Dublin v Mayo 2020 All-Ireland final

[Lar Naparka]

pat Gilroy is some thick headed ****

One thing Gilroy is not is thick

Gerry McEntee clearly got the brains in his family

Pat Gilroy offering reasonable suggestions and people accuse him of being thick. Pot, kettle, black ring any bells for posters here.

Dublin offered commercial help to all the other Leinster counties and they all said no. I wonder what their secrets are that they don't want the big bad Dublin lads to know?

God forbid they had actually accepted the offer of help from the dubs. The embarassment of admitting they didn't have the experience or expertise couldn't be allowed and county board members could lose face with their colleagues. Far better to pretend they know better and decline the dubs offer of assistance

I agree with you totally up until the end as I've just said - but what about the GAA investment in Dublin players vs, their Mayo counterparts?
Yet they will be going into the final on equal terms.  Don't you agree there's an anomaly here?
You got anything to say about this?

[moysider]

Lookit anyway, the two best teams in the country over the last decade are in the final. Other teams were hawked and pimped up but .........

I don't imagine how Mayo can win but this whole championship has been a nice distraction in probably the most difficult time of an awful year for everybody.

Same with the other sports as well. It's been great to have the games.

[WhoDat]

who will mayo put on fenton?

Matthew Ruane is the man for the job.

really? i haven't been that impressed by him this year. mayo's midfield is a weak link in general i think

Winning clean possession yes but crowding the middle 8 and winning breaking ball Mayo remain strong in that area.

i agree that mayo are superb tacklers and winning dirty ball and forcing turnovers is a really strong area for them, probably their strongest area. but i do think fenton is a great man for winning a ball cleanly and doing away with it quickly, either laying off the pass or carrying the ball through the middle himself. he doesn't dawdle. can't see him getting bottled up too often.

[moysider]

who will mayo put on fenton?

Matthew Ruane is the man for the job.

Mayo have no answer to Fenton. Let's not be codding ourselves with a matchup there. Dublin can only be beaten by a team that gets them out of their comfort zone. Dublin's comfort zone though is a very high gear. To even threaten them you have to get them to up that and get them to crack. Realistically I cant really see Mayo having enough to do that. Nobody else does either so it is what it is.

really? i haven't been that impressed by him this year. mayo's midfield is a weak link in general i think

Winning clean possession yes but crowding the middle 8 and winning breaking ball Mayo remain strong in that area.

i agree that mayo are superb tacklers and winning dirty ball and forcing turnovers is a really strong area for them, probably their strongest area. but i do think fenton is a great man for winning a ball cleanly and doing away with it quickly, either laying off the pass or carrying the ball through the middle himself. he doesn't dawdle. can't see him getting bottled up too often.

[Hound]

Talk that Howard is carrying a back injury, I can't think of any other reason he wouldn't be in

Costello just isn't trusted to start, he never has been, he has the curse of the supersub forever hanging over him

Seems to be a form thing with Mannion

I think we'll see Dublin revert to experience more in the final, I'd be surprised if Paddy Small starts

Wouldn't be surprised if McAuley sees some action either, Philly McMahon definitely will, probably Kevin McManamon as well

Farrell has made a clear move to phase out some older heads this year but that could be a double edged sword

Bench v Cavan

Comerford
Howard
C Basquel
A Byrne
Costello
Lahiff
Lowndes
Mannion
McMahon
McManamon
O'Carroll

So unlikely Macauley will see any action in the final if he can't make the 26 for the semi. No Cian O'Sullivan in the 26 either.

I don't see Paddy Small being dropped at this stage, but I'd expect Mannion to get at least 20 minutes. 

I think the only selection issue Dessie is seriously considering is whether Howard starts, and who makes way. 

[Gael85]

Talk that Howard is carrying a back injury, I can't think of any other reason he wouldn't be in

Costello just isn't trusted to start, he never has been, he has the curse of the supersub forever hanging over him

Seems to be a form thing with Mannion

I think we'll see Dublin revert to experience more in the final, I'd be surprised if Paddy Small starts

Wouldn't be surprised if McAuley sees some action either, Philly McMahon definitely will, probably Kevin McManamon as well

Farrell has made a clear move to phase out some older heads this year but that could be a double edged sword

Bench v Cavan

Comerford
Howard
C Basquel
A Byrne
Costello
Lahiff
Lowndes
Mannion
McMahon
McManamon
O'Carroll

So unlikely Macauley will see any action in the final if he can't make the 26 for the semi. No Cian O'Sullivan in the 26 either.

I don't see Paddy Small being dropped at this stage, but I'd expect Mannion to get at least 20 minutes. 

I think the only selection issue Dessie is seriously considering is whether Howard starts, and who makes way.

Think Bugler place could be pressure for final. Howard might start ahead of him.

[Gael85]

What's the story with Mannion this year? He's as good a forward as what's in the country imo but not starting. Surely he's far better than Paddy Small?

Mannion got injured in club semi final.  He only returned to training after the Westmeath.  Will be sub again for final. Agree is better player than Paddy Small.

[Gael85]

Where's Stephen Archer?

They don't need him. Just like they don't need Aaron Byrne nor Conor McHugh, their other U20/21 players of the year from the last six seasons. An absurd, and interminable, embarrassment of riches.

