Mayo v Galway 27th February 2011, Tuam Stadium

[Barney]

So while our rugby team slug it out in Murrayfield the glories of Tuam await the green and red next Sunday. It is early in the season but you would think that the loser is going to find it very difficult to escape the drop.

Can Mayo maintain their 12 year unbeaten record in Tuam?

[mouview]

So while our rugby team slug it out in Murrayfield the glories of Tuam await the green and red next Sunday. It is early in the season but you would think that the loser is going to find it very difficult to escape the drop.

Can Mayo maintain their 12 year unbeaten record in Tuam?

Oooh cheeky!! 

Hopefully Tuam will be a cauldron on Sunday, making life uncomfortable for the visitors. Nothing like the presence of ..err.... the hometown Ultras to put the fear up the opposition.   

[Duine Eile]

Can't see anything other than another defeat for Galway here. Haven't felt this pessimistic about the year in a long time. Relegation is nearly a certainty at this stage. 

[GalwayBayBoy]

Relegation is nearly a certainty at this stage. 

I actually believe relegation is not that big a deal in itself and doesn't really have as much bearing on how you do in the championship as you would think. The standard is still pretty decent in Div 2 so you would still be playing good teams early in the year. And as our esteemed former captain said division 2 may be a better place to rebuild than division 1. That said you would prefer not to go down obviously if at all possible.

Anyway seems O'Flaharta was in the papers today saying that Meehan and PJ won't play any part in the league but should be back in time for the championship. Also said there has been no contact with Nicky at all about playing for Galway this year. Not looking good for his return.

[Duine Eile]

According to the local grapevine we more than likely won't be seeing Nicky in the maroon this year. I know he's not the most consistent of players but we can ill afford to lose a forward of his ability at the minute.

[GalwayBayBoy]

According to the local grapevine we more than likely won't be seeing Nicky in the maroon this year. I know he's not the most consistent of players but we can ill afford to lose a forward of his ability at the minute.

True and he was exceptionally good for Killererin this year. Best forward in the county championship by a distance I think it's fair to say.

[moysider]

Whatever about Galway's problems Mayo are not short of a few of their own.

While I would take many positives from last Sunday's match I would worry about us - short term anyway.

The positives first. Hennelly was very assured. The penalty stuff is of no real relevance - not even in the context of the match, never mind the big picture, we would hardly have got a good result anyway as we were incapable of scoring any more.

We have a number of defenders playing well and Cunniffe and McLoughlin were flying. However those marveling at Donaghy being kept scoreless are a bit off. Donaghy cherry-picked ball at his ease and it was just good fortune were not punished more. We should also remember that Kerry spurned 2 great goal chances in first quarter. In Sept a few years ago they were going in. Fair play to the full back line for mucking in but an assured controlled defensive performance it was not. No matter, Donaghy and Cooper destroy most and we have bigger problems. Another plus for me is that midfield should be ok. McGarrity's interest and well being is critical however and Moran, O Se and Gibbons probably has us healthier for midfield than we have been for some years. Dillon and Andy are also pluses. Dillon looked shot v Kerry. It was obvious he had no legs after Sigerson 3 days earlier. But we know Dillon will be grand. Gardiner too lacked his usual zip. Andy was like the curates egg the last day but his form is definitely well in the credit column so far this Spring. Campbell too is a plus.
There I 'm afraid the good news ends for me.
The free taking department is a mess. We should forget about even attempting 45s unless the goalie comes up. Kilcoyne wasted over a minute in the first half lining one up and couldn't get it past the first defender. We had the wind and we were wasting valuable time. The ball needed to be moved short and quick. Our frees in general are a terrible frustration around the middle third. We re one of the smallest teams around yet we slow everything down and then just kick it away. It was reassuring to see the usually unruffled Horan losing it with slow ball the last day. At least I assume that was why he was roaring. I presume it will be sorted in training this week and this shite wont be happening next Sunday in Tuam. If it is then alarm bells will be ringing because it will indicate that management see nothing wrong.
The forward set up is not working and as presently constituted will never work. It is dreadfully short of ball winning ability and real pace. Changes in personnel and strategy needed. The problems wont just go away. All very well and talking about rebuilding - again. But the last 2 games have been a reality check.
  Ronaldson got the curly finger again. Why him I m not sure? Maybe they drew lots. Not like he was the main target man or anything. Maybe it s because he is small. Douglas for Ronnie is like for like. Douglas did well but the attack needed restructuring  and not a straight switch. In general our attack is far too narrow and easy to defend. Our inability to hold onto ball inside is killing us by subjecting us to endless counter attack. For two games in a row our forwards were put in a position to win a match but failed miserably. The guys that put us in the position to win games were defenders like Cunniffe and McLoughlin surging into the game.

