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Ewan MacKenna reporting on Twitter that McGuinness didn't even visit the Mayo dressing room after the game. Very hard to warm to him.

+1

That is true.

Neither Jim McGuinness or any member of the Donegal management team or county board came near the Mayo dressing room after the game. Turned me off him completely.

Ewan has since updated this and said that Rory Gallagher and Michael Murphy did visit the dressing room but all bar two members of the mgt team where present.

I'm sure its to do with the length of time they spent out on the pitch. Some pictures have them on the field and the stadium is empty. I'd say Mayo couldn't wait to get out. Plus McGuinness was probably in demand to head to the infamous print media press conference.

Dont know why people are making excuses. Maybe this or that.

He didnt even shake the James Horans hand after the game.

Ewan MacKenna reporting on Twitter that McGuinness didn't even visit the Mayo dressing room after the game. Very hard to warm to him.

+1

That is true.

Neither Jim McGuinness or any member of the Donegal management team or county board came near the Mayo dressing room after the game. Turned me off him completely.

[The Big Interview: Ciarán McDonald]

Nice article from Ciaran McDonald that Syferus pic was lifted from on www.gaa.ie
http://www.gaa.ie/gaa-news-and-videos/daily-news/2/3008121447-the-big-interview-ciaran-mcdonald/

The Big Interview: Ciarán McDonald

Ciarán McDonald knows what it takes to beat Dublin in an All-Ireland semi-final.
In fact he knows what it feels like to kick the winning point in an All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin in Croke Park (see YouTube video below).
McDonald, therefore, is better placed than anybody to give his opinion on Sunday's hugely-anticipated game.
Speaking to GAA.ie at a Vodafone GAA Football All-Ireland semi-final press conference ahead of Sunday's clash, the Crossmolina legend first looks back at that epic semi-final in which he played a starring role in 2006.
"I remember kicking that point and the crowd going crazy," McDonald, now 37, recalls. "I remember being seven points down and the substitutes that we put in all clicking. I remember Andy Moran's goal.
"But my biggest memory is is giving an absolutely brutal pass that Darren Magee cut out. The ball went down to the far corner of the Canal End and I said to myself, 'here we go again'.
"It went out for a 45, a combination of Clarkey (goalkeeper David Clarke) and David Brady punched it out. It just shows the thin line from one second being totally elated to making an absolute mess of things a minute later."

Mayo were famously destroyed by Kerry in the subsequent All-Ireland final and McDonald missed his big chance to crown a remarkable career with a Celtic Cross.
Still, he cherishes the memories of that All-Ireland semi-final, sacking the mighty Dubs in their own castle.
"Dublin! Dublin in Croke Park, it doesn't get any bigger. An All-Ireland semi-final with 82,000 people in Croke Park...it's just a shame it wasn't the final!
"At the time it was a means to an end, to get to an All-Ireland final and repair what was so bad in 2004. That's what I wanted.
"I remember coming off the field, I went straight to the dressing room and I was in a car going home insde 15 minutes. 'Here we are, going for an All-Ireland final.'
"And yet, a month later it was the same old same old."

Fast-forward six years and James Horan's recalibrated Mayo side are once again within touching distance of the Promised Land.
If McDonald was the star of the 2006 side, then Andy Moran was undoubtedly his contemporary until he had his season cruelly cut short by injury in the quarter-final win over Down.
McDonald is not one to mince his words and he refuses to play down the significance of Moran's absence on Sunday.
"He's one of the few fellas you can say would make any team in the country," McDonald says. "I put my hand on my heart when I say that.
"He lives and breathes football, whether it is Ballaghaderreen or Mayo. It's 24/7 yap, yap, yap. He'd probably wreck your head at times when you are around him!
"He's a go-to man. If you're a wing-back or a midfielder and you look up, I can guarantee he's the first guy who'll get in your eyeline. He's over and back the field and he wants the ball, he's the first fella they'll see. Instead of ball getting turned over, they know they've an outlet. It's him.
"Can you replace that? No, I don't think so. Who ever comes in, and we have a great 32-man panel, but it's silly to say you can replace him.
"You can play football without him, but very few offer what Andy has. He's a massive, massive loss.
"It's the same as if Alan Brogan was missing for Dublin. He makes everyone around him look better. I can't speak of him any higher than that."

