AIF 2021 -- Maigh Eo vs Tír Eoghain

[Mayo4Sam14]

Mullins (if fit) to take on Donnelly?

[thewobbler]

The Aidan OS question is interesting. *If* he does start it has to be a kind of centre forward ish role, drifting into a third midfield role when need to give DOC and Ruane a bit of height and steel and sometimes drifting into full forward when it's on

This has been a common theme on this thread.

Can anyone explain to me why AOS wouldn't play midfield against Tyrone? Given that Tyrone (based on the last few games) do not have the same pace and athleticism in midfield as they do elsewhere, would it not be the best place for him to line out? And beyond this, if played there, that he would be the best fielder in the midfield are a by a distance... surely surely it's the obvious call to slap no.8 on his back and play him between the 65s?

[MayoBuck]

Mullins (if fit) to take on Donnelly?

I'd say Mullin on McKenna. Keegan is made for Donnelly as he will drift outfield at times.

[Mayo4Sam14]

The Aidan OS question is interesting. *If* he does start it has to be a kind of centre forward ish role, drifting into a third midfield role when need to give DOC and Ruane a bit of height and steel and sometimes drifting into full forward when it's on

This has been a common theme on this thread.

Can anyone explain to me why AOS wouldn't play midfield against Tyrone? Given that Tyrone (based on the last few games) do not have the same pace and athleticism in midfield as they do elsewhere, would it not be the best place for him to line out? And beyond this, if played there, that he would be the best fielder in the midfield are a by a distance... surely surely it's the obvious call to slap no.8 on his back and play him between the 65s?

I'd still prefer to see him with legs around him in midfield. It's also the question of mayo lacking a target man in the forwards. But it's been proven now that if AOS is going to be just twiddling his thumbs with no support it's pointless, and he did himself no favour with his performance against Dublin. Yet if he is moved in at the right time, like the second half against Galway, it could work very well

So many ifs

[thewobbler]

Keegan won't be on McKenna I wouldn't think. McKenna drifts in and out of games and is quite content to hang around away from the action. If the semi showed us anything, it's that Leroy needs to be plum central in the thick of things, to drive Mayo forward.

[Mayo4Sam14]

Rewatching Tyrone Kerry, I do worry about Mayo faffing around in front of Tyrones defences and running down blind alleys/into tackles and gifting turnovers

[lenny]

I can only see one winner unfortunately and that's Tyrone. I would love to see this mayo side get over the line after so many heartbreaks. If you look at both sides options up front it's clear tyrone have much the better players. They also have excellent forwards to come off the bench like mcshane, canavan and bradley. Mayo have better defenders but tyrone defend well as a unit. Mayo probably shade midfield but tyrone were cleaned out in midfield v kerry and it didn't matter. Mayo's running game will play into tyrones hands and I fancy tyrone to win comfortably enough in the end.

[Blowitupref]

The Aidan OS question is interesting. *If* he does start it has to be a kind of centre forward ish role, drifting into a third midfield role when need to give DOC and Ruane a bit of height and steel and sometimes drifting into full forward when it's on

This has been a common theme on this thread.

Can anyone explain to me why AOS wouldn't play midfield against Tyrone? Given that Tyrone (based on the last few games) do not have the same pace and athleticism in midfield as they do elsewhere, would it not be the best place for him to line out? And beyond this, if played there, that he would be the best fielder in the midfield are a by a distance... surely surely it's the obvious call to slap no.8 on his back and play him between the 65s?

Because Mayo are unlikely to change their midfield pairing of Diarmuid O'Connor and Matthew Ruane who played so well against Dublin. Ruane has been the best fielder of the ball on the Mayo team this year and his direct play/running is one area that Tyrone will have to stop. 

[thewobbler]

Would you honestly say DOC was that good against Dublin?

He played decent. Put in a good shift doing the dirty jobs well.

But that does not an unbreakable midfield partnership make.

DOC on McGeary has genuine merit. We all know McGeary is going to turn up everywhere. But if his shadow, and fellow absolutely everywhere outlet, is a footballer as capable as DOC, this might well be counter productive energy on Tyrone's behalf

[Mayo4Sam14]

Would you honestly say DOC was that good against Dublin?

He played decent. Put in a good shift doing the dirty jobs well.

But that does not an unbreakable midfield partnership make.

DOC on McGeary has genuine merit. We all know McGeary is going to turn up everywhere. But if his shadow, and fellow absolutely everywhere outlet, is a footballer as capable as DOC, this might well be counter productive energy on Tyrone's behalf

I think that DOC does a lot of the work that goes unnoticed and I appreciated more when I watched the match back

[RedHand88]

I can only see one winner unfortunately and that's Tyrone. I would love to see this mayo side get over the line after so many heartbreaks. If you look at both sides options up front it's clear tyrone have much the better players. They also have excellent forwards to come off the bench like mcshane, canavan and bradley. Mayo have better defenders but tyrone defend well as a unit. Mayo probably shade midfield but tyrone were cleaned out in midfield v kerry and it didn't matter. Mayo's running game will play into tyrones hands and I fancy tyrone to win comfortably enough in the end.

Classic example of cute hoorism before a final. You won't lull us into a sense of expectation 

[larryin89]

I can only see one winner unfortunately and that's Tyrone. I would love to see this mayo side get over the line after so many heartbreaks. If you look at both sides options up front it's clear tyrone have much the better players. They also have excellent forwards to come off the bench like mcshane, canavan and bradley. Mayo have better defenders but tyrone defend well as a unit. Mayo probably shade midfield but tyrone were cleaned out in midfield v kerry and it didn't matter. Mayo's running game will play into tyrones hands and I fancy tyrone to win comfortably enough in the end.

[Mayo4Sam14]

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/jim-mcguinness-mayo-won-t-offer-up-the-same-gifts-as-kerry-1.4663136?fbclid=IwAR3K3VArO6XAyHjNX_c97JJBQmO6u85Cdk8Tu89LfW9xBxioz0ErV-rCkVk&mode=amp

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

An awful lot of second guessing about how impressive each semi final victory was. I was listening to the Mayo News podcast where someone said Tyrone had beaten a poor Kerry side and that it couldn't compare to their win over the great Dublin side. And that might be true, but equally you could build a case that the Dubs were a much diminished outfit on and off the field this year and until they came up against Mayo hadn't played anybody all summer who had any belief at all that they might win. When Mayo did that the Dubs folded completely. Ultimately we haven't got that much to go on this year and there isn't a really good form guide.

I stick by what I've said all summer: Tyrone are a team in transition and even with a normal season with McKenna Cup and full league it was going to be a big ask for Logan and Dooher. I always thought next year and the year after were the best bets, with more time for them to get their ideas across and with their u21 crop at a great age and with Donnelly and Petey Harte still around. To have reached this final with a shortened season, with McShane and Canavan having not bedded in as hoped with injury, with McKenna still to find his ideal role, is quite extraordinary. But with momentum behind them, who knows.

Ultimately though, Mayo are more settled and have been here more often of late. I think Mayo will win, and if Tyrone have to lose an AI then there truly is no team I'd rather lose to. Doesn't mean I'm conceding though 

[Lar Naparka]

Mayo wont lose this one , mayo are the best team in Ireland at present and will win this comfortably  by a bigger margin than anyone will predict .

Not me!
I did predict that Mayo.would beat Dublin by a half dozen points at the start of thàt semi thread and I see no reason to alter my view this time.
Okay the result was only half that but my money will be on Mayo this time also.