Messages

[Is Horan's 70k a year worth it?]

Hard luck Mayo, 10 minutes Blitz was all that was required in the end. Dublin only scored 1-02, the same as Mayo, outside this period in the 2nd half. Unfair on Mayo to come into this match with a 1 week break.

No real sympathy for Mayo overall, always nice keeping them down.

Is Horan's 70k a year worth it? Especiaslly when Jim Gavin is only volunteers his timet to the cause. 

As fo O'Connor, if that was Connolly, imagine, just imagine the social and mainstream outrage, i will say no more but he should be off the panel, too much baggage, cant be trusted.

Where did you hear this? First I have heard about it. Can't disagree with you about O'Connor. Unfortunately,he has earned himself a hard man's reputation and I honestly think he does believe in getting his retaliation in first a lot of the time. Contrast that with Aidan O'Shea. He gets more abuse, verbal and physical than any other I can think of but he can be compared with O'Connor in this regard.
It's a pity but that's the way I see it; he has earned a bad reputation and isn't likely to get the benefit of the doubt from most referees.

I have no proof but believe my source, i wouldnt say hes doing it for nothing. I dont want to witch hunt any player and i will leave it at that Re: O Connor, i wont be opening a thread on a single player and let it run for 110 pages because he put a finger on a linesman.

Yeah but just a former player and manager right though? Your full of shit and just because that Connolly thread was bullshit or the crap about Dublin players not having jobs or conspiracy theories that Dublin players are juiced up doesn't excuse that you are full of shite and will spew and or believe any old bollix you hear about the hill 16 hate figures like O'Shea, Keegan, Horan, Andy Moran etc...
The great Randy Newman had a song called small people and you should have a listen to it you might find it interesting!!

Sorry, you will find me in the Hogan stand these days. I dont hate anyone,  i understand a lot of these guys have lives to get on with the next day, i am not like others on this forum with personal and libel attackes on players.

I do believe it should be open to the Public what managers are getting paid. It would cut out  a lot of these " rumours".

Again you are talking complete bullshit. You have no problem having a go at any Mayo player on here or anything connected with Mayo football or posting some bullshit statement about your perception of how Mayo get all the decisions from refs or more whataboutery on Mayo's finances or James Horan's supposed payments while posting all this anonymously on a internet forum and constantly sniping at Mayo but then coming out with a mealy mouthed I don't hate any county statement and sure good luck anyway blah blah blah!!
Provide some facts to back up your rumours or at least have the balls to stand by your sneaky comments and insults or just keep them to yourself. You would swear the Dubs had 68 year famine and were not going for a historic five in a row with the miserable threads, bollix bar stool philosopher posts and bullshit lies you spew about Mayo on here for the last couple of years.

Well done to the Dubs. That first 10 mins of the second half was just awesome and is the best I have seen from the Dubs ever and maybe any football team I have seen in the flesh!!

Gavin got it perfect with the way the identified how weak Hennelly's kick outs are and exposed ruthlessly this big weakness with typical Gavin military precision!! Then throw on top natural flare of Paul Mannion who kicked one of the best points I have ever seen in front of me under the Cusack stand. Fenton then topped it off with a superb catch where he soared above three Mayo men to pluck the ball out of the sky!!

Moysider summed it up well that we actually controlled the ball well in the first half like we have never really done before in a big game in Croker but I felt despite this we still seemed a little flat footed despite bringing good intensity to the game.
Unfortunately the Hennelly experiment fell well short again. Nobody would honestly argue he is a better keeper than Clarke or better player so the main argument for starting him is his better restarts! Again as happens more often than not, these better restarts didn't really appear as Robbie nervously kicked balls straight to Dublin players immediately putting Mayo on the back foot even when we were on top in the first half!! If Horan can't come up with a plan for Clarke's kick outs then he needs to look elsewhere for a keeper because you give up to much in terms of leadership, composure and goalkeeping play for the hope that Hennelly might have a rare good day with his limited range of restarts!!

We need to improve a good bit with our delivery into the full forward line as in the first half Cillian and James Carr were showing well for the ball but we couldn't work the opening for direct quick ball into them and hence the lack of goal chances created in the first half. As good a game as Paddy Durcan had in terms of defending and work rate he really needs to get his head up more and not try too hard to take on impossible scores. Also I was very disappointed on how our more experienced players completely lost composure going for impossible goals after the Dublin blitz of 1-2 instead of working easier points to keep the scoreboard ticking over which might have slowed the Dublin onslaught and mentally kept us in the game a bit longer.

Overall though I think Horan has done well introducing the younger players into the team without tearing it all down and while there will be some retirements and some more older players moved on from, Mayo can continue to evolve and improve next year and hopefully be in the mix at the business end of the championship over the next few years.

[Is Horan's 70k a year worth it?]