Asked for his opinion on Dublin centre-forward Alan Brogan, McDonald beams with positivity. "A ball player" is his description of the Footballer of the Year. From possibly the greatest "ball player" of the modern era, it's a serious compliment.
"He's a player, he's a ball player," McDonald enthuses. "When he's on his game everybody plays better and looks better when he's on the field. Dublin look rudderless without him.
"They want him on the ball, the players want him on the ball because they know they are going to get a ball back. They'll get a good ball back.
"He'd be a massive, massive loss to Dublin but a massive plus if he starts."
McDonald has seen a killer instinct in this Mayo side under James Horan. They have scored seven goals in their three championship games to date this summer, and he argues that they will have to be equally ruthless to depose the All-Ireland champions.
"Goals win games. Mayo have realised that now. Whereas before they would have been happy to take a 30-yard point or a 21-yard tap over, they now want to work the 'keeper and go for goal. They realise that.
"I would say they now firmly believe that they have to put one or two past Cluxton to win. They know that. In the last two games they have been goal hungry.
"They have been goal hungry in the league and the championship whereas other Mayo teams haven't been. They want goals and that's the main thing, they realise that they aren't going to outpoint Dublin."
McDonald is in full flow. His reputation as being notoriously media shy and a reluctant star is hard to tally with the animated, passionate man in front of us.
It's hard to ignore, too, that he is in remarkable shape, as toned, lean and tanned as in his heyday in a green and red jersey.
The reports coming back from the west these days are that he is playing some of the best football of his life for Crossmolina. He's never officially retired from inter-county football, and while he wouldn't say no to a call from his former team-mate, he doesn't expect James Horan's number to appear on his phone any time soon.
"Would I love to put on the green and red again? I suppose every person that pulled on an inter-county jersey never wants to give it up.
"I am playing OK football. I love my club. Thanks God our club is doing well in the championship. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are doing alright.
"I am playing alright football, yeah. I'm enjoying it. Is there any chance of James Horan giving me a ring? I don't think so."
And still, he has nothing but good things to say about Horan.
"Having played with James, I know what he is all about. He did a great job with Ballintubber before he took over Mayo. He's a great manager.
"His life is solely devoted around Mayo football or wherever he puts his energy in to. The boys have rowed in with it.
"He has a great backroom team. James Nallen from our own club, who knows what it takes to be a Mayo footballer. He has instilled the belief in them that they can come out and beat Dublin and then beat Donegal in All-Ireland final."
Finally, does he think Mayo can win on Sunday? Of course he does. And he thinks they can beat Donegal in the final too.
"They are not putting in the hours that every other inter-county team is with the hope of not winning an All-Ireland title. They all want to win an All-Ireland title. They are in the last three.
"Do they fear Dublin? I'd say they don't fear anybody. They have to go out with that mentality that they are going to win an All-Ireland title and I firmly believe that they are going to get over Dublin and hatch some gameplan then for Donegal."

Its intense enough at county level with meetings and trainings so a break and being back with the clubs is no harm at all for the hunger.

Yeah I don't really like the way club championships are put into hibernation by some counties. I think good intense rivalry at club level , paticularly in the knockout phase brings a welcome change to intercounty training/challenge matches and a different challange which can only sharpen and improve our county players at this stage. As was stated earlier there's just as much chance of injury in a training match as there is in a club match.

Thats all true.

I dont follow the club scene as much as I would like, but I hear there is uproar down in Mayo regarding county players not being released to clubs on the Tuesday before club championships, some 7 day rule is not being applied? Was that the case under JOM?

Its intense enough at county level with meetings and trainings so a break and being back with the clubs is no harm at all for the hunger.

Donegal are a major bogey team for us in fact. They hammered us in Ballyshannon in the league this year. One of the flattest performances since Horan took over.

Were you in Ballyshannon deelin?

