniffe Vaughan McLoughlin
S O'Shea McGarrity
A Moran A O'Shea A Dillon
C Mortimer B Moran A Kilcoyne

Now, in that team, Cunniffe is lucky to make it, just ahead of Gardiner while Trevor Howley won't be far away, but not at centre-half back. In attack Andy is lucky to be in and Killer still has to show us what sort of form he is in. Varley had a very good league and I would be tempted to maybe pick him ahead of the Mort but he did come up trumps in the league final when others went missing. I think the key with the team there is a strong spine in terms of size. Vaughan would have to prove himself though and, being honest I don't see that team being close to what O'Mahony will pick. Cunniffe will be centre-back and Trevor Mortimer will make that team too and O'Shea will be left at 14, maybe with Moran beside him. Ah well, we can always dream that the right team will be picked . . .

Thought that McLoughlin started the league very strong against Galway. Also should be remembered that he played a lot of football this Spring and looked wrecked for a while. There was the Sigerson and then the U21 where he was asked to play no.11. For me he would be a nailed down starter, as would Chris Barrett, Vaughan and Seamas O Sé. For me they re showing a hunger that should be the bottom line for any county player.