Tipp v Mayo AI semi final (still doesnt sound right!!)

[seafoid]

Mayo's all Ireland to lose now, pretty much a bye into the final.

Time to put all the coulda shoulda woulda to bed and step 8nto samgri la  . They only need to win 1 to change Mayo football for good.

[Jinxy]

Delighted for the players and the management team. I think the raw emotion at the end was a release of the massive pressure the team have been under due to their actions in getting rid of last years management team. Whether people agree with what they did or not, it was a hugely brave move. The whole country is just waiting for them to fail, and if they had lost yesterday many would have been only too delighted to get the hobnails on, give them a good kicking and dance on their collective graves. Because losing yesterday would have meant they had gone backwards and would have even them probably questioning if they had done the right thing, and I think that, more so than anything else, the devastation of losing those other big games, the miles on the clock for some etc. would probably have killed them over the winter, led to even more doubt and probably finished some of them.
Winning yesterday means that, while it doesn't tell us if they are really any closer to the holy grail, the manner of the victory in relation to the brave positional changes and structure the management team put in place, means that they the players didn't make the wrong choice in doing what they did. Even if we are not to win it this year, the sideline showed that they have what it takes.  We have enough good footballers coming in, and plenty that have been around for years that are still very young. Cillian O'Connor has been through it all but is still only 24, Diarmuid is 21, Brendan Harrison, Paddy Durcan etc. So yesterday seems to be a strong indication that we have a good management team, and even if its not won this year, they may just have what it takes over the next couple. Over the past 5 years, Mayo having good footballers have never been in doubt, we just didn't have it tactically. This management team would have stuck a midfielder on Kieran Donaghy when Fitzmaurice through his last dice in the 2014 semi final, and Mayo would have been in the final. For too long Mayo wanted to just trust the player in the position and "hope" it would work out. It didn't and it never would unfortunately.
I think until yesterday some of the senior players on this squad had doubts about the management team, I think yesterday dispelled those doubts. Its very hard to be successful if you don't trust the men making those decisions. I think Mayo players will now feel a little lighter and happier in themselves and I think that will see them taking it up another level again.
Tipp have to be respected, we should have been caught in 2004 in very similar circumstances, beat Tyrone in a battle, "only" Fermanagh in the semi, and they should have beaten us the first day. No question. Thankfully we still have two members of that squad Alan Dillon and Andy Moran still around to remind the lads of that. Tipp will ask different questions, and I would say for a while in that game we will probably look like we are on trouble. I expect Mayo to win but not by a huge margin. And anyone who thinks Tipp have nothing to lose is deluding themselves, do you think the Tipp players will not be burning to get into an AIF? Course they will, and that is very much something to lose. That will create its own pressure. Some Mayo fans will of course get carried away with themselves, but I don't believe the team or management will and will come up with another game plan to try and beat Tipp.

I'm not sure if it's accurate to portray this as some kind of tactical masterclass from Rochford & Co.
The game was there for Tyrone with 14 men and they blew it.

[iorras]

Not saying it was a tactical masterclass, but compared to the past, (with the exception of Dublin round 1 last year where Barry Moran played a sweeper role) when our tactics seemed to consist of "go out and play ball lads", it is. We've never done anything as radical before as drop our full back and put a 34 year old corner forward in instead to get him to act as another link man. I believe Dillon had the most possessions on the pitch in the first half and he used the ball intelligently. Having the cop on to know he only had a half in him playing like that was to be applauded also.

Rochford seems very capable of playing "horses for courses", and reacting to what's happening on the pitch. For example once Sean Cavanagh was gone, Lee Keegan was told to go and mind Mattie Donnelley, Donnelley was a lot less effective after that. My point is that's something which has been lacking from Mayo the past few years

[Jinxy]

The biggest lesson for Mayo at the weekend was what NOT to do when you are leading a tight game with a few minutes to go.
If they have learned from that, then it could be the difference between winning an All-Ireland this year and collapsing in a heap with the finishing line in sight.