I have to agree with Lar Naparka,it'll really come down to when your sitting there in Croke Park or wherever and the ball is thrown up.....it'll come down to whoever has the hunger on the day and the drive and the determination,simple as whether it be Down or Mayo who march onto the semi final it'll be a game that both sides remember for a long time

First of all, welcome aboard; it's always nice to newcomers joining up, especially Mayo folks.
Yeah, you're right: It comes down to the size of the fight in the dog rather than the size of the dog in the fight.
I think moysider mistook what I was saying. James H has gone about building his side without fuss or bother and I can't see him doing a John O'Mahony at this stage and making wholesale changes in the hope that something clicks. Fans gasbagging about teams or individual players makes for good craic but it all comes down to those selected giving it all they've got and win. lose or draw, we can't ask for anything more.
TBH, I know most places are nailed down or at least  I hope so. Match-ups are fine too; they can be done, on the fly if necessary, without upsetting the overall balance of the team. But I do recall Pat Spillane saying that Mick O'Dwyer never bothered mentioning the opposition in any of his pre-match talks. 
Micko wanted his players to concentrate on their own game plan and let the other side do whatever they wanted. Right now, we're not at the stage where we can forget about whoever we meet but we're getting there.
Roll on Saturday......

In the real world, the hungrier team doesn't always win. Were Kerry hungrier than Mayo in 06, 04 and 97?
Were Meed Meath hungrier than Mayo in 96, were Cork all the hungrier in 89?

If hunger was all that was required, surely Mayo would have won at least one All-Ireland since 1951!
We are in a famine FFS.

People being on about hunger is loser-talk. You win if you are good enough.
If you prove good enough you are the best prepared, selected, and skilled to win the game. End of.

[A better system would have been to put O Shea at CF, and leave Barry Moran with Geraghty in the middle. O Shea would have been able to be an extra option for kick-outs, taking pressure off Geraghty who would not have to get forward and could have played as a defensive midfielder to protect Vaughan and the half back line. We would also have crowded midfield and picked up more breaks, and it would have suited Barry Moran just as much.]

I heard last night that Doherty is starting CF and Aidan O Shea is midfield, if this happens I fear for Mayo on a number of levels. O Shea wont have the legs for midfield and its unfair throwing him in there just coming back from injury, especially in Croke Park.

Doherty wont win a break at CF and is too light, in fact our whole half forward line is far too light. Would prefer to see Freeman out there, as he is more used to playing further out the field than Doherty. Consider how Doherty looked on the ball against Sligo when he came out to the half forward line, and then consider Freemans impact when he replaced him. It was like night and day. Now Doherty is no bad footballer, and playing in the corner in Croke Park would suit him, but not at CF. 

A better system would have been to put O Shea at CF, and leave Barry Moran with Geraghty in the middle. O Shea would have been able to be an extra option for kick-outs, taking pressure off Geraghty who would not have to get forward and could have played as a defensive midfielder to protect Vaughan and the half back line. We would also have crowded midfield  and picked up more breaks, and it would have suited Barry Moran just as much.
There is no symmetry to that Mayo team. It was obvious we needed forwards, our midfield was doing Ok and would have been strengthened with O Shea at 11 / 3rd midfielder and would also have left space to attack.

Now we have a huge midfield, with not much mobility. A half forward line that is far too light, and a full forward line with too much pressure on them.

I m surprised they haven t done this. It s what I was expecting until the leaks in local media on Tuesday suggested they were thinking differently.

Just thinking about it, it actually could be the losing of the game for Mayo and that wouldn't surprise me.

How on earth can Aidan O Shea have the legs for a full game in Croke Park at midfield, if he was only good enough for 15 minutes or so against Sligo? Barry Moran isnt blessed with mobility either, although he has improved as of late.

Like again, if AOS started at 11, you can always switch him to midfield if we are struggling and bring on Freeman or whoever. But the way its lined out now, you cant switch it back without upsetting the formations. It wouldnt make as much sense to bring on Geraghty for a half forward and move AOS to CF in the second half as it would take too long to settle.

Its very disheartening.

