Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[rosnarun]

the reason People are slow to criticize Mayo players is that many of us would personally know he players and their families and know of the massive effort that goes into being an intercounty footballer. Asavage cos in socail and often working life is endured. So any criticism along the line of not trying is righfully trated with scorn.
however maybe we should take the Christian view of love the sinner but hate the sin. Galway was abysmal. they got off on the wrong foot and had not leadership or direction to put it right again similarlr to last sept which made it hurt all the more. that is why I'd be very harsh on managenment dispite great fanfare of their arrival they seem to have taken the team sideways at least and Prob backwards.
To understand why Mayo have done so well over the last few years you have to understand the way the team plays and who are the key players in that. fot me they are Heaney Mcdonald gardiner and conor mortimer player who take anawful lot of crticism for being unorthordox in their roles. afull back who cant catch a CHF who plays at half back A half back who doesnt like defending But Mort is just a scoring machine .  these are unique players . Taking gardiner off was akin to throwing in the towel MD D wasnt fit Heany was out of position but mort was still top scorer. Omahoney need to watch tapes of old mayo games and see the tresures he had and how to use them.

[stephenite]

A half back who doesnt like defending

Make your mind up about Gardiner will ya

[OirthearMhaigheo]

yeah, don't really follow you either Ros. Are you admitting Gardiner isn't good enough or are you saying we should have a half back in the team that can't defend??

[rosnarun]

Im saying in gardiner we have probably the best half back in the country.  the point being this may team plays very much as a unit to a pattern and peader is essential to that. morrison was mocked last year for calling mayo the Brazil of Gaelic football but most people missed the point he was making which was when you have the ball you play when wee have it well play and well probably out score you. it leads to heart stopping stuff but fantastic games and it works (except against kerry whoi are just  abetter team at he moment).
Proof of this is offer counties any mayo player bar CMD and they would say no thanks . look at the even the joint galway mayo team that were pick before the last match. and also the rate awhich mayo teams chage year on year . but were still (at least before JOM) probably the 2nd best team in the country, only a daragh o sé short of being the best.

[OirthearMhaigheo]

well I think that's where we differ Ros. I thought John Morrisons philosophy was bullshit and unbelievably naive to say the least. True it can be easy on the eye but you'll win nothing with it. We can't afford to have a half back that can't defend, look at the team who everyone gauges themselves against, Kerry. Tomas O Se and O'Mahoney are perfect examples of tough tackling defenders who can also do a great job going forward if it's asked of them but only now and again, it isn't their main quality unlike Gardiner. I don't want to get into slagging one of our most honest players off, but I would have to strongly disagree with the 'one of the best half backs in the country' tag, his performances on AIF day x 2 means the jury is seriously out on a statement like that.

[rosnarun]

you'll win nothing with it.

tell all the payers who reprsented mayo in the 1970's that a connacht final is nothig not to mention winning several all-ireland semifinals. any one who sat throught the real humiliations of the 70's and 80's knows that this is a golden era. but there is an unrealistic view out there we can dropp all this team and automaticly find ourselves back at AIF level again.
Again gardiner is crticized but ill think youll find T  o Sé or Aidain o mahoney would be unwilling to tog for mayo any time soon . yet you privide no alternitives Devenney has predicably been a disaster a higgins looks old. Howley is more of a corner back then who. none can provide a 1/4 of his attacking ability and few will keep a half forward as distracted. Its a different waqy of thinking but go on streech you mind

[An Gaeilgoir]

Why cant we have defenders who defend and forwards who score? We play an open style of football that leaves us vunerable on the counter attack. If we are to remain in the top 6 in the country we need to get a bit more cynical and hard as a unit. Take a hit and give a hit, even if some of the hits are a "little late". I think in Galway the Mayo team waited for the game to come their way and some thought our open style football would win the game eventually. These things dont happen in the chapionship. It has to be a win at all costs attitude.

[rosnarun]

Take a hit and give a hit, even if some of the hits are a "little late

".

this was never the mayo style of play and i hope it never is. this is the reasomn i hate the likes of tyrone meath armagh or dublin where fear and intimadation are they primary  weapons. granted its not much use on its own as the likes of wicklow leitrim or clare have found out through the tears. sure were desperte to win but lets not abandon all or principbles. drugs work would you folow other counties there too?

[OirthearMhaigheo]

Take a hit and give a hit, even if some of the hits are a "little late

".

this was never the mayo style of play and i hope it never is.

That's the sort of attitude that will have us waiting another 56 years for SAM. And yes Connachts and all-Irelanmd semis are nothing at this stage, that's such a losers mentality to say that's a great achievement. Maybe after the barren years the first Conacht or two was worth something but at this stage they mean shag all to a county that craves one cup alone. You ask for alternatives at half back, Howley is one, I wouldn't put him down as a corner back only, he's a very fine footballer but a good defender first and foremost. I have to say I've been disappointed with Devenney so far but I think he has alot more potential than Gardiner, he is still finding his feet in his first season, this is Peaders 4th full season at this level. I believe Devenney should be persevered with. D Kilcullen and Tom Cunniffe are the long-term answers in the half-back line but I feel this year is too soon for them. For the record I don't believe we need wholesale changes, but we do need a few and I think Gardiner is one of them. We'll have to agree to disagree on that one I guess.

