Mayo v Cork. McHale Park, Sunday 25 March. 2.30

[ross4life]

I see Mayo are finally correcting the eyesore press box at McHale park where did the Mayo Gaa get the money for that?

[moysider]

I wasn't confused at all muppet

Hmmm. You know as well as I that when you put a weanling indoors for the winter, to protect it from the winter airs, and you feed it well, you expect it to gain weight than loose weight! Same for a man that does not have to forage, and is sated with beer and gravy.  Hence 'Winter well'.

[IolarCoisCuain]

I wasn't confused at all muppet

Hmmm. You know as well as I that when you put a weanling indoors for the winter, to protect it from the winter airs, and you feed it well, you expect it to gain weight than loose weight! Same for a man that does not have to forage, and is sated with beer and gravy.  Hence 'Winter well'.

Jaysus lads, what a life it would be if a man no longer had to forage but was permanently sated with beer and gravy. Damned Troika.

[Lar Naparka]

I wasn't at the Donegal match but was at the Down game and the abandoned Dublin game.

I was struck by the fitness of 3 Mayo players in particular: Conor Mortimer, Andy Moran & Aidan O'Shea.

The first two are coming back from injury and obviously worked very hard at getting themselves into great shape. The latter played Sigerson, but so did some of the others. O'Shea must have wintered very, very well.

Donegal play their 1st Championship match against Cavan on the 20th May. That is less than 9 weeks away. If they are not right for that they could be in the back door round 1 with a long dangerous slog ahead of them. As I said I didn't see the game but they are obviously well ahead of us in preparation.

We play our 1st Championship game on the 24th June. Even if it were played in Carrick or London we would be expecting a win but in Castlebar it is hard to see any other result. Realistically our target is the 15th July and the Connacht Final. That is nearly 17 weeks away.

Logically you would expect us to be preparing for that and thus we would be many weeks behind Donegal in terms of preparation. However that would apply to the work done collectively. It is a credit to the two players that were injured, and in particular Aidan O'Shea, that they showed up for the season in such good shape.

There is some comfort in what you say alright and Mayo may well be a different article when the Connacht Championship comes around. I suppose there is no merit in having the team peak early with the opening game against Leitrim so far off but getting knocked out of the league early brings its own disadvantages.

If Mayo fail to make the knock out stages or, worse still get relegated, they are going to be facing into a very long period without a competitive match to keep them focussed.
A win next Sunday would ease a lot of potential problems for all concerned.
I wasn't at the game against Donegal but going by what I've heard and by James Horan's comments afterwards, there are serious limitations to be attended to.
Going by James, Mayo scored only four points from play, converted 8 out of 16 frees and gave away 35 turnovers during the course of the game. Not championship-winning stuff by any means but at least he's pragmatic enough to acknowledge that he has problems to attend to.
WE just don't seem to have anyone with the confidence and cojones top rally the troops when the going gets tough.  I expect great things from Cilliian OP'Connor this year and I feel Aidan O'Shea willl also make his presence felt but, those apart, Mayo are still very much dependent on lads who were around in 2004, never mind 2006.

Having said all that, I think Sunday's game is eminently winnable and a good performance here will make each of the ones yet to come less daunting prospects.
But who is going to take the game by the proverbial scruff of the neck??

[Sam2011]

Mayo team:
1) David Clarke
18)Colm O'Boyle
3) Ger Cafferkey
4)Keith Higgins
5)Lee Kegan
6)Donal Vaughan
7)Shane McHale
8 ) Seamus O'Shea
9)Barry Moran
10)Kevin McLoughlin
11)Cillian O'Connor
12)Alan Dillon
13)Alan Freeman
14)Andy Moran
15)Michael Conroy

16)Robert Hennelly
17)Eoghan O'Reilly
2)Kevin Keane
19)Peadar Gardiner
20)Danny Geraghty
21)Jason Gibbons
22)Pat Heate
23)Jason Doherty
24)Aidan Campbell
25)Conor Mortimer
26)Enda Varley
27)Evan Regan

6 changes to the team that beat Cork last summer.
4 changes to the team that lost to Donegal last weekend.

[Sam2011]

The two Feeneys are suspended from the panel and apparently James Nallen has walked. Anyone know whats going on with the Mayo management and players?
Feeneys are a huge loss especially Richie as he has been one of our best players so far this year.
Also if Nallen has left he will be a big loss as he has done a lot of work with our backs.
2012 is not looking so bright after all. 

[muppet]

The two Feeneys are suspended from the panel and apparently James Nallen has walked. Anyone know whats going on with the Mayo management and players?
Feeneys are a huge loss especially Richie as he has been one of our best players so far this year.
Also if Nallen has left he will be a big loss as he has done a lot of work with our backs.
2012 is not looking so bright after all.

