Mayo V Kerry semi final

[Kerry Mike]

7th final in 8 years. We are lucky to live to see this incredible bunch of Kerry players. When they are written off like they have been this year with an aging set of backs and no midfield they still come up trumps. 4 Weeks of hard work ahead now and that's only scrounging for a ticket. The players have work to do too... But they will love being involved.

[Barney]

http://spailpin.blogspot.com/2011/08/mayo-on-top-of-world-after-nine-point.html

Great stuff by An Spailpin

[Lar Naparka]

Wow, I am little bit shocked at the amount of Mayo posters suggesting they are happy with the performance.

If ye are happy with that performance, then it tells a lot about the mentality in Mayo. And it certainly is not a 'winning mentality'. When this kind of attitude, ye will never win an AI. If Kerry were in Mayo's position yesterday, do you think their fans would be happy with the performance?

Well, I'm not what you'd call a happy bunny right now.
Like the insightful Iolar puts it; I'd be happy with the scoreline if it read 0-1 to 0-0  in our favour. I'd far prefer to swap a thousand "Hard luck, ye did well" for just one, "Feck it; ye robbed us."
However, there are tiny bitteens of comfort to be taken out of yesterday's performance and, when you are working off a very low base, it's worthwhile to keep them in mind.
Horan and his men set themselves targets for this year and they have comfortably surpassed them. That in itself is progress. Indeed, the win over London meant progress had been made since last year. That's about as real as it gets.
I've no intention of overtly criticising any of the players or the manager here. I've good reason to believe that some of the Mayo lads read what's posted here and the last thing they need to read now is that they weren't good enough yesterday.
They owe me nothing; not one effin' thing.
All I ever asked, or will ask of, any Mayo side is that they give it their best and I think they did that yesterday.
Good luck to Kerry; they are as fine side and were most worthy winners yesterday.

Life must go on: there would still be cows to be milked this morning if I still had cows to milk. As I haven't, I'll find something else to do.

[seafoid]

Wow, I am little bit shocked at the amount of Mayo posters suggesting they are happy with the performance.

If ye are happy with that performance, then it tells a lot about the mentality in Mayo. And it certainly is not a 'winning mentality'. When this kind of attitude, ye will never win an AI. If Kerry were in Mayo's position yesterday, do you think their fans would be happy with the performance?

Well, I'm not what you'd call a happy bunny right now.
Like the insightful Iolar puts it; I'd be happy with the scoreline if it read 0-1 to 0-0  in our favour. I'd far prefer to swap a thousand "Hard luck, ye did well" for just one, "Feck it; ye robbed us."
However, there are tiny bitteens of comfort to be taken out of yesterday's performance and, when you are working off a very low base, it's worthwhile to keep them in mind.
Horan and his men set themselves targets for this year and they have comfortably surpassed them. That in itself is progress. Indeed, the win over London meant progress had been made since last year. That's about as real as it gets.
I've no intention of overtly criticising any of the players or the manager here. I've good reason to believe that some of the Mayo lads read what's posted here and the last thing they need to read now is that they weren't good enough yesterday.
They owe me nothing; not one effin' thing.
All I ever asked, or will ask of, any Mayo side is that they give it their best and I think they did that yesterday.
Good luck to Kerry; they are as fine side and were most worthy winners yesterday.

Life must go on: there would still be cows to be milked this morning if I still had cows to milk. As I haven't, I'll find something else to do.

Winning an all Ireland takes several years in practice. Look how long Cork took.   Mayo started off last year losing both matches so this year was a considerable improvement.  I think beating Cork set the bar higher not just for Mayo but also Galway and Ros.   Connacht next year will be far more interesting.  It could be the equivalent of 1995 when nobody expected Galway to put it up to Tyrone in the semi final. 96 brought the game on for the province and the rest is history. 
Match experience at this level is priceless.  The players will have learnt from the last 2 matches.  They will know they can build on this year.  They couldn't say that last year. Mayo are in a better orbit now. 
The next few years are wide open. Kerry will wind down and Tyrone and Armagh have fallen by the wayside.   It is all to play for. 

[Jinxy]

I don't think they eased off Cooper they just stopped doing what they were doing in the first half.

That's a contradiction in my book.

The change wasn't tactical it was strategic.

[Jinxy]

I don't think they eased off Cooper they just stopped doing what they were doing in the first half.
I think Horan realised that they weren't going to win by trying to simply containing Kerry so they adopted a more attacking formation.That's when Gooch got the run of the field.
Mayo don't have the class of forwards that can convert a very high % of their chances plus the midfield pairing contributed very little.
Kerry were made to look very good in the 2nd half.

Sounds like the only plausible reason for what was a suicidal decision. They were only 2 down at half time. Needed to keep it tight and play a percentage game. I couldn't believe the change in their formation. Completely threw any chances they had away with the deviation from the defensive game. They needed to be in touch going into last ten. That was the time to throw caution to the wind.