[Tubberman]

Not saying it was a tactical masterclass, but compared to the past, (with the exception of Dublin round 1 last year where Barry Moran played a sweeper role) when our tactics seemed to consist of "go out and play ball lads", it is. We've never done anything as radical before as drop our full back and put a 34 year old corner forward in instead to get him to act as another link man. I believe Dillon had the most possessions on the pitch in the first half and he used the ball intelligently. Having the cop on to know he only had a half in him playing like that was to be applauded also.

Rochford seems very capable of playing "horses for courses", and reacting to what's happening on the pitch. For example once Sean Cavanagh was gone, Lee Keegan was told to go and mind Mattie Donnelley, Donnelley was a lot less effective after that. My point is that's something which has been lacking from Mayo the past few years

Agree completely.

[PW Nally]

Not saying it was a tactical masterclass, but compared to the past, (with the exception of Dublin round 1 last year where Barry Moran played a sweeper role) when our tactics seemed to consist of "go out and play ball lads", it is. We've never done anything as radical before as drop our full back and put a 34 year old corner forward in instead to get him to act as another link man. I believe Dillon had the most possessions on the pitch in the first half and he used the ball intelligently. Having the cop on to know he only had a half in him playing like that was to be applauded also.

Rochford seems very capable of playing "horses for courses", and reacting to what's happening on the pitch. For example once Sean Cavanagh was gone, Lee Keegan was told to go and mind Mattie Donnelley, Donnelley was a lot less effective after that. My point is that's something which has been lacking from Mayo the past few years

Agree completely.

Good post.

[twohands!!!]

Mayo's result in the championship this year.

London 0-9 Mayo 2-16
Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-12
Mayo 2-14 Fermanagh 1-12
Mayo 2-17 Kildare 0-14
Mayo 3-15 Westmeath 1-14
Mayo 0-13 Tyrone 0-12

In the league they lost to Cork, Dublin, Donegal and Kerry.
They beat Monaghan, Down and Roscommon.

Tyrone were very poor on Saturday - the fact that they had 32 shots and got 12 scores says a world.

Mayo need to remember that it's one thing to win a match when you beat a team playing well, a whole different kettle of fish when it's a team who turns in to a performance that was somewhere around the 3/4 out of 10. If I was Mayo manager what would concern me was that once again there was a pretty long list of daft things that Mayo did on the pitch - a large part of the reason they managed to win was because Tyrone did absolutely woefully in terms of taking advantage of most of them. It was yet another game where Mayo looked like world-beaters at certain stages but then had patches where they looked like a team of lads who had never met before throw-in. If this was a one-off you would excuse it but it's clearly not. A biq question mark it whether this game was a return to form by Cillian O'Connor or whether it was a one-off in what has been a very poor season by his (admittedly very high) standards.

I can see them getting by Tipp (in a game that I think could be tighter than a lot expect) but I really struggle to see how they are going to win an All-Ireland against most likely Dublin (I think they might actually have a slightly better chance if it is Dublin in the final as opposed to Kerry because if Kerry somehow manage to get a result over Dublin in the semi, I just can't see them not completing the job)

[Ballaghman]

Not saying it was a tactical masterclass, but compared to the past, (with the exception of Dublin round 1 last year where Barry Moran played a sweeper role) when our tactics seemed to consist of "go out and play ball lads", it is. We've never done anything as radical before as drop our full back and put a 34 year old corner forward in instead to get him to act as another link man. I believe Dillon had the most possessions on the pitch in the first half and he used the ball intelligently. Having the cop on to know he only had a half in him playing like that was to be applauded also.

Rochford seems very capable of playing "horses for courses", and reacting to what's happening on the pitch. For example once Sean Cavanagh was gone, Lee Keegan was told to go and mind Mattie Donnelley, Donnelley was a lot less effective after that. My point is that's something which has been lacking from Mayo the past few years

Agree completely.

Another +1 to that. Like the look of Rochford and even though we were lucky in the end, Mayo are long overdue a lucky general!

[From the Bunker]

Mayo's result in the championship this year.

London 0-9 Mayo 2-16
Mayo 0-12 Galway 1-12
Mayo 2-14 Fermanagh 1-12
Mayo 2-17 Kildare 0-14
Mayo 3-15 Westmeath 1-14
Mayo 0-13 Tyrone 0-12

In the league they lost to Cork, Dublin, Donegal and Kerry.
They beat Monaghan, Down and Roscommon.

