Down v Mayo, Sat 9th March, Páirc Esler - Newry

[Farrandeelin]

Don't know YET if I'll make it or not. More than likely won't. But it is turning out to be a do or die for both teams if both want to remain in Division 1 in 2014.

[Farrandeelin]

Oy maigh eo. No need to start another thread... Plus this has the right date How do people think it will go?

[Lar Naparka]

Yeah, if Mayo lose this they will have to depend on others losing matches if they are to stay up. i mean their points tally at the end won't be enough to secure them a place in the top division next year. They've a couple of hard matches to come yet and a win on Saturday might ease the pressure a biteen on Horan and the players.

[mayo.mick]

Its a must win match Saturday evening up in Newry. We were in a similer position last year if I remember rightly. Facing relegation at one stage but ending up in the final!

[ardtole]

Big game for Down as well on Sat evening. Our results haven't been great but there is a bit of optimism that we are getting things together and I fancy us to edge Mayo and gain a small bit of revenge for the thumping in Croke Park during the summer.

[maigheo]

Oy maigh eo. No need to start another thread... Plus this has the right date How do people think it will go?

I think if you look at the time that both threads were started I  beat you to it Farr, and you are right I did get the date wrong .edit;I was 2 days late,sorry.

[moysider]

Oy maigh eo. No need to start another thread... Plus this has the right date How do people think it will go?

I think if you look at the time that both threads were started I  beat you to it Farr, and you are right I did get the date wrong

Think your wrong maigheo. Farr's attempt at raising a gallop on this one had slipped to page 2 before you started yours - I think. f**k it, not that it matters - nobody really seems to be bothered really.

As regards how do I think it will go? Not a clue but as usual I expect badly!

After all, it s 'ony the league'. It looks like its more important that Mayo avoid reaching play-offs/final than avoid relegation! That's a bit of a tightrope, but the reality is that Mayo is just winging it like we usually do. It may work out - it may not.

Having seen the first 3 matches - 2 there/ 1 on Setanta - it s difficult to see what we re doing. We re persisting with the same shape that was a disaster in AI final. Top heavy ff line with no space and our fb line exposed for lack of cover. We also nearly lost a huge lead in AI semi (injuries were a factor) because of our reluctance to get real and drop players behind the ball and defend a golden advantage. In fact the late Tyrone penalty a few weeks ago shows how naive we are when it comes down to it. A worrying habit is there and management are the bottom line. Only for Kerry were so poor we d be on zero points.

I know lads train and all that, but the selection and at least one replacement the last day, suggested that the management are more interested keeping everybody sweet ( there s an annoying lobby in the county to try and get players that just are not there)  than sweating over points.

[macdanger2]

Yeah, if Mayo lose this they will have to depend on others losing matches if they are to stay up. i mean their points tally at the end won't be enough to secure them a place in the top division next year.

You need to check the maths there Lar, a loss here would drag us into the battle for relegation but it would still be in our own hands esp with two home games coming up.

[Captain Obvious]

Yeah, if Mayo lose this they will have to depend on others losing matches if they are to stay up. i mean their points tally at the end won't be enough to secure them a place in the top division next year. They've a couple of hard matches to come yet and a win on Saturday might ease the pressure a biteen on Horan and the players.

Same as last year when some Mayo supporters thought they would get relegated only to reach the final? I now see mayo.mick got in before me.

[moysider]

Yeah, if Mayo lose this they will have to depend on others losing matches if they are to stay up. i mean their points tally at the end won't be enough to secure them a place in the top division next year.

You need to check the maths there Lar, a loss here would drag us into the battle for relegation but it would still be in our own hands esp with two home games coming up.

We should be really 3 from 3 at this stage and all this relegation stuff would be academic.

I think most Mayo fans would have sacrificed points to discover a player or 2. Cathal Freeman aside (worth a good long look imo) it s been a waste of time. Any match v the Dubs in CP is a test match and I dont believe with that selection and shape we gave it the necessary seriousness.

The players we need are already common knowledge. After St. Patrick' s day James Burke should be back in the panel ( should never have been allowed to leave) and if Patrick Harte stops breaking his ankles he needs to be back too ( Richie Feeney is not as good in hf line and Keegan is better where he was the last day).

