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I see some of the fans from other Counties are putting the boot in now after yesterdays defeat.  Brolly did it as well yesterday.  I don't think there is anything wrong with fans wanting success but that does not translate into EVERY Mayo fan expecting success.  I didn't think we had a team to win Sam but I was hopeful we could turn over Meath.  How is that cocky?  Connacht champions against a team struggling to find form.  Ok on the day Meath got the better of us but they didn't shame us and on another day we might have won.  That is football.

Once again we have to go back to the drawing board and hope that some of the youngsters coming through can make the step up.  Success breeds success and those lads that are used to winning in the other set ups need to be introduced to the senior panel next season.  Fingers crossed we can shake this losers tag once and for all.  

Things we need to improve on:

1:  Strength and aggression.  We are still too lightweight and for a County that produces many a giant I'm baffled as to why we can't send out a team full of monsters.  Mayo need to lose the nice guy image and get aggressive.  

2:  Mental attitude.  If we do lose a 4 point lead in a matter of seconds don't lose the head.  The game is not over.  Finish teams off when we have the chances.  Meath should have been buried after 20 minutes but we let them right back into the game.  We seem to switch off when in front and I'm a sure sport psychologist could do something about it.

we were poor in midfield.  Harte and McGarrity looked like passengers today.  

Our slow build up play allows the opposition to get back in position and as a result we resort to kicking from distance or playing too many hand passes and end up spilling it.  The injuries didn't help but Mayo were not good enough today.  Meath will give Kerry a game and good luck to them.

I'd love it to happen but I'd be very surprised if he ever did make a return to the Mayo set up.

if we beat Meath then we can focus on Kerry.  I just hope we can get there!!

some good news at last!

Long time reader of the board but I thought I'd register to enter my two cents on our latest setback.

Where do you start?

The simple things to start with that any County can take on board to improve/stop leaking points.......

1)  O'Mahony or whoever comes in to replace him has to get rid of this hand passing around your goal mouth.  When under pressure or in danger kick.  That cost us a few points on Saturday and to watch us dig our own graves by doing something as stupid bewildered me.

2)  Never EVER pick up a ball off the ground.  Heaney in the 52nd minute was put through by Billy Joe in acres of space and he picked the ball up straight off the ground.  What happened next?  Tyrone went up the other end and scored.  It would be tolerable if it was the only occasion but we must have done it 4/5 times.  Schoolboy errors which cost us territory which in turn probably cost us points.

The more difficult stuff

3) We need to identify hard men/leaders if any exist.  For too long now we are outmuscled and outfought when the going gets tough.  Tyrone hunted in three's and fought with a ferocity that I envied watching on.  I don't question the players committment but how I wished for a David Brady or K O'Neill out there.  Someone who could whisper into Parson's ear after he missed a couple of points, somebody to inspire the youngest members of the panel.  Who have we got to do that role at this moment in time?

4) We're also too soft as a GAA County - we're not street smart for the likes of Kerry and Tyrone.  They bully us off the ball, waste time e.g. tie their shoe laces to eat up time, moan at the ref etc........all the cynical things that infuriate me as a spectator - yet if we had a 1 point lead in injury time could you see us playing those kind of tricks?  No we'd start hand passing near our own gk.  We also need to develop a winning mentality, be headstrong and confident so when the pressure mounts up we're able to cope and not implode.

5)  Find some players with a bit of height.  For a game that involves hitting high balls into the air our front 3 are a little on the short side.  I'd love to see at least 1 forward with a bit of stature and height up there so that our MF and backs can bomb the ball forward instead of having to hand pass it.  Parsons did a fine job on Saturday and won plenty of ball in the middle of the pitch but wished we moved him up the field a lot sooner.

6)  Call up MAC.