WTF? Where did you hear that? Any links?

[Sam2011]

The two Feeneys are suspended from the panel and apparently James Nallen has walked. Anyone know whats going on with the Mayo management and players?
Feeneys are a huge loss especially Richie as he has been one of our best players so far this year.
Also if Nallen has left he will be a big loss as he has done a lot of work with our backs.
2012 is not looking so bright after all.

WTF? Where did you hear that? Any links?

I seen it on Willie Joe's Mayo GAA Blog that it was because of disciplinary issues.

[Tubberman]

Has it been confirmed that Nllen has left the setup?? Things getting a bit worrying

[Farrandeelin]

After tonight's results in Division 1, I am seriously worried about the Mayo team. I know people will harp on about that it's only the league and if we go down it's not the end of the world. I hope the management switch Shane McHale and Colm Boyle early on or else it could be a difficult NFL debut for McHale. (Or a disastrous one)

If this is true about Nallen walking away, (the two Feeneys is confirmed apparently) then things are truely fucked up worse than we all imagine and last weekend's disastrous showing may not be a once off after all. I wonder what disciplinary issues are the Feeneys suspended for anyway? It's not as if we're riding high at the moment. We need all hands to the wheel.

[Sam2011]

I don't know anymore about the Feeney's or Nallen than what I seen on Willie Joe's blog.
Also heard during the week that the Mayo team were drinking the night before the Donegal game but I don't buy into that rumor I think or hope anyway they have more pride for their county than that.
Worrying times indeed for Mayo GAA ahead but hopefully this time tomorrow it will be a bit brighter.

[moysider]

After tonight's results in Division 1, I am seriously worried about the Mayo team. I know people will harp on about that it's only the league and if we go down it's not the end of the world. I hope the management switch Shane McHale and Colm Boyle early on or else it could be a difficult NFL debut for McHale. (Or a disastrous one)

If this is true about Nallen walking away, (the two Feeneys is confirmed apparently) then things are truely fucked up worse than we all imagine and last weekend's disastrous showing may not be a once off after all. I wonder what disciplinary issues are the Feeneys suspended for anyway? It's not as if we're riding high at the moment. We need all hands to the wheel.

There is no way that the backs can play in the positions selected. Boyle is a 5 at county level and McHale a 3 or possibly a 2/4 if he s marking a big player. For the life of me I can t understand why McHale wasn t brought in against Donegal to see could he cope any better v Murphy.

As regards Ballyshannon being a once off. It can only be a once off if that team is never selected again first of all. That team would collapse every day out. Even with many personnel changes before championship somebody has to set up the team. Whoever decided on last weeks selection and tactics/non tactics needs to have a long hard look at the tape of the game.

The other Feeney and Nallen stuff is not good to be hearing about. The drinking shite story in Sligo is unbelievable. For decades I ve listened to Mayo failings being blamed on beer. It s time to start looking for our problems on the field. Not in imaginary drinking sessions. Besides they probably would have played better if they had been drinking! There is no way there was drinking involved. I could confirm it or otherwise in a quick call but I wouldn t want to do that.

Going off the point a bit. I remember a football legend pulling a door off its hinges in a Ballina hotel bar when his management tried to get him to go to bed the Saturday night before a league match. Their county board gladly payed the damages. He gave an exhibition the following day back in the Stephenites. He was not a Mayo player. He was one of the best players I ever saw play. Top 1 -5 anyway.  Maybe it s not too for off the mark.

Drinking has nothing to do with it. Worse still it as an example of an anonymous texter having his/her bogus or real being read out on local radio - Galwaybay fm in this case I believe.  I m sure we have a lawyer. We have a licenced radio and a mobile number as well. I assume. Galwabay hardly read out a text from a hidden number? Or did they?  If they did they should be shut down for being assholes.

[diehard]

I think todays match is at 2 not 2:30.  Am I right?

[stephenite]

Going off the point a bit. I remember a football legend pulling a door off its hinges in a Ballina hotel bar when his management tried to get him to go to bed the Saturday night before a league match. Their county board gladly payed the damages. He gave an exhibition the following day back in the Stephenites. He was not a Mayo player. He was one of the best players I ever saw play. Top 1 -5 anyway.  Maybe it s not too for off the mark.

When was this? I'd imagine it wasn't in the last 10 years?

Players with natural talent used to flourish because of the dross they were up against, doesn't work
Iike that anymore surely?

[Tubberman]

Jimmy Nallen is on the sideline according to Club Mayo