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Messages - Barney

#16
Talk about a pathetic attitude on here from Mayo fans.

We are Connacht champions, one of four unbeaten teams in the Championship with the chance to knock the All Ireland champions off their perch.

It is very very unlikely that we will succeed but by God we should be going out there chomping at the bit looking to put up a show. What if we were to beat them? How good would that feel? What's the point of even playing football or supporting a team if you don't meet these challenges head on.

And the fellas that are hiding behind their sofas afraid of what lies ahead are the very ones that will criticise the players if they do go and lose, and lose heavily. How can we build a winning mentality if we don't even have the desire to push ourselves towards doing everything possible to win in the first place?

I think it would be mad to play the game in Croke though. Yesterday showed how dead the stadium looks with a small crowd. The latter stages of the championship don't need that. Look at how the Meath/Kildare game looked in Navan, compared to in Croke Park earlier in the year. The small grounds with bigger crowds are definitely the way to go. The Mayo support in Roscommon was pathetic and has been dwindling. The Cork support will be non-existant.

On the pitch there is not much analysis you can do. Basically we need every one of our lads to play out of their skins, go for every ball, keep the head up when things go wrong and hope that they are close enough at the end that they have a chance to get over the finish line. Many of these players played in the 2006 All Ireland under 21 Final and Mayo won, Mayo beat Cork in the league 4 of the last 5 times we have met, but of course we did comfortably lose last years Final. While James Horan and his team will know they are up against it they won't be showing the white feather and we should stand toe to toe with them every step of the way. They have given us some pride back after the nightmare of last year, now lets repay their efforts.
#17
I hear the Liam Hayes interview was pretty tough listening for a Mayo supporter - anybody know where you'd find it online.

Very hard to know what is going to happen on Sunday. The Rossies here are trying to play the poor relation and talk about seeing how far they have come - they don't believe that. They know that this is a Mayo team that is beatable and deep down expect to win and have full confidence in their young players.

It is very hard to know where Mayo are. We were uncertain before the Galway game. Galway were atrocious. This team has only played one match together. Did Galway fail to find us out or are we on the right track?

I have a feeling it could be another tough day at the office and home advantage might swing it for the Ros. They will want to avenge the pain of two years ago.
#18
GAA Discussion / Re: Round 4 Legal Challenge
July 10, 2011, 09:15:50 PM
What will be more interesting is that Mayo or Roscommon will be in the Quarters and that draw will be done before Mayo/Ros/Tyrone/Armagh/Micklow have to play their Round 4 game. That will mean that tie will have to be kept apart from the Connacht champions even though there is no guarantee they would get through.
#19
QuoteSligo,Longford venues wouldn't be big enough to stage a round 4 tie.

Just how many are you expecting? certainly if Mayo lose next week we won't be troubling the Traffic Corps with the volumes that will travel to a Round 4 game. Sadly Mayo just don't do the back door - an immature and stupid attitude given that only 4 teams don't have to go that route and we are one of only 8 teams in the country not to have lost in the championship so far.

Anyhow it is going to be an interesting team selection from a Mayo view point. 1 - 7 will stay the same. What will James' be thinking on the midfield front though - go conservative and leave Ronan on the bench given the performance of the last day? Possible bring him in for Cillian O'Connor and shuffle the forwards? That is the only change I can see being made.

Expect that this one will be nip and tuck. However the Rossie inside forward line could cause havoc if we do not stop them kicking ball in - how we manage doing this will probably be the winning and losing of the game.
#20
The League Final has to have winded Dublin. It is only come the Quarter Finals that we are likely to see where they are at.

Fitness, and strength and hard work wlil not beat them but will they have the composure and enough scoring forwards to get them over the line.

#21
The Mayo/Ros rivalry has really been revived at underage level the last few years. Anybody who has been to any of the under 21 games between the two counties will realise that there is nothing between them, and that the games are often exciting with good flowing football and go to the death.

If it's anything like the game in Charlestown in 2009 I think the whole country will enjoy it - probably the greatest game of football played in Connacht in the last 10 years:

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6191&Itemid=39
#22
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 27, 2011, 08:27:33 AM
Well done to the lads - that was a big win and a much needed win! Hopefully it will lift some of the pressure of their shoulders which was there after the defeats to Meath, Sligo, and London and the debacle in London. It has to be looked at in the context of how poor Galway were, and the general pace of the game. However when looking trouble they dug deep at the start of the second half and pulled it back level very quickly.

