Dublin v Mayo - AISF

[thebuzz]

Do you have no work to do Crete Boom?  Even if I could write a post like that it would take me all day. For what it's worth I think you will beat Dublin ok. They haven't the hunger after their victory last year. Mayo are a damn good team and they will have made allowances for Andy Moran.

[heffo]

The Mayo players/Mgt shouldn't give a fiddlers what the media say about them - there is only one way to change the perception and thats to win an AI.

They have a great chance Sunday. They had their tactics spot on in the league game in March and have a real chance Sunday - it's a 50/50 game in my mind.

While we're moaning about refs, if Connolly is targeted Sunday like other teams have done, I want to see him get some protection. Too many umpires are happy to stand there slack-jawed while he's punched, stamped & pulled all around the pitch but as soon as he responds take apparent glee in raising their hands.

[deiseach]

Crete Boom, send that post over to Willie Joe on the Mayo GAA Blog. Deserves a more permanent and prominent place than page 17 of this thread

[screenexile]

I'm looking forward to the game but I think without Andy Moran it's too much for Mayo. The Dubs haven't performed all year yet they are in an All Ireland Semi Final. I think they will up their game for Sunday after witnessing the quality Donegal showed last Sunday.

Unfortunately I think it will take a miracle for Mayo to win but the main thing is they're there and have a chance to do something about it. I'd love to see a Donegal Mayo final as the passion and hunger from both sets of supporters and players will be unreal. Both Counties have gone too long without an All Ireland. Hopefully Mayo can do it but I don't think so.

Dublin by 5 points and then Donegal in the final. Their hunger allied to their system and the way they are playing I think gives them the edge over the Dubs. When it came down to who wanted it more last year the Dubs were able to call on something extra to get them over the line. Having won the big one already I don't think they have that bit extra that was needed last year!

[blast05]

Good tickets available on gaa.ie at the moment.
Front of Upper Hogan section 733

[ross4life]

40k ? We never had 40k in croke park in our history, i doubt even for a final.

Semi final ...Mayo should bring 15k in present climate.......in the good days we would of brought 25-30k max, never 40k to semi.

Sure teams never get anything close to 40k tickets for the All Ireland final i see Galway are only getting 12,000 tickets for hurling final. The 2006 semi final was probably one of Mayo's biggest ever followings in Croke park.

That doesn't mean though that Mayo people don't get the tickets for the final, the allocation to the county has little bearing on the actual amount, i get my tickets from UK and so do about another 50 mayo people i know.

I wouldn't say 06  semi was the biggest following we ever had in croker, for  me anyway 1989 final was unreal, canal end color was spectacular, my guess would be 89 final for biggest Mayo crowd in croker.

I said one of the biggest of course the 1989 final would be another, that was Mayo's first senior final appearance for 38 years we are getting close to that wait ourselves now.

[Crete Boom]

I'm looking forward to the game but I think without Andy Moran it's too much for Mayo. The Dubs haven't performed all year yet they are in an All Ireland Semi Final. I think they will up their game for Sunday after witnessing the quality Donegal showed last Sunday.

Unfortunately I think it will take a miracle for Mayo to win but the main thing is they're there and have a chance to do something about it. I'd love to see a Donegal Mayo final as the passion and hunger from both sets of supporters and players will be unreal. Both Counties have gone too long without an All Ireland. Hopefully Mayo can do it but I don't think so.

Dublin by 5 points and then Donegal in the final. Their hunger allied to their system and the way they are playing I think gives them the edge over the Dubs. When it came down to who wanted it more last year the Dubs were able to call on something extra to get them over the line. Having won the big one already I don't think they have that bit extra that was needed last year!

   Is Andy Moran's loss the main factor for picking Dublin. Do you assess his role at full forward worth at least 5 points or is it a combination of the loss of Andy and say an over reliance on Dillion that will undo us? Would be interested in the neutral view on this. Also would it really take a miracle to overturn a 5 point difference? I think we did it against Cork last year in the first half!
   If we did ( and it seems a big if ) beat Dublin would you give us any chance against Donegal. What would it take?

P.S. not having a go or anything just interested in a your views as you always seemed pretty neutral on all things Mayo.

[seafoid]

Good post Crete - I was surprised at Deegan and Moyles as well but as both are/were involved with Dublin clubs so maybe I shouldn't have been. I've said since the start of the year that I think Mayo are in with a great shout for Sam and nothing I've seen up to now has made me change my mind.
Without playing to yerra card I think they are slight faves for Sunday but it's very much a 50/50 game. Dublin to me are a bit like Cork coming into last weeks game - Expectations for a big performance abound but the evidence so far this year is that they may well come up short - Hopefully not though

dublin were very poor against Laois. Hopefully they can stay in that rut and give Mayo a nice tight match with a storming red and green finish that is still low key enough to have Donegal as favs for the final.

