Mayo for Sam 2019

[Angelo]

A lot of hype surrounding Mayo since Sunday, everyone tipping them as the team to challenge the Dubs.

The league can be a difficult gauge sometimes as we don't know where teams are up to in terms of fitness, after Sunday its safe to assume Mayo are in the team in the best shape. Agree with seanie about AOS, looks like he's in the best shape of his life.

Speaking of that, what's Comer at these days? Must have done serious damage to miss the entire league with an ankle injury sustained at Christmas.

Still in a walking boot. Walsh said he hopes to have him back end of May. Not sure he'll have much of an impact on the Connacht championship though. Maybe the Super 8's if they get that far.

Think it's taken so long as they thought he didn't need surgery at first. Then once it wasn't healing they eventually had to have the surgery done.

Doesn't reflect well on the medical team, he'd be back by now if he'd had the op in the first place. Cummins is a decent enough replacement, for a small fella he gets more than his fair share of fisted goals.

Wasn't Cummins Galways  top scorer from play in the league . Mainly due to goal .though some of the genius's here would hold that against him Following the  the analysis of Co'C.
being the best scorer ever just doesn't cut it for some folk

You're being overly sensitive again.

COC gets the most out of himself but the criticisms are valid and I wouldn't have him as a top level forward. I simply don't think he contributes enough from play. The type of players Mayo have and the type of game they play means they generate a huge amount of handy frees in every game, O'Connor is one of the best free takers in the game too - I would estimate that at least 50% of his entire scoring total comes from placed balls inside 30 metres.

He can finish, he can take on the shooting responsibility, he can put a good defensive shift in from the front and he is a very reliable free taker.

But his limitations are obvious, he doesn't have that craft or flair, the aerial ability to win ball despite being a big man, the movement to lose a marker when being tightly watched, the ability to kick scores of his weaker foot consistently, he lacks pace and having watched him live at matches I don't think he shows enough for the ball from open play.

I don't think anybody is saying he is useless or poor, people are saying that he's not a top level forward from open play which is a more than fair comment.

Enjoying a Tyrone man continually underplaying the huge importance of a consistent free taker at the top level

You're putting words in my mouth now. It's pretty clear what I've said, last year McAliskey was the 2nd top scorer in Championship football, both from play and overall. I like McAliskey, I can't fault his attitude and his effort and I think he's a very good player - he's not a top level forward though and I think if he was in that Mayo team ahead of O'Connor and taking frees he'd have scored every bit as much as him.

People who think that just because O'Connor tops the scoring charts most years means he's a top level forward is wrong. I'd have a 35 year old Andy Moran ahead of him every day of the week if I had to choose.

[Angelo]

The guy from don't foul used to put up some very interesting GAA data from matches, he doesn't seem to do as much anymore which is a shame as it was always very interesting to see how the reality may reinforce or differ from your perceptions.

In 2017, he did some analysis on COC's frees ahead of the AI final - it's interesting to see the pattern emerge of where the scores come from.



You can see there that his conversion rate dips significantly outside what are generally gimmees for any above average inter county free taker. It reinforces what my views are of O'Connor, his scoring records year on year are phenomenal but when you delve deeper in behind them you see that they are hugely boosted by handy frees in front of the posts which are a product of some of the superb runners Mayo have in that team and they way they can generate those scorable frees and goal chances.

[Farrandeelin]

I declined to comment on this thread till now. It was started by The Greatest, who doesn't believe himself that Mayo will win the All Ireland this year, in jest to see what fun people would have.

As for the thread title, I think we will be thereabouts, depending if Mayo get to a Connacht final and win the damn thing. Ros will be thinking that the wet day in Jan is no way indicative on how they would do in the championship. Galway have our number over the past few years as have Dublin. Tyrone will also be making progress as they have done in the league. Kerry are Kerry, but I cannot see them winning it outright. It does make for an interesting summer. It's more than likely going to be Dublin Again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. IF they don't, then all the other counties I mentioned including Mayo would be disappointed. I don't think Donegal are ready yet.

