FBD Final - MAYO v New York - 09/10/2011

[RedandGreenSniper]

Yeah, we're a long way off our best forward line. It'll include Dillon, Andy, Alan Freeman anyway. Need to get three more from the following - Kilcoyne, Ronaldson, Aidan O'Shea, Varley, Cillian O'Connor, Aidan Campbell, Cathal Freeman, Neil Douglas, Jason Doherty. Lots of possibilities there but hard to know what lads will nail a place down. Personally I'd think our best potential front six at the minute is - Aidan O'Shea, Dillon, Andy; Killer, Alan Freeman, Ronaldson/O'Connor. But it's wide open yet. I'm picking those on the basis that we know what AOS and AK can do and they merely need to recapture that. Perhaps Campbell, C Freeman et al can step up to the mark before the summer.

[AbbeySider]

..We have to get an 11 and a 14...
...Out of those currently in the squad I would be looking seriously at Cathal Freeman but not as a corner man.

I dont understand that gra for Cathal Freeman. In my book he hasnt done anything yet this season to be considered.
He is very out of shape and isnt near match fit. I dont even think its fair on him even playing games at that level.

Regarding an 11 and 14? We have two excellent guys in Dillon and Alan Freeman and I think the forward lines should be built around them.

I think Kilcoyne did himself a few favours on Friday night. He looked dangerous and got a couple of scores from the ground which is important and scored 1-3 in total. I think Ronaldson is simply too small to be effective in the NFL and championship against regular size county teams. We may just get away with one small forward in the FF line and I think it could be Varley.

It was a poor game, both teams didnt look particularly interested and NUIG imploded in the 2nd half. Douglas and Doherty didnt stand up against a decent enough Mayo full back line so im not sure if they are ready to take the step yet.

I would see the forwards shaping up like:
Campbell, Dillon, Andy Moran
Varley, Alan Freeman, Killer

With AOS replacing Freeman for the Kerry game, but he needs a big game.

[moysider]

..We have to get an 11 and a 14...
...Out of those currently in the squad I would be looking seriously at Cathal Freeman but not as a corner man.

I dont understand that gra for Cathal Freeman. In my book he hasnt done anything yet this season to be considered.
He is very out of shape and isnt near match fit. I dont even think its fair on him even playing games at that level.

Regarding an 11 and 14? We have two excellent guys in Dillon and Alan Freeman and I think the forward lines should be built around them.

I think Kilcoyne did himself a few favours on Friday night. He looked dangerous and got a couple of scores from the ground which is important and scored 1-3 in total. I think Ronaldson is simply too small to be effective in the NFL and championship against regular size county teams. We may just get away with one small forward in the FF line and I think it could be Varley.

It was a poor game, both teams didnt look particularly interested and NUIG imploded in the 2nd half. Douglas and Doherty didnt stand up against a decent enough Mayo full back line so im not sure if they are ready to take the step yet.

I would see the forwards shaping up like:
Campbell, Dillon, Andy Moran
Varley, Alan Freeman, Killer

With AOS replacing Freeman for the Kerry game, but he needs a big game.

I admit to having a grá for Cathal Freeman. He s some way from maximum fitness but that will come. what he does have is something that few Mayo players have. Good technique, composure and good decision making. He has a radar for the game few have. I like that kind of player but appreciate that not everybody does.
I used to expect Alan Dillon to be a no. 11. It seemed to be the natural thing to happen. But I have to accept that he has done his best work at 12. Even NUIG played him on the wing the last night although he was listed as 11.No reason he can not be a hub figure at 12. Freeman had a field day against Sligo in the championship but Noel McGuire is hardly a prince of fullbacks anymore. Against Down he got little change but exploded into the game from the half forward line. Where he ends up remains to be seen but I would suspect corner forward or part of a 2 man ff line.
I would disagree with you on the small men. I also think we can only carry one and I would go for Ronaldson who I believe is more complete with a better brain than the others. But, as I expect we develop into a 2 man ff line I don t see any place for the little men. I expect Andy to be wearing 15 and playing deep enough and the likes of Campbell, Harte - if he gets back in time, Cathal Freeman, Dillon and a surplus midfielder to be in contention for the half forward line. Campbell is going to take more time to get back to where he was as an underage player but he should come on. We need his size and power. It s a shame that Michael Conroy did not get involved. If he was interested he could have solved one inside position.