Hard luck Mayo, 10 minutes Blitz was all that was required in the end. Dublin only scored 1-02, the same as Mayo, outside this period in the 2nd half. Unfair on Mayo to come into this match with a 1 week break.

No real sympathy for Mayo overall, always nice keeping them down.

Is Horan's 70k a year worth it? Especiaslly when Jim Gavin is only volunteers his timet to the cause. 

As fo O'Connor, if that was Connolly, imagine, just imagine the social and mainstream outrage, i will say no more but he should be off the panel, too much baggage, cant be trusted.

Where did you hear this? First I have heard about it. Can't disagree with you about O'Connor. Unfortunately,he has earned himself a hard man's reputation and I honestly think he does believe in getting his retaliation in first a lot of the time. Contrast that with Aidan O'Shea. He gets more abuse, verbal and physical than any other I can think of but he can be compared with O'Connor in this regard.
It's a pity but that's the way I see it; he has earned a bad reputation and isn't likely to get the benefit of the doubt from most referees.

I have no proof but believe my source, i wouldnt say hes doing it for nothing. I dont want to witch hunt any player and i will leave it at that Re: O Connor, i wont be opening a thread on a single player and let it run for 110 pages because he put a finger on a linesman.

Yeah but just a former player and manager right though? You're full of shit and just because that Connolly thread was bullshit or the crap about Dublin players not having jobs or conspiracy theories that Dublin players are juiced up doesn't excuse that you are full of shite and will spew and or believe any old bollix you hear about the hill 16 hate figures like O'Shea, Keegan, Horan, Andy Moran etc...
The great Randy Newman had a song called small people and you should have a listen to it you might find it interesting!!

That is a serioursly impressive starting 15 and bench from the Dubs!

Indeed!

Die Einsatzgruppen!!

Looks like this is their 'final solution' for the upstart, underling culchies that have been a bit of a nuisance in the past.

You could well be right Moy but hopefully there is a bit of madness left in this Mayo team and we can go down fighting tomorrow!!

That is a serioursly impressive starting 15 and bench from the Dubs!

Mayo by 1
Tyrone by 4

Can we please keep the Dublin funding debate over in the Dublin GAA money thread as it has been the argument has been beaten to death at this stage?

Strong rumour that Clarkie is gone with sore ribs?

If that's true, I'll have to revisit my prediction thread.

Mayo by 6 now?

It's usually the opposition that gets a six point start when Hennelly is in goals though!!

https://www.facebook.com/JJBurkeCarSales/photos/a.604463539567886/2824914937522724?type=3&sfns=mo

Cast off?

All the Mayo lads getting free cars? Wish we had that luxury in kerry. Seanie O'Shea was driving his mother car when met him in Kenmare last week. That was a 93 Ford Cortina. Doubt he make Killarney in that.

Yerra David Clifford in his free Mazda or David Moran in his free Kia would be able to give poor Seanie a lift anywhere in the luxury he deserves!! Or Maybe Seanie is a vintage car enthusiast and the vintage road tax is a great cost saving??

The most nervy 9 point win I've ever seen!

Was very hard going for 50 or 60 minutes. In fairness to Meath, they've some really dogged backs. They frustrated the Dublin forwards in the 1st half of the Leinster final. Boyle looks like a 25 year-old at the moment. I make it that's 5 weeks in a row he's played the full game. 2 years ago he was getting hauled off after 50 minutes. James Carr and especially Andy made a big difference in the 2nd half.

The 2nd game was a level above ours in terms of quality. We've 4 starters out through injury at the moment so hopefully some of those clear up in the next 2 weeks.

in Fairness Doniee Vaughan is a new man this year too. he jas really stepped up when need to plu the holes left byy parson seamie and Ruane and even paddy durkan, these are the kinda players you need to have on your panel maybe not the best in the country but they ll let no one down,

With all the talk of injuries what the story with ger Caff? hes never mentioned an more

Picked up a calf injury while rehabing his hamstring and is only just back fully training last week. I would say he will get some game time with the club and be back in the mix fir the Donegal game.

Galway always produce decent forwards. Mayo tend to produce great backs and midfielders
Why is this  ?

Meath are never beaten either!

https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/gaa-statistics-galway-are-made-to-thwart-right-sided-mayo-1.3945927

GAA Statistics: Galway are made to thwart right-sided Mayo
Are Galway playing enough Corofin players? And why Mayo's attack is so predictable
about 3 hours ago

Eamon Donoghue


Galway's defensive system is made for predictable attacks, and that's why it holds up so well against Mayo.

In their last seven wins over Mayo – they've won seven in a row in all competitions against their Connacht rivals – Galway have conceded an average of just 0-6 from play, and only 0-12 per match including frees and the rest.

Mayo are a combative team who look to penetrate quickly, break tackles, get into scoring zones and shoot. They are powerful, brave, talented. But not patient and not balanced.

