Mayo v Galway NFL Division 1. 7/2/2010

[moysider]

On a different note here s an interesting quote from Big Joe from todays Independent interview.

"The one thing about Galway is that they were great footballers but when they didn't have the ball, they didn't work hard enough to get it back and that's what we're going to try and get them to do. To work harder to get the ball."

Hmmmmmm. I always thought that likes of Savo Finnegan, Clancy etc used to work really hard at closing down defenders when they did nt win the ball. If fairness to Johnno he used to be bawling 'pressure' constantly from the side line. He s even got Conoreen hanging out of defenders last year. I wonder will Johnno take the bait and ate him like he did poor auld Paudí. Johnno s getting it from all sides.

Of course Johnno did not play with 8 defenders. Is that what Joe has in mind with work harder? When Forde went down the negative, defensive route it did n't go down well. Maybe Joe will be a better bully and maybe 9 years on from 01 people wll be more inclined to accept a more 'practical' approach. This could be interesting. Could we see Galway playing with 3 forwards - Armstrong, Nicky J and Meeehan say- with the rest of the team packed with defenders and dirt trackers?

Ah God, I hope it doesn't come to that. Galway are some of the great aristocrats of football. Why, it's actually a treat getting beaten by them, such is the poetry of their peileadóireacht. My Galway friends have assured me of this on several occasions. Several. Thinking about them packing defences with dirt trackers - why, it'd be like Marie Antoinette down in the kitchen, peeling praties or scrubbing floors, her eyes wet with tears. Say it ain't so Moysider, say it ain't so!

I did n't make up that quote IolarCoisCuain. Them s BigJoe's words.

Ok, let's look at the appointment of JK. Apart from the fact that he was available, there has to be a strategy in this. Remember this is the second time Galway have gone for this approach. Forde replaced Johnno when it eventually dawned on our neighbours that the game at the top level had moved on but Johnno could n't keep up. But it was too soon for the players and the supporters. Sammon, a brilliant coach of classical game soothed things for a time but classical does nt win these days. JK has not been appointed to do what Sammon did. If you wanted a coach to play poetry/ Marie Antoinette football then you could nt do better than Sammon. As good a skills coach as you could get. Yet he lasted 2 years only. What do you expect from JK? Coaches are n't flighty creatures. The players are the ones that are going to do the adjusting. There ll be lots of pratie peeling and floor scrubbing I think for lads more used to ways of the Second Estate. They ll probably be the better for it, as regards results anyway. And results are all that matter really.

[rosnarun]

i think this could be a year off for galway. If Kernan is going to transform them in to his own image of a Dirty hard hitting team full of big me it wont be done over night. I expect to see some 'strange ' selections this year as he tries to make a sow sear of somewhat of a silk purse .but there was no point in getting kernan in if it was fancy football you were after.

[AbbeySider]

I think we could be in for a good hiding from Galway. Kernan has brought a new level of professionalism to the Galway camp that would eclipse some professional soccer and rugby teams. They are working very hard for the time of year and the way they started against GMIT, racing into a 1-10 to 0-3 lead by half time and then bringing off Meehan and bringing on 5 subs to try and even things up is worrying.

Im going to say it here, Galway at 14-1 are a good each-way bet for the All Ireland. Im not saying they will lift Sam this year but you will get 7-1 if they get to the final on an each-way bet. Its very possible they will get to a semi where anything can happen. I wouldnt like to come up against them in the latter stages of the championship.

I know O Mahoney too is holding a lot of trials and had a good look at guys trying to unearth talent in the county. But I dont think O Mahoney cares about the FBD and its only being used as experimentation and trying guys in different places. In fact, I think we will see a totally different team and squad for the NFL and championship which is why I think we could be well beaten against Galway the next day. The NFL will be the true indication of how things are shaping up for the Championship.

[venter]

Im going to say it here, Galway at 14-1 are a good each-way bet for the All Ireland. Im not saying they will lift Sam this year but you will get 7-1 if they get to the final on an each-way bet. Its very possible they will get to a semi where anything can happen. I wouldnt like to come up against them in the latter stages of the championship.

Back them to win! If they get to a final they will be full of confidence, and a confident galway team with Joe Kernan calling the shots would be capable of anything!

I think it will be tight on sunday, Galway by 3. With Nallen and Heaney now retired, am I rightin thinking we have only one 30 year old in the squad?

[mckieran]

Hmmmmmm. I always thought that likes of Savo Finnegan, Clancy etc used to work really hard at closing down defenders when they did nt win the ball. If fairness to Johnno he used to be bawling 'pressure' constantly from the side line. He s even got Conoreen hanging out of defenders last year. I wonder will Johnno take the bait and ate him like he did poor auld Paudí. Johnno s getting it from all sides.

I think he was referring to the current forwards rather than the forwards you mention

[Farrandeelin]

Where are all the Galway posters? I thought this thread would have caught their imagination a bit. Seems beating Mayo isn't much for them anymore. You're right AbbeySider, maybe we should bet on them for the AI so...

[ballinaman]

Where are all the Galway posters? I thought this thread would have caught their imagination a bit. Seems beating Mayo isn't much for them anymore. You're right AbbeySider, maybe we should bet on them for the AI so...

