Galway v Mayo, CSFC May 20th

[Farrandeelin]

I don't know what to say, we were awful all over the park yesterday. Hard to know what is going to happen now. I suppose we will get on a bit of a run with the qualifiers depending on who we get, might be the Dubs/Armagh yet. And looking back now, it seems that Forde had O'Mahony's mind read about the switches. We got an awful hiding yesterday and I can't see us performing well in Croker this summer. Maybe with the election out of the way, O'Mahony might be able to do something with them but it's hard to see where we can turn around now and get into a winning habit in Croker.

[highorlow]

Anyone know why I am having problems getting to the Board by the way? An old board keeps showing up and can't resolve it?                   

Just aswell after that rant. You were waiting in the long grass Barney to bring the politics into it. What a cop-out. Just as well Johnno has retired from teaching or you would be blaming the attention he is giving to Leaving Cert pupils.

Johnno's creditials don't need to be questioned. Ask the Galway's, Leitrim's, Ballina's, Rossie's even Maughan and Forde.

At least you qualified your statement somewhat by blaming the players later in your rant.

Its time now for the players to take a good look at themselves and either shape up or ship out. One thing for sure is that it wasn't for the lack of preparation that we lost yesterday and thats guarenteed, and its nothing to do with the election!

Barney you are probably itching to start a new thread asking for Johnno's head. I hope you don't your chance!

[highorlow]

James Nallen and Pat Harte were never going to outfield Bergin. Our problems here was illustrated in the league semi-final, nobody paid heed.
                               

Also i stand corrected on this - wasn't it Heaney and Harte in midfield for the league semi? Nallen was a sub.

It was obvious that the tactic was to try and curb Bergin in MidField for the first half anyhow and sring DB in the 2nd half when we had the wind. Obviously the early goal wasn't part of the plan.

IMO we are victims of our own success at u21 level and i'm sure Barry Moran and/or others would have gotten a run in midfield but for that?

[Barney]

No I wouldn't call for his head. No way - he is looking at a long-term plan but his eye has been off the ball. The hard calls need to be made now.

[brokencrossbar1]

Jaysus Monsigneur but that is terrible language for a man of the cloth.  As has been pointed out by indiana this team has been put on their hole more often than the great comebacks against those heavyweights of Fermanagh and Laois.  With all due respect to both of these counties they are a poor man's Mayo in that they paly a nice wee brand of football but have a certain softness about them.  And before you say it i know that Fermanagh beat Armagh but these things happen, and they deserved to beat them.  i would counter that by saying they got more hidings at our hands than vice versa.  I was talking to a Cork man today and he said that the defeat by Fermanagh a few years back was one of the most embarressing moments ever for Cork football, so that puts your great comeback example in perspective.

Mayo suffer the Enda kenny syndrome, lots of serious, and convincing talk, but when push comes to shove they seem to lack that bit of umph.  Having played against Mayo teams at a high level I know they can talk the talk, but I also know when it came to it they could not walk the walk.

[DJGaliv]

I think you're missing the point DJ whatever, and whoever else feels this is defending Pat Harte's actions, I am however defending the remark "nasty piece of work", which in my opinion doesn't deserve any place on a forum like this. If you're going to analyse and wax lyrical on the events of the day, then stick to that, and not your personal opinions on players.

Good God man, this is the precise forum for which my personal opinion on players, teams and managers should be aired. This is the whole reason for this board, to comment on players actions on the field of play. I stick by my remark, and feel like I could easily qualify it with regard to his previous actions in games gone by. I don't think it will do anyone any favours by going into these incidents. That's the last time I'll waste time talking about it.

As for Mayo, I think this could be the kick up the arse that they need. There's no way that they would have made an All-Ireland final with Nallen starting, and BJP in at fullback or no.6. What was wrong with BJP at centre forward anyway? Ye have the players, but O'Mahoney will have learned an awful lot more about his team than he did after the league final.
O'Mahoney likes the qualifiers. If ye can get a few lads into replace the deadwood, get McD and Mortimer back match fit, then the back door could be hugely beneficial. I can see Mayo doing what Galway did in 2001. There's no reason why they can't.

[ludermor]

jesus lads will ye stop the whinging, we were beat (in every way possible) all over the shop. we need to regroup and stop crying.
but its great to see a bit of a bitchfight all the same

[highking]

If its a three year plan O'Mahoney has, why is he persisting with lads the wrong side of 30. DBrady, AHiggins, KMcDonald, KO'Neill
& JNallen were all brought back for more punishment this year, when its time for new blood. It is obvious that this team is worn out and will never win an AI. Also, its not as if Mayo have no talent coming through - we won our first U21 title in yonks last year.... Would a young inexperienced Mayo team have done any worse on Sunday? I dont think so...

