Mayo v Donegal all ireland quarter final Sunday Aug 4 4.00pm

[Whitnail]

Donegal will be back next yr, they have to use the league to look at 2 midfielders,and find enough players to make a proper bench. they also need to look at a attacking game plan to bring their potent full forward line into the game. and not just Plan A the war of attrition!! some of their players have been as feared revealed to be average enough and this system temporarily covered this. Time to blood alot of young lads in Div 2 and find some decent players. Will still be the strongest team in ulster come in year!

I'm afraid Donegal are gone as AI contenders. They may sneak a Anglo Celt but they do not have the panel to aim higher at the moment. Injuries this year showed up their bench. Also, McGuinness management style is based on belief and this is going to be hard sell.

Don't think I'm getting cocky. We are in the same boat if we don't win an AI this year. How can Horan sell having a go for another year? Only difference is (and it's a big one) you got your hands on Sam!

You kinda feel that Mayo need to win it this year allright but if the squad keep their heads  you feel it's their best chance and that's including last year.

We need new bodies in midfield and half- forward line.Not enough competition in the squad .
In a strange way I think division 2 will  suit us to try out different guys and combinations

[muppet]

No time for posting this week but simply we will win this pulling up and the semi too. 7+ tomorrow.

I hate to agree with you.

But his won't be like London, if we get ahead we will consider every score a punch to the head of that monumental ignoramus.

Mayo by a long way, and then great difficulty controlling the hype.

Must be the fact that I'm away so long, cannot understand the (over) optimism of my county men, although it is a refreshing change from the beal bocht & yerrah that takes over most counties at this time of the year.

If Muppet says we'll hammer then than that's good enough for me

That erm prediction was made at 2am. On mature reflection I think we will win it by 4. One of these days we will start properly against a big team outside Connacht, and today would be a good day to do it.

Drunk me seems to know more about football than sober me.

[ballinaman]

ftp://hardstation...you seem like a sound lad, fair play., only getting home now....hotel, big tree, and coppers were hit hard.
Game 4 only..Big games ahead!

[stephenite]

No time for posting this week but simply we will win this pulling up and the semi too. 7+ tomorrow.

I hate to agree with you.

But his won't be like London, if we get ahead we will consider every score a punch to the head of that monumental ignoramus.

Mayo by a long way, and then great difficulty controlling the hype.

Must be the fact that I'm away so long, cannot understand the (over) optimism of my county men, although it is a refreshing change from the beal bocht & yerrah that takes over most counties at this time of the year.

If Muppet says we'll hammer then than that's good enough for me

That erm prediction was made at 2am. On mature reflection I think we will win it by 4. One of these days we will start properly against a big team outside Connacht, and today would be a good day to do it.

Drunk me seems to know more about football than sober me.

BOOM! Was laughing about ya when I checked the mobile this morning. Tell the Missus it's a sign and that a free pass is now required every night up until the semi-final, and after that if needed. Your County needs you (to be drunk)

[From the Bunker]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcxYwwIL5zQ

[Count 10]

Hope Mayo go on and win Sam now....think it would be good for the game.

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

Phenomenal performance for the mayo buckos..........................no one, not no one could have came close to them yesterday, can they reproduce this form over 2 more games /yes I think they can, and I am mentally preparing myself that they will be champions this year

[Kimbap]

Great to see another 2 Ulster teams taken out back and blown away today, but to the Mayo man somewhere ITT who suggested that Cillian O'Connor is already on Colm Cooper/Bernard Brogan's level, I would say he's nothing more than the next Ray Cosgrove right now.

Cillian won yptoty 2011 and 2012,first time a player won it two years running.Hes scored 6-7 in one half and the Connacht final and the knocking out the All Ireland champions (which we've just done for the last three seasons) Dont talk sh1te like a good lad.

[Kimbap]

And there is nothing wrong with that? The lad is 21 and coming back from injury!

There is nothing wrong with that. Glad to see you're level-headed enough to agree with me. God knows there's enough Mayo lads out there who think he's already some sort of footballing God.

Why?

Because of people like the guy who created the "ULSTER DOMINANCE" thread. Not a fan of the circlejerk the Ulster county fans have over their "more competitive" and "higher standard of football" in the Ulster championship. Hopefully Mayo taking Donegal to school will help some of these Ulster boys reel their necks in a bit.

South Dublin and not a fan of a cirlce jerk? I dont believe you.

[SouthDublinBro]

Cillian won yptoty 2011 and 2012,first time a player won it two years running.

Means absolutely nothing.

Hes scored 6-7 in one half and the Connacht final and the knocking out the All Ireland champions (which we've just done for the last three seasons) Dont talk sh1te like a good lad.

Still hasn't had a real test. Lets face it, that wasn't the Donegal side of 2012, the fact that an average side like Monaghan also hammered them detracts from your win over them. Using statistics from a game against London also shows how much youre stretching.

CoC still has it all to prove.

[Tubberman]

Cillian won yptoty 2011 and 2012,first time a player won it two years running.

Means absolutely nothing.

Hes scored 6-7 in one half and the Connacht final and the knocking out the All Ireland champions (which we've just done for the last three seasons) Dont talk sh1te like a good lad.

