Mayo v Galway, 18/06/16, McHale Park

[bucko]

After watching the highlights on the Sunday game the lack of urgency in our performance yesterday just seems more obvious. Bar the 7-8 mins before half time where we rattled off 5 pts on the trot, everything about our performance was sluggish, work rate, support running, decision making etc. It all just looked laboured, casual looking even. Tactically we looked all over the place, too many positional switches, players looking uncertain as to where they were supposed to be or what they were supposed to be doing. Again the lack of urgency could be a factor, guys not being swtiched on enough, not focused on what was going on. Our scoring situation is not improving, 8 pts from 18 chances in the first half with only one forward scoring from play the entire game and no clear effort on goal tells its own story. A lot of areas to work on, really hope we can go some way to sort it out in the next three weeks.
On another note I know all teams have injury problems but ours seem to be chronic at the moment. You'd have to wonder how much training SO'S, DO'C, Parsons and Vaughan had under there belts up to yesterday. With Barry and Conor Loftus missing, and the rumour I heard in McHale park yesterday that Caff's season could be over you'd wonder why we see to be having such a bad run of it to key players. Sick bay hasn't been clear since the beginning of the year!

[ZeitChrist]

Been wondering about the near-constant injury problems in the Mayo squad myself. This is a strength and conditioning issue.

[seafoid]

Been wondering about the near-constant injury problems in the Mayo squad myself. This is a strength and conditioning issue.

maybe there is a limit to what sandc can do.

[Kurtz]

I was listening to a rugby coach. 
He was saying that modern sport is so intense even at amateur level.
He spoke of the five year cycle where teams start to breakdown with injury and you need a strong bench to replace players.

It doesnt help that Mayo have struggled to score from play.

But has the fun gone out of sport for many players

[oliverkelly]

Do Mayo fans think Rochford should stay on? if so why? IMO Mayo have gone back so far since he took over its frightening he is way out of his dept.

What is going on with Aidan O'Shea and COC both were terrible again, All Aidan seems to do is want talk to media and rumours of him trying to pick the team and not been happy the brothers weren't starting circling dont sound good when he was one main players that removed previous management.
COC although I never rated him he is highly rated in Mayo how many wides did he kick? Don't know how he is Captain and how he lasted the 70mins he does nothing from play and wouldn't score in whore house during play.

When Mayo have Zero forwards where are lads like Liam Irwin? Regan is NOT county standard got man of match against a shite down and London sides and against us because he scored a goal that should have been a free out for over carrying and people reckoned he was next big thing.

[highorlow]

The lads need to quit this game 2 of 6 bullshit and sit down now a realize this is year 1 of a 5 year plan.

[Tubberman]

Well that was very disappointing... the worst Mayo championship display since Longford 2010.
It's worrying and puzzling because Rochford's strengths were supposed to be his attention to detail, his planning, his intrinsic knowledge of the opposition and how to set his team up to play against them.
There was very little evidence of that on Sat evening, the team looked under-prepared both in terms of fitness (cramping up with 20 mins left) and in terms of a game plan, with a lot of players seemingly unsure of what they were supposed to be doing.

Hopefully we can recover through the qualifiers, in fairness we reeled them in and went 5 points up at one stage so the ability is still there.
But there's a lot of honest self-assessment needed for management and players. They have given a huge commitment over the past number of years and given huge enjoyment to supporters, so I hope they can rouse themselves to give it another real go.


Well done Galway, they really celebrated that win - players shouldered off the pitch, "The Fields of Athenry" being sung, it's a long time since there scenes like that for a Connacht semi-final win. There should be similar scenes for whichever teams wins the final which will be good to see.

[Hound]

Ultimate goal is playing well in August and September - a poor display in June is little to worry about.

Of course it's not the ideal route on paper, but it might turn out to be. Senan Connell made a good point in the after-match analysis - the rest of the season will be decided by the attitude of the players when they meet up next. Not a lot the management can do about that. I expect them to knuckle down and treat this as a great opportunity to build momentum.

Could well end up facing the Dubs in the quarter-final. And they'd probably have a better chance in that than meeting the Dubs in the final. They will be under-estimated by all in that match (including the Dubs players) because of what happened on Saturday - no matter what improvements they show in between. 

Management has to sort out where to play Higgins and AOS.

Has Cillian played any club games since London? It was his worst performance that I can remember, but the extra games in the qualifiers will surely do him good and I don't doubt he'll be back to Mr Reliable by the time August comes around. And the brother was obviously a huge loss.

They will be vulnerable in the next round, but there's not a whole heap to worry about in potential opponents. Get over that and I've no doubt they'll be in the quarter-finals. Equally I've no doubt they'll beat Galway or Roscommon should they cross paths in the All Ireland series.  Still as short as 10/1 with the bookies for the All Ireland, compared to Donegal, Galway, Monaghan, Roscommon all 22/1+.