Mayo's game is about support play, often sacrificing width or shape in their gusto. They have been a great team because of their obsession with powering through the lines and ultimately through the opposition D - the heart of the defence. But it's also what makes their attack predictable, that and their lack of left-footers.

Against Armagh, Mayo started with just two left-footers. Aidan O'Shea in the middle of the park who fists more ball than he kicks. And Fionn McDonagh.

Their other left-footers who feature regularly are attackers Kevin McLoughlin – a converted halfback – and Evan Regan.

If Mayo were a kicking team you would see a lot of their play end up on the left side of the field, but as a running team Mayo players tend to gravitate towards their more comfortable right side, even after a kick from right to left. From here they'll look to break back into the centre, or if that's not possible take on a shot.

, Mayo have taken on 36 per cent of their shots from the right wing. They've converted only 15 of 31 attempts from that side, and crucially have scored only four of nine frees (and 45s) from the left-footer's angle. Because, for the large part, they have not had a natural left-footed scorer on the field.


Scoreable frees
McLoughlin missed a last-second free to rescue a draw against Roscommon, earlier in that game he hit the post with a routine effort and he kick passed another outside of the Roscommon 45.

In the win over Down, a win owed to goalkeeper David Clarke, Conor Loftus turned down two scoreable frees from the right wing to go short.

So that's the place to let them have the ball or foul them. Interestingly in the second half against Armagh when they kicked only one wide, Mayo managed to avoid taking a single shot from that right wing.

This Galway team was constructed to thwart Mayo – or allow them to thwart themselves
Against Roscommon only three of 14 shots from that side were taken by left-footers, all three were missed. Their last three shots of the match were all from that wing, again none were converted. The likes of Lee Keegan, Patrick Durcan and Diarmuid O'Connor will all have a go from the right wing, but no matter the preference this is still not the most accurate angle for a team of right-footers.

So Mayo are either running down the throat of the opposition or, if that fails, to a zone they struggle to score from. It's little wonder they are missing so many chances.

The way to break down Galway's blanket is with patience and width. Exposing the zonal marking by moving the ball and the angle of running. Or kicking the ball long right through the lines, first time. Both approaches go against Mayo's instinct.

Looking at the 2018 Connacht Championship meeting between Galway and Mayo and this year's league encounter – Mayo have had a combined 12 shots from the left flank, 17 down the centre and 22 from the right. They've scored on six occasions from the left, 10 times down the centre, and eight from the right. Converting only three of seven chances from frees and 45s on that right-hand side.

So it's clear the blockade around Galway's D forces even more play down that right side.

Kerry, or even Dublin, will come out and press with the aim of countering high up the pitch, and in doing so present Mayo with a reward for breaking lines. Galway though, they'll sit deep, frustrate, welcome them in and turn them over. This Galway team was constructed to thwart Mayo – or allow them to thwart themselves – it's what they do.

Mayo will keep going for that punching run or dink pass, or veer right and shoot. And probably miss. Changing everything though, might beat Galway, but who is closer to winning an All-Ireland?

Criticism
Since the defeat to Roscommon in the Connacht final much of the criticism aimed towards the Galway management has been for the lack of Corofin players seeing action. Corofin have won the last two All-Ireland club championships, three of the last five, and the last six consecutive county titles. However, Liam Silke and All-Star corner forward Ian Burke were the only starters against the Rossies and Burke was taken off with the game in the boiling pot. Martin Farragher and Kieran Molloy were only brought on in the dying stages.

Galway, though, have used as many of their All-Ireland club winners as any other county in their position since Antrim in 2010, when St Gall's were reigning club champions. So far this summer Galway have started four Corofin players – Bernard Power, Silke, Molloy and Burke – while Farragher has also made two substitute appearances.


A year earlier when Corofin were also champions only Burke and Molloy featured, the latter as a substitute in one match.


Dr Crokes won the club title in 2017 with Johnny Buckley and Fionn Fitzgerald both going on to make starts for the Kingdom. In 2016 Michael Dara Macauley was the only Ballyboden St Enda's player to feature for the Dubs in the championship as they won Sam Maguire.

In 2015 it was Corofin again and they had four starters once more – Tom Healy, Silke, Gary Sice and Michael Lundy – and 12 months earlier Diarmuid Connolly was the only player on a vastly talented St Vincent's team to make a championship appearance for Dublin. When St Brigid's beat Ballymun in the 2013 final, Roscommon were a Division Three team but still only three players featured for the county side in a forgetful campaign.

Crossmaglen completed a double of their own in 2012, but only Aaron Kernan, Jamie Clarke and Johnny Hanratty wore the orange of Armagh that summer. While a year before that they had five; the same trio were joined by Tony Kernan and Paul Hearty.