[Lar Naparka]

I declined to comment on this thread till now. It was started by The Greatest, who doesn't believe himself that Mayo will win the All Ireland this year, in jest to see what fun people would have.

As for the thread title, I think we will be thereabouts, depending if Mayo get to a Connacht final and win the damn thing. Ros will be thinking that the wet day in Jan is no way indicative on how they would do in the championship. Galway have our number over the past few years as have Dublin. Tyrone will also be making progress as they have done in the league. Kerry are Kerry, but I cannot see them winning it outright. It does make for an interesting summer. It's more than likely going to be Dublin Again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. IF they don't, then all the other counties I mentioned including Mayo would be disappointed. I don't think Donegal are ready yet.

Sensible idea Farr, this thread has gone way off-topic.
I dunno who is most likely to give the Dubs a right rattle during the championships but if Mayo make it as far as the AI final and Dublin provides the opposition, the only ting I can say with confidence is that if the Dubs make the five in a row, this one will be the toughest of them all to date.
Mayo just don't fear Dublin- not in the championships anyway. Andy once said that he didn't want to see Dublin split. He wanted to take them on fair and square without help from any quarter and he reckoned the rest of the team felt the same way. IMO, Mayo and Dublin have been very evenly matched in all games at HQ since the '13 final.  Sure, Mayo have had bizarre spells of hard luck but Dublin had their own unlucky breaks too and if they had lost any final or semi of the games they played, some Dubs might feel aggrieved as a result.
IMO, the big, big difference between the teams was the quality in depth that Jim Gavin had. His bench was the defining difference between the sides.
Unfortunately for Mayo, it was a case of all fur coat and no knickers every year. A top class team but the quality dropped off sharply once you looked past the first few on the bench, whereas Gavin had at least 20 who couldn't gain a first team place but who'd walk onto any other county side.
Far too soon to start feeling bullish about Mayo's prospects but Horan will have at least 20 top class players to choose from.
There's a lot of work to be done yet and there's no guarantee that Mayo will make it t the final but if they do, they'll take no prisoners, Dubs or otherwise!

[From the Bunker]

I declined to comment on this thread till now. It was started by The Greatest, who doesn't believe himself that Mayo will win the All Ireland this year, in jest to see what fun people would have.

As for the thread title, I think we will be thereabouts, depending if Mayo get to a Connacht final and win the damn thing. Ros will be thinking that the wet day in Jan is no way indicative on how they would do in the championship. Galway have our number over the past few years as have Dublin. Tyrone will also be making progress as they have done in the league. Kerry are Kerry, but I cannot see them winning it outright. It does make for an interesting summer. It's more than likely going to be Dublin Again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. IF they don't, then all the other counties I mentioned including Mayo would be disappointed. I don't think Donegal are ready yet.

Sensible idea Farr, this thread has gone way off-topic.
I dunno who is most likely to give the Dubs a right rattle during the championships but if Mayo make it as far as the AI final and Dublin provides the opposition, the only ting I can say with confidence is that if the Dubs make the five in a row, this one will be the toughest of them all to date.
Mayo just don't fear Dublin- not in the championships anyway. Andy once said that he didn't want to see Dublin split. He wanted to take them on fair and square without help from any quarter and he reckoned the rest of the team felt the same way. IMO, Mayo and Dublin have been very evenly matched in all games at HQ since the '13 final.  Sure, Mayo have had bizarre spells of hard luck but Dublin had their own unlucky breaks too and if they had lost any final or semi of the games they played, some Dubs might feel aggrieved as a result.
IMO, the big, big difference between the teams was the quality in depth that Jim Gavin had. His bench was the defining difference between the sides.
Unfortunately for Mayo, it was a case of all fur coat and no knickers every year. A top class team but the quality dropped off sharply once you looked past the first few on the bench, whereas Gavin had at least 20 who couldn't gain a first team place but who'd walk onto any other county side.
Far too soon to start feeling bullish about Mayo's prospects but Horan will have at least 20 top class players to choose from.
There's a lot of work to be done yet and there's no guarantee that Mayo will make it t the final but if they do, they'll take no prisoners, Dubs or otherwise!

