Mayo V Sligo - Connaught senior final - July 15th

[intoDwest]

Seanie.....do ya have his name, if ya do just post his initials.......I'm intrigued.

As for Mayo........we are struggling to field two corner forwards. If we can get McGarity anywhere near fit Move AOS to 11 and Cillian into the corner instead of Varley then we will be ok, we might not win it but it will take a really good team to knock us out.

All we can ask for any year is to be competitive and get the best out of what we have, thankfully under Horan we are that.

[magpie seanie]

Didn't get a name. Will send you a pm with a bit more detail. 

[rosnarun]

I seem to be the odd one out as usual but i thought sunday was a major step backwards . 4 corner forwards used not one of them looked up to the mark. a CHF that looked well of the pace , When you hear people putting forward the names of guys just out of minor who have not even made much of an impact at U21 your in trouble. I think we are pretty well served at half forward, if the right plaers are picked , but the loss of ronaldson Mortimer Kilcoyne  inside  is really going to be felt before the end of the year .
Of what we have i think Varley and Freeman are probably the 2 best sticking with though i can see them sticking a 'big man' in there yet to cover up the failings of further out .

[saffronandblue]

Delighted with the win.

James Horan is doing a fantastic job, and the players really are giving their all. This is the best Mayo team in 15 years.

Think we will probably come up short this year since we just don't have the top class forwards to bring us over the line. But if we keep working at things we may get the break in the next 2/3 years.

Bang on, Barney. Good to see you posting again.
James is doing a superb job and bit by bit, he is crafting a good side together.
I think he's filled every position except the CF spots. It's impossible to say if his best will be good enough or not, but he's heading in the right direction.
Players have developed into their position like flowers popping up in springtime.One after another. Barry Moran is the latest to show that Horan's patience and his faith in him were justified.
(Will Barry be able to play in the next game?)

Agree with both of you. The most sensible comments I have read since the final.

Our corner forwards or lack thereof are a major issue, one that most likely will not be rectified this year. this is a 4-5 year process, we are two years in. We have a serious lack of depth at corner forward position, Freeman and Conroy are not impact subs, conroy just shot on sight, not good enough at this level, andy moran was wide open 14 yards from goal, when he took that crazy effort from his wrong side. freeman had two clear chances for points, did not convert. if somehow sligo sneaked a goal, all of these misses would not be easily forgotten. Also on that point, I was disappointed that AOS also kicked the ball over the sideline in the last minute, a team that is going to win an all ireland would take better options. More worrying is that we are so dependent on Andy Moran, something that will not go unnoticed by other teams.

Bottom line we are in Croke Park in three weeks. I have a lot of confidence in James Horan, we are on the right path.

Not sure Barney if Horan has been as kind to Barry Moran as some may think.  I believe Barry was treated very poorly last year.  Brought into panel...dropped....brought back into panel to give our full back practice at marking a big full forward for a few training sessions......dropped......It is more to Barry Morans credit that he kept on coming back when managment kept kicking him in the teeth.....imo

While the team are working hard for the manager this is just one aspect of his role.  Picking forwards that are not up to it would be my major worry, but I sincerely hope that I am proven wrong.

[moysider]

Delighted with the win.

James Horan is doing a fantastic job, and the players really are giving their all. This is the best Mayo team in 15 years.

Think we will probably come up short this year since we just don't have the top class forwards to bring us over the line. But if we keep working at things we may get the break in the next 2/3 years.

Bang on, Barney. Good to see you posting again.
James is doing a superb job and bit by bit, he is crafting a good side together.
I think he's filled every position except the CF spots. It's impossible to say if his best will be good enough or not, but he's heading in the right direction.
Players have developed into their position like flowers popping up in springtime.One after another. Barry Moran is the latest to show that Horan's patience and his faith in him were justified.
(Will Barry be able to play in the next game?)

Agree with both of you. The most sensible comments I have read since the final.

