2013 All Ireland Final: Mayo v Dublin

[ross4life]

1 quality impact forward each - Conroy and McMenaman. One is a bit of a classic, the other is direct, powerful and scares the shit out of ye.

Conroy is better to be starting while kevin McManamon is quality impact forward. TBH while Conroy is decent footballer that offers plenty to Mayos forward line i wouldn't have in either of those brackets.

Rock is a fine player but should not be killing anybody at this level. St Brigids managed him ffs

He got in for easy enough goal i do wonder which of the Mayo club forwards would fare better v St Brigids? maybe McDonald sure isn't he still one of your best club forwards.

[Sam2011]

Cillian back in contention. Back training again. Big boost.

Rumbling on twitter alright, to be revealed in tomorrow's examiner......

Yeah, heard it earlier on today but didn't want to go saying anything unless the media caught wind of it. The less the dubs know the better.
Horan also has an interview with the Mayo News about Cillian. However, knowing Horan very little will be revealed.

[larryin89]

Cillian back in contention. Back training again. Big boost.

Front page of mayo news sport section tomorrow ," Cillian not ruled out yet"

But sure that's always been the case ,it's the friggin Internet that causes confussion on these type of stories, rumours started and then it's taken as if its the truth.

[larryin89]

McDonald doesn't play club football anymore.

[Syferus]

McDonald doesn't play club football anymore.

The Mac has retired?

[From the Bunker]

McDonald doesn't play club football anymore.

Retired, but boy can he still kick a ball. As proven in the legends match on Saturday. Pure Magic in the half back line!

[ross4life]

McDonald doesn't play club football anymore.

Thats a shame & to think only last November he was named as one of your best club forwards.

[An Gaeilgoir]

That point he got in 06, Also the goal to draw the County Final against Ballagh'.............unreal.

Back to 06, we beat the Dubs that day, flying high, game of the decade and so on..........we don't need reminding what happened in that final.........the tables are indeed turned for 2013..........as you can see i am grasping at any straws here...........

[moysider]

I'm new here and only learning the quote/ropes so forgive me for being slow.

To address the bench issue I'd look at one thing: Will Mayo expend men to save/win or will Dublin go win/annilhate.

Dublin's bench are trusted tight game warriors (McManamon, Bastick, Rock, Cullen and McMahon amongst others). Mayo's bench looks, as per previous comments bereft, of any known battler/game-changer, bar Barry Moran (dubious at best).

Please explain...

I ll try to explain by saying that the only one you listed that I would grab at is the lad in bold. My jury is out on Rock. Y Know sometimes how these players are played reveales a lot about what their own thinks of them. I can t understand the McMenamon thing but other lads you have mentioned I have my doubts. These guys are not starting for a reason - somebody' s reason.
Dean Rock is not fast and is predictable. Grand when opposition are out on their feet but do the homework on him.  A fresh defender yesterday could have prevented his over the shoulder points. Rock is a fine player but should not be killing anybody at this level. St Brigids managed him ffs

Players in Kerry like Donaghy and Sheehan made it look like Kerry had a good bench. They hadn t. They were gone as players.

I could go on more but I m bored and these guys are doing this because they love it and don t need likes of me to delve into what they are doing.

Rock is a better FF/CF than all but COC in Mayo. Incredible that he doesn't start.

Must be just a personal thing with me so.

[bucko]

Good news for both O'Carroll (very lucky boy) and Cillian.

Sportsfile's Paul Mohan captured an off-the-ball incident involving the pair and Jonny Cooper during the second half of the All-Ireland semi-final.

The index finger of O'Carroll's left hand appears to be touching the Kerry forward's left eye. However, the GAA can only deal with retrospective cases providing they have video evidence. The Kerry County Board are unlikely to follow up the matter.

Rule 7.3 (aa) states such evidence is admissible as long as it is "reliable and unedited".

A snapshot of the altercation is not sufficient enough proof to base any case against O'Carroll.

A similar incident but with video evidence occurred in the Mayo-Donegal Division 1 game in Castlebar in March involving Anthony Thompson and Kevin McLoughlin. However, no action was taken by the Central Competitions Controls Committee (CCCC). Speaking on this issue before, GAA head of media relations Alan Milton said: "A photograph is an instant moment and there is the possibility it could be misrepresentative of what exactly happened. I've never known it to be used as primary evidence. Maybe it could be to support video evidence but certainly not on its own."

Diarmuid Connolly was sent off for a straight red card offence by Maurice Deegan in the 2011 All-Ireland semi-final against Donegal, a dismissal which threatened to rule him out of the final. However, Dublin successfully contested the decision and he was made available.

