Mayo v Galway, MacHale Park, Sunday 13th May 4pm

Started by From the Bunker, April 01, 2018, 08:44:18 PM

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seafoid

How many Corofin lads are likely to feature the next day?
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

An Fhairche Abu

One or none is the logical bet.

Ian Burke is the only player who could be involved and he'll be most likely involved from the bench IMO. Brannigan's injury means that there is another spot probably open in the forwards for the Mayo match but Burke doesn't fit into Brannigan's role at all. Comer, McHugh (has not played championship yet but greatly improved from general play this year compared to 2017 league and is the most reliable free taker we have by a country mile) and Heaney are all certs to start in the forwards. Shane Walsh will surely get the nod as well after a reasonable game against Dublin. Daly and Armstrong will be pushing for a start, Varley has come in to finish a lot of games during the league as well.  There is also the possibility that KW will go for 3 midfielder players for a combo of Duggan/Cooke/Conroy with one of them named in the HF line as seen in the league final, so that's another spot gone maybe.
Personally I would like to see a Burke/Comer FF line from the get go as Burke is a skilful, unselfish player with superb vision who would compliment Comer very well but I can't see them lining out that way from the start.

You cannot jettison Lavelle - who performed very well in the league - for Power. His meltdown against the Rossies last year was a team failing. I've seen nearly every Galway league and championship match the past two years and I've said it here numerous times, the kick-out strategy as a whole is the problem regardless of whether you have Lavelle or Power in there.
I don't see Steede and Molloy near it for Mayo but moving forward who knows how they'll go within the group. The impact of the Corofin players could be minimal in May I think.

seafoid

Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on April 19, 2018, 10:19:50 AM
One or none is the logical bet.

Ian Burke is the only player who could be involved and he'll be most likely involved from the bench IMO. Brannigan's injury means that there is another spot probably open in the forwards for the Mayo match but Burke doesn't fit into Brannigan's role at all. Comer, McHugh (has not played championship yet but greatly improved from general play this year compared to 2017 league and is the most reliable free taker we have by a country mile) and Heaney are all certs to start in the forwards. Shane Walsh will surely get the nod as well after a reasonable game against Dublin. Daly and Armstrong will be pushing for a start, Varley has come in to finish a lot of games during the league as well.  There is also the possibility that KW will go for 3 midfielder players for a combo of Duggan/Cooke/Conroy with one of them named in the HF line as seen in the league final, so that's another spot gone maybe.
Personally I would like to see a Burke/Comer FF line from the get go as Burke is a skilful, unselfish player with superb vision who would compliment Comer very well but I can't see them lining out that way from the start.

You cannot jettison Lavelle - who performed very well in the league - for Power. His meltdown against the Rossies last year was a team failing. I've seen nearly every Galway league and championship match the past two years and I've said it here numerous times, the kick-out strategy as a whole is the problem regardless of whether you have Lavelle or Power in there.
I don't see Steede and Molloy near it for Mayo but moving forward who knows how they'll go within the group. The impact of the Corofin players could be minimal in May I think.
this year if they get to the Super 8 it will be more like a soccer tournament where squad depth is important. So there could be a few changes between May and later on
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

galwayman

Quote from: An Fhairche Abu on April 19, 2018, 10:19:50 AM
One or none is the logical bet.

Ian Burke is the only player who could be involved and he'll be most likely involved from the bench IMO. Brannigan's injury means that there is another spot probably open in the forwards for the Mayo match but Burke doesn't fit into Brannigan's role at all. Comer, McHugh (has not played championship yet but greatly improved from general play this year compared to 2017 league and is the most reliable free taker we have by a country mile) and Heaney are all certs to start in the forwards. Shane Walsh will surely get the nod as well after a reasonable game against Dublin. Daly and Armstrong will be pushing for a start, Varley has come in to finish a lot of games during the league as well.  There is also the possibility that KW will go for 3 midfielder players for a combo of Duggan/Cooke/Conroy with one of them named in the HF line as seen in the league final, so that's another spot gone maybe.
Personally I would like to see a Burke/Comer FF line from the get go as Burke is a skilful, unselfish player with superb vision who would compliment Comer very well but I can't see them lining out that way from the start.