[bucko]

Mayo News is reporting that it's between Freeman and Varley to replace Moran. I'm hoping it's Freeman as he can go straight into 14, which minimises disruption to the rest of the forward line, and also gives the option of coming out to 11. Varley will have to go into the corner, which means reshuffling the rest of the forward line to accommodate him. Based on what I've seen of Varley this year I just don't rate him while Freeman is a bit of a conundrum at the moment. He still wins and gets on a lot of ball but his use of it is letting him down. His quarter final display said it all, in four consecutive possessions he had two blocked kicks at goal and gave away two passes under no pressure. While I think his physical size and his experience of Croker will probably edge the selection, I will be praying that he discovers some form and confidence because we will need it and an upped performance from O'Connor, Conroy and Doherty to compensate for the loss of Andy.

[moysider]

Mayo News is reporting that it's between Freeman and Varley to replace Moran. I'm hoping it's Freeman as he can go straight into 14, which minimises disruption to the rest of the forward line, and also gives the option of coming out to 11. Varley will have to go into the corner, which means reshuffling the rest of the forward line to accommodate him. Based on what I've seen of Varley this year I just don't rate him while Freeman is a bit of a conundrum at the moment. He still wins and gets on a lot of ball but his use of it is letting him down. His quarter final display said it all, in four consecutive possessions he had two blocked kicks at goal and gave away two passes under no pressure. While I think his physical size and his experience of Croker will probably edge the selection, I will be praying that he discovers some form and confidence because we will need it and an upped performance from O'Connor, Conroy and Doherty to compensate for the loss of Andy.

Remains to be seen yet how we go but is there realistically any alternative to the two lads above?

I m not disagreeing with the bit in bold above. I was hoping it was just me that had been thinking like that with my usual paranoia. It really is condemning that bit in bold.

[bucko]

Mayo News is reporting that it's between Freeman and Varley to replace Moran. I'm hoping it's Freeman as he can go straight into 14, which minimises disruption to the rest of the forward line, and also gives the option of coming out to 11. Varley will have to go into the corner, which means reshuffling the rest of the forward line to accommodate him. Based on what I've seen of Varley this year I just don't rate him while Freeman is a bit of a conundrum at the moment. He still wins and gets on a lot of ball but his use of it is letting him down. His quarter final display said it all, in four consecutive possessions he had two blocked kicks at goal and gave away two passes under no pressure. While I think his physical size and his experience of Croker will probably edge the selection, I will be praying that he discovers some form and confidence because we will need it and an upped performance from O'Connor, Conroy and Doherty to compensate for the loss of Andy.

Remains to be seen yet how we go but is there realistically any alternative to the two lads above?

I m not disagreeing with the bit in bold above. I was hoping it was just me that had been thinking like that with my usual paranoia. It really is condemning that bit in bold.

Not really I think. O'Connor's name will be mentioned to go into 14 but we've seen the result of that in the league final. Besides I would leave Cillian in the corner as I feel the longer he's positioned there the better he's playing. Outside of that we're looking at experienced players who are normally midfielders, half forwards or half backs coming in. Otherwise Horan would be going for the big gamble of throwing in Alan Murphy for his first senior inter county game and I guess we all know that ain't gonna happen. Our options in the full forward line have become very thin......

[Declan]

Good to see the lads training hard  before Sunday 

[heffo]

Good post Crete - I was surprised at Deegan and Moyles as well but as both are/were involved with Dublin clubs so maybe I shouldn't have been. I've said since the start of the year that I think Mayo are in with a great shout for Sam and nothing I've seen up to now has made me change my mind.
Without playing to yerra card I think they are slight faves for Sunday but it's very much a 50/50 game. Dublin to me are a bit like Cork coming into last weeks game - Expectations for a big performance abound but the evidence so far this year is that they may well come up short - Hopefully not though

dublin were very poor against Laois. Hopefully they can stay in that rut and give Mayo a nice tight match with a storming red and green finish that is still low key enough to have Donegal as favs for the final.

Hopefully the AI champs can give Mayo a tough enough game alright to rightly prepare them for the team with tradition on their side

[ballinaman]

I wouldn't mind Brogan acting the big shot around town because he's actually some use....the other lad though....

[ck]

I think Mayo will suprise a few people even without their best forward. That said, they won't beat Dublin. Dublin who are not the team they were last year will still romp home by 6 points. Donegal will beat Dublin in the final