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We might as well set up somewhere to park ourselves for the next few weeks.

Make no mistake this is not the formality that many are suggesting. Mayo have struggled in the latter part of the league, and challenges do not appear to be going well. If the game was in Sligo I'd be seriously worried, but at this stage JOM cannot contemplate a home defeat against Sligo if his project is to continue.

The big thing for Mayo supporters in this years championship will be to see obvious improvements on the problems of the last few years, but particularly a step towards resolving the inadequacies of last year. A Connacht title is not unrealistic especially with the potential of two home games. The worrying thing is that to date we have seen no improvement just potential from young fellas but its not time to set a marker.

You would have to worry though about us if we make it as far as Croke Park against one of the big guns.

If Mayo do not beat sligo FAIRLY HANDILY  then maybe its time to start having a look at whats going on with the team and tactics, Sligo are a poor side, relegated from a poor division to an even poorer division.

You could have waited another 3 days before starting this thread

Quote from: Barney on May 22, 2008, 08:09:46 AM
Make no mistake this is not the formality that many are suggesting. Mayo have struggled in the latter part of the league, and challenges do not appear to be going well.

Wouldn't worry too much about challlenge games. Mayo have another month to wait before the start of their championship wheras teams they have played (Meath, Offaly) are involved much earlier and are much sharper.

Quote from: mannix on May 22, 2008, 09:48:11 AM
If Mayo do not beat sligo FAIRLY HANDILY  then maybe its time to start having a look at whats going on with the team and tactics, Sligo are a poor side, relegated from a poor division to an even poorer division.

League and championship are 2 different competitions - a division 4 team have already beaten a Division 1 team in the championship Mannix. The same poor team who won the Connaught championship last year ;D

Connaught??? Is that not BBC spelling? I always spell it Connacht.

Quote from: AZOffaly on May 22, 2008, 11:32:44 AM
Connaught??? Is that not BBC spelling? I always spell it Connacht.

Connaught is the anglicized spelling of Connacht. You are correct AZ.

Nice to be right sometimes :D Anyway, sorry for a pedantic hijacking of the thread.

QuoteNice to be right sometimes  Anyway, sorry for a pedantic hijacking of the thread.

It's a fair point though. It's one of my pet peeves. I've been very tempted to correct people on several occasions  :D
I always spell it Connacht as well. Then you have the likes of Sligonian who can't decide whether he likes Connacht or Connaught so settles on Connaght  ;)

Anyway, back to the football. I'd expect Mayo to win this by about 4-5 points, especially since it's in McHale park. There is still a major worry over our defence though, so hopefully the week in Portugal can help management to finally settle on a preferred full back line and get some understanding and familiarity going between them.
I'm not looking beyone the Sligo game anyway, we're far from settled or convincing of late.

Jees too early for this thread, i mean we are not over london yet. Patience obviously is lacking on this board.

Yee may aswell start a connaght final thread now while yere at it mayo and galway ::).

No doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards. For counties that have alot of success yee seem to put way too much emphasis and importance on the league. Its good for us though that atitude. I dont think the penny will ever drop with yee. We were shite in last yrs league and look what happened :o. How many more examples do yee want? Look at wicklow............

Quote from: Tubberman on May 22, 2008, 11:45:54 AM

QuoteNice to be right sometimes  Anyway, sorry for a pedantic hijacking of the thread.

It's a fair point though. It's one of my pet peeves. I've been very tempted to correct people on several occasions  :D
I always spell it Connacht as well. Then you have the likes of Sligonian who can't decide whether he likes Connacht or Connaught so settles on Connaght  ;)

Dont really get that to be honest, im not greatest spellar in the world though. Can I get some grinds off you tubberman? ;)

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 22, 2008, 11:46:49 AM
Jees too early for this thread, i mean we are not over london yet. Patience obviously is lacking on this board.

Yee may aswell start a connaght final thread now while yere at it mayo and galway ::).

No doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards. For counties that have alot of success yee seem to put way too much emphasis and importance on the league. Its good for us though that atitude. I dont think the penny will ever drop with yee. We were shite in last yrs league and look what happened :o. How many more examples do yee want? Look at wicklow............

Christ man what have ye? Three Connacht titles in over a hundred years and you're talking like ye wrote the shagging book on winning All-Ireland's. Give me a break. ::)

QuoteNo doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards.

Yeah, Sligo's championship record over the past 20 years is outstanding compared to that of Galway or Mayo    ::)

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on May 22, 2008, 11:54:19 AM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 22, 2008, 11:46:49 AM
Jees too early for this thread, i mean we are not over london yet. Patience obviously is lacking on this board.

Yee may aswell start a connaght final thread now while yere at it mayo and galway ::).

No doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards. For counties that have alot of success yee seem to put way too much emphasis and importance on the league. Its good for us though that atitude. I dont think the penny will ever drop with yee. We were shite in last yrs league and look what happened :o. How many more examples do yee want? Look at wicklow............

Christ man what have ye? Three Connacht titles in over a hundred years and you're talking like ye wrote the shagging book on winning All-Ireland's. Give me a break. ::)

Dont start getting overly sensitive, reading into things too much. I am giving a simple message which alot of ye dont seem to get. League and championship are a million miles different. No mention of all irelands GBB.

Look dont write us off based on the league. If yee continue to do that I will continue to say what Im saying.

Tubberman try to stay with the present. My memory blanks out when I try to look past july 07 ;D.

QuoteLook dont write us off based on the league. If yee continue to do that I will continue to say what Im saying.

Tubberman try to stay with the present. My memory blanks out when I try to look past july 07

Not writing ye off at all - sure we can't ignore ye when you're around  ;D :D
Ye have a decent chance of getting a draw or maybe a win, I'd say the winning/losing of this game will primarily come down to the Mayo defensive display.

QuoteJees too early for this thread, i mean we are not over london yet

Well the title of the thread is Mayo v Sligo/London Sligonian! ;)

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 22, 2008, 11:46:49 AM
Jees too early for this thread, i mean we are not over london yet. Patience obviously is lacking on this board.

Yee may aswell start a connaght final thread now while yere at it mayo and galway ::).

No doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards. For counties that have alot of success yee seem to put way too much emphasis and importance on the league. Its good for us though that atitude. I dont think the penny will ever drop with yee. We were shite in last yrs league and look what happened :o. How many more examples do yee want? Look at wicklow............

hahaha, your 3 Connachts are proof of that alright!! Bloody hell, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt Sligonian but with comments like that it's tough!
Anyway, back to the present as you say, I think it will be a tough challenge for us and I'd say Sligo are a good deal better than they looked in the league so it won't be a walkover by any means. I do think we shoud be 4/5 points to the good at the end though.

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on May 22, 2008, 12:31:13 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 22, 2008, 11:46:49 AM
Jees too early for this thread, i mean we are not over london yet. Patience obviously is lacking on this board.

Yee may aswell start a connaght final thread now while yere at it mayo and galway ::).

No doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards. For counties that have alot of success yee seem to put way too much emphasis and importance on the league. Its good for us though that atitude. I dont think the penny will ever drop with yee. We were shite in last yrs league and look what happened :o. How many more examples do yee want? Look at wicklow............

hahaha, your 3 Connachts are proof of that alright!! Bloody hell, I'm trying to give you the benefit of the doubt Sligonian but with comments like that it's tough!
Anyway, back to the present as you say, I think it will be a tough challenge for us and I'd say Sligo are a good deal better than they looked in the league so it won't be a walkover by any means. I do think we shoud be 4/5 points to the good at the end though.

What can I say but say it again.... is it tough to understand that Im on about this current squad of sligo players. Not the 1928 or 1975 team. This current squad just perform better in championship than league and have done so for the last 2 to 3 yrs.

The 02 team were probably better league team as we were alot stronger and more phyiscal. So again we CURRENTLY are alot better in championship than league.

The league doesnt reflect the true quality of this Sligo squad. Go on Oirthear Mhaigheo please give me the benefit of the doubt. ;).

to be fair to sligo they do have the bragging right at the moment being connaught(render unto ceaser) champions. we all know ythats not going to last for long so give them their 15 minutes and hopefully they wont keep banging on about it like they have done since 1975

Fair play Sligonian
i never seen a man ride into so many battles with absolutely no one to back him up. You remind of the lads who used carry the flag in medieval battles with the rest of the army side by side waiting for the real battle sayin to themselves look at that eejit gone off by himself again

Cannot believe that people here expect sligo to be close, do you not watch the league?
Relegated, to division of hurling counties.
Mayo are no great shakes but if sligo are within 8 points I will eat my hat.

Quote from: ludermor on May 22, 2008, 02:26:27 PM
Fair play Sligonian
i never seen a man ride into so many battles with absolutely no one to back him up. You remind of the lads who used carry the flag in medieval battles with the rest of the army side by side waiting for the real battle sayin to themselves look at that eejit gone off by himself again

:D

I was delighted that Sligo won it last year, but Sligonian is beginning to annoy me and make me want Sligo to have a rotten summer! Sligo will cause Mayo problems alright and there is nobody too confident of Mayo winning the game. (mannix apart)

QuoteFair play Sligonian
i never seen a man ride into so many battles with absolutely no one to back him up. You remind of the lads who used carry the flag in medieval battles with the rest of the army side by side waiting for the real battle sayin to themselves look at that eejit gone off by himself again

Post of the month award!!!!  :D :D

Quote from: ludermor on May 22, 2008, 02:26:27 PM
Fair play Sligonian
i never seen a man ride into so many battles with absolutely no one to back him up. You remind of the lads who used carry the flag in medieval battles with the rest of the army side by side waiting for the real battle sayin to themselves look at that eejit gone off by himself again

Last time I checked matches arent won online ::).

Secondly I speak for myself like everyone else does, does that make my opinion any different? If its right its right. Dont need any back up.

Thirdly so many battles :o, what battles? Do you call this a battle? Im only pointing out the FACT that league and championship are miles apart. Am I the one who looks stupid with a statement like that? Look at mannixs post if want an example of one that looks stupid. ;).

The only reason I ANNOY yee is because yere scared I might be telling the TRUTH. That Sligo are going to be a way better in Castlebar than theyve shown all year in the league and also that Mayo might not beat us. Weve never got respect of yee even since we won it last yr and personnally I dont need it.

PS. Sorry AZ for the caps but these lads just dont seem to get plain english.

Right lads. Just going to add my piece.

3 Connacht Finals in 100 years is bad alright, then again I wasn't aware that history was a defining factor on a teams performance.

I've heard the same bs applied to many different things and the one constant is the ignorance of the people stating it.

This is the same crap that Munster people were saying about Clare after their first breakthrough in the 90's. Oh everyone was happy enough that they won, the problem was that Clare wouldn't just f**k off back to obscurity afterward's and that did annoy traditional hurling folk.

History means f-all.

On the league vs Championship point, honestly. You really believe that the league is what you should be basing your predictions on ? Funny enough I remember Donegal were supposed to be real All-Ireland contenders last year after their league and basing it on this years shouldn't we be looking forward to seeing Derry in the final ?

I don't think Sligo are as bad as the league has made us out to be but I actually do believe that Mayo should beat us, with my head anyways. The heart as always says Sligo.

I'll say this though. Sligos strength is our fight, we don't have the quality but we have heart and commitment and thats not something which the league will generally inspire in a team.

We won a Connacht last year because of sheer determination to do so. Galway are and were a superior team in terms of quality. But we wanted it more last year and whose to say we won't want it more then Mayo or Galway this year.

So all I'm saying is that like Clare and Wexford and Offaly in the hurling, this Sligo team may not just f off back into obscurity like you want them to.

AZ, how have you made it to here?
I thought you were too busy lashing poor oul’ Micko out of it over on The Diva thread to bother about a few Mayo lads having a bit of fun. Tormenting honest Sligo souls was always a favourite pastime down our way. I just hope we can continue to do the same after the Castlebar game.  (Maybe London will put them out of their misery first.) :D
We mightn’t be the finished article ourselves either; just as well that it’s probably only Sligo we’ll be facing first time out.
I think our fella is getting a good squad of players together with the older lads looking fresh and fit and a lot of promising good youngsters coming through but that doesn’t automatically mean we will have a good team for the championships.
We can all probably name 10 to 12 definite championship starters but who would bet on where the majority of them will play? Maybe the FF line picks it self, as does the midfield pairing and the goalie will be Clarke. Apart from that, who would bet serious money on the rest of the line-up?
You can bank on the likes of Keith Higgins and Trevor Mortimer being selected alright but would anyone bet on what positions they will fill?
The same can be said for 3 or 4 others but as far as I can see, Johnno is no nearer to selecting a settled team that he was when we faced Galway last year in Salthill. Man for man, this side has sharper and more focussed individuals than we had last year but the same problem positions remain unfilled.
Aren’t we glad it’s only Sligo and not a real team we are going to met. ;D

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 22, 2008, 06:11:45 PM

Last time I checked matches aren't won online ::).

Secondly I speak for myself like everyone else does, does that make my opinion any different? If its right its right. Dont need any back up.

Thirdly so many battles :o, what battles? Do you call this a battle? Im only pointing out the FACT that league and championship are miles apart. Am I the one who looks stupid with a statement like that? Look at mannixs post if want an example of one that looks stupid. ;).

The only reason I ANNOY yee is because yere scared I might be telling the TRUTH. That Sligo are going to be a way better in Castlebar than theyve shown all year in the league and also that Mayo might not beat us. Weve never got respect of yee even since we won it last yr and personnally I dont need it.

PS. Sorry AZ for the caps but these lads just dont seem to get plain english.

Annoy LOL
Like a bumble bee flying behind the curtain maybe.
You need to lighten up man, feck all of the mayo crowd begrudged yer win last year ( were you even around then??) and there is generally very good banter (and respect) between the sligo and mayo lads here. If you cant see that it show an inferiority complex IMO.
You are of course entitled to your opinion but so is everyone else and for you to think that everyone else is wrong is hilarious ( to date you have fell out with the mayo lads, the galway lads, the sligo lads) .I have to say i havent a clue what you mean if your opinion is right, its your opinion but thats all it is. Take the chip of your shoulder and be a bit more gracious when you win.

ANNOY LOL look at farandeelins post. Maybe you need a translator Ludermor ;). He clearly state im annoying him. Expect alot more annoyance on the field june 22nd.

As SLIGEACH said we all know yee want us to fu*k off tamely and hand yee back nestor but are scared shitless that we wont.

That takes the biscuit a Mayoman lecturing me on being gracious winner LOL....I know I am gracious as yer ever be. Youd like to think I have inferiority complex, its hard to find a reply to that its so funny. :D.

Anyway enough fun for today but thanks to all the WUMs.

Sligeach abu.

Sure the only reason why ye won Connacht last year was because ye didn't have to play us.

Hahahaha!

Classic Farrandeelin! Whatever about us ye were some shambles last year. No doubt ye have a bigger player base and are capable of big improvement in a short space of time though.

Look lads, Sligonian is right to point out that league form is no guide to how a team will perform in the championship. He's also right to talk us up as we did the business last year after a poor league campaign and have mostly the same players available. We know we will have a really tough job to beat Mayo in Castlebar assuming there's no disaster this weekend. Ye will have to be pretty good to beat us though.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 22, 2008, 11:56:11 PM
ANNOY LOL look at farandeelins post. Maybe you need a translator Ludermor ;). He clearly state im annoying him. Expect alot more annoyance on the field june 22nd.
Anyway enough fun for today but thanks to all the WUMs.

So because Farandeelin is annoyed the whole county is annoyed!!
I dont know why you would be so proud of being annoying though, most people wouldnt think of it as a good character trait , in my opinion ;)
And is everyone who disagrees with you a WUM? As for being gracious i can safely say i have never heard a mayoman act you you to a sligo man ( to a rossie maybe but never to a sligo man)
And your right enough fun for today and enjoy the match on sunday.

I suppose you can edit title thread now Barney.

Sligonian the bait has been set for you with the change of title thread-don't react...please

I know that Barney is winding but the phrase he uses is very apt for their manager. The pressure is all on Mayo and O'Mahony in particular. Anything other than a comfortable win will not be acceptable to the Mayo public who put up with an abysmal performance last year in the hope of delivery this time round. Everyone outside Sligo (and indeed many inside Sligo) will give us no hope. Sure we'll see.

Quote from: magpie seanie on May 26, 2008, 11:03:33 AM
I know that Barney is winding but the phrase he uses is very apt for their manager. The pressure is all on Mayo and O'Mahony in particular. Anything other than a comfortable win will not be acceptable to the Mayo public who put up with an abysmal performance last year in the hope of delivery this time round. Everyone outside Sligo (and indeed many inside Sligo) will give us no hope. Sure we'll see.

Nice try Seanie but you know that's defintiely not the case. Most Mayo people will take any kind of a win, a one point win will do just fine and keep expectations nice and low before the Gaillimh match!!

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on May 26, 2008, 11:08:21 AM

Quote from: magpie seanie on May 26, 2008, 11:03:33 AM
I know that Barney is winding but the phrase he uses is very apt for their manager. The pressure is all on Mayo and O'Mahony in particular. Anything other than a comfortable win will not be acceptable to the Mayo public who put up with an abysmal performance last year in the hope of delivery this time round. Everyone outside Sligo (and indeed many inside Sligo) will give us no hope. Sure we'll see.

Nice try Seanie but you know that's defintiely not the case. Most Mayo people will take any kind of a win, a one point win will do just fine and keep expectations nice and low before the Gaillimh match!!

It's grand weather for fishing alright, I must say.

Well we can now look forward to the 22nd, will be up against it, but Mayo didn't look great in the league, though we certainly didn't either. Team has taken a better shape yesterday (apart from McHugh - why?) and there's plenty of hope that we could steal this one. But Mayo are favourites and defeat would be rather embarrassing for them. Time will tell.

Quote from: Owenmoresider on May 26, 2008, 11:29:17 AM
[ But Mayo are favourites and defeat would be rather embarrassing for them. Time will tell.

Why would it be embarrassing OMS.
It must be the  good weather that has all the  lads out with their rods1

To be honest lads, being from West Sligo and having a considerable number of Mayo men and women as close friends, means this game is what I have been looking forward to all year. If Sligo win we avoid the Tommy Murphy cup and have the opportunity of another crack at a Connacht title but more importantly if Sligo win I will be afforded bragging rights over the men from the Plain of the Yews for the next 12 months: a precious commodity for Sligo gaels.

Quote from: ludermor on May 26, 2008, 12:18:36 PM

Quote from: Owenmoresider on May 26, 2008, 11:29:17 AM
[ But Mayo are favourites and defeat would be rather embarrassing for them. Time will tell.

Why would it be embarrassing OMS.
It must be the  good weather that has all the  lads out with their rods1

Leaving aside all the winding up Ludermor, were Sligo to beat Mayo in Castlebar next month it would be an embarrassment for them. In fact I would go as far as to suggest it would represent a catastrophe for Mayo or at least that would be how a loss would be perceived by their supporters. Certainly amongst the supporters I know.

Can't wait for it now.  ;)

I think a poor performance and a 1 point win, possibly after a draw would be the best medicine for mayo, stop any nonsense talking baout all-irelands or even beating galway, keep the expectation low.
Cant base a lot on yesterday but sligo seem to have little or no bother
Would expect a win against sligo, even if its just to give Baoithe a bit of abuse!

Tommy Jordan said that Sligo travelled to New York and won, travelled to London and won. He reckons Castlebar will be no bother and that it's just like a home venue for Sligo. So what do ye all make of that statement? It will be a close game no doubt between Mayo and Sligo and a 1 point win would do surely.

Quote from: Mayo4Sam on May 26, 2008, 01:15:20 PM
I think a poor performance and a 1 point win, possibly after a draw would be the best medicine for mayo, stop any nonsense talking baout all-irelands or even beating galway, keep the expectation low.
Cant base a lot on yesterday but sligo seem to have little or no bother
Would expect a win against sligo, even if its just to give Baoithe a bit of abuse!

I'll have to go to ground if we don't come out of Castlebar with something. I certainly won't be answering the phone to your cousin!

Castlebar will be handier for Tommy anyhow!

Last time we were there we were a bit unfortunate to not get something out of it. Was behind the Sligo goal when Tom Nallen scored the goal and it will stay with me for a long time.

Just looked at the archive on Hoganstand and there are very few survivors from either team:

Sunday 10th June
Bank of Ireland Connacht Senior Football Championship semi-final
At McHale Park
Mayo 1-12
Sligo 1-11
Mayo - P Burke, T Nallen 1-0, K Cahill, A Roche, F Costello, J Nallen, N Connelly, C McManaman, P Fallon, J Gill, D McDonagh, T Mortimer, M McNicholas 0-4, R Loftus, S Carolan 0-2. Subs: K McDonald 0-1 for Loftus, M Sheridan 0-5 for McDonagh, D Nestor for Gill, M Moyles for McManaman
Sligo - P Walsh, P Gallagher, M Cosgrove, B Phillips, D Durkin, M Langan, P Naughton, P Durcan, R Brennan, E O'Hara 0-1, P Taylor 0-4, S Davey 1-0, D Sloyan 0-4, J McPartland 0-2, G McGowan. Subs: K Quinn for Brennan, D McGarty for Davey, P Doohan for Cosgrove.

My sources in Mayo would be quite confident that Mayo will finish a top 3 - 4 team this year.  They are convinced that Mc Donald will be back in mid summer, but only on Johnnos terms..  it seems Mayo have been ticking along and O Mahony has a master plan to win Sam.  Now Barney you can stop winding up the poor Sligo guys!  ;)   

QuoteBut Mayo are favourites and defeat would be rather embarrassing for them. Time will tell.

QuoteNo doubt we are a poor league team but we are far better championship team, unlike galway and mayo where ye seem to go backwards. For counties that have alot of success yee seem to put way too much emphasis and importance on the league. Its good for us though that atitude. I dont think the penny will ever drop with yee. We were shite in last yrs league and look what happened . How many more examples do yee want? Look at wicklow............

Seems to be a bit of a mixed opinion from the hunger strikers ?

I'd say Mayo will be no more than 4/6 against the current champions... thats not too strong favorites.

QuoteAnything other than a comfortable win will not be acceptable to the Mayo public who put up with an abysmal performance last year in the hope of delivery this time round.

I think Seanie is right in what he says to a degree.

Nobody expects a comfortable win but defeat will mean curtains for O'Mahony. Delivery this time around isn't Sam but a serious shot at Connacht and at the least a structured team playing with pride.

Quote from: baoithe on May 26, 2008, 12:59:48 PM

To be honest lads, being from West Sligo and having a considerable number of Mayo men and women as close friends, means this game is what I have been looking forward to all year. If Sligo win we avoid the Tommy Murphy cup and have the opportunity of another crack at a Connacht title but more importantly if Sligo win I will be afforded bragging rights over the men from the Plain of the Yews for the next 12 months: a precious commodity for Sligo gaels.

Quote from: ludermor on May 26, 2008, 12:18:36 PM

Quote from: Owenmoresider on May 26, 2008, 11:29:17 AM
[ But Mayo are favourites and defeat would be rather embarrassing for them. Time will tell.

Why would it be embarrassing OMS.
It must be the  good weather that has all the  lads out with their rods1

Leaving aside all the winding up Ludermor, were Sligo to beat Mayo in Castlebar next month it would be an embarrassment for them. In fact I would go as far as to suggest it would represent a catastrophe for Mayo or at least that would be how a loss would be perceived by their supporters. Certainly amongst the supporters I know.

Can't wait for it now.  ;)

That sums it up. Even in Mayo's darkest days they surely always felt that they above us, and often with good reason. Sure our Connacht title has been dismissed by some as down to the weakness of the province last year. Whether that's true or not it is a matter of opinion. Our better teams seemed to coincide with Galway being strong, so we have been unlucky on those occasions. But it would surely let Mayo folk feel that normal order will be restored this time around, and Mayo have been to two AIF's - allegedly - in recent years, so losing at home to us lot wouldn't go down well. Would be fun in Charlestown if they do!

Quote from: highorlow on May 26, 2008, 01:59:44 PM
Seems to be a bit of a mixed opinion from the hunger strikers ?

Where did that term come from?

Comfortable was the wrong word alright. Impressive or promising I should have said.

Quotethe hunger strikers

What?

QuoteWhere did that term come from?

QuoteMy sources in Mayo would be quite confident that Mayo will finish a top 3 - 4 team this year.  They are convinced that Mc Donald will be back in mid summer, but only on Johnnos terms..  it seems Mayo have been ticking along and O Mahony has a master plan to win Sam.  Now Barney you can stop winding up the poor Sligo guys!

Jaysus, rrhf, if that fecker has a plan to win Sam this year, what county has he in mind to do it for? Can hardly be for Mayo can it?
The last row was hardly the best way to settle a team down for the championships and I don't care which of them started it.
To give fair dues to the man , he seems to be developing a promising panel. There's a good mix of young and old there alright but that's a long way short of having a good, settled team. We are about to face (wait for it) the reigning Connacht champions, who have a fine victory to their credit, and we don't know our own full back line yet!
We have to remember that Sigo have had good sides in recent years and have showed great promise through the last 6 or 7 years. 2002 should have seen them in the AI final.
Okay; we should get by them okay but it won't be a one horse race.

Im very confident of beating Mayo now ;). Having seen the team selection for london bar one mistake the team extremely strong.

O Mahony and Mayo selectors wont be complacent about things having watched on in london. A man they would probably have never heard of in Gary Gaughan will be a marked man the next day with a tally of 1-2 from play. So he will have lost the suprise factor with him. They wont be familiar with eoin either but that selection puzzles and worries me. Having seen him alot for club in tight games he is anonymous and in games where win comfortablly he stands out. I rather it the other way round. But the lad has talent but is very raw at the minute. Apartently hes standing out in training all year with the county, but the lad just hasnt shown that in games for club or u21s county. As I said on the london thread one half against louth and starts CSFC. Mark breheny is going well and seems to have toughen up which is great. Mcnamara now has free role and can be as loose as he wants which gets the best out of him.

Every yr before the Sligo first game I watch videos of recorded matches. I watched ros v sligo in hyde in 05 when kearins was manager. McNamara was outstanding that day in a similiar role. Sean davey was a man possesed that day. But it a long time ago. We have to stick with mcnamara there and we will be better side for it.

We have curran to win the breaks and add strength to the HF line. Oharas in great shape and playing well.

Delighted see J Davey in forwards. Nicky joyce and more recently berry exposed davey weaknesses defending. Now we will see more attacking from johnny which adds even more pace to the forwards. Although I would play him HF to give him more space and hes probably better with facing the goals rather than back to goals.

Egan at CHB is good news aswell. Alot tougher than mcnamara and certainly wont go missing for us when the going gets tough.

So all in all we look in good shape. jordans getting it right, the team are responding and we have a far better shape about us. Fitness levels are improving. I read another ohara interview in noftw and he said alot of the players were lazy during league, not fit and not showing same effort and commitment and it cost us. Explains alot but now he says players are hungry again to prove all the doubters wrong and are flying in training.

Keiran Quinn is probably the ultimate example of league form and championship form. He was poor in the league but everyone in Sligo know in championship he never lets us down so expect a big performance june 22nd.

McGuire looks set to back soon in time for mayo so with him at FB too another boost.

The ff line is exciting with full of promise and pace. We lack a target man but to be honest I dont think a target suits our stlye of play and with J Davey playing a bit deeper and gaughan and kelly runing off the ball some serious potential there.

In the media and outside Sligo will be underdogs and that delights me because we always play better under that tag.

Anyways I might be in the minority but I am going to McHale park in expectation more than hope ;).

Sligeach abu.

Fair play Sligonian on your expectation. It would appear that you have  solid grounds for your optimism. In the last 12 years or more we have nt won comfortably v Sligo. We have nt a settled side, and from our perspective we re a case of wait and see what happens, and hope we can get some momentum going this year but we have very little to go on for the moment anyway. We can only expect that we train well into 22 June and hit a level we never approached last year. A thing about this match is the teams hardly ever play one another. So its unlikely to be a suffocating match. I believe our pace and carrying game is the key but the team has to be set and selected accordingly for this to work. There is also the possibility we could use Barry Moran as a more direct ploy but who knows what management are thinking and until we see the team or even how they line out we re very much speculating. Mayo /Galway play twice a year usually but Sligo v Mayo doesnt happen in FBD or league and it has been a while in Championship also. Its a case of wait and see for me anyway.

Good post Moysider. I think all of the Sligo posters here know that Mayo have possibly more options and a wider spread of talent throughout their county than we have. However, we feel our team is shaping up to be close to the best it can be and as you say - most in Mayo aren't sure what your team will be like. If ye hit a level above last year then it will be tough to see us coming out of Castlebar with a result but if ye play like last year I'd say we will win. There's a lot of pace in both teams so it could actually be a very good game (although no-one really cares what kind of game it is so long as your side wins!).

QuoteI think a poor performance and a 1 point win, possibly after a draw would be the best medicine for mayo, stop any nonsense talking baout all-irelands or even beating galway, keep the expectation low.

This is all part of omahonys PR campaign . depress peole so much and make them believe our AlL ireland finals  2004 and 06 were abberations that we will end up happy to beat sligo in any manner and  a plucky defeat to galway in the connacht final will have some here wanting JOM's Canonisation.
Under the circumstances he took over in ,nothing less than an all ireland final appearance is acceptable. if he feel short of some player the i suggest he looks at himself in figuring out where thery have gone.

The final appearance in '04 was an abberation - '06 maybe not quite so. You may think otherwise Ros, but given your regular delusions of grandeur that's hardly surprising.

If Ciaran Mac or David Brady were playing this year Mayo would still not be with an asses roar of making an All Ireland final - no matter how many points he scores against the likes of Ballaghaderren or goals against Charlestown

Quote from: moysider on May 28, 2008, 02:00:38 AM
Fair play Sligonian on your expectation. It would appear that you have  solid grounds for your optimism. In the last 12 years or more we have nt won comfortably v Sligo. We have nt a settled side, and from our perspective we re a case of wait and see what happens, and hope we can get some momentum going this year but we have very little to go on for the moment anyway. We can only expect that we train well into 22 June and hit a level we never approached last year. A thing about this match is the teams hardly ever play one another. So its unlikely to be a suffocating match. I believe our pace and carrying game is the key but the team has to be set and selected accordingly for this to work. There is also the possibility we could use Barry Moran as a more direct ploy but who knows what management are thinking and until we see the team or even how they line out we re very much speculating. Mayo /Galway play twice a year usually but Sligo v Mayo doesnt happen in FBD or league and it has been a while in Championship also. Its a case of wait and see for me anyway.

Fair post alright, if im honest I havnt a clue what to expect from Mayo. I see them very little although I was keeping an eye on yer results this yr. We dont meet to often. I am completely focused on us though. I just feel things are starting to click and management are getting things right now. We are giving ourselves the best possible chance. Who knows if it is good enough. But I definitly believe we have a serious chance. There is  good rivalry aswell. The reality is though we are better than last yr. Far more positive game plan and with last yrs belief aswell I feel my optimism is well justified. Nobody knows the future and everything on this board is speculation until the aftermath of games.

The game isnt on TV so all the sunshines will be forced to turn up for both counties so Id expect close to a full house and mayofans will probably outnumber us 2-1. Im reallly looking forward to it. The only time i was in mchale park when it was full was galway mayo a few yrs back when sligo won the connaght junior as curtain raiser. It was awesome atmosphere.  

Quoteno matter how many points he scores against the likes of Ballaghaderren or goals against Charlestown

or the likes of Ballina  ;)

Quote from: highorlow on May 28, 2008, 11:28:11 AM

Quoteno matter how many points he scores against the likes of Ballaghaderren or goals against Charlestown

or the likes of Ballina  ;)

When did Ciaran Mac ever score 8 points against Ballina? Senior level at least?

Quote from: stephenite on May 28, 2008, 11:38:33 AM

Quote from: highorlow on May 28, 2008, 11:28:11 AM

Quoteno matter how many points he scores against the likes of Ballaghaderren or goals against Charlestown

or the likes of Ballina  ;)

When did Ciaran Mac ever score 8 points against Ballina? Senior level at least?

sorry lads i don't get the point of any of these last posts ???

Quote from: rosnarun on May 28, 2008, 09:59:41 AM

QuoteI think a poor performance and a 1 point win, possibly after a draw would be the best medicine for mayo, stop any nonsense talking baout all-irelands or even beating galway, keep the expectation low.

This is all part of omahonys PR campaign . depress peole so much and make them believe our AlL ireland finals  2004 and 06 were abberations that we will end up happy to beat sligo in any manner and  a plucky defeat to galway in the connacht final will have some here wanting JOM's Canonisation.
Under the circumstances he took over in ,nothing less than an all ireland final appearance is acceptable. if he feel short of some player the i suggest he looks at himself in figuring out where thery have gone.

He suggests that anything less than an appearance in the All Ireland final is unacceptable - and intimates that the absence of certain players(s) will be the reason that this particular goal will not be attainable. I am assuming he is talking about Ciaran Mac.

I feel that this goal of an All Ireland appearance would be unattainable regardless of whether or not Ciaran is playing - he is still the best player in the county, but I feel that the difference between county league and championship and Inter county championship is a large one these days, regardless of how well someone is playing at club level.

c mac is not summed up by how many he scored against ballina, did you not see his winner in the 2006 semi or the sideline shot in the same game against dublin?

Quote from: mannix on May 28, 2008, 12:04:24 PM
c mac is not summed up by how many he scored against ballina, did you not see his winner in the 2006 semi or the sideline shot in the same game against dublin?

Of course he's not summed up by how many he scores against Ballina/Ballaghadereen or any club - the point is, that game against Dublin was two years ago this summer - he has played very little Inter county action since then and he's two years older. Anyone who thinks that Ciaran Mac scoring 8 points in a club league game this year means he will carry the rest of the team on his back to another All Ireland final appearance is either 1) Mad in the head ; 2) Clueless ; or 3) Still trying to push the anti O'Mahoney line because of the political party he represents by trying to suggest that Mayo should be reaching an AIF and it's the managers fault that we don't.
The reality is quite different.

OK i have you now stephenite and i agree with you i don't think that we are going to get to an AI final no matter who we have playing ( I'm not going to get into a discussion about Ciaran MC there has been enough written about that) however we definitely need to see some improvement on last year which in all honesty was total Shite. O' mahony is now in year 2 of his 3 year term and this time he can't come out with the excuses that its not his team, this is his team most of the older heads are gone so now this is the future of mayo football, the under 21 team from 2 years ago should be coming on stream. As for the sligo game we don't really have a settled team can any one here even attempt to name it? sligo have the benefit of a championship game and those games away allways seem to bond a team remember we went to New York in 2004 and London in 2006 also sligo have no pressure on them as most neutrals expect mayo to win. They are connacht champions and  they will have no fear of mayo. Personally i think its going to be a fairly tight affair remember if sligo loose they are in the tommy murphy cup so they have a huge incentive to put in a good performance 

Quote from: the Deel Rover on May 28, 2008, 12:24:32 PM
OK i have you now stephenite and i agree with you i don't think that we are going to get to an AI final no matter who we have playing ( I'm not going to get into a discussion about Ciaran MC there has been enough written about that) however we definitely need to see some improvement on last year which in all honesty was total Shite. O' mahony is now in year 2 of his 3 year term and this time he can't come out with the excuses that its not his team, this is his team most of the older heads are gone so now this is the future of mayo football, the under 21 team from 2 years ago should be coming on stream. As for the sligo game we don't really have a settled team can any one here even attempt to name it? sligo have the benefit of a championship game and those games away allways seem to bond a team remember we went to New York in 2004 and London in 2006 also sligo have no pressure on them as most neutrals expect mayo to win. They are connacht champions and  they will have no fear of mayo. Personally i think its going to be a fairly tight affair remember if sligo loose they are in the tommy murphy cup so they have a huge incentive to put in a good performance 

Good post, talk alot of sense there deel rover. The only guarntee is that it will be a tight affair. It wont be a game for the faint hearted. Yes the TM cup debalce has to be avoided at all costs and that is a monumental incentive for our lads. There is another motivating here in that Sligo players feel they havent got the credit they deserve from last yrs win although didnt do themselves any favours during the league or cork. But now they want to put that right. Anyways mayo will be highly motivated too to put us back in our place so to speak from there point of view. Also alot of there players will be determined to show well without mcdonald ands show there no one man team. Also we are neighbours so more into the melting pot. Both teams wont fear each other.

It will be a cracker. Cant wait.

wasnt thinking of CMac at but enda devenny, remember the clamour for him a while back it was reaching AOM proportions. on a serious note ger brady and criminally under used Marty Mcnicoholas  while persisting with the likes of cunniffe and boyle, j gill who are clearly not ready for the fray now if ever. the pissing around with Trevor mortimer and Barry moran and BJP, are all major problem mayo need to fix and Sligo will probable be the last game to experiment in.
Less of the pessimism lads these are only wee problems that often Iron theselves out in the heat of championship battle if the play with the right spirit and given the right leadership. Can o'mahny provide that?
I hear Colm mac is playing great stuff for Burrishrule

Quote from: the Deel Rover on May 28, 2008, 12:24:32 PM
OK i have you now stephenite and i agree with you i don't think that we are going to get to an AI final no matter who we have playing ( I'm not going to get into a discussion about Ciaran MC there has been enough written about that) however we definitely need to see some improvement on last year which in all honesty was total Shite. O' mahony is now in year 2 of his 3 year term and this time he can't come out with the excuses that its not his team, this is his team most of the older heads are gone so now this is the future of mayo football, the under 21 team from 2 years ago should be coming on stream. As for the sligo game we don't really have a settled team can any one here even attempt to name it? sligo have the benefit of a championship game and those games away allways seem to bond a team remember we went to New York in 2004 and London in 2006 also sligo have no pressure on them as most neutrals expect mayo to win. They are connacht champions and  they will have no fear of mayo. Personally i think its going to be a fairly tight affair remember if sligo loose they are in the tommy murphy cup so they have a huge incentive to put in a good performance 

Yep - agree with pretty every thing you say there Deel.

Quote from: rosnarun on May 28, 2008, 09:59:41 AM
This is all part of omahonys PR campaign . depress peole so much and make them believe our AlL ireland finals  2004 and 06 were abberations that we will end up happy to beat sligo in any manner and  a plucky defeat to galway in the connacht final will have some here wanting JOM's Canonisation.
Under the circumstances he took over in ,nothing less than an all ireland final appearance is acceptable. if he feel short of some player the i suggest he looks at himself in figuring out where thery have gone.

I do think that All-Ireland expectations are unrealistic. If the opportunity comes, so be it but we're a step or two off the mark at the minute imho.
But I take your point - we're a lot better than O'Mahony wants expectations to be. Thats the way he is I guess, for better or for worse. He will try and keep people's feet on the ground.
Regarding players time will be the best judge. Cunniffe and Boyle deserve to be in the squad. I think Marty Mc was fierce unlucky over the years too (he opted out because he felt he was wasting his time). Ger Brady, though, I think was far too inconsistent and his use of the ball was often questionable.

Anyway back to the Sligo game. While I think a Connacht title should be our minimum target this year I am a bit anxious about this game. We know less about them (by we I include players, management, supporters) than they do about us - this is simply because they would have witnessed us on TV etc a lot more than the other way around due to our relatively higher profile in recent years;

Sligo are fierce bullish, rightly so as defending Connacht champs. They have a point to prove that it wasn't flash in the pan and they are a championship team;

Most of all we are struggling for a settled team. I think Deel Rover said it would be nearly impossible to predict the team. We only have two lines where we'd be fairly certain of knowing who is starting - midfield with McGarrity and Parsons and the full-forward line of Conor Mort, Austy and Andy Moran. Neither are completely set in stone either though. Fail to perform to the sum of our parts and we're there for the taking.
As another poster said its up to JOM now - this is HIS team. Last year is gone, he has had eighteen months to rebuild. Can he have the team suitable prepared? Hopefully . . .

I'd love if we got to another AIF - I just cannot see it happening.

JOM is by nature a cautious man - I don't understand how we're a lot better than he wants expectations to be either, we'll know a lot more after the Sligo game that's for sure.

For me an appearance in an All Ireland semi final would represent some real good progress with a young-ish team

We'd never be lucky enough to see another All Ireland place fall into our lap. 3 in 5 years would not be a true reflection of our worth but I'd grab your hand if you were to offer it to me.

The one thing I feel is that we have blown so many fine opportunities over ten years that it is going to be hard to get ourselves into that position again.

Suprised there has been little comment on our "new" secretary

QuoteMAYO'S first ever full-time GAA Secretary was appointed last week as it was confirmed that Sean Feeney had been successful in his application for the position.
The 61-year-old has been Mayo GAA Secretary since 1995 in a part-time role but was one of two candidates interviewed eight days ago for the full-time position which was advertised last month. The other candidate was Mayo GAA PRO, Noelle Horan.
Speaking to The Mayo News last night from Portugal, where he is accompanying the Mayo senior football squad on a training camp, Feeney said: "I'm delighted. It's an honour to be Mayo's first full-time Secretary. I've been doing it on a voluntary basis for nearly thirteen years now and the workload has been increasing dramatically over the years since. It's a full-time job now and whoever comes in after me will be full-time too."
The Ballintubber native will remain in the position until November of 2011 when he turns 65. Under GAA regulations he must then step down from the full-time role. However, he believes that it will be time for a change at that stage anyway.
"I think by the time I'm 65 I will have done my time," he admitted. "I see the development of McHale Park in Castlebar as the main objective in the short-term. That work will be starting in August and will be done within the year. After that I'm sure something else will be on the horizon.
"I firmly believe that most counties will be going down the road of full-time secretaries sooner rather than later. The amount of paperwork, in particular, has increased an awful lot in the last few years and it takes up an incredible amount of time."

MEANWHILE, the final remaining members of the Mayo senior football squad will fly into Portugal today (Tuesday) to link up with the rest of their colleagues.
A number of players were sitting college exams yesterday and so were unable to leave with the main group on Monday morning from Dublin Airport. The only member of Mayo's championship  squad not making the trip is Tom Parsons from Charlestown. He is exam-tied until the end of the week.
The travelling party return home next Sunday and will line out in club league matches on Bank Holiday Monday.

its in the mayo section barney

What are the plans for McHale park? Heard something a while back about huge investment to upgrade it and I see the new secratary mentions it starts in august.

A question for the sligo lads. As markievicz park is top class ground now and redeveloped. Whats its capacity? Will it get a connaght final? I reckon it holds 23,000 now.
8000 in North end terrace, 8000 dugout terrace, 4000 seater stand and 3000 in dressing room terrace im guessing.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 29, 2008, 12:07:02 PM
What are the plans for McHale park? Heard something a while back about huge investment to upgrade it and I see the new secratary mentions it starts in august.

A question for the sligo lads. As markievicz park is top class ground now and redeveloped. Whats its capacity? Will it get a connaght final? I reckon it holds 23,000 now.
8000 in North end terrace, 8000 dugout terrace, 4000 seater stand and 3000 in dressing room terrace im guessing.

Is Markievicz park a top class ground now? I haven't been there in a few years but last time I visited it was a bit of a kip.

I'm pretty sure to host a Connacht final the capacity of a ground has to be somewhere around 30,000.

Markievicz Park has improved considerably in recent years. Maybe if ye draw a northern team in the qualifiers you might get a look at it!  ;D

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on May 29, 2008, 02:10:45 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on May 29, 2008, 12:07:02 PM
What are the plans for McHale park? Heard something a while back about huge investment to upgrade it and I see the new secratary mentions it starts in august.

A question for the sligo lads. As markievicz park is top class ground now and redeveloped. Whats its capacity? Will it get a connaght final? I reckon it holds 23,000 now.
8000 in North end terrace, 8000 dugout terrace, 4000 seater stand and 3000 in dressing room terrace im guessing.

Is Markievicz park a top class ground now? I haven't been there in a few years but last time I visited it was a bit of a kip.

I'm pretty sure to host a Connacht final the capacity of a ground has to be somewhere around 30,000.

Ya in fairness IMO its top class. I know weve played alot of away games in connaght recent yrs so Mayo, Galway, Ros and Leitrim wouldnt have seen it yet. The grass bank is gone and replaced by massive terrace. Stand now is full length of pitch with black bucket seats and sligeach in white seats. Then new terrace at dressing room end now.

Its about as much as you can do with were its located. Im proud of it anyway and look forward to a big game there. Maybe a replay against MAYO ;) in a few weeks.

all worried about a division 3 team that were relegated?
Cop on, who are you kidding, you are  beginning to sound like JOM.

Quote from: mannix on May 29, 2008, 02:39:07 PM
all worried about a division 3 team that were relegated?
Cop on, who are you kidding, you are  beginning to sound like JOM.

Seriously man you just dont get it ::), you keep going on about league form. It is irrelevant now. Championship is completely different. You are in for a shock if you think the Sligo team that played league will be the same Sligo in Mchale park. In fact since the league we have a whole different shape and gameplan and a number of positional switches. Also as Ohara said a massive change of atitude aswell since the league. Players are working alot harder and have finally found there focus for this yr.

