Mayo V Down- All Ireland Quarter Final

[Farrandeelin]

I expected to beat Meath in 09.

[From the Bunker]

I expected to beat Meath in 09.

Yeah, expected us to win that one too. Jez nothing went for us that day. Bad Referee/sideline decisions and players brought on getting injured immediately. The John O'Mahoney days, When Mayo were still blooding players into the Championship and had no plan what so ever (sends shivers down my spine still). Oh ya, Meath deserved to win all the same!

[seafoid]

If Donegal beat the Dheras would it increase Mayo's chances of going all the way or is it still too early for Mayo to win an all Ireland and if so what else is required? 

[Lar Naparka]

Lar if your prediction comes through we will lose.

Like I say, Barney, what I'd like to see may not be what I'm going to see. Still, Horan has kept 'er steady as she goes... so far anyway.

[From the Bunker]

If Donegal beat the Dheras would it increase Mayo's chances of going all the way or is it still too early for Mayo to win an all Ireland and if so what else is required?

Look, Mayo have played no one of note yet. So really we have to go back to the Cork game in the National League Final to analyse our game. In fairness, Sligo are (i think) better than their display v Kildare. Their main aim the last three seasons (and definitely in season 1 and 3) was to win a Provincial title. After that their main goal is gone, and it's never the same hungerwise.  This year i would (still) see us as a Work in Progress that would be disappointed to lose to Down. There would be no shame losing to Down, just i feel they are not as cohesive a unit (at the moment) as they were in '10. But you never know maybe this game is the springboard for Down in 2012.

[Lar Naparka]

If Donegal beat the Dheras would it increase Mayo's chances of going all the way or is it still too early for Mayo to win an all Ireland and if so what else is required?

As long as we can score just one single, measly little  point more than the opposition in  our next three games, we'll have Sam in the trailer and as go bráth linn ar muin na muice. (or something like that.)
Believe it or not, that's all that is required! 

[IolarCoisCuain]

I was convinced Mayo would beat Meath in 2009. Felt there was nothing surer. I've been at a few sickening defeats over the years but I would definitely rank Meath '09 down there with the worst of them. That was a bitter day. Reckon the writing was on the wall for Johnno after that one.

[thewobbler]

The fans should make this one interesting.

Over the past 15 years Mayo have continually been one of the better sides in the country, pulling down a handful of provincial titles and ending up in a few AI finals.

In the same period of time Down have, one exceptional year apart, been abysmal to the point that almost every major game we've featured in has been over with 20 minutes to go. Even that AI final team of two years ago has been decimated, with at least 6 of the starting line up not likely to play a minute, replaced by on the face of it, weaker players.

Yet most Mayo fans will expect to lose and every last one of us Down men will expect to win.

There's no sense in it.

[Tubberman]

Mayo supporters might be wary and cautious and a bit nervous of what might happen, but i very much doubt many will be expecting us to lose.
Mayo are now much more solid and predictable  (in a good way) than they were in the noughties .

[From the Bunker]

The fans should make this one interesting.

Over the past 15 years Mayo have continually been one of the better sides in the country, pulling down a handful of provincial titles and ending up in a few AI finals.

In the same period of time Down have, one exceptional year apart, been abysmal to the point that almost every major game we've featured in has been over with 20 minutes to go. Even that AI final team of two years ago has been decimated, with at least 6 of the starting line up not likely to play a minute, replaced by on the face of it, weaker players.

Yet most Mayo fans will expect to lose and every last one of us Down men will expect to win.

There's no sense in it.

Hold your horses there, most Mayo posters here expect to win and will be disappointed if they lose.

[rodney trotter]

Down have done well this year without Martin Clarke, James Colgan, Peter Fitzpatrick and Caolan Mooney. All 4 are in Oz, fitz and Colgan working and the other 2 play AFL. They still have some very talented players like Danny Hughes, Laverty and Coulter. I don't think they will fear Mayo.

A Mayo team that should have been beaten by Sligo, who were hammered by Kildare. Hopefully Down prevail and do Ulster proud.

[ballinaman]

The fans should make this one interesting.

