Maigh Eo v Doire, Pairc An Chrócaigh, De Domhnaigh 13ú Aibreain, 1400

[macdanger2]

Right, enough hand wringing about letting it slip against Dublin.

A win at home against Derry will be enough to get into the semi-finals. At the start of the league I'd have taken that - Derry haven't exactly been spectacular in recent years and home advantage should be worth a couple of points. However, Derry have been the form team of the league so far which makes this a much tougher game than expected although they mightn't be 100% focussed considering they're already qualified.

Will Horan start his strongest team? Or experiment a bit? Personally, I'd like to see some experimentation and I'd go with:

   Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Durcan Higgins Drake
      Parsons B Moran
McLoughlin COC Vaughan
Sweeney Freeman Gallagher

But I'd expect Horan to go with:

   Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Boyle Vaughan Keegan
      Gibbons AOS
McLoughlin Higgins Moran
Sweeney Freeman COC

[Tubberman]

If we were already through to the league semi's, that would be an interesting team to go with McD.
But if we actually want to get through to the semis, that's a bit too much experimentation for my liking!

[macdanger2]

True, but I think we'll learn more from experimenting against a decent Derry side and losing out on a semi rather than playing the same players in an attempt to get into the semis where we won't experiment either because it's the business end of it

[Crete Boom]

Derry's midfield will be a tough nut to crack and Mark Lynch who will be hard to contain , is in flying from at the moment. It looks to me that McIver has finally organised the undoubted talent Derry have at their disposal and they won't fear coming to Castlebar. I hope they might experiment as they are qualified and maybe take their foot of the gas a bit as they will likely meet us again in the semi should we manage a win? If we fade in the last 10 like we did in the last two matches our league interests will more than likely end early! I am hoping for a one or two point win if we can tightened up enough to concede maybe only one goal over the 70 mins!!

[macdanger2]

Should Higgins be moved back to the FB line?? He hasn't exactly set the world alight in the HF line so far and obviously we have problems in the FB line. Or maybe play him in a free / sweeper role where he protects the FB line but still has some licence to burst forward

[moysider]

I d expect the same starting 15 again. If Barrett was back he would have got time v Dublin. Important we get a win here. After leaving it behind in Dublin there ll be no complacency anyway but if we are leakey again we re in for a long afternnon. We ve never got it easy against Derry.

It s just a few bad habits we need to sort out. We pretty much know at this stage what everybody in the panel can do. If we get the shape right players can fit in when required. Every game now is a 20 man effort anyway.

Likes of Seamie looks rusty but we know what he can do when fully back. We know what Barry, Richie, Conroy, Varley, Coen can do. They can all start or come on as required.

Surprised Gallagher has not got a run v Cork or Dublin if he is fit. Parsons must be pushing hard and Mikey Sweeney is getting action and may be ahead of likes of Conroy and Varley during the summer.

[Wildweasel74]

Be handy enough game for Mayo, even though am going more for the day out more than anything as i hear Derry could drop up to 7 starters to hold back for the semis the following week, to Beat Mayo in castlebar it would have needed Derry at full strength and needing the points if they had been in regelation trouble, plus Tyrone lose out if you win and Dublin turn Tyrone over. That's called a win win up in Derry!

[muppet]

Right, enough hand wringing about letting it slip against Dublin.

A win at home against Derry will be enough to get into the semi-finals. At the start of the league I'd have taken that - Derry haven't exactly been spectacular in recent years and home advantage should be worth a couple of points. However, Derry have been the form team of the league so far which makes this a much tougher game than expected although they mightn't be 100% focussed considering they're already qualified.

Will Horan start his strongest team? Or experiment a bit? Personally, I'd like to see some experimentation and I'd go with:

   Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Durcan Higgins Drake
      Parsons B Moran
McLoughlin COC Vaughan
Sweeney Freeman Gallagher

But I'd expect Horan to go with:

   Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Boyle Vaughan Keegan
      Gibbons AOS
McLoughlin Higgins Moran
Sweeney Freeman COC

On your suggested team, the half back line will never happen as it is our strongest line as it is. I would love to see Patrick Durcan get a run, as a Mitchels man, but it is probably to late for him this year. AOS and Jason Gibbons were great on saturday, I think Barry has a lot to offer and am glad in a way to see Tom Parsons coming back into it, but I wouldn't drop the 2 lads.

Your front 6 is interesting though. Allow Higgins to burst with McLaughlin/Vaughan covering and we might shake on that idea. Sweeney deserves another look.

I was critical of Andy Moran in the last few days, mainly for the keep ball farce, but he was still influential against Dublin before that. He just needs to find a bit of form and he will still be a big player for us.

We need a good performance against a team that is flying in the League, but we have been able to do that in recent years when we wanted to. Hopefully this will continue.