Thats the thing Mannix, its Johnno thats flying the plane. And Johnno has firmly grounded any expectations we may have had in previous years. Maybe he is trying to protect the players from public's expectations or maybe he is being realistic as he sees it and does nt believe they re going anywhere fast? I dont know. Would he have taken this job on if there was nt that political angle? Again I dont know but I have my doubts.
We were muck last year in Championship and will we be any better this year? We wont know for sure until we play but word is that training is more fine tuned this year for championship, whereas last year it was obvious that we plateaued off in late spring and were flat for championship. So thats encouraging then.But Sligo will be at least as good as they were last year and dismissing them as a third division team does nt change a thing. We can be fairly sure what Sligo will bring to the game but can we say the same of Mayo? Mayo were arguably the best team in the country in 97 and were lucky to scrape past Sligo. Its been the 80 s since we used to win comfortably V Sligo. Our fellas have to be better than Sligo on June 22 to win and that is the only thing that matters. Labeling teams division so and so cuts no ice this time of year. You might remember we got to a final in 96 from Div. 3.
Anyway back to possible Mayo selections. Is he going to start Peadar Gardiner. It looked like it was very likely before he broke his jaw and now he s back. And where will they select him. I thought they would go with a half forward line of Harte, Dillon and Trevor ( presuming all fit and well) nowI m not so sure. they might pick peadar at 12 and play trevor in a half back line with  Heaney and Keith Higgins?  Then there s Billie Joe Padden. Would they start him and where? Centre- half back? They might be thinking something like this.
Clarke
A Higgins
Conroy
God knows - Heaney anyone?
Cuniffe/ Trevor H
Heaney/ Billie Joe
K Higgins
McGarrity
Parsons
Harte
Dillon
Trevor/ Gardiner
Conor
Austin
Andy

A couple of things I ll be lookin out for. Will Johnno hold his nerve and play Keith Higgins in hb line instead of dropping him back if the fb line begins to creak. For us to have a good year Austin needs to make an impact similar to James Horan in 96 imo. If Trevor, Dillon and Heaney play as well as they have done at their best in the past then we could do well enough this year. But there s a lot of ifs and buts at this stage.

moysider, what about Colm Boyle? Would he not slot into the corner back position. I don't know much about the lad but O'Mahony seems to play him there for the past few friendlies. Even Nallen could make an appearance. Hopefully McGarrity will live up to his role as captain as he is not really doing the business in the midfield position. I read in the Western that Castlebar lorded it there on Sunday. I think that O'Mahony is under serious pressure. I hope this trip to Portugal can do something as I've stated before.

Quote from: Farrandeelin on May 29, 2008, 10:01:52 PM
moysider, what about Colm Boyle? Would he not slot into the corner back position. I don't know much about the lad but O'Mahony seems to play him there for the past few friendlies. Even Nallen could make an appearance. Hopefully McGarrity will live up to his role as captain as he is not really doing the business in the midfield position. I read in the Western that Castlebar lorded it there on Sunday. I think that O'Mahony is under serious pressure. I hope this trip to Portugal can do something as I've stated before.

I ve said before that I rate Boyle highly but I would nt play him corner back - same as I would nt Cuniffe. But Johnno may well slot him in there but I suspect he gave these lads time in the league to blood them. He cannot be too impressed however and the best option is to go with Aiden Higgins, Heaney, maybe or maybe a fit - again O Malley in the corners. I would nt mind Nallen at 4 but I d better get my flak jacket on again as most people here think it looks unbecoming to have a zimmer frame on the field.  Young Conroy needs some experience and calm around him. A niave fb line will kill us, regardless how well we do elsewhere. Boyle or Cuniffe in hb line i would have no fear of as options, and they would bring great dash to our game in middle third - something I believe could be our trump card. I d have no fear of McGarrity either. He ll be interested and if fit will have a big year. Only one caveat there though. There is nt a nasty bone in either Ronan or Tom Parsons and both play best with an enforcer riding shotgun.  This team is crying out for someone like Brady, Stanton, Tiernan or Colm Mac in their pomp. We dont have one though. A big worry.

Spot on Moysider - I was hoping that as the league progressed I'd be hearing reports of Parsons taking lumps outta fellas as I think you need someone like that at Inter county level in that area of the field. I take it he hasn't developed into that role, and you're right, Ronan wouldn't be the class of footballer either, nothing wrong with that either but I'd be more comfortable with someone who doesn't mind getting involved beside him.

Quote from: stephenite on May 29, 2008, 11:42:43 PM
Spot on Moysider - I was hoping that as the league progressed I'd be hearing reports of Parsons taking lumps outta fellas as I think you need someone like that at Inter county level in that area of the field. I take it he hasn't developed into that role, and you're right, Ronan wouldn't be the class of footballer either, nothing wrong with that either but I'd be more comfortable with someone who doesn't mind getting involved beside him.

Parsons needs to be in the team and if O Shea was a bit further on in his development and a bit harder then Parsons could be the man to build half forward line around as his strengths are distribution, linking, as well as fetching, carrying and he can take his scores. He s a class player and can make an attack click but he ll never be a sledger same as Pierce Hanley would nt have been. O Shea seems the most likely man we have to develop a hard streak but his progress may take some time.

Quote from: stephenite on May 29, 2008, 08:04:45 AM
I'd love if we got to another AIF - I just cannot see it happening.

JOM is by nature a cautious man - I don't understand how we're a lot better than he wants expectations to be either, we'll know a lot more after the Sligo game that's for sure.

For me an appearance in an All Ireland semi final would represent some real good progress with a young-ish team

My point is if JOM had his way we'd be underdogs going into the Sligo game. I know managers will tend to understate their own strengths and accentuate those of the opposition but he takes it to a whole new level. I appreciate we need a bit of realism in Mayo - we are not All-Ireland contenders. But is JOM going so far down the line as to take away any bit of atmosphere and anticipation ahead of games? I think he might be.
Sligo is a real acid test though. A comfortable win and suddenly all will be well with the world again. A narrow victory and we'll be in the lot done, more to do category and a defeat . . . well Goodnight Irene . . .

Quote from: moysider on May 29, 2008, 11:35:23 PM

Quote from: Farrandeelin on May 29, 2008, 10:01:52 PM
moysider, what about Colm Boyle? Would he not slot into the corner back position. I don't know much about the lad but O'Mahony seems to play him there for the past few friendlies. Even Nallen could make an appearance. Hopefully McGarrity will live up to his role as captain as he is not really doing the business in the midfield position. I read in the Western that Castlebar lorded it there on Sunday. I think that O'Mahony is under serious pressure. I hope this trip to Portugal can do something as I've stated before.

I ve said before that I rate Boyle highly but I would nt play him corner back - same as I would nt Cuniffe. But Johnno may well slot him in there but I suspect he gave these lads time in the league to blood them. He cannot be too impressed however and the best option is to go with Aiden Higgins, Heaney, maybe or maybe a fit - again O Malley in the corners. I would nt mind Nallen at 4 but I d better get my flak jacket on again as most people here think it looks unbecoming to have a zimmer frame on the field.  Young Conroy needs some experience and calm around him. A niave fb line will kill us, regardless how well we do elsewhere. Boyle or Cuniffe in hb line i would have no fear of as options, and they would bring great dash to our game in middle third - something I believe could be our trump card. I d have no fear of McGarrity either. He ll be interested and if fit will have a big year. Only one caveat there though. There is nt a nasty bone in either Ronan or Tom Parsons and both play best with an enforcer riding shotgun.  This team is crying out for someone like Brady, Stanton, Tiernan or Colm Mac in their pomp. We dont have one though. A big worry.

I think there's consensus that Aidan Higgins will be in one corner but you're right Moysider, who he picks will be indicative of how far he thinks his team has come on. If either Heaney or Keith Higgins are in the full-back line then the answer will be that he doesn't feel the team has come on much at all.
I'd be inclined towards Nallen myself, but of course that's all depending on how well he's moving which JOM will know best.
If there's a problem with the two lads at midfield its that they are too similar. The likes of O'Hara now would be a test for them physically. O'Shea is more able to handle the physical stuff, and give it, but still a year off this level imho

O'Shea will never be a genuine IC mid-fieder IMO.

QuoteWill Johnno hold his nerve and play Keith Higgins in hb line instead of dropping him back if the fb line begins to creak

I think its more needs must than JOM holding his nerve. Higgins is still our best back and may have to go back. he is a huge asset in the half back line though. Its disappointing that Aidan Higgins did not get more league time. He has flaws and has been shown up in big games but again is there anybody better?

Personally I think Boyle and O'Malley are not good enough. Too light. Skillful footballers but very weak defensively.

QuoteFor us to have a good year Austin needs to make an impact similar to James Horan in 96 imo.

There is more chance of a dodo shitting on top of you while you're waving your flag from the Bacon Factory End. Yes Austie had a good league but he is not the answer. I think the hard ground will yet again show him up. He needs that second too long before deciding what to do with the ball. i'll be delighted to be proved wrong. But remember he was missing in action against Galway in the league, and taht was our most competitive game.

Quoteword is that training is more fine tuned this year for championship,

I hope and guess that is the position. League games have to be assessed based on the fact that we are entering the championship at a late stage. I also wonder whether things such as Moran at full-forward, general game-plan are being worked on behind closed-doors with a view to trying to ambush a big-gun later on. It wouldn't be my way of doing things but if it works I won't be complaining.

QuoteThen there s Billie Joe Padden. Would they start him and where?

His honesty and hard-work add a lot to a team but not in the backs. I think he is still worth a shot at full-forward. It wasn't a disaster the last time. His flexibility though will probably see him on the bench.

QuoteIs he going to start Peadar Gardiner

Most definitely I would say - he is one of his favourites.

Really I think for the full-back line its names in a hat and see what comes out but for what its worth this is the slip of paper I'd have Sean Feeney writing before the 22nd

Clarke

Aidan Higgins
Conroy
Keith Higgins

Heaney
Cunniffe
Trevor

McGarrity
Moran

Kilcoyne
Parsons
Campbell

Conor Mort
Dillon
Andy Moran

Quote from: Barney on May 30, 2008, 08:22:06 AM

Really I think for the full-back line its names in a hat and see what comes out but for what its worth this is the slip of paper I'd have Sean Feeney writing before the 22nd

Clarke

Aidan Higgins
Conroy
Keith Higgins

Heaney
Cunniffe
Trevor

McGarrity
Moran

Kilcoyne
Parsons
Campbell

Conor Mort
Dillon
Andy Moran

Is that the team you want picked Barney or think will be picked? I'm presuming the former but Parsons at chf would be out of nowhere. Don't remember him playing anywhere but midfield and don't think he has the natural flair of a forward. He might develop that but nows not the time to try it. Dillon at full may work but think he's more useful at chf and if Barry Moran plays at midfield  then I don't know what JOM is at because I don't remember the last time he had a good full 60/70 minutes for club or county there. The same can apply to the wing forwards imho
But there is so much guesswork involved.

The team I would opt for would be:
Clarke
A Higgins B Padden J Nallen
K Higgins D Heaney T Cunniffe
R McGarrity T Parsons
P Harte A Dillon T Mortimer
C Mortimer A O'Malley A Moran.

However I think the following team will line out
Clarke
A Higgins K Conroy K Higgins
T Cunniffe D Heaney T Mortimer
R McGarrity T Parsons
P Harte A Dillon P Gardiner
C Mortimer A O'Malley A Moran.

When were we last as unsure of a championship starting fifteen this close to championship? Hopefully the uncertainty might force lads to up the effort to secure their spots. Hopefully. But it can just as easily have a negative effect

Quote from: Barney on May 30, 2008, 08:22:06 AM


There is more chance of a dodo shitting on top of you while you're waving your flag from the Bacon Factory End.

(http://www.biojobblog.com/surprise(1).jpg)

 :D

all sorts of sexual perversions happening in Castlebar these days!

Any word on how the Portugal trip went?

Quote from: Barney on June 04, 2008, 08:10:55 AM
Any word on how the Portugal trip went?

didn't here anything barney , however in said in the western yesterday that conor mort in carryng an injury won'y play for his club this week in the championship and could be doubtfull for the sligo game

I watched Nallen against Laois in a challenge recently, he has a great football head even if time is catching him.
I agree with some who say the lack of an enforcer on the team is a problem, paul galvin would love to throw his weight around and get away with it, however, a referee will spot him and he must be drawn out.
After the Wexford lesson dished nice and coldly to meath, it would be nice to see a few more surprises to break the boredom.

........ apart from Sligo beating us of course!! If Conor doesn't make it, I would worry where the scores will come from.

Ladies first ;). from the sligogaa.ie:

The TG4 Connacht Senior Champion Semi Final between Galway and Sligo Fixed for Tuam Stadium on Saturday 21 June has been switched to Sunday 22 June in Mc Hale Park Castlebar. This game will act as the curtain raiser to the Sligo v Mayo Senior Championship game.

Have to say its a good idea.

Didn't know that about Mort.

Now I am seriously worried.

Check this out - http://mayogaablog.com/?p=448 (http://mayogaablog.com/?p=448) from the mayogaablog. We are seriously dependent on his scores. Whatever about his faults Conoreen is our best forward - our freetaker (although not the world's greatest), and the best man with an eye for the posts.

The options if he does not play will be Andy Moran (good for an odd goal, wins plenty of possession but still only scored about 5 points during the league), the People's Champion, Austie (yet to prove himself in championship football), Dillon (going through a bad patch but we know what he is capable of), Kilcoyne (is able, but is JOM willing to play him? - blows hot and cold but can take frees) and Gardiner (no thanks) or Harte (not going to put a big score).

Here is the article barney



Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Mortimer's a doubt for Mayo date with Sligo
By: Keith Bourke

MAYO's top scoring forward, Conor Mortimer, remains a major doubt for Mayo's Connacht Championship clash with Sligo.

The Shrule/Glencorrib forward aggravated a thigh injury playing for his club in the first round of the championship nine days ago and was still carrying the knock during the Mayo team's training camp in Portugal last week.


"Conor would be one of the more serious ones. It's soft muscle damage," said Mayo manager John O'Mahony on his return to the county.


O'Mahony was unsure whether the corner-forward would be fit for Mayo's opening game of the championship against Sligo in two weeks time. Free-scoring Mortimer would be a major loss to the ranks already depleted by an injury to Trevor Howley.


"I don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see what the rate of recovery is like," the Mayo boss said.


O'Mahony added that Mortimer would definitely not be playing any part in Shrule-Glencorrib's championship encounter with Ballaghadereen on Sunday.


In other news on the injury front, Castlebar Mitchels Barry Moran is also carrying a minor thigh strain picked up in club action, while defender Howley may well be out for the entire championship with a serious ankle injury.


The Mayo panel spent the last week at a state-of-the art training camp in the Alvarge, Portugal.

If Conor is out then it's very bad news for us. I still reckon we'll take Sligo without him though. Who to replace him is a big question as we haven't played a game without him in a long time - Kerry in 06? - and it's a big pity too as it was the one line we really had nailed down. I reckon Andy Moran and Austie will be kept where they are and I'd personally prefer Trevor in the half forwards as it gives us more bite. This is the team I'd have out if we have no Conor
                    Clarke

A. Higgins      Conroy        Nallen

Gardiner        Heaney      K.Higgins

        McGarrity       Parsons

Kilcoyne       Dillon        Trevor

Campbell/Ronaldson   Austie     A. Moran


We've no other real corner forwards and it's a tough call but I'd put Ronaldson in there he's fast and nippy with an eye for goal even if he didn't get much game time in the league but then neither did Campbell. Kilcoyne is a better footballer than Harte or Gill when he plays and Trevor can do a bit of work around midfield.
We've no corner backs either and I'd go with Nallen for experience in this game. If Howley comes back put Keith in the corner and put Heaney on the wing. Gardiner isn't a forward but he'll fit right in again back in the wing backs. If Howleys out for the full season then we'll be in serious trouble

Quote from: kevmy on June 04, 2008, 03:37:22 PM
If Conor is out then it's very bad news for us. I still reckon we'll take Sligo without him though. Who to replace him is a big question as we haven't played a game without him in a long time - Kerry in 06? - and it's a big pity too as it was the one line we really had nailed down. I reckon Andy Moran and Austie will be kept where they are and I'd personally prefer Trevor in the half forwards as it gives us more bite. This is the team I'd have out if we have no Conor
                    Clarke

A. Higgins      Conroy        Nallen

Gardiner        Heaney      K.Higgins

        McGarrity       Parsons

Kilcoyne       Dillon        Trevor

Campbell/Ronaldson   Austie     A. Moran


We've no other real corner forwards and it's a tough call but I'd put Ronaldson in there he's fast and nippy with an eye for goal even if he didn't get much game time in the league but then neither did Campbell. Kilcoyne is a better footballer than Harte or Gill when he plays and Trevor can do a bit of work around midfield.
We've no corner backs either and I'd go with Nallen for experience in this game. If Howley comes back put Keith in the corner and put Heaney on the wing. Gardiner isn't a forward but he'll fit right in again back in the wing backs. If Howleys out for the full season then we'll be in serious trouble

His form for his club is anything but impressiveright now. What are we going on that he is a better footballer than Harte or even Gill for that matter? Or is it that he looks like he should be a better footballer?

QuoteClarke

A. Higgins      Conroy        Nallen

Gardiner        Heaney      K.Higgins

        McGarrity       Parsons

Kilcoyne       Dillon        Trevor

Campbell/Ronaldson   Austie     A. Moran

The problem here, kevmy, is that you’d have three lads in the backs who are approaching the mid-thirty mark. All have been classy players with plenty of heart in their day but at championship tempo I’d not expect all of them to last the pace.
Gardiner has had long-standing injury problems and only time will tell if he is up for it or not.
Midfield or the forwards wouldn’t worry me as much but no combo Johnno has tried out so far as stopped the defence leaking goals.

Quote from: moysider on June 04, 2008, 04:29:06 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 04, 2008, 03:37:22 PM
If Conor is out then it's very bad news for us. I still reckon we'll take Sligo without him though. Who to replace him is a big question as we haven't played a game without him in a long time - Kerry in 06? - and it's a big pity too as it was the one line we really had nailed down. I reckon Andy Moran and Austie will be kept where they are and I'd personally prefer Trevor in the half forwards as it gives us more bite. This is the team I'd have out if we have no Conor
                    Clarke

A. Higgins      Conroy        Nallen

Gardiner        Heaney      K.Higgins

        McGarrity       Parsons

Kilcoyne       Dillon        Trevor

Campbell/Ronaldson   Austie     A. Moran


We've no other real corner forwards and it's a tough call but I'd put Ronaldson in there he's fast and nippy with an eye for goal even if he didn't get much game time in the league but then neither did Campbell. Kilcoyne is a better footballer than Harte or Gill when he plays and Trevor can do a bit of work around midfield.
We've no corner backs either and I'd go with Nallen for experience in this game. If Howley comes back put Keith in the corner and put Heaney on the wing. Gardiner isn't a forward but he'll fit right in again back in the wing backs. If Howleys out for the full season then we'll be in serious trouble

His form for his club is anything but impressiveright now. What are we going on that he is a better footballer than Harte or even Gill for that matter? Or is it that he looks like he should be a better footballer?

Well maybe I didn't phrase that the way I should but when he's on form (I know that's a big question) I think Kilcoyne is a much better point taker and all round attacker than either Harte or Gill. I know they have qualities Killer doesn't in winning ball and doing some of the tough stuff around the middle of the pitch but I think if you have T Mort in the half forward it'd be a waste to have a similar type of player on the other wing.

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 04, 2008, 04:48:15 PM

QuoteClarke

A. Higgins      Conroy        Nallen

Gardiner        Heaney      K.Higgins

        McGarrity       Parsons

Kilcoyne       Dillon        Trevor

Campbell/Ronaldson   Austie     A. Moran

The problem here, kevmy, is that you'd have three lads in the backs who are approaching the mid-thirty mark. All have been classy players with plenty of heart in their day but at championship tempo I'd not expect all of them to last the pace.
Gardiner has had long-standing injury problems and only time will tell if he is up for it or not.
Midfield or the forwards wouldn't worry me as much but no combo Johnno has tried out so far as stopped the defence leaking goals.

Well I'd prefer it if Howley was fit and if we had found a natural corner back over the league but we only found more good half backs. Pat Kelly, Cunniffe, Boyle and Barrett are all natural half backs as is Jimmy Nallen given the choice of playing an inexperienced player out of position alongside a new FB or an old head I'd go with the old head. The only other choice I'd see is bring Keith back and put one of the other young guns in wing back. Not saying that wouldn't work it's choice to be made mainly about where you want Keith Higgins (if only we had 3 or 4 more like him).

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 04, 2008, 04:48:15 PM

QuoteClarke

A. Higgins      Conroy        Nallen

Gardiner        Heaney      K.Higgins

        McGarrity       Parsons

Kilcoyne       Dillon        Trevor

Campbell/Ronaldson   Austie     A. Moran

The problem here, kevmy, is that you'd have three lads in the backs who are approaching the mid-thirty mark. All have been classy players with plenty of heart in their day but at championship tempo I'd not expect all of them to last the pace.
Gardiner has had long-standing injury problems and only time will tell if he is up for it or not.
Midfield or the forwards wouldn't worry me as much but no combo Johnno has tried out so far as stopped the defence leaking goals.

In fairness Lar only Nallen approaching mid thirties. Higgins and Heaney closer to thirty. Even if they dont last the pace does nt mean they should nt be selected. Better whoever starts plays well than starting a young fella and calling him off after 20 mins roasting. If/when Nallen tires then sub him with ten to go or whatever. Dont forget in the past likes of Gary Ruane and Micheál Collins played savage stuff in the backs in their thirties.

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 04, 2008, 01:33:13 PM
Here is the article barney



Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Mortimer's a doubt for Mayo date with Sligo
By: Keith Bourke

MAYO's top scoring forward, Conor Mortimer, remains a major doubt for Mayo's Connacht Championship clash with Sligo.

The Shrule/Glencorrib forward aggravated a thigh injury playing for his club in the first round of the championship nine days ago and was still carrying the knock during the Mayo team's training camp in Portugal last week.


"Conor would be one of the more serious ones. It's soft muscle damage," said Mayo manager John O'Mahony on his return to the county.


O'Mahony was unsure whether the corner-forward would be fit for Mayo's opening game of the championship against Sligo in two weeks time. Free-scoring Mortimer would be a major loss to the ranks already depleted by an injury to Trevor Howley.


"I don't know yet. We'll have to wait and see what the rate of recovery is like," the Mayo boss said.


O'Mahony added that Mortimer would definitely not be playing any part in Shrule-Glencorrib's championship encounter with Ballaghadereen on Sunday.


In other news on the injury front, Castlebar Mitchels Barry Moran is also carrying a minor thigh strain picked up in club action, while defender Howley may well be out for the entire championship with a serious ankle injury.


The Mayo panel spent the last week at a state-of-the art training camp in the Alvarge, Portugal.

I once had a soft tissue muscle injury on my foot and it took ages to heal but it can be played through with aid of painkilling injection. He will be fit but not 100% and it will annoy him in the game but he will start IMO.

Quote from: mannix on June 04, 2008, 11:28:44 AM
I watched Nallen against Laois in a challenge recently, he has a great football head even if time is catching him.
I agree with some who say the lack of an enforcer on the team is a problem, paul galvin would love to throw his weight around and get away with it, however, a referee will spot him and he must be drawn out.
After the Wexford lesson dished nice and coldly to meath, it would be nice to see a few more surprises to break the boredom.

There is an enforcer in Mayo football at the moment and that is David Tiernan. I would definitely have had him in the panel for a sledging role. I m sure Johnno saw him v Ballina in last years Championship. His value was obvious and instead of tut tuting about lack of control we should be cherishing his desire. Up to management to control his aggression and not take the soft option and ignore him. At the moment he is probably the most influential player in Mayo club football. And please spare me the following reasons for not considering him.

* Too old    - no he s not, not yet anyway and fcku rebuilding programmes. Go watch him play. This summer is what counts this summer.

  * Too deliberate and ponderous   - whats wrong with deliberate and its not looking pretty that counts.
   
  * Too short for midfield   - play him on the wing or third midfielder.

   * Too ugly.

   * Too ginger.

Criminally underused player down the years.

Ginger could perhaps be on the panel but I always feel he found inter-county a step too far

The injury to Conor Mort is extremely serious. One of the Sligo lads has said how he'll be okay because its soft muscle. I can tell you now if it is soft muscle on the quad of your kicking leg it is very hard to perform - especially as an inside forward (and freetaker).

I agree with Barney - we are very dependent on him. Begrudgers won't admit as much but the next day we will be really shown up for lack of attacking options in his absence.
Austy is expendable and so is Andy Moran. The Mort isn't. Potential replacements inside would be limited to Mark Ronaldson (a great lively inside man but not able to score from any distance), Aidan Kilcoyne (as hot and cold as the Irish weather) and possibly Mickey Mullins (essentially untested at this level and possibly may be suspended after picking up a straight red for Claremorris last week). Don't think I'm leaving anyone else out.
How useful someone like Marty McNicholas would be now? Jesus there is a lot of uncertainty about this game the closer we get.

I don't he's ever going to bring back Ginger - regardless of whether or not it's the right call. If Ginger is asked back then Ciaran Mac has to be asked back also.

Agreed about that Stephenite. Tiernan produced one good game for Mayo in championship football - against Roscommon in the qualifiers in 2001. Other than that he was found to be out of his depth. It is a huge step up.

Has a Mayo team ever gone into a championship with such uncertainty over selection. Whatever the thinking behind this - part of a long-term ambush plan, or else just downright incompetent management - if the results don't go well there will be uproar. I know there are people here who will say that I am over-reacting but after last year I think supporters are will to be patient once there is obvious progress - and at a minimum that probably means winning Connacht.

lads just wondering does any one know how the panel operates at the moment for e.g Trevor howley, both Morts , peadar G have been injured over the past few weeks do they just train with the remaing fit palyers or is anyone brought in for e.g it cant be good to play A v's B with ony 25 or 26 fit players ?

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 05, 2008, 01:46:37 AM
Ginger could perhaps be on the panel but I always feel he found inter-county a step too far

The injury to Conor Mort is extremely serious. One of the Sligo lads has said how he'll be okay because its soft muscle. I can tell you now if it is soft muscle on the quad of your kicking leg it is very hard to perform - especially as an inside forward (and freetaker).

I agree with Barney - we are very dependent on him. Begrudgers won't admit as much but the next day we will be really shown up for lack of attacking options in his absence.
Austy is expendable and so is Andy Moran. The Mort isn't. Potential replacements inside would be limited to Mark Ronaldson (a great lively inside man but not able to score from any distance), Aidan Kilcoyne (as hot and cold as the Irish weather) and possibly Mickey Mullins (essentially untested at this level and possibly may be suspended after picking up a straight red for Claremorris last week). Don't think I'm leaving anyone else out.
How useful someone like Marty McNicholas would be now? Jesus there is a lot of uncertainty about this game the closer we get.

Maybe so but he was used as an out and out midfielder whereas a more grafting or linking role may have suited him better. What I dont accept is how better club players like Tiernan and Michael Moyles were never a success at county level. Surely its a management/ coaching failure and maybe has something to do withhaving more choice than most in this county. I dont accept the arguement that they were given their chance and were not up to it. Anyway its a dud debate as we re not going to see him again anyway.
Barney is correct about the uncertainty surrounding the selection and the importance of progress being made this year. I m not too optimistic about progress but I ll keep my powder dry until I see what unfolds on 22nd. There is very little public interest - in my niche of the woods, so far anyway. Some people think this is a good thing. I dont. If there is little interest in the County team in June what s the point?  If things go belly up in Connacht and we exit the qualifiers down the country somewhere there would be a lot less fuss than if we lost a semi or AI final in the full public glare. I get the impression that management and some other Mayo football people would be content with a low key championship where we bring little attention to ourselves. I believe that those who believe management have some secret selection/game-plan to unleash- or ambush plan as Barney puts - it will be disappointed. I believe management is making this up [ the selection process anyway] as they go along. Anybody who attended the games earlier in Spring would have been able to see the cogs turning in management's head.

Bit unfair to be blaming management for players like Tiernan and Moyles not making the grade at senior level. There is a world of a difference between club and county. Some top inter-county players are often not great club performers (heaney, James Horan could be examples) while top players for their clubs week in week out often don't cut it at all at inter county level. Moyles certainly player a lot for Mayo and always looked to have massive potential, but never materialised. Was the kind of player that had to be in form.

Not cutting JOM any slack here, but I honestly feel a bit sorry for the management team at the moment because I truly think there has been a serious lack of talent coming through for the last 5+ years. We have got to the point where people here are heralding Keith Higgins who is still a bit unproven to me at senior level. Yes he can run all day, but has been found wanting too many times in defensive duties. Midfield has been a problem really for years - McGarrity was somewhat 'manufactured' into a footballer, Harte a forward converted into a midfielder. We are now looking to un-tested youngsters really in Parsons and O'Shea to partner McGarrity. Upfront nothing of serious quality has come through since Conor Mortimer in the early 2000's. I know its a bit of a cliché, but I blame the underage systems and the coaching / type of player being brought through. The recent U21 success only really served to camouflage this really

Quote from: Maradona on June 05, 2008, 10:40:37 AM
I know its a bit of a cliché, but I blame the underage systems and the coaching / type of player being brought through. The recent U21 success only really served to camouflage this really

I know i read you saying something similiar before maradonna what would you do  to change the current system?

I'd like to be clear on one thing from the outset:
I always trusted John O'Mahony and thought from the outset that he was our best prospect to land Sam someday.  I was also impressed by the calibre of his assistants and the fact that Martin Carney was on hand to help out.
I think he has made progress in the development of good young players and in getting older hands to mix in with the the newcomers. He certainly appears to be hard at work.
However, I have serious concerns now about his judgement.
Salthill last year saw us cleaned out tactically. Peter Ford moved his half forwards up into the corners and threw our defence into total disarray. Our lads didn't know their arses from their elbows and by the time O'Mahony reacted, Galway were out of sight.
Had he a plan B? Had he even a bloody plan A?
Okay, he was only starting off and needed another year to get a handle on things. Now we are almost 13 months on and I don't see any progress whatsoever. Sure, there are good players about and he does deserve recognition for this, but are we any nearer a settled side?
I fully accept that he can only work with what he has and it is proving hard to settle on players for set positions but O'Mahony is 18 months into his present term and there is no sign of a settled side emerging. Mickey and Beefer left with us all thinking that we only needed a 'Spine' for the side. Sligo will show no sympathy for Johnno's selection predicaments. ;)
Today we probably have a lot of better players than we had back then but are we any closer to having a settled side?
No matter what side takes the field against Sligo will it be more used to playing together as a unit than the team that took the field in Salthill last May?
It is relatively easy to sit back and criticise but I think my worries are real ones.
Does any one agree?

Quote from: Maradona on June 05, 2008, 10:40:37 AM
Bit unfair to be blaming management for players like Tiernan and Moyles not making the grade at senior level. There is a world of a difference between club and county. Some top inter-county players are often not great club performers (heaney, James Horan could be examples) while top players for their clubs week in week out often don't cut it at all at inter county level. Moyles certainly player a lot for Mayo and always looked to have massive potential, but never materialised. Was the kind of player that had to be in form.

Not cutting JOM any slack here, but I honestly feel a bit sorry for the management team at the moment because I truly think there has been a serious lack of talent coming through for the last 5+ years. We have got to the point where people here are heralding Keith Higgins who is still a bit unproven to me at senior level. Yes he can run all day, but has been found wanting too many times in defensive duties. Midfield has been a problem really for years - McGarrity was somewhat 'manufactured' into a footballer, Harte a forward converted into a midfielder. We are now looking to un-tested youngsters really in Parsons and O'Shea to partner McGarrity. Upfront nothing of serious quality has come through since Conor Mortimer in the early 2000's. I know its a bit of a cliché, but I blame the underage systems and the coaching / type of player being brought through. The recent U21 success only really served to camouflage this really

Not sure about some of the above Maradona. Likes of Parsons, Campbell, the O Sheas - especially the younger one-would be regarded as serious talent in any county. Big athletic lads and good footballers. Recent U21 success only shows that we have better footballers than most. The current minor team has half a dozen players who look like they will be senior players. Thats serious potential for one year. Senior management has a role in nurturing this talent and blending them into a team. Remember few people were aware of James Horan before Autumn 95. People were still scoffing about him in June 96. A few months later he was practically one of the immortals. We need some player/s to blossom like he did this summer. Management are largely responsible for how we do because they re responsible for team selection, tactics etc. For example they re putting alot of faith in Austin O Malley in a kind of full forward roll. A lot of people, and I include myself here, have doubts about Austin. If he does a James Horan on it then it could be a thing that catapults us forward and management will get the acclaim for a great call and rightly so. But if it does nt work management will have to take everything thrown at them. Their apologists can not defend them by saying that the lad was never up to it [ a lot could have pointed  that out to them ages ago and saved them time] or they had no other option or lack of talent. Its a call they ve had 18 months to get this right. This is just an example and I dont want to be seen to be singling O Malley out. There are other calls management have to get right too. They have already nailed their colours to the mast re McDonald and his being superfluous to needs. Their new Mayo needs to convince us that we ve moved on for the better and not just moved on.

Conor Mortimor is injured.

Anyone anything further on the extent? Will he be available for selection for 22nd?

sorry should have checked page 7.

Heading into a championship and being any sort of contenders I would think you would need to be able to name at least 10 players straight that have proven through consistency / ability / fitness (which has to take into account age) that they are able to cut it at senior championship level. At the moment I would only be able to name the following:

1 Clarke
2
3
4
5 Heaney
6
7 K Higgins
8 McGarrity
9
10 Dillon
11
12
13 C Mortimer
14
15

Others have yet to prove themselves and may never really make the grade. Arguments can be made for likes of T Mortimer, Gardiner, but being realistic neither can nail down a regular starting position - if either excelled in a particular position, they would be playing there.

As regards underage -
- Our colleges / schools, with the exception of one or two, do not put in the necessary effort or take seriously enough in order to be competitive even at provincial level. Personally I went to a college in a fairly large town in Mayo with 2 former well known and passionate ex-mayo players on the staff, but there was no serious prep for the championship
- you really have to see the coaching at underage in mayo to understand where we are going wrong. Basically great prospects are going through the system and not being properly assessed on ability and areas for improvement and coached accordingly. What happens is that we get players at senior level that can lack basic skills like the ability to catch or kick a ball. I am fully aware that it is easy to sit back and criticise, and there is no perfect system, but I think it is quiet evident that the system at present is not working. As I said before, we are a big enough county to bring through reasonable teams now and again that will bring some success either way but this only serves to hide the real facts

Quote from: moysider on June 05, 2008, 10:03:13 AM
Barney is correct about the uncertainty surrounding the selection and the importance of progress being made this year. I m not too optimistic about progress but I ll keep my powder dry until I see what unfolds on 22nd. There is very little public interest - in my niche of the woods, so far anyway. Some people think this is a good thing. I dont. If there is little interest in the County team in June what s the point?  If things go belly up in Connacht and we exit the qualifiers down the country somewhere there would be a lot less fuss than if we lost a semi or AI final in the full public glare. I get the impression that management and some other Mayo football people would be content with a low key championship where we bring little attention to ourselves. I believe that those who believe management have some secret selection/game-plan to unleash- or ambush plan as Barney puts - it will be disappointed. I believe management is making this up [ the selection process anyway] as they go along. Anybody who attended the games earlier in Spring would have been able to see the cogs turning in management's head.

I'm not sure what the big hoo-ha is over the uncertainty in selection. In my mind all players being fit we have very few places to fill - obviously Howley and Mort being injured has thrown the cat among the pigeons.

Look at it this way Clarke is a definite in goals, the half back line of Heaney, Howley and Higgins, midfield of McGarrity and Parsons, full forward line of Mort, Austie and Andy Moran are all certainties and add in Dillon on the forty.

That leaves FB line and 2 wing forwards. Wing forwards we have options and I think most people aren't worrying that much about them, pick any 2 from Trevor, Gill, Harte, Campbell, Kilcoyne, Gardiner. I'd say most people would like Trevor in the team somewhere plus he adds bite so I'd say he's 90% certain of a spot.
FB line is where the problem is and in fairness it was a problem before Johnno took over - all you have to do is cast your minds back to 04 and 06 finals to recognise that. So far he's tried Kilcullen, BJP and now Conroy in FB. Conroy seems to be the man in possession and will probably start against sligo. Corner backs are few and far between it seems. Liam O'Malley has lost all form which dates back to Salthill last year, Dermot Geragthy decided to leave the panel and Cunniffe and Boyle are, as I already mentioned, natural half backs. So it look like we'll have to put round pegs in square holes. Again I don't know can this be blamed on Johnno he's tried lads out in the hope the show something - which is what the league is for. I'm not sure how fatal this is though almost every team in the country has one or two spots they have trouble with. Kerry were looking for a FF for a few years till they got Donaghy and are playing Moynihan and McCarthy out of position in FB to fill that spot yet they still win AI's. Tyrone put Cormac McAnallen in FB in the Ulster final straight outta midfield and went on to win the AI.
In short I think Johnno had a rebuilding job to do and he's getting on with it. He's found a centre back and options in midfield and seems to have settled on Austie in FF which were 3 of 4 positions (the other being FB) everyone was worried about when he took over.

As for a quite build up well it is only Sligo and it's still 2 and half weeks away. We all know that Johnno likes to play down expectations as well which mightn't be a bad thing in this county. But I'd say lay off him until this Championship is done anyway if we see progress then good if not ye can start tooting yer horns then.

Agree with Maradonna's state of play on the line-up.

Too many players in Mayo make reputations from people seeing their names in the local papers as having good games, and one-off league performances.

We have an average bunch to pick from but without a settled team you are in major trouble.

Pat O'Shea can name 12/13 of his team since last September. Any of the management panels with a firm idea of where they are going can.

As moysider said the league showed an absence of any major plan, or way of thinking. Last year was the same. The chickens came home to roost very quickly in Salthill and it was only then that a major change was initiated, and somewhat departed from again.

I agree the management should be assessed on the championship alone, but things are very worrying. Needless to say I don't expect to be invading City West come October, and personally I don't think we will see much action past July.

QuoteAs for a quite build up well it is only Sligo

Come into my web said the spider to the fly....

QuoteCome into my web said the spider to the fly....

Now Seanie - ye're hardly a black widow!

Anyway you can see the pessimism here. I hope it spreads to the players because if there is complacency we will lose.

Well with all due respect, if the build up is quite anywhere its Sligo....waiting in the long grasss for its prey ;). Look at this board we arent giving away too much either  :-X. Mayos build up however hasnt been plane sailing with mcdonald gate, mortimer injury and to see on here the amount of debate at this time of year on team selections its quite heartening for me reading this board ;D.

Quote from: Maradona on June 05, 2008, 11:49:49 AM
Heading into a championship and being any sort of contenders I would think you would need to be able to name at least 10 players straight that have proven through consistency / ability / fitness (which has to take into account age) that they are able to cut it at senior championship level. At the moment I would only be able to name the following:

1 Clarke
2
3
4
5 Heaney
6
7 K Higgins
8 McGarrity
9
10 Dillon
11
12
13 C Mortimer
14
15

Others have yet to prove themselves and may never really make the grade. Arguments can be made for likes of T Mortimer, Gardiner, but being realistic neither can nail down a regular starting position - if either excelled in a particular position, they would be playing there.

As regards underage -
- Our colleges / schools, with the exception of one or two, do not put in the necessary effort or take seriously enough in order to be competitive even at provincial level. Personally I went to a college in a fairly large town in Mayo with 2 former well known and passionate ex-mayo players on the staff, but there was no serious prep for the championship
- you really have to see the coaching at underage in mayo to understand where we are going wrong. Basically great prospects are going through the system and not being properly assessed on ability and areas for improvement and coached accordingly. What happens is that we get players at senior level that can lack basic skills like the ability to catch or kick a ball. I am fully aware that it is easy to sit back and criticise, and there is no perfect system, but I think it is quiet evident that the system at present is not working. As I said before, we are a big enough county to bring through reasonable teams now and again that will bring some success either way but this only serves to hide the real facts

If one was to apply the same criteria to the Mayo team in June 96 ......

1.
2
3. Cahill
4
5.
6.
7
8.
9. McHale
10.
11.Colm Mac
12.
13.
14.
15. Dempsey - if fit

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 05, 2008, 01:44:11 PM
Well with all due respect, if the build up is quite anywhere its Sligo....waiting in the long grasss for its prey ;). Look at this board we arent giving away too much either  :-X. Mayos build up however hasnt been plane sailing with mcdonald gate, mortimer injury and to see on here the amount of debate at this time of year on team selections its quite heartening for me reading this board ;D.

In fairness we have a GAA population at least 3 times the size of Sligo's so you're going to see alot more posts from us. Believe me it is a quiet build up in Mayo, very little optimism for the year ahead at the moment.
I agree with kevmy on the team selection issue. It is really only the full back line that is impossible to name, but this has been a problem for a while. I would have hoped Johnno et al would have sorted this by now but it appears they can't, enough people have been tried but no one has really claimed either a corner back spot or the FB role. I expect Conroy will be left at it and unfortunately K Higgins will be brought back to one of the corners. At the other end, if Mort doesn't make the Sligo game I would be concerned and I would have to review my initial optimism of winning by a few points, one point will do!

QuoteNow Seanie - ye're hardly a black widow!

No we're not - but we mightn't need to be!

Just havin the craic. Under no illusions about it.

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 05, 2008, 11:00:45 AM
I'd like to be clear on one thing from the outset:
I always trusted John O'Mahony and thought from the outset that he was our best prospect to land Sam someday.  I was also impressed by the calibre of his assistants and the fact that Martin Carney was on hand to help out.
I think he has made progress in the development of good young players and in getting older hands to mix in with the the newcomers. He certainly appears to be hard at work.
However, I have serious concerns now about his judgement.
Salthill last year saw us cleaned out tactically. Peter Ford moved his half forwards up into the corners and threw our defence into total disarray. Our lads didn't know their arses from their elbows and by the time O'Mahony reacted, Galway were out of sight.
Had he a plan B? Had he even a bloody plan A?
Okay, he was only starting off and needed another year to get a handle on things. Now we are almost 13 months on and I don't see any progress whatsoever. Sure, there are good players about and he does deserve recognition for this, but are we any nearer a settled side?
I fully accept that he can only work with what he has and it is proving hard to settle on players for set positions but O'Mahony is 18 months into his present term and there is no sign of a settled side emerging. Mickey and Beefer left with us all thinking that we only needed a 'Spine' for the side. Sligo will show no sympathy for Johnno's selection predicaments. ;)
Today we probably have a lot of better players than we had back then but are we any closer to having a settled side?
No matter what side takes the field against Sligo will it be more used to playing together as a unit than the team that took the field in Salthill last May?
It is relatively easy to sit back and criticise but I think my worries are real ones.
Does any one agree?

What assistants exactly Lar and why is Martin Carney such a bonus?

Can I hop a ball here fellas?

In Mayo we've been concerned about the fullback line since the 2004 final. Everyone that's been back there has been found fault with. So I was wondering who we'd pick for jersies 2, 3 and 4 if we had the choice of every footballer in the country, and then apply the same criteria to them as we apply to our own fellas. It'll be interesting to find the man without sin.

ye mustn't have watched any leagues to exclude andy moran from the certainties lineup. he has mature into probably mayo's best player.also its pointless to compare mayo's state to kerry who are going for 3 in a row or 4 out og 5 which is even more impressive. but it can also mean that the team is getting stale. like the great team of the 80's by staying too long they seriously harmed kerry footall for about 10 years. be happy we have so many top pedigree footaller who when we get all the ingredint right will come very good

best full back in te country
dara o'se no question

Marc O'Sé you mean?

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on June 05, 2008, 04:57:57 PM
Can I hop a ball here fellas?

In Mayo we've been concerned about the fullback line since the 2004 final. Everyone that's been back there has been found fault with. So I was wondering who we'd pick for jersies 2, 3 and 4 if we had the choice of every footballer in the country, and then apply the same criteria to them as we apply to our own fellas. It'll be interesting to find the man without sin.

Just off the top of my head I d  be happy with a fb line of Marc O Sé, Barry Owens and Joe Higgins. I m sure they would do a good job.

QuoteWhat assistants exactly Lar and why is Martin Carney such a bonus?

Well, I do have to be seen to be fair-minded, don’t  I?
Kieran Gallagher and Tommy Lyons are his two selectors and he did say he was delighted to obtain their services. (That’s from the archives of the Western back in December 2006.)
Ditto about Martin Carney:
“Martin Carney will also be a part of the wider management where he will be in charge of video and statistical analysis.”
That’s what the Messiah said anyway and I won’t argue with him. Have you seen Martin on the sidelines at games with his cute little laptop and him shouting stats or something to Johnno? For all I know, he could be askin’ the hoor if he wants vinegar on his fish and chips on the way home but it does look impressive all the same.
If that’s the backup team the man wants around him then so be it; but how the four of them couldn’t foresee the controversy that was going to erupt when McDonald was not in the announced panel is a mystery to me.

Ok Lar. I m aware of Johnnos's endorsements of his selectors and his statsman at the time of their appointment - if thats the correct term. I was more interested in your high estimation of same. You said that you were ' impressed by their calibre'  Why were you impressed? What were they bringing to the table that was impressive?  Just interested , thats all.   

If I may?

Kieran Gallagher was kept on because he offered some continuity with the old regime and is apparently a very useful football brain to have around, I don't know the man but have heard great reports from those who have worked with him up close. Tommy Lyons is an All Ireland winning Club manager that has history with O'Mahony, a fantastic motivator of players.

Quote from: moysider on June 06, 2008, 12:35:25 AM

Ok Lar. I m aware of Johnnos's endorsements of his selectors and his statsman at the time of their appointment - if thats the correct term. I was more interested in your high estimation of same. You said that you were ' impressed by their calibre'  Why were you impressed? What were they bringing to the table that was impressive?  Just interested , thats all.   