Eight players
The performances of the Antrim footballers tend to coincide with the availability of the St Gall's contingent, but after they won the club All-Ireland in 2010 eight players featured for Antrim (seven started) and they still went out in the first round of qualifiers.

While back in 2009 the current Dublin club champions, Kilmacud Crokes went on to lift silverware on St Patrick's day too. Paul Griffin, Rory O'Carroll, Darren Magee and Mark Davoren all started matches for Dublin that season, while Cian O'Sullivan and Pat Burke came off the bench.

So in 10 summers – starting from 2018-2009 rather than this uncompleted season – only twice have more club winners played for their county in the same year's championship than Corofin/Galway in 2019. Of those 10 winners, their county team has exited the championship in the qualifiers on five occasions, and three of them never won a single championship game. The other five all went on and won provincial silverware. Galway will hope to end that trend in Saturday's round four qualifier.

The reason for the lack of club winners filtering through to county squads?

Often promising players are actually denied the chance of nailing down a place on their county panel or team, during the pre-season and league, by their extended club commitments. And this early part of the season is growing in importance, year on year, for intercounty set-ups.

Also, a great club player is often a retired intercounty one. Some examples from recent All-Ireland club triumphs: Gary Sice (Corofin 2018, 2019), Colm Cooper (Dr Crokes 2017), Tomas Quinn (St Vincent's 2014), Frankie Dolan (St Brigid's 2013), or Oisin McConville (Crossmaglen 2012).

So while Galway's performances this summer have been hard to watch, on this matter Kevin Walsh deserves to be cut a break.

He'll know a win against Mayo is a lot more likely to lift the gloom than any explanation, though. And unless Mayo have a hidden hand to show, that looks on the cards. Again.

Cheers for posting that Seaf.
Good article and I wouldn't argue with any of it but I hope he is wrong!
Maybe all the enforced changes might mean a different outcome and slightly different approach from us but probably not so it will more than likely go down to the wire again and could be a real slugfest!!

[Out]

so right now it looks like

For Mayo

Out
Ruane
O Connor
Keegan
Jason Doherty, (hard to see him being anywhere near fully fit in a week)

For Galway

?

Apart from Duggan I woulld guess all the rest mentioned will miraciously be good to go Sat evening!!
I expect Comer to start which should reak havoc in our full back line and maybe Conroy might come off the bench for the last 10 mins. Fair play to Conroy for making such a quick recovery from such a horror injury.

Maybe we might be able to squeeze 10 mins out of Jason Doc and maybe another 10 mins out of Seami O'Shea!!

Mayo host Armagh tomorrow evening in Round 3 of the Football qualifiers at Intersport Elverys MacHale Park at 7pm.

James Horan makes four changes to this starting team with Michael Plunkett, Donal Vaughan, Fergal Boland & Mikey Murray all named to start. The players to miss out are Colm Boyle, Diarmuid O'Connor(injured), Jason Doherty & Darren Coen.

1. David Clarke – Ballina Stephenites
2. Chris Barrett – Belmullet
3. Brendan Harrison – Aghamore
4. Keith Higgins – Ballyhaunis
5. Lee Keegan – Westport
6. Michael Plunkett – Ballintubber
7. Patrick Durcan – Castlebar Mitchels(C)
8. Donal Vaughan – Castlebar Mitchels
9. Aidan O'Shea – Breaffy
10. Fionn McDonagh – Westport
11. Conor Loftus – Crossmolina Deel Rovers
12. Mikey Murray – Ballina Stephenites
13. Kevin McLoughlin – Knockmore
14. Andy Moran – Ballaghaderreen
15. Fergal Boland – Aghamore

Interesting team, Darren Coen is very unlucky to miss out, unless he has picked up an injury. Delighted for Mikey Murray he has been playing great football for the Stephenites after a run of injuries. Good to see Loftus getting a run in the team and good to see Plunkett back in at CHB.

I asked earlier have Mayo ever lost a qualifier in MacHale Park? I was greeted with silence so I presume the answer was never.

I think this will likely be the end of the road for Armagh, hard enough to beat one Division 1 team away from home never mind two and Mayo are better than Monaghan.   If Murnin,Grimley and James Morgan are out Armagh's chances of causing an upset will be much slimmer.

We haven't played many qualifiers at McHale Park. The first qualifier game I remember going to at McHale park was Cavan in 2007 which we won although all I remember from that game was Pierce Hanley playing in that game. After that I think we have beaten Fermanagh and Kildare in McHale park in 2016 so my guess would be we have played three and won three qualifiers in McHale park since the back door came in. I am probably forgetting a game or two somewhere!!

Didn't Mayo play Roscommon in a qualifier in the very early days of them in Castlebar?

The earliest qualifier game I remember going to was a loss to Westmeath in 2001 which was in the Hyde. I was living in the States for 2002 so I wasn't at any games that year and the only one that was on TV was the quarter final loss to Cork in Croker.