Tyrone were very poor on Saturday - the fact that they had 32 shots and got 12 scores says a world.

Mayo need to remember that it's one thing to win a match when you beat a team playing well, a whole different kettle of fish when it's a team who turns in to a performance that was somewhere around the 3/4 out of 10. If I was Mayo manager what would concern me was that once again there was a pretty long list of daft things that Mayo did on the pitch - a large part of the reason they managed to win was because Tyrone did absolutely woefully in terms of taking advantage of most of them. It was yet another game where Mayo looked like world-beaters at certain stages but then had patches where they looked like a team of lads who had never met before throw-in. If this was a one-off you would excuse it but it's clearly not. A biq question mark it whether this game was a return to form by Cillian O'Connor or whether it was a one-off in what has been a very poor season by his (admittedly very high) standards.

I can see them getting by Tipp (in a game that I think could be tighter than a lot expect) but I really struggle to see how they are going to win an All-Ireland against most likely Dublin (I think they might actually have a slightly better chance if it is Dublin in the final as opposed to Kerry because if Kerry somehow manage to get a result over Dublin in the semi, I just can't see them not completing the job)

Firstly Mayos League record matters not a damn! we retained Division One status. No more than Tyrones league record mattered other than getting back to Division one.

Secondly, Do you think there was a reason Tyrone did not play well against Mayo? Did the hype get to the team? Did the Mayo starting team throw Mickey Hartes tactics? Did they met an experienced team that know at this stage how to win Quarter finals? Was the Division two title over rated? Was the Ulster Championship over rated? Was beating Donegal in injury time over rated? Is it to soon to be expecting under 21's to compete as Seniors? Did they met an experienced team that know at this stage how to win Quarter finals?

Tyrone have been shielded from the exposure to playing Dublin (and most Division One teams) for over a year now. Kerry their nearest rival have played them 3 times and humbled on all three occasions. Meeting Dublin can be a humbling experience and a huge reality check! Up to now Tyrone were in their Cocoon of Division Two and Ulster Football. Nice and Cozy. Biggest worry was Donegal! This Tyrone team could come good - there are no guarantees. They are going in the right direction for now.

[ZeitChrist]

The reason Tyrone lost is because they lack quality going forward, they have no free-taker, their system is too rigid, and they were physically out-muscled. The weekend showed how poor the decision making is from some of their forwards and how inflexible they are as a unit. I think they expected Mayo to play a free-flowing game where they could turn them over and then counter-attack quickly, but Mayo didn't do that and Tyrone didn't adapt. Mayo also had a physical edge all over the field. There were a few Tyrone players who were trying to square up to Mayo and trying some macho stuff, but those Mayo lads are some of the most imposing athletes in the game and it was very naive of Tyrone to think they could square up to them. At one point O'Shea shouldered Niall Sludden and it was like swatting a fly away. Tyrone weren't up to the physical challenge.
Mayo played this one well tactically. The lack of a traditional full-back called Tyrone's bluff on their lack of quality going forward and having Alan Dillon roaming on the 40 a sending ball in over the blanket defence was a very smart move. Sean Cavanagh, who I think Tyrone thought would be giving Kevin Keane the run around on the day, was absolutely roasted by Lee Keegan. Aidan O'Shea was visibly unsettling the Tyrone defence by rotating in and out of the full-forward line too.
Mayo played Tyrone at their own game a little bit. They invited Tyrone onto them in the last few minutes and possibly knew that Tyrone wouldn't have the bottle or the quality to go and finish it off, and they'd be right in thinking that. For once Mayo actually displayed a bit of cute hoorism and about time too.

Tipp are another proposition entirely. They don't have the same history with Mayo that Tyrone have. They will come into this with no fear and they'll drive at Mayo and play to win. They have big, mobile men up front who could potentially cause havoc. Mayo would need to keep their heads now. They looked incredibly relieved and delighted to get over Tyrone and perhaps this match was a turning point for them, but it's at this stage that they'd want to make sure they don't go into this with one eye on the final and get caught on the hop.