I would agree fully with Stephenite’s assessment of the two selectors. Also, Martin Carney has had a distinguished playing career with two counties, was widely regarded as a successful under-age manager and is now a respected pundit and analyst.
O’Mahony himself has an undoubted pedigree as an intercounty manager.
I thought when they were appointed that they were probably the strongest management set up we could reasonably expect to get. I still genuinely feel we are unlikely to come up with better than those four men – going by their CVs.
However, given their collective experience and reputations I am a bit concerned at some of what has been happening lately and maybe I’ve been a little sarcastic in my earlier posts.
I assume they do talk together and that O’Mahony does take heed of his colleagues’ opinions. So how then did they not foresee the consequences of omitting Mac from the panel in the way that it was done? O’Mahony has the right to determine who gets included on the panel but surely he knew that Mac’s omission was going to cause widespread comment and speculation. I would have thought that the management would have assumed nothing and got a definitive yes or no from McDonald. Either that or informed him he was no longer in their plans.
O’Mahony said in the wake of the Salthill fiasco that he couldn’t understand how dead and distracted the entire team were on that day. (Or words to that effect.)
Cripes! He and his buddies were in charge and they showed less animation and were even slower to react than the lads on the field!
Thirteen months on and the management is no nearer to finding a settled formation for the side. To my way of thinking, if you don’t have natural candidates for any specialist position you need to go about adapting someone to fill the post and give him all the time you can to grow into the position.
Of course I do honestly wish all concerned the very best and hope things come right on the day. But if we do get by Sligo in all probability Galway will be next in line and I really don’t see Liam Sammon losing much sleep at the prospect.
Given the four men’s credentials, I’d expect more evidence of progress being made.

Lar, I don't really think omitting McDonald from the panel is that major an issue. He would no doubt have been an addition but when all is said and done it is two years since he played for Mayo. Now the whole issue was dealt with shabbily but I think more people are concerned about the apparent lack of any coherent plan over the past two years -

1. The defence is still a shambles. If the players are not there where are the efforts to change tactics? Flood the back-line? Sweeper in front of the full-back line? All worth trying on a consistent basis.

2. The experiments that were not working in the league in 07 were persevered with throughout that campaign and shown up in Salthill. Yes, we got to the final that year but the faults were clear to be seen and only for some great comebacks we could have taken serious thrashing especially against Cork. It was either a case of the manager being mistaken in his belief that the players were adaptable enough and good enough to implement his plan or the eye being off the ball.

3. And then things that seemed to work - Barry Moran at FF showed promise - were abandoned.

So it is hard to be confident, but we are hopeful of being pleasantly suprised.

I agree that we are unlikely to have a better quarter involved in a management team but when you look at JOM's record since the 2001 AI both with Galway and Mayo it has been one of abject failure. Has he lost his touch? Did he succeed in Galway because he had the players? Or was he just dealing with two groups of burnt out experienced players?

I know Seanie certainly feels that he is overrated as a manager. I don't think so - u21 success with Mayo, Connacht success with Leitrim, and the All Irelands with Galway at senior and u21 show more than a lucky general. But watching the gaffer on the sideline in the green and red he is less animated than he used to be, and not as active in controlling the troops. Does he have the same passion any more?

Quote from: Barney on June 06, 2008, 08:12:15 AM


I know Seanie certainly feels that he is overrated as a manager. I don't think so - u21 success with Mayo, Connacht success with Leitrim, and the All Irelands with Galway at senior and u21 show more than a lucky general. But watching the gaffer on the sideline in the green and red he is less animated than he used to be, and not as active in controlling the troops. Does he have the same passion any more?

I think this is the question. He has been managing at a high level for a long time now and his reluctance to take the Mayo job first time around in 2005 was revealing. I just feel he may have taken the job because of the constant urgings.
But perhaps it is too early to be making such assessments. How we do come close of play for the 2008 season is what will really matter.

I think the backroom team he has assembled is an excellent one. Tommy Lyons would go to hell and back to get an extra yard out of a player, Kieran Gallagher is a very considered and thoughtful football man and Carney knows the game inside out. The question is though - what input do they actually have? You see with some managers how they're greatest strength is being facilitators - maximizing the strengths of those around him. Is JOM this kind of manager?
I personally think the three boys input may be minimal - that its Johnno's gig and he is calling the shots. Its just a hunch

Quote from: Barney on June 06, 2008, 08:12:15 AM
3. And then things that seemed to work - Barry Moran at FF showed promise - were abandoned.

Just one quibble here Barry Moran was injured for most of the league campaign. I think the first game he was available for was the Galway game and even then he wasn't fully fit. And in fairness to Austie he came in and gave his most consistent spell for us throughout the league. I know there are still doubts over him - I have them myself - but you can't argue with his record in the league this year (or the FF line in general) and he surely deserves a spin in the Championship. Barry Moran showed well in 2 games at FF one against Cavan who were seriously depleted and the other against Derry which was very good show considering only bout 4 players turned up that day. He'd be second choice for me at the moment but if he was thrown in now I think we get a lot of aimless balls shovelled into the FF position like we did against Derry.

I wouldn't be overconfident myself this year. Having said that I wouldn't be surprised if we won Connacht and got to an AI semi as a lot of other teams are in our boat. Bar Kerry I don't think anyone is outside our range on a good day.

Quote from: kevmy on June 06, 2008, 10:47:42 AM
Barry Moran showed well in 2 games at FF one against Cavan who were seriously depleted and the other against Derry which was very good show considering only bout 4 players turned up that day. He'd be second choice for me at the moment but if he was thrown in now I think we get a lot of aimless balls shovelled into the FF position like we did against Derry.

The thing with the Derry game was that after doing so much damage in the air in the first half, Moran didn't get one single high ball in the entire second half. Once the ball got to 50 or 60 metres out guys starting doubling back rather than deliver the ball into Moran. The thing with a big man inside is that if you are struggling to give in good ball to your inside men, you can always lob up a 50 50 ball for him.
Mayo kept running into cul de sacs but refused to use this option. I spoke to Kevin McCloy over the Christmas and he admitted he couldn't believe he was tested in the second half after how well Moran had done against him in the first half.
It was the most infuriating half of football from a Mayo team that I've ever seen. Such mindlessness.

Quote from: kevmy on June 06, 2008, 10:47:42 AM

I wouldn't be overconfident myself this year. Having said that I wouldn't be surprised if we won Connacht and got to an AI semi

Bejapers Kevmy if that's what you're like when the head is down you must be a quare man for bulling once you are feeling confident.  ;D

The way i feel about o' mahony is that i'll give him till this year before i judge him however what i will say is that he has not done a lot to inhance his repuation since he came back . I don't like the way he puts his spin on different events like for e.g last year he said that he inheritated a team and that he was going to give the older players a chance yet if you look at the team that started against Derry in the Qualifiers last june a high percentage of that team will most likely start against Derry.Last year for e.g he played Kilcullen in the full back position for most of the league yet come championship he was no where to be seen and as of today we are still none the wiser as to who will play there.
Also with regards the closed panel ( lar has asked this before) does any other county operate this system or is it just mayo and if so is the reason for this the players grants? Have the county board requested this or is it JOMS decesion.  With all the injuries the past few weeks have we been operating with a smaller panel of 25 to 26 if so this seems crazy coming up to championship you want lads to be tearing into each other at training especially in A v's B games and this can't be done on a reduced panel.
Barney asked does he have the passion any more i would have been more convinced  had he took the mayo job straight after maugan left however he is there now so lets see what happens.

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on June 06, 2008, 11:03:11 AM

Quote from: kevmy on June 06, 2008, 10:47:42 AM

I wouldn't be overconfident myself this year. Having said that I wouldn't be surprised if we won Connacht and got to an AI semi

Bejapers Kevmy if that's what you're like when the head is down you must be a quare man for bulling once you are feeling confident.  ;D

I don't expect us to get to a semi final but I wouldn't be surprised by it. I'd be fairly confident of a Connacht title if we had Howley and Mort on the pitch in Castelbar

Quote from: Barney on June 06, 2008, 08:12:15 AM
Lar, I don't really think omitting McDonald from the panel is that major an issue. He would no doubt have been an addition but when all is said and done it is two years since he played for Mayo. Now the whole issue was dealt with shabbily but I think more people are concerned about the apparent lack of any coherent plan over the past two years -

That’s an excellent post, Barney, and I’m 101% with you on all your points, especially the last sentence quoted above..
I wasn’t really referring to McDonald being dropped but to the way in which it was done. It was O’Mahony’s call to include him or not but it was also his responsibility to absolutely certain of how he stood with the player before assuming that Mac had decided to depart.

Deel Rover makes this point and it does concern me greatly as well:

QuoteAlso with regards the closed panel ( lar has asked this before) does any other county operate this system or is it just mayo and if so is the reason for this the players grants? Have the county board requested this or is it JOMS decesion.  With all the injuries the past few weeks have we been operating with a smaller panel of 25 to 26 if so this seems crazy coming up to championship you want lads to be tearing into each other at training especially in A v's B games and this can't be done on a reduced panel.

What if O’Mahony decides to introduce new players to the panel? Will it mean having to drop some already there? Won’t some of the less-established lads feel under pressure at the possibility being dropped and also at losing their grant entitlements? I don’t know of any other county naming and closing of fits panel in this way.
I am genuinely reluctant to say this but could it have been a trap to snare McDonald? Could O’Mahony have been relying on Mac to not reply to his text message before the panel was announced and then using the latter’s silence to get rid of him?
In any event he subsequently stated that the way was still open for others to join the squad. 

I’m beginning to think the same as R&GS, unfortunately.

QuoteI personally think the three boys input may be minimal - that its Johnno's gig and he is calling the shots. Its just a hunch

Johnno has had issues about choosing selectors in the past. The word is that he had problems getting his preferred selections onto the pictch 1987-91 and switches took ages being preceeded by a lenghtly consultation process involving not only selectors but heavyweight countyboard men as well. This may well be a bit exaggerated but you can understand why he would have wanted his own selectors. However I felt this time the arrangement was a bit cosy. The least noticable lad from the last regime and a club manager that brought Johnno in to help out in preparing for a shot at an All Ireland. I would be concerned that both Johnno and Tommy would be too similar in approach to handling players. As well as the Mac case there is the absence of Ger Brady, Enda Devenney and the Kilcullens to be considered. These were all players that Johnno worked with at club levell [ school as well in the case of the Kilcullens] before they joined the county panel but he seems to have had problems with them. All had some potential at county level in some role or other. Tommy Lyons worked with the Ballina lads yet they dont seem to have responded well to the new set up. Devenney never brought on his great club form - and I m aware of his injury problems. Clarke in fairness is flying now and his approach to training and playing has always been exemplary. Brady had some great moments in 06 and should now be at his peak but he s gone. Neither Harte or McGarrity have played as well as they did for M and M and they need to now if we re to make anything out of the summer. My gut feeling is that they will.

On a different matter. Would Brian Maloney not have been a useful man to have in the panel? Never one of his greatest admirers but he looked better this Spring than he did when he was a Mayo regular. If Mort does nt make it he would have been a better bet to work the corner than some in the panel.

Quote from: moysider on June 06, 2008, 03:51:06 PM

On a different matter. Would Brian Maloney not have been a useful man to have in the panel? Never one of his greatest admirers but he looked better this Spring than he did when he was a Mayo regular. If Mort does nt make it he would have been a better bet to work the corner than some in the panel.

The shocking thing here is that you're right Moysider. Maloney would be well in the shake up. It tells you all you need to know about our lack of quality inside men.

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 07, 2008, 07:53:39 AM

Quote from: moysider on June 06, 2008, 03:51:06 PM

On a different matter. Would Brian Maloney not have been a useful man to have in the panel? Never one of his greatest admirers but he looked better this Spring than he did when he was a Mayo regular. If Mort does nt make it he would have been a better bet to work the corner than some in the panel.

The shocking thing here is that you're right Moysider. Maloney would be well in the shake up. It tells you all you need to know about our lack of quality inside men.

Jayus Sniper will you give us a break. Surely I get an odd thing right. What's seldom is wonderful I suppose, or in this case, shocking.

Just under 2 weeks to go now lads. We're the last county to tog-out this year. Club games are done and dusted for now. Are we feeling any more positive this week?

Not here Barney. I might cheer up next week once a team is named and there's something to go on, but right now I just get a horrible sense of mounting dread, like a bullock on his way to Ballyhaunis.  :-\

Sligo relegated to division 4, sorry but Mayo should enjoy this game. And by the way there is nothing wrong with ballyhaunis, lots of heifers there for the bullock to look at.

QuoteSligo relegated to division 4, sorry but Mayo should enjoy this game

Jaysus yer right. We won't bother going over so. Even though the ground is now hard, the grass is now cut and practically our whole panel is injury free...

This is my shot at the possible starting team;

Clarke
Cuniffe
Heaney
Boyle
Gardiner
T.Mort
K.Higgins
Harte
McGarrity
Dillion
Parsons
A.O'Malley
A.Moran
B.Moran / O'Shea
Kilcoyne / C.Mort (if fit)

Is it just me or are we getting stuck for some good forwards?

Quote from: mannix on June 10, 2008, 09:10:06 AM
Sligo relegated to division 4, sorry but Mayo should enjoy this game. And by the way there is nothing wrong with ballyhaunis, lots of heifers there for the bullock to look at.

Unfortunately thats all the poor old bullocks can do is look. Their jumping days a fond memory only. I m hoping we have more potency about us but I would nt bet on it. Have you anything more substantial to go on than relegation to division 4 to be so confident ManniX?. I dont think that ll cut us much slack when ball is thrown in 22 June.

Quote
This is my shot at the possible starting team;

Clarke
Cuniffe
Heaney
Boyle
Gardiner
T.Mort
K.Higgins
Harte
McGarrity
Dillion
Parsons
A.O'Malley
A.Moran
B.Moran / O'Shea
Kilcoyne / C.Mort (if fit)

Jaysis Highlorlow, I hope you're wrong with that team, I'd be seriously worried if that 15 lined out in those positions  :-\

Cunniffe is not a corner-back, as has been well and truly proven in the league. He does have plenty of potential as a half-back though. Also, I wouldn't give Trevor the CHB spot. He could possibly do a good job there, but he hasn't played there before as far as I can recall.
Same with Parsons, could possibly do a job at CHF but surely Dillon is the better option there. Parsons has only played midfield for the seniors.

I better make an attempt myself after saying all that:

Clarke,
A Higgins
Conroy
Boyle (Nallen to come in if Boyle is getting roasted)
K Hggins
Heaney
T Mort
Parsons
McGarrity
Campbell
Dillon
Gardiner
A Moran
AOM
C Mort (Kilcoyne/Ronaldson if Mort is out)

Quote from: moysider on June 10, 2008, 10:00:46 AM

Unfortunately thats all the poor old bullocks can do is look. Their jumping days a fond memory only.

To be honest lads, it's not the end of the bullock's romantic life that would worry me. I'd worry about getting his throat slit from ear to ear. :(

If Mayo bite the bullet in Connacht it's the end of a number of eras. I know there's a lot of chat about rebuilding but tomorrow never comes, you know? We live from day to day. If Mayo bite the bullet in Connacht then Johnno's reputation is badly damaged by the McDonald affair and we start the league next year at Year Zero of - what, exactly? We're playing for a big, big pot on Sunday week.

i was talking to Tommy Jordan on sunday he was very relaxed and really looking forward to the Mayo match he has a lot of good memories in castlebar with cross, actually he was talking to Mc maybe he trying to get him to transfer to sligo   :o

JOM 'hopeful' that Conor Mort will be fit - he won't have played in several weeks though, so he's bound to be a bit rusty if he manages to play at all

Quote
WITH less than a fortnight remaining to Mayo's first game in this year's Connacht championship, John O'Mahony says that he is 'hopeful' that Conor Mortimer will be fit to start against Sligo.
Mayo's leading scorer in their last four championship campaigns is suffering from a thigh strain and was forced to miss Shrule/Glencorrib's club championship match against Ballaghaderreen last Sunday.
Mortimer sustained the injury while weight training last month and aggravated it further during Shrule's opening club championship game with Breaffy. He did travel to Portugal with the Mayo squad on their training camp recently but was unable to take any part in training.
"The injury has really restricted him in the last few weeks," John O'Mahony told The Mayo News. "We'll just have to wait and see how he responds to treatment but we'd be hopeful that he will  be right for Sligo. Ideally, we'd like to see him play a bit of ball before Sunday week as there's a difference between being fit and being match fit."
The Mayo manager also said that just two players had picked up knocks in last weekend's club championship games as far as he was aware. Ballintubber's Alan Dillon (back) and Shrule/Glencorrib's Kieran Conroy (dead leg) are due to be assessed by Mayo's medical team   this week.

Quote from: Tubberman on June 10, 2008, 10:19:52 AM
Jaysis Highlorlow, I hope you're wrong with that team, I'd be seriously worried if that 15 lined out in those positions  :-\

Cunniffe is not a corner-back, as has been well and truly proven in the league. He does have plenty of potential as a half-back though. Also, I wouldn't give Trevor the CHB spot. He could possibly do a good job there, but he hasn't played there before as far as I can recall.
Same with Parsons, could possibly do a job at CHF but surely Dillon is the better option there. Parsons has only played midfield for the seniors.

I better make an attempt myself after saying all that:

Clarke,
A Higgins
Conroy
Boyle (Nallen to come in if Boyle is getting roasted)
K Hggins
Heaney
T Mort
Parsons
McGarrity
Campbell
Dillon
Gardiner
A Moran
AOM
C Mort (Kilcoyne/Ronaldson if Mort is out)

I'd be thinking along the same lines as yourself there Tubberman. I'd swap Trevor and Gardiner around though Trevor offers much more going forward and if anything his point taking has improved over the last couple of years.
Personally lads I wouldn't be worried about the forwards they performed well in the league if Dillon can find the form of 2 years ago and Conor is fit we should get past Sligo handy enough even with our defensive problems.

Quote from: moysider on June 08, 2008, 01:27:12 AM

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 07, 2008, 07:53:39 AM

Quote from: moysider on June 06, 2008, 03:51:06 PM

On a different matter. Would Brian Maloney not have been a useful man to have in the panel? Never one of his greatest admirers but he looked better this Spring than he did when he was a Mayo regular. If Mort does nt make it he would have been a better bet to work the corner than some in the panel.

The shocking thing here is that you're right Moysider. Maloney would be well in the shake up. It tells you all you need to know about our lack of quality inside men.

Jayus Sniper will you give us a break. Surely I get an odd thing right. What's seldom is wonderful I suppose, or in this case, shocking.

Ha ha, apologies Moysider. What I meant to say was that its shocking that Maloney would be close, not that you were correct. I would never want to imply that you do be wrong most of the time  :D

Quote from: kevmy on June 10, 2008, 11:28:45 AM

Quote from: Tubberman on June 10, 2008, 10:19:52 AM
Jaysis Highlorlow, I hope you're wrong with that team, I'd be seriously worried if that 15 lined out in those positions  :-\

Cunniffe is not a corner-back, as has been well and truly proven in the league. He does have plenty of potential as a half-back though. Also, I wouldn't give Trevor the CHB spot. He could possibly do a good job there, but he hasn't played there before as far as I can recall.
Same with Parsons, could possibly do a job at CHF but surely Dillon is the better option there. Parsons has only played midfield for the seniors.

I better make an attempt myself after saying all that:

Clarke,
A Higgins
Conroy
Boyle (Nallen to come in if Boyle is getting roasted)
K Hggins
Heaney
T Mort
Parsons
McGarrity
Campbell
Dillon
Gardiner
A Moran
AOM
C Mort (Kilcoyne/Ronaldson if Mort is out)

I'd be thinking along the same lines as yourself there Tubberman. I'd swap Trevor and Gardiner around though Trevor offers much more going forward and if anything his point taking has improved over the last couple of years.
Personally lads I wouldn't be worried about the forwards they performed well in the league if Dillon can find the form of 2 years ago and Conor is fit we should get past Sligo handy enough even with our defensive problems.

Tubber I'd agree with that team with the exception of Campbell. I'd have Harte in. Apparently he's playing well with the club which should see a return to 06 form at this level too.
Boyle will probably get the nod but I wouldn't be surprised if Liam O'Malley sneaked into contention.

Also if its a straight call between Ronaldson and Kilcoyne for corner forward if the Mort isn't fit then it simply has to be Ronaldson. On a good day Kilcoyne might score more but Ronaldson gives you so much more. You will always get a performance out of him, he will be a nightmare to mark and uses the ball well even if his shouting range may not be inter-county standard.

QuoteTubber I'd agree with that team with the exception of Campbell. I'd have Harte in

Completely forgot about Harte! :o I'd have him before Campbell as well. I was at the Meath challenge game, and while you can't read too much into those games, Harte had an excellent game. Seems to be back to his best.
I'm not so sure about Liam O'Malley. I hear he's playing great stuff for Burrishoole lately, but he's been caught out quite a lot at inter-county level when playing in the corner. He's just too loose. 
Ronaldson is probably the better option at corner-forward. Kilkoyne, when he's playing well, has a lot to offer but is a better half forward running straight at the defence. But apparently his form has deserted him for Knockmore lately, so Ronaldson would probably get the nod. 

I believe Liam O Malley will start now. Reckon injury to blame for early poor form this spring and he had a long lay- off. He was the player everybody was talking about after the Ballina/Burishoole match on Saturday evening. Patrick Harte was started in the corner and O Malley did a job on him. Now Harte is no corner forward but when he was switched out O Malley followed, ran riot and nearly won the match on his own. Like a lot of our defenders he s better at half-back and I would feel happier now if Keith H had to be played in the corner we could still put out a lively hb line.O Malley an option for 6 as well. Saying that I think they ll probably start with O Malley at 4 and Aiden H at 2.

         Higgins      Conroy        O Malley

         Mort         Heaney       Higgins

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 09:59:07 AM


I believe Liam O Malley will start now. Reckon injury to blame for early poor form this spring and he had a long lay- off. He was the player everybody was talking about after the Ballina/Burishoole match on Saturday evening. Patrick Harte was started in the corner and O Malley did a job on him. Now Harte is no corner forward but when he was switched out O Malley followed, ran riot and nearly won the match on his own. Like a lot of our defenders he s better at half-back and I would feel happier now if Keith H had to be played in the corner we could still put out a lively hb line.O Malley an option for 6 as well. Saying that I think they ll probably start with O Malley at 4 and Aiden H at 2.

         Higgins      Conroy        O Malley

         Mort         Heaney       Higgins

I'm not really taking a swing at the Messiah here but have you noticed anything unusual about Moysider's proposed line up?
No offence, MS, I imagine that formation is about as good as it gets but, of the six you propose, only Keith Higgins is a cert to start the game in the backs!
I do expect Mort and Heaney to start alright but the question is where?
Sligo fans I have spoken to expect little or no change to their team; Jordan has a settled formation more or less fixed. O'Mahony is probably doing his best to get a settled combination but he is over 18 months in charge and is still using the Lego method to try and come up with the best shape he can get for his side.
Like I say, he may very well be doing his best but it's scores on the board and not problems on the sideline that will decide where Sam winds up this year, or any year.
We have lots of good players alright but how to combine them to best advantage is proving to be one hell of a problem.

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 11, 2008, 11:20:53 AM
Sligo fans I have spoken to expect little or no change to their team; Jordan has a settled formation more or less fixed. O’Mahony is probably doing his best to get a settled combination but he is over 18 months in charge and is still using the Lego method to try and come up with the best shape he can get for his side.

The reason why we would be more settled than Mayo is because we have already played a game in the championship albeit against a poor London side. Consequently we would know at least 12 players and their positions of the probable starting team against Mayo. This can be a disadvantage also as Mayo will know what to expect whereas Sligo managament wouldn't have a clue what Mayo team to expect.
Also Mayo have a better panel of players than ourselves and therefore there could be more permutations.

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 11, 2008, 11:20:53 AM

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 09:59:07 AM


I believe Liam O Malley will start now. Reckon injury to blame for early poor form this spring and he had a long lay- off. He was the player everybody was talking about after the Ballina/Burishoole match on Saturday evening. Patrick Harte was started in the corner and O Malley did a job on him. Now Harte is no corner forward but when he was switched out O Malley followed, ran riot and nearly won the match on his own. Like a lot of our defenders he s better at half-back and I would feel happier now if Keith H had to be played in the corner we could still put out a lively hb line.O Malley an option for 6 as well. Saying that I think they ll probably start with O Malley at 4 and Aiden H at 2.

         Higgins      Conroy        O Malley

         Mort         Heaney       Higgins

I'm not really taking a swing at the Messiah here but have you noticed anything unusual about Moysider's proposed line up?
No offence, MS, I imagine that formation is about as good as it gets but, of the six you propose, only Keith Higgins is a cert to start the game in the backs!
I do expect Mort and Heaney to start alright but the question is where?
Sligo fans I have spoken to expect little or no change to their team; Jordan has a settled formation more or less fixed. O'Mahony is probably doing his best to get a settled combination but he is over 18 months in charge and is still using the Lego method to try and come up with the best shape he can get for his side.
Like I say, he may very well be doing his best but it's scores on the board and not problems on the sideline that will decide where Sam winds up this year, or any year.
We have lots of good players alright but how to combine them to best advantage is proving to be one hell of a problem.

Just like to point out that I was trying to second guess what management may have in mind rather than the line up I would like to see put out or I would put out myself.

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 11, 2008, 11:20:53 AM

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 09:59:07 AM


I believe Liam O Malley will start now. Reckon injury to blame for early poor form this spring and he had a long lay- off. He was the player everybody was talking about after the Ballina/Burishoole match on Saturday evening. Patrick Harte was started in the corner and O Malley did a job on him. Now Harte is no corner forward but when he was switched out O Malley followed, ran riot and nearly won the match on his own. Like a lot of our defenders he s better at half-back and I would feel happier now if Keith H had to be played in the corner we could still put out a lively hb line.O Malley an option for 6 as well. Saying that I think they ll probably start with O Malley at 4 and Aiden H at 2.

         Higgins      Conroy        O Malley

         Mort         Heaney       Higgins

I'm not really taking a swing at the Messiah here but have you noticed anything unusual about Moysider's proposed line up?
No offence, MS, I imagine that formation is about as good as it gets but, of the six you propose, only Keith Higgins is a cert to start the game in the backs!
I do expect Mort and Heaney to start alright but the question is where?
Sligo fans I have spoken to expect little or no change to their team; Jordan has a settled formation more or less fixed. O'Mahony is probably doing his best to get a settled combination but he is over 18 months in charge and is still using the Lego method to try and come up with the best shape he can get for his side.
Like I say, he may very well be doing his best but it's scores on the board and not problems on the sideline that will decide where Sam winds up this year, or any year.
We have lots of good players alright but how to combine them to best advantage is proving to be one hell of a problem.

Lar you've being going on about not having a settled side for a long time and I know I'm repeating myself but I don't really see it. We have in my opinion 6 positions up for grabs. The whole FB line, 1 wing back position and 2 wing forward spots (this is presuming Conor does make it and Howley is out for the Championship).
Of those 6 positions we have in my opinion 2 men who will definitely start it's just a matter of where, Trevor and Gardiner will start whether wing back or wing forward is the question. If I had my way it would be Trevor at 12 and Peader in the backs.
Now the FB line is what I'm worried about and I don't think you can blame Johnno for it. Who would you settle on? Surely the players had to be tried out in the league in case some one stood out there, is that not what the league is for? The fact that there are no outstanding full backs in the county is not Johnno's fault he's going to have to put a round peg in a square hole and he has being trying to find the best round peg for that spot. Maybe Sligo have some round pegs as well but the don't have the choice of pegs we do.
Having said all that Conroy looks like he'll start FB and then we're down to 1 wing forward spot and the 2 corner backs. Take your pick from there but having only 10 or 11 spots nailed down before the Championship is not unusual especially in a period of rebuilding.
Apart from I'm not worried, give Johnno time me might have the tea malready picked and we don't know it.

There is also the possibility that the league fullback will be jettisoned for the second year running and fireman David Heaney going to 3. Johnno would have seen Conroy getting a bit of a scutching v Barry Regan at the weekend  by some accounts, and that would make him have second thoughts perhaps. O Malley or  Billy Joe could come in at 6 giving a defence something like this.

        A Higgins/Cuniffe                                    D Heaney                                                   K Higgins/Nallen/ O Malley/ Boyle /Cuniffe


       Mort/ Gardiner/ Cuniffe                 BJP/ O Malley/ Nallen/ Cuniffe                          Mort/Gardiner/ K Higgins/ O Malley

Howley looks like being back sooner than later. Looks like a def for Connacht Final -  if we re in one this year.

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 12:52:40 PM

There is also the possibility that the jeague fullback will be jettisoned for the second year running and fireman David Heaney going to 3. Johnno would have seen Conroy getting a bit of a scutching v Barry Regan at the weekend  by some accounts, and that would make him have second thoughts perhaps. O Malley or  Billy Joe could come in at 6 giving a defence something like this.

        A Higgins/Cuniffe                                    D Heaney                                                   K Higgins/Nallen/ O Malley/ Boyle /Cuniffe


       Mort/ Gardiner/ Cuniffe                 BJP/ O Malley/ Nallen/ Cuniffe                          Mort/Gardiner/ K Higgins/ O Malley

Howley looks like being back sooner than later. Looks like a def for Connacht Final -  if we re in one this year.

Ye can only play six of them lads. ;D

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on June 11, 2008, 01:03:10 PM

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 12:52:40 PM

There is also the possibility that the jeague fullback will be jettisoned for the second year running and fireman David Heaney going to 3. Johnno would have seen Conroy getting a bit of a scutching v Barry Regan at the weekend  by some accounts, and that would make him have second thoughts perhaps. O Malley or  Billy Joe could come in at 6 giving a defence something like this.

        A Higgins/Cuniffe                                    D Heaney                                                   K Higgins/Nallen/ O Malley/ Boyle /Cuniffe


       Mort/ Gardiner/ Cuniffe                 BJP/ O Malley/ Nallen/ Cuniffe                          Mort/Gardiner/ K Higgins/ O Malley

Howley looks like being back sooner than later. Looks like a def for Connacht Final -  if we re in one this year.

Ye can only play six of them lads. ;D

Yeah, Yeah, but its not as complicated as it looks. There are @ 11 lads for 6 places and several are lads that can cover a few spots. One of Mort/ Gardiner may appear in the forwars and its unlikely that either Boyle or Nallen would start. That narrows it down a bit.

Quote from: kevmy on June 11, 2008, 12:34:41 PM

Quote from: Lar Naparka on June 11, 2008, 11:20:53 AM

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 09:59:07 AM

Lar you've being going on about not having a settled side for a long time and I know I'm repeating myself but I don't really see it. We have in my opinion 6 positions up for grabs. The whole FB line, 1 wing back position and 2 wing forward spots (this is presuming Conor does make it and Howley is out for the Championship).
Of those 6 positions we have in my opinion 2 men who will definitely start it's just a matter of where, Trevor and Gardiner will start whether wing back or wing forward is the question. If I had my way it would be Trevor at 12 and Peader in the backs.
Now the FB line is what I'm worried about and I don't think you can blame Johnno for it. Who would you settle on? Surely the players had to be tried out in the league in case some one stood out there, is that not what the league is for? The fact that there are no outstanding full backs in the county is not Johnno's fault he's going to have to put a round peg in a square hole and he has being trying to find the best round peg for that spot. Maybe Sligo have some round pegs as well but the don't have the choice of pegs we do.
Having said all that Conroy looks like he'll start FB and then we're down to 1 wing forward spot and the 2 corner backs. Take your pick from there but having only 10 or 11 spots nailed down before the Championship is not unusual especially in a period of rebuilding.
Apart from I'm not worried, give Johnno time me might have the tea malready picked and we don't know it.

I know, Ms, I know. ;D
Really, I am not a grump by nature and I do wish Johnno and the entire side the very best, all of the time. I have about the same date stamp on my birth cert as Enda Kenny, so while I can go back a fair bit I am not able to waffle on about Padraig Carney or any of the side that last brought Sam home.
What I can say about sides from the late 60s onwards is that we were always served by good backs and by a good midfield; up front was always a problem. “Wide shooting forwards” was a catch phrase to describe Mayo’s attack for many years.
The likes of Noel Durkin and James Horan were honourable exceptions in their times but really most of the rest would have great difficulty in hitting a barn door with a banjo.
Now, and fair credit to John O’Mahony, we do have a good number of attackers who can shoot with the very best. We also have 6 or 7 very good defenders – but all of them seem to play at their best if they are in the HB line.
We should get by Sligo if we measure our players up individually with Tommy Jordan’s lads.  I think we could reasonably expect to do this.
But I’d also say that the test may be a lot tougher than many of our fans seem to think. Tommy has a settled side that know how to combine well together.
Same goes for Liam Sammon and Galway- if we get to meet them.

If, say, we confront Pillar Caffrey’s mob along the line and he can stop them from fighting all around them, I’d have no fears about matching them man for man but at least he will have  a settled side that have long experience of playing ( and fighting) together.
Kerry are odds-on for Sam this year, but not because they have the best players in the country in every position on the field. Pat O’Shea can slot any player in and out without upsetting the shape of his side. He won’t be entering any game with 6 or 7 positions up for grabs.
For me, the big concern is that John O’Mahony has no clearer idea of his best formation than he had 18 months ago when he started out. That’s not belittling the manager; it’s just stating a fact.

I'm not sure if thats true. While he might have had more experience and more certain starters last year it didn't do us much good and a lot of the old guard were getting one last swing.
This year we have Howley at centre back and Parsons at midfield who are both long termers and a settled FF in Austie. Now if someone said to you when Johnno took over what positions would you be worried about in 3 years time I'd say most people would reply FB, CB, one midfielder and FF. Now IMO he's been working towards solving them spots. Now he's not finished and Howley's injury has put the cat among the pigeons, but we're working towards a side that will be settled for a 2 or 3 year period at least where we can have another realistic crack at Sam.

For example this was the team to announced to play Galway on that horrible day 12months ago
K O'Malley; L O'Malley, BJ Padden, K Higgins; E Devenney, J Nallen, P Gardiner; D Heaney, P Harte; G Brady, T Mortimor, A Dillon; C Mortimor, K O'Neill, A Moran.

Now in that team we had Nallen, Heaney, G Brady and O'Neill all on the wrong side of 30. A midfield of Heaney and Harte and BJP in FB.
IMO we have a better half back line, a better midfield and a FF line in better form. There's nothing much to choose between O'Malley and Clarke in goal. Our FB line and half forward are at least no worse than last year. Only Heaney of the old guard is certain of a place this year.

Basically I'm saying we're a bit like Iranróid Eireann: we're not there yet but we're getting there

How many of the old guard started against Derry last year ? i think that most of the players that started against Derry last July will be playing again against Sligo the only main difference i can see is parsons in midfield and Austie in Full Foward instead of Barry Moran who was Mom that day and has not been seen since. Can anyone post the team that started against Derry?

Team that was picked to play Derry last year. Not much sign of many of the old guard there.

D Clarke; T Cunniffe, L O'Malley, T Howley; D Heaney, D Kilcullen, T Mortimer; P Harte, D Brady; BJ Padden, P Hanley, A Dillon; T Mortimer, B Moran, A Moran.

Johnno should be more concerned with getting his best team on the pitch and not some nonsense of building a settled team to last 3 or 4 years for some fanciful attempt at an AI. Every team evolves from year to year. New fellas will force their way in, there will be injuries , retirees and loss of form. If each year is looked after on its own merits then the future will be fine too. Thing is we re not getting our best team out this Summer with Mac missing. And spare me the shite that he wont be around in 2 years time when the team matures. Some of these younger lads wont be either.

Quote from: moysider on June 11, 2008, 03:55:05 PM

Team that was picked to play Derry last year. Not much sign of many of the old guard there.

D Clarke; T Cunniffe, L O'Malley, T Howley; D Heaney, D Kilcullen, T Mortimer; P Harte, D Brady; BJ Padden, P Hanley, A Dillon; T Mortimer, B Moran, A Moran.

Johnno should be more concerned with getting his best team on the pitch and  some nonsense of building a settled team to last 3 or 4 years for some fanciful attempt at an AI. Every team evolves from year to year. New fellas will force their way in, there will be injuries , retirees and loss of form. If each year is looked after on its own merits then the future will fine too. Thing is we re not getting our best team out this Summer with Mac missing. And spare me the shite that he wont be around in 2 years time when the team matures. Some of these younger lads wont either.

Thanks for that moysider well there you have it the only old guard player that actually played in that game( and who has since retired) is David Brady and apart from Pierse Hanley and  David Kilcullen the rest of the players are still in the panel. That what annoys me about o' mahony its the spin he puts on things which most people accept as gospel last year he wrote off the campaign saying he was giving the old guard one last chance however the fact remains that the old guard weren't in his plan at all. Thats the thing that was so annoying about the defeat to Derry last year those players should have been bursting their balls to impress O' mahony however for what ever reason they didn't.

For those of you who did nt see MacDonald play last Sunday. Western People report.

GAA: Cross' win clash of neighbours
By: James Laffey in St Joseph's Park, Knockmore

TF Royal Hotel and Theatre Mayo SFC - Section B - Round 2
Crossmolina 0-14 Knockmore 2-5

FIFTEEN minutes into this senior championship clash in Knockmore on Sunday afternoon the locals would have been forgiven for making a bee-line for the exit gates. Knockmore, seven points in arrears, had yet to raise a flag in anger and their old rivals Crossmolina were delivering the sort of virtuoso performance that was their trademark a few seasons ago.
But Knockmore produced a typically resolute fight-back and by the mid-way point in the second-half had managed to reel in the Deel Rovers with a brace of goals, both of which were inspired by county player Aidan Kilcoyne. Yet, ultimately, it was a case of the old dog for the long road as Crossmolina battened down the hatches in a tight finish to escape from Knockmore with a three-point lead and a precious advantage in Section B of the Mayo Senior Football Championship.
Not surprisingly, the name on the lips of the majority of the large attendance on a beautiful summer's afternoon was none other than former county star Ciaran McDonald, who produced a characteristically stylish performance for the visitors in front of Mayo selector Tommy Lyons.
The fact that he was given a licence to roam at will by a surprisingly generous Knockmore defence meant McDonald was never far from the action and he finished the day with five points and as many assists. But he received plenty of help from another county player of yesteryear - Michael Moyles - who had a fine game for the Deel Rovers, scoring two points and always showing for the ball in attack.
Crossmolina produced some mesmerising football in the opening quarter as they raced into a 0-7 to 0-0 lead against a hapless Knockmore team who simply could not retain possession in the middle third of the field. The most impressive aspect of Crossmolina's play was the contribution of their forward division, five of whom had scored by the fifteenth minute.
McDonald opened the scoring after six minutes with a typically ambitious free-kick and he had a role to play in several subsequent scores, including a brace of points by Joe Keane. Brian Benson and Paul McGuinness also got in on the scoring act as the Crossmolina men repeatedly sliced through a porous Knockmore defence, which was missing county star Trevor Howley.
But just when it looked as if Knockmore might be on the wrong end of a drubbing, they eked out the scores that gave them a fighting chance going into the second-half. Damien Munnelly hit three of his side's four points in the first-half, with Aidan Kilcoyne striking the other.
One of Munnelly's scores might have found the net but Knockmore could hardly bemoan their bad luck as they had got out of jail only moments earlier when McDonald - playing at full-forward for a brief period - sent a fisted effort crashing off a post.
The former All-Star did manage to find the posts again in the first-half with a magnificent solo effort, but it was Knockmore who were the happier side at the interval having whittled down the Crossmolina lead to just four points, 0-8 to 0-4.

It looked as if normal service had resumed early in the second-half when McDonald stretched Crossmolina's lead to five points but Knockmore had other ideas. A powerful run by Aidan Kilcoyne in the fifth minute ended with Graham O'Hora poking the ball to the Crossmolina net, courtesy of a deflection from a defender's boot.
The goal brought Knockmore right back into the game and although Benson replied immediately for Crossmolina it was obvious that the homeside had built up an unstoppable momentum.
Kilcoyne, on another great run, was pulled down for a penalty which was expertly dispatched to the Crossmolina net by Damien Munnelly to leave the sides tied at 2-4 to 0-10.
Had Knockmore taken the lead in the immediate aftermath of the penalty they might have gone on to win the match. And it wasn't as if they lacked chances. Defender John Brogan kicked wide when he had better options in front of him and Declan Sweeney saw several passes go astray.
Crossmolina, on the other hand, didn't need a second invitation when they found themselves in front of goal. Substitute Sean Kelly put them back in the lead in the 19th minute and when McDonald extended the advantage to two points a minute later it seemed as if the Crossmolina men had weathered the storm.
A Munnelly free made it a one-point game again with eight minutes on the clock, but McDonald and Moyles showed that experience usually wins out in a tight finish by finding the posts at critical moments for a deserved Crossmolina win.
Knockmore will rue some wasted possession around the middle of the park but the fact that they only managed seven scores in the entire match - to Crossmolina's fourteen - is indicative of the pressure they were under. The two goals - deserved though they were - put a positive gloss on what was ultimately a fairly comprehensive victory for Crossmolina.
And as for a certain Mr C. McDonald? Well, he hasn't gone away, you know.

Barry Regan reportedly gave Conroy a roasting in the Ballaghaderreen/Shrule match. Doesn't bode too well for our full back position. I also have a sneaking suspicion, that Nallen will start inn the fullback line. I know I am very critical of him, but he was excellent on Sunday catching most kickouts around the middle of the field.

Lads is Billy Joe really out of contention for full-back? Consider that he had a solid national league prior to getting injured against Laois and is now back at full-fitness.
I think there is a place for him on this team and that it could well be full-back. Especially if Conroy got roasted at the weekend.

I've a feeling the back six will look like this

A Higgins  B Padden  L O'Malley
T Mort  D Heaney   K Higgins

And sure while I'm at it I think from there forward is fairly straightforward

R McGarrity  T Parsons
P Harte A Dillon P Gardiner
C Mort (if fit)/Ronaldson Austie Andy Moran

You re right Farandeelin. Nallen had a fine match. So too did Kevin McLoughlin. I think all Three should be in County senior panel. McL can do a great  job corner back at any level. Not too young. Remember Mark O Reilly in 96. I m not sure our management has the nose for a 'new' player anyway. That s what made Boylan a great manager. He could spot a player who could do a job. Getting back to Nallen a lot of people will laugh it off and say it was only club game blah blah, and the difference with county, blah blah and blah. Its as if Archimedes and Pythagoras never existed. We ve our own ways of doing things here and logic has little role to play it seems.

  In Mayo club football  X[ Nallen] and Y [McDonald] is > Z [take your pick]

Therefore for county team Z must be > X orY .

Quote from: moysider on June 12, 2008, 12:33:41 AM
You re right Farandeelin. Nallen had a fine match. So too did Kevin McLoughlin. I think all Three should be in County senior panel. McL can do a great  job corner back at any level. Not too young. Remember Mark O Reilly in 96. I m not sure our management has the nose for a 'new' player anyway. That s what made Boylan a great manager. He could spot a player who could do a job. Getting back to Nallen a lot of people will laugh it off and say it was only club game blah blah, and the difference with county, blah blah and blah. Its as if Archimedes and Pythagoras never existed. We ve our own ways of doing things here and logic has little role to play it seems.

  In Mayo club football  X[ Nallen] and Y [McDonald] is > Z [take your pick]

Therefore for county team Z must be > X orY .

Didn't realise you were a maths teacher Moysider  :D
I agree with u regarding McLoughlin - he's going to be a regular for years to come if he wants to be. I guess the problem is he wasn't given enough exposure at Under 21 and therefore a big step up becomes huge. But having him in the panel would do absolutely no harm. Same with Ger Cafferkey.
Nallen has plenty to offer too but think he's going to plumb for O'Malley.
McDonald? Well I wouldn't rule out a return if we get over Sligo. Thats still a reasonably big 'if' imo

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 12, 2008, 12:26:45 AM
Lads is Billy Joe really out of contention for full-back? Consider that he had a solid national league prior to getting injured against Laois and is now back at full-fitness.
I think there is a place for him on this team and that it could well be full-back. Especially if Conroy got roasted at the weekend.

I've a feeling the back six will look like this

A Higgins  B Padden  L O'Malley
T Mort  D Heaney   K Higgins

And sure while I'm at it I think from there forward is fairly straightforward

R McGarrity  T Parsons
P Harte A Dillon P Gardiner
C Mort (if fit)/Ronaldson Austie Andy Moran

Yeah it looks like you ve nailed it there Sniper. Thats what I ve been thinking anyway, Well nearly. But I hardly see Padden starting full back. My gut tells me it will be a reluctant Heaney. We need a solid full back line to build on and Conroy [ a good player who looks to have lots to offer in other positions too] and BJP look like floodlight fullbacks. This June has seen the hardest pitches for some time and I dont think those two would cope with smart early low ball? Unless we play a sweeper which is hardly likely. Imagine either of them marking a Paddy Bradley. And we have nt even broached the subject of tactics yet in these discussions and there' s little previous to take solace from there. Heaney has been our best option as full back since Cahill retired and his only bad days were against big rangy men. Of course we miss his influence in hb line but there are more options there than we had say, three years ago. Mind you I' m only trying to second guess what management have in mind.

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 12, 2008, 12:48:04 AM

Quote from: moysider on June 12, 2008, 12:33:41 AM
You re right Farandeelin. Nallen had a fine match. So too did Kevin McLoughlin. I think all Three should be in County senior panel. McL can do a great  job corner back at any level. Not too young. Remember Mark O Reilly in 96. I m not sure our management has the nose for a 'new' player anyway. That s what made Boylan a great manager. He could spot a player who could do a job. Getting back to Nallen a lot of people will laugh it off and say it was only club game blah blah, and the difference with county, blah blah and blah. Its as if Archimedes and Pythagoras never existed. We ve our own ways of doing things here and logic has little role to play it seems.