Bar Jack McCafferey doing his Cruciate early in one final, I can't think of any other unlucky breaks Dublin have had?

[Lar Naparka]

I declined to comment on this thread till now. It was started by The Greatest, who doesn't believe himself that Mayo will win the All Ireland this year, in jest to see what fun people would have.

As for the thread title, I think we will be thereabouts, depending if Mayo get to a Connacht final and win the damn thing. Ros will be thinking that the wet day in Jan is no way indicative on how they would do in the championship. Galway have our number over the past few years as have Dublin. Tyrone will also be making progress as they have done in the league. Kerry are Kerry, but I cannot see them winning it outright. It does make for an interesting summer. It's more than likely going to be Dublin Again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. IF they don't, then all the other counties I mentioned including Mayo would be disappointed. I don't think Donegal are ready yet.

Sensible idea Farr, this thread has gone way off-topic.
I dunno who is most likely to give the Dubs a right rattle during the championships but if Mayo make it as far as the AI final and Dublin provides the opposition, the only ting I can say with confidence is that if the Dubs make the five in a row, this one will be the toughest of them all to date.
Mayo just don't fear Dublin- not in the championships anyway. Andy once said that he didn't want to see Dublin split. He wanted to take them on fair and square without help from any quarter and he reckoned the rest of the team felt the same way. IMO, Mayo and Dublin have been very evenly matched in all games at HQ since the '13 final.  Sure, Mayo have had bizarre spells of hard luck but Dublin had their own unlucky breaks too and if they had lost any final or semi of the games they played, some Dubs might feel aggrieved as a result.
IMO, the big, big difference between the teams was the quality in depth that Jim Gavin had. His bench was the defining difference between the sides.
Unfortunately for Mayo, it was a case of all fur coat and no knickers every year. A top class team but the quality dropped off sharply once you looked past the first few on the bench, whereas Gavin had at least 20 who couldn't gain a first team place but who'd walk onto any other county side.
Far too soon to start feeling bullish about Mayo's prospects but Horan will have at least 20 top class players to choose from.
There's a lot of work to be done yet and there's no guarantee that Mayo will make it t the final but if they do, they'll take no prisoners, Dubs or otherwise!

Bar Jack McCafferey doing his Cruciate early in one final, I can't think of any other unlucky breaks Dublin have had?

TBH, neither can I!
However, this thread is open to Dubs as well as Culchies and I bet The Greatest and maybe 100 others wouldn't agree with that. Let everyone have his (her?) say, I say.

[imtommygunn]

Not quite injuries but O'Carroll was probably the best full back about so he was a loss and mccaffrey who is as good a player as there is about missing to travelling. That aside can't think of many injuries (unless Flynn maybe but unsure if he was injured or just not quite good enough any more?) maybe cian O'Sullivan last year too? Tyrone were never in the ai final once he went off.  I think he is going to become a weak link in there mind as I don't think he is what he used to be.

[Angelo]

I declined to comment on this thread till now. It was started by The Greatest, who doesn't believe himself that Mayo will win the All Ireland this year, in jest to see what fun people would have.

As for the thread title, I think we will be thereabouts, depending if Mayo get to a Connacht final and win the damn thing. Ros will be thinking that the wet day in Jan is no way indicative on how they would do in the championship. Galway have our number over the past few years as have Dublin. Tyrone will also be making progress as they have done in the league. Kerry are Kerry, but I cannot see them winning it outright. It does make for an interesting summer. It's more than likely going to be Dublin Again, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't. IF they don't, then all the other counties I mentioned including Mayo would be disappointed. I don't think Donegal are ready yet.