[prewtna]

it may be a blessing in disguise.

johno now wont be elected and will give his attention to mayo. clearly he didnt over the last few weeks.

having sent out teams during the league with kilcullen, kilcoyne, AOM, Campbell et al all doing fairly well, he reverted to the 'dublin' setup!

strikes me as if he doesnt have faith in the younger players. heaney was flying out the fieldn early season, oh i know il put him full-back again! heaney even said it himself in the paper tha he doesnt like to play there.

im not going the second guess the messiah, but some of the selection and positional decisions are questionable. (i know i just contradicted myself! )

in fairness the loss of Bary moran, mc Garrity, T mort, McDanger is massive, i feel, the wrong people were in the wrong places.

heaney might have been left at mid-field with Harte. leave kilcullen in FB with K Higgins and O'Malley either side of him. A higgins and devenny either side of nallen. nallen probably would have managed at CHB and maybe use Billie Joe in the 'Colm McManeman' role of break winner round the middle. he did this well last year. also with T mort on the 45 there wold be a bit of beef round there. let dillon float with kilcoyne and leave c mort and a moran inside.

well thats my tuppence worth. im glad im not in johno's shoes. its a bloody hard job to keep the people of mayo happy!

[INDIANA]

it's all about a blend of youth and experience- no-one is suggesting they should all be discarded but ypou'd expect after winning an u21 a few of them would be playing.

[INDIANA]

Well listening to the fans here and the Sunday game that is seemingly being suggested. Some tripe about these guys being so messed up mentally that they will never win an All Ireland was the height of the Sunday Game. Very poor attitude considering some of the entertainment that they have provided over the last couple of years."

Can't agree i think they were stating the obvious- if you read through the thread it's what everyone thinks and isn't far form the truth. Armagh suffered agonising defeats by narrow margins- mayo were beaten out the gate in 2 all-ireland finals by record scores. To say that won't scar them mentally is incorrect i feel. Armagh knew they were close and had 5/6 of the best players in the country at the time- do mayo have the same? debatable. Even though they have a couple of  fantastic footballers - i don't see them winnig the big one now unless they introduce5/6 new players -don't always have to be younger surely someone of austin o malley's scoring ability is worth his place?

[Hardy]

Mayo suffer the Enda kenny syndrome, lots of serious, and convincing talk, but when push comes to shove they seem to lack that bit of umph.  Having played against Mayo teams at a high level I know they can talk the talk, but I also know when it came to it they could not walk the walk.

I couldn't agree more, BC1. I was stupid enough to go against that judgement of my own when putting a bet on them at decent odds to go all the way this year as soon as O'Mahony was confirmed as manager. I convinced myself that a great manager might just make the difference, combined with accumulated experience and what should be unquenchable determination to do it this time. Especially in a year like this when a "handy" All-Ireland might be on offer. It's hard to see it now.

I was browsing through Hogan Stand there and I was struck by the contrast between two quotes I read. I wonder if this, from Conor Mortimer (if true, making allowance for the source) gives some insight into the kind of mindset that seems to be the problem with Mayo players:

"Our football always comes through. We've always been one of the top teams, that's the way it is in Mayo, football first. Managers will come and go, players will come and go. We're only here for a short time, so we've got to make the most of it. I'm lucky I've reached a lot of finals and I'm still only 24. Yet if I'd won all those, would I have the hunger to keep going? I don't know."

This conveys all sorts of wrong attitudes. He looks on Mayo as a "top team", though they haven't won anything and he comes across as happy just to be in a "top team" and getting to a few finals, rather than gutted at losing them all. I know it's just one quote from one player, but you would never hear that from a Kerry player – or a player from Galway, Tyrone, Armagh, Dublin, Meath, etc..

Contrast it with this from a man who already has two All-Ireland medals and hasn't settled for that (Darren Fay last week):

"The lads on this team have worked hard and I can see that the killer instinct is back in this Meath team. If it's nip and tuck with 10 minutes to go we have it in us to push on because we have got that killer instinct back into us over the course of the league. Some people in Meath still feel we are no good. The only way to turn that around is by winning big games in Croke Park."