  In Mayo club football  X[ Nallen] and Y [McDonald] is > Z [take your pick]

Therefore for county team Z must be > X orY .

Didn't realise you were a maths teacher Moysider  :D
I agree with u regarding McLoughlin - he's going to be a regular for years to come if he wants to be. I guess the problem is he wasn't given enough exposure at Under 21 and therefore a big step up becomes huge. But having him in the panel would do absolutely no harm. Same with Ger Cafferkey.
Nallen has plenty to offer too but think he's going to plumb for O'Malley.
McDonald? Well I wouldn't rule out a return if we get over Sligo. Thats still a reasonably big 'if' imo

I m not Farandeelin. But I remember that stuff from a great football coach and math's teacher and an uncle of a fella in the county panel still. Ar dheis Dé go rabh a anam dílis. He would as a Cross. man be appalled by Mac s exclusion from the panel and rightly so.

You've got me thinking now Moysider - would that teacher have been at Muredeachs?

Quote from: stephenite on June 12, 2008, 01:04:15 AM
You've got me thinking now Moysider - would that teacher have been at Muredeachs?

Yeah. A while though. Would have finished up mid- eighties.

Bit before my time alright - old brothers might know it - but was it James Nallens Uncle that you are refering to?

Yeah. That s him alright.

Lots of folk are disgusted by macdonalds omisssion from the scene, its not like the other star forwards are setting the place on fire is it?
I was in st muredachs too, finished in late eighties.Favourite teacher was willie followed by dicey.I remember punk as a tough cookie,some crack in them days, annoying teachers until they exploded was a favoured pasttime for most of us and it shows with the jobs we work today,still I loved to see willie steaming and forde spitting with temper when annoyed.

Lads if we end up with a full-back line with Aidan Higgins, Billie Joe and Liam O'Malley we are going to get the mother and father of beating once we meet a decent team.

Defensive tactics are wrong. There is no settled unit and still 10 days before entering the championship there is serious uncertainty.

We are in big bother.

Predictions of 8 - 15 are probably correct.

Would any of you agree that we are possibly looking at the worst Mayo team since 1995 both in terms of personnel and preparation?

Quote from: Barney on June 12, 2008, 08:20:16 AM
Lads if we end up with a full-back line with Aidan Higgins, Billie Joe and Liam O'Malley we are going to get the mother and father of beating once we meet a decent team.

Defensive tactics are wrong. There is no settled unit and still 10 days before entering the championship there is serious uncertainty.

We are in big bother.

Predictions of 8 - 15 are probably correct.

Would any of you agree that we are possibly looking at the worst Mayo team since 1995 both in terms of personnel and preparation?

wouldn't agree with that at all. If you think back to 2003 we looked poor and we were poor, but then in 2004 it looked like we weren't much better and look what happened. I remember we got an awful hockeying off Tyrone in the league and the talk that day was we were miles off a team like that. What happened later in August? we beat them with a great performance. I do think we had better players back then but the run we went on still came from nowhere. I think too many people are getting carried away, lets see how things look  after the Sligo match and write your obituaries then!

Quote from: Barney on June 12, 2008, 08:20:16 AM
Lads if we end up with a full-back line with Aidan Higgins, Billie Joe and Liam O'Malley we are going to get the mother and father of beating once we meet a decent team.

Defensive tactics are wrong. There is no settled unit and still 10 days before entering the championship there is serious uncertainty.

We are in big bother.

Predictions of 8 - 15 are probably correct.

Would any of you agree that we are possibly looking at the worst Mayo team since 1995 both in terms of personnel and preparation?

Stop sugaring the pill there Barney and tell the naked truth. There's no use trying to hide. It's the worst Mayo team since the Norman invasion.   :o

I'm not too hopeful about prospects for this year but to say it's the worst Mayo team in thirteen years when it hasn't even been named is a biteen over the top, don't you think?

QuoteQuote from: Barney on Today at 08:20:16 AM
Lads if we end up with a full-back line with Aidan Higgins, Billie Joe and Liam O'Malley we are going to get the mother and father of beating once we meet a decent team.

Defensive tactics are wrong. There is no settled unit and still 10 days before entering the championship there is serious uncertainty.

We are in big bother.

Predictions of 8 - 15 are probably correct.

Would any of you agree that we are possibly looking at the worst Mayo team since 1995 both in terms of personnel and preparation?


wouldn't agree with that at all. If you think back to 2003 we looked poor and we were poor, but then in 2004 it looked like we weren't much better and look what happened. I remember we got an awful hockeying off Tyrone in the league and the talk that day was we were miles off a team like that. What happened later in August? we beat them with a great performance. I do think we had better players back then but the run we went on still came from nowhere. I think too many people are getting carried away, lets see how things look  after the Sligo match and write your obituaries then

I'd have to agree - you're jumping the gun by a long way there Barney. Sure none of us here have any idea how preperations are going. There isn't a word coming from the camp, which many would see as a good thing. We have no idea how the trip to Portugal went, or what game plans are being worked on in training.

For all we know, we could be talk of the championship with our new gameplan to rival the 'blanket defence' or the return of the 'big man up front'. Or it could be a complete shambles and we could be beaten by Sligo on Sunday week and get a bad draw in the qualifiers and make an early exit again.
The point is we haven't a clue, so we can't say this is the 'worst Mayo team' in any manner of means, considering we haven't seen them play a championship match yet.

Lads I agree with ye. I am worried but stirring a bit of debate to pass the morning.

Quote from: Barney on June 12, 2008, 10:48:19 AM
Lads I agree with ye. I am worried but stirring a bit of debate to pass the morning.

:D  good man barney you should have at least waited till the team was announced

Quote from: Barney on June 12, 2008, 10:48:19 AM
Lads I agree with ye. I am worried but stirring a bit of debate to pass the morning.

You wouldn't do a bit of work, no?  :D

QuoteI m not Farandeelin. But I remember that stuff from a great football coach and math's teacher and an uncle of a fella in the county panel still. Ar dheis Dé go rabh a anam dílis. He would as a Cross. man be appalled by Mac s exclusion from the panel and rightly so.

And a pround holder of a Celtic Cross himself as a sub he only got the meadal a few years back as i dont think subs got tthem back them or else it was because of his holy orders. I too suffered in Muredachs for a spell untill they decided to stop sufferring me.

as for barneys trolling it may not be the worst prepared team only time will tell that but it must be the most uncertain team for a long whil and no harm in that if it keeps people on their toes

Quote from: rosnarun on June 12, 2008, 11:45:35 AM

QuoteI m not Farandeelin. But I remember that stuff from a great football coach and math's teacher and an uncle of a fella in the county panel still. Ar dheis Dé go rabh a anam dílis. He would as a Cross. man be appalled by Mac s exclusion from the panel and rightly so.

And a pround holder of a Celtic Cross himself as a sub he only got the meadal a few years back as i dont think subs got tthem back them or else it was because of his holy orders. I too suffered in Muredachs for a spell untill they decided to stop sufferring me.

as for barneys trolling it may not be the worst prepared team only time will tell that but it must be the most uncertain team for a long whil and no harm in that if it keeps people on their toes

No wonder you suffered there pal with spelling and punctuation like that. Surprised you were nt murdered.  ;D  ;D

Some good news to lift our pessimistic outlook  :P
From hoganstand.com

Quote
Mayo forward Conor Mortimer expects to be fit for Sunday week's Connacht SFC semi-final against Sligo at Castlebar.

Mortimer has been struggling with a quad muscle injury for the past five weeks, and was forced to sit out Shrule-Glencorrib's defeat to Ballaghadereen in the local senior football championship last weekend.

However, he returned to training on Tuesday evening and said the recovery was coming along "slowly but surely".

He added: "We had a club game there at the weekend that I didn't play in. I wasn't right. I played in a club game a couple of weeks before that and just made it a bit worse. Time will tell. I've been getting treatment on it."

Commenting on his recent lack of match practice, the prolific attacker said: "I wouldn't be too bad. I can do a lot on the bike and rowing machine. Actual match sharpness is what you would be missing but I did the session at training so I should be okay by the end of the week.

"If I wasn't 100 per cent, I wouldn't go out and play. There is no point in hurting it again. If you hurt it again you could be out for four or five weeks and you could miss most of the championship."

Mind you, that last sentence isn't too encouraging! Is he expecting to have another short summer  ;)

Good news yes. A niggly kind of injury though. He would nt want to start horsing over 45s for a while. Its the heavier O Neills that do the damage if fellas dont warm up properly. Seldom hear of it in soccer. I assume its his kicking leg?

Quote from: Barney on June 12, 2008, 08:20:16 AM
Lads if we end up with a full-back line with Aidan Higgins, Billie Joe and Liam O'Malley we are going to get the mother and father of beating once we meet a decent team.

Defensive tactics are wrong. There is no settled unit and still 10 days before entering the championship there is serious uncertainty.

Fair play, Barney!
You're a beacon of sense in an ocean of serious uncertainty!
We could indeed wind up with the FB line you have referred to above; it's as likely as any other possible combination and the number of such possible combinations can stretch into double figures.
Last year in Salthill the bould Billy Joe started off at  3, never having played with his corner men before in any competitive match. The only thing we can be certain of is that whatever unfortunate soul finds himself at full back will have had no worthwhile experience of playing with those around him!
(Of course the same holds true for each corner back as well.)
The halfback line will be put together for the game in the same haphazard manner and while I'm at it, the half forwards will be cobbled together in a similar fashion.
Apart from that, we'll probably have a settled side.

BTW: I too am having a verrrry slow day!!

I think, as a county, we are finally beginning to appreciate the importance of Mortimer to our chances. Sure he might not be in the top five inside forwards in the country (behind Gooch, Freeman, P Bradley, A Brogan and D Dolan imo) but he's the best we have by some way.

I agree with Barney - there is an awful lot of uncertainty coming into this game. I think and hope it might be all down to JOM - that's the way he wants it. We don't know whats going on behind the scenes (that's the way to have it). Lets hope thats all part of the masterplan. But I just can't shake the pessimism

Regarding the full-back line I'd be extremely surprised if whatever combination started actually finished the game back there as a unit. We're going to be winging it here.

Quote from: moysider on June 12, 2008, 01:05:59 PM

Good news yes. A niggly kind of injury though. He would nt want to start horsing over 45s for a while. Its the heavier O Neills that do the damage if fellas dont warm up properly. Seldom hear of it in soccer. I assume its his kicking leg?

I don't think he horses over many 45 even in the full of his health Moysider. I agree with what the lads are saying about Conor being our most valuable forward but that still doesn't take away from the fact that Conor has certain weak spots, to put it mildly.

Interesting fact- Charlie Harrison and Andy Moran were team mates and house mates at UUJ this year. Both will likely be marking each other. Bound to be tough on both of them if they were good mates.

Good mates equals even more motivation. I for one hate losing and especially to mates.

On a sidenote I changed my profile picture just so Mayo lads and Galway lads remember what the nestor cup looks like ;) could be while before ye see it again.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 05:06:30 PM
Good mates equals even more motivation. I for one hate losing and especially to mates.

On a sidenote I changed my profile picture just so Mayo lads and Galway lads remember what the nestor cup looks like ;) could be while before ye see it again.

:D make sure ye have it nice and polished when your handing it back Sligonian ;)

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 05:06:30 PM
Good mates equals even more motivation. I for one hate losing and especially to mates.

On a sidenote I changed my profile picture just so Mayo lads and Galway lads remember what the nestor cup looks like ;) could be while before ye see it again.

Hold on to that picture Sligonian just in case its another 30 odd years before ye manage to get a look at Nestor again  :D :D :D

I assume you are brimming with confidence for Sunday week seeing as ye are the team going into battle with the most settled side  ;)

Christ, how many of us here spent time in Muredachs!!!

Quote from: GaillimhIarthair on June 12, 2008, 07:38:32 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 05:06:30 PM
Good mates equals even more motivation. I for one hate losing and especially to mates.

On a sidenote I changed my profile picture just so Mayo lads and Galway lads remember what the nestor cup looks like ;) could be while before ye see it again.

Hold on to that picture Sligonian just in case its another 30 odd years before ye manage to get a look at Nestor again  :D :D :D

I assume you are brimming with confidence for Sunday week seeing as ye are the team going into battle with the most settled side  ;)

Sure Sligo bucks are always bloody confident. I lived with a sligo fella for the past 2 years and this year since the draw was made, he constantly lets me know how Sligo are gonna win. I sincerely hope he's wrong!

JOM said this year that maybe we might win an All-Ireland when we least expect it. Well, that's how I feel (least expecting anything) so that's keeping me going anyway cos I'm like a lot of the Mayo supporters on here, very pessimistic.

Glad to see yee took my windup in good faith, yee havent lost yere sense of humour ;).

Yes i still believe we will win gailimhiarthair whilst i still dont deny it wont be easy. No one knows the future but its fairly likely we will win it alot more in the coming yrs IMO. Id settle for 5 of the next 10 ;).

SLIGO 3-07 ROSCOMMON 0-16 FT

Was at the game in boyle tonght. Sligo team greene, harrison, naughton, donovan, mcgovern, egan, mchugh,ohara, quinn, mcnamara, mcpartland,curran, gaughan, cawley, j davey.

Took SLIGO along time to settle and gaughan got goal after ros were 0-4 up then it was 0-7 to 1-0 but sligo finally found our stride scoring goal from a fisted cawley effort and a few points to lead 2-4 to 0-8 at HT.

Second half davey got good goal early to put us further ahead. We borught on phillips and mcguire at ht and then made a further 8 changes with daniel davey, stephen gilmartin, sweeney, g mcgowan, gallagher,ewing, kivelhan all coming on. Daniel davey looked best with outstanding score aswell.

Obviously while all these changes happened ros took upper hand with sligo slow to settle. Ros only made 2 or 3 changes and and were leading by 2 late on but sligo got 2 late score to level.

Suprise for me was naughton when in the 2nd half played as a third midfielder and was outstanding and a way ahead of mcnamara who was poor again. Quinn still not playing well. Ger heneghan took harrison to the cleaners again from play. So a few worries going into the mayo game. Lack of creativity will hopefully improve with brehony and kelly back. Donovan was outstanding along with egan and mcgovern has his form back. Curran did well and mcpartland pushing close to start. Cawley did ok. O Hara looks in great shape but didnt push himself too hard. Eoin mchugh was class from play and a wee bit dodgy at takling, needs to improve on that...

Not sure about playing j davey in ff line, id play him in HF line. He is very direct runner and lacks a quick turn to create space, has a tendency to run (albeit very fast) in a straight line rather than weaving in and out.

All in all a good exercise against alot better prepared ros outfit than last few times ive seen them, plenty of hard hits but wasnt championship intensity as alot of our players were looking out for themselves as much as you can in these games.

QuoteQuinn still not playing well.

You didn't see him last Sunday I take it. He's fine. Will have a huge job on his hands in Castlebar but he'll be up to it, I'm sure of that.

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 12, 2008, 11:25:08 PM

QuoteQuinn still not playing well.

You didn't see him last Sunday I take it. He's fine. Will have a huge job on his hands in Castlebar but he'll be up to it, I'm sure of that.

No didnt see him for the club, just seen 3 FBDs, 7NFLs and 1 challenge for Sligo, he is yet to play to his potential or close for the county this yr..... I wish I had your optimism, I am worried about him. It was finneran and mannion midfield and ros dominated for long periods. Although I know Quinn does the donkey work and grafting and I do notice it but just not breaking or influencing around the middle as I know he can. I hope your right.

 Thanks for the report.  Interesting about Naughton playin out the field, wouldn't have minded seeing that.  How did McGuire do and is he shaping up well? I'll go with Seanie's optimism on Quinn.  Heard he is going well and is definitely an honest worker around the middle.  Still the best option at midfield.  I feel we have better options this year if things start wrong, with Maguire almost back, we will have good experience on the bench no matter what team is picked.  McNamara could well be on bench next week which I think would be no harm.  Very pessimistic Mayo supporters out there this year.  Usually they are in full bullshop mode at this stage.   

McGuire did fine, same old. looks in fine shape considering the injury. Naughton was the big suprise, not his biggest fan, well not at fullback anyway but the lad is brimming with confidence and that was a powerful display he put in as third midfielder. If mcguire does start fb well if naughton is dropped and mcnamara starts he can feel very hard done IMO.

Does anyone know if the game is being shown live on TV3 or RTE? If it Setanta Oz will probably have it, otherwise I'll be fecked

Quote from: Barney on June 12, 2008, 08:20:16 AM
Lads if we end up with a full-back line with Aidan Higgins, Billie Joe and Liam O'Malley we are going to get the mother and father of beating once we meet a decent team.

Defensive tactics are wrong. There is no settled unit and still 10 days before entering the championship there is serious uncertainty.

We are in big bother.

Predictions of 8 - 15 are probably correct.

Would any of you agree that we are possibly looking at the worst Mayo team since 1995 both in terms of personnel and preparation?

I often think that 95 team was nt as bad as is usually made out. As far as I can piece together the team that started v Galway was.

Heffernan. Mortimor. Cahill. Ruane. McGarry. Nallen.Coleman.
  Fallon.Colm Mac. Cunney. Dempsey. Niland. Byrne. Casey. O Neill.

Now Mc Stay has said since that prep was a joke. And he was the coach and should know as well as take some flak for it. He had been brought in strained circumstances by the county board and not brought in by the management team of Egan, McHale,  Rudden and Lambe. Before the championship I remember him [McStay] being bullish about our chances, saying nobody was getting a soft jersey. Yet later he said the whole thing was a mess. The Galway game was similar in ways to last year and no worse. Cahill choose to mind Daly instead of attacking the ball and we paid a heavy price with several soft early scores from a slow, old, cute ff. Years later I asked someone close to the team whose idea was it for Cahill [one of our best ever fbs] to play from behind and I was told it was his own. The decision should never have been left to Cahill and it cost us the game imho. Daly was in his last year and was slow and must have thought all his Christmases came together in July 95. He did nt get a kick in Croke Park after because he was beaten to every ball. Mayo had enough possession that day to win 2 games. Fallon and Colm Mac - our midfielders, kicked 13 wides between them which says something.
What's often forgotten is that we played very well against Ros in the semi-final. Especially in the first half. The half back line had scored 1 - 3 before half time. I have no doubt it was the best half back line I ever saw in Mayo but 2 of them hardly ever played again for Mayo. Garrymore s Tony Corcoran [1-1 v Ros] broke his leg before the Connacht final and Peter Butler picked up a 'bad knock' v Ros. Not saying he was done or anything. Somebody just stamped on his leg accidentally while he was on the ground. A far better half back line than 96/97. Mortimer, if memory serves me correctly, also was carrying an injury in the final in Tuam. So defensively we were in a bit of disarray for the final. Everybody fit we had an exceptional defence that year. Mort. Cahill. Ruane, Corcoran ,Nallen, Butler.
We would nt mind those now I think. A few other notable things about 95.
Pat Fallon came into the team for the first time even though he was late 20s.
McHale had got pissed off and was shootin hoops stateside.
Gary Ruane was there and shamefully ignored for the guts of 10 years after.
Butler was there but JM did nt appear to like the cut of him even though he was exactly what was needed in 96/97 finals.
Michael Colman, Sheridan were also around.

As regards the fb line of AH, BJP and O Malley. I don't think many of us expect them to be there in block.

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 13, 2008, 01:34:12 AM
Does anyone know if the game is being shown live on TV3 or RTE? If it Setanta Oz will probably have it, otherwise I'll be fecked

No more than myself you're fecked! I had a look on setanta.com.au tv listings and it says they're showing Limerick V Clare and Laois V Wexford.

We'll have to rely on the old faithful mid-west I'm afraid!

Quote from: Bod Mor on June 13, 2008, 05:56:45 AM

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 13, 2008, 01:34:12 AM
Does anyone know if the game is being shown live on TV3 or RTE? If it Setanta Oz will probably have it, otherwise I'll be fecked

No more than myself you're fecked! I had a look on setanta.com.au tv listings and it says they're showing Limerick V Clare and Laois V Wexford.

We'll have to rely on the old faithful mid-west I'm afraid!

Think we're all fecked boys - one of the downsides I suppose

Well Bollix!
There goes the main rationale for getting Setanta in the first place.
Looks like its Mid West early on a Monday morning so. Is Laois v Wexford really a bigger game?

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 12:01:57 AM
if naughton is dropped and mcnamara starts he can feel very hard done IMO.

Well I know which of these two I'd have playing.

In respect of Quinn, I have every faith he will turn up on Sunday week. Regardless we don't have many options in there and as Seanie says it's going to be a huge battle in that sector against Mayo.

Sligonian, any criticisms of Eamonn Cawleys display? Presumably he was one of the 10 changes made?

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 12:01:57 AM
McGuire did fine, same old. looks in fine shape considering the injury. Naughton was the big suprise, not his biggest fan, well not at fullback anyway but the lad is brimming with confidence and that was a powerful display he put in as third midfielder. If mcguire does start fb well if naughton is dropped and mcnamara starts he can feel very hard done IMO.

Was at the game there also Sligonian. I am starting to have serious reservations about starting MMac against Mayo. He contributed absoulutely nothing last night as third midfielder as against Mayo. As you say Naughton won serious ball in 2nd half as 3rd midfielder. Could be an option against Mayo.

Any sign of John O Mahony or any of his backroom team at the Boyle challenge? I'm sure there was a Mayo presence there somewhere given that notification of the match was on the Sligo Weekender newspaper. Slightly worried by this-Mayo will know exactly the personnel of our team and our tactics assuming its same as challenge last night. Whereas there is not a word coming out of the Mayo camp-with not even the Mayo lads with an idea of the starting team.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 11:30:57 PM

No didnt see him for the club, just seen 3 FBDs, 7NFLs and 1 challenge for Sligo, he is yet to play to his potential or close for the county this yr..... I wish I had your optimism, I am worried about him. It was finneran and mannion midfield and ros dominated for long periods. Although I know Quinn does the donkey work and grafting and I do notice it but just not breaking or influencing around the middle as I know he can. I hope your right.

You have been spouting for the last few months that the league (and i assume the FBD) has no relevance to championship football, harder ground, etc,etc make up your mind  ;)

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 11:30:59 AM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 11:30:57 PM

No didnt see him for the club, just seen 3 FBDs, 7NFLs and 1 challenge for Sligo, he is yet to play to his potential or close for the county this yr..... I wish I had your optimism, I am worried about him. It was finneran and mannion midfield and ros dominated for long periods. Although I know Quinn does the donkey work and grafting and I do notice it but just not breaking or influencing around the middle as I know he can. I hope your right.

You have been spouting for the last few months that the league (and i assume the FBD) has no relevance to championship football, harder ground, etc,etc make up your mind  ;)

:D thats true ludermor he can't have it both ways

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 13, 2008, 12:06:00 PM

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 11:30:59 AM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 11:30:57 PM

No didnt see him for the club, just seen 3 FBDs, 7NFLs and 1 challenge for Sligo, he is yet to play to his potential or close for the county this yr..... I wish I had your optimism, I am worried about him. It was finneran and mannion midfield and ros dominated for long periods. Although I know Quinn does the donkey work and grafting and I do notice it but just not breaking or influencing around the middle as I know he can. I hope your right.

You have been spouting for the last few months that the league (and i assume the FBD) has no relevance to championship football, harder ground, etc,etc make up your mind  ;)

:D thats true ludermor he can't have it both ways

Was last night not harder ground so ludermor ;)....as any football man knows some players physicality is suited to championship summer football. ie MOST not all ::) of the sligo team arent big but very fast therefore it suits them. But some of our players are physical and 6ft + not fast but have stamina and a good engine and should IMO be doing better. Like egan for example would be suited to league football just as much as summer and quinn too IMO. But 12 of our starting 15 would be more suited to summer football, ie better conditions being the main factor. So when I say sligo will be better in CSFC than league is that not a fair asumption based on the fact that most of our players especially along the wings and forwards mainly would excell more in better conditions.

Is that clear enough for yee lads :P? Any more questions on football knowledge feel free to ask ;).

Quote from: baoithe on June 13, 2008, 08:42:27 AM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 12:01:57 AM
if naughton is dropped and mcnamara starts he can feel very hard done IMO.

Well I know which of these two I'd have playing.

In respect of Quinn, I have every faith he will turn up on Sunday week. Regardless we don't have many options in there and as Seanie says it's going to be a huge battle in that sector against Mayo.

Sligonian, any criticisms of Eamonn Cawleys display? Presumably he was one of the 10 changes made?

Cawley is a good player IMO but lacks pace for this time of year. He does take his chances. It was a fisted opportunistic goal last night. I would be worried if a fast corner back was marking cawley, he just doesnt have the 10 yard burst of pace to get away from his man. He was taken off for mcgowan 5 mins into 2nd half. I dont think he'll start against mayo. Kelly will be back.

Quote from: Mano on June 13, 2008, 09:23:27 AM
Any sign of John O Mahony or any of his backroom team at the Boyle challenge? I'm sure there was a Mayo presence there somewhere given that notification of the match was on the Sligo Weekender newspaper. Slightly worried by this-Mayo will know exactly the personnel of our team and our tactics assuming its same as challenge last night. Whereas there is not a word coming out of the Mayo camp-with not even the Mayo lads with an idea of the starting team.

Didnt see anyone from Mayo but would be suprised if there wasnt. In fairness any sligoman took a chance on going as it was mentioned in the weekender but in a very small part of it so didnt know for sure it was on.

There was tv camera there obviously sligo management had it there so to look at  the footage again.

You know Mano i wouldnt be overly worried about mayo knowing alot about us. At the end of the day they should be more focused on themselves than us and I am sure they are. Really I think its an important part of management to focus on your own strengths and get that right. In fairness the other side to that is Im sure Jordan being a mayoman knows a hell of alot about Mayo so cancels out any advantage mayo might have seeing alot of us IMO.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 12:50:13 PM

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 13, 2008, 12:06:00 PM

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 11:30:59 AM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 11:30:57 PM

No didnt see him for the club, just seen 3 FBDs, 7NFLs and 1 challenge for Sligo, he is yet to play to his potential or close for the county this yr..... I wish I had your optimism, I am worried about him. It was finneran and mannion midfield and ros dominated for long periods. Although I know Quinn does the donkey work and grafting and I do notice it but just not breaking or influencing around the middle as I know he can. I hope your right.

You have been spouting for the last few months that the league (and i assume the FBD) has no relevance to championship football, harder ground, etc,etc make up your mind  ;)

:D thats true ludermor he can't have it both ways

Was last night not harder ground so ludermor ;)....as any football man knows some players physicality is suited to championship summer football. ie MOST not all ::) of the sligo team arent big but very fast therefore it suits them. But some of our players are physical and 6ft + not fast but have stamina and a good engine and should IMO be doing better. Like egan for example would be suited to league football just as much as summer and quinn too IMO. But 12 of our starting 15 would be more suited to summer football, ie better conditions being the main factor. So when I say sligo will be better in CSFC than league is that not a fair asumption based on the fact that most of our players especially along the wings and forwards mainly would excell more in better conditions.

Is that clear enough for yee lads :P? Any more questions on football knowledge feel free to ask ;).

Im being completely honest when i say , No that is not any clearer.

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 02:10:49 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 12:50:13 PM

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 13, 2008, 12:06:00 PM

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 11:30:59 AM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 12, 2008, 11:30:57 PM

No didnt see him for the club, just seen 3 FBDs, 7NFLs and 1 challenge for Sligo, he is yet to play to his potential or close for the county this yr..... I wish I had your optimism, I am worried about him. It was finneran and mannion midfield and ros dominated for long periods. Although I know Quinn does the donkey work and grafting and I do notice it but just not breaking or influencing around the middle as I know he can. I hope your right.

You have been spouting for the last few months that the league (and i assume the FBD) has no relevance to championship football, harder ground, etc,etc make up your mind  ;)

:D thats true ludermor he can't have it both ways

Was last night not harder ground so ludermor ;)....as any football man knows some players physicality is suited to championship summer football. ie MOST not all ::) of the sligo team arent big but very fast therefore it suits them. But some of our players are physical and 6ft + not fast but have stamina and a good engine and should IMO be doing better. Like egan for example would be suited to league football just as much as summer and quinn too IMO. But 12 of our starting 15 would be more suited to summer football, ie better conditions being the main factor. So when I say sligo will be better in CSFC than league is that not a fair asumption based on the fact that most of our players especially along the wings and forwards mainly would excell more in better conditions.

Is that clear enough for yee lads :P? Any more questions on football knowledge feel free to ask ;).

Im being completely honest when i say , No that is not any clearer.

wow :o cant really add anything to that. Send a few of friends a PM or 2 and get them to explain it to you. Maybe your a wum either....

Quote from: moysider on June 13, 2008, 01:49:36 AM

I often think that 95 team was nt as bad as is usually made out. As far as I can piece together the team that started v Galway was.

Heffernan. Mortimor. Cahill. Ruane. McGarry. Nallen.Coleman.
  Fallon.Colm Mac. Cunney. Dempsey. Niland. Byrne. Casey. O Neill.

No, it wasn't a bad team at all. However, it was only strong out to midfield.
Tell me, moysider, if you were having a slow day and started comparing that side with the possible combinations/ permutations that O'Mahony will be fielding against Sligo next weekend what would your assessment be?
I think that back then, and for a good few years either side of '95, Mayo could field similar sides to '95; very solid and consistent from 1-9 but from 10-15 the end result wasn't too hot!
With the exception of Keith Higgins, I'd not select a single member of the present squad in front of what we had back then!
The fb line of that period was very good; Mortimer and Cahill were as good as I have ever seen and Gary Ruane, faulted for being slow by many, was a tigerish man marker; he never shone but then his opponent seldom did either.
Nallen was only coming into his own back then but he was a promising young player, same as Trevor Howley today. It's a tragedy that Howley is injured.
Midfield advantage just has to lay with Colm Mac and Pat Fallon. It was probably the best combo to be found anywhere at that time. Both were immensely strong and superb fielders; Cahill could be fairly sure that if he hoofed a ball down field one of those lads was more than likely to pick it up.  Fallon, I recall was a chronic asthmatic and this limited his intercounty career. Colm could run all day, all over the place, but unfortunately he couldn't shoot for nuts!
I suppose Kevin Cahill did have a bad display that day but I think it was that he was returning after a bad leg break and he never fully recovered his old form.
Upfront, I'd have no hesitation in saying that O'Mahony can chose a better player in a straight man to man selection for every forward position. Kevin O'Neill and Ray Dempsey were both past their best. Both had spent a long time sidelined with injuries and neither subsequently recovered their old class.
John Casey was an enigma; he could shine one day and be worse than anonymous the next. Niland and Cunney were honest grafters but we never likely to hit the headlines, while Tom Byrne never reproduced his brilliant underage form either.
Back then, Mayo sides conceded few soft goals but never scored much of anything- unless you include wides. ;D

Kevin O'Neill was hardly past his best in'95, he would have been about 22 at the time!  I could never understand why Maughan ignored O'Neill during his first term in charge of Mayo.  I remember seeing him destroy Eire Og from Carlow in an All Ireland club semi in Mullingar (year escapes me but around mid nineties) and they were one of the top club sides back then.  I also seem to remember Maughan or maybe the CB having "issues" with Knockmore players around this time also.  Maybe that was one reason for his absence at the time. 

Quote from: GaillimhIarthair on June 13, 2008, 02:34:34 PM
Kevin O'Neill was hardly past his best in'95, he would have been about 22 at the time!  I could never understand why Maughan ignored O'Neill during his first term in charge of Mayo.  I remember seeing him destroy Eire Og from Carlow in an All Ireland club semi in Mullingar (year escapes me but around mid nineties) and they were one of the top club sides back then.  I also seem to remember Maughan or maybe the CB having "issues" with Knockmore players around this time also.  Maybe that was one reason for his absence at the time. 

O'Neill was too much of a pure footballer for Maughan. Maybe he wasn't in the 'yes sir, no sir, 3 bags full sir' brigade that Maughan nurtured. For all the great work Maughan did for Mayo he was very blinkered regarding a few players. Warming up O'Neill at Croker for a whole second half would piss any man off. It made O'Neill's two goals in the 2006 AI final all the more thought provoking.

Quote from: GaillimhIarthair on June 13, 2008, 02:34:34 PM
Kevin O'Neill was hardly past his best in'95, he would have been about 22 at the time!  I could never understand why Maughan ignored O'Neill during his first term in charge of Mayo.  I remember seeing him destroy Eire Og from Carlow in an All Ireland club semi in Mullingar (year escapes me but around mid nineties) and they were one of the top club sides back then.  I also seem to remember Maughan or maybe the CB having "issues" with Knockmore players around this time also.  Maybe that was one reason for his absence at the time. 

My memory isn’t as good as it used to be and I’m honestly not too clear as to when Kevin O’Neill has his bad leg break but I think it was before the game Moysider mentions .It was widely feared at the time that Kevin might never play again. As to John Maughan’s recollection of events back in the mid-nineties, I’ll be charitable and say he was being economical with the truth.
I think it was in the aftermath of the 2006 final that Maughan said if Kevin had shown the same form back in the mid-nineties he would have no problem with selecting him. Fact is Maughan had demanded that O’Neill give first priority to playing with the county rather than his club, Knockmore.
That was in 96 or 97 when Knockmore got through to the All Ireland club final. Along the way, I think it was before the semi-final, the club manager refused to release Kevin to play for Maughan. Maughan was never to consider him again and yes, his form was just brilliant. Maughan dropped him because he put club before county.
There was some controversy over this alright and I do recall the player saying that it was unfair to ask him to make the choice; it should be sorted out between the respective managers.
I’m sure there are posters here who remember the fuss back then and the widespread calls to Maughan to reinstate O’Neill but he would not budge.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 02:18:05 PM
[wow :o cant really add anything to that. Send a few of friends a PM or 2 and get them to explain it to you. Maybe your a wum either....

Nope im not a WUM at all. I just thought it was funny that you went to such lenghts to say league was no indicator of a teams form but then used the league as an indicator of a players form. But you  backtracked clarified your position (without previously doing so) so i thank you for that.

You're right Lar. It was 97. Mayo were to play Laois I think it was a week or two before the semi-final. Knockmore didn't release O'Neill, like all other clubs don't release their players before they are out of the club championship. Maughan issued a warning that he'd never pick a Knockmore man again. However, he backtracked on that when he picked Munnelly in the 04 semi-final against Fermanagh. I do think it is a pity that Staunton, Butler, O'Neill weren't given a chance to play for Mayo for that reason.

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 06:09:59 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 02:18:05 PM
[wow :o cant really add anything to that. Send a few of friends a PM or 2 and get them to explain it to you. Maybe your a wum either....

Nope im not a WUM at all. I just thought it was funny that you went to such lenghts to say league was no indicator of a teams form but then used the league as an indicator of a players form. But you  backtracked clarified your position (without previously doing so) so i thank you for that.

This isnt an unusual occurance on here. People trying to twist your words to make themselves feel like theyve caught you out or make themselves think there right. Keep living in that fantasy world, alot of guys do. Ive explained myself once above and that is enough ::). I wont go over it again as I cant make it any clearer. I havent backtracked, we will be alot better on june22nd than any league game. There i said again ;D.

From SLIGOGAA.IE

Tickets for the Connacht Senior Championship Semi-Final in McHale Park on Sunday June 22nd will be available to collect for all clubs in Markevicz Park on this Tuesday evening June 17th at 9pm.Tickets are sold subject to them being paid for there and then by the clubs. Clubs must bring along a signed cheque to cover their purchases. Club members are asked to contact their local club from Wednesday for tickets.
Tickets will also go on sale at the usual outlets from Wednesday Morning, Kents Sligo, Cliffords,Sligo   Toolans Ballisadare,  Killorans, Tubbercurry


The TG4 Connacht Senior Ladies Championship Semi Final between Galway and Sligo  on Sunday 22 June will act as the curtain raiser to the Mens Senior Championship Semi-Final Sligo v Mayo in Mc Hale Park Castlebar.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 07:37:23 PM

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 06:09:59 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 02:18:05 PM
[wow :o cant really add anything to that. Send a few of friends a PM or 2 and get them to explain it to you. Maybe your a wum either....

Nope im not a WUM at all. I just thought it was funny that you went to such lenghts to say league was no indicator of a teams form but then used the league as an indicator of a players form. But you  backtracked clarified your position (without previously doing so) so i thank you for that.

This isnt an unusual occurance on here. People trying to twist your words to make themselves feel like theyve caught you out or make themselves think there right. Keep living in that fantasy world, alot of guys do. Ive explained myself once above and that is enough ::). I wont go over it again as I cant make it any clearer. I havent backtracked, we will be alot better on june22nd than any league game. There i said again ;D.

You seem fairly confident about that alright. We'll see on the day how it goes. Any chance that there might not be an improvement from the league?

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 07:37:23 PM

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 06:09:59 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 02:18:05 PM
[wow :o cant really add anything to that. Send a few of friends a PM or 2 and get them to explain it to you. Maybe your a wum either....

Nope im not a WUM at all. I just thought it was funny that you went to such lenghts to say league was no indicator of a teams form but then used the league as an indicator of a players form. But you  backtracked clarified your position (without previously doing so) so i thank you for that.

This isnt an unusual occurance on here. People trying to twist your words to make themselves feel like theyve caught you out or make themselves think there right. Keep living in that fantasy world, alot of guys do. Ive explained myself once above and that is enough ::). I wont go over it again as I cant make it any clearer. I havent backtracked, we will be alot better on june22nd than any league game. There i said again ;D.

.

Yeah, I would expect ye to be better than the league. Fact is if fellas don t lift it for Champ then whats the point. I expect our lads to do the same. Most of our fellas prefer the top of the ground too even though we managed ok against big teams in March and April. Truth be told all genuine County players play better in summer. Ye will be better and if our preparations have been decent so will we. If we re not ....

going back to the oneill and maughan saga ,the problem occured after the all ireland replay of 96.there were 6  mayo players suspended for there part in the all ireland final row and mayo were to play laois in the 2ind round of the league the following sunday.maughan asked knockmore to release there players for that one game as their club game was not scheduled for 2 weeks after.knockmore refused and maughan was left scrambling to pick a team as there were  also a few injuries at the time  .   mayo lost by a point and   barely survived relegation.also it is not true to say that maughan never picked oneil again as he brought him on after half time in the all ireland semi v offaly and he was going to be a definate starter in the final v kerry but unfortunatly he broke his leg in training and was not the same player for awhile after.he played for holmes in 2000 but made no impression and did not reappear in the green and red again     until 2006.

Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 13, 2008, 10:40:44 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 07:37:23 PM

Quote from: ludermor on June 13, 2008, 06:09:59 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 13, 2008, 02:18:05 PM
[wow :o cant really add anything to that. Send a few of friends a PM or 2 and get them to explain it to you. Maybe your a wum either....

Nope im not a WUM at all. I just thought it was funny that you went to such lenghts to say league was no indicator of a teams form but then used the league as an indicator of a players form. But you  backtracked clarified your position (without previously doing so) so i thank you for that.

This isnt an unusual occurance on here. People trying to twist your words to make themselves feel like theyve caught you out or make themselves think there right. Keep living in that fantasy world, alot of guys do. Ive explained myself once above and that is enough ::). I wont go over it again as I cant make it any clearer. I havent backtracked, we will be alot better on june22nd than any league game. There i said again ;D.

You seem fairly confident about that alright. We'll see on the day how it goes. Any chance that there might not be an improvement from the league?

Yes I am confident about that. No there is no chance of there being no improvement. At the end of the day brehonys alot stronger and egans back, plus the fact that team selection during the nfl was atrocious and now at last hes getting it right. So we are giving ourselves the best possible chance. Put it this way apart from the refereeing performance we can have NO EXCUSES if we lose. Even on last yr we never selected our best available team IMO. Last yr we had only one gameplan, play off kelly, now we have loads more pace and options in the forward line. My main worry is midfield but I wont go into that.

Id agree with moysider to a point, take galway even this yr they had very good league but IMO were atrocious against ros. That first half was galway 6-4 up against a team in disarray. So therefore like 07 galway went backwards from good league form. I expect leitrim to cause a shock tomorrow, crazy to others but i just dont rate galway. Look at donegal last yr they backwards after nfl. Mayo not sure if we will see much improvement. If we based our confidence on NFL i would be conceding now but I know we be very strong sunday week, like as explained above majority of our team would prefer summer conditions but 2 or 3 others it doesnt matter and there game is suited to all yr round. So when I say sligo will play better I mean the majority of our players.

Quote from: mayo51 on June 13, 2008, 11:39:21 PM
going back to the oneill and maughan saga ,the problem occured after the all ireland replay of 96.there were 6  mayo players suspended for there part in the all ireland final row and mayo were to play laois in the 2ind round of the league the following sunday.maughan asked knockmore to release there players for that one game as their club game was not scheduled for 2 weeks after.knockmore refused and maughan was left scrambling to pick a team as there were  also a few injuries at the time  .   mayo lost by a point and   barely survived relegation.also it is not true to say that maughan never picked oneil again as he brought him on after half time in the all ireland semi v offaly and he was going to be a definate starter in the final v kerry but unfortunatly he broke his leg in training and was not the same player for awhile after.he played for holmes in 2000 but made no impression and did not reappear in the green and red again     until 2006.

Thanks, mayo51, for jogging my memory. Maybe it's as good a way as any to while away the time until next Sunday week.
O'Neill definitely carried some injury into the '95 Connacht Final. I remember the Western reporting before the game that Mayo folk were worried with two former greats "striving to re-kindle old glories." That referred to Dempsey and O'Neill. O'Neill did tend to be injury prone.
When Maughan took over after the '95 defeat, O'Neill was ignored up to the '96 final when he came on as a sub. He was totally dropped for the replay and Tom Reilly replaced him.
Now, I remember being at a club game in Summer '96, I think Knockmore were playing Charlestown.
Whatever the opposition, O'Neill was brilliant that day and scored 0-5. Throughout that championship season there was plenty of speculation as to why O'Neill wasn't getting a first team place. It was being put down to bad relations between Maughan and the Knockmore manager. I think this fellow is named Clarke.
Peter Butler and Kevin Staunton were also said to be hard done by that year. Butler was warming up towards the end of the replay but Tom Reilly got sent on instead.
So, of all the clubs in Mayo, Maughan couldn't have approached a worse one than Knockmore if he was looking for a hand out for the game against Laois!
O'Neill did say, somewhere along the line, that the respective managers should sort matters out and that it was unfair on players to be asked to choose. That's what makes me think it was something between Clarke and Maughan that led to Maughan snubbing Kevin O'Neill.
Maughan did put him on as a sub against Offaly in the semi the following year and by all accounts O'Neill had a good game but, as mayo51 says, he suffered a bad leg break before the final and was off the scene from then on under Maughan.
Maughan said in 2006 that he had nothing personal against the man and would have used him certainly if he had been showing the form of a decade later; Knockmore people said, and probably always will, that along with Butler and Kevin Staunton, O'Neill was overlooked by the b***ix of a manager.
As for me, after an interval of 12 years I am a bit hazy on some details, but I did see O'Neill in action in '96 and he was in flying form then. Tom Reilly would never strike fear into any defenders, except possibly his own team.
He had been an honest to goodness grafter but had spent years on the periphery of things, without ever threatening to nail down a first choice spot permanently and , besides, he was well up the years.
I think, for Maughan, it was a case of anyone bar O'Neill.
Farrandeelin, any thoughts??? :D :D

In fairness the club were right not to let him play i think any club not just Knockmore would do the same thing we certainly would anyway and its probably only in 2002 when Maughan was managing cross that he probably realised this. Its definitely a pity that we didn't see more of Mc D and o' Neill playing together for Mayo >:(

QuoteKnockmore people said, and probably always will, that along with Butler and Kevin Staunton, O'Neill was overlooked by the b***ix of a manager

That's true. Maughan was never liked in Knockmore by anyone after that and when Mayo played Sligo in one game in Maughan's second spell as manager, there were people who wouldnt go to Mayo games when he was managing. I think it was in 03 as these people were all at the AIF in 04. :D
I agree with Deel Rover for once! When myself and my dad talk football, we inevitably get angry about O'Neill and McD not being in the panel together, but sure what can you do? :-\

Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 14, 2008, 07:02:59 PM

QuoteKnockmore people said..... the b***ix of a manager

....Maughan was never liked in Knockmore by anyone after that..... in Maughan's second spell as manager, there were people who wouldnt go to Mayo games when he was managing.

And I thought it was only Ros people who didnt like the ******* :D

Ah jesus farrendelin i thought we agreed on most things

Quote from: mayo51 on June 13, 2008, 11:39:21 PM
going back to the oneill and maughan saga ,the problem occured after the all ireland replay of 96.there were 6  mayo players suspended for there part in the all ireland final row and mayo were to play laois in the 2ind round of the league the following sunday.maughan asked knockmore to release there players for that one game as their club game was not scheduled for 2 weeks after.knockmore refused and maughan was left scrambling to pick a team as there were  also a few injuries at the time  .   mayo lost by a point and   barely survived relegation.also it is not true to say that maughan never picked oneil again as he brought him on after half time in the all ireland semi v offaly and he was going to be a definate starter in the final v kerry but unfortunatly he broke his leg in training and was not the same player for awhile after.he played for holmes in 2000 but made no impression and did not reappear in the green and red again     until 2006.