Our corner forwards or lack thereof are a major issue, one that most likely will not be rectified this year. this is a 4-5 year process, we are two years in. We have a serious lack of depth at corner forward position, Freeman and Conroy are not impact subs, conroy just shot on sight, not good enough at this level, andy moran was wide open 14 yards from goal, when he took that crazy effort from his wrong side. freeman had two clear chances for points, did not convert. if somehow sligo sneaked a goal, all of these misses would not be easily forgotten. Also on that point, I was disappointed that AOS also kicked the ball over the sideline in the last minute, a team that is going to win an all ireland would take better options. More worrying is that we are so dependent on Andy Moran, something that will not go unnoticed by other teams.

Bottom line we are in Croke Park in three weeks. I have a lot of confidence in James Horan, we are on the right path.

Not sure Barney if Horan has been as kind to Barry Moran as some may think.  I believe Barry was treated very poorly last year.  Brought into panel...dropped....brought back into panel to give our full back practice at marking a big full forward for a few training sessions......dropped......It is more to Barry Morans credit that he kept on coming back when managment kept kicking him in the teeth.....imo

While the team are working hard for the manager this is just one aspect of his role.  Picking forwards that are not up to it would be my major worry, but I sincerely hope that I am proven wrong.

I think we might find out eventually that Cian O Neill will be given a lot of credit for Barry Moran s improved fitness. O Neill is one of the best fitness/conditioning trainers in the country and we might be begining to see the benefits of his expertise. And one of his fortés is getting players with fitness issues right. He did it before with Lar Corbett  and he got the conditioning of Tipp to a level that they could take Kilkenny with intensity. Here s hoping. I couldn t understand the lack of belief so many people had in Moran. If people saw him play when he was in proper shape there was no doubting his obvious quality. If O Neill can sort out McGar and SOS we could be on to something.

But O Neill, Horan or anybody else can not copy, clone or buy cfs but we could look at getting a couple of Seanie Johnstons for next year. Only messing. The game is changing but most peoples notion of a cf is the old style cf like Gooch and David Kelly and Mugsy. With what we have Horan is going to have to find another way because our standard type not making enough impression. I think he was trying to get that by just playing lads best suited for getting on end of runs and good goal finishers( but the Varley selection last day was hard to understand with that policy in mind).

Maybe there s another way. I remember Seán Boylan beating us with 2 converted defenders in the forwards - Geraghty and Reilly - and two 19 yr olds in the full back line. There s no point having lads starting that might seem to have the cv but aren t getting the job done.

[DuffleKing]

I wouldn't be getting carried away with Barry Moran lads. The sligo midfield is chronic

[sans pessimism]

Delighted with the win.

James Horan is doing a fantastic job, and the players really are giving their all. This is the best Mayo team in 15 years.

Think we will probably come up short this year since we just don't have the top class forwards to bring us over the line. But if we keep working at things we may get the break in the next 2/3 years.

Bang on, Barney. Good to see you posting again.
James is doing a superb job and bit by bit, he is crafting a good side together.
I think he's filled every position except the CF spots. It's impossible to say if his best will be good enough or not, but he's heading in the right direction.
Players have developed into their position like flowers popping up in springtime.One after another. Barry Moran is the latest to show that Horan's patience and his faith in him were justified.
(Will Barry be able to play in the next game?)

Agree with both of you. The most sensible comments I have read since the final.

Our corner forwards or lack thereof are a major issue, one that most likely will not be rectified this year. this is a 4-5 year process, we are two years in. We have a serious lack of depth at corner forward position, Freeman and Conroy are not impact subs, conroy just shot on sight, not good enough at this level, andy moran was wide open 14 yards from goal, when he took that crazy effort from his wrong side. freeman had two clear chances for points, did not convert. if somehow sligo sneaked a goal, all of these misses would not be easily forgotten. Also on that point, I was disappointed that AOS also kicked the ball over the sideline in the last minute, a team that is going to win an all ireland would take better options. More worrying is that we are so dependent on Andy Moran, something that will not go unnoticed by other teams.

Bottom line we are in Croke Park in three weeks. I have a lot of confidence in James Horan, we are on the right path.

Tut! Tut! Aidan FFS WHAT WERE YOU AT!!!