Had forgotten about McHugh, he looked like a serious talent.

He is a serious talent, his display against Ballyboden in the club championship last year was unbelievable and he has shown well in league appearances

Farrell was Na Fianna manager then

I would rate McHugh higher in talent terms than Paddy Small, in most counties he would be the star forward, I don't think that's the case with Small

I think he is not on the panel at the moment however and he's no longer young, he was minor in 2012, so it might never happen for him at this stage

McHugh lacks pace. Good man to take a score but work rate is questionable too.  Mannion and Small are better all round players.  Aaron Byrne was a very good underage player but hasn't stood out for Na Fianna in recent years years.

[GetOverTheBar]

Heart obviously wants Mayo to win it. Nobody deserves an All Ireland more than majority of their soldiers.

Obviously would be type of cruel twist in the year that it is for their fans and Andy Moran if they were to finally do it mind you. Life can just be that at times.

Head, obviously can't look past Dublin. They are scary. Should be a good game, Dublin just seem to get it done, Mayo are probably the team with the profile to beat them, but even then, it's still a massive task for them. One thing about Mayo is, they'll have no fear of Dublin.

Probably the final we all wanted when the provincials were decided - no disrespect meant to Tipp/Cavan

[seafoid]

Mayo have already obliged Dublin in 2013, 2016 and 2017.
There  is probably a word in German for taking part repeatedly in something that is not in your interest.

[macdanger2]

It's very very hard to make a credible case for Mayo even coming close here.

Last year, we did brilliantly for the first half, retained possession well, slowed the game down (with a view to staying fresh for the last 10 mins) and went in ahead. Dublin came out and blew us away in the first 10 mins of the second half. We'll have 7 changes from that team the next day, mostly in the forwards.

Looking at the match-ups at the back for us:

Mullin on Small?
Barrett on Callaghan
Keegan on KK?
Durcan on Bugler
Coen on Rock?
McLaughlin (assuming he's fit) on Scully

Keegan usually picks up KK but if you bring him out there, you need to put Coen back into the FB line which leaves the centre of the defense very open. Barrett is 32/33 and Keegan is 31 so where they were close to their peak back in 2017, they're getting on now - KK and Callaghan on the other hand are 27 and 24 now so they're right in their prime. Hard to see us winning one, never mind both of those duels. Say Mullin and Durcan win their match ups, Mannion and Howard will be coming off the bench as replacements.

Then you look at MF and you have Ruane v Fenton and Loftus v McCarthy and it doesn't get much better for us. Will Horan have a plan for when Dublin press up on our kickouts? We need to have something because otherwise it'll be a hammering.

[Armagh18]

It's very very hard to make a credible case for Mayo even coming close here.

Last year, we did brilliantly for the first half, retained possession well, slowed the game down (with a view to staying fresh for the last 10 mins) and went in ahead. Dublin came out and blew us away in the first 10 mins of the second half. We'll have 7 changes from that team the next day, mostly in the forwards.

Looking at the match-ups at the back for us:

Mullin on Small?
Barrett on Callaghan
Keegan on KK?
Durcan on Bugler
Coen on Rock?
McLaughlin (assuming he's fit) on Scully

Keegan usually picks up KK but if you bring him out there, you need to put Coen back into the FB line which leaves the centre of the defense very open. Barrett is 32/33 and Keegan is 31 so where they were close to their peak back in 2017, they're getting on now - KK and Callaghan on the other hand are 27 and 24 now so they're right in their prime. Hard to see us winning one, never mind both of those duels. Say Mullin and Durcan win their match ups, Mannion and Howard will be coming off the bench as replacements.

Then you look at MF and you have Ruane v Fenton and Loftus v McCarthy and it doesn't get much better for us. Will Horan have a plan for when Dublin press up on our kickouts? We need to have something because otherwise it'll be a hammering.

You'd put Durcan on whichever of COC or KK plays out the field I'd imagine. Winning their own kickout is gonna be an issue I'd imagine.

[sid waddell]

Durcan took McCaffrey last year and nobbled him quite well, didn't he?

Think Ruane was on Fenton

I'd say Durcan will take Kilkenny, Durcan now is what Keegan was in 2016/17

[Maroon Manc]

Doesn't matter who takes who if Clarke & co don't do any better on their kickouts.

[galwayman]

I don't think Coen would be too comfortable in the corner.
Durcan on Kilkenny I would say.
On Keegan - is he in the corner now because Horan doesn't believe he has the legs to attack as he used to from the half back line?
One thing I noticed yesterday which I wouldn't ever have seen before... when he was outfielded by Quinlivan for an early goal chance he just stood with the head down and made no attempt to get back and recover - Clarkes save could easily have rebounded back into play. Barrett seemed to berate him afterwards for it. Anyway that's just a side point.
The match ups will be key for sure - but I do think Horan will play a covering player (probably a rotating one) in front of his full back line this time. I think he will err on the side of caution this time around.
In saying that though, the way the Dubs play nowadays is more about being patient in their build up play and probing for an opening (which they are brilliant at).
They aren't as likely to bomb in early ball to their full forward line as other teams.