Only part of the story there, the problem came in 1993, Mayo were playing Fermanagh in the league and all Knockmore players were released to play, Dempsey got injured in that game and two weeks later Eire Og came down from Carlow to "play a match on the side of a mountain" as they put, Declan Sweeney, 16 at the time, replaced Dempsey at mid-field and we lost by a point. 4 years later when the league came around Knockmore were asked to release players and quiet rightly said no, a row broke out between club and county, players been told that if they didn't play in the league there would be no championship and no-one from the club was allowed to go to mayo matches, or in my case mayo trials.
That year we beat the same Eire Og by 20 points.

What reall irked the Knockmore lads was that 2 years later when Maughan was still county manager and Ballina were going to the AIF they weren't asked to play for county, now we've always had a siege mentality in Knockmore but sometimes you have to think its more than just paranoia.

As for Peter Butler, IMHO the best Knockmore player ever to pull on a jersey and in 2006 the best back, including James Nallen, in the county. Another man who broke his leg at a time when he was captain of the county team, he would have captained a team that won a provinsional title with only Knockmore men scoring in the 1993 final in Roscommon.

Quote from: Rossfan on June 14, 2008, 07:58:33 PM

Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 14, 2008, 07:02:59 PM

QuoteKnockmore people said..... the b***ix of a manager

....Maughan was never liked in Knockmore by anyone after that..... in Maughan's second spell as manager, there were people who wouldnt go to Mayo games when he was managing.

And I thought it was only Ros people who didnt like the ******* :D

Haha, maybe it's the saffron/primrose and blue jersey people that dislike Maughan! :D

This time next week i'll hopefully celerating. ;)....

Anyhow getting excited already. Anyword on throw in time and the ref????

QuoteThis time next week i'll hopefully celerating

SLIGONIAN, do you mean accelerating back to Sligo after the defeat?

According to the Connacht GAA site its down for a 3.30 throw-in.

Anybody go to the trial game at the weekend?

What was the line-up for the Probables?

There's a big feature on Ciarán McDonald in today's Indo, but it looks like the hoors haven't bothered their arses putting it up on the site.  >:( Anybody fancy buying a copy and typing it out?

The article in the indo has nothing new in it at all. Colm Keys rehashing old news. There isn't even a new quote in it from what I can see. He's just going over the fallout from McD's exclusion from the panel. It's been debated to death on this forum and Keys has nothing new to add.
Not a word from the Mayo camp, will be very interesting to see what team is named, amazing that nobody here has a clue what to expect - in previous years we'd know about 12 of the starting 15 at least

Found it: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/gaelic-football/the-fairytale-with-no-happy-ending-1410902.html

Tubberman is correct in saying it's mainly a re-hash of old news, but there is more detail about how things developed to their current depressing level, going back to the game against Derry last year.

Time to get some Sligo debate (other than SLIGONIAN telling us how confident he is) on this thread.

Preparation has been relatively low-key since London with exception of the Ross challenge last week which seemed to be strangely widely broadcast. I would expect a few changes from the London game. Team for London were quite small, fast, mobile and lacking in physicality which did the business against London who probably didn't have the greatest of preparation. That team will not beat Mayo and hopefully will not be selected.

I would put Johnny Davey back at wing back where he is most effective attacking facing the opposition goal. His defensive qualities have been called into question but i would retain him at wing back as an attacking outlet. Need a few bigger physical forwards to compliment the speedsters Kelly and Gaughan and to win 50:50 ball and take a few scores as we are relying very heavily on Brehony. McPartland, Davey and Sweeney will have to come into consideraton in the forward line.

My team would be
Greene, Donovan, McGuire, Harrison, Davey, Egan, McGovern, Quinn, O'Hara, Gaughan, Brehony, Curran, McPartland, McNamara, Kelly

Quote from: IolarCoisCuain on June 16, 2008, 10:58:06 AM
Found it: http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaa-championships/gaelic-football/the-fairytale-with-no-happy-ending-1410902.html

Tubberman is correct in saying it's mainly a re-hash of old news, but there is more detail about how things developed to their current depressing level, going back to the game against Derry last year.

To all of us Mayo heads here the piece contains nothing new; we’ve been over it all before. But we’ve been debating in the context of Mac’s omission from the panel and the rights and wrongs of how this came to pass.
Colm Keys may have given us little new by way of facts but he does go on to spell out the implications for O’Mahony and how his season will be judged. In doing this, he has made the best possible case for John O’Mahony and the factors that led him to deciding to move on without McDonald.
But he also states the reasons why Mac should be on the side and the fact that the issue will overshadow Mayo’s involvement in the championships. I also thought the quotes from Kevin McStay put the pros and cons as aptly as they can be presented, especially McStay’s view that O’Mahony goofed by not telling Mac face to face, out of the glare of publicity, that he was going to drop him.
Watching Padraig Joyce in action yesterday, I couldn’t help feeling that Mayo could badly do with a father figure in attack; someone to harness the efforts of our promising young fellas who are still in a state of transition. I’m quite sure I’m not alone in thinking that.
Now, it’s time to concentrate on the task ahead and wipe that smirk off Sligonian’s face. ;D
It’s a great pity that Mayo fans won’t be concentrating on what we will do on the field but on what might have been done if only……

Mano Id say if you got the chance youd shoot me in the back. Never short of a dig or 2 towards me. Is there something wrong with me being confident and having belief in our team, does that somehow offend you, would you prefer me to be negative? Most of my posts are football related too so your basically lying insinuating that all I do is say how confident i am. I can see your trying to diminsh my value to this board. Was my report on the ros challenge not good enough for you.

Larnaparka, i can tell you I have no smirk on my face yet. I just have belief in my county, simple as that.

Do you know something having seen naughton in the third midfielder role i wouldnt be suprised if the Jordan drops mcnamara(who just isnt playing well at all) and goes with naughton. It would be seen as a shock but not to those at the game last week.

Id be suprised if Jordan backtracked now on his new gameplan of playing j davey in the forwards. Why would he continue with that in recent challenges if he was going to revert back the old way for the mayo game. Mcpartland looked sharp in the recent friendly and would add strength to the forwards. Naughton is flying and should be slotted in somewhere so id drop mchugh. To me j davey is better running onto the ball at pace and at hf he do that whilst not exposing his weakness at defending.


My team to start would be

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan naughton ohara quinn curran brehony j davey gaughan mcpartland kelly


The team i think Jordan will start

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan mchugh ohara quinn curran brehony gaughan j davey mcnamara/naughton kelly

Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Now that Mort appears to be starting I'm pretty confident that we'll beat Sligo. If, and I think most people agree we should if we are doing anything right, we get past Sligo I think we'll have a decent crack at Galway in the final in Castlebar. Wasn't impressed by them at the weekend. They are struggling around midfield and in backs. Apart from Joyce no one stirred in the forwards until half way through the 2nd half when Meehan and Bane got going.

I'm hoping for a good all round performance at the weekend whatever team is named. But I'll be looking especially at midfield, half forward and full back. If these lines perform well and show improvement I'd be very happy.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 16, 2008, 02:07:34 PM
Mano Id say if you got the chance youd shoot me in the back. Never short of a dig or 2 towards me. Is there something wrong with me being confident and having belief in our team, does that somehow offend you, would you prefer me to be negative? Most of my posts are football related too so your basically lying insinuating that all I do is say how confident i am. I can see your trying to diminsh my value to this board. Was my report on the ros challenge not good enough for you.

You bring it on yourself with your stupid comments. Having said that i would have no problem with you been confident i would just prefer you would keep it to yourself rather than winding up the Mayo lads. Mayo are never a modest bunch when it comes to playing Sligo and they don't seem to be arrogant or cocky about this one with the exception of Mannix.

If we go with Kelly, Davey and Gaughan in the forward line we will be wiped out. None of these 3 are over 5 foot 7 and none of them are natural score getters. We would have the same scenario as against Cork last year. The midfield and half back line been forced to kick back into small lads in forward line and ball coming back out just as quick. They went with this tactic in London game as they knew we would have space to pick out accurate passes to the speedy forwards-we won't have that space on Sunday particulary if Mayo leave their corner back in fullback line rather than follow McNamara/Naughton or whoever is taking the roaming role.

Mano - I understand your concerns about the small quick lads up front. If I had to put a bet on it now though I'd say that's what Sligo will go with. I don't think that necessarily means we will be beaten though for a couple of reasons, one being that Mayo's backs are probably not as good as Corks. Sligonian possibly has a point about Jonnie Davey being a bit vulnerable defensively but no more so than the lad who played there the last time.

Jordan knows the Mayo lads well and will hopefully have some sort of plan to upscuttle them. Maybe he thinks pace is the key and to be honest, our options are fairly limited. Team selection will be interesting but will have few changes.

Quote from: Mano on June 16, 2008, 02:32:39 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 16, 2008, 02:07:34 PM
Mano Id say if you got the chance youd shoot me in the back. Never short of a dig or 2 towards me. Is there something wrong with me being confident and having belief in our team, does that somehow offend you, would you prefer me to be negative? Most of my posts are football related too so your basically lying insinuating that all I do is say how confident i am. I can see your trying to diminsh my value to this board. Was my report on the ros challenge not good enough for you.

You bring it on yourself with your stupid comments. Having said that i would have no problem with you been confident i would just prefer you would keep it to yourself rather than winding up the Mayo lads. Mayo are never a modest bunch when it comes to playing Sligo and they don't seem to be arrogant or cocky about this one with the exception of Mannix.

If we go with Kelly, Davey and Gaughan in the forward line we will be wiped out. None of these 3 are over 5 foot 7 and none of them are natural score getters. We would have the same scenario as against Cork last year. The midfield and half back line been forced to kick back into small lads in forward line and ball coming back out just as quick. They went with this tactic in London game as they knew we would have space to pick out accurate passes to the speedy forwards-we won't have that space on Sunday particulary if Mayo leave their corner back in fullback line rather than follow McNamara/Naughton or whoever is taking the roaming role.

What stupid comments ::)? another dig ouch...

Big deal if I wind up the mayo lads, its called banter and it goes both ways and is harmless. Do you tell O Hara to keep his comments to himself aswell?

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 16, 2008, 02:49:45 PM
Mano - I understand your concerns about the small quick lads up front. If I had to put a bet on it now though I'd say that's what Sligo will go with. I don't think that necessarily means we will be beaten though for a couple of reasons, one being that Mayo's backs are probably not as good as Corks. Sligonian possibly has a point about Jonnie Davey being a bit vulnerable defensively but no more so than the lad who played there the last time.

Jordan knows the Mayo lads well and will hopefully have some sort of plan to upscuttle them. Maybe he thinks pace is the key and to be honest, our options are fairly limited. Team selection will be interesting but will have few changes.

PACE opens up space and makes space so therefore mano point on small forwards, with no space doesnt hold water with me. J davey is stronger than mano thinks aswell these lads are well able to hold up the ball. Mayo are not the most physical team defensively either. If we reverted back to old ways we would have kelly as our main ball winner in the forwards again( = no variety) but now we have gaughan, jdavey and kelly and that is a very creative proposition IMO who will open up MAYO along the flanks and feed either to one another or brehony, ohara coming in from deep.

Quote from: kevmy on June 16, 2008, 02:27:09 PM
Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Maybe we have finally learned that arrogance before a game can only lead to one big fall kevmy! It's no harm we're being cautious, even if we are over doing it a little, it's better than being overly confident like we have in the past only for the smiles to be wiped off our faces! I have to say Sligonian you are a rare breed for a Sligo man, good luck to you being confident, at the end of the day we should all have some degree of confidence in our teams, but I can see why your fellow county men are sitting a little uneasily with some of your comments. Still, you might be able to tell us all  'I told you so' come Sunday evening.

What's the word on Conor from your neck of the woods Kevmy, you think he'll be ok to tog?

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 16, 2008, 04:13:24 PM
Do you tell O Hara to keep his comments to himself aswell?

When i was a teammate of his i certainly did. He is too mouthy both on and off the field and it does him no favours with referees, teammates and opponents.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 16, 2008, 04:21:17 PM
PACE opens up space and makes space so therefore mano point on small forwards, with no space doesnt hold water with me. J davey is stronger than mano thinks aswell these lads are well able to hold up the ball. Mayo are not the most physical team defensively either. If we reverted back to old ways we would have kelly as our main ball winner in the forwards again( = no variety) but now we have gaughan, jdavey and kelly and that is a very creative proposition IMO who will open up MAYO along the flanks and feed either to one another or brehony, ohara coming in from deep.

Pace will count for nothing if those lads don't get the ball. If our midfield are losing the battle at midfield and half back line are under pressure and can't build from back a kick pass is required into space if our fullforward line are outnumbered 3 to 2 (as Mayo will leave their extra man in full back line i'd imagine) by Mayo backs pace will be irrelevant. If the inside forwards get the ball they will be outnumbered and won't have the strength to take on their opponents. Thats my opiniion and i hope Jordan goes with a bigger full forward who can score (S Davey, McPartland) because lets remember of our 17 points against London only 6 were from play. Pace means nothing if you can't put the ball over the bar.

I have to say I share Mano's fears in respect of the full forward line and let's face it we have struggled in the sector (amongst others) for a while now. Seanie mentioned that he felt the Mayo backs weren't as good as Cork which may be the case but I think the Mayo backs are tight enough and even if they were to be 75% as successful as Cork were at smothering us that day we will be in trouble. I suppose a counter-argument would be that there was no ball going in to that area against Cork as midfield was swamped. Either way it was pretty disheartening stuff and it's not something I want to experience in McHale park of all places!

Notwithstanding all this, one wonders was the lineup and gameplan for the challenge game last week against Roscommon a dress rehearsal for Sunday or were the management still tweaking their strategy at that late stage. I would suggest the former although in saying that the lineup will be changed somewhat as I'm sure my Club's representative won't start on Sunday!!

Further, do I need to reiterate my opinion that there is absolutely no justification for starting Michael McNamara?

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on June 16, 2008, 04:52:37 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 16, 2008, 02:27:09 PM
Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Maybe we have finally learned that arrogance before a game can only lead to one big fall kevmy! It's no harm we're being cautious, even if we are over doing it a little, it's better than being overly confident like we have in the past only for the smiles to be wiped off our faces! I have to say Sligonian you are a rare breed for a Sligo man, good luck to you being confident, at the end of the day we should all have some degree of confidence in our teams, but I can see why your fellow county men are sitting a little uneasily with some of your comments. Still, you might be able to tell us all  'I told you so' come Sunday evening.

What's the word on Conor from your neck of the woods Kevmy, you think he'll be ok to tog?

There'll be no I told you so from me, so can I see why some of the Sligo posters are seating a little uneasy with my confident outlook. Im not stupid despite what mano thinks. I just believe its time to be honest and not beat around the bush afraid of putting yourself or your opinions on the line. Im not being arrogant im just backing our lads to do the business which is fair IMO.

Of course I know the Mayo lads believe they will win by 6+pts despite what there saying here i know deep down what yee expect.

In Sligo for yrs supporters annoy me being overly cautious, negative and way too respectful to mayo and galway, it then filters into teams and then youve got a inferiority complex(something i dont have ;)), youd see far better sligo teams lose to mediocre mayo and galway teams because of this.

Now its different, everything has improved in Sligo espcially the belief side of things and that delights me to know our players know theyre good enough at every level. So im confident, get over it so are mayo (whether ye'll admit or not).

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 16, 2008, 05:36:23 PM

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on June 16, 2008, 04:52:37 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 16, 2008, 02:27:09 PM
Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Maybe we have finally learned that arrogance before a game can only lead to one big fall kevmy! It's no harm we're being cautious, even if we are over doing it a little, it's better than being overly confident like we have in the past only for the smiles to be wiped off our faces! I have to say Sligonian you are a rare breed for a Sligo man, good luck to you being confident, at the end of the day we should all have some degree of confidence in our teams, but I can see why your fellow county men are sitting a little uneasily with some of your comments. Still, you might be able to tell us all  'I told you so' come Sunday evening.

What's the word on Conor from your neck of the woods Kevmy, you think he'll be ok to tog?

There'll be no I told you so from me, so can I see why some of the Sligo posters are seating a little uneasy with my confident outlook. Im not stupid despite what mano thinks. I just believe its time to be honest and not beat around the bush afraid of putting yourself or your opinions on the line. Im not being arrogant im just backing our lads to do the business which is fair IMO.

Of course I know the Mayo lads believe they will win by 6+pts despite what there saying here i know deep down what yee expect.

In Sligo for yrs supporters annoy me being overly cautious, negative and way too respectful to mayo and galway, it then filters into teams and then youve got a inferiority complex(something i dont have ;)), youd see far better sligo teams lose to mediocre mayo and galway teams because of this.

Now its different, everything has improved in Sligo espcially the belief side of things and that delights me to know our players know theyre good enough at every level. So im confident, get over it so are mayo (whether ye'll admit or not).

no fair play, as you say maybe that is something ye have been lacking in the past and I agree I do think ye have shown ourselves and Galway too much respect in the past, welll at least when we've had average teams, the rest of the time ye were righth to do so :D

QuoteIn Sligo for yrs supporters annoy me being overly cautious, negative and way too respectful to mayo and galway, it then filters into teams and then youve got a inferiority complex(something i dont have ), youd see far better sligo teams lose to mediocre mayo and galway teams because of this.

In fairness because of the depth of talent in both Galway and Mayo (by Connacht standards) many average if not even downright mediocre Galway and Mayo teams have won Connacht titles. Plus even though some of those teams may have been average they always believed themselves to be better than anyone else in Connacht even if they weren't.

It may not be so much that other Connacht counties have a inferiority complex but that Galway and Mayo footballers often have a superiority complex which enables them to win tight games against Sligo, Leitrim or Roscommon. However more often than not it's just because they have better footballers usually.

Quote from: baoithe on June 16, 2008, 05:22:23 PM
I have to say I share Mano's fears in respect of the full forward line and let's face it we have struggled in the sector (amongst others) for a while now. Seanie mentioned that he felt the Mayo backs weren't as good as Cork which may be the case but I think the Mayo backs are tight enough and even if they were to be 75% as successful as Cork were at smothering us that day we will be in trouble. I suppose a counter-argument would be that there was no ball going in to that area against Cork as midfield was swamped. Either way it was pretty disheartening stuff and it's not something I want to experience in McHale park of all places!

Notwithstanding all this, one wonders was the lineup and gameplan for the challenge game last week against Roscommon a dress rehearsal for Sunday or were the management still tweaking their strategy at that late stage. I would suggest the former although in saying that the lineup will be changed somewhat as I'm sure my Club's representative won't start on Sunday!!

Further, do I need to reiterate my opinion that there is absolutely no justification for starting Michael McNamara?

Lads yer fears of our FF line are contradictory, ye keep referring to cork last yr. Last yr we had one outlet d kelly, mcpartland played a deeper role that day and we didnt use him as target man.

At least his yr we have more options with various targets albeit they arent going to do damge on poor ball going in.

Midfield is the big worry for me and if we break even there we will do it. Im not worried about our forwards, IMO it is far more dangerous than last yrs. In the recent challenge mcpartland was chf so still not used in ff line. S davey was a disaster at FFb4. Sligo will play with a 2 man ff line of kelly and j davey i reckon. And that to me is a big improvement on last yr. Especially with the emergence of gaughan and brehonys improvement.

Anyway sligo lads im not going to try to convince ye anymore on our forwards, ye'll just have to see it on sunday to believe it.

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on June 16, 2008, 04:52:37 PM


What's the word on Conor from your neck of the woods Kevmy, you think he'll be ok to tog?

I haven't heard a hell of a lot more than ye but if I had to guess I'd say he'll tog but mightn't be 100%. If he does nothing but kick a few frees he'd be worth it. I heard that if it was a Championship game last weekend the club might have risked him but it was O'Mara Cup so they left him out.

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on June 16, 2008, 05:42:13 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 16, 2008, 05:36:23 PM

Quote from: OirthearMhaigheo on June 16, 2008, 04:52:37 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 16, 2008, 02:27:09 PM
Christ lads it's shocking when the Sligo boys are more confident than us!!

Maybe we have finally learned that arrogance before a game can only lead to one big fall kevmy! It's no harm we're being cautious, even if we are over doing it a little, it's better than being overly confident like we have in the past only for the smiles to be wiped off our faces! I have to say Sligonian you are a rare breed for a Sligo man, good luck to you being confident, at the end of the day we should all have some degree of confidence in our teams, but I can see why your fellow county men are sitting a little uneasily with some of your comments. Still, you might be able to tell us all  'I told you so' come Sunday evening.

What's the word on Conor from your neck of the woods Kevmy, you think he'll be ok to tog?

There'll be no I told you so from me, so can I see why some of the Sligo posters are seating a little uneasy with my confident outlook. Im not stupid despite what mano thinks. I just believe its time to be honest and not beat around the bush afraid of putting yourself or your opinions on the line. Im not being arrogant im just backing our lads to do the business which is fair IMO.

Of course I know the Mayo lads believe they will win by 6+pts despite what there saying here i know deep down what yee expect.

In Sligo for yrs supporters annoy me being overly cautious, negative and way too respectful to mayo and galway, it then filters into teams and then youve got a inferiority complex(something i dont have ;)), youd see far better sligo teams lose to mediocre mayo and galway teams because of this.

Now its different, everything has improved in Sligo espcially the belief side of things and that delights me to know our players know theyre good enough at every level. So im confident, get over it so are mayo (whether ye'll admit or not).

no fair play, as you say maybe that is something ye have been lacking in the past and I agree I do think ye have shown ourselves and Galway too much respect in the past, welll at least when we've had average teams, the rest of the time ye were righth to do so :D

I'll tell yee 2 true stories that defined me as a sligofan.

Back in 97 connaght final a game where we showed mayo way too much respect and we should of won. I remember seeing a sligo man in his 50s after the game with his chest out and full of pride. I was 15 and I thought to meself im never going to be like that man, delighted with a loss or morale victory. It really pissed me off because i knew that was the mentality of sligo people. We only lost by a 1pt great.

Another story is aftermath of mayo losing to kerry in all ireland final a 3 yrs ago. I went with a good friend from roscommon. After the game we went in to supermacs in o connell. The 2 of us were eating away and 2 mayomen and 2 sligomen joined us, one of the mayomen looked at me wearing my sligo jersey. And I quote "as bad as today is and losing ID HATE TO BE FROM SLIGO" everyone looked in agreement and my friend said "me too". Of course yee all know me at this stage and I was pissed off with disrespect on show so i gave them plenty of reasons to be proud of being from sligo. The worst part was my own countymen didnt back me up and kinda swayed towards the mayomen.
I thought to myself after, his way of coping with defeat was belittling us. What a arrogant p***k. But of course the sligomen pissed me off more. Thats what your dealing with in my county. Back then i didnt have the comeback which would of went something like this "any of ye wish ye were me or any sligoman last july ;)"

At the end of day my point is I speak for myself and life experience has made me who i am today. I would never want to associate myself with people within the county with no belief, no confidence and a inferiority complex especially supporters and players. That cannot be said of our current players who i am willing to put my credibilty on the line for because i believe in them and i know the wont let the fans down on sunday especially those who believe.

Throw in at 3.30, what kinda of attendance is expected? I reckon 25,000+with it not being on tv.

QuoteI haven't heard a hell of a lot more than ye but if I had to guess I'd say he'll tog but mightn't be 100%. If he does nothing but kick a few frees he'd be worth it. I heard that if it was a Championship game last weekend the club might have risked him but it was O'Mara Cup so they left him out.

if hes not right they should hold him back for bigger days. if we cant win on sunday without him its gonna be a very short year any way. he too important to be risked. i'd love to see ronaldson get a proper run as i think there is huge potential there

QuoteBack in 97 connaght final a game where we showed mayo way too much respect and we should of won.

Bullshit imho. Mayo were shite, Sligo were worse - 1 point worse, no other stat matters. If you want to go down the path of shoulda / coulda / woulda then Mayo shoulda been more mentally tuned in and if they had they would have beaten that Sligo team by 20 points.
As for wearing a Sligo jersey on All-Ireland final day or indeed any jersey of a team that was not competing, then you were leaving yourself open for a slagging.

For the record, i would be pretty sure that if any Sligo player were reading your posts on this thread, their reaction would be along the lines of "would you shut up. Confidence is fine but keep it to yourself. Our aim is to go down there and hit Mayo with a whirlwind of a start cos we don't expect them to be 100% mentally tuned in as per a Galway match. Having you on here on a public forum shouting from the tree tops about how good Sligo are with probably 100+ Mayo people (including you can be sure a few players) reading it will filter throughout the county and on to the players and will only serve to focus their minds a bit more and thus make our task more difficult."   

So keep at it there Sligonian   ;D ... and for the record, i would be surprised if there were more than 15-18,000 at the match the next day.

QuoteBullshit imho. Mayo were shite, Sligo were worse - 1 point worse, no other stat matters.

Bang on, Baoithe! That's what it is all about.
Mayo did go on to improve a lot as the season went on but that one was a bad game, no doubt about it.
Sligo teams since then have earned a lot of respect from other counties over the years since then. God knows they were in savage hard luck in 2002 when they really should have bet Armagh.
I'd say they bottled it but then it's hard to break the habit of years and I did think they'd only improve in the years that followed. They were one of the showcases of the new back door system, along with Fermanagh, and people really thought that the new system would lead to wholescale breakthroughs from other so-called weaker counties as well.
Players like Taylor and O'Hara could compare with top players in any county and the pity of it was that Sligo did have a few weak links on their side and didn't have the subs' bench other counties had.
Things have gone backwards a bit for Sligo but I wouldn't dismiss their chances at all and I don't think most Mayo fans will either. I do expect we will beat you but I know we won't have things all our own way.

agree with you baoithe about the 97 game.we should have been about 10 points up going into the last 10 min and i think due to complacency sligo nearly caught us .the one thing that struck me about that match was  mickey morans interview after .he told the interviewer that he was so proud of his sligo team for the great display,and that they were really going to party that night,even tho they had lost.never understood the moral victory bullshit and i remember thinking that sligo would never win anything under m.moran with that kind of attitude.on sundays game i think mayo will win by4 or 5 points .sligo wont fear mayo so its imperative that mayo get a good start and erode sligos confidence,and push on from there.

Team due to be picked Wednesday night apparently.

How are we fixed for certainties?

Clarke in goal, Heaney and Keith Higgins in the half-back line, McGarrity and Parsons in midfield; Dillon on the forty (if fit) and Conor (if fit), Austy and Andy Moran inside.
That's nine lads to begin with. Throw in that there's bound to be a place for Trevor Mortimer in the half-back line or half-forward line and possibly the same could be said for Peadar Gardiner given JOM's liking for him and we've four spots left.
Three in the full-back line and one in the half-back line or half-forward line.

The questions so -
----------Billy Padden or Kieran Conroy for full-back. Word seems to be he's sticking with Conroy.

----------Corner-backs - any two from Aidan Higgins, Tom Cunniffe, James Nallen, Colm Boyle and Liam O'Malley. Think O'Malley may have worked himself back into contention after a good performance on Pat Harte in the Ballina Burrishoole championship match. I'd personally pick Aidan Higgins but think it'll be Nallen with Boyle to come on if things ain't going well.

---------- Half-back line - Heaney and K Higgins to start with one of Trevor Mortimer, Gardiner, Cunniffe and, at a push, Pat Kelly.
It'd be interesting to see if he starts Cunniffe at centre-back with an eye to developing him there. I think though that he'll be bound by realism and start Heaney here with an eye to picking up Joyce in the Connacht final if we get there. Cunniffe may get the nod on the wing if he wants to play Gardiner and Mort in the half-forward line. Think he'll opt for Trevor at wing-back imo.

That means Gardiner is one wing-forward and Pat Harte the other with Dillon in the middle. If Dillon isn't fit though Trevor might be moved forward, Harte to centre-half forward and Cunniffe in.

That's my guesswork for what its worth (I've a lot of free time at work for speculating!!). Getting a small bit more confident for the weekend in light of the fact that Conor Mort appears to be fit to start. Still nervous though!

Clarke
O'Malley Conroy Nallen
T Mort Heaney K Higgins
Parsons McGarrity
Harte Dillon Gardiner
C Mort A O'Malley A Moran

RnG I don't know how you could be getting more confident with that full-back line? Liam O'Malley has been cleaned once too often for my liking and if he features he will be shown up again. God knows he made Cormac Bane look world-class on two occasions last year! Sadly Nallen is past it, the legs went three or four years ago. He is a legend, but if he is the best option there we know that there are tricky years ahead.

For what its worth I see the following team lining out (not my choice!) -

Clarke

Nallen        Conroy         Boyle (not much better than above)

Heaney     Cunnife         Higgins (Heaney and Cunnife will switch at the start)

McGarrity         Parsons

Harte       Dillon           Trevor (heard last night Dillon is a doubt)

Conor     O'Malley         Andy Moran   

Getting more confident simply because of the availability of Conor Mort.
I agree, that's not a class full-back line and it's not the one I would pick (A Higgins, BJP and Nallen would be mine).
I personally wouldn't start O'Malley - I'm just saying JOM is a fan of his and the performance on Pat Harte in club championship will have boosted his chances further
But from what I remember of Sligo from last year and from FBD games and from listening to lads here, Sligo won't be winning this game by kicking something like 15 points. The full-back line may not be overly stretched. Get over this game and have Galway in a Connacht final and I'd be very worried about that line.
If we lose on Sunday, and its quite the possibility, I think it'll come down to losing midfield, a relatively unfamiliar half-forward line failing to function and the full-forward line being snuffed out by a very good Sligo full-back line.

I agree with Sligonian on the attitude of a huge number of Sligo people. It is defeatist and sad alright. I wouldn't be as outspoken as Sligonian about it but I've rarely if ever gone to a Sligo game thinking we're not going to win. Some might call that mental illness but lets not go down that road!

In the 1997 Connacht final Mayo were poor but Sligonian is right - our lads did give them too much respect. Blast is also right - for most of that game we were worse. We only woke up near the end and realised Mayo were there for the taking and nearly caught them. That was my view anyway.

Sunday will be interesting. We have our flaws and Mayo certainly has more depth of talent in their county. However, I know our lads work well as a team. It remains to be seen if Mayo can get their players working well as a team to get the best out of them. The jury will be out on that one until about 5pm Sunday at the earliest.

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 17, 2008, 03:32:44 AM
Clarke
O'Malley Conroy Nallen
T Mort Heaney K Higgins
Parsons McGarrity
Harte Dillon Gardiner
C Mort A O'Malley A Moran

Quote from: Barney on June 17, 2008, 07:59:03 AM
RnG I don't know how you could be getting more confident with that full-back line? Liam O'Malley has been cleaned once too often for my liking and if he features he will be shown up again. God knows he made Cormac Bane look world-class on two occasions last year! Sadly Nallen is past it, the legs went three or four years ago. He is a legend, but if he is the best option there we know that there are tricky years ahead.

For what its worth I see the following team lining out (not my choice!) -

Clarke

Nallen        Conroy         Boyle (not much better than above)

Heaney     Cunnife         Higgins (Heaney and Cunnife will switch at the start)

McGarrity         Parsons

Harte       Dillon           Trevor (heard last night Dillon is a doubt)

Conor     O'Malley         Andy Moran   

I'd say it'd be closer to Barney's side. I think Trevor will start in half-forward and I don't think LO'Malley will start (where did we get his thing that Johnno likes him - I think nearly everyone would have played him last year against Galway when his form truely went). I do however think that Gardiner will start in wing back and we could see Keith in the corner at some stage before the year is out.
The side I think will be picked:

Clarke

Boyle       Conroy           Nallen 

Gardiner    Heaney         Higgins

McGarrity         Parsons

Harte       Dillon           Trevor

Conor     O'Malley         Andy Moran 

Cunniffe and Adian Higgins will be unlucky not to start. In fact I'd like to see Aidan Higgins start in the corner.

What's wrong with Dillon?

Quote from: kevmy on June 17, 2008, 10:50:56 AM
[Cunniffe and Adian Higgins will be unlucky not to start. In fact I'd like to see Aidan Higgins start in the corner.

i heard higgins was doubtful, can anyone confirm??

Jesus is there any one fit at all, the boys are going down like flies ;) anyway i'm sure they are all allright when is the official team been announced

QuoteJesus is there any one fit at all, the boys are going down like flies  anyway i'm sure they are all allright when is the official team been announced

I haven't heard anything about Higgins being injured (Aidan or Keith?), but Dillon is definitely a major doubt. He had an operation on his hip. It's mentioned in The Mayo News, so I suppose it's ok to mention it here now. Didn't want to give the Sligo boys inside info up to this  :P

The link to The Mayo News story is http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4325&Itemid=39

Losing not an option

The Fan's View
an Spailpín Fanach

THERE will be one TD on the Yes side of the house who will be serenely indifferent to this week's recriminations and repercussions over last week's ambush of the Lisbon referendum. John O'Mahony, Fine Gael TD for the County Mayo, knows that the people of Mayo can look on the ebb and flow of the geopolitical tide with a steady eye, but losing to Sligo can get a man run out of town on a rail.
When John O'Mahony returned as Mayo manager two years ago, he said that one of his objectives was to calm down the annual early summer frenzy of ambition and excitement that builds from Belmullet to Ballaghaderreen and all points in between as Championship approaches. In this at least, John O'Mahony has been an outstanding success, as there has seldom been a greater air of foreboding and unease on the eve of Mayo's first game of the Championship.
A cloak of invisibility, similar to that favoured by Fionn Mac Cumhaill himself, has enveloped the county team since their final league appearance, against Tyrone in Omagh. The exchanges then were gentle, as the sides waltzed each other around Healy Park, each with eyes firmly fixed on other partners. Since then even the rumours have dried up and no word at all, good, bad or indifferent, has emerged from the camp to get the people talking outside Mass of a Sunday, or during occasions of venial sin on the preceding Saturday night.
The situation reached its nadir when Mayo played Offaly in a challenge in Dr Hyde Park some weeks ago, a challenge about which nobody seems to know or have seen anything. Mayo turned up like a flying column, played a game that nobody seemed to know was on 24 hours before, and then disappeared back into the mist, like they were Brigadoon Sarsfields instead of one of the top eight inter-county teams in the country.
As such, it is perhaps less than surprising that the weight of pre-match discussion centres around a man who isn't on the panel at all. Part of the reputation that John O'Mahony enjoys has to do with his image as a conciliator, a man who can pour oil on troubled waters.
This year, that oil caught fire like a chip pan and left O'Mahony badly burned, as Ciarán McDonald gave an out of character interview to a national newspaper saying that he valued nothing more than wearing the green above the red, and was bitterly disappointed not to have the chance to do so this summer. It was sufficiently explosive to have John O'Mahony do an early morning interview on local radio on the day of that paper's publication saying that nothing was set in stone and the summer is long and all the rest of it, but the damage had already been done.
Now, while news of the county team remains strictly under wraps, McDonald has been like Banquo's ghost during his appearances with Crossmolina, dispatching Ballaghaderreen and Knockmore with some aplomb in recent times. It hasn't got to the stage where they play Simple Minds' 'Don't You Forget About Me' on the PA at the Crossmolina home games, but that step can't be far away now.
Looking back through the years, it seems impossible to be a hero in Mayo football without being dropped or forgotten or overlooked. And the constant turning of the world means that if Mayo do catch fire this summer, and if the coming men arrive this year, then history will very quickly swallow Ciarán McDonald, just as it has McHale and Padden and Corcoran and all the rest. But in the meantime, John O'Mahony has left himself a considerable hostage to fortune is this upsetting public falling out with Mayo's most charismatic player since Willie Joe.
When John O'Mahony was doing a radio show during John Maughan's final year in charge it was fascinating to hear the reverence in which he was held by many of the callers. It was like he was perceived as the football equivalent of the Biblical Joseph, exiled by his own tribe only to win two All-Irelands in the land of the Pharaoh.
The spurned figure of McDonald has now blown away that mystical aura, and John O'Mahony will address his team on Sunday as a man who knows D-Day has come one year sooner than he would have liked. Eamonn O'Hara and co are waiting, eager to show that their Connacht title was no fluke. It's only the first game of the Championship, but even Johnno's legendary political skills will be in extremis should the Yeats county men storm Mayo, and cause a terrible beauty to be born. 

AN Spailpín Fánach is an internet weblog that's an increasingly popular destination for Mayo fans surfing for Mayo football discussion on the World Wide Web. It can be found at http://spailpin.blogspot.com


   


     

 

Quote from: kevmy on June 17, 2008, 10:50:56 AM



I'd say it'd be closer to Barney's side. I think Trevor will start in half-forward and I don't think LO'Malley will start (where did we get his thing that Johnno likes him - I think nearly everyone would have played him last year against Galway when his form truely went). I do however think that Gardiner will start in wing back and we could see Keith in the corner at some stage before the year is out.
The side I think will be picked:

Clarke

Boyle       Conroy           Nallen 

Gardiner    Heaney         Higgins

McGarrity         Parsons

Harte       Dillon           Trevor

Conor     O'Malley         Andy Moran 

Cunniffe and Adian Higgins will be unlucky not to start. In fact I'd like to see Aidan Higgins start in the corner.

What's wrong with Dillon?

Just think O'Malley could be picked but I'm a long way away from the action so I could be off the mark. O'Mahony has always persisted with him unless he was injured.
Dillon out would be a major disaster

Was chatting a few mayomen and they were very negative about mayo and some said they wont be going to that game. Locally in North Sligo there is big demand for tickets which is unusual for my area especially at this time of year. Really hope a huge Sligo crowd goes, big lift for the players when they run out to a sea of black and white......

Interestingly a Mayoman is tipping Sligo to win in the Sligo weekender newspaper.

John Bannon from longford is down for the referee. That should ensure a fair game.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 17, 2008, 03:48:16 PM
Was chatting a few mayomen and they were very negative about mayo and some said they wont be going to that game. Locally in North Sligo there is big demand for tickets which is unusual for my area especially at this time of year. Really hope a huge Sligo crowd goes, big lift for the players when they run out to a sea of black and white......

Interestingly a Mayoman is tipping Sligo to win in the Sligo weekender newspaper.

John Bannon from longford is down for the referee. That should ensure a fair game.

I would say Mr McHale was saying that with tongue firmly in cheek!!

Clarke

Boyle, Conroy, Nallen probable full-back line

Cunniffe, Heaney, Higgins

McGarrity, Parsons (the only part of the team that has itself picked)

Harte, Moran, Trevor

Conor, Austie, Ronaldson.

That's my stab at a team picked on the basis that Dillon is injured. If he's fit enough, Andy Moran will swop with Ronaldson. Not at all happy with the full-back line I've picked but nobody is happy with that area. Heaney will probably end up at no. 6 with Cunniffe and Higgins flanking him, but seen that Cunniffe is more at home in no 6, maybe himself and Heaney might swop... Oh I don't know how we'll line up!

Sligo captain Noel McGuire has failed to recover from a dislocated elbow in time for Sunday's crunch Connacht SFC semi-final clash with Mayo.
The Easkey man did the damage in a club league game in late April and was sidelined for the Yeats County's quarter-final win over London in Ruislip last month.
Boss Tommy Jordan has opted to name an unchanged side in McGuire's absence but has tinkered with the shape of his team.
Johnny Davey has been moved from left wing-back to left half-forward after hitting two points last time out.
And Eoin McHugh, who began at full forward against the Exiles is now located in the half-back line.
To accommodate the positional switches Mark Breheny will act as target man on the edge of the square and Brendan Egan will move from the wing to centre forward for the reigning champions.

Sligo (SF v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison, P Naughton, R Donovan; P McGovern, M McNamara, E McHugh; E O'Hara, K Quinn; B Curran, B Egan, J Davey; G Gaughan, M Breheny, D Kelly.

Quote from: laoisgaa on June 17, 2008, 10:14:34 PM
Sligo captain Noel McGuire has failed to recover from a dislocated elbow in time for Sunday's crunch Connacht SFC semi-final clash with Mayo.
The Easkey man did the damage in a club league game in late April and was sidelined for the Yeats County's quarter-final win over London in Ruislip last month.
Boss Tommy Jordan has opted to name an unchanged side in McGuire's absence but has tinkered with the shape of his team.
Johnny Davey has been moved from left wing-back to left half-forward after hitting two points last time out.
And Eoin McHugh, who began at full forward against the Exiles is now located in the half-back line.
To accommodate the positional switches Mark Breheny will act as target man on the edge of the square and Brendan Egan will move from the wing to centre forward for the reigning champions.

Sligo (SF v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison, P Naughton, R Donovan; P McGovern, M McNamara, E McHugh; E O'Hara, K Quinn; B Curran, B Egan, J Davey; G Gaughan, M Breheny, D Kelly.

I dont know what your source is Laoisgaa because on sligogaa.ie and hoganstand there is no word. There is no chance of mcnamara starting CHB (if he starts at all) and mcguire is back so its sounds a bit out of date.

Whether that is the team that has been selected or not, that team will definitly not start on sunday in those positions and mcguire has a club championship game behind him and looked sharp in a challenge last week, he has to start. Im not taking that selection seriously I guess is what Im saying. Could be mind games by sligo management but there fooling no one.

I'm a journalist - where do you expect me to get team news! That came from the Sligo County Board!

Quote from: laoisgaa on June 17, 2008, 11:28:12 PM
I'm a journalist - where do you expect me to get team news! That came from the Sligo County Board!

;D

Judging by Sligoian's response to the team picked the mind games have begun in earnest :D
Tommy Jordan will be on a mission to show the Mayo county board they were wrong not to appoint him in 2006 (they weren't imho)

Interestingly Kevin McStay is of the opinion that the Mayo team is more set in stone than any other year. That it picks itself. Can't agree with him there . . .


Once more into the breach...

Kevin McStay
IF Liam Sammon and his management team travel down to Castlebar next Sunday I strongly advise them to bring thick notebooks and take copious notes on both sides.
This is a game that is likely to be played out to the bitter end and if Mayo are favourites it can only be based on the history between these sides and their respective national league form.
In a nutshell: Mayo generally beat Sligo in the championship and in the 2008 league Mayo held their place in Division 1 while Sligo slipped into Division 4.
On paper then, it looks pretty straightforward but as often noted, we have yet to see a game played at this location. The league story contains a few pointers but there is also a cold conclusion to be reached.
Sligo, the reigning provincial champions, will play no further part in this championship if they lose to Mayo on Sunday. This is possibly the greatest motivation any team in this year's championship has.
Sligo will feel slighted by this new rule and certainly feel the rest of the counties are not giving them the respect they feel they deserve as reigning provincial champions.
They are an experienced side with the majority of the winning team of last year available for selection this week. They will know that their last championship appearance versus Cork in the 2007 All Ireland quarter-final was a shambles, but was it any worse than Mayo's last effort when exiting the Qualifiers against Derry?
And so if Mayo are a nose in front at this juncture I am expecting matters to be 50-50 by throw-in time next Sunday. Yes, I expect Mayo to win in the end, but that is based on our recent history and nothing else. The rubber chicken challenge circuit that lasts from April to June told us nothing about Mayo or Sligo and the reality is the A v B game last Saturday in McHale Park was the game to be at if you wanted the inside track.
As ever, the column goes to press without the Mayo team line-out to hand but that usually adds to the fun. Picking your own team is an old favourite of the Mayo man as he dons the manager's hat, scribbles his combination and waits 'til Wednesday to see if he thinks like 'The Boss'. And if it helps to get a few more paragraphs down on the page, all the better.
Except this time the Mayo team picks itself and barring injury, there will be no surprises. My Deep Throat tells me Alan Dillon is a bit sore and will need the rest of the week to get himself right. Mort the Younger is fit and well and practising his frees in the dark of night on the main street(s) of Shrule. Alas, Trevor Howley is goosed for another few weeks but Peadar Gardiner is welcomed back. Okay, that is the health bulletin out of the way.
Selection will pose few problems for the management team once the doctor reports, so expect to see David Clarke fronted by a very young and relatively inexperienced full-back line of Liam O'Malley, Kieran Conroy and Colm Boyle. Why are we giving such a young line their head? Because that is where we are; they have proven themselves the best we have and deserve the nod.
The half-back line looks exciting and if they fire can give Mayo real impetus. I always look to a team's 5, 6 and 7 (most likely to be Tom Cunniffe, David Heaney and Keith Higgins) when wondering the value and prospects of a side in an overall sense.
It is, outside of midfield, perhaps the most important line in Gaelic football. This Mayo trio has real potential, pace and drive. All three can hold or go and the challenge is to get a balanced arrivals and departures timetable together.
Midfield will be Ronan McGarrity and Tom Parsons or Pat Harte. The Ballina man might be needed further forward or might sit matters out for a while. Again, I would expect whatever pairing is selected to easily hold their own with any other in the country, never to mind the province.
We need a fit and committed Dillon so hopefully that will pan out. Either side of him? Most likely Trevor Mortimer and Gardiner/Harte.
The full-forward line is promising. Mort at 13, Austy at full and the hard-working Andy Moran in the last slot. Plenty of good subs too and so you wonder if the 2008 Mayo team and squad can go where no other has gone in over half a century.
That is the question on all your lips. Yes, we know Sligo are next up, but deep down Mayo will feel they can edge it. And Galway, today, frighten nobody.
This is a progressive Mayo team, a well-prepared side, committed, fit and enthusiastic. They are serious about their football and want very much to be a part of a successful Mayo team. They have many talents but of course some weaknesses too. The challenge, as it has been over all those intervening years, is to stitch a strong fabric that can hide the shortcomings and accentuate the abilities.
Just now I have no idea where the 2008 team are headed. I expect you are in the same tent as me. But they are a Top 10 team and a win next Sunday puts them into the last 12.
We are the last into the championship field and we know all the runners and riders at this stage. But it will take at least two games over the next few weeks before any Mayo man will know the story about the latest crop of fine men to leave the Sweet Plains.
And really, that is where we are. Hovering, wondering, hoping, trying, maybe even praying. Believing?