Over the past 15 years Mayo have continually been one of the better sides in the country, pulling down a handful of provincial titles and ending up in a few AI finals.

In the same period of time Down have, one exceptional year apart, been abysmal to the point that almost every major game we've featured in has been over with 20 minutes to go. Even that AI final team of two years ago has been decimated, with at least 6 of the starting line up not likely to play a minute, replaced by on the face of it, weaker players.

Yet most Mayo fans will expect to lose and every last one of us Down men will expect to win.

There's no sense in it.

Hold your horses there, most Mayo posters here expect to win and will be disappointed if they lose.

Big time. Can't wait to see the first 50/50 with Boyler, the Down boys will know then the days of soft Mayo are gone.

[From the Bunker]

Down have done well this year without Martin Clarke, James Colgan, Peter Fitzpatrick and Caolan Mooney. All 4 are in Oz, fitz and Colgan working and the other 2 play AFL. They still have some very talented players like Danny Hughes, Laverty and Coulter. I don't think they will fear Mayo.

A Mayo team that should have been beaten by Sligo, who were hammered by Kildare. Hopefully Down prevail and do Ulster proud.

That is like saying A Down team that should have been beaten by Monaghan, who were hammered by Laois. It has no bearing!

[Lar Naparka]

I sincerely hope I'm wrong, but the more I think about this game I'm afraid we'll end up losing. Reasons why I'm afraid of this happening, well we only beat Leitrim and Sligo. Now that's taking nothing away from Sligo, but as a lot of us Mayo people keep saying over on WJ's blog which I'm more a reader than a contributer, we are better than Kildare, yet they blew Sligo out of the water. Why did they blow Sligo out of the water, well they opened up an early lead and Sligo couldn't comeback. You may ask why the hell am I using Sligo as an example? Well they're the only serious game we've had since April where Cork made it look like men against boys in the second half that day. We're facing our first Division 1 team since April and if Down 'do a Sligo' and go ahead early on, I can't see us coming back to win. Yes Barry Moran made hay against the two previous opposition and he may be peaking for the summer games, but I've yet to see him play well against a top team such as the likes of any of the teams that are left. Sure there are positives, Down may be tired playing three games in as many weeks, but then again they got through the 6 day turnaround and will know they have more to do and may have enough in the tank to get them over the line. They may have no defence as Brolly said, but that will only be tested by good forwards which I'm afraid Mayo don't have. Hopefully Conroy will score with his first kick of the game or else we could be in bother. I agree with Lar in that there probably won't be many changes to the attack, but I'd say COC will be moved to corner-forward. Who will fill the centre forward berth is anyone's guess, and it could even be COC himself yet.

Arra, stop fussing, ye mustn't have the silage under wraps yet!
Willie Joe's blog is, well, Willie Joe's blog and that's about the height of it. Good site; mighty good Mayo fan; great results archive and there you have it.  I think we have a lot more craic, comments and insightful analysis here than anywhere else and I don't see anyone here giving up before a ball is kicked.
Kildare blew Sligo outa the water because Sligo were sitting ducks, that's why.
I wouldn't get too upset over the loss to Cork either.
The langers had their first c'ship game coming up real fast and it was against Kerry in Killarney.
Mayo had their first c'ship game coming up real slow and it was against Leitrim in Carrick.
Cork needed to be almost at the peak of their physical and mental tuning while Mayo had a long way to go before they would (should?) be battle ready.
I wasn't  very surprised when Cork kicked on in the last quarter and left us well behind. Maybe they are still too good for  us but I think they might not win so comfortably if we do meet up.
I think Cillian is best placed at corner forward but I think that is unlikely to happen because Horan wants him elsewhere and, unlike John O'Mahony, he probably knows a lot more than I do.
Look; I see no reason to fear anybody right now. I certainly respect Down but I expect to beat them all the same.

Keep the Faith!

[rodney trotter]

5 pts is hardly a hammering. Monaghan played well in that game, and the scoreline was a bit harsh, as Monaghan  created a lot of chances but didn't finish them. At least they put up a fight unlike Sligo.