True, but maybe Horans attitude was "We may as well lose by 10 points as lose by 2 points".
Kerry had already started to turn the screw before half time so I suppose he decided they weren't going to die wondering in the 2nd half.
Ultimately. you can't sacrifice defence for attack or vice versa and hope to win an All-Ireland.
Dublin and Kerry are the only teams left that don't do either.

[AZOffaly]

Jack O'Connor was cute. Mayo's sweeper was frustrating Kerry a lot, and Donaghy wasn't going well, as Cafferky was playing great stuff. But what Kerry were doing was attacking with Tomás O'Sé and/or Eoin Brosnan, i.e. the spare men at the back. Kerry took short kickouts to keep possession because Mayo were giving it to them, and O'Sé and Brosnan were dangerous looking going forward.

I think James Horan decided that if the game kept going the way it was, Kerry would win by 4 or 5 points, going handy. The Kerry backs had largely gotten on top after a very shaky start. He decided to try and make Tomás O'Sé have to worry about going backwards, and I think it was an understandable move.

The problem was Kerry were getting more possession than Mayo. The dogs in the streets knew that Mayo had to win more ball than Kerry to win the game.

I have to say one thing though, Andy Moran surprised me. I've always had him down as an agricultural, worker type forward, who gives to his team by dying for the cause. Yesterday was my first time (I think) seeing him live, and his movement was outstanding. Marc O'Sé didn't have a terrible game, but any time Moran got the ball, he gave him fits. And any time Mayo picked out his runs, he got the ball.

Also thought Donal Vaughan had a great game on Declan O'Sullivan. Dec looked very 'dead' in himself. He didn't drive at Mayo the way he normally does, and was content enough to act as a sort of link man in one twos. Unlike him really. Donaghy was ate by Cafferky for most of the first half. Was a bit better in the second half when the Mayo defense opened up. However he got all his good ball on the move, rather than as the big man. Kerry will hope that's out of his system. I don't think they'd beat Dublin or Donegal with Donaghy and O'Sullivan so quiet.

That game will be good for Kerry though. They were in trouble early, weathered the storm, had to deal with a tactical challenge and figured out a way. They won with two or three of their best forwards playing quietly, as Gooch and Kieran O'Leary were excellent. Galvin looked great when he came on.

Ominous. Kerry are there in the final, with potential to be better.

Mayo tried hard I thought, and had great individual performances at times, but with Trevor Mortimor so quiet, and the O'Shea brothers well beaten as the game wore on, they were always going to struggle.

[mckieran]

Winning an all Ireland takes several years in practice. Look how long Cork took.   Mayo started off last year losing both matches so this year was a considerable improvement.

It did Cork a while to win their AI. But I am sure after those defeats, their supporters were not saying "I am happy with that performance" after a defeat. This is my point; there seems to be a different mindet between the big counties like Cork and Kerry and that of Mayo. I just could envisage Cork/Kerry supporters saying that yesterdays performance was acceptable if they had been in Mayo's position. Even if they had progressed as Mayo have this year.

I've no intention of overtly criticising any of the players or the manager here. I've good reason to believe that some of the Mayo lads read what's posted here and the last thing they need to read now is that they weren't good enough yesterday.
They owe me nothing; not one effin' thing.

I am not encouraging Mayo fans to start criticising their players. I have the highest regard for players at that level. But my point remains that if Mayo are satisfied with an all-ireland semi final appearance, then that is as far as they will ever get. Perhaps the players are annoyed with how they played, more so than the supporters. If so, that is a good omen. However, if they wake up this morning and say "That was a good year for Mayo football", they shall never progress any further.

[heffo]

Ominous. Kerry are there in the final, with potential to be better.

Kerry have developed a knack over the years of just doing enough and hinting they've more in reserve if needed.

They'll be clear favourites in the final regardless of whether it's Donegal or Dublin they're facing.

I'd expect a big improvement from Declan O'Sullivan and if Donaghy gives over constantly giving out to umpires and refs, then he'd be expected to improve too.

[brokencrossbar1]

Winning an all Ireland takes several years in practice. Look how long Cork took.   Mayo started off last year losing both matches so this year was a considerable improvement.

It did Cork a while to win their AI. But I am sure after those defeats, their supporters were not saying "I am happy with that performance" after a defeat. This is my point; there seems to be a different mindet between the big counties like Cork and Kerry and that of Mayo. I just could envisage Cork/Kerry supporters saying that yesterdays performance was acceptable if they had been in Mayo's position. Even if they had progressed as Mayo have this year.

I've no intention of overtly criticising any of the players or the manager here. I've good reason to believe that some of the Mayo lads read what's posted here and the last thing they need to read now is that they weren't good enough yesterday.
They owe me nothing; not one effin' thing.

I am not encouraging Mayo fans to start criticising their players. I have the highest regard for players at that level. But my point remains that if Mayo are satisfied with an all-ireland semi final appearance, then that is as far as they will ever get. Perhaps the players are annoyed with how they played, more so than the supporters. If so, that is a good omen. However, if they wake up this morning and say "That was a good year for Mayo football", they shall never progress any further.