Couldn't do it. The money would be tainted

[GalwayBayBoy]

Where are all the Galway posters? I thought this thread would have caught their imagination a bit. Seems beating Mayo isn't much for them anymore. You're right AbbeySider, maybe we should bet on them for the AI so...

Most of the Galway lads here seem to hibernate for the winter only to reapper just before the Summer. Been that way for a few years now for some reason.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I fail to understand the constant fear of Galway, as usual it will be close. Mayo win.

[moysider]

Maybe it's not so much a fear of Galway, but a realisation for even the most optimistic that things could get very ropey indeed this Spring/Summer, with little prospect of an Autumn. Not sure Galway have anything to do with it really. After the Meath disaster[ for that is what it was - no learning curve there] there s not many more shots this lot can take.

[rosnarun]

dummo what you mean by 'shots this lot can take' the mayo team is a constanyly evolving process look at team that lost in 2006
D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney (capt), K Higgins; A Higgins, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, P Harte   BJ Padden  G Brady, A Dillon; K O'Neill , C Mortimer   C McDonald 

only about 7 of that team are still on the panel .
i think we are seeing the birth of a new mayo team this year, based Aidan ose , S ose parsons K higgins G cafferkey k mclaughlin cunniffe and others that will hopefully make the grade.
you could say with nallen and heany gone BJP and AOM Awol. and  Harte and the  mort X 2 will struggle for places    and the old team are gone the rest will be replaced in the coming years and MAyo will go on, just like it always does.

[Farrandeelin]

I doubt Trevor Mortimer will struggle for a place as he is the captain for the year. I am not looking forward to this year at all to be perfectly honest with ye all. Southsidejohnny is right, I used to be optimistic, but he has dampened my expectations to unreasonable low levels. Thnigs might be better next year, but that is a long time away.

[Zulu]

Jesus lads ye'd talk yerself into a depression, what have you boys got to look forward to this year? Well, you've got division 1 football which should guarantee some cracking football, you have a good chance of retaining your Connacht title which means you have a good chance of getting to a QF at least. You also have one of the top 10 (at least) teams in the country which means that winning an AI isn't completely beyond the realms of possibility, you also have numerous good young footballers coming through. Try following a county that has no chance of seeing any of those things some time, then ye'll know depression.

JOM is doing a decent job for my money and Mayo have a decent squad which will do well but haven't got enough to win an AI IMO, still that's teh story for most counties, Galway included if that's any consolation.

[moysider]

dummo what you mean by 'shots this lot can take' the mayo team is a constanyly evolving process look at team that lost in 2006
D Clarke; D Geraghty, D Heaney (capt), K Higgins; A Higgins, J Nallen, P Gardiner; R McGarrity, P Harte   BJ Padden  G Brady, A Dillon; K O'Neill , C Mortimer   C McDonald 

only about 7 of that team are still on the panel .
i think we are seeing the birth of a new mayo team this year, based Aidan ose , S ose parsons K higgins G cafferkey k mclaughlin cunniffe and others that will hopefully make the grade.
you could say with nallen and heany gone BJP and AOM Awol. and  Harte and the  mort X 2 will struggle for places    and the old team are gone the rest will be replaced in the coming years and MAyo will go on, just like it always does.

Of course it goes on. It does everywhere but there are times it does n't just go well. I ve no problem with the players coming along but as you point out, they re hopefuls to make the grade. Birth of a new Mayo team this year? We ve been listening to this rebuilding lark for 4 years now. There s a new birth every year. Thats better than the average cow. You re talking about coming years? Last 4 going nowhere. So another 4 maybe to settle a side. Christ, a player s career does nt last that long.
Let's call a spade a spade. Talk turkey. This set up is running out of runway. I d be amazed if we dont have new management in 9 months time. Will the team have been left in a better place than it was found? Doubt it. Structures, what structures? It ll be a a brand new start and a new broom. Drawing board again.

As regards 'shots this lot can take'. I m not necessarily just talking about players. There has been hapless days in championship against Galway 2 1/2 times [last years last 10 mins collapse was a good indication of what would happen later]. Meath and Derry were as bad as any defeats we ve had last 20 years. We had older teams take beatings in semis and finals but these were  new fresh teams  bitchslapped about the place.  Only Bernard Dunne has been put on his arse more by mediocre opposition in recent times. 

[macdanger2]

Meath and Derry were as bad as any defeats we ve had last 20 years

WFT?? Were you at the 1) Cork game in 93 2) Galway game in 95 3) Kerry game in 04/06???!!! Not to mention the losses to Westmeath and Rossies in between!!!

Sunday won't tell us a lot either way - if we win, people will say "sure it's only the league" abd if we lose people will say "well if we're playing sh*te in the league then...". Galway were flying in last years league until Mayo narrowly beat them and then the wheels came off completely for them.

I fancy Galway to win this one by 3=4 points, I reckon Kernan will have them playing like Armagh except with Armstrong/Meehan/N Joyce in the inside line.

Hopefully O'Se will get a run at MF and show that he has a chance of making it at this level.