Not sure w can afford to play 3 inside for much longer. They are just not contributing. as a unit anyway, but there is no unit. Management need to get hard now and make decisions. Of course a new management needs time but they also need to see a disaster when they see it. The next week will be a be a good indicator if these guys have a proper coaching awareness. If the traditional  Mayo approach is going to continue we are bunched.  I ll admit solutions are not obvious because there are few fit alternatives about, if at all. Barry Moran is realistically our best big target man by a mile. Dohery, Douglas, Varley and Ronaldo offer 1 position at best. Harte wont be back before summer earliest. McLoughlin will have to play 12 to give us balance there. James Burke should start at 7. 
I d like to see these forwards start v Galway.

           Andy
Campbell,   McLoughlin
           Dillon
Doherty      Moran
   

[AbbeySider]

...
           Andy
Campbell,   McLoughlin
           Dillon
Doherty      Moran
   

Some good points there Moy, good post.

However are you at risk of over analysing a little when coming to your conclusions?

What I mean is, why move players out of positions when they are playing well? Why move McLoughlin out of wing back if he is playing well there? I dont see the point in taking Dillon away from the half forward line either.

[moysider]

...
           Andy
Campbell,   McLoughlin
           Dillon
Doherty      Moran
   

Some good points there Moy, good post.

However are you at risk of over analysing a little when coming to your conclusions?

What I mean is, why move players out of positions when they are playing well? Why move McLoughlin out of wing back if he is playing well there? I dont see the point in taking Dillon away from the half forward line either.

MCLoughlin has the quality to play several positions and he has in the past. If memory serves me he was full back on a minor team and chf last year on u21. Our forwards are lacking width and he would give us that. Loads of players in the past have moved up. I think we are often too conservative here in Mayo when it comes to players positions. Ger Power, Colm Coyle, Graham Geraghty, Dara O Cinnéide, Brendan Reilly all started as backs for their counties. As well as that I think we are better served with defenders in this panel and can afford to release Kevin to the forwards. We re shy forwards who can play at this level.

My intention was not to take Dillon out of the half forward line as such. But I dont think our flat forward formation is workin. I would stick 15 on Andy and play him deep. I would then have 2 wide half forwards and play Dillon in the hole behind the 2 inside. I think that would suit his game, Allowing him space to run into and use the ball. In the longer term I would be expecting the 2 Freemans and Harte to be in the reckoning and we could end up with something decent.

[maguire 4 mayo]

http://sportsfile.com/id/491702/

..andy and f hanley meet in cong for a chat about the match this weekend !!

[RedandGreenSniper]

...
           Andy
Campbell,   McLoughlin
           Dillon
Doherty      Moran
   

Some good points there Moy, good post.

However are you at risk of over analysing a little when coming to your conclusions?

What I mean is, why move players out of positions when they are playing well? Why move McLoughlin out of wing back if he is playing well there? I dont see the point in taking Dillon away from the half forward line either.

MCLoughlin has the quality to play several positions and he has in the past. If memory serves me he was full back on a minor team and chf last year on u21. Our forwards are lacking width and he would give us that. Loads of players in the past have moved up. I think we are often too conservative here in Mayo when it comes to players positions. Ger Power, Colm Coyle, Graham Geraghty, Dara O Cinnéide, Brendan Reilly all started as backs for their counties. As well as that I think we are better served with defenders in this panel and can afford to release Kevin to the forwards. We re shy forwards who can play at this level.

My intention was not to take Dillon out of the half forward line as such. But I dont think our flat forward formation is workin. I would stick 15 on Andy and play him deep. I would then have 2 wide half forwards and play Dillon in the hole behind the 2 inside. I think that would suit his game, Allowing him space to run into and use the ball. In the longer term I would be expecting the 2 Freemans and Harte to be in the reckoning and we could end up with something decent.

McLoughlin played corner-back at minor level (two years) and played centre-half forward last year with the Under 21s. I've seem him operate in the forward line for Knockmore but when he was at 11 for the U21s last year he looked lost. For all his undoubted attacking ability, I think this is best served from left-half back where he can run off the shoulder and provide the overlap, using his pace, compared to at 12 where he would have to show a lot more dexterity on the ball and that's where his absolute lack of a right foot would kill him. Left footers need to play on the left of defence but on the right of attack to maximise their kicking strengths. He's playing well at 7, he's a young player still trying to establish himself, leave him there.

We're very much a work in progress in attack and we've a lot of things to try out before we need to go tinkering with our defence. Some forwards are struggling for form, some are injured, others let to be given a right crack at it.

