All Ireland Football semi-final;Mayo v Kerry,Sunday Aug 20

[Wildweasel74]

mayo most hated, hell no they are by far the most popular by a long distance, though some mayo posters on here would change your mind lol
Like a shark once they smell blood  in the water they go for it and have risen back to the level where we expect Mayo to be.

[Mayo4Sam]

Watching it back this morning, just a few thoughts

Spillane is hilarious, it's a show of weakness to play AOS at FB but no mention of dropping a POTY for a back.

Thought Gough was good in fairness, the DOS and Durcan decisions aside. Buckley got a second yellow for an arm around the neck, same as the other high tackles. Probably should have been a penalty for a Boyle foot block but hard to spot

DOC was outstanding, really stood up, like Andy he always wins his ball. Conor Loftus needs to have more respect for the ball and possession. Keegan is obviously still sick after the cellulitis. Boyler was immense obviously. Harrison kept Geaney in check again, another good day. Same with Higgins

I never realised until these two games but Geaney gets involved in afters ALL the time. Great niggle in fairness

Delighted for Rochford, it wasn't just Sweeney, every man and a dog at home was giving out about him. Vindication and back to back finals, great stuff

[Syferus]

Watching it back this morning, just a few thoughts

Spillane is hilarious, it's a show of weakness to play AOS at FB but no mention of dropping a POTY for a back.

Thought Gough was good in fairness, the DOS and Durcan decisions aside. Buckley got a second yellow for an arm around the neck, same as the other high tackles. Probably should have been a penalty for a Boyle foot block but hard to spot

DOC was outstanding, really stood up, like Andy he always wins his ball. Conor Loftus needs to have more respect for the ball and possession. Keegan is obviously still sick after the cellulitis. Boyler was immense obviously. Harrison kept Geaney in check again, another good day. Same with Higgins

I never realised until these two games but Geaney gets involved in afters ALL the time. Great niggle in fairness

Delighted for Rochford, it wasn't just Sweeney, every man and a dog at home was giving out about him. Vindication and back to back finals, great stuff

I don't see how rowing back on his mad change from last week is any sort of vindication for Rochford. If anything it was an admittance he was wrong. It doesn't say much for his game management that it took watching back the tape to realise it, because he certainly didn't change it during the first game. Mayo were clearly the better side the first day too, in case any Mayo supporters try to colour this as a vindication after very warranted criticism of Rochford.

[Mayo4Sam]

What exactly did he row back on? AOS stayed FB and was outstanding. He got all the match ups correct. Had the balls to bench Durcan and take off Diarmuid at HT.

McStay put the boot in yesterday, let himself down badly. It's laughable that he said the first day was mayos best forward display in a long time. That's more blinkered than you Syf, we did put 20 points on Roscommon

[thewobbler]

Something interesting from a Mayo perspective.

Up until the Ros replay they looked confused at what to do once they crossed the 65; didn't know whether to bomb, pass, run or hold. Looked like a team that had no defined style of play.

Since then they've looked like a team who can vary their attacking style depending on the opposition, and even change if up mid game. Players are reading the game and doing it with conviction. Which means even seasoned, clinical defences like Kerry are kept thinking. Pushing up on Mayo's half back line is still the most appropriate opposition response as Mayo's running game is still their strongest suit, but I'm so glad to see they've a few other suits they're happy to try on. They've only been a couple of mistakes in defence / a touch of variety in attack short of winning Sam up to now. They've a real, real chance in 3 week, no matter who wins today.

[Wildweasel74]

Funny there was 10+ pages on O`Shea the last day but not a peep about him from yesterday, wonder why!

[seafoid]

Another great performance from Mayo today. There has been an upward curve since the Galway game. Ironically if Keith hadnt been sent off we would have beaten Galway and might not have improved as much. I suggested after the drawn game with Ros that the problem was one of lack of concentration and focus. Getting back to the All-Ireland Final was the only target this year but focussing on the steps  needed to get there proved troublesome. As Rochford said on RTE this evening there were signs there that things were coming together and that individual players were working their way back to top form. In different games starting with Derry, AOS, DOC, Keegan, Durkan, Boyler, Andy and McLoughlinn have shown that they were back. The icing on the cake for me was the improvement in Harrison after injury and in the past few weeks the form of SOS, Vaughan  and Doherty who was superb again today. The AOS to full back ploy settled the back line, not because Aido was brilliant there but because the knowledge that he would challenge Star physically and aerially allowed the rest of the backs concentrate on their own individual battles. Today the sideline can take credit for timely changes and good tactics.

It is laughable that so many posters who have being writing off this team all season are now reduced to carping that Mayo were poor because they didn't finish Kerry the first day or hammer them today. As I have been confident all year I will carry on in the same vein for the next three weeks regardless of the opposition. We have a fighter's chance.

At least. Sometime the time has arrived

[Zulu]

Wouldn't agree with those calling Kerry poor. Mayo are a serious team with plenty of experienced proven IC footballers and will challenge anyone, yet Kerry were very unlucky not to get two goals, and bring this to the wire. Moran, Geaney, O'Donoghue, Walsh, Crowley, Young, Donaghy and (probably) Morley, Griffin are quality IC players. Moran, Geaney and O'Donoghue would probably make an Irish team, Geaney would be the main forward. If they can bring through a few players from their recent successful minor teams they'll win senior championships pretty soon.

