Mayo v Kerry

[Farrandeelin]

Lads, this time next week the game will be over. A tough first league game for Johnno I reckon. I can't seeing us winning the match unless Kerry are suffering a post-All Ireland hangover which I doubt it. However, it'd be nice to start off with a win seen as it's going to be a tricky league campaign for Mayo with away games against Donegal, Cork and Tyrone.

[mannix]

If JOM has a new work practice for Mayo it will be seen against kerry,I would expect a physical approach from Mayo against the top football sides like kerry and dublin,the rest you can beat by just playing football.Interestingly I seen them play sligo it and they had a couple of good new faces in the team, mickey mullins and kilcullen looked the part as county players with mullins in particular showing flashes of promise and  kilcullen showing bravery in tackles that others might not.
Expect a good game with Mayo winning because they have to.

[realredhandfan]

I would expect a physical approach from Mayo against the top football sides like kerry and dublin,the rest you can beat by just playing football.
if thats the way the Mayo management and team are thinking then they are in for a couple of bad bateings this year. 

[Tatler Jack]

I can't seeing us winning the match unless Kerry are suffering a post-All Ireland hangover which I doubt

[/b]

Bit early in the year for trying to play the underdog!!! All points to a Mayo win - more preparation than Kerry with O'Mahony fielding reasonably strong sides in the FBD. Also Kerry without Dr Crokes players. Expect Mayo to be very much up for this game as it is at home and O'Mahony's first real game in charge. Losing to Kerry in a league game could lose him a few votes come May!! Will be surprised if Mayo lose this one.

[Redgreenery]

Cant wait to get back in to the big matches! I hope Mayo get revenge on Kerry. It will be a tough game and its hard to say who'll win. But Mayo do have home advantage and JOM will want to have a great start to his first league with Mayo since he was manager of them before.

[Kerry Mike]

Should be an easy enough win for Mayo if they are focussed.

Kerry have had a tough January with a couple of weeks in Australia and a bunch of them just home and then off to Dubai for another junket so their focus will not be great as these disruptions will not have helped panel training.

Add in the new manager and backroom team which will take some time to bed in and the loss of Michael McCarthy and Seamus Moynihan (retired) Declan O'Sullivan and Paul Galvin (travelling), Cooper and Brosnan (probably out due to Crokes involvement in the club) and it will be a very weakened Kerry for the league.
I would be very surprised if we are in the running to retain the league bucket.

Interesting times ahead in the Kingdom

We might bring Sam for a look around Mayo at the weekend though 

[mannix]

realredhand fan,

I count tyrone and armagh as top teams, read my post again (like kerry and dublin).Mayo will play hard against those teams too.In national eyes Mayo are behind those 4 teams and need to win SAM MAGUIRE to be counted as anything other than chokers.Already the media are setting the poor dubs up for an awful fall by hyping them, if kerry are not as strong because of players retired or hunger or whatever it leaves it open for about 4 other sides realistically and 2 or 3 more with luck and a right draw in knockout games.

[Farrandeelin]

Tatler Jack, I always have a fear that we will end up doing badly in the league. I don't really know why that is, just never too confident of anything at this stage of the year, even with JOM at the helm!

[AZOffaly]

I'd be expecting a Mayo win here. With OMahoney on board, and a perceived revenge mission on the cards against what will be a fairly experimental Kerry side, I can't see the Kingdom beating Mayo up in Mayo.

[highking]

Also, Gooch and Brosnan wont be available due to club commitments, so the tide is drifting for Mayo. Has Andy Moran been officially apointed captain? Hard to see how he would when he cant nail down a starting position on the team!!! Any report from the Louth game.

[Tubberman]

Has Andy Moran been officially apointed captain?

I saw that on the hoganstand message board, so I would have no confidence in that story. Someone else posted that K O'Neill is captain, again unlikely I'd have thought. 

[IolarCoisCuain]

Daithí Ó Brádaigh is the boy to captain the sweet County Mayo.

[Mayo4Sam]

Daithí Ó Brádaigh is the boy to captain the sweet County Mayo.

Please god know or they'll have to re-design every flyer over on the way to dublin to get his head thru them

[Johno07]

Anyone like to share their views on what the team might be, Id say Johno will pick something close to his first 15 for this one and get the season off to a good start.

Clarke in goal

Id say he will keep Kilcullen FB, what better game to test a player than against Kerry! with O Malley and Keith Higgins either side of him the 2 best CBs in the county IMO.

Likewise I wouldnt be surprised to see the Billy Joe experiment continue, with Gardiner one wing and possibly Heaney on the other which I think is his best position plus the midfield thing didnt seem to go too well for him the last day.

David Brady and McGarrity in midfield.

Id like to see Dillon start centre forward, played there for the all-stars in the exhibition game and was supposed to have had a good one,T Mort is back to his best after a long spell of absence and should start one wing and Id have kilcoyne the other side.
Its good to see A. Campell makin an impact in the first couple of games however I still think hes a bit young and this represents a major step up in class.

Mort one corner, Austin in FF who seems to have regained his form and Id say Andy Moran in the other corner although Id like to see Kev O Neill come in at some stage providing hes fit.

So thats:
Clarke
O malley, Kilcullen, Higgins
Gardiner, BJP, Heaney
Brady, McGarrity
T Mort, Dillon, Kilcoyne
C Mort, AOM, Moran.  

[RedandGreenSniper]

Kevin O'Neill has been confirmed as captain for Mayo for 2007 with Peadar Gardiner as vice captain. Clearly the idea of O'Neill as an impact sub is out the window now so