[I take Moysider's point about a left footed free taker but Varley isn't playing well and isn't that dependable a free taker to justify starting him.]

Apparently O'Connor played corner-forward in the A v B game at the weekend so it's a question of who he will play at 11 and 15. Horan appears very reluctant to move Dillon from the wing which is a pity because a lot of guys could then come into contention for a wing spot but most of them wouldn't be effective at 11. I'm thinking Richie Feeney, Seamie O'Shea, Micheal Forde etc.

Apparently they've been looking at Doherty at 11. Freeman would be another contender. That would leave Conroy and Varley battling for a corner-forward spot. I take Moysider's point about a left footed free taker but Varley isn't playing well and isn't that dependable a free taker to justify starting him. I reckon Conroy will start. Looks like Aidan O'Shea will start at midfield too. I hope he has a full seventy in him, people shouldn't expect too much though. He has missed a huge chunk of training.
game for some reason.

To clarify - I was not suggesting that Varley should start. I m still trying to figure out why he was selected for the Sligo game and the only thing that I thought maybe was going through managements head ( not mine) was that we have nobody to kick a handy free on the right. You are right in that he s patchy enough with them anyway. But they did select him for the Sligo
If they are looking at Freeman and even more so Doherty at 11 kinda goes to show that 11 is not a pivital position as things stand. Our 3 established forwards - Andy, Dillon and Kevin Mac - will be kept well away from chf and kept in the positions they ve had best form in. We ll end up with another runner/worker at 11 if Cillian goes to 15. I posted already that we re not basing our game on a traditional chf and got ate on here but we ve been going that way.  My pref for 11 at this stage would be Seamus O Sé if he s fit.

Down on the other hand have one of the best natural 11 around. Poland will be a major concern. He will bring our 6 on a tour and he has the craft to do damage. But we dont have a player that can do that at 11 so no use codding ourselves. I reckon we ll be taking a different approach - well we have been anyway.

Sorry, fair enough. I agree with you about Seamus O'Shea if he is fit but I'd prefer him on the wing. Vaughan on Poland would be a problem so I'd nip that in the bud straight away and put Boyle or, even better, Keegan on him.

Agree.

Mayo management will earn their crust in this one. Without a doubt Down have the craft and confidence to do a job unless we get it right - something we ve failed dismally to do against them at underage for years.
This is a different championship from the provinces and lose the next day you wait at least another 12 months to get another shot in the last 8. I m not sure we re in a better place than Down heading into this. It s a massive test.

I heard last night that Doherty is starting CF and Aidan O Shea is midfield, if this happens I fear for Mayo on a number of levels. O Shea wont have the legs for midfield and its unfair throwing him in there just coming back from injury, especially in Croke Park.

Doherty wont win a break at CF and is too light, in fact our whole half forward line is far too light. Would prefer to see Freeman out there, as he is more used to playing further out the field than Doherty. Consider how Doherty looked on the ball against Sligo when he came out to the half forward line, and then consider Freemans impact when he replaced him. It was like night and day. Now Doherty is no bad footballer, and playing in the corner in Croke Park would suit him, but not at CF. 

A better system would have been to put O Shea at CF, and leave Barry Moran with Geraghty in the middle. O Shea would have been able to be an extra option for kick-outs, taking pressure off Geraghty who would not have to get forward and could have played as a defensive midfielder to protect Vaughan and the half back line. We would also have crowded midfield  and picked up more breaks, and it would have suited Barry Moran just as much.

There is no symmetry to that Mayo team. It was obvious we needed forwards, our midfield was doing Ok and would have been strengthened with O Shea at 11 / 3rd midfielder and would also have left space to attack.

Now we have a huge midfield, with not much mobility. A half forward line that is far too light, and a full forward line with too much pressure on them.

