Mayo V Kerry semi final

[AZOffaly]

In o sheas defence he slipped a couple of times and for whatever reason there was a lot of players slipping across both games today.

And yesterday. Did they relay the pitch again after that concert?

They sure did and it looks like they made an arse of it. Lost count of the number of players who lost their footing over the course of the weekend.

Apes. And if you put in long studs you'll probably get shin splints AND a torn ACL. I'd be more pissed off about this than the odd stupid refereeing decision to be honest. It must be so frustrating as a player to be unable to keep your feet because they've fucked up the pitch.

[moysider]

There's talk of McGarrity going on donaghy, I hope this isn't the case.
He's not a full back and an AI semi is not the place to try him out there, our backs have proved themselves to date and yes it'll take a plan but I'm sure James can manage that.
I know people will go back to Brady in 06 but in fairness he got away with murder because we were so far behind.
Plus I'd also say that Kerry forward line has more options now than 06, the place to beat them is at midfield IMHO

Nobody said that McGarrity is a full back, but he should be seriously condidered to go man to man on Star. If Kerry struggle in midfield and Donaghy goes to midfield, McGarrity will dominate him there too. I d say Donaghy would rather see the devil himself matching up with. While Ronan is not a conventional defender, Donaghy is not a normal full forward. Look what happened to Francie Bellew and other normal full backs. BB players have superior movement defending and McGarrity well used to Donaghy. And as Jack O  Shea has pointed out you have to contest with Donaghy and if you can often the slightest touch and he doesn t secure possession. If you allow him just get the ball you re brown bread. We don t have a recognised defender in the panel who could compete with him and get the nudge in, so lets not be coddin ourselves like we did in 06.

Anyway it should have been done in 06 with Brady starting in midfield to get stuck into Darragh and keep it tight. Some of us said it at the time and I know it was considered. Obviuosly we were proved correct within minutes. Heaney never had a hope and neither will Caff or Feeney.

[muppet]

There's talk of McGarrity going on donaghy, I hope this isn't the case.
He's not a full back and an AI semi is not the place to try him out there, our backs have proved themselves to date and yes it'll take a plan but I'm sure James can manage that.
I know people will go back to Brady in 06 but in fairness he got away with murder because we were so far behind.
Plus I'd also say that Kerry forward line has more options now than 06, the place to beat them is at midfield IMHO

Nobody said that McGarrity is a full back, but he should be seriously condidered to go man to man on Star. If Kerry struggle in midfield and Donaghy goes to midfield, McGarrity will domunate him there too. I d say Donaghy would rather see the devil himself matching up with. While Ronan is not a conventional defender, Donaghy is not a normal full forward. Look what happened to Francie Bellew and other normal full backs. BB players have superior movement defending and McGarrity well used to Donaghy. And as Jack O  Shea has pointed out you have to contest with Donaghy and if you can often the slightest touch and he doesn t secure possession. If you allow him just get the ball you re brown bread. We don t have a recognised defender in the panel who could compete with him and get the nudge in, so lets not be coddin ourselves like we did in 06.

Anyway it should have been done in 06 with Brady starting in midfield to get stuck into Darragh and keep it tight. Some of us said it at the time and I know it was considered. Obviuosly we were proved correct within minutes. Heaney never had a hope and neither will Caff or Feeney.

The bold above is the way to try to win this one. We need to win in the air in midfield which I think we can but more importantly we need to win the breaks. Mort on Galvin and maybe Freeman on Tomás. Win enough ball there and Donaghy will be brought out.

We have two good lads competing for FB, ditching both now for an experiment would be nuts and could send us backwards again.

[IolarCoisCuain]

There's talk of McGarrity going on donaghy, I hope this isn't the case.
He's not a full back and an AI semi is not the place to try him out there, our backs have proved themselves to date and yes it'll take a plan but I'm sure James can manage that.
I know people will go back to Brady in 06 but in fairness he got away with murder because we were so far behind.
Plus I'd also say that Kerry forward line has more options now than 06, the place to beat them is at midfield IMHO

Nobody said that McGarrity is a full back, but he should be seriously condidered to go man to man on Star. If Kerry struggle in midfield and Donaghy goes to midfield, McGarrity will domunate him there too. I d say Donaghy would rather see the devil himself matching up with. While Ronan is not a conventional defender, Donaghy is not a normal full forward. Look what happened to Francie Bellew and other normal full backs. BB players have superior movement defending and McGarrity well used to Donaghy. And as Jack O  Shea has pointed out you have to contest with Donaghy and if you can often the slightest touch and he doesn t secure possession. If you allow him just get the ball you re brown bread. We don t have a recognised defender in the panel who could compete with him and get the nudge in, so lets not be coddin ourselves like we did in 06.

