Mayo v Roscommon - Connacht SFC Semi-Final, June 20, Venue TBC

[Bing Crosby .]

I expect Mayo to win this one and go all  the way to upset Galway and take Connaught this year .

[Rossfan]

Good man Bing. Nothing like settin yourself up for it 

So with 8 days to go I think it's fair to say we still havent a hope in hell of getting a result and will be content with a respectable performance and hopefully a respectable scoreboard too.

[Farrandeelin]

Good man Bing. Nothing like settin yourself up for it 

So with 8 days to go I think it's fair to say we still havent a hope in hell of getting a result and will be content with a respectable performance and hopefully a respectable scoreboard too.

I doubt Bing is setting himself up for anything. He's not from Mayo!!

[muppet]

Must you constantly knock our players?

Don't know what you mean.

Kenneth O'Malley was a very good underage. He had a major injury/illness 2 years ago and hasn't played competitive football for Mayo since. That is a big worry going into a major championship game with a rookie full-back, possibly corner-back and another corner-back being far than convincing. Look at Peter Cech. If Kenneth is right psychologically the rest just take care of itself.

Again, must you constantly knock our players?

[Farrandeelin]

Must you constantly knock our players?

Don't know what you mean.

Kenneth O'Malley was a very good underage. He had a major injury/illness 2 years ago and hasn't played competitive football for Mayo since. That is a big worry going into a major championship game with a rookie full-back, possibly corner-back and another corner-back being far than convincing. Look at Peter Cech. If Kenneth is right psychologically the rest just take care of itself.

Again, must you constantly knock our players?

It must be a Mayo thing. My dad finds fault with every single one of the players in the Green and Red. Many of them wouldn't make a junior club team if he had his way...

[IolarCoisCuain]

It must be a Mayo thing. My dad finds fault with every single one of the players in the Green and Red. Many of them wouldn't make a junior club team if he had his way...

I think it is a Mayo thing you know. Everybody wants to win the All-Ireland of course, but it's developed into a very remarkable psychosis in the County Mayo. It really has.

I've long believed Bruce Springsteen to be a Mayoman you know:

You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

Maybe this year we can finally deal. And then again...

[Barney]

Again, must you constantly knock our players?

Firstly I disagree with the use of the word "constantly".

I suppose you think the team is flawless Muppet - if management don't see what we see as supporters then we will go nowhere.

[outthecountry]

It must be a Mayo thing. My dad finds fault with every single one of the players in the Green and Red. Many of them wouldn't make a junior club team if he had his way...

I think it is a Mayo thing you know. Everybody wants to win the All-Ireland of course, but it's developed into a very remarkable psychosis in the County Mayo. It really has.

I've long believed Bruce Springsteen to be a Mayoman you know:

You end up like a dog that's been beat too much

Till you spend half your life just covering up

Maybe this year we can finally deal. And then again...

Glory Days - Don't worry - some of us still dare to dream..........!!!!

[rosnarun]

Again, must you constantly knock our players?

Firstly I disagree with the use of the word "constantly".

I suppose you think the team is flawless Muppet - if management don't see what we see as supporters then we will go nowhere.

whts this wee paleface.
each one of us have an equally worthless and meaning less opinon . we all pr downs on certain players- like yours on Liam o'malley ,our most consistant back during the league - and mine on Austin o'malley because im Right and always have been about him.(and pat harte too but thats at least partly because it winds the ballina boys up so much)

Where as management actually have to make the call ,They have the advantage of seeing all the training sessions and all the challenge games and the attitude of the players in the between times. . JOM doesnt have to rely on an opinion formed a year ago on a player who may have mature or aged a hell of a lot in the mean time not to mention losses of form or knocks picked up .
O mahony is there for next saturday and its his call . and there is nothing to be gained by bitching at this point.
if he gets it wrong there will be no one quicker than me to look for blood.
Hes a cat on his 10th life as far as im concerned

[mannix]

game will be in mchale park according to the paper today, i expect mayo to win it anyway, even in roscommon.
hope to make it to the final in july if mayo do actually win, and if this setanta thing falls apart it will be more of the radio internet service this summer.

[Lar Naparka]

I think, Iolar, you got it bang on:
Bruce Springsteen is a Mayoman in spirit if not in fact.

You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up

That's just about right; a defence mechanism kicks in and it's a case of preparing for the inevitable disappointment when the dream goes up in smoke and the long heartbreaking wait for the next season to come around  begins once more.

