Dublin V Mayo, Saturday 29th March2014. Croke Park 7.00 pm.

[moysider]

The winner of this could be in the semis. Mayo coughed up a healthy points advantage in last few minutes v Cork but still we should be happy enough. We re not likely to be relegated after losing to a team that may well go down. Really we should be in semis already but there were reasons for the sluggish start so no worries.

With the Castlebar players available and Andy, Dillon and Chris Barrett also reported to be close we appear to be snowballing along nicely.

However I don t expect much change. Maybe Cuniffe will start but probably too soon for Barrett. The 3rd man in ff line is the only iffy one besides. A pity the obvious one is still not back in the reckoning.

[maigheo]

Jeez Moy I know you are probably only hopping balls  but you have to let the Regan thing go.The simple fact is that it is his own choice that he is not on the panel and what happened last year does not really matter anymore and we should be concentrating on the players who want to wear the red and green.Barry Moran was dropped completely off the panel a few years ago and most people thought that was the end of him but he decided to knuckle down and was a whisker from being player of the year in 2012.Same goes for Alan Freeman ,who suffered the huge disappointment of being subbed after 20 min of the final,but who seems to have come back better and stronger this year and determined not to let it happen again.Same goes for Ritchie Feeney who I expect to see back in the panel shortly.Regan is  a super talent but it is  usually a year or two before a new player gets  used to the grind of inter county football and I hope he changes his mind and rejoins the panel sooner than later

[larryin89]

"Have to let it go" !!!

Still doesn't hide the fact he is worthy of a place on the team sheet.

[Tubberman]

"Have to let it go" !!!

Still doesn't hide the fact he is worthy of a place on the team sheet.

That's far from a fact Larry

[ballinaman]

Can't wait for this one. With the players coming back it could be easy to forget Carolan, tough on the lad and wish him best in his recovery.
Who's marking Cluxton?
Didn't see the Derry game but did they doing anything different re the kickout defensive strategy?

[Hound]

Didn't see the Derry game but did they doing anything different re the kickout defensive strategy?

Wouldnt read too much into the Derry game. 6 point loss doesnt tell the whole story and there wasn't any tactical masterplan on Derry's part. Dubs missed 6 clear cut goal chances. Derry scored some lovely points. Alan Brogan was excellent for the Dubs, but most of the rest were probably a little below par. A goal may have given the boost necessary to go and win the game, but it didnt come.

Vins lads still not available for this. If the U21s avenge last year's defeat to Longford they won't be available either. So added to injuries and suspension, the current unavailable list is
McMahon, O'Carroll, O'Brien
McCarthy, Brennan, McCaffrey, Lowndes
Bastick
Flynn, Kilkenny Connolly, Rock,
Bernard, Mannion, McManamon, Costello
and a couple of others.

Probably a good time to be playing us, but hopefully with the extra week off 3 or 4 of those might come into the reckoning for Mayo.

[From the Bunker]

Of all the League matches, I'm glad this one is away from home. No matter how many times a player has played in Croke Park, it is always good to get a competitive match there to re-familiarise one self with headquarters.

I expect Dublin to win this. Mayo have not been good on the road and I don't count the Westmeath result as Westmeath are one of the weakest Division One sides in a long time. It's been a while since we beat Dublin in the League in Croker. I don't think we have done it under Horan. That said I say once the league fixtures were announced Horan had probably set this game as a target date to be getting nearer his starting 15 as he'd be hoping players who got the chance to get over injuries over the winter and the Mitchels lads are back from Club duties.

On the Mitchels lads. Only Cunniffe looks like a fit in the team at the moment. It's hard to know where to put Feeney and Moran? Durcan has been very impressive. But do we need another half back? I suppose he should be at least called into the panel? That's the problem with doing well with a successful club. You are not available for League games for Management to have a look at you and it's nearly too late now to give him a run?

As I said I expect Dublin to win by 4 or 5 points. And goals to be the difference.