[Farrandeelin]

I think Andy Moran was slowing the game down the last night any time he got the ball to be honest. He had to take a solo or two and that allowed Dublin get men back. I'm not posting on the Dublin thread, because Indiana has summed my own fears perfectly about this Mayo team. We have to 'instill' a ruthless streak, something I fear can't be done easily.

On the Derry game, they've qualified already - so one would hope Mayo should beat them at home but we need to develop more ruthlessness in our game even to show it for this game.

[moysider]

I was happy enough with Andy Moran. If he gets back close to his best by championship we ll be all happy I think. It was always going to take a while.

This team has been very ruthless at times over the past 3 years. Roscommon, Galway, Cork, Down, Donegal and Dublin for 50mins in 2012 were all on the end of a bit of ruthlessness in championship matches. And players and management deserve credit for this. I think their is a consciousness in this team that they go looking for goals. It s a deliberate thing where before goal chances were thing that might or might not happen. Horan expects runners to take a chance and run from deep positions. This runner often ends up with a goal chance. The fact that Keegan ends up scoring so much is not by chance. Vaughan should score a lot more. Ideally Boyle instead of Vaughan is a player you want to get forward because Boyle can score.
Farrandeeelin will remember a few years ago when Knockmore would patiently wait to tee up Chucky to take the shot on. Crossmaglen used to leave much of the shooting to Oisín because he was most likely to score. One of our problems v Dublin was poor shot selection by players who are not tecnically good enough to be taking on shots from 30metres and more.
For me the biggest problem this team has is making ball stick in the ff line. A stat in Mayo News shows that while we won 80% of kickouts while it was 15v15 only 2 from 12 high balls to ff line stuck. Mixing the brilliant with the terrible and the story of the game is in those stats afaic. 10 Mayo possessions kicked away to the opposition to run back at us. A similar turnover stat was the reason we lost the Donegal final. Something like 2-7 of Donegal s total came from Mayo trying to kick the ball into a ff line.
As soon as the ff thing is mentioned people start to nominate the biggest unit they can think off as a target. Whether its Freeman or an even bigger Barry Moran, high ball is too easily defended by the better teams. With the way the scoring rate has risen in games and top teams ability to counter attack, a target man would need to win a create a score from 50%? of the ball going in. 2 balls won from 12 is not sustainable. For that reason I would prefer a more versatile target player inside and rely on clever runs and low balls to get ball to stick inside. That is where Andy and Dillon have a role to play yet.
If we could get the ff thing sorted, and we have the personnel to do it imo, we would take another leap forward. Pressure would be taken off other parts of the team. People have been moaning about our defense but look at where the problems are happening. Turnovers into the ff line with our hbs in advanced roles. Ripe for the sucker punch.

[highorlow]

Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Durcan Higgins Drake
      Parsons B Moran
McLoughlin COC Vaughan
Sweeney Freeman Gallagher

That's a bit too experimental.

I would prefer
          Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Keegan Vaughan Boyle
      AOShea JGibbons
McLoughlin COC KHiggins
Sweeney BMoran Freeman

[moysider]

Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Durcan Higgins Drake
      Parsons B Moran
McLoughlin COC Vaughan
Sweeney Freeman Gallagher

That's a bit too experimental.

I would prefer
          Hennelly
Harrison Caff Cunniffe
Keegan Vaughan Boyle
      AOShea JGibbons
McLoughlin COC KHiggins
Sweeney BMoran Freeman

Maybe I m missing something here and it s a while since I got a chemistry set to experiment with but why the need for experimentation? If anything I would narrow it down. Actually it looks like management are doing that anyway. We have maybe 20 players that can play at the summit - everybody fit. Injuries to crucial players like Caff, Boyle, Aos, Higg and McLough and we re brown bread. There are no secret players or combinations in the squad imo. I m sure management are focussing on tactics, consistency, organistion and getting impact subs off the bench rather than subs that flute around.

[highorlow]

Maybe I m missing something here and it s a while since I got a chemistry set to experiment with but why the need for experimentation?

We need to get the more direct game plan working at the start of these games. The main reason, imo, for the 'non-impact' subs is we reach burn out on 60 mins due to the running game. If we start to mix it more our defense can defend more and in particular from the crucial 60th minute onwards.

I m sure management are focussing on tactics, consistency, organistion and getting impact subs off the bench rather than subs that flute around.

You nailed it there. The initial tactic against the Dubs of been more direct didn't really work the last day with the set of forwards on the field. I think if B Moran and Freeman are in there together and Sweeney feeding off them we can make it work, seems kind of obvious.

[5 Sams]

Just have my pedantic head on lads but why "AN Doire"?

[Wildweasel74]

oh well they could have went with Londonderry like Kerry Radio mentioned, when taking about the team from Dingle meeting St Pats in the Hogan Cup Final. Can`t wait, the St pats team will cream them big time for that remark