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

[Sam2011]

Did ye not hear about James new game plan to spook Jimmy out? Playing with 14 men is the only way to go now days!!!
Ah no only messing, don't know how I forgot Higgins!

I would like to see McLoughlin or Feeney playing the sweeper role if we go down that road, doesn't really bother me which one does the job as I feel they would be able to fill the role without must hassle.
Agree Moy, Clarke is a big loss. Especially in terms of leadership. Always encouraging and organising the backs. But Hennelly isn't too shabby either.

Just listened to the Mayo News podcast for the game and they said that Higgins has been playing the role of a sweepers in A V B games. However I would be really surprised if Horan decided to play him as sweeper as in the three years of his management he has been mostly conservative when it comes to team selection.

[moysider]

Did ye not hear about James new game plan to spook Jimmy out? Playing with 14 men is the only way to go now days!!!
Ah no only messing, don't know how I forgot Higgins!

I would like to see McLoughlin or Feeney playing the sweeper role if we go down that road, doesn't really bother me which one does the job as I feel they would be able to fill the role without must hassle.
Agree Moy, Clarke is a big loss. Especially in terms of leadership. Always encouraging and organising the backs. But Hennelly isn't too shabby either.

Just listened to the Mayo News podcast for the game and they said that Higgins has been playing the role of a sweepers in A V B games. However I would be really surprised if Horan decided to play him as sweeper as in the three years of his management he has been mostly conservative when it comes to team selection.

Hmmmm. Maybe Horan is doing something that he now knows he should have done 10 months ago? Horan was not conservative before ........ not getting players behind the ball when 10 up in an AISF and leaving Michael Murphy inside 1 on 1 at start of AI final ( while playing an ineffective 3 man ff line down the other end) is not just conservative. There is another way of describing that.

[maigheo]

Hard to figure out how this game will go.Horan seems to have stirred up a hornets nest with some of his comments and you would feel that Donegal will have one last big kick in them. Horan  is one of the few managers who does not mind putting it out there that he expects his team to win each game they play and there is no mealy mouth rubbish saying that the opposition should be favs and that his team will be up against it.Listening to him before the Galway game he was basically saying that they were a 6 or 7 point better team and he was proved right.Mayo seem to be very focused on playing there own game regardless of what Donegal or any other team are doing and are very confidant  in there own ability.Patience may be the key for Mayo as i am sure Donegal will pack there defense early on and try and take Mayo out of there rhythm and frustrate them.I think Mayo will have to carry the ball early on and any ball into the f.f line will have to stick and this is where Andy Moran will be vital.All in all, should be a tense and riveting game and I am sure it will have a lot of unforeseen twists and turns before it is all over.

[nrico2006]

Can't see Donegal losing this one.

[sans pessimism]

Can't see Donegal losing this one.

based on......

[AMayoFan]

Patience may be the key for Mayo as i am sure Donegal will pack there defense early on and try and take Mayo out of there rhythm and frustrate them.I think Mayo will have to carry the ball early on and any ball into the f.f line will have to stick and this is where Andy Moran will be vital.

Agree, and also Freeman performance!. It's great having a different dimension option in our attack. We need another big performance from him, and I read that Sunday is promised wet so his job will be that much harder. 

Big big day for Mayo.

[screenexile]

Can't see Donegal losing this one.

based on......

Strange to me but Mayo seem very confident with this one and not a whole lot to back it up!!

I think Donegal have a huge chance to win this game especially if they get McHugh and Lacey back. It reminds me a bit of Dublin a couple of years ago. They got their scare too late in the year to do anything about it insofar as they didn't get a second chance.The fact Monaghan beat Donegal and they're still in the Championship should have refocussed the minds in Donegal. It shouldn't be too hard to get yourself up mentally for 3 games and then you've an All Ireland title.

Along with that Mayo have had zero opposition in the Championship to date. Yes that's been said of Kerry in the past but they generally get at least 1 tough game against Cork to test themselves. Add the final piece of the puzzle that Donegal brushed Mayo aside with relative ease in last year's All Ireland Final then you can't deny that Donegal have a very good chance.

All that being said I think Mayo will triumph but it'll go to the wire!

[AMayoFan]

Folks does anyone know when is B Moran & Conroy back fit?  Pity we haven't seen them in the Championship (I don't count Conroy cameo appearance against London) , both were flying it in the league!

[Tubberman]

Folks does anyone know when is B Moran & Conroy back fit?  Pity we haven't seen them in the Championship (I don't count Conroy cameo appearance against London) , both were flying it in the league!

B Moran should be on the bench, and could be ready for action at some stage. Conroy tweaked his hamstring in that London cameo so more of a doubt about him.

[Crete Boom]

Can't see Donegal losing this one.

based on......

Strange to me but Mayo seem very confident with this one and not a whole lot to back it up!!

I think Donegal have a huge chance to win this game especially if they get McHugh and Lacey back. It reminds me a bit of Dublin a couple of years ago. They got their scare too late in the year to do anything about it insofar as they didn't get a second chance.The fact Monaghan beat Donegal and they're still in the Championship should have refocussed the minds in Donegal. It shouldn't be too hard to get yourself up mentally for 3 games and then you've an All Ireland title.

Along with that Mayo have had zero opposition in the Championship to date. Yes that's been said of Kerry in the past but they generally get at least 1 tough game against Cork to test themselves. Add the final piece of the puzzle that Donegal brushed Mayo aside with relative ease in last year's All Ireland Final then you can't deny that Donegal have a very good chance.