Sensible idea Farr, this thread has gone way off-topic.
I dunno who is most likely to give the Dubs a right rattle during the championships but if Mayo make it as far as the AI final and Dublin provides the opposition, the only ting I can say with confidence is that if the Dubs make the five in a row, this one will be the toughest of them all to date.
Mayo just don't fear Dublin- not in the championships anyway. Andy once said that he didn't want to see Dublin split. He wanted to take them on fair and square without help from any quarter and he reckoned the rest of the team felt the same way. IMO, Mayo and Dublin have been very evenly matched in all games at HQ since the '13 final.  Sure, Mayo have had bizarre spells of hard luck but Dublin had their own unlucky breaks too and if they had lost any final or semi of the games they played, some Dubs might feel aggrieved as a result.
IMO, the big, big difference between the teams was the quality in depth that Jim Gavin had. His bench was the defining difference between the sides.
Unfortunately for Mayo, it was a case of all fur coat and no knickers every year. A top class team but the quality dropped off sharply once you looked past the first few on the bench, whereas Gavin had at least 20 who couldn't gain a first team place but who'd walk onto any other county side.
Far too soon to start feeling bullish about Mayo's prospects but Horan will have at least 20 top class players to choose from.
There's a lot of work to be done yet and there's no guarantee that Mayo will make it t the final but if they do, they'll take no prisoners, Dubs or otherwise!

Bar Jack McCafferey doing his Cruciate early in one final, I can't think of any other unlucky breaks Dublin have had?

The 2013 AI final I think where Dublin effectively were down to 13 for the last 10 minutes with a concussed Rory O'Carroll and Eoghan O'Gara with a torn hamstring on the pitch but not really able to play any part in the game.

[Maroon Manc]

A lot of hype surrounding Mayo since Sunday, everyone tipping them as the team to challenge the Dubs.

The league can be a difficult gauge sometimes as we don't know where teams are up to in terms of fitness, after Sunday its safe to assume Mayo are in the team in the best shape. Agree with seanie about AOS, looks like he's in the best shape of his life.

Speaking of that, what's Comer at these days? Must have done serious damage to miss the entire league with an ankle injury sustained at Christmas.

Still in a walking boot. Walsh said he hopes to have him back end of May. Not sure he'll have much of an impact on the Connacht championship though. Maybe the Super 8's if they get that far.

Think it's taken so long as they thought he didn't need surgery at first. Then once it wasn't healing they eventually had to have the surgery done.

Doesn't reflect well on the medical team, he'd be back by now if he'd had the op in the first place. Cummins is a decent enough replacement, for a small fella he gets more than his fair share of fisted goals.

Wasn't Cummins Galways  top scorer from play in the league . Mainly due to goal .though some of the genius's here would hold that against him Following the  the analysis of Co'C.
being the best scorer ever just doesn't cut it for some folk

But when everyone is fit Cummins will be back on the bench. Ultimately a player like COC is going to be judged on performances on semi's & finals which he's well into double figures in.

COC is very important to Mayo and still your best forward but he's not turned into the player I thought he'd be when he first burst onto the scene as 19 year old.  I've not seen a repeat of those performances against Kerry in 2014 when he was 22. I think he kicked 3 points from play in the 2017 final but still he left a good few scores behind him too.

[magpie seanie]

Aidan O'Shea is in unbelievable shape too from what I saw last Sunday.

Hard to keep that going until end of summer

I'd argue that with the weight he has lost it will be easier to maintain his fitness.

[rodney trotter]

That's the shape he would need it to be to play midfield at County level . He was played in and out of midfield, centre forward, full forward for a few years.

[From the Bunker]

That's the shape he would need it to be to play midfield at County level . He was played in and out of midfield, centre forward, full forward for a few years.

Not forgetting a cameo at full back also!

[oakleaflad]