I can empathise with Farrandelin's dad; so could many thousands of others.
It's a case of easing the inevitable disappoint that seems bound to follow and both players and manager get slated in advance.
"Didn't I tell ye," could replace Críost Linn as the motto for so many of us!
Clouds could be covering the top of Nephin and thousands would leave the hay lying in the fields to follow the cause if there was even a tiny glimmer of hope that the end of the wait might be in sight. If not this year but maybe the next or the one after that, the criticism would suddenly stop and the pre-match villains-to-be heroes would be transformed into heroes- I've no doubt whatsoever about that.
Personally, I have no meas at all on another bloody Connacht title.
I have seen far too many of them already and so often beating a poor Galway side or and even poorer Roscommon one, seems to be the limit of our expectations. Both the team and the fans seem to sub-consciously accept this and the longer the wait goes on, the deeper it sinks into our psyche.
I expect every lad on the field against the Rossies will be giving it 110% and the same applies to the manager.
At a personal level, I find John O'Mahony to be a decent man. He is also a proud man and would dearly love to finish his managerial career with his place in Mayo's folk history secure. A lot rides on his performance this season and I hope for his own sake and for mine, that he ups his form from previous years.
(It could be a case of, "I'd never say anything against him, the thundering bo**ix!")
Seriously, I would never demand that the side should win anything- just that they go as far as their ability and luck will take them.
Don't show the white feather!

[muppet]

Again, must you constantly knock our players?

Firstly I disagree with the use of the word "constantly".

I suppose you think the team is flawless Muppet - if management don't see what we see as supporters then we will go nowhere.

I don't think any team in history ever was flawless.

I just prefer to use the carrot rather than the stick.

I prefer to talk up our team and for the record I think this lot are good enough to go all the way. Maybe not flawless but I'd rather focus on the positives and perennial pessimism irritates me. We have the makings of a real spine for the first time in a few years. Liam O'Malley isn't stranded at full back and along with Trevor Howley he offers a bit of physicality that has been missing in recent years. I see Cunniffe and Keith launching attacks from the half backs while we have two good options for route one if required.

We need Conor and Alan scoring as they do when on their game and we need maybe two others to share the scoring responsibility.

No reason for pessimism. 

[Barney]

I prefer to talk up our team and for the record I think this lot are good enough to go all the way.

Muppet I hope to God you're right. I do think that too many of our players are missing the basic skills to win the All Ireland but as you say the spine has improved considerably.

Anyway lets agree that the only O'Shea that may get their hands on Sam this year will be from Breaffy.

[Barney]

So 6 days to go. Any word on whether there was a training game this weekend?

From challenge games/injuries etc you would guess we are looking at the following line-up (slight changes from earlier in this thread). Number 4 and 7 jersies might still up for grabs.

O'Malley

O'Malley
Cafferkey
Vaughan/McLoughlin - Vaughan started against Louth. McLoughlin seemed to have been in control of this position. I see both, especially Vaughan, as wing-backs. A fully fit Keith Higgins would be welcome.

Gardiner
Howley
Heaney/Moran - Heaney has played here against Louth. Moran against Dublin. I think JOM is a big Moran fan - his work-rate is badly needed and I think he adds a leadership needed in the back line and might get the nod here. Mortimer looks like he will start in the corner.

Parsons
McGarrity

Harte
Trevor - talk of hamstrings being troublesome in the local papers is very worrying. Mind you Trevor got through a full league so hopefully he gets the deserved break from injuries.
Dillon

Conor
O'Shea
Barry Moran - this seems to be the preferred tactic for JOM. However Billie Joe or Andy Moran could get this jersey as sweepers? I think he will go for the two big men approach for this day out.

[GBXII]

So 6 days to go. Any word on whether there was a training game this weekend?

From challenge games/injuries etc you would guess we are looking at the following line-up (slight changes from earlier in this thread). Number 4 and 7 jersies might still up for grabs.

O'Malley

O'Malley
Cafferkey
Vaughan/McLoughlin - Vaughan started against Louth. McLoughlin seemed to have been in control of this position. I see both, especially Vaughan, as wing-backs. A fully fit Keith Higgins would be welcome.

Gardiner
Howley
Heaney/Moran - Heaney has played here against Louth. Moran against Dublin. I think JOM is a big Moran fan - his work-rate is badly needed and I think he adds a leadership needed in the back line and might get the nod here. Mortimer looks like he will start in the corner.

Parsons
McGarrity

Harte
Trevor - talk of hamstrings being troublesome in the local papers is very worrying. Mind you Trevor got through a full league so hopefully he gets the deserved break from injuries.
Dillon

Conor
O'Shea
Barry Moran - this seems to be the preferred tactic for JOM. However Billie Joe or Andy Moran could get this jersey as sweepers? I think he will go for the two big men approach for this day out.

Could be the team all right..for what its worth this is what I think it will be barring any more injuries...

O'Malley

O'Malley    Cafferky    Higgins

Gardiner    Howley    A Moran

    McGarrity    Parsons

T Mortimer    Harte    Dillon

C Mortimer    A O'Shea    B Moran

Very hard to know whos lining out where in the half forward line but im sure those three will be there...don't know how fit Keith Higgins is but he must be nearly up to speed now and he has been our best player the last few years so hopefully he will be ready...