I'd like to see this team picked for Sunday

Hennelly
Cunniffe A Feeney C Hallinan
R Feeney G Cafferkey K McLoughlin
R McGarrity J Moran
A Campbell A Moran C Freeman
J Doherty C O'Connor N Douglas

Not dropping anyone per se, I think it is a case of a league where we don't need to get set on our strongest XV too early because different lads are at different levels of development for the year. I'd rest Gardiner and Dillon (both have played a lot with NUIG and Mayo), give James Moran (or Tom Parsons) a try at midfield to see how they do - Gibbons is in pole position but we still need to look at other options too. I'd bring Richie Feeney out to the wing to see how he does there, although there'd be little problem switching him and Cunniffe.
In attack Cathal Freeman is worthy of a start and while that is not the biggest full-forward line ever, I think they have the pace and football ability between them to worry Galway. Neil Douglas' injury notwithstanding. I know Douglas and Doherty are both playing with NUIG as well but they haven't played as much with Mayo this spring. Besides, we know what Dillon and Gardiner can offer. Need to see more of what the younger lads can do. Wouldn't be adverse to having Aidan O'Shea in ff either, even if its not the position for him, as a focal point for perhaps O'Connor and Doherty to work off.

[moysider]

Yeah I d agree we need to look at a few more players. I didn't mean to labour the Kevin McLoughlin point but I reckon it would be a success. If we play a running game, and I think we shall, somebody that gives us width at 12 is essential rather than a right footer that turns in side onto his right and narrows things up. McLoughlin is very comfortable on the ball and always seems to have time. I would not write him off as a forward based on the Roscommon game last year. It had been going well until then but our whole team seemed disjointed on the day and it would have been interesting to see how it would have panned out later if we progressed. The reality was though we needed KMcL and Shane Nally in the half-back line as our midfield was weak. Now I m not sure we can afford to leave arguably our most assured player at 7 when we have good alternatives for there. But hey, I ll let that bone go - for now

A lot to be said for your forwards. I cant see him leave Dillon out though. He ll be fresher this weekend and no matter what anybody says there ll be pressure to get 2 points in Tuam. Though I m not for a second suggesting any county board type is whispering in Horan s ear about staying in Div. 1 so that there ll be more attractive ties next spring to bring the punters through the turnstiles.

Interesting that Jack O Connor said Mayo did best the last day when we played our traditional passing, running game. As I said earlier I expect us to be playing a lot that way. It may be time to ditch any notion of a big target man and concentrate on 2 fast men inside who can win dinky ball into corners and other space and link up with runners. Alan Freeman and Duine Eile. There is no obvious Duine Eile yet though.

[RedandGreenSniper]

Yeah I d agree we need to look at a few more players. I didn't mean to labour the Kevin McLoughlin point but I reckon it would be a success. If we play a running game, and I think we shall, somebody that gives us width at 12 is essential rather than a right footer that turns in side onto his right and narrows things up. McLoughlin is very comfortable on the ball and always seems to have time. I would not write him off as a forward based on the Roscommon game last year. It had been going well until then but our whole team seemed disjointed on the day and it would have been interesting to see how it would have panned out later if we progressed. The reality was though we needed KMcL and Shane Nally in the half-back line as our midfield was weak. Now I m not sure we can afford to leave arguably our most assured player at 7 when we have good alternatives for there. But hey, I ll let that bone go - for now

A lot to be said for your forwards. I cant see him leave Dillon out though. He ll be fresher this weekend and no matter what anybody says there ll be pressure to get 2 points in Tuam. Though I m not for a second suggesting any county board type is whispering in Horan s ear about staying in Div. 1 so that there ll be more attractive ties next spring to bring the punters through the turnstiles.

Interesting that Jack O Connor said Mayo did best the last day when we played our traditional passing, running game. As I said earlier I expect us to be playing a lot that way. It may be time to ditch any notion of a big target man and concentrate on 2 fast men inside who can win dinky ball into corners and other space and link up with runners. Alan Freeman and Duine Eile. There is no obvious Duine Eile yet though.

I hear you about width at 12 but I'm still not convinced about McLoughlin there. If we want width we could just play Campbell at 12 and a right footer at 10.

Yeah, now that you say it Dillon is unlikely to be rested, big game and all. I'm curious to see what sort of attacking system we do set up. Certainly Alan Freeman will be key to it as he can play as a target man at 14 or one of two fast inside men to equal effect. You are right about the second corner man - could be anyone from C O'Connor, Doherty, Kilcoyne, Ronaldson, Douglas and Varley. If none of the latter five nail down the position during the league, I think we'll see Cillian there in the summer.

[Farrandeelin]

There is no obvious Duine Eile yet though.

Apart from our Galway friend who acquaints this board from time to time!!!

[Duine Eile]

I see myself as more of a nippy wing back to be honest, won't be declaring for Mayo anytime soon though, things aren't that bad in Galway................yet!