You cannot jettison Lavelle - who performed very well in the league - for Power. His meltdown against the Rossies last year was a team failing. I've seen nearly every Galway league and championship match the past two years and I've said it here numerous times, the kick-out strategy as a whole is the problem regardless of whether you have Lavelle or Power in there.
I don't see Steede and Molloy near it for Mayo but moving forward who knows how they'll go within the group. The impact of the Corofin players could be minimal in May I think.
Agreed Burke or nobody for Mayo anyway.
I feel we will miss Silke though he's a quality player.

macdanger2

This was how we lined out last May and what changes I think we're likely to have this time around:

D Clarke - will start
C Barrett - will start if he's fit. If not, Harrison (if fit), Crowe or EOD to replace him
G Cafferkey - unlikely to start, one of the three named above will start instead
K Higgins - will start but maybe not in the backs
D Vaughan - will start
L Keegan - injured. Boyle likely to start instead
P Durcan (0-01) - will start
S O'Shea - will start
T Parsons - will start
F Boland (0-01) - won't start but could come on as a sub. Getting targeted for kickouts by Derry damaged his chances last year
D O'Connor (0-01) - will start
S Coen - 50/50 to start, could start in the backs with maybe Higgins sweeping / playing further forward. I probably wouldn't start him but I'd say Rochford will
K McLoughlin (1-01) - will start
C O'Connor (c) (0-06, 0-05f) - will start if fit but that's probably 50/50, Loftus to come in if he's not
A Moran (0-01). - will start

Subs:
A O'Shea for S O'Shea (48), - will start
D Kirby for Moran (48), - has gone a good bit down the pecking order I'd say
J Doherty for McLoughlin (58), - 50/50 to start, I would start him but I think Rochford might keep him in reserve so that we have good forward options on the bench
E Regan for Boland (61), - won't start but likely to come on
C Boyle for Vaughan (69), - will start
D Drake for D O'Connor (73) - won't start but tends to get a few mins at the end of games regularly

Others in with a shout:
Harrison
Crowe
EOD
Loftus
Nally

Overall not a whole pile of change to our starting lineup but we have more depth on the bench (except for in the forwards where we're very light :()

An Fhairche Abu

Interesting exercise to compare from last year, IMO for Galway there will be more changes to both the starting 15 and the players who come in from the bench if league form counts:

R Lavelle – Will start
C Sweeney – Will start
D Kyne – Will start
L Silke – No longer on panel
G Bradshaw – Will start
G O'Donnell - Sub
D Wynne - Sub
T Flynn - Sub
F Ó Curraoin – Injured
J Heaney – Will start
P Conroy – Will start
S Walsh – Will start
M Daly – 50/50 start or sub
D Comer – Will start
S Armstrong – Sub

Subs:
G Sice – Retired
E Brannigan – Injured
D Cummins – Injured
M Lundy – No longer on panel

Kerin will start. Ian Burke a possibility but more likely a sub. Varley, Patrick Sweeney, Duane have been thereabouts at times in the league.

O'Ceallaigh, Cooke and McHugh are all highly likely to make their first championship appearance. Seán Kelly and Duggan in the mix to possibly do so as well. If Galway line out as per the league final that would be 5 championship neophytes.

And perhaps that is just too many debutants to field against this battle hardened Mayo team who won't take Galway for granted like in 2016/17 and who, as Andy Moran said lately, "love big games".
We have also seen since KW took over that some players who saw extensive minutes in the league (e.g. Kyne in '15, McHugh in '17) haven't then gone on to feature at all in that years championship so the assumptions I've made above may prove to be very foolish in time.