Good performances all round - Seamus O'Se was excellent in midfield, emptied the tank and gave us a good platform for winning. Kevin McLoughlin got through a huge amount of work. Alan Freeman took his goal chance well when it came to him. The backs as a unit worked really hard and did well.

No doubt Keith Higgins should have walked - after getting himself sent off at a crucial juncture against Longford last year you would think he would have learned a lesson. But Rory Hickey is a bad ref - how Jason Doherty didn't get a penalty is another question that needs to be asked?

The freetaking is a huge problem - some of the efforts yesterday were embarassing. It may have not been as bad if Dillon had calmed everybody with his first free which was relatively easy. He has had very good days on frees before and as captain needs to be handed that responsibility over the next 3 weeks in preparation for the Connacht Final. It is right to bring Hennelly out for 45s. The same type of misses in Roscommon will cost us the game.

So a weight off everybody's shoulders and with nothing to lose in the Connacht Final hopefully we can get over that line.
#23
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 25, 2011, 09:21:53 AM
There was only 25,000 in Pearse Stadium two years ago and that really is the average crowd for a Mayo/Galway Connacht Final. In good times it did hit near the 30,000 mark, but then it was down around the 20,000 mark. Intercounty GAA is not as popular a day out as it was. The likes of Kildare/Meath drew crowds of 40,000/50,000 on their own ten years ago. Tyrone/Armagh brought great crowds to Croke Park. It is not as simple as the back door - factors such as quality of the games, poor refereeing, lifestyle change - prefer to watch in the pub/don't want the hassle of being stuck in traffic, need for modernising of the occasion are driving people away in my opinion.

As for Mayo and Galway - the Mayo support has been dwindling away quite rapidly in the last few years. Every year I can add a few of my friends to the lists of those that always travelled but now have stopped because they have have felt so let down. Galway always appear to have a small hardcore support and others will join as things improve on the field. I cannot imagine they will bring a good crowd tomorrow - they didn't even travel for the under 21 Final.

Anyway it is the football that matters - tomorrow is the one year anniversary to the day since the lowest day for many Mayo Supporters in Longford. It is time for redemption to begin. I hope James Horan and the lads go out and play with passion and pride, and a never-say-die spirit that has been too often absent. This is their moment to show the type of footballers that they are.
#24
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 24, 2011, 09:46:21 AM
In 2003 Joe Bergin made hay against an immobile Mayo midfield of Gill and Kelly - scored 5 points. That would be a big concern on Sunday if he allowed to win possession.
#25
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 22, 2011, 04:35:18 PM
QuoteI'm sure we'll have one of these post-mortem threads after our run in the Championship has come to an end...

With Sam in City West - this is the year  ;)
#26
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 22, 2011, 02:54:42 PM
I would have to agree with Zulu. Most of our current players have not achieved their potential. Whether it is a case that they have not nurtured the talent we though they had at underage level because of either bad management or lack of determination to be the best they can, or whether it is just a general "it'll be alright" attitude from the County Board and those in charge of Mayo GAA teams I do not know.

I think Alan Dillon is our exceptional player and has been. Andy Moran has a determination about him seldom seen on the field in Mayo players and I think he is another that some other counties would look at. Neither are the top class exceptional player though that is needed to compliment other good players to win an All Ireland.

Keith Higgins has had good games and has been our best defender but you do feel that he could have been better and his speed has saved him. But he can still have another good 3/4 seasons.

Aidan O'Se, Alan Freeman, Cillian O'Connor and Jason Doherty all have the chance to be very good, but probably will not be brilliant.

And part of our big problem is that we have so many players at a similar good level that will not improve from that whether due to the fact that they are playing to the best of their ability, or whether they go off the boil.

The Review of Mayo Football by Liam Horan could have been the first step towards a more determined effort to bring Mayo football at least on an equal footing to other counties (our facilities and support structures have fallen behind in my view). That was rejected and I don't think we are going to be moving forward any time soon without somebody making a radical call.
#27
QuoteSo hellooo!! you reckon that Meath are more successful than Armagh?

Football wasn't invented in 2002
#28
we've a lot of problems and scars to talk through!
#29
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 20, 2011, 01:09:06 PM
Abbeysider as far as I know -

Kilcullen is a doubt; McGarrity is back in training but has to be a major doubt; Cafferkey is unlikely to make it; Keith Higgins has played for his club. Not aware of any others.

