Kerry v Mayo AIQF 26th June 4pm Croke Park

[yellowcard]

Just compare the 2 forward lines on paper and there are few, if any, Mayo players would get into the Kerry side. That has been Mayo's achilles heel for years. They simply don't have the firepower needed to win this match.

As the old saying goes, games aren't played on paper.

What have any of those Kerry forwards proved in championship football to be given the status you are bestowing on them or for you to say they are better than the mayo forwards?

If you are talking about winning All Irelands there will always be a doubt around the current Kerry side until they actually win it. However the 2 Cliffords, O'Shea, Geaney, Moynihan and O'Brien are better than anything that Mayo have bar possibly Diarmuid O'Connor. Not to mention a few very useful subs to bring off the bench. So I don't doubt their individual abilities but there may be a doubt around their collective ability to get over the line in a tight match.

Tyrone beat them last year and Cork the previous year once off matches and nobody would suggest that they had the same quality in their forward lines either, so there is a glimmer of hope for Mayo if they can keep it close enough for as long as possible and sow some more doubt in Kerrys minds. I haven't seen anything from Mayo to suggest that they are capable of this though and Kerry will certainly not be undone by complacency and preparation upheaval like they were in the last 2 years. I can only see a comfortable Kerry win here.   

David Clifford and Sean O'Shea are great players, none of these other players are anything special at the rarefied level of the best of the best. If they weren't wearing the kerry jersey they would definitely not be classed as any better than Cillian OConnor, Aiden O'Shea, Kevin McLaughlin or O'Donoghue.

Its all opinions but McLaughlin, while he WAS a good player is no longer getting a start. Aidan O'Shea has never performed when it really mattered and has been vastly overrated. Cillian O'Connor is a good free taker and finisher but as an all round player is nothing special. O'Donoghue does have the potential to be a very good player but is currently injured and the same with Conroy. So I don't see where Mayo can get anywhere near the 20 points required to win most big championship games.

O'Shea and Clifford are top 6 in the country and I think as a link player in the half forward line, the other Clifford is very close to that level as well. The other players whilst not at that level of the top forwards in Ireland, would still easily get into the Mayo side along with the 2 Spillanes and Brosnan.

[Armagh18]

On paper this Kerry team is by far and away the best in the country. Although if and a massive if, you can keep Clifford quiet you have a serious chance and as someone else said, the game isn't played on paper.

Kerry in previous years have had the ability but have bottled it when the pressure was on, Dublin in the drawn final, Cork in 2020 and Tyrone last year. They obviously haven't been tested this year and a quarter final is the best place to get them. If they get off to a good start and get a lead early on it could end up similar to the league final, but if its anyway tight going into the last 10, Mayo should have the upper hand- they've been grinding out tight wins for years (other than finals) whereas Kerry might just have that bit of doubt start to creep in. Clifford won't be given the freedom of Croke park this time either when he give poor O'Hora the run around. Having said that, Kerry do seem to have that extra bit of nastiness and dirt in them this year under the new set up that any winning teams needs, wether they'll have it when the pressures on remains to be seen.

Definitely harder to call than most people think. Going to be a cracker.

[yellowcard]

Just compare the 2 forward lines on paper and there are few, if any, Mayo players would get into the Kerry side. That has been Mayo's achilles heel for years. They simply don't have the firepower needed to win this match.

As the old saying goes, games aren't played on paper.

What have any of those Kerry forwards proved in championship football to be given the status you are bestowing on them or for you to say they are better than the mayo forwards?

If you are talking about winning All Irelands there will always be a doubt around the current Kerry side until they actually win it. However the 2 Cliffords, O'Shea, Geaney, Moynihan and O'Brien are better than anything that Mayo have bar possibly Diarmuid O'Connor. Not to mention a few very useful subs to bring off the bench. So I don't doubt their individual abilities but there may be a doubt around their collective ability to get over the line in a tight match.

Tyrone beat them last year and Cork the previous year once off matches and nobody would suggest that they had the same quality in their forward lines either, so there is a glimmer of hope for Mayo if they can keep it close enough for as long as possible and sow some more doubt in Kerrys minds. I haven't seen anything from Mayo to suggest that they are capable of this though and Kerry will certainly not be undone by complacency and preparation upheaval like they were in the last 2 years. I can only see a comfortable Kerry win here.   

Outside of the the two Cliffords and Sean O'Shea I don't think the Kerry forwards are particularly special, apart from the replay against Dublin in 2019 Geaney hasn't been great for years.

A fit Conroy & O'Donoghue would walk into that Kerry team.

Mayo have been written off time and time again and people are acting like Kerry are the equivalent to the Dublin team that won 6 in a row. I appreciate Mayo haven't looked great in the championship but their more than capable of getting a lot more out of this team and wouldn't be the greatest shock in the world if Mayo won, this Kerry team have choked before.

The Dublin 6 in a row team was a once in a lifetime team and will probably never be eclipsed so nobody is saying that. Simply that Mayos achilles heel for years has been their forward line and they have never adequately resolved that issue. They produce big powerful athletic runners from the middle third but not enough good kick passers and inside forwards to complement that. Therefore they are one dimensional. It is as much about Mayos deficiencies as it is about any perceived greatness of Kerry. Kerry still have to prove they can get the job done at the business end of the championship but I do think that they will do it this year and will then have the right age profile to go on to win multiple All Irelands. Every year they fail to win it though the doubts will only grow.