Anyway it should have been done in 06 with Brady starting in midfield to get stuck into Darragh and keep it tight. Some of us said it at the time and I know it was considered. Obviuosly we were proved correct within minutes. Heaney never had a hope and neither will Caff or Feeney.

The bold above is the way to try to win this one. We need to win in the air in midfield which I think we can but more importantly we need to win the breaks. Mort on Galvin and maybe Freeman on Tomás. Win enough ball there and Donaghy will be brought out.

We have two good lads competing for FB, ditching both now for an experiment would be nuts and could send us backwards again.

God, that's a relief. I'm years reading on this board about Mayo's problems at full back and now all of a sudden we've two of them. Muppet a stóirín, you might be having a little bit of jam on it there.

If I were picking the team, I'd go with Moysider's suggestion. Tell McGarrity that his sole purpose for the next seventy minutes is to make Kieran Donaghy's life a misery. The O'Shea's can mind midfield. They'll be fine.

It'll be a good game, this.

[muppet]

There's talk of McGarrity going on donaghy, I hope this isn't the case.
He's not a full back and an AI semi is not the place to try him out there, our backs have proved themselves to date and yes it'll take a plan but I'm sure James can manage that.
I know people will go back to Brady in 06 but in fairness he got away with murder because we were so far behind.
Plus I'd also say that Kerry forward line has more options now than 06, the place to beat them is at midfield IMHO

Nobody said that McGarrity is a full back, but he should be seriously condidered to go man to man on Star. If Kerry struggle in midfield and Donaghy goes to midfield, McGarrity will domunate him there too. I d say Donaghy would rather see the devil himself matching up with. While Ronan is not a conventional defender, Donaghy is not a normal full forward. Look what happened to Francie Bellew and other normal full backs. BB players have superior movement defending and McGarrity well used to Donaghy. And as Jack O  Shea has pointed out you have to contest with Donaghy and if you can often the slightest touch and he doesn t secure possession. If you allow him just get the ball you re brown bread. We don t have a recognised defender in the panel who could compete with him and get the nudge in, so lets not be coddin ourselves like we did in 06.

Anyway it should have been done in 06 with Brady starting in midfield to get stuck into Darragh and keep it tight. Some of us said it at the time and I know it was considered. Obviuosly we were proved correct within minutes. Heaney never had a hope and neither will Caff or Feeney.

The bold above is the way to try to win this one. We need to win in the air in midfield which I think we can but more importantly we need to win the breaks. Mort on Galvin and maybe Freeman on Tomás. Win enough ball there and Donaghy will be brought out.

We have two good lads competing for FB, ditching both now for an experiment would be nuts and could send us backwards again.

God, that's a relief. I'm years reading on this board about Mayo's problems at full back and now all of a sudden we've two of them. Muppet a stóirín, you might be having a little bit of jam on it there.

If I were picking the team, I'd go with Moysider's suggestion. Tell McGarrity that his sole purpose for the next seventy minutes is to make Kieran Donaghy's life a misery. The O'Shea's can mind midfield. They'll be fine.

It'll be a good game, this.

Jesus wept, even by our own legendary capacity for pessimism I fail to see how pointing out that we have two good lads competing for FB is over optimistic. We just beat the AI champions and our FB line kept the likes of Donncha O'Connor and Paul Kerrigan scoreless for the 2nd half. We must have been doing something right.

[Lar Naparka]

Jesus wept, even by our own legendary capacity for pessimism I fail to see how pointing out that we have two good lads competing for FB is over optimistic. We just beat the AI champions and our FB line kept the likes of Donncha O'Connor and Paul Kerrigan scoreless for the 2nd half. We must have been doing something right.

My sentiments exactly.
Horan has been making the least possible number of changes since the Ruislip game and the positive results are there for all to see. He has been playing a blinder himself in the process.
I'm not in BS mode either. I do rate him in the same class as Jack O'Connor and Mickey Harte and, for me, they are two of the shrewdest game readers in the business.
A lot is going to depend on the tactical battle on the sideline.
I just can't see him slotting Ronan McGarrity in at full back. To do so would upset the understanding and cohesion of the entire defence, which he has painstakingly been developing. Right now, the backs are playing as a unit and if it were to come to a straight shoot out between Star and McGar, the Kerryman will hold all the aces. He will be playing in a position he is accustomed to; McGar would be like a fish out of water or a lighthouse in a bog-brilliant but useless.
I can see someone, say Trevor, drifting back to act as sweeper but I expect Horan
to do everything possible to keep the shape of the back division intact. I fully accept that Donaghy is a class player and he can trouble any defence but he first needs the ball before he can make use of it.
That ball will have to be dropped in on him from outfield for his aerial ability to come into play and it's out there the spancil must be put on him - not on the edge of the square.
"It's guided missiles he'll be wanting, ma'am, not bloody Hail Marys."
I don't see the Kerry midfielders and half backs getting the time and space to drop the ball in on top of him with pin point accuracy as happened in the '06 final.
Right now, I don't see Mcgar getting a starting place either. The present incumbents are doing grand and are well able to get stuck in and throw their weight about to good effect. I know plans have to be made to counter Kerry's dangermen but not at the expense of forgetting your own game plan.