Still hasn't had a real test. Lets face it, that wasn't the Donegal side of 2012, the fact that an average side like Monaghan also hammered them detracts from your win over them. Using statistics from a game against London also shows how much youre stretching.

CoC still has it all to prove.

To who?

[Kimbap]

Cillian won yptoty 2011 and 2012,first time a player won it two years running.

Means absolutely nothing.

Hes scored 6-7 in one half and the Connacht final and the knocking out the All Ireland champions (which we've just done for the last three seasons) Dont talk sh1te like a good lad.

Still hasn't had a real test. Lets face it, that wasn't the Donegal side of 2012, the fact that an average side like Monaghan also hammered them detracts from your win over them. Using statistics from a game against London also shows how much youre stretching.

CoC still has it all to prove.

Hes the best dead ball specialist in the country,he won ypoty 2 years in a row,he's not the worst from open play either,but im sure he's bothered he has a lot to prove to you.Oh yeah,he 21 as well.

Now go call Ross O Carroll Kelly for a circle jerk.

[HiMucker]

Ye cant compare B Brogan with Colin Cooper for a start

[Zulu]

What a performance from Mayo, simply breathtaking. Although I've always and a soft spot for Donegal I have to say I enjoyed this particular version of Donegal football getting a tanking, the game is bigger than any county and hopefully this beating will see a change in focus by IC teams away from the ultra negativity of Donegal.

I've said for a while now that Mayo are as good as anyone from 1 to 9 but question marks hang over their forwards. Yesterday's performance certainly answered some of them and COC for one is beginning to show my doubts about him are misplaced. However, I still have a niggling feeling that Mayo still lack a bit up front. While it's hard to hold that view in light of recent evidence Galway, Ros, London and this version of Donegal are all off the pace of the best. Still, only good teams can take full advantage of that and Mayo have done so spectacularly.

A lack of pace and a proven trigger man are my concerns and they remain, though that might be a case of me thinking something and being reluctant to let it go even in the face of mounting evidence to the contrary, hopefully it is. I'd love to see Mayo win the All Ireland and there'll be few happier non-Mayo men than myself if they do. If they can get one I'm sure they'll add to it in the coming years as they have a great squad and it looks like they've more good players coming through.

A Dublin v Mayo final would be great to see.

[ross matt]

Congratulations Mayo. Devastating and ruthless performance. I expected them to win by a few points so obviously never expected anything like what happened yesterday.

Donegal were a shambles and to be fair to them are carrying injuries to their top men which they dont have the bench to cover. But as McGuinness himself said yesterday that still doesnt take from an awesome Mayo performance.

I'm biased towards Mayo as they're a Connacht side + I particularly admire their manager and this bunch of players. They've progressed further each season, they work hard, they keep focussed and they play a very attractive brand of football. Mayo have shown an incredibly high level of consistency since 1996 and deserve to win Sam.

I think alot of other neutrals were happy to see them win in order to shove it down McGuinness's throat. I really dont know how himself of Gallagher expected their pre match comments to have a positive effect on their own team's performance or a negative one on their opponent's. For an expert in matters of the mind Jim made himself look very insecure and after his team' s performance.... foolish. McGee didnt do himself, his team mates, his manager or the sport in general any favours with his stamp. To be fair to the Donegal manager he was sporting in his post match comments but again alluded to his side being targeted. Yesterday was not only a victory for Mayo but a vindication of James Horan's class and integrity.

Where to now for the westerners? Tyrone are lurking in the long grass of course. Mickey Harte is a legendary strategist and my guess is that his main focus will be on using any means possible to stop Mayo getting a good start. In all their matches this year they had the game won by half time? Harte will be hoping to stay in touch in the first half in order to sow doubt in to Horan's player's minds.

Roscommon were unlucky not to beat Tyrone. Donegal beat them. Both sides were hammered by Mayo. However it's not as simple as that as the longer Tyrone remain in the championship the better they adapt to what's required to eek out narrow victories as evidenced by their 2pt winning margins this season.  I think this match will be a dog fight. I think Tyrone will cynically slow it down as much as possible but in a way this might be exactly what Mayo need if they are to progress to an AI final and win it when they get there this time. They need to play a match where they still have to win the game in the 2nd half. They need to win ugly.  Tyrone will provide them with the opportunity to do just that.

Longterm it's fair to say the Connacht men lack genuine finishers up front. But they compensate for that with having a spread of players from Higgins when he plays corner back to Andy Moran at corner forward who all are comfortable on the ball and can chip in a few scores each. Aidan O'Se in terms of pure primary possession and drive + Cillian O'Connor in terms of vision and finishing are vital to their cause. But at centre back and full they also have game changers. Thats before you mention Dillon's work rate and Freeman's ball winning abilities. I dont think Andy has the pace back in his legs yet to win ball out in front of his man. It's a pity Conroy isn't back.

I think it will be a Dublin V Mayo final. That will be a fascinating match up. Mayo's overall collective work ethic v Dublin's panache up front. But before that Tyrone will relish their opportunity to upset the apple cart. However I think this Mayo manager and his current panel are too focussed and grounded to fall for that trap. Well done again Mayo. Delighted for all the Mayo lads on this forum. Ye did the province proud. Drive on!