All-time top scorers
As of 3 September 2018

1  Colm Cooper  Kerry  23-283  352  85 games  2002-2017  4.1 
2  Cillian O'Connor  Mayo  23-272  341  48 games  2011-  7.1 
3  Mikey Sheehy  Kerry  29-205  292  49 games  1973-1988  6.0 
4  John Doyle  Kildare  8-260  284  67 games  1999-2014  4.2 
5  Padraig Joyce  Galway  12-229  265  66 games  1997-2012  4.0 
6   Bernard Brogan  Dublin  21-196  259  58 games  2006-  4.5 
7  Paddy Bradley  Derry  17-202  253  44 games  1999-2012  5.8 
8  Steven McDonnell  Armagh  18-197  251  67 games  1999-2011  3.7 
9   Maurice Fitzgerald  Kerry  12-205  241  45 games  1988-2001  5.4 
10  Brian Stafford  Meath  9-206  233  41 games  1986-1995  5.7 
11  Oisin McConville  Armagh  11-197  230  52 games  1994-2008  4.4 
12  Jimmy Keaveney  Dublin  15-182  227  42 games  1964-1980  5.4 
13  Peter Canavan  Tyrone  9-192  219  58 games  1989-2005  3.8 
14  Conor McManus  Monaghan  7-204  225  50 games  2007-  4.5 
15  Sean Cavanagh  Tyrone  9-181  208  89 games  2002-2017  2.3 
16  Colin Corkery  Cork  5-182  197  32 games  1993-2004  6.2 
17  Ross Munnelly  Laois  6-168  186  70 games  2003-  2.7 
18  Dean Rock  Dublin  8-173  197  36 games  2013-  5.4 
19  Dara O'Cinneide  Kerry  11-149  182  54 games  1995-2005  3.4 
20  Matt Connor  Offaly  13-142  181  26 games  1978-1984  7.0 
21  Pat Spillane  Kerry  19-123  180  56 games  1974-1991  3.2 


I find it laughable people think COC shouldn't be on the Mayo team personally. His scoring rate is phenomenal.

PS. Looking at that list, I really think Paddy Bradley wasn't as recognized as he should have been nationally as he was on a weaker side as opposed to some other forwards of that era.

[Cunny Funt]

Some scoring by Matt Connor in just 26 games. Incredible skilful footballer also.

[Crete Boom]

All-time top scorers
As of 3 September 2018

1  Colm Cooper  Kerry  23-283  352  85 games  2002-2017  4.1 
2  Cillian O'Connor  Mayo  23-272  341  48 games  2011-  7.1 
3  Mikey Sheehy  Kerry  29-205  292  49 games  1973-1988  6.0 
4  John Doyle  Kildare  8-260  284  67 games  1999-2014  4.2 
5  Padraig Joyce  Galway  12-229  265  66 games  1997-2012  4.0 
6   Bernard Brogan  Dublin  21-196  259  58 games  2006-  4.5 
7  Paddy Bradley  Derry  17-202  253  44 games  1999-2012  5.8 
8  Steven McDonnell  Armagh  18-197  251  67 games  1999-2011  3.7 
9   Maurice Fitzgerald  Kerry  12-205  241  45 games  1988-2001  5.4 
10  Brian Stafford  Meath  9-206  233  41 games  1986-1995  5.7 
11  Oisin McConville  Armagh  11-197  230  52 games  1994-2008  4.4 
12  Jimmy Keaveney  Dublin  15-182  227  42 games  1964-1980  5.4 
13  Peter Canavan  Tyrone  9-192  219  58 games  1989-2005  3.8 
14  Conor McManus  Monaghan  7-204  225  50 games  2007-  4.5 
15  Sean Cavanagh  Tyrone  9-181  208  89 games  2002-2017  2.3 
16  Colin Corkery  Cork  5-182  197  32 games  1993-2004  6.2 
17  Ross Munnelly  Laois  6-168  186  70 games  2003-  2.7 
18  Dean Rock  Dublin  8-173  197  36 games  2013-  5.4 
19  Dara O'Cinneide  Kerry  11-149  182  54 games  1995-2005  3.4 
20  Matt Connor  Offaly  13-142  181  26 games  1978-1984  7.0 
21  Pat Spillane  Kerry  19-123  180  56 games  1974-1991  3.2 


I find it laughable people think COC shouldn't be on the Mayo team personally. His scoring rate is phenomenal.

PS. Looking at that list, I really think Paddy Bradley wasn't as recognized as he should have been nationally as he was on a weaker side as opposed to some other forwards of that era.

Paddy Bradley was top notch, I never really appreciated how good he was till I saw him the flesh!! Himself and Enda Muldoon were an deadly duo in the full forward line for a couple of seasons!!