[Zulu]

Yeah, we're a long way off our best forward line. It'll include Dillon, Andy, Alan Freeman anyway. Need to get three more from the following - Kilcoyne, Ronaldson, Aidan O'Shea, Varley, Cillian O'Connor, Aidan Campbell, Cathal Freeman, Neil Douglas, Jason Doherty. Lots of possibilities there but hard to know what lads will nail a place down. Personally I'd think our best potential front six at the minute is - Aidan O'Shea, Dillon, Andy; Killer, Alan Freeman, Ronaldson/O'Connor. But it's wide open yet. I'm picking those on the basis that we know what AOS and AK can do and they merely need to recapture that. Perhaps Campbell, C Freeman et al can step up to the mark before the summer.

What has AOS done? IMO he won't make it as a serious senior IC footballer

[RedandGreenSniper]

@moysider - I'd have a grá for Cathal Freeman too but I wouldn't be expecting a huge amount of him just yet. He should be allowed to come on at his own pace and if he is in the reckoning for this year great, if not, he will be next year. He has missed a lot of football so I'd be mindful of that. But a classy, rare footballer. Two footed, always does the right thing. A footballer.

@zulu With regard to AOS I'd be referring to league and championship in 2009 and Under 21 performances both last year and 09. I know that that is a different level and I know you will argue about mobility but I think Mayo will be in serious shape if an on-form Aidan O'Shea can't make the team. But in the half-forward line and not the inside line. He is best running towards goal.

[moysider]

@moysider - I'd have a grá for Cathal Freeman too but I wouldn't be expecting a huge amount of him just yet. He should be allowed to come on at his own pace and if he is in the reckoning for this year great, if not, he will be next year. He has missed a lot of football so I'd be mindful of that. But a classy, rare footballer. Two footed, always does the right thing. A footballer.

@zulu With regard to AOS I'd be referring to league and championship in 2009 and Under 21 performances both last year and 09. I know that that is a different level and I know you will argue about mobility but I think Mayo will be in serious shape if an on-form Aidan O'Shea can't make the team. But in the half-forward line and not the inside line. He is best running towards goal.

I would expect Cathal Freeman to come along quite quickly. While we can t expect a huge amount from him in the short term he is the way to go. In the two games I ve seen him last 2 weeks his brain was match fit and I suspect that physically he s not bad either. He has always been deceptive anyway. He ll always look more Dave Barry than David Beckham.

Aidan O Sé is a worry and what worries me is why he is not on-form? I always worry when a players best performances were last year or two years ago. I disagree about his best position being in the half forward line. We could not afford that. He would attack on the ball
but otherwise would not be able for it - his older brother far better for that role.

[RedandGreenSniper]

@moysider - I'd have a grá for Cathal Freeman too but I wouldn't be expecting a huge amount of him just yet. He should be allowed to come on at his own pace and if he is in the reckoning for this year great, if not, he will be next year. He has missed a lot of football so I'd be mindful of that. But a classy, rare footballer. Two footed, always does the right thing. A footballer.

@zulu With regard to AOS I'd be referring to league and championship in 2009 and Under 21 performances both last year and 09. I know that that is a different level and I know you will argue about mobility but I think Mayo will be in serious shape if an on-form Aidan O'Shea can't make the team. But in the half-forward line and not the inside line. He is best running towards goal.

I would expect Cathal Freeman to come along quite quickly. While we can t expect a huge amount from him in the short term he is the way to go. In the two games I ve seen him last 2 weeks his brain was match fit and I suspect that physically he s not bad either. He has always been deceptive anyway. He ll always look more Dave Barry than David Beckham.

Aidan O Sé is a worry and what worries me is why he is not on-form? I always worry when a players best performances were last year or two years ago. I disagree about his best position being in the half forward line. We could not afford that. He would attack on the ball
but otherwise would not be able for it - his older brother far better for that role.

Bit harsh on Cathal Freeman there in terms of appearance Moysider! To be fair he has always been a lean athlete with serious pace. Stamina will need work, as will a small bit of sharpness.
Aidan O'Shea's form last year was definitely a worry but he bounced back with a very good second half of the season with the club. We shouldn't rush to the 'same old story' view just because of one poor game in February.

[southsider]

..We have to get an 11 and a 14...
...Out of those currently in the squad I would be looking seriously at Cathal Freeman but not as a corner man.

I dont understand that gra for Cathal Freeman. In my book he hasnt done anything yet this season to be considered.
He is very out of shape and isnt near match fit. I dont even think its fair on him even playing games at that level.

Regarding an 11 and 14? We have two excellent guys in Dillon and Alan Freeman and I think the forward lines should be built around them.