Any word on any A v B game over weekend.

REDCOL is usually a good man for these kind of updates - any news on how the team is shaping up.
#30
GAA Discussion / Re: Mayo v Galway 26.6.11
June 15, 2011, 02:17:54 PM
QuoteQuote from: Barney on Today at 08:54:59 AM
Quote
Good to hear SOS might be back
Seriously lads do we really expect SOS to come into the team, grasp a game from midfield without a winter's training and only game time against Monaghan?
Finish the quote Barney...

Quote from: macdanger2
Or hold him in reserve more likely.

Nobody is really suggesting that SOS will take on Galway on his own, let alone start, but he is a good addition so whats the problem? 


Quote from: Barney on Today at 08:54:59 AM
And we can really expect to go anywhere when the management do not have a clue of their team, their styloe of play,

Actually we are fairly close. The biggest problems were 3 and 6, with 3 being filled by Alan Feeney and I would be happy with Cafferkey or Trevor Mortimor at CB


Quote from: Barney on Today at 08:54:59 AM
and fitness allowing are likely to play Geraghty, Vaughan, and Trevor again all of whom have only a few weeks training and little or none county football this year?

Vaughan came back at the end of April in insane shape, beating guys that were there all winter fitness wise. Trevor has also showed the hunger, appetite, fitness and ability this year at club and when given a chance at county level and saved our asses in London.


Quote from: Barney on Today at 08:54:59 AM
The whole thing smacks of a shambles and a story being made up as we are going along. The only thing is that Galway may be in as big a mess - but then again they may not because they are going about their business very quietly.

I think some of your posts lately are a shambles. A couple of weeks ago your suggesting that without a Connacht title win that Horan will be made walk the plank (after 8 months in charge, picking up the pieces from last year) which is out of touch. Now you are describing things are made up as we go along?


Quote from: Barney on Today at 08:54:59 AM
Do we think we could heading for a record low attendance in recent memory for a Mayo/Galway game. 10,000ish could test it.

Who cares? Attendances are down at all the games, I have heard it referred to as a recession.


Quote from: Barney on Today at 08:54:59 AM
And another thing - are Mayo heading the way of Offaly hurlers when you see the issues arising now over a e2m debt. And yet the Mayo debt is multiples of that and I know which is the nicer venue after the money being spent.

Thats a bit off the topic

Did someone eat your fry this morning? 
Are you happy now all that is off your chest?

Abbeysider just to clear up a few points - maybe I was not as clear as I would liked to have been.

I am happy to a degree that the panel is open-ended but I do feel that to be at the top level of intercounty football your players need to be training at a high level all year round. Certainly when you compare the physique of the Mayo team and the Roscommon team it is clear who has been doing the hard work in the gym over the last few years. I just think that it is a bit worrying that 3/4 of the Mayo team will not have played any intercounty football all season bar the London game and will have to be up to pace against Galway. I would certainly hope that some kind of a team is coming together at this point but would have expected that there would have been a greater effort to settle problems such as our creaking back-line or freetaking etc. earlier in the year. Maybe there was and it failed I didn't see it.

Don't think for a minute that I am calling for James Horan's head. I strongly agree with moysider about the mess he inherited and it is going to take time to get it right. Some of the steps he has taken have not been convincing but it is the next 6 or 7 weeks when he will be judged. When I say that he may be walking if he does not deliver a Connacht title I don't mean that I think he should but those that appointed him may think differently. And this is where the debt comes into it in my opinion - a team that is not winning will not put bums on seats, and in turn all income that follows from that will not be available. Our esteemed Board will not be thinking of recessions.

While it is admirable that James did bring Ronnie back when needed it is also worrying that he made changes to his panel which saw Ronnie and Killer being dropped and then having to turn to two backs to come as forwards in London. He did not leave any support on the bench. I think he is hoping that being dropped will make or break especially Parsons and Killer for next year and that this is a 3 year plan he is working on but it was somewhat short-siighted.

I do think the debt is relevant. We have said it here before. It is going to dictate every aspect of Mayo GAA going forward. There was an exciting Strategic Review ignored and we are being left behind. Going back to this article in 2009 http://www.westernpeople.ie/news/eyojeykfoj/ it appears that e730,000 is required every year for the debt - for how long I don't know but a figure of e12 or e13 millions has been mentioned before as being owed. It is a massive problem - not caused by James Horan and his only role is football.