[criostlinn]

So McGarrity is playing fullback. Kerry do a bit of chopping and changing and suddenly Donaghy is midfield and Declan O Sullivan is playing full forward. What do we do then.

[INDIANA]

So McGarrity is playing fullback. Kerry do a bit of chopping and changing and suddenly Donaghy is midfield and Declan O Sullivan is playing full forward. What do we do then.

Pray. Like most defences do when marking that kerry forward line. I think mayo people underestimate the sheer increase in class from last sunday in the kerry forward line.

If Mayo win midfield they have a chance.

If they lose midfield they will definitely lose.

Thats the key battle because kerry only need 40% possession to win.

[moysider]

There's talk of McGarrity going on donaghy, I hope this isn't the case.
He's not a full back and an AI semi is not the place to try him out there, our backs have proved themselves to date and yes it'll take a plan but I'm sure James can manage that.
I know people will go back to Brady in 06 but in fairness he got away with murder because we were so far behind.
Plus I'd also say that Kerry forward line has more options now than 06, the place to beat them is at midfield IMHO

Nobody said that McGarrity is a full back, but he should be seriously condidered to go man to man on Star. If Kerry struggle in midfield and Donaghy goes to midfield, McGarrity will domunate him there too. I d say Donaghy would rather see the devil himself matching up with. While Ronan is not a conventional defender, Donaghy is not a normal full forward. Look what happened to Francie Bellew and other normal full backs. BB players have superior movement defending and McGarrity well used to Donaghy. And as Jack O  Shea has pointed out you have to contest with Donaghy and if you can often the slightest touch and he doesn t secure possession. If you allow him just get the ball you re brown bread. We don t have a recognised defender in the panel who could compete with him and get the nudge in, so lets not be coddin ourselves like we did in 06.

Anyway it should have been done in 06 with Brady starting in midfield to get stuck into Darragh and keep it tight. Some of us said it at the time and I know it was considered. Obviuosly we were proved correct within minutes. Heaney never had a hope and neither will Caff or Feeney.

The bold above is the way to try to win this one. We need to win in the air in midfield which I think we can but more importantly we need to win the breaks. Mort on Galvin and maybe Freeman on Tomás. Win enough ball there and Donaghy will be brought out.

We have two good lads competing for FB, ditching both now for an experiment would be nuts and could send us backwards again.

God, that's a relief. I'm years reading on this board about Mayo's problems at full back and now all of a sudden we've two of them. Muppet a stóirín, you might be having a little bit of jam on it there.

If I were picking the team, I'd go with Moysider's suggestion. Tell McGarrity that his sole purpose for the next seventy minutes is to make Kieran Donaghy's life a misery. The O'Shea's can mind midfield. They'll be fine.

It'll be a good game, this.

Jesus wept, even by our own legendary capacity for pessimism I fail to see how pointing out that we have two good lads competing for FB is over optimistic. We just beat the AI champions and our FB line kept the likes of Donncha O'Connor and Paul Kerrigan scoreless for the 2nd half. We must have been doing something right.

This is like 06 all over again. At the time sadly a majority of people were bullish and thought Heaney could mark Donaghy even though it was obvious he wouldn't. They d reached an AI final and had done well with likes of Alan Brogan or Mossy Quinn or whoever but Donaghy is different and you need something different.

We might have only conceded a handful of points last few second half, but if likes of Donaghy, Gooch, the o Sullivans and Galvin get the 06 treatment it ll be the same result - lights out before half time. How McGar on Donaghy is an experiment is beyond me. Caff or Feeney is just a leap of faith and leaps of faith shouldn t happen at this level and thank God from what I ve seen from this management so far it wont.

[muppet]

A leap of faith is better than lunacy.

