Mayo v Down - March 11th

[Mayo4Sam]

A win here, and that's what I'd expect, should mean definitely status retained and probably a semi final.
This was an entertaining match last year but without Clarke down don't look the same team, Donegal beating cork has really screwed them in their relegation battle.

Would like to see AOS and Barry Moran given another go, Doc moved into the FF line, prob for Conor based on last Saturday nite. Would also like to see Keane moved into full back for a game, he'll be there for the Dublin match and a bit of experience there would do no harm. Having said that Caff should be ideal for Benny C, if he's playing FF

[muppet]

A win here, and that's what I'd expect, should mean definitely status retained and probably a semi final.
This was an entertaining match last year but without Clarke down don't look the same team, Donegal beating cork has really screwed them in their relegation battle.

Would like to see AOS and Barry Moran given another go, Doc moved into the FF line, prob for Conor based on last Saturday nite. Would also like to see Keane moved into full back for a game, he'll be there for the Dublin match and a bit of experience there would do no harm. Having said that Caff should be ideal for Benny C, if he's playing FF

Why?

[Mayo4Sam]

Caff will be out on family commitments I think, that's me assuming that rather than it being concrete info though

[muppet]

Caff will be out on family commitments I think, that's me assuming that rather than it being concrete info though

Alan Feeney surely if he is fit?

[Keane]

Who's Doc? Jason Doherty?

[rosnarun]

I cant understand everyones rush to get conor mortimer off the mayo team. hes been our most consistent forwrard for the last ten years and one of the best free takers in the country .  A legend surely Deserving of repect nbot peole looking for a quiet jalf from him in order to drop him..
can it really be  that some people Still cant get past the bleached hair?

[Tubberman]

Who's Doc? Jason Doherty?

Yep.

[ross4life]

With the Doc on board Mayo are going to travel back to 1996 to change history by stopping the ball from bouncing over the bar.

[Tubberman]

I cant understand everyones rush to get conor mortimer off the mayo team. hes been our most consistent forwrard for the last ten years and one of the best free takers in the country .  A legend surely Deserving of repect nbot peole looking for a quiet jalf from him in order to drop him..
can it really be  that some people Still cant get past the bleached hair?

I think it's that people don't trust him to take the right option at vital times, or to adapt to different situations in games.

[southdown]

Down are on a bit of a low at the minute, Im not overly optimistic but surely the boys are biting at the chance to turn things around.  Really dont know what to expect.

[Cosmo Kramer]

I cant understand everyones rush to get conor mortimer off the mayo team. hes been our most consistent forwrard for the last ten years and one of the best free takers in the country .  A legend surely Deserving of repect nbot peole looking for a quiet jalf from him in order to drop him..
can it really be  that some people Still cant get past the bleached hair?

Its Peter Stringer/Robbie Keane syndrome transferred into gaelic football I think. Fellas that have been around so long that you take all the positive things they do for granted and focus on their weaknesses too much. It's only when they're gone that it is realised what they did so well in the first place, and then they're missed. Until such time as there is someone out there who offers more from open play than Mort and can kick frees with as high a success rate on the right hand side as he can, he should be in the team.

For me, the one out of the older guard in the forwards who should be most at risk based on form is Dillon, but I just cannot see Horan dropping him. He is not a centre half forward and the likes of McLoughlin and Freeman are doing more than him in the wing half forward positions at the moment. I'm struggling to think when Dillon last had an outstanding game for Mayo - I'd say its been a year or two.

[Mayo4Sam]

I've always been a big fan of Conor, love the attitude, his post match comments after the Connacht final '06,I think, were classic where he basically said it was great to be able to win the match on his own. The fact that he could do it after missing a similar free previously was outstanding.
As someone once said to me he's a little bollix but he's our little bollix. 
And without knowing the lad I'd say he has grown up a lot over the years and seems a sound fella.

All that said I don't think he's in our best 6 forwards and nothing he has done over the last ten years make a blind bit of difference to that, IMO COC is almost as good on frees and adds more from open play

[sans pessimism]

I cant understand everyones rush to get conor mortimer off the mayo team. hes been our most consistent forwrard for the last ten years and one of the best free takers in the country .  A legend surely Deserving of repect nbot peole looking for a quiet jalf from him in order to drop him..
can it really be  that some people Still cant get past the bleached hair?

Its Peter Stringer/Robbie Keane syndrome transferred into gaelic football I think. Fellas that have been around so long that you take all the positive things they do for granted and focus on their weaknesses too much. It's only when they're gone that it is realised what they did so well in the first place, and then they're missed. Until such time as there is someone out there who offers more from open play than Mort and can kick frees with as high a success rate on the right hand side as he can, he should be in the team.

For me, the one out of the older guard in the forwards who should be most at risk based on form is Dillon, but I just cannot see Horan dropping him. He is not a centre half forward and the likes of McLoughlin and Freeman are doing more than him in the wing half forward positions at the moment. I'm struggling to think when Dillon last had an outstanding game for Mayo - I'd say its been a year or two.

cillian o connor. I rest my case(also Cil's work rate is 300% higher....doesn't get pushed
off the ball at the first nudge .......shines in Croke Park.......'nough said)

[Syferus]

I cant understand everyones rush to get conor mortimer off the mayo team. hes been our most consistent forwrard for the last ten years and one of the best free takers in the country .  A legend surely Deserving of repect nbot peole looking for a quiet jalf from him in order to drop him..
can it really be  that some people Still cant get past the bleached hair?

Its Peter Stringer/Robbie Keane syndrome transferred into gaelic football I think. Fellas that have been around so long that you take all the positive things they do for granted and focus on their weaknesses too much. It's only when they're gone that it is realised what they did so well in the first place, and then they're missed. Until such time as there is someone out there who offers more from open play than Mort and can kick frees with as high a success rate on the right hand side as he can, he should be in the team.

For me, the one out of the older guard in the forwards who should be most at risk based on form is Dillon, but I just cannot see Horan dropping him. He is not a centre half forward and the likes of McLoughlin and Freeman are doing more than him in the wing half forward positions at the moment. I'm struggling to think when Dillon last had an outstanding game for Mayo - I'd say its been a year or two.

cillian o connor. I rest my case(also Cil's work rate is 300% higher....doesn't get pushed
off the ball at the first nudge .......shines in Croke Park.......'nough said)

I think Cillian O'Connor has a great head on his shoulders but he was no where near as impressive as people made out last year, he was able to accurately take frees and I suppose with Mayo's previous problems in that area it reflected very positively on him. He was a solid but completely unspectacular presence from play. It'll be another couple years yet before any team is particularly worried about facing Cillian O'Connor. I'd certainly rate Conor Mort higher than him at this moment.

[Mac2]

I cant understand everyones rush to get conor mortimer off the mayo team. hes been our most consistent forwrard for the last ten years and one of the best free takers in the country .  A legend surely Deserving of repect nbot peole looking for a quiet jalf from him in order to drop him..
can it really be  that some people Still cant get past the bleached hair?

I'm finding it hard to get past 'repect nbot peole', it's not a case of hoping he'll have a poor game more so that others will hit their potential that have more to offer, nothing wrong with that teams should be built on form. He may be a better option off the bench anyway. Any update on the team for Sunday?