[SouthDublinBro]

Aidan O'Shea has never performed when it really mattered and has been vastly overrated. Cillian O'Connor is a good free taker and finisher but as an all round player is nothing special.

Careful with those opinions around the Mayo folk.

[Cunny Funt]

Mayos achilles heel for the last ten years in beaten AI semi finals and finals has been conceding goals and many of them sloppy laps on concentration goals.  Against Donegal 2012,Dublin 2013,Kerry in the replay 2014,Dublin in the replay 2015, Dublin in the replay 2016, Dublin in 2017, Dublin in 2019, Dublin in 2020 and Tyrone last year. 9 matches and 19 goals conceded

On the flip side Mayo's best championship wins in recent years Dublin 2021, replay against Kerry 2017, Tyrone 2016, Donegal 2014  etc no goal was conceded.

[thewobbler]

Was saying tonight. Kerry would have enjoyed playing against Mayo the past decade as it was largely shackle free and disjointed, and came down to a couple of individual battles. Whereas Dublin (even though they won them all til last year) wouldn't have enjoyed playing Mayo due a combination of being a rare physical match, but also quite unhinged and difficult to plan for.

Kerry are seemingly moving towards a Dublin type structure. Hold the lines, counter attack with pace, and trust that your inside forwards are better. Problem for Kerry's mgt is that Mayo are less likely to be fazed by meeting such a system, than Kerry might be when facing random chaos.

——

Mayo never needed more than a couple of scoring forwards to keep the greatest team in history in their sights at all times.

Kerry aren't at that level. Whereas Mayo really aren't far away from their peak teams, especially so if Durcan and Mullin reach their peak levels.

If Mayo romp at that them with maverick determination they'll either win, or lose because of a couple of mad, never seen before defensive mistakes.

That's my take.

[greensandgold1]

There is only going to be one winner.

[Captain Obvious]

There is only going to be one winner.

That's usually the way with every game and especially nowadays where games are decided on the day.

[rosnarun]

There is only going to be one winner.

Troll alert
schools out for Summer
lets settle this about Cillian he's not a 'good player'  he is the greatest scoring  forward we have seen

he has scored the most overall
he has score the most goals
he has scored the most points
he ha the best average  score equal with the great Matt Connor who unfortunately had a much Shorter Career
hes 140 points ahead of his closest still playing rival Dean Rock

[iorras]

Yerrah, dont be daft and throwing owl facts and statistics in the way. Reasons why you are talking complete nonsense:

1. He doesnt play for Kerry so his scores dont count as much as Kerry forwards, even score he gets is automatically discounted by 66% as hes not a Kerry forward. Do your sums now Mr facts and figures and see what you get!
2. THe Sunday Game said Mayo have no "marquee forwards" so thats that knocked on the head
3. He never won an all ireland so cant be any good. All of the lads who did even if there were number 30 on a one hit wonder team that were never seen again are miles better than him.

[seafoid]

Yerrah, dont be daft and throwing owl facts and statistics in the way. Reasons why you are talking complete nonsense:

1. He doesnt play for Kerry so his scores dont count as much as Kerry forwards, even score he gets is automatically discounted by 66% as hes not a Kerry forward. Do your sums now Mr facts and figures and see what you get!
2. THe Sunday Game said Mayo have no "marquee forwards" so thats that knocked on the head
3. He never won an all ireland so cant be any good. All of the lads who did even if there were number 30 on a one hit wonder team that were never seen again are miles better than him.

https://youtu.be/IRumMCYhqwY

[rosnarun]

Yerrah, dont be daft and throwing owl facts and statistics in the way. Reasons why you are talking complete nonsense:

1. He doesnt play for Kerry so his scores dont count as much as Kerry forwards, even score he gets is automatically discounted by 66% as hes not a Kerry forward. Do your sums now Mr facts and figures and see what you get!
2. THe Sunday Game said Mayo have no "marquee forwards" so thats that knocked on the head
3. He never won an all ireland so cant be any good. All of the lads who did even if there were number 30 on a one hit wonder team that were never seen again are miles better than him.

I apologize ive here long enough that Facts are the kinda muck people throw out when they have lost the argument

Welll done seafoid . Ive no idea whose side your on but i had a bit of a dance around the room anyway

[whitey]

The reality is Mayo win games they should lose and lose games they should win

They could come out a week from Sunday and surprise everyone

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

It won't be lost on Mayo, that we (Tyrone) took a bigger tanking from Kerry in last year's League Semi than they've taken in this year's League Final, only to beat them in the Championship in 2021 a few weeks later.

Ergo, a Mayo win wouldn't be particularly surprising, if somewhat unlikely.

[Blowitupref]

It won't be lost on Mayo, that we (Tyrone) took a bigger tanking from Kerry in last year's League Semi than they've taken in this year's League Final, only to beat them in the Championship in 2021 a few weeks later.

Ergo, a Mayo win wouldn't be particularly surprising, if somewhat unlikely.

Or that Kerry have a long wait for this game. What Kerrys starting forwards scored from play in the All-Ireland semi final last year.

Dara Moynihan, Seán O'Shea (0-01), Stephen O'Brien; David Clifford (0-06) , Paul Geaney (0-01), Paudie Clifford (0-02).

If David Clifford is out injured or not up to speed after his injury lay off i could well see Mayo holding Kerry to manageable score especially with good man markers in Keegan and Durcan.