[stephenite]

you'll win nothing with it.

tell all the payers who reprsented mayo in the 1970's that a connacht final is nothig not to mention winning several all-ireland semifinals. any one who sat throught the real humiliations of the 70's and 80's knows that this is a golden era. but there is an unrealistic view out there we can dropp all this team and automaticly find ourselves back at AIF level again.
Again gardiner is crticized but ill think youll find T  o Sé or Aidain o mahoney would be unwilling to tog for mayo any time soon . yet you privide no alternitives Devenney has predicably been a disaster a higgins looks old. Howley is more of a corner back then who. none can provide a 1/4 of his attacking ability and few will keep a half forward as distracted. Its a different waqy of thinking but go on streech you mind

I know a man that isn't sure if he is 6 or 7 Connach medals, mean f**k all to him.

[Barney]

Still 4 weeks until the next game.

Any news from the camp. I reckon JOM will be looking to set up a few challenges in the next few weeks to try and get the show back on the road

[rosnarun]

I know a man that isn't sure if he is 6 or 7 Connach medals, mean f**k all to him.

Maybe then it is getting close to time for a cull . If a man is dedicated inevery game he plays for a county he never going to perform to his hishest potential. that would certainly explain may of the performances against galway. Of cousrse the number isnt important . what was imporrtant was that was to qualify for the final was the only prize on offer. ALL ireland finals are never eon in May or july for that matter . all you can do is try to win you next game asnd for mayo that should have been the connacht final but now im hearing that doesnt seem to be good enough for some. ANd im accused of havinmg a losers attitude?

[Barney]

This is from the Mayo News this week. It smacks of desparation and doing what should have been done last winter, in the middle of the championship season. There is no magic wand that is going to correct our wrongs. Like or not we have close enough to the best 30 players in the county on the panel, bar two or three under 21s, and some of the names mentioned below are just not up to the task:

Keeping a watching brief

FEATURE
Mike Finnerty
mikefinnerty@mayonews.ie

FROM the moment Mayo were sent crashing out of the Connacht Championship seventeen days ago, John O'Mahony and his management team have been looking to the future.
A week later the newly-elected TD was out and about himself at two club championship first-round matches. He watched Davitts against Mayo Gaels in the intermediate competition before seeing Ballagh' beat Shrule/Glencorrib in his own hometown in the senior championship.
Tommy Lyons, Kieran Gallagher and others were also scattered at games all around the county, scouting for new talent, keeping an eye on players that are already short-listed, and brushing up on others that are currently part and parcel of Mayo's senior squad.
So what did they see? Which players were noted down in the scouting reports? Who is finding form at the right time for their club and, as a consequence, may push themselves into the county frame?
O'Mahony has always said that the county panel was open-ended and that good form at club level would not go unnoticed. There can be no doubt that he has been true to his word.
A trial game last Saturday at McHale Park gave some indication of the current state of play. Among those who lined out in Castlebar were Louisburgh's Jarlath O'Malley, Charlestown's Tom Parsons and Ballaghaderreen's Barry Kelly.
All three were outstanding for their clubs a week earlier and, interestingly, all three delivered eye-catching performances at midfield.
So too did Davitts' Ronan McNamara. The Mayo junior midfielder kicked eight points from frees and put in an impressive display in Balla. There seems little doubt that the Mayo manager was there to watch him.
In many ways Tom Parsons would be an ideal addition to Mayo's squad for the All-Ireland Qualifiers on July 7. He was one of the U-21 team's stand-out players during their run to the Connacht title and his athleticism seems tailor-made for the modern game.
However, the young Charlestown man has already committed to travelling to the USA this summer. He is due to leave later this month and so it seems that the North American championship's gain will be his club and county's loss.
Charlestown are starting to build up a head of steam at the right time and Parsons was a very influential figure against Ballina in the first round of the championship.
It seems though that nothing short of John O'Mahony's legendary powers of persuasion will keep the IT Sligo student in Ireland for the coming months. Incidentally, the Mayo manager was in Fr O'Hara Park last Sunday to watch the two teams meet again in the league.
Claremorris were represented during the National League on the Mayo panel by Gary Mullins and Pat Navin but neither are currently training with the squad due to injury. Their club's first round win over Garrymore did throw up a few other names for the notebook. As a consequence both Tomás Griffin and Ciaran Griffith were drafted in for last Saturday's trial match.
Griffin is an enigmatic figure, capable of explosive bursts of pace and always likely to exert a considerable influence for his club anywhere on the half-forward line. Consistency and injuries have probably been the biggest stumbling blocks to his career thus far.
Griffith has been one of Claremorris' most consistent performers this season. His five points from play against Garrymore marked him out as one to watch and he is definitely a young player with strength and an eye for goal.
David Kilcullen continues to impress for Ballagh' week in, week out, and he has become a dominant figure at centre-half back. His contribution to the Mayo U-21 team was immense at times and he is an abrasive defender; comfortable on the ball and a fierce competitor off it.
He will surely be in the shake-up when names are being jotted down for the coming weeks and months. So too established senior panellists like Trevor Howley and Sean Ryder.
Next weekend will see more opportunities for players to catch the eye of Mayo's management. Only four weeks to go now...

[mannix]

some lads are close to being good enough but may only show it in summer when fitter and with a dry pitch.How good does gooch look in the muck,if a lad is going well in Mayo club at midfield he should at least be brought in for challenge games to have a look at.
JOM is aware that every year is a chance and waiting and rebuilding is no guarantee of success.

[rosnarun]

I could be wrong buy somehow I think intercounty football has passed the time when Strenght and fitness wise a club fooballer can just step up and become an intercounty on other wise why all that ballbusting during the winter if 4 weeks summer training would get you there any way. Parsons shoudr be ok in this regard. but as for  like griffin and griffith i don think it would be fair on them.