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Good honest and open interview with Paul Merson about his drinking and gambling addiction on the Tommy Tiernan show tonight.

Was never a foul.

Love mayo all same.

80% of football is unwatchable muck. Of the remaining 20%, mayo feature in just about all of it.

Love Mayo.

Wasn't a very loveable Mayo performance tonight. Got the win thanks to a little bit of luck at the end and Dublin leaving the win or at least a draw behind them.

Mayo don't have many first teamers to return so were nearly full strength tonight. Dublin still have old guard of Fitzsimmons, McCarthy,Cluxton, Mannion to return yet and had no Murchan, Howard tonight either.

Deserved win in the end but talk about making it difficult for themselves. Game as a contest should have been ended 1st half. Lack of clinical edge, goal from a debatable penalty and the usual poor defending from a set piece allowed Wolves get back into the game.

Fitting United most consistent performer over the last number of games and young talent that is Mainoo was the match winner. A win that could come at a cost if the Martinez injury is a serious one.

Good and very comfortable win for Mayo, started with a strong team and moving very well for January. Galway poor and can't have many complaints about the margin of defeat.



In the 2nd live game I thought that goal should have stood for Roscommon but would have been a robbery had they got anything out of that game.

Tyrone missing some important players and their replacements all did well (helps to have All Ireland U20 team to pick from)

Roscommon lack of strength in depth without Enda Smith,Harney and Brigids players etc showed today.

Doherty, Glass and McFaul weren't named on 26 on the program. I thought a rule was brought in a few years ago that you couldn't change the 26 or was that rule just for the championship?

Derry, Kerry or Dublin. The winners will come from there.

That's probably the general feeling all over the Country.
Maybe if Galway have a full bill of health and don't do anything silly.....
Other than that getting to Quarter Finals is as much as the rest can realistically expect (viewed at in January anyway)

Between Derry, Kerry, Dublin for me also as main All-Ireland contenders in 2024. Galway would then be next in line should as you say keep the main players fit and in form (Sean Kelly, McDaid, Comer,Walsh)

Mayo and bit of run will be talked up by the media but defensively the habit of conceding goals in championship matches remains and their panel isn't as good as it was 2012-2017 when at least one All-Ireland was there to be won.

Didn't know those 2 had gone travelling, big losses. Is Harney back in?

Among their two best forwards big losses indeed. Harney returned and is nursing an injury.

Missing
Enda, R Daly  Ultan, Hussey, Heneghan, O'Rourke, B Stack  Fallon, Dolan, O'Carroll, Cunnane, Nolan(?)

Didn't you hammer Galway without them all missing? Few of the St Brigid boys could be available too. Should be an away win against a struggling Tyrone missing even more players.

It was a development Galway team. First choice Galway 26 was off playing outdoor challenges as Joyce and his management didn't see air dome games as decent prep for the league.

Enda Smith said after the match on TG4 last Friday that he didn't expect Brigids players to return until round 3.  A lot of the list Rossfan posted would be first choice Roscommon players and they already have to deal without Conor Daly, Ciaran Murtagh,Cian McKeon gone traveling all three was championship starters last summer.

Can you list who Tyrone are missing? I would expect this to be the year that a lot of Tyrones 2022 U20 All-Ireland winners to become established seniors.

It was a big psychological barrier for Glen to overcome yesterday by winning the final in Croke Park. If they had lost that game I think they would have found it hard to get back there.

For Derry as a county it could be the big breakthrough that might elevate them to believe that they can challenge to win an AI title. I think they will be one of around 5 teams that could win it this year and it certainly helps to have a few AI winners among the squad.

Yes a psychological barrier lifted and while the building blocks has been in place with their past underage success credit must go to O'Rourke for leading them to All-Ireland win a year after losing the final narrowly the year before. Main question now is what's next for Glen? Happy with their lot or do what Corofin did recently and look to win a few more All-Irelands?

For me I'd have 3 teams that could win the All Ireland this year (Derry,Kerry,Dublin)

They'll be other contenders but for any of them to reach the final I'm thinking they'll have to avoid that trio on route.

A good quality and enjoyable All-Ireland final. That was a serious effort by a mainly young Brigids team playing in their most important game against hot favourites Glen and at the very end a missed free away from bringing the game into extra time

Brigids were 4 points up towards the end of the 1st half also played most of the football yet found themselves level at the break, letting that lead slip probably proved as damaging as the 2nd goal that allowed a below par Glen level it up and then go on to win. In a one point defeat the two quick points directly after each goal proved decisive.

Well done to Glen takes a very good team to come back after disappointment the following year and win it out. Be interesting to see will they have the desire for more after that success today.

@Milltown Row2 might be getting a call to fill in?

Top GAA inter-county referees fail tough new fitness tests in record numbers


Top officials such as All-Ireland final referee last year, David Gough, plus the likes of David Coldrick, Niall Cullen, Anthony Nolan, and Derek O'Mahoney were among those who came up short in pre-season tests

TESTING: The country's top football referees struggled in pre-season testing.
SAT, 20 JAN, 2024 - 09:47
TONY LEEN
���
GAA chiefs are facing a serious referees' issue ahead of the opening round of the Allianz Football League after record levels of fitness test failure by the country's top match officials.
Only 19 of the 42 inter-county referees succeeded in meeting tough new pre-season fitness levels in tests conducted on Friday at Abbotstown. It leaves Croke Park with an insufficient number of certified officials for the opening weekend of 16 National League football games in a weeks' time. Strictly speaking, each venue must have a standby referee, which would require 32 officials for the opening round of League games

Was Paraic Farrelly a poster on here? Loads of Gaa related tweets he had. He died suddenly RIP.

Average result when playing at home and leading twice in the match. Both goals conceded as has been with this group of players all season came from switching off. First on a set piece and 2nd right at the start of 2nd half.

Better more focused teams don't concede goals like that nor do they sit off a Spurs team missing a lot of their front line players admiring their possession game like they were prime Barcelona.

2nd half was a half of few clear cut chances and of those that came for McTominay he should be scoring at least one of his two good chances so could have grabbed a win although wouldn't have deserved it.

The positives was Hojlund with a goal and assist. Rashford for a half at least looked in the mood and Martínez returned from injury.

Roscommon 0-21 London 1-9 tonight.  Will be the 8th Roscommon v Galway FBD final in the last ten years.

Hard to see past Donegal and Armagh for promotion. The one team that might sneak in is Cork, clear and overdue improvement they have made since adding Kevin Walsh to their management.

Kildare with a couple of successful U20 teams they have a lot of talented players to be added to their team and should become established Div 1 team in the years ahead.

Mid table for Meath and not knowing if they are coming or going.

The good job Mickey Harte did with Louth will likely be highlighted further without him this year. Fermanagh might survive as Cavan have a habit of either getting promoted or relegated the last decade