[mouview]

SWOT analysis from Galway's win on Sunday;

Strengths; They played with a spirit not seen to date and were really up for it on the day.
There were good displays from the maligned (by me admittedly) Bane, N Joyce (to a lesser extent), Bergin and Coleman (in terms of passing).
Backs were once again very good, though Blake steadied things more then Coyne upon his introduction.
They won despite their 2 top forwards, PJ and M Meehan, only scoring a free each.

Weaknesses; Any analysis of the match must take into context how bad Mayo really were – they were dreadful. (It's evident that the Mayo squad as it now stands is finished; Bradys, Nallen, BJP, even McD regardless of fitness are not going to do it. Why was Kilcoyne good enough to play in last year's semi and final but not on Sunday? And even as a Galway man I do have a pro-Mayo/Connacht agenda.) Galway are in a very dangerous position at the moment if they allow themselves to get carried away with last Sunday's result.
Forwards still need sharpening up; Meehan needs to find better form and Bane is better at the finish of a move rather than the start, he was bottled up a few times in the second half when running with the ball.
Other teams will have noted how Galway and Coleman and Ja in particular got stuck in on Sunday and may target / bait them.

Opportunities; Galway should be good enough to overcome Leitrim in Carrick and home advantage could be a big factor against probably Ros' in the Connacht final. After that, a ¼ final in Croker backons where their experience of the league semi-final should stand to the newer players.
The squad still has a few options to come in, Armstrong, Sice, Alan Burke though P Clancy and Mikey D remain long shots.

Threats; Is Ford a good enough manager to bring them all the way? Realistically a semi-final is the absolute limit of their ambitions IMHO.
Galway will certainly meet much better opposition than Mayo along the way with Kerry, Tyrone, Dublin and Donegal being the usual main dangers.
Complacency and over-confidence.
Forwards still need to find a better blend, in ball winners particularly.

[rosnarun]

I have not doubt thqat o'mahony is 90 percent to blame for last sundays debacle .the man has been well exposed as having no new ideas to bring to the mayo team.
devenney ,kilcullen,campbell the 3 new guys he thought had something to add have were all abandoned .
the team were totally disjointed , ill disilplned and no sign of a game plan whatsoever.or what ever plan he had seemed to unravell after the 1st goal. This has always been a tean of cool heads and great technique but half of them didnt even look like footballers out there (remember brady's solo) had he promted 6 or 7 young guys hed have some excuse but he started off with  started with all-ireland finalist for criistsakes. he has been living on his reputation for years but in all seriousness if youy had to choose wheter to take Donnelan  Joyce mannion walsh and ja at his bes or else o'mahony no contest. remember the stae he left mayo in last time ?.
I hope his little election stunt doesnt pay off and he loses his notional deposit . and then quit mayo and enjoys his retirment in roscommon.
I waited till today to write this because yesterday i was too angry and may have said something unfair.

[OirthearMhaigheo]

Ros, you've been having a pop at O'Mahony all season, between calling him a blueshirt, generally bringing politics into the debate and now calling him a rossie. Your comments are generally incoherent and nonsensical and this is another perfect example of your gobshitery! You're blaming yet another manager? this is the 3rd one after Maughan and Moran, are they really all to blame? I'm going to Mayo games long enough now to see Mayo players consistently throwing game plans out the window when the pressure is on and then playing like individuals, which is again what they did on Sunday. If you want to question the ability of one of the best managers the modern game has seen, that's your right, just take note that you look like a fool doing so!
Back to the game on Sunday, I was gutted at the time and still can't believe it happened after all our predictions of a tight game etc, mind you Ros did predict a 6/7 point margin, shame it was the other way  . Mayo are a much much better team than they looked the last day but for whatever reason they just didn't get going, this happens sometimes, I know it has happened my team plenty of times at club level. D Brady's solo effort to the Galway back just summed up our day if you ask me. We have 7 weeks now to re-group, loads of time to get rid of the rustiness from the likes of Mac, Brady and Mort the headless. We must improve and I believe we will improve, if the draw is reasonably kind to us for 7 weeks time I believe it will be a long summer yet. It's not all bad lads, time for some Mayo fans to grow up and change their ways and not over-react to something for once. Remember last years Connacht final? we hammered Galway in every place but on the score board, we dominated them completely because we were hungrier. we got destroyed in the exact same way on Sunday except we didn't take the goal chances that would have masked our problems. The difference is I think we have long enough to lick our wounds, learn from our mistakes, drop a couple of the passengers and grow some balls, and then go on to make the quarters and after that who knows what can happen!