Galway leave room for more improvement
CONNACHT and Munster continue to follow the script and even if Cork stumbled over the line and fell into a Munster final, the bottom line remains: it's as you were in Munster and Kerry will match up with the Rebels in a few weeks time.
Galway tip-toed into the western final and will expect to see Mayo follow in their footsteps next Sunday. Be afraid my friends, be very afraid. Believe it only when you see it on Sunday.
Galway are still a work in progress. And will be for a few months yet. They are searching desperately for their best 15 but it is real fire brigade stuff. They put a fire out here but sparks fly there. Midfield gets a band-aid but the full-back line needs oxygen. One step forward. Two steps back?
If this game was played in Carrick-on-Shannon, Leitrim might well have won. As it was, they had their moments. Twenty-five minutes of Padraic Joyce class was enough, just, to see the Galway men into the final. When it came to Man-of-the-Match time, there was only a single Tribesman on the short-list. It underlined the poverty of the performance.
Will this be just the type of game Galway will want to launch themselves on final day? You know the old rubbish of everybody writing us off and the bad play against Leitrim gave us the perfect build-up.
That's just old guff; every team wants to prove their form and the best way is to play to the standards you set in training. Galway got nowhere close and will need to show significant improvement when facing Mayo. Or Sligo...

Bit cliched but Conor talks a lot of sense. I'm beginning to get a bit more optimistic - very hard for me to talk about the team, especially the defence having never seen the likes of Conroy play but I'd hope that Harte starts the game, too good of a footballer to be on the bench in my, rather biased opinion.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=sport-qqqm=sport-qqqa=sport-qqqid=65289-qqqx=1.asp (http://www.irishexaminer.com/irishexaminer/pages/story.aspx-qqqg=sport-qqqm=sport-qqqa=sport-qqqid=65289-qqqx=1.asp)

Good interview with the Mort, could be maturing a wee bit. Had to laugh at him calling O'Mahony 'the gaffer' towards the end though!! Doubt he calls JOM that personally.

Alan Dillon's interview in the Mayo News is refreshing and very mature. At 25 these two are the longest established forwards we have and the lack of McDonald's presence I think will bring out the best in these two. They'll have to take on the responsibility now themselves.

http://www.mayonews.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4323&Itemid=39

I reckon a draw would be the best thing for Mayo on Sunday. That extra game would mean they are up to speed with most other teams. We know that Sligo are going to come out all guns blazing because their championship depends on this game. All that training over the winter boils down to 70 minutes on Sunday and these lads won't be taken lightly.

I'm looking forward to it anyway. Hopefully the Mayo team will be named today.

Jesus Sligonian while I wouldn't be one to place much store in 'mind-games' in respect of team lineups, if there was an advantage to be gained from it you've just obliterated it for us on Sunday.

Sometimes it's more prudent to observe and say nothing.

Quote from: laoisgaa on June 17, 2008, 11:28:12 PM
I'm a journalist - where do you expect me to get team news! That came from the Sligo County Board!

That team and article are on the Irish Independent now. Don't believe for a second that this team will lineout on Sunday but its the team that is been released to the media.

Quote from: baoithe on June 18, 2008, 08:59:05 AM
Jesus Sligonian while I wouldn't be one to place much store in 'mind-games' in respect of team lineups, if there was an advantage to be gained from it you've just obliterated it for us on Sunday.

Sometimes it's more prudent to observe and say nothing.

Point taken, but JOM will hardly be looking on here, and take my word over what Jordan has released to the media. Really managers or selectors dont be checking this forum, do they?

Worst thing about that team is Sligo people might believe it and not go especially when they see mcnamara CHB. That decision would defo ensure a loss to mayo and Jordan can have his bags packed if he follows through with that team but he wont.

That was my main reason to obliterate it for the fans benefit who might believe and be pretty pissed off. There are currently 73 sligofans on sligogaa.ie and im sure there disgusted with the team selection, now i have to tell my dad who will be raging at first then realise its not going to happen.

PS sorry laoisgaa, didnt know and when I checked other sources it wasnt up. Thanks.

You'd be suprised Sligonian who reads this forum.

Is it tonight or tomorrow for JOM to put his ducks in a row.

Tonight afaik

Mayo dealt Dillon blow as champs Sligo lie low

THEIR centre-back already ruled out, Mayo have suffered a further injury blow ahead of next Sunday's Connacht Championship semi-final clash with Sligo, as former All Star Alan Dillon has been rated as extremely doubtful for the McHale Park encounter.

The centre-forward has not been able to train since Ballintubber's club championship victory over Moy Davitts last Sunday week, an injury sustained during that game requiring fluid to be drained from the player's hip the day after.

Manager John O'Mahony already has to contend without the services of Trevor Howley, with former captain David Heaney expected to fill the no.6 position in the Knockmore man's absence.

The news on Conor Mortimer is more positive and while O'Mahony concedes that Dillon's injury is a major worry, he expects the former, recovered from a thigh strain, to be fit to fill a corner-forward berth. Mortimer's Shrule-Glencorrib club-mate, Kieran Conroy, has also shaken off the effects of dead leg and is in pole position to make his championship debut, at full-back.

Mayo are the last team in the country to make their entry into the championship, a very different scenario from last season, but O'Mahony isn't complaining.

"Last year it was very rushed, we played Galway something like three weeks after the League final, it's the opposite end of the spectrum this year. Maybe the gap is a little bit too long this year, but you can't have it every way. The players have played an awful lot of football in the meantime, eight league games for their clubs along with two championship games, and we had our training camp (in Portugal) which was important, especially since the clubs had the players for the two weeks either side of that," he added before turning his attention to Sunday's date with destiny.

"The first round of the championship is always a lottery in many aspects, as we've seen from some of the results around the country already, and the only way you really prepare for championship is by playing championship and Sligo have had a game, albeit against London, but still it's a championship game, to get into that atmosphere which is important. We won't have had that until next Sunday. "I've every confidence in the panel, they've trained hard, they've worked hard, they've been committed and I'd be confident that they'll give a good performance and that's all you can ask of any team and that's the only thing you need to put you in with a chance," O'Mahony explained.

According to the bookies, Sligo come to McHale Park next Sunday as underdogs, but O'Mahony is well aware of the challenge they will pose the home side.

"I'd have huge respect for Sligo in the sense that they know now that they can do it and they did it the hard way last year, playing away to Roscommon and then beating the hot favourites Galway. There's nothing like having done something to know that you can do it again.

"The reality in Connacht over the years is that no matter how many times Leitrim and Sligo might win, there'll never be as much weight of expectation on them compared to Mayo, Galway and up until recent years, Roscommon. That's a thing you have to live with.

"That Sligo had an indifferent league campaign really is of no relevance because league and championship matches are totally different and in many respects Sligo have left that long behind them. They hammered Wexford in a challenge game recently and Wexford went on to beat Meath in Leinster, and Sligo also ran Dublin to a couple of points, so they have been going quite well. The setting is right for Sligo, but we just have to concentrate on ourselves and that's what we're doing. We certainly can't say that we haven't been warned that this is going to be a dogfight and that's what we're prepared for," he maintained.

Above article from WESTERN PEOPLE, I hope mannix and few others take note on what JOM says about league and championship ;).

Also on Mcstay article it says HISTORY is the main reason he thinks Mayo will win ::). Absolute jibberish. The past is gone. Its all on the day.

Another article from western people. Judging by what they say about Sligo the havent a clue what there talking about. It just goes to show a name can live on one good game for a long time in the case of mcnamara..........well at least they know mcguire is back.

Mayo v Sligo verdict

Still, Howley's absence causes uncertainty as to the exact makeup of the defence to stand in front of goalkeeper David Clarke. It could allow a place to be found for the fit again Liam O'Malley who lost his corner-back berth towards the end of the NFL but who, in recent games with Burrishoole at least, seems to have regained his best form. However, will it be David Heaney who moves from the wing to no.6 or could league corner-back Tom Cunniffe transfer to the position he has made his own at U-21, University and Minor grades over the past four seasons? Most money rests on the former. Billy Joe Padden is also operating at full throttle again, but with rookie, Kieran Conroy, mildly impressing in the full-back position that injury forced Padden to vacate earlier this year, it's hard to see where in the team the Belmullet man could be accommodated next Sunday.

So, with Heaney, Cunniffe, Conroy, Keith Higgins and perhaps Liam O'Malley as certain as they could be of their defensive jerseys, another question that remains is will management opt for the youth of Colm Boyle, the proven reliability of Trevor Mortimer or Peadar Gardiner, or even the experience of Pat Kelly to fill any remaining void in the backs?

The Mortimer/Gardiner option may depend on how O'Mahony prefers to shape his forward division. Both proved effective rovers during the league and either or both would be competent in wing-forward berths either side of Alan Dillon, if fit, or Pat Harte. It would be a major surprise to see anyone other than Conor Mortimer, Austin O'Malley and Andy Moran selected in the full-forward line, especially having hardly missed any competitive game-time playing alongside each other this year, and by holding down a midfield position towards the end of the league, Tom Parsons remains ahead of Seamus O'Shea as the most likely partner of team-captain Ronan McGarrity.

Across the border, the big boost Sligo were hoping for has materialised with their captain, Noel McGuire, declaring himself available for selection. The Easkey man dislocated an elbow on club duty last month but played a full part in his side's outing in the Sligo SFC the weekend before last. Operating as a makeshift midfielder for some of the NFL, McGuire's potential return offers the Sligo team the prospect of having its full-back line, that earned so many plaudits last year, restored in its entirety, with Charlie Harrison and Ross Donovan occupying the corners. The halfback line is just as settled with the inspirational Michael McNamara ::), Connacht GAA Personality of the Year, flanked by Johnny Davey and Paul McGovern, McNamara forming the rear of a formidable central diamond that features midfielders Eamonn O'Hara and Kieran Quinn, and centre-forward scoring dynamo Mark Breheny. The return to duty of Brendan Egan has bolstered the attack but in the absence of past and present forwards like Sean Davey, Dessie Sloyan, Paul Taylor, John McPartland and Gerry McGowan, Sligo's front six appears far less threatening than in it did earlier this decade. It's that factor - regardless of manager Tommy Jordan's in depth knowledge of Mayo football - that might cause the champions to fall short next Sunday.

VERDICT: MAYO

Hope Dillon plays as we have tried no one (bar Mac) there for years and I wouldn't like throwing someone in now.

Having said that Alan didn't have the best league campaign and if an experienced player (Trevor?) is put in there we might find something a bit different.

I wouldn't like to mess with the FF line as it is and the half back line were the only consistently good performers all through the league. If Dillon is out I'd put Trevor CF with Harte and Gardiner on the wings

From SLIGOGAA.ie
Seanie is karl o neill injured, he was togged out against ros last week but didnt get on? Interesting fact about curry not being represented at all.

Baoithe is michael mcgowan from your club any good?

Sligo boss Tommy Jordan has named the same starting XV that overcame London for the reigning Connacht champions semi-final clash with Mayo at Castlebar on Sunday.

The Yeats County captain, Noel McGuire, has failed to recover from a dislocated elbow he suffered in a club game for Easkey at the end of April ::).

Despite naming the same team, Jordan has altered the position of his troops slightly with Jonathan Davey moving from left-half back to left-half forward and Eoin McHugh lining out in the half-back line after playing at full-forward in the match at Ruislip ::).

Subsequently, Mark Breheny will wear the the number 14 jersey and will act as Sligo's chief target man while Brendan Egan will operate at centre-forward.

Sligo (SF v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison, P Naughton, R Donovan; P McGovern, M McNamara, E McHugh; E O'Hara, K Quinn; B Curran, B Egan, J Davey; G Gaughan, M Breheny, D Kelly.

Three newcomers to Sunday's Squad are Michael McGowan, St Farnan's, Gerry McGowan, Tourlestrane and Kevin Byrne Geevagh  who were not included on the London Squad

Those who were on the London Squad but are not available on Sunday are Sean Davey, Curry, Sean Flannery, Drumcliffe/Rosses Point and Karl O'Neill ,Coolera / Strandhill

With Sean Davey not included in Sunday's squad this is the first time for over 47 years that the Curry GAA Club failed to have a representative on a Sligo Senior GAA Championship Panel.

Fair play Sligonian. If O'Mahony doesn't know that Noel McGuire is fit to play, he does now. I'm sure he'll buy ya a pint next time he sees ya ;)

i'd say john o' has enough injury worries with mayo without worrying about Sligo's as well, i hope that Dillon is fit to play otherwise i don't know who will be the link man between midfield and the fullforward line as kevmy said he might play trevor there but he would be a totally different type of player . 

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 01:51:36 PM
From SLIGOGAA.ie

Baoithe is michael mcgowan from your club any good?

I think I've said it before in the Local Gaa Discussion that Michael McGowan has the ability to play intercounty football and indeed played centre back for the U-21's this year. However he is a wee bit inconsistent and although a strong young fella a year in the gym would bring him on no end. Ultimately I would feel that it will be his attitude that will dictate whether he'll make it at this level. He's got bags of ability though.

What's the story with Sean Davey?

QuoteAlso on Mcstay article it says HISTORY is the main reason he thinks Mayo will win . Absolute jibberish. The past is gone. Its all on the day.

not so im afraid. are you telling me there was any other reason cork beat limerick last week?.
There is no logical reason other than complacency why mayo should even comtemplate losing to sligo on sunday.
arguments such as they have to be better than there were in the league or sligo always play well wearing black ect  ares not logical ones.
Mayo by 7 to 10 points

QuoteSeanie is karl o neill injured, he was togged out against ros last week but didnt get on? Interesting fact about curry not being represented at all.

Karol played centre back for the club last Saturday night. He seemed fine. Still a mystery why he hasn't got a chance but at this stage he's probably better off out of the panel.

Sad to see the Curry situation. They are a fine club. I'll leave it at that.

Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Fair points teeling gael, the only way cork could happen again isnt anything to do with our forward line IMO and more to do with the midfield battle, if midfield get taken to the cleaners then supply will stop, interestingly against ros last week ros dominated midfield for long spells yet our forwards were prolific when they got ball. If we get supply into them they will do damage. On my team id ideally have j davey in the HF line as he wouldnt be making runs with his back to goal, and Jordan will hopefully stick to that selection of him in HFs. I know gaughan, kelly and j davey can win 50/50 ball going in IMO so arent as dependant on quality supply going in as people think, we all know huffing it in high wont work. I just personnally think that forward line is a million miles better than last yrs. Gaughan and J Davey are well able to rack up a few scores too, and are a goal threat like kelly. All 3 get fouled alot aswell because of there pace. Dont be suprised if Sligo score a goal or two. I understand alot of sligofans caution on the forwards in a way but we will all be the wiser after sunday.

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 03:33:37 PM

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

Quote from: rosnarun on June 18, 2008, 02:34:59 PM

QuoteAlso on Mcstay article it says HISTORY is the main reason he thinks Mayo will win . Absolute jibberish. The past is gone. Its all on the day.

not so im afraid. are you telling me there was any other reason cork beat limerick last week?.
There is no logical reason other than complacency why mayo should even comtemplate losing to sligo on sunday.
arguments such as they have to be better than there were in the league or sligo always play well wearing black ect  ares not logical ones.
Mayo by 7 to 10 points

That's it. It's in the bag for Sligo now. ;D

I wouldn't be 7 to 10 points confident but I would say rosnarun has a point about history having an impact.

People went on about how Sligo revelled in the qualifiers because they were out of Connacht, sure whats that but history. I bet you if you go back along the line the amount of one point wins for Mayo or Galway over Sligo and Leitrim is a lot more than the other way around. Same down in Munster with Cork and Kerry.

History makes a difference because it effects belief. Mayo and Galway believe they can beat everyone else in Connacht which means Sligo and Leitrim have to be better than us to win because if they are only as good as us chances are we will win

Quote from: kevmy on June 18, 2008, 04:02:17 PM
I wouldn't be 7 to 10 points confident but I would say rosnarun has a point about history having an impact.

People went on about how Sligo revelled in the qualifiers because they were out of Connacht, sure whats that but history. I bet you if you go back along the line the amount of one point wins for Mayo or Galway over Sligo and Leitrim is a lot more than the other way around. Same down in Munster with Cork and Kerry.

History makes a difference because it effects belief. Mayo and Galway believe they can beat everyone else in Connacht which means Sligo and Leitrim have to be better than us to win because if they are only as good as us chances are we will win

Well maybe a couple of yrs ago that might hold water with sligofans (as i pointed out on previous post) and players buying into the past. With this current crop of players as ive pointed out theyve broken all kinds of hoodoos so therefore is it unreasonable of me to suggest that the mental side of things MAYO WILL HAVE NO ADVANTAGE sunday over us on that.

There is no weight of history going into the game, there is no pyschological baggage either from a Sligo view simple as that. Dress up the importance of the past anyway yee want, it is impossible to go back there and in reality all that exists is here and now, unless yee invented a time machine in mayo ::).

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 03:44:19 PM
Fair points teeling gael, the only way cork could happen again isnt anything to do with our forward line IMO and more to do with the midfield battle, if midfield get taken to the cleaners then supply will stop, interestingly against ros last week ros dominated midfield for long spells yet our forwards were prolific when they got ball. If we get supply into them they will do damage. On my team id ideally have j davey in the HF line as he wouldnt be making runs with his back to goal, and Jordan will hopefully stick to that selection of him in HFs. I know gaughan, kelly and j davey can win 50/50 ball going in IMO so arent as dependant on quality supply going in as people think, we all know huffing it in high wont work. I just personnally think that forward line is a million miles better than last yrs. Gaughan and J Davey are well able to rack up a few scores too, and are a goal threat like kelly. All 3 get fouled alot aswell because of there pace. Dont be suprised if Sligo score a goal or two. I understand alot of sligofans caution on the forwards in a way but we will all be the wiser after sunday.

As you know already Sligonian i disagree strongly with your forward selection. Firstly beacuse of their lack of size and because of their lack of scoring power. The few times i have seen Gaughan play for the club he is a very direct runner and is more likely to score a goal than a point. I don't think i have ever seen him score a 'round the corner point'-its always running directly at goal and shooting on the run.Kelly just doesn't have strength to take on his man and score as you saw against Cork and Davey while excellent at running at defenders from wing back is not natural with his back to goal.
Brehony will need to have an absolute stormer from play abd frees to win with that forward line.

Why has no started a Galway- Sligo Connacht Final thread??
We're such pessimists.............................

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 03:45:19 PM

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 03:33:37 PM

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

They dont have forwards to kick more than 10 points thats why

Lack of big men is a worry but sure who is there? Davey is shit in FF, Flannery too. Maybe Johnny Mac! But who else in the wntire county is there? I think this is why alot of teams play the FF out as a third midlfielder! Cos not only does the inside men work, but they have no Traditional FF to play there!

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 04:35:23 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 03:45:19 PM

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 03:33:37 PM

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

They dont have forwards to kick more than 10 points thats why

(http://upit.section31.us/uploads/jackson4.gif)

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on June 18, 2008, 04:47:04 PM

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 04:35:23 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 03:45:19 PM

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 03:33:37 PM

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

They dont have forwards to kick more than 10 points thats why

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:D :D :D  LMAO Galway Bay Boy

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 18, 2008, 04:55:58 PM

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on June 18, 2008, 04:47:04 PM

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 04:35:23 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 03:45:19 PM

Quote from: Davitt Man on June 18, 2008, 03:33:37 PM

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 18, 2008, 03:10:11 PM
Talk that discussion on this forum is letting teams tactics and plans out of the bag is in my view fanciful. Mayo have watched Sligo throughout the league , in London and in its challenge games ( not to mention the numerous mayo men involved in club football in Sligo) to know for example that MC Namara wont play centre back and that Egan will. Jordan in his wisdom felt it was necessary to name a dummy team against London so no surprise that he has done it again here. The question is whether its just positional switches or will there be personell switches. Obviously most speculation in Sligo revolves around Maguire. He did play a full club championship game 10 days ago but in a challenge game that you would think was readymade for him to help his match fitness against Roscommon he only played a 1/2 so he may very well not be fit.

Interesting debate between Mano and Sligonian on the makup of our forwardline. Mano sees Cork happening again and bemoans the lack of big men to win their own ball. Sligonian feels that speed is the key and that with our possession game we can run around Mayo. By the team selected , the management have gone for an extremely fast but possibly the lighest intercounty forwardline in the championship. This may be a pragmatic decision due to lack of big men in Sligo panel but if Mayos backs have the pace to stay with Sligo forwards then we will be in trouble. Dont like the notion of Johnie Dvaey with his back to goals and feel he would be better further out the field. Talk here of Nallen playing left corner back effectively marking D Kelly will not happen and personally expect K Higgins to mark Kelly. Dont expect much to be in it and for Sligo to win , the pace in our forward line need to be turned into scores and K Quinn need a big game in midfield to negate R Mc Garritty.

Sligo cannot kick more than 10 points and that score will not be enough to beat Mayo

Davitt man explain to me why sligo cannot score more than 10pts?

They dont have forwards to kick more than 10 points thats why

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:D :D :D  LMAO Galway Bay Boy

We will see who gets the last laugh starting this sunday ;).

Quote from: Sligoper on June 18, 2008, 04:46:07 PM
Lack of big men is a worry but sure who is there? Davey is shit in FF, Flannery too. Maybe Johnny Mac! But who else in the wntire county is there? I think this is why alot of teams play the FF out as a third midlfielder! Cos not only does the inside men work, but they have no Traditional FF to play there!

Well there is Sweeney and McPartland-both can score. Although Sweeney only seems to perform coming off the bench ::)

Quote from: Mano on June 18, 2008, 05:01:08 PM

Quote from: Sligoper on June 18, 2008, 04:46:07 PM
Lack of big men is a worry but sure who is there? Davey is shit in FF, Flannery too. Maybe Johnny Mac! But who else in the wntire county is there? I think this is why alot of teams play the FF out as a third midlfielder! Cos not only does the inside men work, but they have no Traditional FF to play there!

Well there is Sweeney and McPartland-both can score. Although Sweeney only seems to perform coming off the bench ::)

I think you might of missed this post mano on page 17 (read below), id have mcpartland starting, and j davey coming from deep in HF line thus not having his back to goal... sweeney is a sub option alright but that goes without saying. Sligoper is right IMO we dont have a target man FF but mcpartland can add strength to keep the balance right between pace and strength. Remember I dont pick the team, if i did we'd definitly be in safe hands :D.

My team to start would be

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan naughton ohara quinn curran brehony j davey gaughan mcpartland kelly


The team i think Jordan will start

Greene donovan mcguire harrison mcgovern egan mchugh ohara quinn curran brehony gaughan j davey mcnamara/naughton kelly

Actually think John Mac is most definitely a half forward as well. I dont think he has the skillsets to play as a target man full forward at inter county football. He may line out on occasions in the full forward line but he roams around out the field.

At times I think Sweeney is much maligned. He plays for Geevagh as a half forward and all his inter county underage experience is as a half forward. He should only be judged at this level when he gets a run as a half forward.

Think the problem in Sligo is that the only natural players who play in the full foward line of anything near intercounty class are Flannery and Mc Gowan who both struggle at championship level. Stephen Coen has the potential to play senior intercounty football in the full forward line. Even D Kelly is probably a better half forward. If Mcnamara had played Gaelic constantly for the last 7 years as a full forward , he had the ability to be good enough but at this stage hasnt the skillsets either. Through no fault of his own , Eamomn O Hara took all the national limelight from as equally important player for Sligo in the 2001/02 team in Dessie Sloyane who no one has even came close to replacing in recent years on the Sligo team. Dessie would have greatly helped this Sligo team to be competitive at 1/4 final stage of All Ireland championship.

Therein lies the problem. Because of the lack of naturall full forwards , Sligo are playing a game based on 4/5 half forwards running with the ball. Agree with Sligonian in that Gaughan and Davey do provide a bigger threat than last year but in my opinion this gameplan is forced upon Sligo by virtue of the personel available rather than a tactical choice.

Mayo team...no Dillon...

1. David Clarke
2. Colm Boyle
3. Kieran Conroy
4. Keith Higgins
5. Tom Cunniffe
6. David Heaney
7. James Nallen
8. Ronan McGarrity
9. Tom Parsons
10. Peadar Gardiner
11. Pat Harte
12. Trevor Mortimer
13. Conor Mortimer
14. Austin O'Malley
15. Andy Moran

Something just struck me as I type that team. Gardiner V McDonald as a number 10, there really is no contest when you think about it!

No major surprises, but a couple of minor ones!

I didn't think I'd see Nallen start a game in the half-backs again, but there he is and fair play to him - most had him written off and he's back starting his 13th championship is it?
Shame to see Keith Higgins going back in the corner. I thought Aidan Higgins might get that spot, which would allow Keith to stay in half backs.

Apart from that, rest of the team is pretty much as expected, with Harte at CHF in Dillon's absence. I think he'll do well there. I'd be reasonably confident with that team.
Mayo by 4  ;)

no BJP to start ....

Nallen in the corner with Keith going to wing back? Heaney at number 6 with an eye on Galway and PJ?

Quote from: mayoman dan on June 19, 2008, 12:07:11 AM
Nallen in the corner with Keith going to wing back? Heaney at number 6 with an eye on Galway and PJ?

I thought about that too MD but one of the Sligo lads makes a good point about David Kelly's pace. That's probably the biggest reason Keith Higgins is back there and Nallen in the half-back line.
Still worried about Conroy, worried about the fact that that half-back line has very little experience AS A UNIT and the same can be said for the half-forward line.
Harte and Trevor Mort and Gardiner could take off and have blinders. Time will tell

Sligonian - you're posts remind me somewhat of a lot of Armagh posters in the aftermath of when they first won Sam ... in this case perceiving Sligo to be thee number 1 team in Connacht becuase the Connacht championship only commenced last year. More power to you in thinking that ! but there is lot of stuff in your posts that has me smirking to myself for a variety of different reasons. Like the one below i just read before posting this:

QuoteI know gaughan, kelly and j davey can win 50/50 ball going in IMO so arent as dependant on quality supply going in as people think, we all know huffing it in high wont work

Like which is it ? Winning 50:50 ball suggests they should win half of any high ball going into them

Or this:

QuoteWith this current crop of players as ive pointed out theyve broken all kinds of hoodoos so therefore is it unreasonable of me to suggest that the mental side of things MAYO WILL HAVE NO ADVANTAGE sunday over us on that.

I can almost hear the noise of you beating you chest in shouting that. Anyway, I can name 2 hoodoos - winning a Connacht title obviously, but i guess getting relegated to Division 4 could be considered as another type of hoodoo / 'achievement' and thus only having 1 crack in the championship

QuoteWell with all due respect, if the build up is quite anywhere its Sligo....waiting in the long grasss for its prey . Look at this board we arent giving away too much either  .

The one above from a week ago  ..... by jaysus a lot seems to have changed in the last week !!

QuoteSo when I say sligo will be better in CSFC than league is that not a fair asumption based on the fact that most of our players especially along the wings and forwards mainly would excell more in better conditions.

And this one .....  ahhhhh, how do i put this? Lets just say, i too prefer playing on hard fast pitches but wouldn't fancy my changes if i came up against Keith Higgins  cos hes like grease lightning regardless of the conditions, i.e.: you are only considering 1 variable in your conlcusion that Sligo are a better team in summer than winter. There are a least a dozen other variables that would need to be considered before that conclusion could be reached.


Anyway, enough. I'm gone too cynical

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 01:22:40 PM
Also on Mcstay article it says HISTORY is the main reason he thinks Mayo will win ::). Absolute jibberish. The past is gone. Its all on the day.

As Kevin Heffernan famously said to Robbie Kelleher  - " History, do you understand it now?"

I think the team is along expected lines but shows how we have fallen in the past 2 years. Now changes were needed, and a team needed to be rebuilt but have we really embraced the future? I personally feel that in 2 years teh management have not made one change to the starting line-up that you can say - yes, that is a positive move, a good solution. In fact in every line we look an average team.

James Nallen is a legend - but has taken many runnings-around over the past few years. Howley is a huge loss.

The half-forward line offers plenty of hard work but where are the scores coming from? Dillon is a massive blow. A lot of responsibility now in the hands of Austin O'M and that worries me.

We're up against it on Sunady I think.

QuoteI think the team is along expected lines but shows how we have fallen in the past 2 years. Now changes were needed, and a team needed to be rebuilt but have we really embraced the future? I personally feel that in 2 years teh management have not made one change to the starting line-up that you can say - yes, that is a positive move, a good solution. In fact in every line we look an average team.

James Nallen is a legend - but has taken many runnings-around over the past few years. Howley is a huge loss.

The half-forward line offers plenty of hard work but where are the scores coming from? Dillon is a massive blow. A lot of responsibility now in the hands of Austin O'M and that worries me.

We're up against it on Sunady I think.

I'd agree about the half forwards Barney - Dillon is a big loss there. Gardiner is a converted wing-back and let's be honest, his kicking is poor. Harte has played as much at midfield as he has in the half-forwards for Mayo, but should still come up with a couple of scores. Trevor seems be in great form and I'd expect a big game from him. However, I think it will be more as a link man to the FF line and winning breaks around the middle. He's never been a heavy scorer.

But I also think you're being a bit overly pessimistic Barney.

QuoteI personally feel that in 2 years teh management have not made one change to the starting line-up that you can say - yes, that is a positive move, a good solution.

Would you not consider the emergence of Tom Parsons and Seamus O'Shea as long term midfield prospects as a major plus considering Brady is now gone and we couldn't see where the next midfielder was coming from.
We also have Trevor Howley/Tom Cuniffe for CHB to replace Nallen.
The full back line is still a problem, but at least things are being tried, and he's not just resorting to sticking David Heaney in there.

QuoteWould you not consider the emergence of Tom Parsons and Seamus O'Shea as long term midfield prospects as a major plus considering Brady is now gone and we couldn't see where the next midfielder was coming from.
We also have Trevor Howley/Tom Cuniffe for CHB to replace Nallen.
The full back line is still a problem, but at least things are being tried, and he's not just resorting to sticking David Heaney in there.

I agree things are being tried - but the young talent was there.

There is no solution yet, or even a hint to many of our problems. If you consider the management have had 3 championship teams in 2 years, look at the line-ups there is no consistency to them. I think the only constant is Mort Junior and Moran in the FF line.

without doing a 'sligonian' on it I would expect a couple fo subtle changes to that team on the day, but as Forrest Gump once said 'that's all I'm gonna say about that'. Unfortunately I do think that half forward line will start and that line is jumping out at me. There isn't one iota of guile there, yes three good ball winning athletes, but when you take Dillon out of it there isn't a natural link man. This could prove a major problem on Sunday in terms of supplying a pretty decent full forward line. We should still have enough about us but Dillon, while not having a great league, is a big loss as I feel he was growing into that role.

Clarke
Cuniffe
Heaney
Boyle
Gardiner
T.Mort
K.Higgins
Harte
McGarrity
Dillion
Parsons
A.O'Malley
A.Moran
B.Moran / O'Shea
Kilcoyne / C.Mort (if fit)

Mayo team...no Dillon...

1. David Clarke
2. Colm Boyle
3. Kieran Conroy
4. Keith Higgins
5. Tom Cunniffe
6. David Heaney
7. James Nallen
8. Ronan McGarrity
9. Tom Parsons
10. Peadar Gardiner
11. Pat Harte
12. Trevor Mortimer
13. Conor Mortimer
14. Austin O'Malley
15. Andy Moran

Well I got all bar 2 personnel right and Dillion is injured.  Nallen is may have been better served as a sub to inspire the 'younger' players. I for one don't believe this is the team (in those positions) that will start.

I agree with Barney's comments that we are up against it on Sunday with this line out ... home advantage may just make the difference. Bit depressing when a chance could have been given to Seamus O'Shea, B.Moran, Ronaldson, Kilcoyne, etc.. but its a 20 man game these days and i'm sure the bench will be fully used.

However in saying this maybe JOM will add some tactic that we havn't implemented before? Tactics could be the only step forward we need and this could be a team chosen specifically for this game? After all its a given that we are a county with 8/10 natural players one exceptional one and the rest are workhorses. Its getting the best out of the workhorses and using the natural players correctly thats key.

Is JOM going to try and crowd the midfield? He will probably play Gardiner as an extra defensive man behind the midfield and Harte as a 3rd midfielder giving space to the 3 up front, there it is I've convinced myself, a 10 point win and a good run out with the full bench getting utilized.

My only concern is the lack of pace in our HB line.

Barney would you not think this is the strongest we have been up the middle is a long time?


1- Clarke, 3 - Conroy, 6 - Heaney, 8 - MacG, 9 - Parsons, 11 - Harte - 14 O'Malley

Only change IMO would be

              3 - Heaney, 6- T.Mort                                   

Quote from: highorlow on June 19, 2008, 09:34:50 AM
Barney would you not think this is the strongest we have been up the middle is a long time?


1- Clarke, 3 - Conroy, 6 - Heaney, 8 - MacG, 9 - Parsons, 11 - Harte - 14 O'Malley

Only change IMO would be

              3 - Heaney, 6- T.Mort                                   

no i wouldn't for one. clarke is in foor omalleys injury ,Are conroy or parsons are ready for championship football yet? AOM is no good and harte is an honest trier at best.. heaney has the class but father time is banging on his door and will want access very soon. we should get away with it sunday but tougher battles lie ahead

"no i wouldn't for one. clarke is in foor omalleys injury ,Are conroy or parsons are ready for championship football yet? AOM is no good and harte is an honest trier at best.. heaney has the class but father time is banging on his door and will want access very soon. we should get away with it sunday but tougher battles lie ahead"



Erra you have completely contradicted yourself there ros.... Heaney is too old and Parsons and Conroy are young ?? ,,, what do you want 15 players at the peak age of 25?

AOM is no good? I'll let you get back to me on that on Monday, hope he gets the RTE crystal despite you.

Post your alternative 'up the middle' selection up rather than critism for the sake of it, which is what you are at!

to all those slating AOM- jesus what has the man to do for ye, by far our best player in the league, always bags his fair share of points, kicks off both feet, and is the only player in the panel who always has a blinder v kerry no other player in the panel can say that- to be honest the first name on the team sheet for JOM would be mc garitty at midfield and Austin at full forward- i honestly think there is an all star in austin- he has answered all questions asked and is polaying some great ball. and no im not a louisburgh man i jus appreciate quality- his display v kerry 05 all ireland quarter final and v kerry in the league this year were possibly two of the best performances i have ever seen someone put in in a mayo shirt and when you consider the opposition it makes it even better, the man almost has copyright on the man of the match in mayo v kerry games

Quote from: StoneWall on June 18, 2008, 10:00:34 PM
Mayo team...no Dillon...

1. David Clarke
2. Colm Boyle
3. Kieran Conroy
4. Keith Higgins
5. Tom Cunniffe
6. David Heaney
7. James Nallen
8. Ronan McGarrity
9. Tom Parsons
10. Peadar Gardiner
11. Pat Harte
12. Trevor Mortimer
13. Conor Mortimer
14. Austin O'Malley
15. Andy Moran

Surprised to See James start its now over 12 months see his last competetive game for mayo he is playing well for Crossmolina at the moment but i just hope he has the legs for intercounty championship football i would have preferred to see him brought on as a sub. The full forward line is our most settled line since the start of the year however the problem now with Dillon out is getting quality ball in to them  don't see where the scores will come from outside the full forward line none of the half forwards listed are natural scorers actually one is a back .

Seeing that Sligoian is so confident how about placing a wee wager on the outcome. Because of your confidence (and the fact that ye are reigning champs and ye will have the hard ground and faster players and banished the past and the players have great self belief) i would expect you to give me decent odds of 6/4 or maybe even 2/1 for mayo. How would you feel about 100 yoyos?

Austin is indeed a good man in that line, strenght and accuracy, he is like a bull but has a fine eye for the scores too, not many like him in Mayo.
Give him some room and let him do his best and we will all be happy.

Agree with Barney somewhat - team reflects where we are now. But I would have to disagree that the management have missed opportunities - I honestly believe we have not had the quality players coming through, so their hands are tied somewhat. Yes we have had the like of Parsons, Cunniffe, Howley, B Moran, Kilcoyne coming through, but are they not good players coming through with good potential? Like O'shea is a prospect alright but he is miles away yet from Senior inter-county championship being realistic. We have a lot of players at the same level, but we rarely bring through exceptional talent (and when we do it is often flawed!!). Honestly who would ye have come up with better than Conroy at FB? I think he is the best of whet we have tried other than Heaney. Who would ye have up front support Mort with scores other than O'Malley? Kilcoyne? Ronaldson? I have even heard some call for Marty McNicholas.

I think that is the best team Mayo could possibly possibly put out (Dillon, Howley excepted). On first glance, a lott of miss-fits in positions, however on reflection, maybe we are turning into a more honest grafting team which may not be a bad thing. A central 8 of Cunniffe, Heaney, Nallen, McGarrity, Parsons, Gardiner, Harte, T Mortimer - have we put out such a physical / hard working set since the days of TJ / WJ?

pointing out some one may be too old and other maybe too young is not at all contradicorial. i see huge  potential in Parsons but im not convinced he is quiet ready yet thats all. and god bless david heaney i would not hear a bad word against him but his time will pass he has so many miles on the clock.
And while austin may get away with sunday ill be taking bets hell be found out yet again before the end of summer.
I was responding to a suggestion we were exceptionally strong down the middle and i disagreed. we have a lot to prove there our strenghts lie in higgins gardiner the mortimers andy moran.
what changes would i make . its a bit pointless at this stage as a lot of my doubts are hypotheical but Barry moran should replace austin. CHF should be Mcdonald.  midfield could be a problem if parsons doesnt work but you can be sure BJP would let no one down either there or CHB .
The team as picked is well worth a look but it hasnt increased my confidence in reality id be more worried about Boyle and Cunniffe they have done very little to impress during the league

Quote from: rosnarun on June 19, 2008, 09:44:27 AM

Quote from: highorlow on June 19, 2008, 09:34:50 AM
Barney would you not think this is the strongest we have been up the middle is a long time?


1- Clarke, 3 - Conroy, 6 - Heaney, 8 - MacG, 9 - Parsons, 11 - Harte - 14 O'Malley

Only change IMO would be

              3 - Heaney, 6- T.Mort                                   

no i wouldn't for one. clarke is in foor omalleys injury ,Are conroy or parsons are ready for championship football yet? AOM is no good and harte is an honest trier at best.. heaney has the class but father time is banging on his door and will want access very soon. we should get away with it sunday but tougher battles lie ahead

David Clarke is the best goal keeper in mayo and is one of the top keepers in the country, its his first season in a number of years that he is injury free...its more a situation where O'Malley was in for Clarke while clarke was out injured.

I've said for years that mayo play with too many forward, that we have to make ourselves more difficult to beat....a more balanced stlye of play. This team selection seems to reflect this, with a grafter like half forward line.  Barry Moran has done nothing to suggest he is worthy of a place at full forward and while Austin may be caught out later in the year but at the minute, he is possesion of the jersey and has done well this year!

While the back six is somewhat suprising there is alot of flexibility to it, I think that the players will be assigned marking jobs rather than just marking the traditional numbers!

Should be able to defeat this sligo team, i'm confident we can win enough ball around the middle!

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:17:18 AM
Sligonian - you're posts remind me somewhat of a lot of Armagh posters in the aftermath of when they first won Sam ... in this case perceiving Sligo to be thee number 1 team in Connacht becuase the Connacht championship only commenced last year. More power to you in thinking that ! but there is lot of stuff in your posts that has me smirking to myself for a variety of different reasons. Like the one below i just read before posting this:

QuoteI know gaughan, kelly and j davey can win 50/50 ball going in IMO so arent as dependant on quality supply going in as people think, we all know huffing it in high wont work

Like which is it ? Winning 50:50 ball suggests they should win half of any high ball going into them

Or this:

QuoteWith this current crop of players as ive pointed out theyve broken all kinds of hoodoos so therefore is it unreasonable of me to suggest that the mental side of things MAYO WILL HAVE NO ADVANTAGE sunday over us on that.

I can almost hear the noise of you beating you chest in shouting that. Anyway, I can name 2 hoodoos - winning a Connacht title obviously, but i guess getting relegated to Division 4 could be considered as another type of hoodoo / 'achievement' and thus only having 1 crack in the championship

QuoteWell with all due respect, if the build up is quite anywhere its Sligo....waiting in the long grasss for its prey . Look at this board we arent giving away too much either  .

The one above from a week ago  ..... by jaysus a lot seems to have changed in the last week !!

QuoteSo when I say sligo will be better in CSFC than league is that not a fair asumption based on the fact that most of our players especially along the wings and forwards mainly would excell more in better conditions.

And this one .....  ahhhhh, how do i put this? Lets just say, i too prefer playing on hard fast pitches but wouldn't fancy my changes if i came up against Keith Higgins  cos hes like grease lightning regardless of the conditions, i.e.: you are only considering 1 variable in your conlcusion that Sligo are a better team in summer than winter. There are a least a dozen other variables that would need to be considered before that conclusion could be reached.


Anyway, enough. I'm gone too cynical

Yes you are gone too cynical.

With our small forwards high ball wont suit but they are fighters and i meant low 50/50 ball where the mayo backs play from the front or side giving our lads no real advantage in getting out in front. The ball going might only split the 2 running for it, it might not always be to the sligo forwards advantage ie to his side....

Sligo have beaten leitrim in carrick for first time in 20+ yrs, ros in hyde and galway in last 2yrs, all by this squad so that tells me the past has no power over our lads mental atitude in games. I think thats a fair assuption. Only mayo in mchale is the last hoodoo but this squad hasnt played there so im sure they see sunday as an opportunity.

One week ago i thought build up was quiet till I seen demand for tickets in my area, with lots of people who wouldnt normally go are. Another fair assumption i feel.

Ive no doubt keith higgins is as good in league as championship, however i focus on sligo because in all honesty i wouldnt be hugely famaliar with mayo. Yes there are variables like sunday the weather could be terrible but if its good it will suit both teams i reckon but sligo were so poor in league, i expect alot more in championship. Another fair assumption i feel and ive made my points on this already.

Quote from: kevmy on June 17, 2008, 10:50:56 AM
The side I think will be picked:

Clarke

Boyle       Conroy           Nallen 

Gardiner    Heaney         Higgins

McGarrity         Parsons

Harte       Dillon           Trevor

Conor     O'Malley         Andy Moran 

Cunniffe and Adian Higgins will be unlucky not to start. In fact I'd like to see Aidan Higgins start in the corner.

What's wrong with Dillon?

Quote from: kevmy
Hope Dillon plays as we have tried no one (bar Mac) there for years and I wouldn't like throwing someone in now.

Having said that Alan didn't have the best league campaign and if an experienced player (Trevor?) is put in there we might find something a bit different.

I wouldn't like to mess with the FF line as it is and the half back line were the only consistently good performers all through the league. If Dillon is out I'd put Trevor CF with Harte and Gardiner on the wings

Pretty much as I expected/predicted the only thing really being Jimmy Nallen playing at wing back. We might see him swapping with Keith (although I'm not sure as Keith might be deployed there especially to provide pace in the corner)

As for there being no guile in the half forward line and the half back line being shuffled both are true but also both are due to injuries. I think everyone would agree that Howley and Dillon would play if fit. As for midfield and FF lines, both performed well through the league and deserve a shot as well as providing some continuity (some people here giving out theres no continuity and some people trying to change the lines which have been working well and are injury free)

I still think it's a fairly strong team. We may not be AI challengers (on paper) at this stage but I'd say we are at least as good (on paper) as the team Sligo will field on Sunday.
I would expect a victory but it won't be easy and it mightn't be pretty. If we get over Sligo we should improve with Dillon and maybe Howley back in time for Connacht final and lads will have a game under their belt.

From looking at both teams i think its fair to say that both teams weakest sectors will be facing off against each other (Sligo's attack and the Mayo defense) I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall. Therefore it is disappointing that we have no big man in the full forward line to test them out with a few high balls. Also the inclusion of Nallen is a surprise to me. He looked to be at the end of the road after been hauled off after 15 minutes in AIF 06. He was also taken to the cleaners against Dublin by Jayo. However have we got the forwards to exploit this.

Also both teams strongest lines with be facing off Sligo full back line and Mayo full forward line. Distribution into C Mortimer & co will be vital as Harrsison, Naughton ;) and Donovan are tenacious in the tackle. The game will be decided on Midfield and this sector imo.

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 12:24:50 PM
From looking at both teams i think its fair to say that both teams weakest sectors will be facing off against each other (Sligo's attack and the Mayo defense) I don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall. Therefore it is disappointing that we have no big man in the full forward line to test them out with a few high balls. Also the inclusion of Nallen is a surprise to me. He looked to be at the end of the road after been hauled off after 15 minutes in AIF 06. He was also taken to the cleaners against Dublin by Jayo. However have we got the forwards to exploit this.

Also both teams strongest lines with be facing off Sligo full back line and Mayo full forward line. Distribution into C Mortimer & co will be vital as Harrsison, Naughton ;) and Donovan are tenacious in the tackle. The game will be decided on Midfield and this sector imo.

Im afraid a quick small man will cause conroy much more problems than a big fella

Quote from: ludermor on June 19, 2008, 10:52:33 AM
Seeing that Sligoian is so confident how about placing a wee wager on the outcome. Because of your confidence (and the fact that ye are reigning champs and ye will have the hard ground and faster players and banished the past and the players have great self belief) i would expect you to give me decent odds of 6/4 or maybe even 2/1 for mayo. How would you feel about 100 yoyos?

