AIFSF Replay Mayo v Dublin, Sat 5th Sept. HQ.

[maigheo]

Noticed that Aiden O Shea did not shake hands with McMahon after the game.Would not blame him after all the sledging from McMahon the first day.I guess what happens on the field did not stay on the field in this instance

[Nihilist]

Congrats to Dublin. Better team on the day and took their chances well.

Hard luck to our lads though. 5 semis in a row now. Of the last 4 semis they were in 2 All Irelands and lost back to back semis after a replay. Tough going and I wouldn't be surprised to see some of them pack it in. By all accounts it's serious hard graft at that level. Not sure we have that many replacements though.

Maybe Jason Gibbons should be there and Conroy (if he gets over the injury). And Regan should add to the inside line. Only other maybe is Stephen Coen but I'm not sure he has the pace at this level. And pace is what its about I think. Dublin have that in spades. Kerry have it as well in O'Donoghue and O'Sullivan. I'm not sure we do and I don't think you can coach it or train it.

Hope Andy doesn't go though. He's still good enough at this level imo.

[Dubhaltach]

A few things on the match,

-I don't buy the theory that Andy Moran didn't have 70 minutes in him. He's 32 and younger than the likes of Seán Cavanagh, Marc Ó Sé and a host of other inter-county players who routinely go the full 70. Both day's he came on, he was close enough to being our best forward from play. Fair enough, he gives an impact coming off the bench but we don't have the enough in the forward department to keep the likes of him out for the majority of a game.

-Goalkeeper- Look it's probably the most thankless position on the pitch. You can do 99 things right in a match but you'll be remembered for the one thing that went wrong. In saying that though, the first 2 Dublin goals came directly from poor Robbie kickouts. The 2nd one was unforgivable imo as Diarmuid was in an acre of space to his right and instead he hoofed it down the field (ala Kerry replay last year.) I think Robbie is a good keeper, he's just prone to the odd lapse at crucial moments and at this level you get massively punished. I noticed that Clarke took a full part in the warm-up of the drawn match and appeared OK to me. Leads me to believe that the switch was tactical, If so its a continuation of managements puzzling practice of switching goalkeepers, a practice that's been going on since the beginning of the league.

-Maybe changing the keeper, was another part of 'the horses for courses' approach that was adopted throughout the year. I think the approach backfired over the course of the 2 games. It appeared like players were unsure of their roll at times and it's hard to blame them when you are switching from a sweeper system to all out attack so regularly. I would cite Philly McMahon (and Fenton for the first goal) getting loose so easily as an example of Mayo players not knowing whose roll it was to do the tracking. Having one concrete plan/philosophy provides solidity and allows players to know exactly what their roll is on the pitch.

Having said all that, an All-Ireland Semi final replay in a managements first year is not a bad return. It's just frustrating when you believe, as I do, that we could have won that match had different decisions been made on the line. Well done to Dublin who were the better team over the 2 days. We will, as ever, be back and our day will come.

Maigh Eo Abú.

[Mayo4Sam14]

Anybody think there could be an actual Keith Higgins retirement?

[Mayo4Sam14]

Kerry would have absolutely taken us apart in the final had we won

[rrhf]

Thanks and appreciated.

[imtommygunn]

A few things on the match,

-I don't buy the theory that Andy Moran didn't have 70 minutes in him. He's 32 and younger than the likes of Seán Cavanagh, Marc Ó Sé and a host of other inter-county players who routinely go the full 70. Both day's he came on, he was close enough to being our best forward from play. Fair enough, he gives an impact coming off the bench but we don't have the enough in the forward department to keep the likes of him out for the majority of a game.

-Goalkeeper- Look it's probably the most thankless position on the pitch. You can do 99 things right in a match but you'll be remembered for the one thing that went wrong. In saying that though, the first 2 Dublin goals came directly from poor Robbie kickouts. The 2nd one was unforgivable imo as Diarmuid was in an acre of space to his right and instead he hoofed it down the field (ala Kerry replay last year.) I think Robbie is a good keeper, he's just prone to the odd lapse at crucial moments and at this level you get massively punished. I noticed that Clarke took a full part in the warm-up of the drawn match and appeared OK to me. Leads me to believe that the switch was tactical, If so its a continuation of managements puzzling practice of switching goalkeepers, a practice that's been going on since the beginning of the league.

-Maybe changing the keeper, was another part of 'the horses for courses' approach that was adopted throughout the year. I think the approach backfired over the course of the 2 games. It appeared like players were unsure of their roll at times and it's hard to blame them when you are switching from a sweeper system to all out attack so regularly. I would cite Philly McMahon (and Fenton for the first goal) getting loose so easily as an example of Mayo players not knowing whose roll it was to do the tracking. Having one concrete plan/philosophy provides solidity and allows players to know exactly what their roll is on the pitch.