I think Kilcoyne did himself a few favours on Friday night. He looked dangerous and got a couple of scores from the ground which is important and scored 1-3 in total. I think Ronaldson is simply too small to be effective in the NFL and championship against regular size county teams. We may just get away with one small forward in the FF line and I think it could be Varley.

It was a poor game, both teams didnt look particularly interested and NUIG imploded in the 2nd half. Douglas and Doherty didnt stand up against a decent enough Mayo full back line so im not sure if they are ready to take the step yet.

I would see the forwards shaping up like:
Campbell, Dillon, Andy Moran
Varley, Alan Freeman, Killer

With AOS replacing Freeman for the Kerry game, but he needs a big game.

I admit to having a grá for Cathal Freeman. He s some way from maximum fitness but that will come. what he does have is something that few Mayo players have. Good technique, composure and good decision making. He has a radar for the game few have. I like that kind of player but appreciate that not everybody does.
I used to expect Alan Dillon to be a no. 11. It seemed to be the natural thing to happen. But I have to accept that he has done his best work at 12. Even NUIG played him on the wing the last night although he was listed as 11.No reason he can not be a hub figure at 12. Freeman had a field day against Sligo in the championship but Noel McGuire is hardly a prince of fullbacks anymore. Against Down he got little change but exploded into the game from the half forward line. Where he ends up remains to be seen but I would suspect corner forward or part of a 2 man ff line.
I would disagree with you on the small men. I also think we can only carry one and I would go for Ronaldson who I believe is more complete with a better brain than the others. But, as I expect we develop into a 2 man ff line I don t see any place for the little men. I expect Andy to be wearing 15 and playing deep enough and the likes of Campbell, Harte - if he gets back in time, Cathal Freeman, Dillon and a surplus midfielder to be in contention for the half forward line. Campbell is going to take more time to get back to where he was as an underage player but he should come on. We need his size and power. It s a shame that Michael Conroy did not get involved. If he was interested he could have solved one inside position.

Has any of the performances against NUIG warranted a change in personnel for the kerry game or will the panel by largely the same. is there a trimming of the squad due over the coming weeks.

[AbbeySider]

Has any of the performances against NUIG warranted a change in personnel for the kerry game or will the panel by largely the same. is there a trimming of the squad due over the coming weeks.

The last I heard the panel was down to about 40 with 4 - 5 guys still injured and due back. The NUIG match was a bad game and not many stood out. For NUIG I have to say that Conroy, Doherty and Douglas didnt do a lot to warrant serious contention. Gardiner played well and caused problems when he came forward and ran Farrell ragged when he wanted to.

For Mayo the defence did Ok as a unit but we still haven't found a Centre Back. The forwards were all relatively busy but I dont see a forward line that small making it when it comes to championship.

Id say they will try and learn some more about the new guys against Kerry next weekend which will be a big test.

[southsider]

Has any of the performances against NUIG warranted a change in personnel for the kerry game or will the panel by largely the same. is there a trimming of the squad due over the coming weeks.

The last I heard the panel was down to about 40 with 4 - 5 guys still injured and due back. The NUIG match was a bad game and not many stood out. For NUIG I have to say that Conroy, Doherty and Douglas didnt do a lot to warrant serious contention. Gardiner played well and caused problems when he came forward and ran Farrell ragged when he wanted to.

For Mayo the defence did Ok as a unit but we still haven't found a Centre Back. The forwards were all relatively busy but I dont see a forward line that small making it when it comes to championship.

Id say they will try and learn some more about the new guys against Kerry next weekend which will be a big test.

ya some big challenges. be interesting to see the make up of the team and who horan picks to mark danger men like donaghy and cooper inside. they'll pose a different threat to down - long high accurate ball to donaghy at stages

[moysider]

Expecting very little change from the Down game. Freeman wont be there but it wouldn't surprise me if the rest start.
Most things worked well enough v Down and crucially improved as the game went on. I dont think he ll mess around with the confidence of the players by chopping and changing much now. Changes some players would take as being dropped. He has a fine balancing act between experimenting and getting some continuity going.

[mannix]

I think he could possibly drop a few if he wanted, he needs to be able to chop and change a bit without fellas getting upset.

[Farrandeelin]

Away final this weekend. Delaying a whole round of club games in the league here in Mayo...

[sans pessimism]

Away final this weekend. Delaying a whole round of club games in the league here in Mayo...

Was it not always pencilled in for this w/end Farr

[Farrandeelin]

It was, but surely some arrangement could be made to get the league over and done with.

I recall last year's County final had to be put back a week to accomodate this junket too.