With all due respect making a bet with you, would mean meeting you and no I dont want to meet you or any of the mayo lads 8). Or give away my identity, i would risk being a target for the mayo ultras on bebo :P....

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

We used one certain player as target man (but he was needed elsewhere) and it did work to a certain extent during league so dont be suprised if we use that tactic at various stages during the game especially if the fb is 5-5(that is small for a fb). Must pass that on Jordan seeming as I ruined his advantage of naming a dummy team.  :P..

History and previous results do suggest that we are up against it particularly going to Castlebar where there will be large support for Mayo on the day due to it not beng televised.
The last 4 meetings of Sligo and Mayo in the championship have been close, We do prefer to be the underdog where we can dig in and give it everything. I see in the last few days starting with O'Mahony he has been doing his best to promote Sligo as a team that will be hard to beat this has also been reflected with interviews with Dillon and Mortimer. I hope that the 'no qualifier game' is enough of a motivator for us to go and win it.
We need a big game from O'Hara with his football doing the talking, I don't understand Jordan naming a team that we all seem to no will line out with a few positional switches based on recent challenge games.
Definitely agree with Mano as I too am nervous that we didn't learn from Cork with the height of our forwards. Maybe Michael McN will go in full forward.
Roll on Sunday I can't wait!

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:43:20 PM

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Jaysus a few Mayo lads are getting fierce bullish here. I know people might say that progress in 96 and 04 came from nowhere but as we stand at the minute we have a lot of questions marks

Is Conroy capable at full-back. We'll know a bit more after Sunday.
Is the full-back line as a whole defensive enough (two attacking wing backs and a midfielder)?
Can Jimmy Nallen, legend that he is, keep going?
Can Parsons impose himself in his first championship start and will the partnership of himself and McGarrity be 'too nice' for an imposing pair like Quinn and O'Hara?
Can we have enough guile and creativity from a half-forward line (who in fairness should have no problems getting on the ball)?
Can Austy carry league form into championship (I'd be thrilled if he could)?

We'll have a lot of answers Sunday evening. At the minute we're fairly uncertain because we've seen so little of anything close to this line-up.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 19, 2008, 12:41:37 PM
[With all due respect making a bet with you, would mean meeting you and no I dont want to meet you or any of the mayo lads 8). Or give away my identity, i would risk being a target for the mayo ultras on bebo :P....

It wouldnt be on my list of priorties to meet you either but i never be as bigoted or bitter as not to have the craic with any sligo person if he/she was beside me in a pub. Where is the love gone?

Quote from: kevmy on June 19, 2008, 01:36:31 PM

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:43:20 PM

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 02:01:26 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 19, 2008, 01:36:31 PM

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:43:20 PM

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious :D :D
Well in Blast ;D

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 19, 2008, 02:06:43 PM

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 02:01:26 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 19, 2008, 01:36:31 PM

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:43:20 PM

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious :D :D
Well in Blast ;D

I didn't believe it you flute. I went and checked what we were up against. I saw hime once or twice on TV during the league and knew he wasn't small.

Wouldn't be surprised what ye played at full back-ye had Heaney at full back and Nallen at centre back for all-ireland 06-2 of the cleanest ball players in the country trying to keep the Kerry forwards at bay. So nothing would surprise me. When was last time ye had a proper full back-back as far as Peter Ford probably

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 02:44:58 PM

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 19, 2008, 02:06:43 PM

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 02:01:26 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 19, 2008, 01:36:31 PM

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:43:20 PM

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious :D :D
Well in Blast ;D

I didn't believe it you flute. I went and checked what we were up against. I saw hime once or twice on TV during the league and knew he wasn't small.

Wouldn't be surprised what ye played at full back-ye had Heaney at full back and Nallen at centre back for all-ireland 06-2 of the cleanest ball players in the country trying to keep the Kerry forwards at bay. So nothing would surprise me. When was last time ye had a proper full back-back as far as Peter Ford probably

I'd say Kevin Cahill. We had a pretty mean defence around '96 '97

A few observations...

13. Conor Mortimer  14. Austin O'Malley   15. Andy Moran
I wouldnt worry about the above forward line. Austin is playing the football of his career so far and should be brimming with confidence after good displays in the league. Moran and Mortimer are also seasoned at this stage and should not have too much trouble getting a few scores.

10. Peadar Gardiner  11. Pat Harte  12. Trevor Mortimer
Dillon is a huge loss as a play maker and setting up the attacks so the attack will change a bit with more running. One word to sum up this half forward line is honesty. Trev and Gardiner always run themselves into the ground and Harte always trys hard. I expect the two wingers to run at the Sligo defences because they have the legs for it. I would worry about Harte a little because I have not seen him play with confidence and take scores.

8. Ronan McGarrity   9. Tom Parsons
Im really looking forward to seeing what Parsons can do at this level. I like his work rate and he is great at coming forward and can take scores. Great athlete and has a good spring and is a good fielder of the ball. I have often said that I was never a fan of McGarrity because he doesnt perform on the big day. Any time I saw him against a good mid-field he flops because he doesnt have the body strength for it. I have said that as a footballer he wastes winters on the basketball courts instead of the gym. I have often seen players tear the ball off him in possession which shouldnt be happening at this level. Hope im proven wrong but he will have his hands full with O'Hara.

5. Tom Cunniffe  6. David Heaney  7. James Nallen
My main observation with the half back line is that JOM is changing Mayos old tactic of attacking wing backs. This will be very interesting as donates that Mayo will be using long first time ball into the forwards. We dont have the pace on the wings for the running game we played in the past. Heaney is a little worry at CB as he sometimes gets caught out of position. Nallen has a great head but a fast wing forward could cause him trouble. Im glad Cunniffe is finally at wing back because I was never a fan of putting him in the corner.

1. David Clarke  2. Colm Boyle  3. Kieran Conroy  4. Keith Higgins
The fullback line is very unproven apart from Higgins. Glad to see Boyle in the corner rather than wing back. Im not sure if Conroy has been tested with good fast forwards so that question mark is there. We need a big game from both Boyle and Conroy. Hopefully Higgins wont wander too far up the field exposing the FB line. I think its here that the game will be won or lost.
Clarke is solid but he should be more commanding in the square and sometimes his kickouts go astray.


Summing up im not overly confident going into this one. I think it will be closer than people think but we might have enough in the tank regarding fitness in the last 10 minutes or so to pull away.

surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

Quote from: INDIANA on June 19, 2008, 03:58:55 PM
surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

Teams always lift it for the Championship. You cant take anything for granted

Quote from: AbbeySider on June 19, 2008, 04:00:45 PM

Quote from: INDIANA on June 19, 2008, 03:58:55 PM
surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

Teams always lift it for the Championship. You cant take anything for granted

Id say were say enough unless we bring Rory Hannick on at midfield

Quote from: INDIANA on June 19, 2008, 03:58:55 PM
surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

i think we are 7-1 on Indiana , to tell you the truth bar the board here i haven't spoken to anyone that has mentioned the match which for championship week is unreal >:( i know o' mahony wanted to lower expectations well he has definitely achieved that and to tell you the truth i preferred it the other way at least there was a buzz around the place

these deel would be the people who prefer to lose to teams like derry than an AIF because at not as many people notice. I mean you dont want to be heading up to dublin every year

Breheny interview

Sligo's Mark Breheny has admitted that he wants to end the 33-year wait that the Yeats' County have endured for a Championship win over Mayo in Castlebar when the two sides meet in the Connacht SFC this Sunday.

After helping land the Connacht SFC title last year for his side for the first time in 32 years, the Sligo sharp-shooter revealed that Tommy Jordan's men will be out to smash more records this summer after taking a back seat in the provincial championship for so long.

"We got the monkey off our backs last year," said Breheny.

"Winning big Championship games against Roscommon and Galway proved that we could compete with the best in the Province and we were worthy champions."

"We're going to Castlebar as Connacht Champions and it's a chance for us to prove that last year wasn't just a flash in the pan. We have to be confident about our chances and go there with a lot of self-belief. Sligo haven't won a Championship match in McHale Park since 1975 but we toppled a couple of those kind of records last year so there's no reason why we can't break the Castlebar jinx this season," stressed Breheny.

Quote from: ludermor on June 19, 2008, 01:54:43 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 19, 2008, 12:41:37 PM
[With all due respect making a bet with you, would mean meeting you and no I dont want to meet you or any of the mayo lads 8). Or give away my identity, i would risk being a target for the mayo ultras on bebo :P....

It wouldnt be on my list of priorties to meet you either but i never be as bigoted or bitter as not to have the craic with any sligo person if he/she was beside me in a pub. Where is the love gone?

Dont think there was ever any love lost between Sligo and Mayo on every level.

I'll be giving out free hugs after the game to mayo people :P is that better ludermor ;). Consoling ones btw....all joking aside IF Sligo do win there be alot of Mayo people being treated for shock IMO :-\.

Sligonian don't worry - there will be little shock if Mayo lose, except outside the county where lazy journalism will focus on McDonald, relegation for Sligo and JOM to build up the shock value. You can see the tone that has been set here on the board. We are all crapping ourselves to be honest besides a delusioned few.

It was posted previously there will be no Curry man on Sligo panel for Sunday. However there is a Curry man on the Mayo team. Can anyone inform how did we let Parsons end up playing for Charlestown and Mayo and not for his native county?

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 05:51:28 PM
It was posted previously there will be no Curry man on Sligo panel for Sunday. However there is a Curry man on the Mayo team. Can anyone inform how did we let Parsons end up playing for Charlestown and Mayo and not for his native county?

I'd say he looked one side of the border and said Connacht titles once every three years and he looked the other side and said Connacht titles once every 3 decades.

QuoteIt was posted previously there will be no Curry man on Sligo panel for Sunday. However there is a Curry man on the Mayo team. Can anyone inform how did we let Parsons end up playing for Charlestown and Mayo and not for his native county?

I heard a version of the story that I've not had verified so I won't repeat it here. Needless to say it was a case of shooting ourselves in the foot, reloading and having another go, just to be sure.

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 19, 2008, 04:07:02 PM

Quote from: INDIANA on June 19, 2008, 03:58:55 PM
surely mayo as a team that contested 2 of the last 4 all-ireland finals would be raging hot favourites to beat a team that has been relegated to div 4?

i think we are 7-1 on Indiana , to tell you the truth bar the board here i haven't spoken to anyone that has mentioned the match which for championship week is unreal >:( i know o' mahony wanted to lower expectations well he has definitely achieved that and to tell you the truth i preferred it the other way at least there was a buzz around the place

Yes Deel, it's been exceptionally quiet for a championship week. Don't know if there are many people going to travel or not. It seems that it's kind of gone stale as people know that there's no AI in this team.

Full-back line, I cannot see K Higgins lining out in No 4 position. I'd say he will swop with Nallen to be honest. If he swops I'd be confident enough of our half-back line doing the job on the day. I'd say Parsons will do alright in the middle for us, along with McGarrity who should lead by example as team captain. Hopefully Harte will do well at no 11. If he doesn't then as Barney said the journalists will have a field day comparing him to McDonald. Happy with the inside forward line. It's nice to give Austin O'Malley a chance at no 14. Hopefully he will continue his league form. Still worried about the fullback line though. It wouldn't be too much of a shock if Sligo were to win. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked at all.

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 19, 2008, 06:52:06 PM

QuoteIt was posted previously there will be no Curry man on Sligo panel for Sunday. However there is a Curry man on the Mayo team. Can anyone inform how did we let Parsons end up playing for Charlestown and Mayo and not for his native county?

I heard a version of the story that I've not had verified so I won't repeat it here. Needless to say it was a case of shooting ourselves in the foot, reloading and having another go, just to be sure.

Is he not from Bellaghy which is Charlestown parish and he therefore has to play for Mayo? Anyway, he's a good addition to us however it came to happen!

I'd be worried about o'hara on parsons, hes bound to be knocking lumps out of him for the game, be interesting to see how he takes it

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 19, 2008, 12:52:45 PM
We used one certain player as target man (but he was needed elsewhere) and it did work to a certain extent during league so dont be suprised if we use that tactic at various stages during the game especially if the fb is 5-5(that is small for a fb). Must pass that on Jordan seeming as I ruined his advantage of naming a dummy team.  :P..

As 'Friends' Chandler Bings occassional girlfriend used to say "OH ........ MY ......... GOD"

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 08:33:00 PM

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 19, 2008, 12:52:45 PM
We used one certain player as target man (but he was needed elsewhere) and it did work to a certain extent during league so dont be suprised if we use that tactic at various stages during the game especially if the fb is 5-5(that is small for a fb). Must pass that on Jordan seeming as I ruined his advantage of naming a dummy team.  :P..

As 'Friends' Chandler Bings occassional girlfriend used to say "OH ........ MY ......... GOD"

What does this mean :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P :P at the end of a post. I think your a bit like joey, when everyone waits till he gets it, still waiting, still waiting still..........................


still waiting... ::)

If thats true on Parsons and not a wind up, that is soul destroying as a Sligoman to hear that. No matter how much shite I have to put with in Sligo id never play for another county. Even oisin mcconville got treated like dirt in his early aramgh days according to his book but look at his commitment and loyalty.

Parsons  born, bred and lives in bellaghy Co Sligo. About 100 metres across the border. Went to school and plays his club football in Charlestown. There's 5/6 Bellaghy men playing for Charlestown. The town is on border split in two. Curry is the nearest Sligo club 3 miles away. There's no tradition for Bellaghy residents playing for Sligo.

Yeah Tom lives over the Border, in Sligo. Leave him be though......

We got mighty coverage tonight on TV3's preview programme  ::). You'd swear Mayo were playing themselves on Sunday. What about Liam Hayes though - he really is a loose cannon! I woder does he believe the stuff he comes out with.

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 02:44:58 PM

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 19, 2008, 02:06:43 PM

Quote from: Mano on June 19, 2008, 02:01:26 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 19, 2008, 01:36:31 PM

Quote from: blast05 on June 19, 2008, 12:43:20 PM

QuoteI don't know much about the 2 new lads in the Mayo full back line but by full back line standards would i be right in saying they are not that tall.

Conroy is 5' 5" so it would be good if yee took the small man out of full forward and put in a big mullacker.

I'd say that'd be right. A big awkward lad in FF for Sligo would be the best way for them to go.

Just did the research on him there-he's definately not 5' 5" but his weakness may be that he is more of a midfielder than a full back having played most of his football there

The fact that one Sligo lad believed hook line and sinker that Mayo would have a 5'5" full-back and another would go and check it is hilarious :D :D
Well in Blast ;D

I didn't believe it you flute. I went and checked what we were up against. I saw hime once or twice on TV during the league and knew he wasn't small.

Wouldn't be surprised what ye played at full back-ye had Heaney at full back and Nallen at centre back for all-ireland 06-2 of the cleanest ball players in the country trying to keep the Kerry forwards at bay. So nothing would surprise me. When was last time ye had a proper full back-back as far as Peter Ford probably

Maybe ya didn't believe it. But when you come out with a comment like 'just did the research on him there, he's definitely not 5'5"'   It sure does sound like a man that thought it might be true. Sligoian definitely fell for it. If you want to talk about tactics in Croke Park we can look back to yer display against Cork last year - ye really went for it that day didn't ye ::)

Now in fairness ye do have recent previous of playing a midget in the full back line in an All-Ireland final no less so people could be forgiven for checking!

By the way comparing a six point beating to some of the stinkings up ye have given Croker in recent times is a fair stretch.

Anyhow  no matter who you support I think the bookies have got this one wrong. 11/2 for Sligo is large I think. I see the game as being a low scoring war of attrition. I'm worried about the number of ball winners in the Mayo team. Quinner really has a huge job on his hands and we need O'Hara to be switched on and buttoned up for the full 70. Cannot see there being a lot in it at full time. The goal(s) and who gets them could be the difference.

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 20, 2008, 12:53:41 AM
By the way comparing a six point beating to some of the stinkings up ye have given Croker in recent times is a fair stretch.

Well said, We dont point out yer Shit performances cos we've more sense, pity you dont!

Should be an interesting game anyway. There will be copious amounts of pie on someone's face come Sunday evening. ;D

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on June 20, 2008, 01:06:43 AM
Should be an interesting game anyway. There will be copious amounts of pie on someone's face come Sunday evening. ;D

As a wise man once said, "Na habair tada"!

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 20, 2008, 12:53:41 AM
Now in fairness ye do have recent previous of playing a midget in the full back line in an All-Ireland final no less so people could be forgiven for checking!

By the way comparing a six point beating to some of the stinkings up ye have given Croker in recent times is a fair stretch.

Anyhow  no matter who you support I think the bookies have got this one wrong. 11/2 for Sligo is large I think. I see the game as being a low scoring war of attrition. I'm worried about the number of ball winners in the Mayo team. Quinner really has a huge job on his hands and we need O'Hara to be switched on and buttoned up for the full 70. Cannot see there being a lot in it at full time. The goal(s) and who gets them could be the difference.

Well if we want to be pedantic about it ye got bate out the gate by an average Cork team. We got bate out the gate by the best team in the country. We could say a lot more but there's no point. I'm merely responding to what Mano said about our tactics against Kerry. We got it wrong and so did ye last year.
I agree about 11/2 being a value price. Will be damn all in it coming down the home stretch

Hard to be overly enthuiastic about this Mayo team, quiet a few players who have given great service, but whose day has past. Not sure how Heaney, Nallen, Gardiner can be expected to last pace. Mc Garrity has not been playing well this year, Cuniffe a question mark as are full and corner back.

If Conor Mortimer is not fully fit, then a lot will fall on Andy Moran. Austin O Malley can be hit and or miss. Trevor mort not known for point kicking ability, neither is Gardiner or Harte. It will be a close game. If I were sligo management, would be feeling quietly confident. Bookies odds are a joke, similar to Galway v Leitrim

Quote from: Greenabovethered on June 19, 2008, 10:41:23 PM
There's no tradition for Bellaghy residents playing for Sligo.

2 Charlestown clubmen Towey and one of the Mulligans lined out for Sligo at minor level a number of years ago. I thought Bellaghy was in the Curry parish and if so Curry should have enforced the parish rule. We will see what we are missing out on on Sunday. Midfield is an area we are short in whereas Mayo always seem to have some great talent there.

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 20, 2008, 12:53:41 AM
I see the game as being a low scoring war of attrition. I'm worried about the number of ball winners in the Mayo team. Quinner really has a huge job on his hands and we need O'Hara to be switched on and buttoned up for the full 70. Cannot see there being a lot in it at full time. The goal(s) and who gets them could be the difference.

Those are the exact words that sprung to my mind when the Mayo line-up was announced. O'Mahony is basically saying to his team that if they match Sligo for work ethic they'll have enough to beat them. This is a huge game for Quinn and O'Hara but equally so for the half-back and half-forward lines. In my mind the only reason Nallen is included is for his ball winning ability. It's looking like it'll be an ugly enough game and as clichèd and all as this may sound, the battle will be concentrated in that middle third.
If I'm honest my head is telling me I fear for Sligo but my heart of course feels we can upset the odds. I would tend to lean towards Mano's line of thinking in respect of the forwards. Even if we do win our fair share in the middle third I worry about the type of ball going into them and also the ball winning ability of our full forwards. Anyway, I hope I'm wrong.

Do not worry about heaney lasting, he is not exactly 78 years of age and crippled, in his thirties and very fit so no reason he cannot last a 70 minute game.
Mayo have the better footballers and sligo know this in their hearts,I was happy for sligo and hope its not another lifetime before they win connaught



Mayo 2 13
sligo  1 09

Quoteye got bate out the gate by an average Cork team

I don't think Cork were all that bad. They hammered a good Meath team by a lot more after that and got to the final. Sure - they were cat in the final but in the face of Kerry that could happen to anyone  :D. We lost by six points and that was with missing a couple of really good goal chances early on.

QuoteI'm merely responding to what Mano said about our tactics against Kerry. We got it wrong and so did ye last year.

Seeing as we are being pedantic, we didn't get it wrong. We couldn't play any other way as we don't have the players to do so.

Quote from: Mano on June 20, 2008, 08:44:13 AM

Quote from: Greenabovethered on June 19, 2008, 10:41:23 PM
There's no tradition for Bellaghy residents playing for Sligo.

2 Charlestown clubmen Towey and one of the Mulligans lined out for Sligo at minor level a number of years ago. I thought Bellaghy was in the Curry parish and if so Curry should have enforced the parish rule. We will see what we are missing out on on Sunday. Midfield is an area we are short in whereas Mayo always seem to have some great talent there.

I'm pretty sure Bellaghy is in Charlestown parish and parish rules overwrite boundary rules in the GAA, that's why they don't play for Curry. There is no way Curry would have let that amount of players slip through the net. I guess then when they were playing for Charlestown they automatically opted for Mayo. Brendan Towey and Alan Mulligan both went for Sligo at U-16 when they were cut short from the Mayo panel after trials, it wasn't their first choice. Bellaghy is a weird one, it's in Silgo but because it is seen as part of Charlestown nearly everyone there supports Mayo. I went to school with a good few Charlestowns and that was their take on the whole Bellaghy thing anyway.

Paddy Power Betting
Time                        Home   Draw    Away 
15:30  Mayo v Sligo    1 - 6    10 - 1   11 - 2

Have to say I slightly favour Mayo for this one, but very hard to ignore that 11/2 for Sligo in a game that looks like being very close. 

QuoteWhat does this mean              at the end of a post. I think your a bit like joey, when everyone waits till he gets it, still waiting, still waiting still..........................


still waiting...

Your  :P sign was obviously in reference to "Must pass that on Jordan seeming as I ruined his advantage of naming a dummy team"  .... the rest of it you swallowed hook, line and sinker  ..... so stop trying to dig your way out of the hole !!

BTW - Mayo 0-17, Sligo 2-7 would be my prediction.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 18, 2008, 01:51:36 PM
Sligo (SF v Mayo): P Greene; C Harrison, P Naughton, R Donovan; P McGovern, M McNamara, E McHugh; E O'Hara, K Quinn; B Curran, B Egan, J Davey; G Gaughan, M Breheny, D Kelly.

Lads, just going back to the team selection again. Everyone here is assuming that maguire will start. However, someone told me yesterday evening that despite playing a club ch'ship match recently, maguire isnt fit enough to start v Mayo. Not sure if there's much truth in that, but if so, it's very worrying.

Quote from: GaillimhIarthair on June 20, 2008, 09:24:14 AM
Paddy Power Betting
Time                        Home   Draw    Away 
15:30  Mayo v Sligo    1 - 6    10 - 1   11 - 2

Have to say I slightly favour Mayo for this one, but very hard to ignore that 11/2 for Sligo in a game that looks like being very close. 

anybody got details of the spread for the game?

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 20, 2008, 12:25:44 AM
We got mighty coverage tonight on TV3's preview programme  ::). You'd swear Mayo were playing themselves on Sunday. What about Liam Hayes though - he really is a loose cannon! I woder does he believe the stuff he comes out with.

Hayes is an idiot. He writes a piece in the Tribune every Sunday making some wild prediction and by tea time it's almost always proven wrong. He totally ignored Sligo and every Mayo man who is playing on Sunday and concentrated on having a go at McDonald (one of his favourite targets). Just cause he doesn't beat the shite out of the opposition like the Meath team of the 80's and decides to beat them with football. Then he made some comment about him not playing on big days - bollocks - McDonald stepped up against Galway in 04 when we were 6 points down, against Kerry in the final in 04 when only him and Alan Dillon decided to play and who can forget his performance against Dublin in 06. I'll give that he wasn't at his best in the final in 06 but then who was? (as far as I recall BJP and K ONeill played ok and that was about it). Also Mac was carrying his back injury into the game.

never mind that clown hayes in all fairness what would a redser like him know about anything, mayo are a top team and have been for the past 12 years, never mind jealous little runts like hayes haveng a go at real footballers if your not a mullaker he dont like it- typical is all illl say, mayo always have the last laugh

Quote from: stevo-08 on June 20, 2008, 09:56:36 AM
anybody got details of the spread for the game?

Mayo are favoured by between five or six points.

http://www.oddschecker.com/other-sports/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/mayo-v-sligo/handicaps

QuoteHe totally ignored Sligo and every Mayo man who is playing on Sunday and concentrated on having a go at McDonald (one of his favourite targets).

That piece on McDonald was disgraceful and the whole programme confirmed my worst fears that TV3 will somehow manage to do a worse job than RTE. You would get more insight from the office Star reader than from that programme. A complete waste of time.

Bring back Breaking Ball.

its just pure jealousy- mcdonald is probably the most talented man ever to kick a ball and people are sick with jealousy as a result

Steve - Think thats a fair point about Maguire. In my mind the fact he only played half a match against Roscommon when obviously lacking in match fitness raises a genuine query whether he will be involved at all and that would be a major blow to Sligo's chances.

Actually thought the Mayo team was well selected. Thankfully for Mayo the management selected their best man marker on Sligos most dangerous forward rather than James Nallen as the majority of the experts on here thought made sense. Nallen will pick up Sligo 3rd midfielder and wouldnt lose any sleep over Mc Namara. Between Nallen on Mc Namara , Parsons/Mc Garrity on O Hara/ Quinn , Heaney on Brehony , Cunnife on Gaughan/ Curran ,Gardiner on McHugh and Harte on Egan, Mayo have height advantages in all the midfield sectors and in most cases very significant height advantages. Make no mistakes , the main reason Sligo are now in Division 4 is that we were annihilated in most league games around the middle and it worries me greatly on Sunday too and irrespective of all the pace Sligo may have around the team , it will be no good without the ball. We lost against Cork for many reason but mainly  because they were way too physical for us around midfield and this worries me greatly on Sunday also.

Again whilst the majority of the Mayo people on here talk about Austie or Conor Mortimer , I would be more worried about Andy Moran. Probably the best Sigerson footballer in the country over last 2/3 years and I felt in the last year he was transferring this form to senior intercounty football. If Mayo are to threaten at the business end of the summer, I imagine Andy Moran will have played a crucial part.

Maybe this is treasonable but I will be travelling on Sunday more in hope than expectation for the reasons outlined above.

TG - I agree with you. I was fairly confident until I saw the Mayo team but after thinking about theirselection I'm less sure. Not O'Mahoney's greatest fan but if he's at what I think he's at then respect to the fecker. I think he's using that Cork game as his template to beat us which shows me that Mayo are taking us very seriously and are focussed on one thing and one thing only - winning. Like you I would be more worried about Moran than the other two who have less strings to their respective bows.

I still think we can win if we win a few battles you would find hard to see us win at this point. I am absolutely convinced there will be only 2-3 points in it at the end. Hopefully we can win a few of the big battles and get the vital scores. McPartland and Sweeney coming in for the last 20 is a factor that could swing things our way.

QuoteMaybe this is treasonable but I will be travelling on Sunday more in hope than expectation for the reasons outlined above

Not treasonable at all. Its pragmatic and you're not one of these guys who suffers from the dreaded Sligo inferiority complex.

Bellaghy is an odd one alright! And ye are right about Towey, he played for Curry underage but i think it was Charlestown who complained! Belaghy is odd in that people who live there consider to be from mayo yet the Nestor Cup was carried over the border! It's somethin that needs to be looked at though!

RTE.ie are predicting a Sligo win - still, the waffle they talk in those previews is unreal so I wouldn't put much faith in them.

Quote
Watch Mayo v Sligo live on RTÉ.ie (IoI) this Sunday from 3.28pm. Live updates on RTÉ Radio 1, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ Aertel.

by Seámus Leonard

Even more so than Dublin, Mayo have been the nearly men of football this decade.

Dublin may be the dominant force in Leinster, but it is now 13 years since they reached an All-Ireland. Mayo have qualified for the big day twice since 2004, although with Kerry proving an immovable object on both occasions, there's probably a little part of them that wishes they hadn't.

They are the last team in the country to get their campaign under way, and that has allowed John O'Mahony's decision to omit Ciarán McDonald from his panel more time to fester than it probably good for them.

McDonald was and still is devoted to the Mayo cause, but clearly O'Mahony saw his presence as more of a hindrance than a help.

And it's probably the Crossmolina man's sheer brilliance that has worked against him. Too often in recent years Mayo have looked to him to produce moments of magic. His absence will force the rest of the team to start looking within themselves for inspiration and not the blonde bombshell.

It is a huge risk by O'Mahony, though, and one that will most likely be thrown back in his face should Mayo come a-cropper on Sunday. But the man didn't lead Galway to two All-Irelands by accident and Mayo supporters would do well to trust his judgement.

Sligo come into the game as provincial champions, but also with the knowledge that relegation from Division 3 has left them with the prospect of falling into the Tommy Murphy Cup if they lose in Castlebar.

They had a comfortable win over London at Ruislip last month. It may have been an easy enough obstacle, but it still gives them a slight edge over their as yet untested opponents.

With captain Noel McGuire still not fully fit following a dislocated elbow, manager Tommy Jordan has opted to keep the status quo.

There is little doubt that Mayo are the better side. However, circumstances being as they are, the fear of where defeat would leave Sligo football could prove an inspirational force for the Yeatsmen.

Verdict: Sligo

Quote from: magpie seanie on June 20, 2008, 11:27:29 AM

QuoteMaybe this is treasonable but I will be travelling on Sunday more in hope than expectation for the reasons outlined above

Not treasonable at all. Its pragmatic and you're not one of these guys who suffers from the dreaded Sligo inferiority complex.

For Sligo to win , our full back line needs to regain its 2007 form and without Maguire this would be difficult. Even if they did regain their form , if we lose the midfield battle fairly dramactically, good and all our fullback line may play , we wont win. In essence , alot rests on the shoulders of Quinn and O Hara. If Quinn is marking Mc Garrity , he will be marking a damn fine player and he would have to have one of the games of his life to dominate there. Alot rest then on O Hara with presumably the Mayos half forward line paying him particuliar attention also. Great and all as Eamomn is , its a  big ask for him months away from been 33 and not been a particuliarily tall midfieder to replicate the form of 5 years ago when he was at his physical peak. Its not beyound the man but its a big ask. My point early is that i dont see any other sources of possession around midfield other than the midfielders. Sligonian makes some very valid points about our inferiority complex but winning Connaught last year has liberated this bunch of players and unlike previous visits down the years , this Sligo team truly believes it can win and that in itself gives this Sligo team an advantage I've rarely seen in a Sligo team going to Castlebar. If this Sligo team is even money to win with a 6 point spread then it certainly is an excellent bet.

Quote from: Sligoper on June 20, 2008, 11:43:02 AM
Bellaghy is an odd one alright! And ye are right about Towey, he played for Curry underage but i think it was Charlestown who complained! Belaghy is odd in that people who live there consider to be from mayo yet the Nestor Cup was carried over the border! It's somethin that needs to be looked at though!

I think you could be strung up for saying that "Bellaghy people consider themselves from Mayo" , they are hard core Sligo people once you cross the county boundary. The closer to the boundary the more hardcore they are. The boundary being the river that runs under the road  at the level crossing. Most Bellaghy footballers play for Charlestown because they go to school in Charlestown and play for Charlestown underage teams. I repeat there's no tradition of Bellaghy people playing for Curry and Sligo.

I heard the same as steve08 about mcguire not starting, but what can I say i see him look as sharp as ever last week and in one of the sligo papers he reinforces that by saying hes fully fit. All i can say i'll be annoyed if he doesnt start.

Mayo have twice as many clubs as us, they have ballaghdereen in ros now they have bellaghy in Sligo. What will see next the castleconnor lads defecting to ballina.

Our county board will want to have a serious look at this if they have sligos best intersts at heart...

Ya seanie was some preview on tv3 last night alright. Did any of think mortimer comments were strange regarding last yr? "We didnt buy into the new ideas last yr because we were so used to other methods, but this yr we have" not a great enditement of JOMs training method and tactics.

QuoteTrevor Mortimer has credited weekly yoga sessions for staying injury-free ahead of Mayo's Connacht SFC semi-final against Sligo on Sunday.

Mortimer, who joins his brother Conor in the Mayo attack for the Castlebar fixture, has struggled with persistent back and hamstring problems in the past and even contemplated retirement at one stage. However, the strong running half forward turned to bikram yoga, or hot yoga, this year in a bid to keep himself injury-free and the results have been excellent.




"Since 2004, I've been injured off and on and never really got a right run at it but thankfully this year now I haven't had too much. I've probably spent more time away from training working on it than actually training but hopefully I'll stay injury-free now," he said.

"Every year you go back someone has a different answer for you. I just took it upon myself to look after it this year.

"I'm doing a lot of flexibility, yoga, swimming and staying out of contact in training as much as I can, which is probably something that I didn't pay much attention to when I was younger.

"I think four or five years of heavy training and contact takes its toll so it's more or less trying to watch yourself more than anything."

Mortimer cannot speak highly enough of yoga, which is becoming increasingly popular among sportspeople.

"I started doing it last year and I found it great. There's a girl in Galway who does hot yoga for an hour-and-a-half and it's harder than any training session. You'd probably do more stretching there than you would in six months of training."

What the hell is hot yoga - sounds good!

its just normal yoga except done in practically a sauna- it knocks shit out of ya, really good i go once a week and havent had a muscle injury all year first time ever, the girl in galway in a genious to be fair to her

Quote from: Barney on June 20, 2008, 12:51:59 PM
What the hell is hot yoga - sounds good!

My hot Yoga Story from this thread a few months back
http://gaaboard.com/board/index.php?topic=6208.msg224327#msg224327

Quote
A couple of months ago "the Missus" decided to take up Hot Yoga. I was kind of intrigued because I know that some Inter County teams such as Kerry have dabbled in the likes of Yoga and Pilates so I became naturally interested. All I knew about it was that Yoga improved flexibility and had positive effects on muscles etc. After every session she came home describing how hard it is to hold some of the positions but I laughed it off and said "how hard can it be?".

I was met with a certain amount of reluctance when I suggested that I go to a session to see whats its like. I was told that the heat is incredible and its is very physically challenging. I scoffed and insisted and so I went to a session just before the Christmas.

It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. The room was heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit which is 40 degrees Celsius. The session went on for about an hour and a half. It was one of the longest hour and 30 mins of my life. I found it really tough. Some of the squat holds and the stretches are near impossible. Not only are the stretches hard but the heat is sweltering and you are drenched in sweat throughout the session.

Because the room is so hot you can stretch even further because your muscles are so warm. Before I started I thought I was reasonably flexible but lets just say the session thought me a lot about myself. The Spinal and Upper-Body stretches I found especially tough and some of the squat holds I couldnt finish and had to break out of the routine a few times.

I would recommend it if you were out to improve on flexibility, posture, strength and relieve stress and tension or it can also help if someone was coming back from certain injury's. But its not for the faint hearted.
For my sins im giving it another go next week.   :'(

TG, agree with alot of what you say in the last 2 posts. We need a performance of monstrous propostions all over the pitch and in particular from the guys in the middle third. And if Maguire doesnt start (meaning mcnamara is a definite starter), we are effectively a man down from the word go. Add to that, the inexperience of gaughan & mchugh. It makes for a huge task ahead on sunday. BUT, I'll still be travelling to mchale park quietly confident and I think the added incentive of the dreaded Tommy Murphy can lift our lads to the heights required. Also as seanie points out, mcpartland & sweeney off the bench are useful options for the last 20.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 20, 2008, 12:41:36 PM
I heard the same as steve08 about mcguire not starting, but what can I say i see him look as sharp as ever last week and in one of the sligo papers he reinforces that by saying hes fully fit. All i can say i'll be annoyed if he doesnt start.

Mayo have twice as many clubs as us, they have ballaghdereen in ros now they have bellaghy in Sligo. What will see next the castleconnor lads defecting to ballina.

Our county board will want to have a serious look at this if they have sligos best intersts at heart...

Ya seanie was some preview on tv3 last night alright. Did any of think mortimer comments were strange regarding last yr? "We didnt buy into the new ideas last yr because we were so used to other methods, but this yr we have" not a great enditement of JOMs training method and tactics.

Sligonian, I presume the above was said with tongue in cheek! Cos if you ask any castleconnnor man, Ballina have been taking their players for years...

QuoteThere's a girl in Galway who does hot yoga for an hour-and-a-half and it's harder than any training session

I think I met her one night. ;D

I think Yoga is a fantastic idea and more clubs and countys should bring it on board. Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane both credited as an aid to helping lengthen their careers! Pity Paul Durcan and Paul Taylor didn take it up too ;D ;D

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 20, 2008, 12:41:36 PM
Mayo have twice as many clubs as us, they have ballaghdereen in ros now they have bellaghy in Sligo. What will see next the castleconnor lads defecting to ballina.

Not to mention they nicked Tourmakeady off us. ;D

lads you cant balme lads from inferior counties to want to play for mayo now can you really

Quote from: stevo-08 on June 20, 2008, 01:00:45 PM
TG, agree with alot of what you say in the last 2 posts. We need a performance of monstrous propostions all over the pitch and in particular from the guys in the middle third. And if Maguire doesnt start (meaning mcnamara is a definite starter), we are effectively a man down from the word go. Add to that, the inexperience of gaughan & mchugh. It makes for a huge task ahead on sunday. BUT, I'll still be travelling to mchale park quietly confident and I think the added incentive of the dreaded Tommy Murphy can lift our lads to the heights required. Also as seanie points out, mcpartland & sweeney off the bench are useful options for the last 20.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 20, 2008, 12:41:36 PM
I heard the same as steve08 about mcguire not starting, but what can I say i see him look as sharp as ever last week and in one of the sligo papers he reinforces that by saying hes fully fit. All i can say i'll be annoyed if he doesnt start.

Mayo have twice as many clubs as us, they have ballaghdereen in ros now they have bellaghy in Sligo. What will see next the castleconnor lads defecting to ballina.

Our county board will want to have a serious look at this if they have sligos best intersts at heart...

Ya seanie was some preview on tv3 last night alright. Did any of think mortimer comments were strange regarding last yr? "We didnt buy into the new ideas last yr because we were so used to other methods, but this yr we have" not a great enditement of JOMs training method and tactics.

Sligonian, I presume the above was said with tongue in cheek! Cos if you ask any castleconnnor man, Ballina have been taking their players for years...

It was tongue in cheek, i didnt know that, ffs at the end of the day the buck stops with murphy and his predessor queenan. They are to blame because they are the ones letting it happen. If i were county chairman id be objecting left right and center, in fact if a lad wouldnt play for sligo (who lives in sligo all his life) and wanted to play for mayo id rather him not play football at all. Can we not bring this to attention of GAA headquarters.

Ive done yoga a few times, great for flexibilty, for those of you who go to the gym it invariably tightens your body but doing yoga can ensure you keep your flexibilty. It is a blooming shame no one thought to tell taylor, mcgowan or sloyan...if i ever manage a team it'll be defo part of my training methods. Also the energy benefits and stress reduction benefits are very high after a session especially training after a hard day at work.

Quote from: Teeling Gael on June 20, 2008, 11:13:47 AM
Again whilst the majority of the Mayo people on here talk about Austie or Conor Mortimer , I would be more worried about Andy Moran. Probably the best Sigerson footballer in the country over last 2/3 years and I felt in the last year he was transferring this form to senior intercounty football. If Mayo are to threaten at the business end of the summer, I imagine Andy Moran will have played a crucial part.

Andy Moran's been on good form during the league alright and imo he's our biggest goal threat. My only gripe with him is he doesn't tip over as much points as he could with the (massive) amount of ball he wins. If he gets that right he could be one of the best forwards in the country. And he's a Ballagh' man as well to boot  ;D

Quote from: Barney on June 20, 2008, 12:51:59 PM

QuoteTrevor Mortimer has credited weekly yoga sessions for staying injury-free ahead of Mayo's Connacht SFC semi-final against Sligo on Sunday.

Mortimer, who joins his brother Conor in the Mayo attack for the Castlebar fixture, has struggled with persistent back and hamstring problems in the past and even contemplated retirement at one stage. However, the strong running half forward turned to bikram yoga, or hot yoga, this year in a bid to keep himself injury-free and the results have been excellent.




"Since 2004, I've been injured off and on and never really got a right run at it but thankfully this year now I haven't had too much. I've probably spent more time away from training working on it than actually training but hopefully I'll stay injury-free now," he said.

"Every year you go back someone has a different answer for you. I just took it upon myself to look after it this year.

"I'm doing a lot of flexibility, yoga, swimming and staying out of contact in training as much as I can, which is probably something that I didn't pay much attention to when I was younger.

"I think four or five years of heavy training and contact takes its toll so it's more or less trying to watch yourself more than anything."

Mortimer cannot speak highly enough of yoga, which is becoming increasingly popular among sportspeople.

"I started doing it last year and I found it great. There's a girl in Galway who does hot yoga for an hour-and-a-half and it's harder than any training session. You'd probably do more stretching there than you would in six months of training."

What the hell is hot yoga - sounds good!

I've a couple of mates going to her and said she's supposed to great for back/muscle problems. I said previously that Trevor is in great form and injury free for the first time in along while. Expecting a big game from him.

Would Mayo then be the first county that is not managed by Mick O'Dwyer which has players from 3 different counties? ;)

Credit must go to the lads in Survivor for my first championship ditty of the Summer

Two worlds collide, rival nations
It's a primitive clash, venting years of frustrations
Bravely we hope against all hope, there is so much at stake
Seems our freedom's up against the ropes
Does the crowd understand?
Is it a East vs. West, or man against man
Can any county stand alone?

In the burning heart, just about to burst
There's a quest for answers, an unquenchable thirst
In the darkest night, rising like a spire
In the burning heart, the unmistakable fire, in the burning heart

In the Johnnos code, there's no surrender
Though his body says stop, his spirit cries never
Deep in our soul a quiet ember
Knows it's you against you
Its  the paradox that drives us on
It's a battle of wills, in the heat of attack
It's the passion that kills
The victory is yours alone

In the burning heart, just about to burst
There's a quest for answers, an unquenchable thirst
In the darkest night, rising like a spire
In the burning heart, we want Sam Maguire

From sligogaa.ie glad to see i am not the only SLIGO man expecting victory on sunday. I know a few of the lads on here do too but some are overly cautious IMO but understandable in a way. We all know its going to be tough, we all have worries about certain players but I expect it to all just come right on the day.


Former boss Tommy Breheny is convinced that Sligo can put the disappointment of their relegation to Division Four of the National League behind them to beat Mayo in the Connacht semi-final on Sunday.

But last year's provincial title winning boss is adamant that Sligo can beat Mayo in Castlebar despite showing poor form under the new man at the helm, Tommy Jordan, this year.     

"I have absolutely no doubts. I think the game is set up for Sligo," Breheny said.

"The lads had a bit of a disappointing league, it was a bit of a hangover from last year but I have no doubt that preparations, from what I hear, have gone extremely well in Sligo."

"Sligo are going in as the Connacht champions. They very much feel they are worthy champions and they have no inferiority complex at this moment.

"The pressure is on Mayo to deliver and Sligo are under no pressure. If you look at the odds, at 11/2, I think it's very generous odds under the circumstances so I'd be expecting a Sligo win," he told the Irish Mirror

Folks

Been following the thread as a guest but had to register to post a comment.

Purely self-interest:  does anyone know whether the game is available online anywhere.  Based abroad and the old reliable of Setanta have Laois / Wex and Munster hurling as their 2 scheduled games.

Anyone know of any other possibility?

Yep - it's beem streamed on RTE.ie  but only available within the island of ireland.

totally new to this thread or board for that matter but a few observations re the game on sunday. Firmly believe that it will be mayo (and by more than a few points i might add) as i don't believe that Sligo are any where near where they were this time last year. Why else would Brehony step down - what kind of a message was that to send to your players.? He had absolutely no confidence that they would go on to come near retaining their connacht title and their league performances bore this out. So  whats changed since.? Absolutely nothing.! They are still so reliant on O'Hara to come up with another outstanding performance - don't think it's in him anymore. The reason i pick him out ( and yes i know that Mayo  keep wheeling out J Nallen) is because he is a senion player in a crucial position of midfield.
ON a seperate issue surrounding this game i totally believe that Johnno is right and correct to pmit McDonald from this squad. Apart from the fact that he deemed it to be beneath him to attend a trial game (Nallen went and was thrilled to be picked) it will completely change the style that Mayo play. no more over reliance on the blonde boy to pull the strings and when Mac was having a bad day ( and he had plenty) the rest of the players followed suit. Now thay have to call the shots themselves and i think that can only be good for the team.

I hope to see a hard working, committed performance from this mayo team. I think if hey perform to there potential then victory will be theres and they can concentrate on Galway in the final. not been presumptious just a haunch that they will have too much in the tank 9and the bench) for Sligo. Anyway that's my lot - will be there with bells on - shouting and roaring me head off and will hopefully enjoywatching a mayo win.

Ffs i heard it all now , its also mc s fault if other players played badly as well

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 21, 2008, 10:22:19 AM
Ffs i heard it all now , its also mc s fault if other players played badly as well

Never said it was his fault - merely suggesting that whenever McD had a bad game - inevitably the rest of them hung their heads because of their style of play and over reliance on him to pull the strings. For gods sake everything had to go through him. He was always running behind the man with the ball waiting to rceive it and provide that killer pass - it didn't always come off.
At least now they have to start producing it themselves when he's not there.

Quote from: RastaGael on June 20, 2008, 07:36:37 PM
Folks

Been following the thread as a guest but had to register to post a comment.