How could you leave possibly one of the best of them Paul Murphy out of that long list is beyond me.

+1

Yeah, should have included him too.

[Wildweasel74]

Paul Murphy could still get a game for a u-16 team

[shark]

Something interesting from a Mayo perspective.

Up until the Ros replay they looked confused at what to do once they crossed the 65; didn't know whether to bomb, pass, run or hold. Looked like a team that had no defined style of play.

Since then they've looked like a team who can vary their attacking style depending on the opposition, and even change if up mid game. Players are reading the game and doing it with conviction. Which means even seasoned, clinical defences like Kerry are kept thinking. Pushing up on Mayo's half back line is still the most appropriate opposition response as Mayo's running game is still their strongest suit, but I'm so glad to see they've a few other suits they're happy to try on. They've only been a couple of mistakes in defence / a touch of variety in attack short of winning Sam up to now. They've a real, real chance in 3 week, no matter who wins today.

Mayo look like a team who at all times know exactly what they are trying to do. Every player seems to know his role. That is huge credit to the management.

[IolarCoisCuain]

Something interesting from a Mayo perspective.

Up until the Ros replay they looked confused at what to do once they crossed the 65; didn't know whether to bomb, pass, run or hold. Looked like a team that had no defined style of play.

Since then they've looked like a team who can vary their attacking style depending on the opposition, and even change if up mid game. Players are reading the game and doing it with conviction. Which means even seasoned, clinical defences like Kerry are kept thinking. Pushing up on Mayo's half back line is still the most appropriate opposition response as Mayo's running game is still their strongest suit, but I'm so glad to see they've a few other suits they're happy to try on. They've only been a couple of mistakes in defence / a touch of variety in attack short of winning Sam up to now. They've a real, real chance in 3 week, no matter who wins today.

Think you're spot on there Wobbler. Mayo turned a corner between the first and second Roscommon games. Biased I know but I'd fancy them against any team in the country now - other than Roscommon, of course. Gaelic-football-playing Greek gods, Roscommon.

[Jinxy]

Funny there was 10+ pages on O`Shea the last day but not a peep about him from yesterday, wonder why!

To be fair, Mayo were utterly dominant around the middle third and there was nothing like the quality of ball going into Donaghy compared with last week.

[Lar Naparka]

I think they'll beat the fund in the final this year IF they make it.  Not so sure if they'll beat the red hands

Mayo would definitely beat Tyrone IMO but they'll need a bit of form or luck to beat Dublin. Tyrone would make it attritional which Mayo win every time but Dublin would be down to scorers and they've more of them.

[/b]

That's fair enough, Zulu, on the surface that seems to be the case alright but yet...
Over the two games Mayo scored a total of 4-30- not bad by any standards. Okay, it's easy in hindsight to say that Kerry are crap but that wasn't what the cognoscenti were thinking right up to the start of the drawn game.
The common belief was that Kerry would win pulling up. Now, four goals and thirty points later, Kerry are left wondering what hit them. Mayo may not have Dublin's 'marquee' forwards but it  not a case of 'how but of how many.'
In common or garden terms, it is the team with the highest score that wins, the manner of how they were scored doesn't come into it.
Mayo depend a lot on the midfield and half backs to add to their tally and just about anyone on the field is likely to show up and have a pop. After two hectic games last year, Dublin managed to eke out a win though the issue was in doubt up to the last kick of the ball.
This year, Mayo's scoring potential had improved dramatically. Marquee forwards will have to scrap for every ball as if their lives depended on it.
Whoever meets Mayo in the final will have a game on their hands. I can't see this team being afraid of either.
Now, something to consider...
I think everyone agrees that this Dublin side is the best there has been but at this point, I part company with the majority. Some Dublin apologists will swear that all this is down to the sheer class and innate skills of every mother's son on the team.To believe this,you'd have to accept that the advantage Dublin enjoys over every other team in the land is of no importance. So the ultra professional set up and the state of the art facilities and the expertise of the backroom staff count for little or nothing.
Now, go back to last year's final for a moment.
Supposing by magical means Dublin and Mayo had swopped places a month or so beforehand, who would be All Ireland champions now?
That means that Clucko and Berno and Dermo et all would have to rush from work or study to get into a car with four or five others and and travel over 1,000 a week in this fashion travelling to and from training. All they'd get for sustenance before heading back would be a sandwich in a cardboard box. Workers would have to make arrangements with their bosses and students would have to juggle classes or rely on others for their notes taken at  lectures.
The list goes on and on and on..
Dublin have a fine team alright but but a touch of realism is required. Mayo needn't fear the winner today.

[From the Bunker]

Funny there was 10+ pages on O`Shea the last day but not a peep about him from yesterday, wonder why!

It's called winning.

[Ballaghman]

Delighted for Rochford after all the stick he has taken this summer. He stuck to his guns and had Fitzmaurice on the run both days but especially yesterday. He stuck with AOS at full back who rewarded him with an improved performance and they tweaked it a little to get Donaghy on the back foot a bit more. Higgins was unreal in front of him, what a player.
Serious performances all over the field and really could have been a 10 point win but we'll gladly take the 5. An exceptional group of footballers now have to finish the job and secure that title they crave. Anything else will be failure to them.