[Lar Naparka]

Jeez Moy I know you are probably only hopping balls  but you have to let the Regan thing go.The simple fact is that it is his own choice that he is not on the panel and what happened last year does not really matter anymore and we should be concentrating on the players who want to wear the red and green.Barry Moran was dropped completely off the panel a few years ago and most people thought that was the end of him but he decided to knuckle down and was a whisker from being player of the year in 2012.Same goes for Alan Freeman ,who suffered the huge disappointment of being subbed after 20 min of the final,but who seems to have come back better and stronger this year and determined not to let it happen again.Same goes for Ritchie Feeney who I expect to see back in the panel shortly.Regan is  a super talent but it is  usually a year or two before a new player gets  used to the grind of inter county football and I hope he changes his mind and rejoins the panel sooner than later

+1
I'd agree with you on all counts.
A brother who lives in Ballina and who is a committed supporter of the Stephenites, told me that Regan had been struggling with injuries for a good part of the season and that this could well have been the reason why he was dropped from the panel.
I know next to nothing about the young fella but it's in nobody's interests if he refuses to re-join the panel.
Obviously Freeman was annoyed at being subbed and I believe his father had some very harsh words to say about this but Horan did say afterwards that the player had a dose of the flu in the lead up to the game and he decided to replace him because he was hadn't fully recovered.
That may or may not be the real reason why he took Freeman off but I do think that Alan was not playing well before he was taken off. Only Andy and Keith were on form that day and any of the remaining three could have been substituted also.
In any event, Freeman has gotten over his disappointment and is certainly worth his place on the team right now.
I was surprised and disappointed that Richie wasn't brought in but I don't imagine that JH had any ulterior motive when he left him on the bench.
Right now, the team is shaping up very well and have put last year's disappointment behind them.
Whatever anyone may think of JH, he's still the best man to manage the side and it's obvious that the panel thinks the same way.

[moysider]

 Yearrah stop muddying the waters Lar with all that stuff.
Nobody is saying JH is not the best man to manage the team. At least I m not.

You say you know next to nothing about some young fella and then say it s in nobody's interest if he refuses to rejoin the panel! Have you ever even seen him play?

I would suggest it is a lot of people's interest he rejoin. Anybody that cares about Mayo football anyway.
Just get the best players involved period. Do you really think that a lad that played on one leg for his county U21 team last week would refuse to be involved in the senior set up?
It doesn t take a Henry Kissinger to work this out.

[Mayo4Sam]

Jeez Moy I know you are probably only hopping balls  but you have to let the Regan thing go.The simple fact is that it is his own choice that he is not on the panel and what happened last year does not really matter anymore and we should be concentrating on the players who want to wear the red and green.Barry Moran was dropped completely off the panel a few years ago and most people thought that was the end of him but he decided to knuckle down and was a whisker from being player of the year in 2012.Same goes for Alan Freeman ,who suffered the huge disappointment of being subbed after 20 min of the final,but who seems to have come back better and stronger this year and determined not to let it happen again.Same goes for Ritchie Feeney who I expect to see back in the panel shortly.Regan is  a super talent but it is  usually a year or two before a new player gets  used to the grind of inter county football and I hope he changes his mind and rejoins the panel sooner than later

+1
I'd agree with you on all counts.
A brother who lives in Ballina and who is a committed supporter of the Stephenites, told me that Regan had been struggling with injuries for a good part of the season and that this could well have been the reason why he was dropped from the panel.
I know next to nothing about the young fella but it's in nobody's interests if he refuses to re-join the panel.
Obviously Freeman was annoyed at being subbed and I believe his father had some very harsh words to say about this but Horan did say afterwards that the player had a dose of the flu in the lead up to the game and he decided to replace him because he was hadn't fully recovered.
That may or may not be the real reason why he took Freeman off but I do think that Alan was not playing well before he was taken off. Only Andy and Keith were on form that day and any of the remaining three could have been substituted also.
In any event, Freeman has gotten over his disappointment and is certainly worth his place on the team right now.
I was surprised and disappointed that Richie wasn't brought in but I don't imagine that JH had any ulterior motive when he left him on the bench.
Right now, the team is shaping up very well and have put last year's disappointment behind them.
Whatever anyone may think of JH, he's still the best man to manage the side and it's obvious that the panel thinks the same way.

You still talk to him??

[Lar Naparka]

Yearrah stop muddying the waters Lar with all that stuff.
Nobody is saying JH is not the best man to manage the team. At least I m not.

You say you know next to nothing about some young fella and then say it s in nobody's interest if he refuses to rejoin the panel! Have you ever even seen him play?

I would suggest it is a lot of people's interest he rejoin. Anybody that cares about Mayo football anyway.
Just get the best players involved period. Do you really think that a lad that played on one leg for his county U21 team last week would refuse to be involved in the senior set up?
It doesn t take a Henry Kissinger to work this out.