Purely self-interest:  does anyone know whether the game is available online anywhere.  Based abroad and the old reliable of Setanta have Laois / Wex and Munster hurling as their 2 scheduled games.

Anyone know of any other possibility?

you can always use the new online 'wireless' as per http://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php who will at lesat have full radio commentary

Quote from: stevo-08 on June 20, 2008, 01:00:45 PM
TG, agree with alot of what you say in the last 2 posts. We need a performance of monstrous propostions all over the pitch and in particular from the guys in the middle third. And if Maguire doesnt start (meaning mcnamara is a definite starter), we are effectively a man down from the word go. Add to that, the inexperience of gaughan & mchugh. It makes for a huge task ahead on sunday. BUT, I'll still be travelling to mchale park quietly confident and I think the added incentive of the dreaded Tommy Murphy can lift our lads to the heights required. Also as seanie points out, mcpartland & sweeney off the bench are useful options for the last 20.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 20, 2008, 12:41:36 PM
I heard the same as steve08 about mcguire not starting, but what can I say i see him look as sharp as ever last week and in one of the sligo papers he reinforces that by saying hes fully fit. All i can say i'll be annoyed if he doesnt start.

Mayo have twice as many clubs as us, they have ballaghdereen in ros now they have bellaghy in Sligo. What will see next the castleconnor lads defecting to ballina.

Our county board will want to have a serious look at this if they have sligos best intersts at heart...

Ya seanie was some preview on tv3 last night alright. Did any of think mortimer comments were strange regarding last yr? "We didnt buy into the new ideas last yr because we were so used to other methods, but this yr we have" not a great enditement of JOMs training method and tactics.

Sligonian, I presume the above was said with tongue in cheek! Cos if you ask any castleconnnor man, Ballina have been taking their players for years...

Who are those players? Just wondering as I don't really know anyone who is living in Sligo playing for Ballina.

Quote from: furboot on June 21, 2008, 03:40:20 PM

Quote from: RastaGael on June 20, 2008, 07:36:37 PM
Folks

Been following the thread as a guest but had to register to post a comment.

Purely self-interest:  does anyone know whether the game is available online anywhere.  Based abroad and the old reliable of Setanta have Laois / Wex and Munster hurling as their 2 scheduled games.

Anyone know of any other possibility?

you can always use the new online 'wireless' as per http://www.midwestradio.ie/index.php who will at lesat have full radio commentary

The game is being shown live online by RTE according to their website.

Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 21, 2008, 08:45:59 PM

Quote from: stevo-08 on June 20, 2008, 01:00:45 PM
TG, agree with alot of what you say in the last 2 posts. We need a performance of monstrous propostions all over the pitch and in particular from the guys in the middle third. And if Maguire doesnt start (meaning mcnamara is a definite starter), we are effectively a man down from the word go. Add to that, the inexperience of gaughan & mchugh. It makes for a huge task ahead on sunday. BUT, I'll still be travelling to mchale park quietly confident and I think the added incentive of the dreaded Tommy Murphy can lift our lads to the heights required. Also as seanie points out, mcpartland & sweeney off the bench are useful options for the last 20.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 20, 2008, 12:41:36 PM
I heard the same as steve08 about mcguire not starting, but what can I say i see him look as sharp as ever last week and in one of the sligo papers he reinforces that by saying hes fully fit. All i can say i'll be annoyed if he doesnt start.

Mayo have twice as many clubs as us, they have ballaghdereen in ros now they have bellaghy in Sligo. What will see next the castleconnor lads defecting to ballina.

Our county board will want to have a serious look at this if they have sligos best intersts at heart...

Ya seanie was some preview on tv3 last night alright. Did any of think mortimer comments were strange regarding last yr? "We didnt buy into the new ideas last yr because we were so used to other methods, but this yr we have" not a great enditement of JOMs training method and tactics.

Sligonian, I presume the above was said with tongue in cheek! Cos if you ask any castleconnnor man, Ballina have been taking their players for years...

Who are those players? Just wondering as I don't really know anyone who is living in Sligo playing for Ballina.

Thera are nt any unless you go back to Martin McGrath who transferred to Ballina circa 1984. Lived there most of the time since as well.

Just read Martín Beag s column and he reckoned Mayo are going into this without 3 of their best forwards from last year. Hanley, McDonald and Dillon. What he did nt say was that Mac hardly featured at all last year while Dillon was plagued with injury and well below his best. Yet its a sobering observation, as if we we were nt sober enough already. Trevor and Gardiner while they bring a lot to a game will hardly score much. I see Maughan in the Advertiser was talking about Peadar maybe contributing with a couple of fisted scores. In other words little chance he ll kick one. Dillon seems to be very injury prone in recent years. For a youngish lad he has played a lot and he gets hit a lot because while good on the ball he is nt the fastest and small as well. I believe he is going to be a major concern going forward.

Just calling in before tomorrow, hard to know how it will go, there is a fair bit of optimism around the place, though not shouting about it like others :P. Would hope that the team lines out differently from what has been selected, and that McNamara doesn't line out at CHB, but time will tell. Midfield will be critical, Quinn will have it tough with McGarrity, but now's the time for him to recapture the form of last year, let's hope he's timing it right. BTW Sligo at 6/1 is crazy odds, and a + 6-7 point handicap even more so, makes the 3/1 on a Lisbon No vote look sensible. Have hammered into these and I'm sure others have done the same. A kick of the ball probably in it, I'll give it to Mayo now, but us winning would not surprise me at all.

I wouldn't be surprised if Sligo won it either Owenmoresider. From my own Mayo perspective, I find it remarkable how low profile the buildup to the Championship has been at home. I'm not at home anymore and I ache in the places where I used to play but my God, I have to go back to around 1995 to think of as low profile a build-up among my circle.

The McDonald situation doesn't help, and what Moysider writes about what Martin McHugh wrote is no less sobering. Mayo should still be the favourite, but my goodness me, Sligo +6 looks a bet. It'll be a low-scoring game one way or the other, I would guess. And the weather doesn't bloody help either. :(

MAYO by 7 pts

There's an interview with John O'Mahony in this morning's Tribune: http://www.tribune.ie/sport/gaelic-football/article/2008/jun/22/relishing-a-brave-new-world/

Two bits of news. The first is that he turned down the chance to manage Mayo in 2006, which I don't think was public before. The second is that he says that last year's campaign was about giving the 2006 team their shot, and them having got that, this year has been about introducing new blood:

"You could call it a failure and I respect people who see it as that. Others said it was a hangover from the 2006 final. I can understand that too. Or perhaps it was a discovery period because I felt the players from 2006 deserved a shot and they got that. They had been in an All Ireland final so they didn't become a bad team overnight. But we all felt having won an under-21 All Ireland in 2006 and having done poorly in 2007 at senior, it was time to bring in some young guys and change things."

Johnno was always cagey. He's middling under pressure this morning though. Begod, I'm not right meself.

Fcek sake, the weather - and all my rain gear is down at home in Mayo.
Wet cold concrete benches, €100 for the day and a good soaking thrown in or live on the web ...... Hmm, will have to decide in the next hour.

Quote from: blast05 on June 22, 2008, 08:21:46 AM
Fcek sake, the weather - and all my rain gear is down at home in Mayo.
Wet cold concrete benches, €100 for the day and a good soaking thrown in or live on the web ...... Hmm, will have to decide in the next hour.

ya may as well go to the match, not the same watching it in the web.  if something spectacular happens, you can always say...'i was there'.

What s o mahony on about most of the lads that are playing today played against derry last year more spin from the master spiner any way heading to the match and we ye see what happens . Sligo at even s  plus 6 looks a good bet

Quote from: the Deel Rover on June 22, 2008, 11:34:41 AM
What s o mahony on about most of the lads that are playing today played against derry last year more spin from the master spiner any way heading to the match and we ye see what happens . Sligo at even s  plus 6 looks a good bet

C*** of a day out. You d think that by 22 of June we d get a championship day and now this. Was at a match last evening and even then the rain was making things shitty enough with the surface greasy and ball like a bar of soap. And its made at least an inch of rain since...... This could get very messy. This could be like a league game Sligonian   ;D

Well lads, does any of ye know where they will be selling the tickets before the game. it might save me an additional half our of tramping around in the rain if i knew what i was doing!. thanks

Mayo by 3.

I think you just get them at the turnstiles venter

Cheers DR. Its a dirty day, but I'd love it if they took a leaf out of the Eric Clapton book and banned the umbrellas from coming in through the gate..

Best wishes to Sligo today  ;D ::)

safe to say mike finnerty will not be commentating on the radio

No we'll have to make do with Tommy 'what's that round thing they're kicking' Marren ::)

hopefully he will be joined by "aaahh yeah mike" .

'Ah yeah' sure it wouldn't be the same without Billy

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 22, 2008, 02:10:19 PM
No we'll have to make do with Tommy 'what's that round thing they're kicking' Marren ::)

;D Should be worth a laugh or two at least

Well  we're off to a good start today - Sligo Ladies have beaten Galway in the Connacht championshop.

Let's hope the men can repeat the dose.

Hard to call this one, quietly confident we can upset the odds but at the same time, if we don't perform or play like we did in the league, we could get hammered......

Noel McGuire not to start according to Mid West . . .

What's the matter with the RTÉ "live streaming" site? My own fault for trusting the useless f**kers. >:(

Tommy Marren is worse than ger canning if that is possible.

sounds like a rugger commentator

He is awful

classic line,

"O Hara and Mcgarrity involved in a bit of Handcuffs" ???

Quote from: joemamas on June 22, 2008, 03:39:16 PM
classic line,

"O Hara and Mcgarrity involved in a bit of Handcuffs" ???

:D There'll be plenty more of them faux pas before we're finished. Gave the wrong score as well

Good man Aushtie

It makes you realise how good poor old Finno is, doesn't it? Jesus tonight. :(

I know - Mike used to drive me mad, but this guy is just ridiculously bad

Ya you can appreciate that there is some skill involved to the oul commentating alright!
Jesus very poor crowd - seven to eight thousand.
Anyone watching on RTE or Setanta Oz as well they are showing occasional live updates. Austy's point was a good un!

Its 4-1 to Mayo,

Quote
GAA Live: Mayo v Sligo: Web Only
Live and exclusive WEB-ONLY coverage of the Connacht Senior Football Championship semi-final between Mayo and Sligo at McHale Park in Castlebar.

Its just showed a clip on the Sunday game of the 4th point that scored and was at least a minute ahead of the "Live" streaming on the RTE website. All I can say is "Live" my hole. The fact that there is shit broadbad coverage around the country only adds to the disgracefull coverage.

Quote from: RedandGreenSniper on June 22, 2008, 03:48:02 PM
Ya you can appreciate that there is some skill involved to the oul commentating alright!
Jesus very poor crowd - seven to eight thousand.
Anyone watching on RTE or Setanta Oz as well they are showing occasional live updates. Austy's point was a good un!

Cheers RGS - had the telly off to concentrate on the radio

5-2 David kelly but got away with 2 hops

i'm getting it on rte.ie (i'm in england) - weird, its never worked for me before. anyone else?

Moving very well. 25 gone. Mayo 5-2 up. Gardiner has kicked away two good point chances though to prove his lack of shooting boots.
McGarrity in card trouble apparently though

me too and I am in New York.  

6-2 to Mayo the Blonde Mort

Jammy gits - not working for me

Wohoo, ya bloody legends, working for me in Melbourne on RTE.ie

TRY BOTH OPTIONS, REAL PLAYER DID NOT WORK.

Mayo peno. Andy Moran to take?

When  i click on the Watch LIVE (Ireland Only) I get

false 203351888 26678681

Penalty by Pat Harte , Mayo 1-6 0-3

GOAL ,WHY DO GOALIES DIVE ONE WAY FOR PENALTIES??

Quote from: stephenite on June 22, 2008, 03:59:00 PM
When  i click on the Watch LIVE (Ireland Only) I get

false 203351888 26678681

Same as that Stephenite. Feck it anyway

Wohoo   :)

Quote from: joemamas on June 22, 2008, 04:00:27 PM
GOAL ,WHY DO GOALIES DIVE ONE WAY FOR PENALTIES??

Something to do with quantum physics?

poor enough,

would I be taking to much of a gamble trying to watch the hurling during the non half time show.

Very surprised by the ease of how Mayo are getting on so far. Can they keep up the tempo though? You'd have to imagine there's a kick back in Sligo . . .

Goal by Trev Mort 2-6; 0-3

Sligo are dire its the Tommy Murphy for them in 2008.

Clare v Limerick has a bit of bite to it in the hurling, and a few kicks too!!!

Stop Sligo sound woeful altogether. This big performance we thought they'd have in them was off the mark . . .

Mayo don't sound too hot either - conditions sound bad but appears to be some bad decision going on

Old failings for Mayo too , their shooting of easy looking points is well off the mark.

Another Mayo goal

great goal

Just after saying how Kilcoyne will bring nothing to proceedings and he buries it - 3-6 to 0-4

3-06 to 0-04 , Goal by Kilcoyne

Bit embarrassing this as defending champions.

Watching it on the net, god a real borefest. With the weather and tempo it looks like a end of season League Match with nothing to play for. Sligo look like they are lucky to be going intro the Tommy Murphy Cup. From what i have seen from Mayo and Galway so far this year, they to look far off the mark to frighten anyone.

Thay had a shite league losing 6 of 7 games and that lack of form has carried through to today, unfortunately for them they wont have a second chance.

Mayo bad and Sligo worse seems to be the consensus.

Boring game, terrible commentator. 3-07 to 0-06

Quote from: Kerry Mike on June 22, 2008, 04:49:27 PM
Thay had a shite league losing 6 of 7 games and that lack of form has carried through to today, unfortunately for them they wont have a second chance.

Lucky for them i'd say. They look like cannon fodder.

Good to see Howley back

Yeah surprised by that. Thought he was a couple of weeks off. Haven't heard much about Nallen or Cunniffe today but they've hardly been stretched either

FT: Mayo 3-11, Sligo 0-7

3-11 to 0-7 very boring and poor game,

Move along now lads nothing more to see here.

All over 3-11 ; 0-7

Hope that's not the last we see of O'Hara - would be a sad way to see him go.

poor game , Sligo terrible.

Hope we dont have too many posts complaining about their lot for the rest of the year.

let them introduce some young blood and go out and win the tommy murphy cup.

parsons man of the match on midwest.

Couldn't watch the game on the net due to power cuts in Galway today. Listened to a bit on the radio and the commentators were saying that Sligo were brutal all over the field and looked every inch a division 4 team. That said Mayo won easily and that along with home advantage should make them hot favourites for the Connacht final now. Sure we will turn up anyway.

Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on June 22, 2008, 05:27:07 PM
Couldn't watch the game on the net due to power cuts in Galway today. Listened to a bit on the radio and the commentators were saying that Sligo were brutal all over the field and looked every inch a division 4 team. That said Mayo won easily and that along with home advantage should make them hot favourites for the Connacht final now. Sure we will turn up anyway.

And the mind games begin!  :D

One could launch into a tirade about how inept a display that was, and how some players should not bee seen in black and white again, but what's the point really? Dreadful beyond belief.

went pretty much as expected. as i said during the week i couldn't understand the pessimism of a county that has contested 2 all-ireland finals recently coming up against a side that had a poor league and is a div 4 team.

As i said before, what were you expecting? Division 4 for a reason, galway should fight better than sligo.
Sorry for sligo fans but thats the way of the world, Mayo will be in the same boat soon enough judging by the display today.

Terrible game, Mayo did enough but Sligo were useless. Hard to see Mayo getting it that handy against Galway as Galway seem to rise the physicality against us. Anyway we're in Connacht final now. I could go on and annoy the hell out of Sligonian but it wouldn't be worth my while as I realise our forwards need to improve immensely for the next day.

Quote from: mannix on June 22, 2008, 07:35:53 PM
As i said before, what were you expecting? Division 4 for a reason, galway should fight better than sligo.
Sorry for sligo fans but thats the way of the world, Mayo will be in the same boat soon enough judging by the display today.

Do you mean we ll be in division 4 or hammered by 13 points soon enough Mannix.

Quote from: Farrandeelin on June 22, 2008, 08:12:23 PM
Terrible game, Mayo did enough but Sligo were useless. Hard to see Mayo getting it that handy against Galway as Galway seem to rise the physicality against us. Anyway we're in Connacht final now. I could go on and annoy the hell out of Sligonian but it wouldn't be worth my while as I realise our forwards need to improve immensely for the next day.

Yeah we were stuck on six points for a long time today. Thought the forwards should have been freshened up sooner. If we had a forward like Mattie Forde we would have shot the lights out.

So, Mayo with 2 chances to make it to the quarters having played 1 game and without having to get out of 2nd gear. I'll take that, plus we now know that:
Parsons looks more reality than potential
Cunniffe and Boyle the same .... ish
Peadar Gardiner will be struggling
Pat Harte lookslike he can do a job for us at 11 .... albeit with the caveat that Sligo didn't bother playing a centre back that knew what the game of gaelic football was about.

In fact, i correct myself, we know nothing of the above cos Sligo were shite.  Fcek yee anyway Sligo, you allowed us to win without breaking a serious sweat and thus we are none the wiser about ourselves

Im embarrased, feel free to launch into a tirade against me and have a go, i deserve it, i had unbelievably naive belief in this team and im ashamed that they even wore the jersey. No heart no pride no passion no gameplan and no quality. Honestly thought our lads wouldnt let us or themselves down, but sure they consistently done that since galway last yr embarrased us. I wouldnt mind if they tryed but what I saw was a couldnt careless atitude.

They proved last yr was a fluke and that we were lucky very lucky. The players need to take a long hard look at themselves but sure that'll be last thing theyll do.

Get rid of JORDAN AND the selectors and start again. The best player was a Sligoman but wearing a mayo jersey, the sligo county board should be ashamed of themselves allowing that to happen. They should be ashamed of having that management team in place as well. Clueless.

Im not going to waste anymore typing on them. We deserve to be in the tm cup and Div 4. We are shite and going nowhere.

Best of luck to mayo in final, 2nd gear and still hammered us. I hold my hands up, i got it wrong bigtime and I know I look a fool, i didnt see that coming. Depressing :-[.

QuoteI hold my hands up, i got it wrong bigtime and I know I look a fool

Paul Galvin said the same thing and look where that got him, you'll have a long painful week on here Sligonian I'd say.

And like Paul Galvin there's always next year to look forward to for you ;)

Quote from: Kerry Mike on June 22, 2008, 09:10:47 PM

QuoteI hold my hands up, i got it wrong bigtime and I know I look a fool

Paul Galvin said the same thing and look where that got him, you'll have a long painful week on here Sligonian I'd say.

And like Paul Galvin there's always next year to look forward to for you ;)

I know i will but i deserve it. I was stupid to believe in our lads. Although i had to think we had some chance or else why would i bother going to see us get that hammering. One my friends said "all the money gone into this teams preparation for that, all sligo supporters should be refunded". He has a point.

Next yr Kerry mike, with div4 football to look forward too and i'll not be quite so stupid and loud mouthed. I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. :-X

A bad hammering !

Not a whole lot learnt for Mayo today. Sligo were abysmal, but Mayo were poor as well. Some of the shooting was terrible - Gardiner, Trevor Mort and Austie all had very poor wides.
On the bright side, we scored 3 goals - we have to go back to that awful day in Sept 06 for the last time we scored 3 goals as far as I can remember.
Mayo completely dominated midfield, where Tom Parsons delivered on all the potential shown in the league - he outshone McGarritty who had a pretty good game too.
Due to Sligo's inept display, we're none the wiser as to how our defence is coming along. Sligo played a 2-man full forward line so Conroy never actually played at full back. But he did fairly well around the half-backs. Boyle also did well, he stuck to his man better than in his league displays. The team as a whole were comfortable so we'll need to wait another 3 weeks to see where we are - I'd expect the Galway forwards to really test us.

Sligonian, this is probably worse than a slagging, but I actually feel sorry for you this evening. You seem to be "all or nothing" - Sligo are either brilliant or terrible. Yesterday, they were going to be brilliant.Today the reality is they were truly terrible. The Tommy Murphy cup will have no appeal to them, so 2008 is over for Sligo. A disaster of a year ever since ye won the Connacht title.

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 22, 2008, 08:56:08 PM
feel free to launch into a tirade against me and have a go, i deserve it

You don't deserve it all Sligonian. If the county team had shown half as much fight as you've shown in the weeks leading up to this game they might not have got such a beating today. Whatever about the rest of them, no-one can doubt your pride in the jersey. Besides, Mayo have been humiliated themselves often enough and recently enough to known when to leave well enough alone. And there could be another one in the post yet...

Quote from: Kerry Mike on June 22, 2008, 09:10:47 PM
Paul Galvin said the same thing and look where that got him, you'll have a long painful week on here Sligonian I'd say.

And like Paul Galvin there's always next year to look forward to for you ;)

Tarraing ar an gcéann eile a Mhichíl na Ríochta, tá cloigíní air.  ::)

Is that going to be your boys' refrain all summer Mike - "hit me now, will ya, with me Paul Galvin in me arms"?  ;D

Quote from: SLIGONIAN on June 22, 2008, 09:29:38 PM


I know i will but i deserve it. I was stupid to believe in our lads. Although i had to think we had some chance or else why would i bother going to see us get that hammering. One my friends said "all the money gone into this teams preparation for that, all sligo supporters should be refunded". He has a point.

Your some kid. So despite all your bleating for the last few weeks, your team lose 1 game and you are practically disowning them. So will you only go to games where they are sure to win? Bad and all as the team were today they deserve better supporters than you.

Quote
feel free to launch into a tirade against me and have a go, i deserve it

No problem - yee were pathetic, shite, embarrassing and every other relevant adjective; and whats worse you contributed to Mayos heightened sense  of tension in the lead up to the match and thus brought a better performance out of Mayo. What i am not going to do is talk down to you by consoling or saying if they had half your pride etc as some are doing because no matter what way that is painted, it is condescending and that is the worst insult of all, i.e.: when people are feeling sorry for you.

Sligonian,

it's time to put your bullshit talk about Parsons behind you. The kid has lived in and played for Charlestown all his life. Do you want him to change his address to one street away, to appease you.

How many young players in Sligo have made a meaningful breakthrough to the senior ranks in the last six years, since Sligo almost beat Armagh. Why didn't the county board of the time capitalise on that success. ??

Time to look inward at how you can improve instead of rehashing the same old shite about Tom Parsons. Put together a three to five year plan instead of pissing and moaning.

Moysider, my post was saying that Mayo will need to be taking the scores when they are available at a higher consistency to have any chance.Division 4 is a long fall for Mayo at the minute and not one coming soon I hope.
Sligonian, cop on, you surely realised that the league was a gauge of where you stood. It was clear Sligo were washed up, for now at least. Stand by your team like a real fan and stop whining, everyone experiences bad days, we in Mayo do and so do the mighty kerry once in a while.
Getting out of the basement next spring is vital and using new players to do it is also vital.

Might just point out that Sligo had three clear goal opportunities, unfortunately two of them fell to McNamara (who lasted 27 minutes too long) and McGowan (who should be got rid of long ago). Doesn't hide the fact of just how bad we were, nor is it encouraging for Mayo. Ye have a bit of work to do yet.

Impossible to know what level Mayo will be against us in the Connacht final as Sligo were no test for the green and red today, they were absolutely abject. I expected Mayo to win comfortably but not even as easy as it turned out.
Didn't think the standard of play was that great on either side but the Mayo men played whatever good ball was played today. Mayo midfield definitely have the beating of Galway as I don't think we have a midfield to give ye a decent game there.
Not to put the boot in while they are down but I hope that the Sligo posters who were giving out about ourselves in Galway and the Mayo posters complaining that the standard of Connacht football was at a low point during the past year will see that far from trying to take the gloss off Sligos deserved Connacht win last year, it was merely just a statement of fact about the current plight of all the Connacht counties in the general scheme of things, Sligo and the Roscommon are nowhere, Galway and Mayo very average, Leitrim will feel aggrieved that they are not in the qualifiers as I'd rate them 3rd best in the province at the moment but again no great shakes nationally.
Mayo probably have the best chance of doing something this year but I can't see an All Ireland appearance in them.

We are none the wiser after today whether the personnel are capable of producing the goods against Galway in the Connacht final. We would have been better off if Sligo had turned up to play but that cannot be helped I suppose. It's good to see that Parsons looked the real deal at midfield (according to reports from people I spoke to who were at the match).

Definitely none the wise after today but we would have taken it last week.

The weather ruined any chance of decent football and there was little or none in the game.

Conor Mort again showed that he is crucial to us. Harte and Parsons were excellent.

The positive thing with the backs is that we did not concede a goal. However bad Sligo were we still held them out and that has not always happened recently.

No motivation needed the next day - remind any Mayo player of Salthill last year and they should be chomping at the bit.

We need more bite up front and I would like to see Kilcoyne and Dillon in for maybe Moran and Gardiner. Howley in the back line would be a plus as well.

Quote from: joemamas on June 22, 2008, 10:05:13 PM
it's time to put your bullshit talk about Parsons behind you. The kid has lived in and played for Charlestown all his life. Do you want him to change his address to one street away, to appease you.

The fact is as 'the Sunday Game' pointed out last night he lives in Sligo and a Charlestown lad confirmed to me he is from the Curry parish. Thats the facts. So its disappointing that the most impressive player on the pitch was wearing the wrong colours.

Regarding the game itself we were a total shambles and the gameplan of trying to isolate 2 small lads under 5 foot 5 and try to handpass the ball all the way up the field was ridiculous and predictable. Fair play to Kelly for been the only Sligo player to win his individual battle but the forward line as a whole were brutal.

Sligonian how could you be so confident about this lot. All the pointers were there that this would could happen losing 8 of our 11 games before yesterday, small forwards who can't score, a ridiculous running gameplan which is easily defended and a manager who is out of his depth.

Blame the manager (who was good enough to bring his club an All-Ireland title, playing a much higher standard of football than what was even played in last years Connacht final) , blame Tom Parsons for playing with Charlestown, blame blame blame  ...... how about blaming your players who didn't show a set  of balls between them and just leave it at that.

Good win yesterday, way way easier than expected but it looks like Sligo just didn't have any hunger left in them after winning their first Connacht in 32 years. Once we were going to match Sligo with hunger I felt we'd win, but the fact that we were hungrier explains the annihilation. It's still hard to know where we're at because we weren't all that good ourselves yesterday and that full back line was cut open a few times, a better team would have scored at least one goal but some last ditch defending and poor finishing spared us. Unfortunately Conroy wasn't seen in full back at all so we have no idea how he will perform there, he did well out the field though.The positives had to be midfield, McGarrity looks like he is slowly getting back to his level and Parsons made a great debut, some excellent fielding by both of them. I thought Harte was pretty good as was Conor, we're going to need alot more from the rest of the forwards though if we're to give Galway a game of it. We're still a major work in progress and alot of much tougher tests lie ahead, starting with Galway where we will go in as underdogs, but that might suit us and sure we'll honour the fixture anyway and give it a lash!

its not as if parsons played underage with sligo and all of sudden transferred to Mayo.....he's been playing for mayo from underage up. who's to say that if parsons had been playing for curry he would have turned into the prospect he is, in my opinion your doing a great disservice to the people involved at Charlestown GAA club who have been major contributors into Parsons as a footballer and person.

Thats game was chronic, one of the worst games i have been at in a long time, actually the last time i said this was after the sligo v cork game last august in croker that was painful too.

Anyway heres my stab at the team ratings

Clarke 7/10, 2 gud saves, varied the kickouts well
Boyle 5/10, kelly gave him a run around, a concern for the future
Conroy 6/10, was dragged out the pitch so didnt play full back, did ok, will be a worry on the edge of the sq against meehan in 3 weeks
Higgins 6/10, nothing spectacular its a pitty we cant use him at HB and watch his forrays upfield.
Cunniffe 6/10, again like most of the backs they seemed to go about there work quietly nothing spectacular from him, sligo forwards very very poor though
Heaney 6/10, he did alrite although he didnt have to mark a man, he just sat at 6 all day, distribution is still terrible, another battle with Joyce ahead
Nallen 6/10, he did a job but it was a very easy afternoon for the mayo defense and still we were opened for 3 goals against a useless sligo team, worrying
McGarrity 6/10, he did ok without setting the game alight, needs to move the ball quicker at times
Parson 8/10, man of the match, a great prospect, a complete midfielder, he is great on the ball and the way he slipped killer in for the goal showed this
Gardner 3/10, this experiment must be over now, didnt play well at all, he is better coming from deep
Harte 8/10, got on alot of ball and sprayed it around BUT sligo had no center back at all
T Mort 6/10, didnt think he was as good as some people, you always get the same effort with T,but lacks the guile & poise to be a top forward
C Mort 8/10, we would be fecked without him, our only dangerous forward who can beat a man
Austy 7/10, at last he plays well in a c\ship match apart frm the kerry game in 05, will give him confidence for the future
Moran 5/10, very quiet all day, didnt get his hands on much ball at all, would love to see him at 10.

Quote from: blast05 on June 23, 2008, 09:44:26 AM
Blame the manager (who was good enough to bring his club an All-Ireland title, playing a much higher standard of football than what was even played in last years Connacht final) , blame Tom Parsons for playing with Charlestown, blame blame blame  ...... how about blaming your players who didn't show a set  of balls between them and just leave it at that.

The manager cannot be absolved of blame. We have played 12 games this year winning 3 against giants such as London, Galway IT & Limerick.  Last year we were organised, passionate and had a gameplan-we had none of those yesterday. County football is a higher standard (despite what blast says) than club football and he is just not up to that standard.

Just stated a fact with regard to Parsons. He is a quality player and good luck to the lad. He has more chance of winning something with the green and red.

Of course Sligo players were abject and i stated only one lad winning his individual battle. We gave in too easily and allowed Mayo run through the middle without a hand been laid on them at times. Fortunatley Mayo didn't take advantage and missed some easy chances in second half.

Was at the game and to be honest we performed about as well as I expected us too. We mixed good with bad, were a little rusty but we'll improve going forward. The thing is Sligo didn't turn up at all so we have really nothing to go on. I also thought we played our worst football near the start of the second half after Trevor got the goal. The game was won at that stage, concentration slipped and we went down somewhere near the level of Sligo. We didn't start playing again till we threw on a few subs.

A couple of other things. I've a feeling Johhno might go with a horses for courses selection in the backs this year. Our backs will be given men to mark and be told to follow them. Since all our backs are half backs anyway bringing them out the field won't really affect them. If there's a big lad in FF we'll see Conroy going in after him if it a couple of small lads we'll see Keith and Boyle in there like yesterday.
Crowd was relatively small and quite. I suppose the pessimism, the weather and the bad game didn't help.

Individually
Clarke    8   Didn't put a foot wrong today made some good saves and his kickouts were the best I've seen from him

Boyle     6   His man got a couple of points but I think he showed enough to be left there. We've no other corner backs and this game should bring him on
Conroy   7  Thought he played well, obviously not at FB but he made a couple of good interceptions and his distribution was very good
Higgins   6.5  Not a great performance by his standards but still a class player

Cuniffe   5  Didn't think he imposed himself on the game at all and only got going once the game was won. IMO the first guy for the chop when Howley comes back
Heaney  6  Hadn't much to do and did most of it well. Made an almighty mess of it at one stage in the 2nd that nearly led to a Sligo goal
Nallen    7 Thought he was our best back. Drove forward and defended well. Played the full 70 as well

McGarrity 6.5  Okay performance some good fielding and hand passing, his kicking is still poor and got booked for a stupid challenge early on
Parsons  9  Best player on the pitch by a mile. Fielded well, drove forward, dominated midfield, almost everything he did was positive

Gardiner  4.5  Would probably got a 4 only for paucity of the opposition. Clearly a wing back playing at wing forward today
Harte    8  Best game I've seen him play for Mayo in a good while. Battled well and his distribution was good.
Trevor  7.5  Played like Trevor. Got around, caused trouble, some good running and got a goal.

Conor  7.5  Would have been 8 but missed a couple of frees in the 1st half. Looked like he was feeling the leg especially after the peno. Should be tip top for Galway
Austie 6.5  Won some good ball. Kicked two great points. Missed some easy chances. I don't think he'll miss them another day and today was the day to miss them
Moran  5  The player I was most disappointed with. Didn't show any of his league form. Should be kept for the final but for a player of his class today was not good enough

Kilcoyne  7  Peader has to be worried, played well when he came on
BJP      6   Showed that he still has the hunger worthy of his place in the panel
Ronaldson, Mullins on to late to do anything


Overall not bad. I reckon we'll get better. Was looking for good performance from midfield and backs yesterday. Got it from midfield but we learned nothing about our backs.
I'd say most of that team will start against Galway. The only change I'd make is Gardiner out and Dillon in at CHF with Harte to the wing. Andy Moran has to improve but he'll know that. Kilcoyne will be first sub now I'd say after yesterdays cameo (is it me or does he always play better for us of the bench?). Backs will be given men to mark against Galway I'd say. Heaney on Joyce, Conroy on Meehan, Keith on Mattie Clancy, Boyle on t'other Joyce. They'll be told to follow them wherever they go. I think that all the backs have played their football 50/50 in the FB line and the half back line (with the exception of Jimmy Nallen) so been dragged around shouldn't bother them that much.
Of course our major defensive ploy will be to win midfield and stop the ball getting into our defence. If Galway's midfield play as bad and our midfield play as good as they did in the semi then we will win. Of course we can't really rely on that.


Also what's the story with Howley?? He was named on the bench yesterday but then so was Dillon. Did he tog? I couldn't see from my position.

Fair Play to Mayo. Unfortunately for them they didnt learn alot from the "game" . Sligo were beyound poor. Whilst Sligonian with his style of posting probably talked up Sligo to the extent that he worried the Mayo posters, the majority of the Sligo posters here were travelling more in hope that expectation. And when Sligo teams play without hunger , we are in trouble. Feel we should have are own separate thread to deal with the post mortem and consequences of this defeat for Sligo football as they go way further than Castlebar yesterday.

Best wishes to Mayo for the rest of the year. Hopefully both themselves and Galway make the 1/4 finals and indeed at the very least be very competitive at that level. Connaught football needs it as despite the great success of Mayo U21's , Galway and Roscommon minors in recent years , the senior is the showcase for the province.

Feel with Howley , Dillon , Kilcoyne (and Campbell ?? ) competing for places Mayo have every chance of winning Connaught and indeed also making the All Ireland semis. Sadly dont think they will be bridging the gap since 1951 but at least you have a chance !!

2 quick comments on issues raised this morning. I feel Tom Parsons been a Sligo man or not is irrelevant once he started playing for Charlestown at presumably the age of 8/9. Apart from Kelly , thought Donovan was the other Sligo player who performed well. Andy Moran wont meet too many better corner backs all year.

Had to rely on Mid West so just a couple of questions that those at the match might be able to answer

How bad was Andy Moran? Was he not getting on the ball at all or using it poorly when he did? In fairness Sligo have two excellent corner-backs

On the commentary Gardiner appeared to be on the ball a lot. Was his use of it poor (he seemed to shoot a couple of times - something he shouldn't be inclined to do imo)?

If Howley is going to be back for the Connacht final is it very straightforward that Heaney will move to the wing with Cunniffe losing his place?

And was it a type of game perfect for Kilcoyne to come on in - opposition beaten already and easy scores there for the taking? If so we learned nothing new with him. Until he delivers in a tight situation he's going to remain a fringe player imo.

And of the 12,000 or so crowd, roughly what percentage was from Mayo? Just curious what the interest levels are like.

I would naturally have taken this result last week. Very surprised by Sligo. I don't think Tommy Jordan is up to this standard of management but I really feel whoever came in was up against it - Tommy Brehony leaving after winning a Connacht wasn't quite a positive affirmation of where he thought this side would go this year
Good to hear Parsons has hit the ground running. It seems a lot of questions remain, though that's because of Sligo's feebleness, not anything from a Mayo end

QuoteHow bad was Andy Moran? Was he not getting on the ball at all or using it poorly when he did? In fairness Sligo have two excellent corner-backs

Moran wasn't winning the ball yesterday and when he did he had his usual high percentage of wastage. Until he is more economical in possession he is going to be an average player for us. Needs to step up and put his mark on a full championship game.

Quote[On the commentary Gardiner appeared to be on the ball a lot. Was his use of it poor (he seemed to shoot a couple of times - something he shouldn't be inclined to do imo)?/quote]

Poor use, yes. Pathetic shooting. His big problem is that he can't actually kick the ball.

QuoteIf Howley is going to be back for the Connacht final is it very straightforward that Heaney will move to the wing with Cunniffe losing his place?

I wouldn't have thought so. Didn't think Cunniffe did anything wrong, and feel JOM is a big fan. I would have thought Colm Boyle or James Nallen would be the vulnerable ones. Reckon we won't see any change 1-9 though.

QuoteAnd was it a type of game perfect for Kilcoyne to come on in - opposition beaten already and easy scores there for the taking? If so we learned nothing new with him. Until he delivers in a tight situation he's going to remain a fringe player imo.

Very much so but he was extremely hungry and determined to make a point. Against Laois and Dublin in 2006 he excelled in tight positions. In the u21 final in 2006 he was superb. He's either brilliant or average, no in between but he has bulked up, has the ability, and can also kick 45s. Ticks a lot of boxes for me. A better option than Gardiner or Andy Moran, and probably AOM.

QuoteAnd of the 12,000 or so crowd, roughly what percentage was from Mayo? Just curious what the interest levels are like.

I would have thought about 75% but it was extremely quiet. I think people were just cold, bored and wet

Quote from: Barney on June 23, 2008, 12:11:38 PM
I wouldn't have thought so. Didn't think Cunniffe did anything wrong, and feel JOM is a big fan. I would have thought Colm Boyle or James Nallen would be the vulnerable ones. Reckon we won't see any change 1-9 though.

Boyle will be the most likely to lose out but not to howley. but to aidan higgins. He was the least impressive of the backs yesterday and was standing off his man and conceeded 3 points off him. Howley will come in for J Nallen with Heaney picking up joyce.

I havent disowned my county, just some players who didnt give 100%. Sadly I have to face mchale park again this saturday to support our minors and to be honest its hard to face it so soon again. Maybe they can lift the gloom. Best of luck to them.

Im not looking for sympathy either, i was bullish last week etc... but i am aware that some sligo players read this board, i wanted them to know sligofans believe in them b4 the game, it wasnt for mayos benefit that i was spouting. Reading quotes from players had me thinking they have strong belief going into it.

I hold the management team and players equally accountable. It has to be that way and everyone has to take responsibilty.

Anyway it may take a while for the wounds to heal but we will be back someday i am sure (hopefully not 31 yrs away).

Sligeach abu.

Going to ask again

Whats the story with Howley??

Most seem to be thinking he will be back for the final. Whats the basis for this? Last I heard he was doubtful for the rest of the Championship. Unless he's come on an awful lot I'd say no change in the backs for Galway

Howley is back doing light training. He was in trackie yesterday but I think was on the programme because the whole panel was listed.

People need to get over the fact that Tom lives in Sligo. There are two mulligan lads even further in and play for Charlestown.
Look i don think having Tom in the black and white would have swang things round.
Sligo were Shite and we just have to get over it.
Best of luck to Mayo

Quote from REDANDGREEN SNIPER  'I don't think Tommy Jordan is up to this standard of management '

Eh. why so Sniper?

Quote from: kevmy on June 23, 2008, 01:32:17 PM
Going to ask again

Whats the story with Howley??

Most seem to be thinking he will be back for the final. Whats the basis for this? Last I heard he was doubtful for the rest of the Championship. Unless he's come on an awful lot I'd say no change in the backs for Galway

Howley was nt even able to do the warm up yesterday so no way he ll be up to match fitness by Galway game.

Think people are being a bit harsh on Andy Moran. He won some good hard early ball which helped us settle inc a couple of frees. His opportunism to put Trevor in which led to the penalty was in marked contrast to some laboured slow ball from frees and from play from the middle third. The distribution inside in the second half was cat as was some of the shooting. While Austin uncharacteristically caught 2 balls above his head and kicked two nice points a few other attempts were brutal [but we ll give him those because another day they d all go over] What bothered me about him yesterday is his continuing inability to see a pass and pop in fellas for handy scores. I would leave Harte where he is and play Dillon in the Austin role.

Howley will hardly be back for the final, but is a sure fire starter when he is back and fully fit, prob with boyle going to the bench based on yesterday.

Big disappointment yesterday, sligo had 1 player in kelly and that was it, a big let down and not a lot of use to mayo in the long term. Thought mayo looked fit and strong.
Was impressed by the amount of work trevor M got thru and i think he will do away with the need for gardiner, we need another forward on the pitch, he was poor yesterday
Surprised higgins and boyle weren't switched.
Was disappointed with some of the misses we had yesterday
Very impressed with kilcoyne, hungry for the ball, nearly pushed CM off it at one stage and laid it off well, really hope he can step up, nice lad but his inconsistency is his let down
Though clarke was excellent, esp his kickouts into a switching, swirling wind

Quote from: moysider on June 23, 2008, 04:03:44 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 23, 2008, 01:32:17 PM
Going to ask again

Whats the story with Howley??

Most seem to be thinking he will be back for the final. Whats the basis for this? Last I heard he was doubtful for the rest of the Championship. Unless he's come on an awful lot I'd say no change in the backs for Galway

Howley was nt even able to do the warm up yesterday so no way he ll be up to match fitness by Galway game.

Think people are being a bit harsh on Andy Moran. He won some good hard early ball which helped us settle inc a couple of frees. His opportunism to put Trevor in which led to the penalty was in marked contrast to some laboured slow ball from frees and from play from the middle third. The distribution inside in the second half was cat as was some of the shooting. While Austin uncharacteristically caught 2 balls above his head and kicked two nice points a few other attempts were brutal [but we ll give him those because another day they d all go over] What bothered me about him yesterday is his continuing inability to see a pass and pop in fellas for handy scores. I would leave Harte where he is and play Dillon in the Austin role.

Well we might be a little harsh on Andy Moran but he had a good league and he didn't perform to that level the last day. Saying that I'd defo have him starting against Galway he'd a goal threat in the inside which neither Conor or Austie really are.

I wouldn't advise playing Dillon in FF he's played there a few times and never really shone. I'd also reckon that Austie gives us a lot more than Gardiner in attack. There may be a case for leaving Harte centre forward and playing Dillon on the wing. He got his All Star at no.12 so maybe that is his best position

Quote from: kevmy on June 23, 2008, 04:13:15 PM

Quote from: moysider on June 23, 2008, 04:03:44 PM

Quote from: kevmy on June 23, 2008, 01:32:17 PM
Going to ask again

Whats the story with Howley??

Most seem to be thinking he will be back for the final. Whats the basis for this? Last I heard he was doubtful for the rest of the Championship. Unless he's come on an awful lot I'd say no change in the backs for Galway

Howley was nt even able to do the warm up yesterday so no way he ll be up to match fitness by Galway game.

Think people are being a bit harsh on Andy Moran. He won some good hard early ball which helped us settle inc a couple of frees. His opportunism to put Trevor in which led to the penalty was in marked contrast to some laboured slow ball from frees and from play from the middle third. The distribution inside in the second half was cat as was some of the shooting. While Austin uncharacteristically caught 2 balls above his head and kicked two nice points a few other attempts were brutal [but we ll give him those because another day they d all go over] What bothered me about him yesterday is his continuing inability to see a pass and pop in fellas for handy scores. I would leave Harte where he is and play Dillon in the Austin role.

Well we might be a little harsh on Andy Moran but he had a good league and he didn't perform to that level the last day. Saying that I'd defo have him starting against Galway he'd a goal threat in the inside which neither Conor or Austie really are.

I wouldn't advise playing Dillon in FF he's played there a few times and never really shone. I'd also reckon that Austie gives us a lot more than Gardiner in attack. There may be a case for leaving Harte centre forward and playing Dillon on the wing. He got his All Star at no.12 so maybe that is his best position

Thing is we re not playing a FF anymore. We have nt since Barry Moran experiment was discarded. We re playing a 2 man inside line with Austin in a withdrawn role which can sometimes see him behind his half forward line.He s not playing fullforward in the usual way. There is no doubt in my mind that Dillon would be more suited to this role than Austin. He s better on the ball and can see a pass. However he s too slow for the wing where attacking wing backs like Mullaghy would run by him. On the other hand Austin is laboured in possession and is unwilling or unable to see a pass. Of course if Austin could play inside with Conor it would solve a lot. Its a big if though. Andy could then be played on the wing instead of Gardner. That would give a forward line of -

                                                       Harte

Moran                                                                                           Mortimor


                                                       Dillon




Mortimor                                                                                              Austin.


Sorry about mentioning the war but is nt the role Austin is playing readymade for McDanger? A degree of freedom to do his own thing yet in a pivot role to pull strings and within striking distance of the posts.We were only one top class forward yesterday away from an avalanche of scores. Half of our paltry 11 points came when the white flag had been well and truly raised by Sligo. Its not too late yet ye know.

I'd agree with the possibility of switching Andy to the wing, he's a natural half forward and has a great workrate which is sometimes wasted in the corner, plus he doesn't bother the umpires often enough so it would seem to make sense. The problem is that we have any amount of half forwards and a serious lack of corner forwards. If you watch him in any club game he shows time and again why he gets picked at corner forward for the county team, if he could just bring his club confidence to the county set up. He won alot of hard ball early on as he always does and I think he had a good first half and then faded out of it, he's alot better than that though and I'd be confident he will improve the next day. Peadar on the other hand doesn't have as much room for improvement and this is one pet project that needs to be ditched, which I would think will happen when Dillon returns.