[Blowitupref]

Delighted for the players and the management team. I think the raw emotion at the end was a release of the massive pressure the team have been under due to their actions in getting rid of last years management team. Whether people agree with what they did or not, it was a hugely brave move. The whole country is just waiting for them to fail, and if they had lost yesterday many would have been only too delighted to get the hobnails on, give them a good kicking and dance on their collective graves. Because losing yesterday would have meant they had gone backwards and would have even them probably questioning if they had done the right thing, and I think that, more so than anything else, the devastation of losing those other big games, the miles on the clock for some etc. would probably have killed them over the winter, led to even more doubt and probably finished some of them.

Did the win Saturday confirm Mayo have not gone backwards? i'm not convinced and probably won't know for certain now until the final.

This group of Mayo players have beaten defending All Ireland champions sometimes won those games pulling up but i didn't see Mayo as "delighted" after a win as Saturday which i found strange to say the least. The last management was removed because the players didn't believe they would win All Ireland under them and unless the All Ireland is won this year it still won't be known if the right thing was done or if this new management can deliver Sam either.

Next up is Tipp in the most unlikely semi final for Mayo.  Its one thing beating the two great underachievers of recent years in Galway,Cork in the championship but it another thing trying to beat a seasoned and experienced outfit like Mayo. Lack of a bench will likely hurt Tipp more in this game than others if only O Riordan,O Brien,Kennedy,Fahey etc were available for selection.

Regardless of the result in this game i hope its a semi final that is good viewing for all.

[macdanger2]

Mayo played Tyrone at their own game a little bit. They invited Tyrone onto them in the last few minutes and possibly knew that Tyrone wouldn't have the bottle or the quality to go and finish it off, and they'd be right in thinking that. For once Mayo actually displayed a bit of cute hoorism and about time too.

Not sure I'd agree with that, we coughed up chances to Tyrone in the last few minutes that Dublin / Kerry / Tipp wouldpprobably punish us for.

[Aaron Boone]

5/2 Mayo to win the All-Ireland and for the first time in my lifetime I am tempted.

I think Saturday's win, again not playing particularly well, will bring them on immensely. The Tipp match will be close but the scoreboard at the end will say Mayo are in the final.

[ZeitChrist]

Mayo played Tyrone at their own game a little bit. They invited Tyrone onto them in the last few minutes and possibly knew that Tyrone wouldn't have the bottle or the quality to go and finish it off, and they'd be right in thinking that. For once Mayo actually displayed a bit of cute hoorism and about time too.

Not sure I'd agree with that, we coughed up chances to Tyrone in the last few minutes that Dublin / Kerry / Tipp wouldpprobably punish us for.

But they weren't playing Dublin/Kerry/Tipp, they were playing Tyrone, and Tyrone were completely unable to take their chances. Had Mayo gone long with the ball and contested it further up the field, there's just as much chance that they'd have been caught on the break and conceded a crucial score or two, especially since Tyrone seem more comfortable with a counter-attacking game, a game that Mayo completely stopped them from playing. It was risky either way. At the end of the day, if one team is holding the ball and the other team is unable to take the game to them, that's not the former's fault. I will agree that Mayo could have executed the thing a bit better, particularly O'Shea's kamikaze pass at the end that the goalkeeper did well to read and stage an intervention on and O'Shea should really leave the free-taking to Cillian O'Connor as that lad can keep his head, but the idea itself was the right thing to do in the circumstances since Tyrone werne't up to much going forward.

[lenny]

5/2 Mayo to win the All-Ireland and for the first time in my lifetime I am tempted.

I think Saturday's win, again not playing particularly well, will bring them on immensely. The Tipp match will be close but the scoreboard at the end will say Mayo are in the final.

Probably worth a bet although I wouldn't be too confident. In other years they had played a lot of their best football by now. This year they are still improving with every game and have plenty of room for further improvement. I don't think the dubs are unbeatable. Mccaffrey and ocarroll are massive losses and could hurt them if they are under pressure. Tipp looked great in their last game but maybe that will be as good as it gets for them. They don't seem to have a strong bench. The winners of Dublin Kerry would still have to be strong favs.