All that being said I think Mayo will triumph but it'll go to the wire!

I think the confidence of most Mayo fans is in the team and the setup rather than a bullish arrogance that we will brush Donegal or any of the teams left aside with ease. Also to some fans it's second nature to jump on the defensive when a poster throws out a flippant line like " can't see Donegal losing this one" or " Donegal play a terrible football " or " puke football " etc....

I do however agree with your point about what use to happen to the Dubs and the first worry that started to creep into my head was how Tyrone dismantled what at the time was considered a strong Dubs team in the rain in 2008. I was at that match and when Tyrone got on top the Dubs were shell shocked to a point which almost mirrored the experience we had in 2004 when Kerry started to burn us in the first half.

This though is where James Horan and his management need to do their stuff as I feel if the players can cope with the storm/ tactics , whatever way they come, that this Donegal side will throw at them in the first quarter it will be a close game as I think the majority of blow outs in GAA are manifested in the first 10 to 20 mins.

[larryin89]

'' I think the confidence of most Mayo fans is in the team and the setup rather than a bullish arrogance that we will brush Donegal or any of the teams left aside with ease'' Crete boom

Thats exactly it, Mayo supporters are proud of this set up . Down through the years although we have had decent teams and some outstanding individuals we now have decent individuals and an outstanding team, they will never throw in the towel and i would near put my life on it that no team is capable of embarrassing us by beating us out the gate.

I'm the first to admit as a supporter i'm an emotional wreck and down the years i've  tossed the flag to one side and stormed out of croker like a spoilt brat (younger days in fairness) but even if we happen to lose on Sunday there is a steelieness about this team that makes ya proud.

[AMayoFan]

Folks does anyone know when is B Moran & Conroy back fit?  Pity we haven't seen them in the Championship (I don't count Conroy cameo appearance against London) , both were flying it in the league!

B Moran should be on the bench, and could be ready for action at some stage. Conroy tweaked his hamstring in that London cameo so more of a doubt about him.

Thanks Tubberman .. i've heard so little about those two in the lead up of this match.  Do you know if B Moran is doing well in training? I was a little surprised that he didn't see action against London, but than again he may not been fit enough at that stage.

[BluestackBoy]

'' I think the confidence of most Mayo fans is in the team and the setup rather than a bullish arrogance that we will brush Donegal or any of the teams left aside with ease'' Crete boom

Thats exactly it, Mayo supporters are proud of this set up . Down through the years although we have had decent teams and some outstanding individuals we now have decent individuals and an outstanding team, they will never throw in the towel and i would near put my life on it that no team is capable of embarrassing us by beating us out the gate.

I'm the first to admit as a supporter i'm an emotional wreck and down the years i've  tossed the flag to one side and stormed out of croker like a spoilt brat (younger days in fairness) but even if we happen to lose on Sunday there is a steelieness about this team that makes ya proud.

I agree with you on that Larry. I think Horan has learned from last year & has upped the standards for 2013. What is most impressive is that he has gotten all the players to buy into it & the biggest compliment I can pay is that Mayo look like Donegal of 2012 in their demenaour.
Doe that mean they will coast past Donegal? Of course not. But if Mayo do win I think they will go all the way as I don't see anyone else with the unity of purpose they are exhibiting at the moment.

[BluestackBoy]

Looks like Pope Francis is on our side. He is related to Jim on his mothers side & was reputed to be good under a high ball in his day.

https://twitter.com/officialdonegal/status/362704259260751874/photo/1

[ballinaman]

Gallagher accuses Mayo of "colluding" with Monaghan
01 August 2013

Donegal selector Rory Gallagher with manager Jim McGuinnessSunday's All-Ireland SFC quarter-final between Donegal and Mayo is rapidly becoming the GAA's biggest grudge match in years.

It follows sensational claims made by Donegal assistant manager Rory Gallagher that Mayo offered advice to Monaghan on how to beat the All-Ireland champions when the counties met in a challenge match before the Ulster final. And this has led Gallagher to believe that the heavy challenge by Monaghan's Stephen Gollogly that forced Mark McHugh's early withdrawal, and which left the Kilcar man with concussion, a burst ear drum and a quad muscle injury, was pre-meditated.

"Maybe we suspect there was a bit of collusion between Monaghan and Mayo," Gallagher said in the Irish News.

"Bear in mind Lee Keegan's tackle on Mark McHugh at the start of last year's All-Ireland final. When Lee Keegan got booked, he came out and winked at a team-mate as if to say 'job done'.

"I don't believe for one minute that Gollogly went out to do the harm he did. He went out to hit him hard, but our player came out of it badly. I know Gollogly hurt himself as well.

"I don't believe Malachy O'Rourke sent any player out to 'do' anyone. That is not in his nature. But ask some of the top referees to view the incident. Was it a dangerous tackle? It was reckless and dangerous. At the end of the day, that deserves a red card."

The former Fermanagh star also claimed that well-known sports psychologist Kieran Shannon is advising Mayo manager James Horan on what to say to the media.

"I think Horan works to a pre-mediated script and I think Kieran Shannon is behind a good bit of it," Gallagher continued.

"I know Shannon fairly well. He was involved with Fermanagh when Malachy O'Rourke was there. I think Shannon is behind Horan's statements." - See more at: http://www.hoganstand.com/Mayo/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=197876#sthash.sYWa3Iiq.dpuf