Success is relevant though and from the start of the year to the end of the year Mayo have developed well and are starting to look a much stronger, more coherent team than they have for many years.  They are a greater sum of their parts and semi final is probably their level at this stage of the teams development.   Dublin would eat them alive in the final I feel and Donegal would strangle them to death and given the general softness of belly that Mayo football has had in the last number of years then it is maybe better to lose a semi with a bit of pride than lose a final with the hype that would go with it after beating Kerry.  As an Armagh man watching teams like Mayo playing for Horan and Donegal for McGuinness it angers me to see players who are on a similar level of ability being pulled together with a belief and a system implemented by a manager who the players believe in.  Mayo are on a good upward spiral and with a good run in the League then they can look towards next year with great hope.  Horan will earn his corn by building ona reasonably successful year.

[Sam2011]

Look sure, Roman wasn't built in a day so I don't expect this team to be built in 8 months.
If they can achieve their goals they wanted in the first year then I don't think that is to bad.
Kerry people are used of winning all the time, whereas we are used of losing more so we know how to take it better.
I think these lads have a great mentality. After the London game they could have thought if we can just about beat London what hope have we got. Also the lads who played in Longford last year did say they had very low confidence coming into this year but James and the back room staff built up their confidence again.
No matter what anyone says I'm as proud as punch of the lads this year and I can't thank them enough for bringing me back to Croke Park again.

[kevmy]

I think it's hard for people from outside the county to realise just how drastic the improvement has been for Mayo this year. They weren't in Markievicz or Pearse last year, sneaking out with their heads down wondering where now for a once proud county. They didn't have the pain of losing to two middling counties who didn't, even by their standards, have great years last year. They didn't sense the utter depression of last autumn and winter. They didn't have to see the saga of appointing a manager drag on and on (thankfully the supporters pretty much forced the County Boards hand in the right direction). They didn't witness the (needed) search and experimentation of players and tactics throughout the league. They didn't realise that we only played one game in the league with anywhere near our eventual championship team. They didn't realise that championship team only really came into being against Galway.

Don't get us wrong - Mayo are aiming for AI titles with the team - the hardcore supporters just realise that their is only so high you can come from the low of last year. If we continue to improve by 1-2 players, make 5-6 less mistakes around the middle and add 1-2 points from the forwards then we're in the AI fight. I'd hope and expect Mayo would be back in an AI semi next year and that we would be some of the way towards achieving those goals.

[ballinaman]

I think it's hard for people from outside the county to realise just how drastic the improvement has been for Mayo this year. They weren't in Markievicz or Pearse last year, sneaking out with their heads down wondering where now for a once proud county. They didn't have the pain of losing to two middling counties who didn't, even by their standards, have great years last year. They didn't sense the utter depression of last autumn and winter. They didn't have to see the saga of appointing a manager drag on and on (thankfully the supporters pretty much forced the County Boards hand in the right direction). They didn't witness the (needed) search and experimentation of players and tactics throughout the league. They didn't realise that we only played one game in the league with anywhere near our eventual championship team. They didn't realise that championship team only really came into being against Galway.

Don't get us wrong - Mayo are aiming for AI titles with the team - the hardcore supporters just realise that their is only so high you can come from the low of last year. If we continue to improve by 1-2 players, make 5-6 less mistakes around the middle and add 1-2 points from the forwards then we're in the AI fight. I'd hope and expect Mayo would be back in an AI semi next year and that we would be some of the way towards achieving those goals.

Well said. We needed to be flawless yesterday to win and that just wasn't the case. Fierce young team for the most part. Fair play to them, never thought i'd be in Croker after standing in Ruislip in May!

[HowAreYeGettinOn]

Just wanted to add my thanks to James Horan and his team for a stirring year that restored great pride in Mayo football.

Great buzz in Croke Park yesterday and, though Kerry were the better team, the contest was alive for an hour. Mayo dished out the hits and threw all they had at Kerry. There was no bending of the knee. Andy Moran and Cillian O'Connor confirmed themselves as very good forwards at this level; Donal Vaughan and Ger Cafferkey looked the part at the back.

A pity that Cunniffe wasn't switched off the Gooch earlier, and that McGarrity wasn't brought in sooner. Some of our team made mistakes at times, some were naive at times, gave possession away etc. But they're young, they have the right man in charge, and they'll learn. They certainly don't look afraid of the big stage.

There's no doubt that this is one of the greatest eras in Kerry football. That team will beat whoever comes out of the other semi-final. They're just a superb outfit.

[FL/MAYO]

Not so sure if this is the place to ask this question but here gioes anyway, with the success of Cillian O Connor this year will there be a spot for Conor Mortimor next year in the starting line up? O Connor seems to offer more than Mort from general play and as was seen yesterday took his goal well when we needed it.