Mayo v Galway NFL Semi-Final

[WJP11]

Thanks, Abbeysider, I hope you continue to enjoy reading it.  I'm no Spailpin: his take on the county's progress - which I enjoy hugely - is a far more erudite one than mine.  I'm aiming more at the kind of blogs you often see that are dedicated to English premiership sides - like a poor imitation of, for example, Arseblog but without most of the profanities! 

[belleaqua]

But are Galway people not the slightest bit worried about not being able to win in Croker in the last 6 years?
Galway will be capturing the Connacht Championship this year, but how are ye going to deal with whats now becoming the Croker issue?
[/quote]

To be honest that Croker thing isnt an issue with Galway supporters or the team IMO. Its a media spouted statistic, they are alot more worried about it than we are. We are known for playing our best football in Croker and I think that will be the case again come the summer. We dont care too much for 'psychological effects' here.

As for your point about our 'genius analysis' I think ul find we have not written off Mayo but realsie we have a great chance of winning it!

As for Galway being 'nearer to championship pace' you were at a different game to what I was at then.

[GalwayBayBoy]

And we had no David Brady, Ronan McGarritty, Trevor Mortimer, Ciaran MacDonald, Austin O'Malley

I'm aware of that. If you actually read the post you'd realise I was merely replying to someone saying that Galway had a full strength team out while Mayo were missing a clatter of players. We were actually missing a few ourselves.

granted its clear from the genius analysis here that the match in Pearse Stadium is a foregone conclusion and Galway will be capturing the Connacht Championship this year

How do you come to that conclusion. I think nearly everyone has said it'll be a close game that could go either way.

Are no Galway men worried that it there was 3 Mayo players quicker to the saved penalty than the Galway backs?

I believe it was raised a couple of times on this thread.

Of the two teams it looked to me like Galway were playing closer to a championship type pace, yet Mayo were the team that won.

I don't know how you managed to measure this?

but the overriding attitude seems to be that Mayo have no chance in Pearse Stadium. I find that incredibly arrogant given that two teams went to play in Croker and Mayo won.

I think only one Galway poster has actually said he fancies Galway to win the game (would hardly be a massive shock anyway given the history of these games and Mayo's record on Galway soil). The rest have merely said we have a chance in what should be a close game. A win for either side wouldn't surprise anyone.

I think you're being a tad over-sensitive here.

[belleaqua]

Have to agree with all your points there Galway Bay Boy, its a pity people wouldnt read ALL the posts before spoutin shite about one or two then.

[DJGaliv]

Well there's a criminal amount of bullshit there.

We had no Paul Clancy, Sean Armstrong, Paul Geraghty and Niall Coleman was only fit enough to come in near the end. Likely that two or three of those will be in the team come May.

And we had no David Brady, Ronan McGarritty, Trevor Mortimer, Ciaran MacDonald, Austin O'Malley

GBB's comment about Galway's missing players was in response to a comment regarding Mayo having a lot of players to come back into the team come Championship. We can go round in circles if you like, do you want me to name Galway's missing footballers in reply to your few?

Really, well let me refresh your memory, two outta the last three years the League champions became the All Ireland champions a few months later.

Well we better write off Tyrone, Kerry, Armagh, Dublin, Cork, Laois, and Galway so, as this all-Ireland is between Mayo and Donegal. Sure we don't stand a chance in Salthill according to you.

people talk about Mayos supposed poor record in Croke Park, it dosent hold a candle to Galways in recent times if we look at the facts. Granted the last time ye won there was winning Sam, something we clearly havent been able to do. But are Galway people not the slightest bit worried about not being able to win in Croker in the last 6 years? Contrast that to Mayo who, notwithstanding the two massive well documented capitulations to the Kingdom have a fine recent record in croker, beating Tyrone (reigning All Ireland champs), Fermanagh, Laois and of course most famously the Dubs all in Croker.

No, not worried, Savo, Ja, Fitzy, Meehan, and Joyce, the spine of our team, know what it's like to win a Sam Maguire in Croke Park.

granted its clear from the genius analysis here that the match in Pearse Stadium is a foregone conclusion and Galway will be capturing the Connacht Championship this year, but how are ye going to deal with whats now becoming the Croker issue?

The Croker issue? Don't try and project your county's issues on us my friend. Beating an over-hyped Dublin in Croker does not end your Croker issue. Winning a Sam Maguire there will. Who mentioned a foregone conclusion for Galway to beat Mayo? Methinks you're a little rattled at the lack of mass negativity from us Galway folk.

Mayos goals were soft, maybe so, but we still scored them. Are no Galway men worried that it there was 3 Mayo players quicker to the saved penalty than the Galway backs?

Plenty of Galway lads have mentioned that isolated incident. It's something we can learn from for the next day. Aren't you worried that Mort choked in Croker by missing an important penalty? Oh yeah, another thing, we outscored ye, thirteen scores to twelve. No Mayo man has been worried about that.

Of the two teams it looked to me like Galway were playing closer to a championship type pace, yet Mayo were the team that won.

The only thing I can infer from that, is that in your opinion, Galway looked like the sharper team. You do realise the game in Salthill is five weeks away. Isn't this a good thing from a Galway perspective?

Lads ye're completed entitled to analyis the match and ye're team any way ye want

Phew thanks for that.

but the overriding attitude seems to be that Mayo have no chance in Pearse Stadium. .

The overriding attitude is that Galway have a lot better chance in Pearse than many would have previously thought. Considering we know we didn't play well, but probably should have won.

I find that incredibly arrogant given that two teams went to play in Croker and Mayo won

It is arrogant to believe that we might win? Christ JOM is only there a wet week and now he's got the support thinking like him. Being positive about your teams chances is not arrogance!
Galway Mayo games are always 50:50. This one is no different. I, and many like me, believe that losing this game will give us some motivation to put things right next time. This team needs motivation to play well. For example vrs Armagh in the league. Forde's half time team talk consisted of it being the last game for a lot of players if they don't recover this six point deficit. We ended up winning.
We don't like being favourites, and we won't be going into this, but we know we can cause an upset. Call that an arrogant attitude if you want. Mayo are in a better position to challenge for an all-ireland than us, but they also have a lot more weaknesses than I previously imagined.

[DJGaliv]

Mike Meehan won a lot of ball, but when he got it, he didn't do much. He looked like a guy who has more important things to think about than football. He appears pretty frustrated. Perhaps a spell out at centre forward would give a bit of freedom from the sticky marking he's had to endure for the past few years. Higgins was very good. No last ditch tackling there, just good honest hassling, and harrying. Played him to a tee.

Spot on there. Iv watched Meehan since Hogan Cup and his body language strikes me as different. Obviously recent circumstances have dictated that. Seems very disillusioned at the moment but id never write the guy off. He'l make up for that in the summer.

Oh God ya, I wouldn't write him off either. He just hasn't looked like he's been enjoying his football in a long time. I don't think being shoved off into the corner does him any favours. With such a weak half forward line, I think he'd be worth a go at centre forward. I saw him send the centre back on his arse against Down, winning back possession. He's well able for it physically, more so than Nicky Joyce, or Savage. The marking won't be as tight either. He's well able to tackle, and hastle, and he can certainly pick a pass. He's not a bad fielder of the ball too. I think a half forward line of Coleman, Meehan, and Bane, would be a lot more productive than Savage, Ja, and Joyce.