Meanwhile, Cillian O'Connor's chances of being fit for the All-Ireland final have increased with the star attacker returning to non-contact training. The two-time Young Footballer of the Year has beenpractising frees in recent days and his shoulder injury, which forced him to retire early in the All-Ireland semi-final win over Tyrone, isn't as serious as was first feared. The likelihood is the Ballintubber man will require surgery over the coming months but with 19 days to go to the decider he is preparing to fight to keep his starting place.

[Lar Naparka]

Who will be on Mayo bench and are they really weaker than Kerry , I think Barry Moran would actually start for Kerry never mind the bench for a start.

He can't get a start for Mayo, ne're mind Dublin. The Mayo bench will likely consist of the usual "nearly men"...Doherty, Varley Moran and Conroy, although were I a Mayo follower I'd start Conroy before Andy Moran.
Kerry had Sheehan, David Moran, Donaghy, O'Mahoney and Brosnan on the bench yesterday. 4 of them saw game time and were useless, Donaghy in particular. Benches are great when you have competition for places, otherwise there places for subs to sit on their arses. The Dublin subs defined the difference between a panel and arse-warmers. Mayo in trouble there....

Maybe, Don; maybe not.
Mayo have just about the meanest defence in the country with backs spilling forward to become attackers when Mayo have possession. I know it's common enough to see halfbacks sallying upfield and clipping a long range point or two but no other team uses overlapping backs to the same extent as Mayo.
In their games to date, all Mayo backs with the exception of Cafferky, have scored from play. Incredible levels of fitness and a game plan that involves everyone on the field sees to that. There's no cult of the individual any more as Conor Mortimer found out to his costs.
This Mayo team as a unit comes to far more than the sum of its parts.
For instance, Mayo scored 20 times against Tyrone and a total of 10 players got on the score sheet. Mayo were 4 points adrift at one stage and still won by 6. That's an impressive performance by any standards.
A dozen players scored in the game against Donegal.
Whatever Horan is doing, marquee forwards or not, seems to be working.
Unless the supply from the O'Sheas is cut off or greatly restricted, I can see Mayo's forwards/backs racking up a winning score. Let's face it, the Dubs' defence isn't rated as highly as the attack.
I'll take my chances with the quality of players on the bench; what we have are well capable of doing what they are asked to do and that's to fit into the overall structure with a minimum of disruption.
For fetching and carrying and generally fighting for dirty ball, you won't get better than Richie Feeney. Barry Moran and Michael Conroy would be an addition to any team if match fit.
All in all, I don't intend to how the white feather now or at any time in the future. I'm happy the way things are.

[camanchero]

Unless Dublin change their personnel and tactics for the final, Mayo will win.
Dublin need to put Cullen and Flynn as half forwards with connolly CHF (dropping Kilkenny who imo is not good enough yet for senior level - he will be though next year or thereafter).
Mayo's whole game is dropping back and having their haf back line (and corner backs) bomb forward. Similar enough to Dublin, though its only Flynn that drops back past mf unlike all 3 of mayo's hf line.

Tyrone showed ho to thwart mayo, with Mickey harte withdrawing the wing half forwards and having his own half back line attack from deep.
its no secret that it is very hard to stop a fast man running at you if there is space around.
Mayo reverted back to 90's style of kicking wides when they didnt have space in the first half v tyrone. They did not know what to do. IF Dublin alter their style a bit, they will prob meet with success.
I feel that the desire to keep talking about playing attacking football (despite having sometimes 2 and 3 men in opponents half while defending) will stop Dublin from doing this.
There is a difference in bringing men back and before opponents attack or have the ball- and while opponents attack and have the ball.

Another point I'd make is that mayo seem to take 6 steps when initially getting the ball, sprinting clear and then soloing or hopping the ball. I think refs in general have stopped penalising a lot of such indescretions but mayo certainly play just over the edge here.
likewise a good few of their players are guity of persistent charging and never penalised. refs also dont blow for ths as much and mayo seem to have figured this out - kudos to the mgt team!

imo Mayo will win this one. Ending a long drought.

[Zulu]

I see no reason for Dublin to change their style of play and I certainly wouldn't change the forward line unless it's to bring in Rock as a direct replacement
for someone. No reason for either team to set up to counter the other, just go out and play your own game and see who wins. It's worked for both teams so far and I would be shocked if either team changes that approach now.

If anything this game could top the Dublin/Kerry game.

[Sidney]

Kerry were not contenders. Cork are a good bit off the pace as well.

A team that was level with Dublin after 68 minutes and missed a gilt-edged chance to go in front again were not contenders?!

Heard it all now.

Who have Mayo beaten that were contenders?

[ballinaman]

Last line is classic...

http://www.irishtv.ie/joe-brolly-reckons-mayo-will-win/