Having said all that, an All-Ireland Semi final replay in a managements first year is not a bad return. It's just frustrating when you believe, as I do, that we could have won that match had different decisions been made on the line. Well done to Dublin who were the better team over the 2 days. We will, as ever, be back and our day will come.

Maigh Eo Abú.

It's more andy moran's injuries than his age though. Seems to have lost a good bit of pace.

[INDIANA]

Noticed that Aiden O Shea did not shake hands with McMahon after the game.Would not blame him after all the sledging from McMahon the first day.I guess what happens on the field did not stay on the field in this instance

Could also be that he was outplayed by someone 6 inches smaller and about 2 stone lighter

Hasn't been a week for O Se to remember

He was ineffective at full forward and proved he hasn't the legs for midfield when Brian Fenton who is the same height left him for dead for the 1st and 3rd goals

For all the talk of Mayo got wrong it was the switch of O Se to midfield that cost them the match . At least at full forward he had to be watched . At midfield he was a liability

[maigheo]

Kerry would have absolutely taken us apart in the final had we won

What a stupid statement to make.How do you know that ?.Hear this kind of stuff from a lot of Mayo supporters like [shur it is better to get beaten early on because we would only get hammered in the final.If we did get to the final and Kerry beat us so what.How are we ever supposed to win a final if we do not get to a final.Does my head in.

[Canalman]

Noticed that Aiden O Shea did not shake hands with McMahon after the game.Would not blame him after all the sledging from McMahon the first day.I guess what happens on the field did not stay on the field in this instance

Yep, seemed to be words exchanged between them at the end of the game from what I saw. Didn't go any further as Dublin players kept interrupting to shake AOS's hands .  Nothing in it.

AOS to his credit went out of his way to shake hands with alot of Dublin players, as did they. Classy way to finish out a championship on his part. Hope he gets his hands on Sam  some day.

Only an observation, but got the impression after the game that any bitterness between two teams in the past well and trully over.

[Mayo4Sam14]

Kerry would have absolutely taken us apart in the final had we won

What a stupid statement to make.How do you know that ?.Hear this kind of stuff from a lot of Mayo supporters like [shur it is better to get beaten early on because we would only get hammered in the final.If we did get to the final and Kerry beat us so what.How are we ever supposed to win a final if we do not get to a final.Does my head in.

I'm not saying that, I'd much rather get beaten by Kerry in the final than Dublin in the semi, I'm not saying it would be better beat in the semi final I'm just saying they would have

[Canalman]

Kerry would have absolutely taken us apart in the final had we won

Think you are very wrong there. Imo of course.

[From the Bunker]

Noticed that Aiden O Shea did not shake hands with McMahon after the game.Would not blame him after all the sledging from McMahon the first day.I guess what happens on the field did not stay on the field in this instance

Could also be that he was outplayed by someone 6 inches smaller and about 2 stone lighter

Hasn't been a week for O Se to remember

He was ineffective at full forward and proved he hasn't the legs for midfield when Brian Fenton who is the same height left him for dead for the 1st and 3rd goals

For all the talk of Mayo got wrong it was the switch of O Se to midfield that cost them the match . At least at full forward he had to be watched . At midfield he was a liability

Well who would you have put in Midfield? Parsons played with a broken finger and was clearly feeling the effects of it in his handling of the ball in the last quarter. Sheamie was Black Carded. Moran was shagged. Who was there?

[Syferus]

Noticed that Aiden O Shea did not shake hands with McMahon after the game.Would not blame him after all the sledging from McMahon the first day.I guess what happens on the field did not stay on the field in this instance

Could also be that he was outplayed by someone 6 inches smaller and about 2 stone lighter

Hasn't been a week for O Se to remember

He was ineffective at full forward and proved he hasn't the legs for midfield when Brian Fenton who is the same height left him for dead for the 1st and 3rd goals

For all the talk of Mayo got wrong it was the switch of O Se to midfield that cost them the match . At least at full forward he had to be watched . At midfield he was a liability

Well who would you have put in Midfield? Parsons played with a broken finger and was clearly feeling the effects of it in his handling of the ball in the last quarter. Sheamie was Black Carded. Moran was shagged. Who was there?

If the Mayo management hadn't got rid of Jason Gibbons the answer would have been obvious. But sure what can managers do, Indy?

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

Noticed that Aiden O Shea did not shake hands with McMahon after the game.Would not blame him after all the sledging from McMahon the first day.I guess what happens on the field did not stay on the field in this instance

Connolly and Keegan shook hands and hugged