Farrandeelin

What's the consensus among Galway fans re the game AFA? For instance it seems a do or die game for Mayo seeing as the loser enters the backdoor at the first stage and the fact time and tide waits for no man. Is there as much pressure on the Galway team in that sense is what I am trying to ask?
Inaugural Football Championship Prediction Winner.

mrhardyannual

Apart from the obvious additional chance of meeting another "strong" county at the early stages of the qualifiers I fail to see the huge danger to Mayo that others do in the back-door route. The players themselves are on record as saying that playing matches week to week is easier on the body and more enjoyable than training for a fortnight or more for a game. Momentum is built. A fortune is spent on S&C , physio, diet, recovery etc so that players are at a near professional level. Playing a game week on week over two months could hardly be too onerous. This Mayo team thrives on this kind of situation and are relatively "lightly run" in the current season. There was few signs of fatigue at the end of last year's competition and that included extra time and replays which are unusual.

macdanger2

I don't think this game is do or die for Mayo either, we could learn plenty about the fringe players by going through the backdoor

An Fhairche Abu

Quote from: Farrandeelin on April 19, 2018, 12:45:23 PM
What's the consensus among Galway fans re the game AFA? For instance it seems a do or die game for Mayo seeing as the loser enters the backdoor at the first stage and the fact time and tide waits for no man. Is there as much pressure on the Galway team in that sense is what I am trying to ask?

Someone still living in the county will be much better placed to comment on the local expectations than me but personally I think that while there's definitely more pressure on Galway this year, this is not a "do or die" situation.
I expect this to be a savage hard game for Galway to win, they'll be no f**king around from Mayo and the big problem for the loser is the qualifier draw afterwards, who wants to possibly play Monaghan or Tyrone away at the start of June in a win or go home situation having just lost to their big provincial rival?

In terms of who needs to win more it's obviously Mayo, the less number of matches for the core Mayo men the better, maybe I'm wrong on that but there's been a few near misses along the way and they won't want to leave it to chance. When the draw was made I was firmly of the opinion that if Mayo were to lose in May they were in big trouble but on reflection they will more than likely just keep going and will improve as the year goes on, just like they have every other year. I think Galway can recover also if they go through the qualifier route to make the Super 8 (dependant on the draw of course).

While there's been incremental progress every year under KW, in the cold light of day Galway have had 3 very disappointing and tame exits to the championship in 15/16/17, that needs to be rectified this year by getting to the Super 8s and performing well, they may not be able to get to a semi final but I think it will be disastrous moving forward if Galway don't make that round robin stage, for me whether they get there via Connacht (preferable of course) or the qualifiers is much of a muchness.
All evidence would say that there's definitely more chance of Galway blowing up at some point this summer than Mayo if they lose on the 13th but staying up in Division One was massive, the matches against the top teams so far this year for both the new players and the older lads can only bring them on a ton, really they can only be judged on the 2018 overall performance when assessed at the end of the year, the Galway set-up deserve that at the very least.

Orchard park

Quote from: macdanger2 on April 19, 2018, 01:27:26 PM
I don't think this game is do or die for Mayo either, we could learn plenty about the fringe players by going through the backdoor

and Stephen Rochford is such a good man at using those fringe players

seafoid

Mayo are better than any team they'll meet in the QFs.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU

Rossfan

19 pages and the match still 24 days away!!!
A definite 100 pager at least.
Davy's given us a dream to cling to
We're going to bring home the SAM

thebuzz

Quote from: seafoid on April 19, 2018, 03:06:14 PM
Mayo are better than any team they'll meet in the QFs.

Mayo are better than any team they'll meet in the qualifiers. However they can be caught cold at that time of the year and in my view rode their luck early on last year.

seafoid

What do Mayo fans think of Rochford? Could anyone else have squeezed more out of the team?
Whenever they do leave the scene it will feel strange. They have been on the go for most of this decade.
"f**k it, just score"- Donaghy   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbxG2WwVRjU