Tyrone vs Mayo AISF Semi-Final - August 25th

[ONeill]

If Mayo lose this, will they be stepping down as a county?

When Mayo lost to Meath after a replay in 96 in heart breaking gut wrenching style, I felt that their indiscipline cost the team badly in the early part of the replay.  They worked that one out regrouped improved their discipline, plugged all the gaps, trained hard and got right back in there to make the 97 final where Ok  they might have got hockeyed again but they still showed a perseverance and stoicness which is their greatest admirable quality.  Any other county after the misery of 89,96,97, 2004, 2007 and 2011, would simply accept the fact that their football culture dosent lend itself to that type of mental and physical toughness required at the level they so often find themselves at, from being born of Connaught and surrounded by teams that don't really take it as seriously as themselves.  When they got tough against Meath they lost and unfortunately they questioned their approach to that game and refined it.  If you ask me that refinement of their football approach has cost them all Irelands - They became too nice and likeable.  As Colm Coyle polishes his 96 all Ireland medal and sets it back on the mantelpiece he probably cant even remember that he was sent off that day.       

But surely there's only so much a man can take.

They have themselves in knots and riddles over the word 'hype' - playing it down, playing it up, doesn't matter, does matter.

I think if Mayo had a wee bit of that northern Protestant stoicism they'd be the Kerry of the West.

So, who do we use to put the clampers on O'Shea? Is Cillian going to tear McCarron a new one?

I liked Madden's thinking of starting Ronan O'Neill and take the game to Mayo instead of the predicted wearing down approach.

[muppet]

Geez the Mayo lads don't like it when some of us Tyronies build up our chances. Getting very touchy.

Ya's are losing it. Pressure of the favorite tag has ya ruined!! Can only see one result now.

This build up reminds me of Clare in the 1990s. Everyone wanted them to win the hurling. but after they won they behaved as nouveau riche and looked down their noses at everyone else.

From a Mayo point of view we usually go to semi-finals in Croker with hope and little else. The big exceptions to this in my opinion were 1997 & 2004. We were favourites and entitled to be.

This year the bookies have us favourites and on form we are entitled to be. That will mean nothing when the ball is thrown in as always and we could easily be beaten. Tyrone are one of the best teams at making a dogfight of a game and they know how to win.

However the snobbish put downs of Mayo from the occasional (and new it must be said) posters reminds me of the Clare supporters of the late 1990s.

Tyrone may well win, but Mayo are justifiably favourites at the moment. Some of the nouveau riche need to learn it is no longer 2008.

Mayo fans are behaving like nouveau riche before they have even won a modern day All Ireland. I've been around this board long enough, I just happen to have a bit more spare time to post this past few weeks and I've never read such touchiness from a bunch of lads in the lead up to a game. A Tyrone poster can't predict a Tyrone win without being gang banged by half of Mayo. I've said on this thread before that I respect Mayo and what Horan has done, I've also said that I think its unlikely Tyrone will win the game, but I'm also allowed to make points with regards to why I think Tyrone deserve a bit of respect too and that this may not be foregone conclusion.

Relax I clearly pointed to new Tyrone supporters. Predicting a Tyrone win is not a problem obviously, it is the looking down their noses with adolescent 'choker' and 'loser' comments that is grinding people.

[Bensars]

I work with a few lads from Mayo. Two of them have booked off the 24-26th September, as are their friends apparently.     Now that's just cocky !

[muppet]

I work with a few lads from Mayo. Two of them have booked off the 24-26th September, as are their friends apparently.     Now that's just cocky !

Nope, they obviously are going to work on the 23rd.

BTW are you related to Fearon?

[ONeill]

Boyle, Keegan, Vaughan - the best half back line this year. The Donnellys have their work cut out.

McLoughlin - needs watched - who??

[Bensars]

My mistake muppet, the three days following all ireland final  anyway

[rrhf]

Agreed.
Theres bound to be a different way of getting it across.  I believe that Mayo football needs to take a grip of this match to abolish the 25 years of misery.  If they are good enough to beat Tyrone they will win the all Ireland it is as simple as that. Similarly if Tyrone are good enough to beat Mayo they will win the all Ireland.  Both teams need to prove themselves.  Tyrone that they are more than what the Joe Brollys and their ilk think they are and Mayo that they have learned all their lessons - that they know that Gaelic Football is physical and whilst you cant kick men around the field a la 96 you also cant pat them on the back every time they win the next ball.   
There are two men more important here than the rest...  it all comes down to which Aidan O Shea turns up for Mayo.   

[muppet]

My mistake muppet, the three days following all ireland final  anyway

[Bensars]

It must be quite some time that there has been such generous odds on a semi finalist.
Mayo 2/7    Tyrone 7/2

With those odds you would expect Mayo to win by some margin !

[muppet]

Boyle, Keegan, Vaughan - the best half back line this year. The Donnellys have their work cut out.

McLoughlin - needs watched - who??

McLoughlin hasn't hit the heights of last year yet, although like everyone else he was good against Donegal. But I think if we are to progress we need himself and Andy Moran back to where they were last summer (Andy before the injury obviously).

[rrhf]

Some great stats there lads.  I think I would fear Mayo more if we were meeting them in the final.  Their bad luck in the final is due a change having lost 6 in 24 years.  That's a heart wrenching 1 out of 4 years spoiling the endeavours of two generations of  Mayo footballers.   Who knows this year could be the year it is all put  right.    That what looks like a multi generational culture of failure can finally be put to bed.  Every now and then a team gets over their rainbow without tripping.   I for one hope to be there to clap you home in the final.   
 

[larryin89]

Well you may forget about getting Andy back to where he was before injury, the dogs on the street around dalton tce now that.

I have my doubts he'll start the weekend tbh. (Sadly)

[SkillfulBill]

73 pages of hype shows a certain frailty in the Mayo support. Mayo are out and out favourites in the public and mediappundits.  If Mayo don't get off to a flyer on Sunday how long before the mental frailties of past calamities begin to show ? Mickey will setup to keep the game tight in the first half to test their metal. Mayo supporter's have set themselves up for a massive disappointment with all their Mayo for Sam Guff. If the game is touch and go with 10 to go I wonder where all the smart money will go. Don't forget that of the 4 contenders left only one has a manager who has done it before.  You can dismiss this fact if you like but experience and know how has a  massive bearing on games at this level. If Mayo struggle to get to grips with Tyrone early on I expect the confidence of the Mayo support to melt like snow of the ditch in the stands. As supporters begin to lose confidence it's amazing how that can seep onto the pitch in the bear pit of Croke Park.

[rrhf]

I have sat at Mayo's big games before and felt like leaving after 10 minutes too many times to completely trust them to back them.   It is quite correct to point out that confidence can be like melting snow in Croke Park.  Its a horrible place to go when you are not playing London, Leitrim or a knackered Donegal.  This is no exhibition game.   

[muppet]

While I am sure Harte will have analysed us closely, the so called pundits haven't seemed to pick up on how strategically we are playing this year. A couple of Tyrone posters here have hit the nail on the head but they are in the minority.

We are using a few key tactics that are a step up from last year's plan. Emmet Byrne is probably the one to come closest to accurately describing them.

It will be very interesting to see what Harte does to deal with it.