Caff or Feeney with McLaughlin/Freeman sweeping is the sensible way to go. 2006 is gone. That day we were cleaned at midfield and that was the source of the quality ball into Donaghy. The same happened in 2004. It is all about the quality of ball going in. Look what Andy Moran did to Michael Sheilds with good ball.

Midfield is where the war needs to be and McGarrity may well be needed there.

[moysider]

So McGarrity is playing fullback. Kerry do a bit of chopping and changing and suddenly Donaghy is midfield and Declan O Sullivan is playing full forward. What do we do then.

We plan for that. Obviously McGar is not going to end up marking Dec O S. And ye know something if DOS ends up full forward we might be doin ok. The disappointing thing here now is that people are content to approach this game in the same old way. If we do we get beat in the same old way. Like we have for 60 years thinking we were the best but putting no thought into it. Disappointing to see likes of Lar dismiss the McGarrity thing. You ve been around a bit. Just assuming that Ronan would be a 'fish out of water' marking Donaghy. Winning teams like Kerry and Tyrone are never afraid of a bold move but obviously it s too soon for us. Another 60 years maybe.

[moysider]

A leap of faith is better than lunacy.

Caff or Feeney with McLaughlin/Freeman sweeping is the sensible way to go. 2006 is gone. That day we were cleaned at midfield and that was the source of the quality ball into Donaghy. The same happened in 2004. It is all about the quality of ball going in. Look what Andy Moran did to Michael Sheilds with good ball.

Midfield is where the war needs to be and McGarrity may well be needed there.

McGarrity will be needed but unlikely to feature if he has to play club this weekend with the nature of his injury.

Even with Ronan available to mark Donaghy it goes without saying a sweeper is deployed to cut out ball. And 2006 is not gone. We re in much the same position as we were after dublin semi in 06. The Kerry team is not as good but their forwards could still kill you in minutes if you re soft enough to give them the same old. We don t have 2 good fullbacks tussling for the 1 position. Both will give it everything but in last 2 matches one of them couldn t cope with Shine and the other was stretched until switched with Cunn on Sunday.

[criostlinn]

So McGarrity is playing fullback. Kerry do a bit of chopping and changing and suddenly Donaghy is midfield and Declan O Sullivan is playing full forward. What do we do then.

We plan for that. Obviously McGar is not going to end up marking Dec O S. And ye know something if DOS ends up full forward we might be doin ok. The disappointing thing here now is that people are content to approach this game in the same old way. If we do we get beat in the same old way. Like we have for 60 years thinking we were the best but putting no thought into it. Disappointing to see likes of Lar dismiss the McGarrity thing. You ve been around a bit. Just assuming that Ronan would be a 'fish out of water' marking Donaghy. Winning teams like Kerry and Tyrone are never afraid of a bold move but obviously it s too soon for us. Another 60 years maybe.

Moysider, this all just sounds like a bit of panic to me. As muppet said the problem in 2006 was further out the field. If our half backs and half forwards perform the same the next day as they did that day, you could stick 3 Ronan's on Donaghy and it would'nt make a blind bit of difference. Your plan involves playing with 5 natural defenders instead of 6. Kerry have moved Donaghy in and out of the full forward line all year, so you say plan for this. Whay kind of plan have you in mind.

[muppet]

A leap of faith is better than lunacy.

Caff or Feeney with McLaughlin/Freeman sweeping is the sensible way to go. 2006 is gone. That day we were cleaned at midfield and that was the source of the quality ball into Donaghy. The same happened in 2004. It is all about the quality of ball going in. Look what Andy Moran did to Michael Sheilds with good ball.

Midfield is where the war needs to be and McGarrity may well be needed there.

McGarrity will be needed but unlikely to feature if he has to play club this weekend with the nature of his injury.

Even with Ronan available to mark Donaghy it goes without saying a sweeper is deployed to cut out ball. And 2006 is not gone. We re in much the same position as we were after dublin semi in 06. The Kerry team is not as good but their forwards could still kill you in minutes if you re soft enough to give them the same old. We don t have 2 good fullbacks tussling for the 1 position. Both will give it everything but in last 2 matches one of them couldn t cope with Shine and the other was stretched until switched with Cunn on Sunday.

Donaghy will get a few scores, so will Gooch and Declan O'Sullivan. A few other Kerry players will score. Each time they score, particularly early on, a section of the Mayo support will scream in panic. I hope the team and the management ignore this.

The backs job will be to keep the Kerry score down to something we can more than match at the other end. We did it against Cork, we can do it against Kerry. I don't care if Donaghy scores a hatrick as long as we score more than them.

[ONeill]

I hope a goal is celebrated like McHale's in 1981 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yZ0vbvguD4&feature=related