[GaillimhIarthair]

A great and very important win for us on Sat evening.  Some immense performances all around the pitch and delighted with how all the new lads performed.  Flynn's goal gave the team that boost of confidence that the game was there for the winning and the last 20 mins was quite impressive with some great scores.  I was honestly surprised that Mayo couldn't / didn't respond during that period and they didn't seem as fit as Galway?  Maybe they have the training tailored for later in the year and I would fully expect them to be around for the quarter finals in Aug and possibly beyond. 

[seafoid]

Well that was very disappointing... the worst Mayo championship display since London 2010.
It's worrying and puzzling because Rochford's strengths were supposed to be his attention to detail, his planning, his intrinsic knowledge of the opposition and how to set his team up to play against them.
There was very little evidence of that on Sat evening, the team looked under-prepared both in terms of fitness (cramping up with 20 mins left) and in terms of a game plan, with a lot of players seemingly unsure of what they were supposed to be doing.

Hopefully we can recover through the qualifiers, in fairness we reeled them in and went 5 points up at one stage so the ability is still there.
But there's a lot of honest self-assessment needed for management and players. They have given a huge commitment over the past number of years and given huge enjoyment to supporters, so I hope they can rouse themselves to give it another real go.


Well done Galway, they really celebrated that win - players shouldered off the pitch, "The Fields of Athenry" being sung, it's a long time since there scenes like that for a Connacht semi-final win. There should be similar scenes for whichever teams wins the final which will be good to see.

Surely Longford was worse

[Tubberman]

Well that was very disappointing... the worst Mayo championship display since London 2010.
It's worrying and puzzling because Rochford's strengths were supposed to be his attention to detail, his planning, his intrinsic knowledge of the opposition and how to set his team up to play against them.
There was very little evidence of that on Sat evening, the team looked under-prepared both in terms of fitness (cramping up with 20 mins left) and in terms of a game plan, with a lot of players seemingly unsure of what they were supposed to be doing.

Hopefully we can recover through the qualifiers, in fairness we reeled them in and went 5 points up at one stage so the ability is still there.
But there's a lot of honest self-assessment needed for management and players. They have given a huge commitment over the past number of years and given huge enjoyment to supporters, so I hope they can rouse themselves to give it another real go.


Well done Galway, they really celebrated that win - players shouldered off the pitch, "The Fields of Athenry" being sung, it's a long time since there scenes like that for a Connacht semi-final win. There should be similar scenes for whichever teams wins the final which will be good to see.

Surely Longford was worse

Woops I meant Longford 2010, London was 2011 and at least we escaped that one!

[seafoid]

If Mayo have the right attitude they can win the all Ireland . Galway had a similar experience when Ros beat them in the first round in 2001 but they used it as motivation.  Mayo might pick up a forward or two on the scenic route.

[Syferus]

Well that was very disappointing... the worst Mayo championship display since Longford 2010.
It's worrying and puzzling because Rochford's strengths were supposed to be his attention to detail, his planning, his intrinsic knowledge of the opposition and how to set his team up to play against them.
There was very little evidence of that on Sat evening, the team looked under-prepared both in terms of fitness (cramping up with 20 mins left) and in terms of a game plan, with a lot of players seemingly unsure of what they were supposed to be doing.

Hopefully we can recover through the qualifiers, in fairness we reeled them in and went 5 points up at one stage so the ability is still there.
But there's a lot of honest self-assessment needed for management and players. They have given a huge commitment over the past number of years and given huge enjoyment to supporters, so I hope they can rouse themselves to give it another real go.


Well done Galway, they really celebrated that win - players shouldered off the pitch, "The Fields of Athenry" being sung, it's a long time since there scenes like that for a Connacht semi-final win. There should be similar scenes for whichever teams wins the final which will be good to see.

It's just Game 4 for us.

[highorlow]

After watching the highlights on the Sunday game the lack of urgency in our performance yesterday just seems more obvious. Bar the 7-8 mins before half time where we rattled off 5 pts on the trot, everything about our performance was sluggish, work rate, support running, decision making etc.

Yes very worrying from that perspective. Over the last 5 years in Connacht (apart from that London game) our lads came out all guns blazing and almost played with a sort of frenzy. No sign of that the other night and you would wonder is it gone?

[heffo]

If Mayo have the right attitude they can win the all Ireland . Galway had a similar experience when Ros beat them in the first round in 2001 but they used it as motivation.  Mayo might pick up a forward or two on the scenic route.

Galway also had a team who'd won the AI three years previously - no comparison imo