Not about time we left the lad alone, the one thing annoys me about discussion board is the amount of slagging off, of players, is there any need for it, Seanie Johnston , now Mortimer, Clarke from down was getting it too last year. We forget its a amateur sport where nobody gets paid and try their hardest. All us so-called supporters hiding  behind a computer screen feel free to insult players with no regard.In reality how many of us on here would cut it at inter county level? would we get 3 on the whole board?. I can see O`Sullivan and Cooper becoming the next players in the firing line. discussion boards, twitter and facebook let people know what idiots people are sometimes, we have to look no further than joey barton and Rio Ferdinand

He brought it on himself by deliberately leaving 4 days before a provincial final, for maximum effect to cause upset to a whole squad of his piers. Deserves every criticism

[Also I don't think Knockmore men or Stephenites would feel safe attending it! If what I hear about Ballina u-21s are true, then there should be hell to play in the Stephenites.]

I hope The Pinnacle records Knockmore knocking ye out in 01 after ye won the All Ireland. That's the only time my old lad didn't rush away from any match.  Also I don't think Knockmore men or Stephenites would feel safe attending it! If what I hear about Ballina u-21s are true, then there should be hell to play in the Stephenites.

The intrigue! Do tell...

but the loss of ronaldson Mortimer Kilcoyne  inside  is really going to be felt before the end of the year .

Mark Ronadson has never started a championship game for Mayo at senior level so why are you still on about him being a "loss inside"?

Not sure Barney if Horan has been as kind to Barry Moran as some may think.  I believe Barry was treated very poorly last year.  Brought into panel...dropped....brought back into panel to give our full back practice at marking a big full forward for a few training sessions......dropped......It is more to Barry Morans credit that he kept on coming back when managment kept kicking him in the teeth.....imo

Definite credit to him for sticking at it but had he not chronic hamstring and other injuries in early 2011 and for years before that? 

I think we might find out eventually that Cian O Neill will be given a lot of credit for Barry Moran s improved fitness. O Neill is one of the best fitness/conditioning trainers in the country and we might be begining to see the benefits of his expertise. And one of his fortés is getting players with fitness issues right...

Maybe even though he quoted himself as being more of a team and skills coach and said that Ed Coughlin was responsible for strength and conditioning in last weeks paper. Id say its the testament the whole back-room team, including the physios and doctors rather than anyone in particular. Its an amazing comeback though.

Nerve racking game yesterday, Mayo made awful hard work of it. Overall I would be relatively happy with the win, considering the pressure that was put on Mayo by this weeks antics. 

Our defence was Ok in general but I thought the Mayo half back line struggled a bit. Bolye and Keegan were poor in possession, and both kicked away the ball too much, either straight to the opposition or out over the sideline. Mayo also seemed to lose a lot of breaks in the second half and it was the Sligo half forwards that were doing the damage. Would liked to have seen Richie Feeney come in to see could he settle things. Clarke was solid as a rock.

Barry Moran continues to defy critics and was brilliant all day. Geraghty did his job but Aidan definitely lifted things when he came in. 

Up front the forwards had a bad day, bar Dillon. O Connor flourished when he finally went inside from centre forward towards the end of the game. He is far happier in there. I think that Mayo's best attack would be to have O Se at centre forward allowing him to do what he did yesterday and run at defences, and link up the play. He could also be a another option for kickouts. Freeman and Conroy also had an instant positive effect when they were introduced.

Based on yesterday, for the quarters I would like to see:
McLoughlin, O Se, Dillon
Conroy, Andy, O Connor

You could always bring in Freeman at FF or CF and push O Se to the middle if our midfield tired, or was struggling. I would seriously consider starting Feeney too. 

This pussyfooting and nit-picking is boring.

Paddy Power has Mayo at 1-3 and Sligo at 10-3, are Paddy Power being arrogant?

Yes, Mayo are expected to win. Its not arrogance, so build a bridge and get over it.

Its still a dangerous game as Sligo are quietly confident and believe they can win, and why shouldnt they?
Also the episode with the little buck may have a positive or negative effect on Mayo, we will see on Sunday.

'I just told my parents and sisters about the abuse I get on twitter and they will be releasing a statement on the matter today at 2pm' Colm Parkinson

Parkinson having a right go at him over this statement from the family. Seems to be some "issue" between them. Diva's of the GAA world at war.

He also said he is blocked by the Mort on twitter. Must be some history there.