C'mon moy, you should know by now that I'm not trying to stir anything up.
I'm afraid you are very wide of the mark with everything you've said about me above.
I did say "it's in nobody's interest if he refuses to re-join the panel" and you retort by saying, "I would suggest it is a lot of people's interest he rejoin."
So where's the difference?
According to my concept of logic, we're both saying exactly the same thing.
If you think we're not, maybe you'd tell me why.
I mean if it' in nobody's interest if he refuses to re-join then it logically follows that it's in everyone's interest that he should.

BTW, I was at pains to say he wasn't dropped because of injury but the bro felt this could well have been the reason-that's all.

You say, "Just get the best players involved period." And here am I scratching my butt and trying to figure out where I said anything to the contrary. I cant spot it but if you can, let me know.
Am I saying that, "Do you really think that a lad that played on one leg for his county U21 team last week would refuse to be involved in the senior set up? "
Well, I am or at least I was but I'm going by what you and a few others have had to say on the  subject on (very) numerous occasions in the past.
Take what maigheo had to say at the beginning of his last post, "Jeez Moy I know you are probably only hopping balls  but you have to let the Regan thing go.The simple fact is that it is his own choice that he is not on the panel."
I notice you have not contradicted this.
So, will you do so now or will you accept that the bolded bit is true?

[Lar Naparka]

Jeez Moy I know you are probably only hopping balls  but you have to let the Regan thing go.The simple fact is that it is his own choice that he is not on the panel and what happened last year does not really matter anymore and we should be concentrating on the players who want to wear the red and green.Barry Moran was dropped completely off the panel a few years ago and most people thought that was the end of him but he decided to knuckle down and was a whisker from being player of the year in 2012.Same goes for Alan Freeman ,who suffered the huge disappointment of being subbed after 20 min of the final,but who seems to have come back better and stronger this year and determined not to let it happen again.Same goes for Ritchie Feeney who I expect to see back in the panel shortly.Regan is  a super talent but it is  usually a year or two before a new player gets  used to the grind of inter county football and I hope he changes his mind and rejoins the panel sooner than later

+1
I'd agree with you on all counts.
A brother who lives in Ballina and who is a committed supporter of the Stephenites, told me that Regan had been struggling with injuries for a good part of the season and that this could well have been the reason why he was dropped from the panel.
I know next to nothing about the young fella but it's in nobody's interests if he refuses to re-join the panel.
Obviously Freeman was annoyed at being subbed and I believe his father had some very harsh words to say about this but Horan did say afterwards that the player had a dose of the flu in the lead up to the game and he decided to replace him because he was hadn't fully recovered.
That may or may not be the real reason why he took Freeman off but I do think that Alan was not playing well before he was taken off. Only Andy and Keith were on form that day and any of the remaining three could have been substituted also.
In any event, Freeman has gotten over his disappointment and is certainly worth his place on the team right now.
I was surprised and disappointed that Richie wasn't brought in but I don't imagine that JH had any ulterior motive when he left him on the bench.
Right now, the team is shaping up very well and have put last year's disappointment behind them.
Whatever anyone may think of JH, he's still the best man to manage the side and it's obvious that the panel thinks the same way.

You still talk to him??

Sure do.
But I don't think he would have anything else to say on the subject.
He thinks injury could have been the reason why Regan was dropped form the panel. Nothing more or nothing less.

[rosnarun]

Waste of breath talking to ballina men about regan as untill he plays Senior Championship football for mayo they can consider him the best player in the county and there will be no proof other wise. who know he could be the next Austin o Malley.
I would alway reckon Mark butler was the most skilful player I have seen play for Mayo and God bless him he never Played enough to prove me wrong.
but then im a Glass  half full type of Guy

[muppet]

Waste of breath talking to ballina men about regan as untill he plays Senior Championship football for mayo they can consider him the best player in the county and there will be no proof other wise. who know he could be the next Austin o Malley.
I would alway reckon Mark butler was the most skilful player I have seen play for Mayo and God bless him he never Played enough to prove me wrong.
but then im a Glass  half full type of Guy

Well mine is only a 1/4 full and its your round.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Waste of breath talking to ballina men about regan as untill he plays Senior Championship football for mayo they can consider him the best player in the county and there will be no proof other wise. who know he could be the next Austin o Malley.
I would alway reckon Mark butler was the most skilful player I have seen play for Mayo and God bless him he never Played enough to prove me wrong.
but then im a Glass  half full type of Guy

Well mine is only a 1/4 full and its your round.

Was there really a need to have a sly dig at Austie there?