[moysider]

I wouldn't be getting carried away with Barry Moran lads. The sligo midfield is chronic

Hmmmm. I remember similar sentiments being expressed after the Leitrim game with warnings that we were going to be in trouble against Sligo after the job they did on Galway.

[Cosmo Kramer]

I wouldn't be getting carried away with Barry Moran lads. The sligo midfield is chronic

That's a fair point. We still need to see him do it in Croke Park against a top division midfield pairing before I'll be completely convinced about him, but he has shown himself to be up to the task at Connacht level this year which he hadn't shown before. I've certainly never had as much hope for him as I do now and I would like nothing more than for my previous opinions of his abilities to be rammed back down my throat due to a big Croke Park performance from Barry.

I'd be very reluctant to move Aiden O'Shea to 11. It hasn't really worked out before when he's been tried at 11 and 14 whereas he has been regularly outstanding at midfield so I'd say just leave him there to do what he does best.

I still have memories of Seamus putting in a run if strong performances at 11 back when we were going well in early 2010 though. Anything good we did that year was pretty much forgotten as a result of what happened afterwards but if we need to try someone new at 11 I'd like to see him get another chance once he's fully fit. Put Cillian in one of the corner forward positions. Maybe Freeman in the other with Varley available to do what he does best, make an impact from the bench.

Lastly, it was reported in the Connacht Telegraph that the All Ireland quarter final draw takes place in Castlebar on Tuesday at 11am - is this correct? It seems a strange time to have it. That would mean that we couldn't draw Kildare as they or Limerick won't have played Sligo by then, thereby increasing the chances of us drawing the winners of the Tyrone v Kerry game.

[TyrionLannister]

but the loss of ronaldson Mortimer Kilcoyne  inside  is really going to be felt before the end of the year .

Mark Ronadson has never started a championship game for Mayo at senior level so why are you still on about him being a "loss inside"?

Not sure Barney if Horan has been as kind to Barry Moran as some may think.  I believe Barry was treated very poorly last year.  Brought into panel...dropped....brought back into panel to give our full back practice at marking a big full forward for a few training sessions......dropped......It is more to Barry Morans credit that he kept on coming back when managment kept kicking him in the teeth.....imo

Definite credit to him for sticking at it but had he not chronic hamstring and other injuries in early 2011 and for years before that? 

I think we might find out eventually that Cian O Neill will be given a lot of credit for Barry Moran s improved fitness. O Neill is one of the best fitness/conditioning trainers in the country and we might be begining to see the benefits of his expertise. And one of his fortés is getting players with fitness issues right...

Maybe even though he quoted himself as being more of a team and skills coach and said that Ed Coughlin was responsible for strength and conditioning in last weeks paper. Id say its the testament the whole back-room team, including the physios and doctors rather than anyone in particular. Its an amazing comeback though.

[An Gaeilgoir]

I seem to be the odd one out as usual but i thought sunday was a major step backwards . 4 corner forwards used not one of them looked up to the mark. a CHF that looked well of the pace , When you hear people putting forward the names of guys just out of minor who have not even made much of an impact at U21 your in trouble. I think we are pretty well served at half forward, if the right plaers are picked , but the loss of ronaldson Mortimer Kilcoyne  inside  is really going to be felt before the end of the year .
Of what we have i think Varley and Freeman are probably the 2 best sticking with though i can see them sticking a 'big man' in there yet to cover up the failings of further out .

+1, also expecting Mc Garrity to come back into center field and do a job for us.......... i saw him two weeks ago in a club game against our lads, he was way off inter- county standard.

[Hardy]

Leathan le leathan; caol le caol.

[Farrandeelin]

Leathan le leathan; caol le caol.

Is fíor é sin Hardy. He should have called himself An Gaeilgeoir!

[rodney trotter]

Is Damian Munnelly playing much club football these days ? Or is he still in the country, Decent forward.

What happened Aidan Kilcoyne, he went off the scene. Mayo are better off without Mortimer, good player that he was, he was very greedy, Alan Freeman has lot of potential,

[RogerMilla]

i watch conroys little cameo again and i think there is something to him , i would start him in croker and get him practicing his range for the next 3 weeks