[rosnarun]

yes the same shape that was a disaster getting mayo to league and championships finals last year . how many other  other counties would to have similar misfortune.
Mayo weakes spot against Both Donegal and dublin was undoubtedly full back . Just as murphy and mcfadden had the run of the pitch last setember  B brogan could not believe his luck last Saturday.
Cafferkeys one stong point is his ability to upset the player in possession but when faced with a top class forward he does seem able to do this  and his inability to catch solo or kick a ball becomes increasingly obvious. I know it sounds harsh to soeak of an all star like this . but it wasa glaring problem on saturday.
more worrying was Horan statement the he did very little wrong after letting brogan score 1 -04 from play

[moysider]

yes the same shape that was a disaster getting mayo to league and championships finals last year . how many other  other counties would to have similar misfortune.
Mayo weakes spot against Both Donegal and dublin was undoubtedly full back . Just as murphy and mcfadden had the run of the pitch last setember  B brogan could not believe his luck last Saturday.
Cafferkeys one stong point is his ability to upset the player in possession but when faced with a top class forward he does seem able to do this  and his inability to catch solo or kick a ball becomes increasingly obvious. I know it sounds harsh to soeak of an all star like this . but it wasa glaring problem on saturday.
more worrying was Horan statement the he did very little wrong after letting brogan score 1 -04 from play

True. But Brogan will not be allowed isolated when Donegal and Tyrone play the Dubs, Even if McGee or McMahon are better able to contain Brogan on their own they ll have better support when it comes to dealing with him. The daft thing v Dubs was that our xtra sweeping player was useless. Our ff line is a weakness as well even if they individually did well. They get crowded out and we end up light in midfield and exposed at the back. especially as our half back line punch forward. No full back line could cope against likes of Brogan, Cooper, Jamie Clarke and a few others in those circumstances. Those lads crave space and one on ones and of course they get it v Mayo. While both Cafferkey and Higgins struggled in fb line there was a huge problem in midfield, where we completely off the place. The changes/substitutions didnt improve things either.

I take your point about getting to finals. But Donegal have won both finals they reached and I dont think Tyrone have ever lost one either.
Are you suggesting that maybe a better full-back would have got us over the line v Donegal? The ironic shit was that Donegal were allowed to play a flat normal fullback line that suited them and at the far end they played Murphy up on his own, Mc Fadden 10 yards behind him and McBrearty back chasing with McHugh, McLoone, Bradly and the rest. We bought a pup. Unless Horan is playing it cute we are still buying pups.

[rosnarun]

on what evidence do you say mayo FF line is a problem . they are not my cup of tea as players as they never seem to score an easy point but they are getting the Job done. 16 points was a fine total to have run up the last day and the Problem was we let in far too much, yes of course a better full back would have got us over the line against Donegal no more than the finals against kerry , Mayo were brutally exposed at full back. and  as i said the really worrying thing is horan does not see a problem.
I think may are nearly there and things in general are very much in a good posotion in most places even i think the full back situation can be fixed maybe with more coaching for caff or shane mchale i believe is read to do a job we just need to get right combination at midfield and with the 3 boy coming back in the forwards thoings are looking good.

[Lar Naparka]

Yeah, if Mayo lose this they will have to depend on others losing matches if they are to stay up. i mean their points tally at the end won't be enough to secure them a place in the top division next year.

You need to check the maths there Lar, a loss here would drag us into the battle for relegation but it would still be in our own hands esp with two home games coming up.

Point taken but things would have to go really well for us from here on.
If we lose three games on the trot, I couldn't see us beating any of the other teams we have still to face,  whereas a win for Down would put them on the same no. of points as us. Also, they gave Tyrone a damn good run when the met and were in mighty hard luck against Cork so they could well finish above us when the results are all in.
Maybe Kerry will do us a big favour by losing all of their remaining games but, somehow, I don't see this happening. They'd be the laughing stock of their county for decades to come if they finished pointless.
So a loss against Down could well see us in a dogfight to avoid relegation at the very least. Things would need to go very well for us with our remaining matches. I'm not panicking exactly but a loss on Saturday, especially a bad one, would leave us without room to manoeuvre in the remaining matches.

[Aristo 60]

I 'd like to see Cunningham retained in nets for another league game. It would be harsh punishment for him to be pushed aside even though Cork thoroughly punished us for this mistake(s).

Not sure I'd give McComiskey another go in defence, or Kalum, or Dan McC or Eoin.

Looking forward to Sat night, can't see it being another Mayo blitz and expect Laverty to torment them.

If the league carries on as it is it could mean maybe no rubber duck ties in the final day of competition - which can only be good.